The green goddess
Genevieve Loh, Today Online 5 Jun 09;
NADYA Hutagalung is building an eco-friendly house from scratch.
But before you baulk at this seemingly preposterous idea and rant about how only the wealthy can afford such a daunting undertaking, the former MTV VJ has the surprising truth about going green.
The designer of sustainable jewellery O-sel told Today at the site of her eco-home in-progress: “It just takes a little more research and time to source for the right products, as well as choosing to go with less expensive fittings and furnishings. It really is possible.”
According to Ms Hutagalung, who is married to former National swimmer Desmond Koh, her eco-home will cost as much as building any regular semi-detached from scratch, and should be completed by the end of the year.
“You just have to want to make a change and live life in a kinder, environmentally aware way,” added the 34-year-old.
Ms Hutagalung says she had always been environmentally conscious but took her actions up a notch when she started her jewellery business two years ago.
“When I realised that creating one single gold band creates 20 to 30 tonnes of mining waste, I almost fell off my chair. That’s when I started to look into using recycled gold and recycled diamonds,” she said.
“So when it came to building the house, I had no choice but to do it in the most environmentally friendly way as I possibly could.”
Building her dream “green” house also inspired the mother of three to launch eco-resource website greenkampong.com.
“I felt I needed to share all these resources and contacts I’ve discovered and picked up along the way of building my house. It’s meant to be a resource page and database.
“I would like to inspire others to create change, even if it’s in a small way. I don’t know everything. I am not a scientist and I am still learning. But I just want to bring a community together so I can share what I have learned.”
Nadya’s house: What makes it ‘green’
Genevieve Loh, Today Online 5 Jun 09;
RAINWATER CATCHMENT
A concern was that water (from the catchment) cannot be used to wash the car or water the plants due to the need to put chlorine in the tank to prevent algae. I found a special tank in Australia where what goes into the tank is exactly what comes out of it. It was around $1,000 (not including installation costs) compared to the $60,000 which a contractor quoted me.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
We’re using thermal, which is far cheaper than solar. (There are) panels on our roof, but instead of using sunlight, we are using heat from the atmosphere to heat our water for showering. After all, we’re in the tropics.
ECO-FRIENDLY LED LIGHTS
It’s a little more expensive but in the long run, they are one of the most energy-efficient light sources currently available.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
I am looking into getting Hyper Floor - it’s an Australian technology from a Malaysian company, where it polishes a special mix of concrete ... On top of that, the sealants in this floor can breathe, which in turn lowers the temperature of the house (reducing the need for air-conditioning).
CHEMICAL REDUCTION
The exterior of the house is cement - that’s it. Paint contains VOC (volatile organic compound); that’s toxic and bad for health. Also, you save money to fund the other eco-friendly things for the rest of the house.
We’re using a termite solution called Termimesh - it doesn’t have any of the poison that’s used in most termite solutions, which seeps out of the ground around the house and (come into contact with) the children.
Celebs gone green
Today Online 5 Jun 09;
I have a bin at home just for scrap paper that I can recycle. My mum gets upset sometimes, because I always let it pile up before I get rid of it! I also don’t sleep with the air-con on. I turn on the fan if it’s hot, or just wear less, lah!
Jade Seah, in her 20’s, MediaCorp artiste
At home, I unplug my electronic items when not in use - especially items I don’t use very often. As long as it’s more than 10 seconds, I turn off my engine when I’m waiting for someone in my car.
Eunice Olsen, 31, TV host and actress
I started going green about four or five years ago. My dive shop partner (Dasmond co-owns Gill Divers) is an all-out environmental guy. He kind of influenced me. My car runs on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). It’s bi-fuelled, so it can run on gas and petrol. I read that CNG emits 10 per cent of the carbon monoxide that petrol does. We also recycle quite a bit at home. There are other little things - for example, I don’t use straws, because they’re not very biodegradable.”
Dasmond Koh, 37, TV personality
