Channel NewsAsia 26 Jun 10;
SINGAPORE: It's a competition to find Singapore's most environmentally-friendly person. The Gaia Life Challenge saw close to 200 submissions this year but only three made the cut to battle for top honours.
It's not exactly how one would spend the weekend, especially during the World Cup campaign.
Living in a plastic room for 24 hours, three contestants attempt to use the least amount of electricity and hope their efforts will raise awareness as well.
Christina Hardie, contestant, Gaia Life Challenge, said: "I believe more people should try and live their lives more sustainably, especially living in such a hot country. I don't see enough recycling bins around. I think it's good to make the public aware about all these things."
The winner will get S$5,000 cash and other products.
The competition at Bugis Square is part of MediaCorp's Saving Gaia campaign, which has become synonymous with environmental awareness and going green.
Shaun Seow, Deputy CEO, MediaCorp, said: "The event itself is the culmination of all our programmes on-air and off-air to promote the message of environment protection and Saving Gaia. It really brings together the whole environment message and this really comes to live in the form of a competition for people to actually live the green message for 24 hours."
The event is also supported by electronics retailer Gain City who said customers are getting more green savvy.
Jacqueline You-Seah, marketing manager, Gain City Best-Electric, said: "Nowadays, customers are actually discerning and very environmentally conscious to look for products that are three to four ticks which will help them save electricity in the long run."
The National Environment Agency said there's a bigger presence from the green grassroots movement now and more companies are making the effort to spread the green message.
Andrew Tan, CEO, National Environment Agency, said: "This is because companies are also under the same sort of published scrutiny as to whether they are responsible corporate citizens.
“You have a new generation of consumers who are now more aware that the product that they purchase is not just what the product is about but also what the values, the company or organisation stands for."
And standing up for Gaia is what many did when they turned up at Bugis Square. They received an eco-friendly bag when they pledged to save the Earth. - CNA/vm
Organic food cafe owner most Gaia-friendly person
Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 27 Jun 10;
SINGAPORE: Staying in a perspex room with little entertainment is hardly a way to spend your weekend, but three people did just that.
And 24 hours later, one emerged as the most Gaia-friendly person of the year.
They were taking part in the MediaCorp Gaia Life Challenge 2010.
The winner is 42-year-old Christina Hardie.
She said: "I read all the Hemisphere magazines that were in there (the room), did all the crossword puzzles and word searches. You feel a little bit like a hamster in a cage. Some chaps came up and asked me to turn the fan on, and I said, 'I'm good, I'm all right'. I think a lot of people are very amused by all this."
The idea is to use as little electricity as possible, which means no TV watching or using of the computer.
The contestants also took on challenges that tested their knowledge on topics like water consumption, recycling and energy reduction.
These questions were no trouble for Ms Hardie.
She said: "If you've been living this sort of life for quite a long time, it comes naturally to you, so you don't really need to think about it."
Being environmentally-friendly is almost second nature to Ms Hardie, who runs a cafe selling organic food.
"I recycle, use my own shopping bags.... We eat organic (food), not much meat either," she said.
All three contestants were handpicked from some 200 applicants.
Ms Hardie won $5,000 cash and some household appliances.
The other two contestants also won household appliances.
- CNA/ir
