The Environmental Law Committee in Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee was re-named Environment & Humanities Committee (EHC) in 2009. As the new Committee was elected at the end of February, the EHC had to move quickly as 2 major environmental events were coming up, namely the Earth Hour on 28th March and Earth Day on 22nd April. Both events are annual events, with the former first held in 2007 at Sydney and the latter, celebrated every 22nd April since 1970.
The Earth Hour
EHC issued a statement urging legal firms to take part in Earth Hour and more importantly, to take up the spirit of Earth Hour. The Earth Hour concept was to encourage awareness of the effect of electricity on the environment, and people were encouraged to switch off for one hour on that 28th March 2009, between 8pm to 9pm.
The EHC urged members of the Bar to use less electricity at their firms and if possible to switch off all electrical machines for at least an hour a day. Maybe not all machines, but as many as possible.
The Earth Day
On Earth Day, EHC went back to basic and initiated a ‘collect old paper’ campaign. The papers were sent to re-cycle houses to be re-cycled. It was a well received project with almost 300kg of paper being “surrendered” at KL Bar Secretariat, not only by legal firms but by individual lawyers and others including the Palace of Justice. A big thank you to the Palace of Justice for participating in this project. Contributors to the event:-
1. Palace of Justice
2. Messrs Azam Malek & Soh
3. Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
4. Messrs Rabinder Budiman & Associates
5. Messrs Saha & Associates
6. Messrs Bodipalar Ponnudurai Nathan
7. Messrs Nik Hashim & Associates
8. Messrs Richard Wee Lopez,
9. Thia Haridas
10. Adiba Shareen
11. Roger Chan
12. KL Legal Aid Centre
13. Kraftangan
14. PAAC Institute and;
15. our very own KL Bar Secretariat.
See Photos.
EHC is also made to understand that many legal Firms all over Kuala Lumpur had their own old paper collection, for re-cycle purposes. We applaud the efforts and hope it will be sustained.
These projects are merely the beginning to a long hard journey to change the people’s way of life. EHC wishes to encourage the lawyers, particularly; and the people, generally; to minimise their impact on the Environment, to minimise one’s carbon footprint, to minimise the green house effect.
Kota Damansara Forest reserve
EHC was made aware of the Earth Day event organized by the residents at Kota Damansara at the Forest Reserve believed to be hundred of years in age.
The celebration was held on the 26th April 2009, where the Menteri Besar of Selangor attended the event where he announced that the Forest Reserve will be gazetted as one within the next 3 months. His announcement was received with great applause.
Some of EHC members attended the event and one member also volunteered as emcee for the said event.