Malaysia Caught in the Middle

Making Sense of Environmentalism

This week the world is focused on Bali, Indonesia for a green reason. World governments must lead the way to a reversal of our climatic breakdown.
And I am in Bintulu, Sarawak trying hard to make sense of this thing we call environmentalism...aha..probably I may find a new way to wade through this web of environmentalism..by finding out how it means to me as an individual and a child of the universe.
Thus, this morning I spent the prime time of my research mode to three fruitful hours of mind mapping on a framework that I could use to deal ( happily for myself) the business of the environment.
I propose here a three step hierachial process which cities or societies need to move up the ladder in order to create the ultimate ecological cites of this millennium, for short we call eco-cities. as below:
( Eco- city)
Envolutionary City
Transformationary City
Transactionary City
Failed City

From the above scheme, I can safely place Malaysian towns and cities at the lower end of transactionary cities. At this point of time and phase, our concerns of developing our cities are based on strictly economical, low-intense environmental consciousness which are all the better of course when compared with survival themes of failed cities for instance. Examples of our environmental practises that replicate our transactional state are as follows

1) continuous attempts to create urban green lungs, landscaping protocol roads, animal in zoos
2) emphasis on passive( educational/preventive) environmental campaigns e.g. bird watching, jungle trekking, wetlands, birds or wildlife sanctuaries viewing ( eco-tour operation)
3) mandatory ( just so ) EIA reporting of industrial practices and controls to manufacturing firms
4) reforestation projects
5) corporate social responsibility ( just so 'triple bottom line' reporting)
6) re-generation of cities/ towns for (tourism and money spinning initiatives)
7) river re-habilitation and waterfront re-development
8) use of hydro-energy
9) slow adoption of re-cycling, renewal or alternative technologies e.g. bio-fuel, solar, wind, bio mass ( despite in abundance here)
10) promotion of organic living life style e.g. organic farming, organic food, organic gifts

The challenges to move a stage higher, i.e. to the transformationary city are placed right ahead ( on top of us!) This is where an individual citizen can contribute and participate in this great green transformation of Malaysia. It is a step taken one at a time as we climb up the green mountain .