Did you know that you could do the simplest things and help save Mother Earth?

For one, you can help spread information about its protection and care, like what this blog, greenphils, is about. Being part of the chain that develops environmental awareness among people is really important because through information, people would be made aware of the better options in life — such as being environmentally-conscious, and that hopefully, they would change for the better. There are a lot of avenues to teach people on how to live green — you could wear statement shirts, conduct lectures, storytell… or, you can help spread environmental awareness, or be more aware of it, through games!

Personally, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to share with others, especially the youth, what simple things they can do to help save the world. I know how it is to talk about the environment in front of a group of kids (up to the young at heart hehe), and well, based from experience, you have to inject “fun” — make learning about the environment fun, so they would really listen.

Lucky for us, there are environmentally-concerned individuals, groups, and companies who have been developing ways to reach out, and make eco-learning fun.

In 2008, I met Ms. Aurora de Leon, who conceptualized the Pinoy Ecology Game (which Joytoy developed). It’s a cute game board complete with concept cards bearing practical applications (and about 90 Do’s and Don’ts) making learning about the environment easier, especially for children.

Then in 2009, third year Industrial Design students of the University of Santo Tomas developed about 60 originally-designed board games to help spread awareness on issues concerning our environment. Went there to test some of the games, and was really proud of the students for having had the initiative to bring the fun back to environment.

This year, 2011, AboitizPower helps us learn more about our environment through Alter Space — and read this — on Facebook! (Gasp! hehe!) Talk about keeping with the times! Here’s a video:

Alter Space is the 1st Filipino environmental awareness game on Facebook, so it’s really a very wise move to have this game online since a lot of Filipinos are on facebook (especially now that Friendster is out :p).

I’ve actually had a blog post (click here to read) about Alterspace when I first tried it out, where I expressed hope that it will beat the hell out of Frontierville, Farmville, and Fashion World (hehe, love your own). But you know what, I mean what I said about it beating the others because seriously, what sets this apart from other facebook games is that you will actually learn something from Alter Space — and it’s not just about learning how to water and harvest crops, or how to mix and match clothes, but really, how to save the planet.

You can do it at home, with your kid (if you’re already a parent), so you could really, really learn — in a major major Venus Raj kind-of way — practical ways to be greener. All you have to do is look up Alter Space on facebook, (i’ll make it easy, just click this: http://www.facebook.com/alterspacegame ), add the app, and play!

Now, here are tips you will learn, straight from Alter Space (and a bit from me), on how to conserve energy — plus more!:

Make living green in your Living Room

1: Use your air conditioning sparingly. It’s summer so it’s understandable but making sure your aircon unit is clean increases its efficiency and will save energy costs, as well as money.
2: Natural lighting is always better! At home, we save a lot of money because we usually leave our windows open, just enough to “light” our house. We only switch the lights on at night, to be honest (and switch them off when we sleep). Save, save, save!
3: LCDs are more energy efficient! This is something I learned from Alter Space and luckily, ours are LCDs. Even if LCD TVs are a bit more pricey than regular ones, you save a lot in the long run because of the energy you’ll be saving. On my part, I’m gonna save a lot of energy now cause my fave show, Imortal, just ended. Goodbye Mateo… Hehehe…
4: Screen Savers only save the screen but not the energy. As a blogger, and as one who uses the computer a lot, I make sure that I switch off my laptop (or pc when at the office), when I am not going to use it.
5: Read books.… or play board games, or just share a laugh with your family. You not only save energy, but you also save your family by building love through bonding.

Also, have you heard about “energy vampires”? They “come” when you don’t unplug your appliances. Electricity still runs even if you already switched off your appliance or gadgets, so make sure to unplug!

Beat the Heat in your Kitchen!

1. Defrost your refrigerators and freezers regularly. The more ice build-up, the harder your fridge works… and the harder it works, the more energy it consumes. Also, if you’re going to get something from your fridge, get it all at the same time. And do not do the “shake, rattle, and roll thing” and make an aircon out of your fridge. It’s not only scary, it’s also energy-consuming
2. Replace regular incandescent bulbs with LEDs. This move is so important that Malacanang issued Administrative Order No. 183: “Palit Ilaw Program”, mandating all government offices, state colleges and universities, housing and building projects to use of Energy Efficient Lighting/ Lighting System (EELs). It helps to do it at our homes too!
3. Conserve water. Water is life, and without it, we will not survive so we have to make sure that we conserve it, we protect it the best way that we can. Alter Space gives us tips, and I would like to add one major major thing — throwing garbage down the waterways is a big NO-NO!

Dream of a Greener World in your Bedrooms.

1. Proper insulation can cut air conditioning costs. The more heat there is, the harder an aircon unit works. It’s best to keep your room cool with curtains and blinds. Also, like what we do at home, during nights when its cold (malamig ang gabi, ahihi!), we just leave our windows open and just feel the breeze.
2. Water beds can be a waste of water. Well, not a lot of Filipinos have water beds… I don’t even know a person who has one, but you know what this tip means. I am more concerned when the time comes that our beds start floating because of floods that might happen if we don’t stop throwing garbage in our waterways! Manage your wastes, everyone! Arrrgghh!
3. Sleep with the lights off. As you can see in the photo, my honey Tarsey likes sleeping with the lights out. You could save about 6-8 hours of electricity when you sleep in the dark.

No Eco-breaks even in your Restrooms.

1. Showering consumers more water than using a pail and a dipper. Of course, this is because when you shower, you don’t have control on the amount of water you use. This is also the same when brushing teeth where it’s better to use a glass than just to leave the faucet running. Clean and green!
2. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Who wants to bathe in hot water when its hot? Plus, it opens your pores making you prone to pimples. Save water and save your skin. Hehehe.
3. Fix leaky faucets. … and save a lot of water!

Also, remember when people were advised to drop a brick in the toilet tank to save water? Do it, but don’t use bricks (as they may dissolve and eventually clog the tanks). Instead, use a plastic water bottle and fill it with pebbles or even just water. Do this and save water every time you flush. Success!

Remember, these are just tips inside the home. You can also plant trees for trees help absorb carbon emissions, tune up your cars so they would not emit smoke, avoid idling your vehicles, and reduce-reuse-recycle.

Also, when you play, there are other places to go to (like the Organic Stand and the very Pinoy Aero-Turoturo) and many mini-games to be played (like building waterways) so you could just imagine how many things you will learn when you get to play Alter Space.

Now, to end this post, I’ll share with you a quote from a real space man, US Astronaut James Erwin…

We may not be astronauts but I would like to believe that we, now more than ever, know how important Mother Earth is. We may be able to dream of, and virtually live in an alternative world, but the truth is, there is no Planet B. Earth is the only home we have, and we must do everything that we can to save it.

Saving the Earth is not a game, but through a game like Alter Space, we can help save Mother Earth.

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