Could Humble Algae Revolutionize the Food Industry?

Could Humble Algae Revolutionize the Food Industry?

As rooftop gardens go, these may not be all that visually pleasing. That’s because they consist of nothing but plastic cylinders, each occupying one square meter of space, with viscous green goo in them. But these gardens make up for their lack of aesthetic appeal with plenty of environmental benefit….

Plastic-Eating Bacteria Could Help Revolutionize Recycling

Plastic-Eating Bacteria Could Help Revolutionize Recycling

We all know the drill: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Except, of course, that by and large Malaysians continue to be laggards when it comes to recycling. Only a mere 15% of solid waste was collected for recycling all of last year. Perhaps a solution to all those growing mounds of non-biodegradable…

Spread of Dengue could be Stemmed

Spread of Dengue could be Stemmed

The world’s greatest killer is at it again. It’s relentless – spreading pain, suffering and heartache everywhere in its wake. Its bite is a mere pinprick, yet it has the potential to transmit deadly pathogens into bloodstreams within mere seconds. We’re speaking of mosquitoes, of course. Mosquito bites result in…

Penang is set to get its First Green Condos

Penang is set to get its First Green Condos

Penang is an architectural gem renowned for its historic mélange of buildings constructed in British colonial, Indian, Chinese and Malay styles, all of which vie for attention in scenic arrangements. Now the island’s architectural landscape is set to be enriched further still – this time with a project promising green standards. A…

The Greenest Book on the Planet?

The Greenest Book on the Planet?

The Greenman’s Guide to Green Living and Working – it’s a fitting title for what could be the greenest book on the planet.  Made with 100% FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) recycled paper, printed with vegetable ink, offset with enough carbon credits to make the book effectively a carbon sink, and even…

Biorock Technology Electrifies Coral Reef Conservation

Biorock Technology Electrifies Coral Reef Conservation

A technology encouraging coral reefs to grow back faster than their normal (agonizingly slow) rate is being implemented across the world, reviving invaluable but threatened ecosystems and bringing some of them back from the dead. It’s called Biorock technology, and it boosts coral reef growth, increase reef resistance to temperature…

Connecting the Green Dots

Connecting the Green Dots

A business installing free solar panels for community benefit, a group building temperature-efficient, earthquake-proof structures entirely out of recycled material and a series of moving environmental documentaries shown around Malaysia and accompanied by expert-led discussions.  What do these green projects have in common?  One word (well, one acronym really): MESYM….

A New Weapon in the Fight against Dengue Fever

A New Weapon in the Fight against Dengue Fever

The symptoms range from mild to incapacitating high fever, severe headache, rash, and muscle and joint pain that give the affliction its nickname of “break-bone fever.”  There is no vaccine to make one immune to it, no medications to treat it once it’s contracted, and cases in Malaysia have been…

Malaysia gets its Own Startup Incubator

Malaysia gets its Own Startup Incubator

As Malaysia’s profile as an up-and-coming hub for international trade grows progressively more defined, the country and its inhabitants are beginning to enjoy some of the perks of developmental limelight.  One such perk is the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Center (MaGIC), a government-funded organization whose sole aim is to…

The Boss of Business Sustainability in Malaysia

The Boss of Business Sustainability in Malaysia

Malaysia’s business world doesn’t have the brightest history when it comes to sustainability.  The entire country is famous for profit-driven and explosive growth at the cost of environment, the people are notorious for a “so what” attitude towards their environment, and the land has been heavily polluted and exploited to…

Used Cell Phones Upcycled to Catch Illegal Loggers in the Act

Used Cell Phones Upcycled to Catch Illegal Loggers in the Act

The idea started in 2011 when California tourist Topher White stumbled across a band of illegal loggers during an eco-vacation in Borneo.  White had been staying at a gibbon reserve on some 40,000 hectares of protected forest where, even though guards were posted to stop illegal loggers, White’s tourist group…

Malaysian Installer Offers Community Free Solar PV System

Malaysian Installer Offers Community Free Solar PV System

In a display of well-planned corporate social responsibility, Malaysian sustainable construction firm Green Eco Builder has offered a free solar power setup to a community building. Applications closed in mid-August for a clever corporate social responsibility initiative in which a large solar panel system will be installed for free atop…

The Corporate Mother of Green Invention

The Corporate Mother of Green Invention

Focused on finding sustainable solutions for the future, a global business and environmental solutions provider called IRIS Corporation Berhad is a world apart from many Malaysian businesses. IRIS is a business is of significant influence in Malaysia.  Some achievements include pioneering the world’s first electronic passport in 1998 and introducing…