2010/10/11
RAWANG: Armed with shovels and heavy-duty bin bags, 300 young people from the city flocked to Kanching Waterfalls to celebrate yesterday's special 10.10.10 date.
The group, comprising young professionals, tertiary students and 40 underprivileged children, gathered at the popular tourist spot as early as 7.30am for a massive clean-up.
By the end of the day, the group had filled 289 bin bags during the Social Enterprise Waterfall Survivors' 10.10.10 event as part of the larger "Global Work Party" initiative which has drawn over 7,000 community events in 188 countries.
In the Philippines, students and environmentalists planted mangrove trees. In Thailand, hundreds planted 1,600 teak trees in Chok Chai, northeast of Bangkok.
Waterfall Survivors founder Joe Yap said 18 similar events were held
in the country, from tree-planting in Penang to a beach clean-up in Sabah.
"Malaysians love their waterfalls but we find they don't know and don't bother to take care of them. Go to any waterfall and you'll find plastic bottles and bags. We want to drive home the message to use less (resources) and pick up after themselves."
She said the date 10.10.10 was significant as participants aimed to cut Malaysia's carbon emission by 10 per cent by the year-end.
Selangor Standing Committee for Tourism, Consumer and Environment representative Adrian Yeo said such community events, held simultaneously worldwide, helped send a strong message to leaders that environmental issues concerned the youth.
"Such events rally people together to take the green agenda into their own hands. They show they want results."
Read more: 300 spend 10.10.10 cleaning up tourist spot http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/6wang/Article/#ixzz13rNSdcpV
