Gaia Life Challenge winner walks away with S$10,000 cash

Channel NewsAsia 22 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: The winner of the Gaia Life Challenge, Marcus Tay, walked away with S$10,000 in cash.

For 24 hours, the environmental engineer and two other contestants lived in rooms at Bugis Junction. But what was not explicitly made known to them was that their energy consumption would be calculated.

However, they received hints from the organisers.

Second runner-up Michelle Scully caught on to the hints and minimised her energy usage to the bare minimum.

Florence Lian, judge of the Gaia Life Challenge, said: "She switched off her refrigerator. I think she only used the fan and she did not use the air-conditioning at all. Unfortunately, based on the challenges that formed 70 per cent of the scores, she just didn't manage to catch up on the total scores."

The contestants faced nine other challenges which tested their knowledge on the environment.

The winner, Marcus Tay said he also knew that their energy consumption will be calculated. Still, he switched on the air-conditioner but kept the temperature at 25 degrees celsius.

His fridge, which stored only water, was kept at an optimal temperature.

He said: "If I were to present a side that I don't switch on the air-con here, but when I go home and do it, then people are not going to believe in the environmental movement. I just want people to understand that none of us can be Gandhi but if you can, it's even better. But for normal human beings out there, let's just do our part and don't waste."

All three contestants got to take home all the electrical appliances and furniture which had kept them company for the past 24 hours. - CNA/vm

Cool kid does his bit for Gaia
Lin Yanqin, Today Online 23 Jun 08;

FOR 24 hours, they lived in rooms made of clear Perspex and tackled challenges to prove that they were, indeed, the most eco-friendly person in Singapore — and win $10,000.

But between slugging it out over charades and knowledge quizzes that tested their environmental knowledge, the three finalists — shortlisted from more than 100 applicants — of MediaCorp’s Gaia Life Challenge found time to interact.

“We are here to have a good time and bring some attention to our cause,” said finalist Michelle Scully, 34.

All three contestants lived by what they preached by switching off the air-conditioning and fans in their rooms, located by the fountains in Bugis Junction.

“I only switched the fan on when it was really warm, just like I do at home. I want to show people how I lead my life,” said Mr Marcus Tay, 26.

Although Ms Scully made the most effort to cut down on using electricity — she switched off the refrigerator in her room — it was Mr Tay who eventually emerged the winner yesterday.

A recent graduate in environmental engineering, Mr Tay hopes to use some of the money to contribute to a fund to get the acclaimed documentary An Inconvenient Truth screened on free-to-air television.

The :other runner-up Chin Chainn Huey, 21, an undergraduate, spent her birthday on Saturday taking part in the challenge.

MediaCorp :senior vice-president for marketing and creative services (news, radio and print) Florence Lian, one of the judges, said: “The challenge is about raising awareness of the environment and reaching out to the man on the street.”