Floor Plan of Presentation

Since I'm doing a documentary, the set-up is pretty simple. A projector, a screen and a few seats are enough for the presentation.

Video References on Littering

I looked for videos about recycling that I may use as reference for my documentary and these are some interesting ones that I found.


A 30 second animation that tells people not to litter and promotes recycling.


A public service announcement about cleaning up New York directed by David Lynch. David Lynch is a well-known American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor who likes to "disturb, offend or mystify" his audiences.


A funny commercial that tells people to be careful when littering.


Another funny commercial produced for Keep Tennessee Beautiful. Keep Tennessee Beautiful is a public service program to educate and rally people to take personal responsibility for improving their community environment. This is their official site http://www.ktnb.org/


Friends of the Urban Forest - A Documentary on Cigarette Litter from Jeff-Steven A. Mojica on Vimeo.

A documentary about cigarette litter by Jeff-Steven A. Mojica.

Gant Chart

This is the gant chart for this semester. The schedule might change slightly due to unforeseen circumstances

Research of Cleanliness in Malaysia

Cleanliness, Environmental Protection Crucial for Tourism Industry

Cleanliness and protecting the environment are crucial for Malaysia in order to become a major tourist destination in the world, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. She said many tourists had described Malaysia as a good tourist destination but were not very happy about cleanliness at tourist spots especially toilets. “Malaysia is nice but “the nose will guide me to the toilets” they say. Therefore, I urge all Malaysians to write directly to the relevant parties especially the operators if they find tourist spots or toilets to be not in good condition in terms of cleanliness,” she said at the Langkawi Tourism Industry Awards 2010/2011 ceremony here Friday night.

She said the ministry introduced the “1Malaysia Green, 1Malaysia Clean” initiative to educate and increase tour operators’ and public awareness on the importance of upkeeping cleanliness and pristine state of tourist spots.

Ng said the ministry was working hard to develop a thriving and sustainable tourism industry that did not compromise on the existing biodiversity through e “preservation, conservation and protection” of the environment and the country’s nature and cultural heritage.“Irresponsible behaviour can affect the environment and outcome is flash floods. This is not good for the tourism industry,” she said.

Ng said cleanliness and protecting the environment would be the main focus of the ministry to attract more tourists to Malaysia.

“We have been selected as one of the world’s top ten countries for 2010 in term of tourist destinations. Out of 10, only two Asian countries. First is China, at fourth place. However, China is huge country with 1.3 billion people. Second is tiny Malaysia at eighth place. We only have 28 million people,” she said.

She said under Malaysia’s Tourism Transformation Plan, Malaysia aimed tp achieve 36 million tourist arrival and RM168 billion in tourism receipts by 2020.

At the function, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa received the Outstanding Hotel/Resort Award.

Mardi Agro Park, Langkawi received the Outstanding Innovative Product/Programme award while Four Seasons Resort Langkawi for Outstanding Green Effort award.

The Outstanding Restaurant award went to Restaurant Putumayo while AB Motel was given the Outstanding Budget Accomodation award, HBS Evergreen Tour Sdn Bhd (Outstanding Boat Operator), Osman Ayob (Outstanding Tourist Guide), Sala Travel & Tours Langkawi (Outstanding Tour & Travel Agent), Panorama Langkawi Sdn Bhd (Outstanding Tourism Product) and Jetty Point Duty Free Complex (Outstanding Retail Outlet).

Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) Tourism Manager Megat Shahrul Azman Abas was chosen as Tourism Personality.

The Malaysian National News Agency, Bernama was among the recipients of a special award during the tourism awards held at Lada Auditorium.

Reference : http://www.malaysia.com/news/2011/01/cleanliness-environmental-protection-crucial-for-malaysias-tourism-industry/

The above article is simply saying that tourist that visited Malaysia aren't satisfied with the cleanliness at tourist spots especially toilets. Malaysia was also 1 of the 2 Asian countries selected as one of the world’s top ten countries for 2010 in term of tourist destinations.

A study to assess cleanliness of coastlines

It’s a beautiful morning at the Desaru beach in Johor and the day has just started for the group of people gathered there. It will be a good hour or so before the sun will be high in the sky and they are anxious to start on the day’s mission. Armed with rubbish bags and clipboards, they have the routine down pat by now. Everyone is familiar with the drill: divide an area on the beach into sections, collect all the bits and pieces of trash within the selected sections, and then sort, count and analyse.

It’s almost like a regular beach clean-up, but with a twist. With most beach clean-up initiatives, the most common measure of the level of cleanliness is the amount of litter collected. Although this is easily measured and provides a basis for comparison, more often than not it emphasises the effectiveness of the operation rather than the level of beach cleanliness.

“Measuring the success of each cleaning operation by the amount of litter cleared from the beach is not a standardised method of assessing its cleanliness. More litter collected doesn’t necessarily mean that the beach is particularly dirty. There could have just been more volunteers that day, it could have been just a dirty coastal stretch or maybe a large area was covered,” says Joanna Tang, senior researcher at the Centre for Coastal and Marine Environment (CMER) at Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA).

So, for this beach clean-up, the focus is not on how many tonnes of rubbish is collected, but rather the quantity of plastic debris on the beach, presented as number of pieces of plastic debris per square metre of coastal area.

Plastic is chosen as the indicator as preliminary runs by the researchers suggest that plastic scraps account for the majority of rubbish on beaches.

It is also particularly harmful to the environment as it is non-biodegradable and will remain in the environment for a long time.

Clean coast index

This initiative is part of a study by MIMA researchers where the objective is to collect data to develop a Clean Coast Index (CCI) that can be used to assess the cleanliness of our coastlines.

“The objective of the study is to identify the amount, composition and distribution of coastal litter on selected beaches in an effort to establish a baseline for a CCI and start a virtual repository. There is currently no national funding for marine litter management and no comprehensive data being gathered on marine litter in the country. The absence of a central database is a major issue regarding litter management. After gathering and analysing the data, only then will we be able to identify the gaps in litter management and propose solutions to this problem,” says MIMA researcher and project coordinator Roa’a Hagir.

She suggests that local authori-ties or corporations tasked with the responsibility of maintaining the cleanliness of the beach use the CCI as a tool for measuring the progress and success of clean-up efforts.

Additionally, it can also serve to create awareness among the general public.

“The method we adopted for the CCI is not complicated and is easy to perform. Anyone can do it – for example, non-government organisations and schools during their beach clean-ups, as well as companies for their corporate social responsibility campaigns,” she says.

For the purpose of this study, plastic debris is defined as any artificial waste made (or partially made) of plastic, including plastic bags, plastic bottles and caps, nylon fishing lines and polystyrene remains. Plastic products account for the bulk of marine litter and it is estimated that there are 13,000 pieces of plastic litter floating on every square kilometre of ocean.

The Department of Environment has guidelines for assessing coastal water quality standards but there is no established index to assess the cleanliness of beaches in Malaysia. There is also no data identifying the sources of marine litter and where they accumulate.

With no systematic studies to ensure the cleanliness of beaches, no national coordinated marine litter survey and monitoring programme, and a lack of data on the extent and nature of the problem, efforts to assess the level of beach cleanliness and to ensure that it is adequately monitored have mostly been in vain.

Marine litter poses a dire threat to the marine and coastal environment. The hazards include entanglement and ingestion by marine animals, contamination of beaches, accumulation and dispersion of toxic substances, and interference with navigation at sea.

Marine litter can originate at sea (from ships and boats as well as offshore oil and gas platforms) or from land. When debris wash up and accumulate on the coast, it affects the aesthetics of the beach and costs local authorities thousands of ringgit each year through clean-up efforts. In Malaysia, this problem is escalating at an alarming rate.

Joint efforts

Working with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), the researchers at MIMA plan to sample eight beaches in seven states (Johor, Kedah, Pahang, Malacca, Selangor, Sabah and Sarawak) by the end of this month. Transects are performed on a 1km stretch of coastline from the water’s edge to the border of the coast.

“We decided to collaborate with the MNS on this project because it has branch offices in many states. It also has a pool of volunteers that we can tap into. We wanted a good representation of beaches across Malaysia and the eight beaches chosen were based on this requirement as well as the availability of volunteers,” says Tang.

From preliminary runs, the researchers observed that despite the availability of trash cans and Do Not Litter signs on the beach, people still leave their rubbish behind.

“I think even the local authorities are baffled as to why the bins are left empty and how it often ends up that there is a huge pile of rubbish beneath signs telling people they will be slapped with a hefty fine if caught littering,” she says.

There might be a general lack of enforcement of relevant laws and regulations, but the researchers believe that it would make a difference if the public adopted a more active role in looking after our beaches.

Roa’a adds that the long-term goals of the study include assessing marine litter management policies and legislation as well as recommending appropriate management proposals.

“Based on the findings of this study, we plan to come up with recommendations to increase public awareness on the magnitude of this problem. Awareness is very important if we want to improve the cleanliness of our beaches and we hope that the project will help with this. We plan to eventually fine-tune the method and move towards a more detailed, comprehensive study,” she concludes.

Reference : http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/6/7/lifefocus/8816480&sec=lifefocus

The article above is saying that researchers use the quantity of plastic debris per square meter to determine how dirty a coast is because plastic scraps account for the majority of rubbish on beaches. The clean coast index is part of a study by MIMA(a policy research institute set up by the Malaysian Government to look into matters relating to Malaysia's interest at sea)researchers where the objective is to collect data to develop a Clean Coast Index (CCI) that can be used to assess the cleanliness of our coastlines.

The link below provides indexes in Malaysia attractiveness and based on many elements including sanitation.

http://www.hbp.usm.my/tourism/Papers/paper_image.htm

Draft Script for Opening of Documentary

Malaysia, the 66th largest country by total land area was once under the rule of the British Empire during the 18th century. Then on 31st August of the year 1957, Malaysia gained independence. Malaysia had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5 percent anually from the year 1957 to 2005. In the year 2010, the GDP grows 7.2% outperforming the actual expectation of 6% and became the 3rd largest economy in ASEAN and 29th largest in the world. Malaysia is a rapidly developing country in Asia Besides that, Malaysia is also recognized globally as a leading tourism destination and was listed as one of the top ten countries for "Best in Travel 2010" and one of the "Best Value Destination for 2010" by the Lonely Planet. With such success and growth in economy and tourism and many others, one would not expect that Malaysia had this problem( jumps to a shot of a dirty housing area).

This is what I have so far. I will continue writing the draft till the end.

Task :

To create a documentary about the attitudes of Malaysian on littering

Research Topic :

Video Production

A short documentary about attitude/behavior and cleanliness in an urban city.

Target audience :

18 and above (Adults)

Problem Identification :

“Do not litter” just does not register with most Malaysians. Be it at night markets, carnivals, street parties and events, this is the aftermath local council cleaning crews have to deal with constantly. It is sad that most Malaysians still adopt the “tidak apa” attitude, assuming that there will always be people cleaning after them. Most still think public places are not their own homes, so it is all right to litter, forgetting that Malaysia is actually everyone’s homeland. What happened to “throwing rubbish in the bins provided”? It is a simple act of caring for the environment and at the same time saving the city money hiring cleaning crews.

Aim and Objectives :

To create an awareness to the citizens that what they are doing is bad habit that is creating a bad image for Malaysia and to get rid of that bad habit.

Ideation and Concept :

The documentary will include interviews with with hygiene organization personnels, statistics of Malaysia's cleanliness, people caught in the act and many more contents which I will include in time.

Mindmap

A mindmap of Malaysia

A mindmap of hygiene

After doing the mindmap, I was very sure that I wanted to something regarding hygiene. Then, I decided to do a documentary about littering.

My trip to Japan opened up my mind. When I first landed in Japan, I could see the difference in the airport. At LCCT, we had to walk to our plane without any shades. But in Japan, they had a bus that would take us to the terminal from the airplane and vice-versa. Then at the baggage claim section, you could easily tell which of the people are foreigner. Those who are standing in front of the stop lines are foreigners, and those who are standing behind are Japanese.

Then when I got out of the airport, one thing that amazes me the most is how clean their streets are. These photos were taken at the Yokohama housing area.

There aren't many trashcans around like in Malaysia but the streets and walkway are still very clean. It made me thought, why could the Japanese do it, but we can't. I would like to work on cleanliness of Malaysia.

I want to explore why we can't keep our streets clean when there are more than enough trashcans and recycle cans around and then hopefully, could lead to cleaner streets.

I would be making a documentary that explores why we litter inappropriately. It would include clips of people being "caught in the act", interviews with hygiene organization personnel, facts about cleanliness in Malaysia(statistics) and many more.

Here is one example of a documentary on hygiene that I could study on.

Idea 3 :

Task

To create a website

Research Topic

Creating Website

A website with information about urbanization.

Target Audience

18 and above (Adults)

Problem Identification

Urbanization will often create unsustainable ecologies. The depletion of natural resources, accumulation of waste, over expenditure of non-renewable energy are the consequences of the expansion of urbanization.

Aim and Objectives

To give information regarding urbanization.

Ideation and concept

The website will include photos, news, videos and information regarding urbanization.

It will be a dynamic website with animations in every button and every click of the mouse.

Idea 2 : Construction and Destruction (A short documentary)

Task

To produce a documentary

Research Topic

Video Production

A short documentary about urbanization. The documentary will show the result and consequences of urbanization.

Target Audience

18 and above (Adults)

Problem Identification

Urbanization will often create unsustainable ecologies. The depletion of natural resources, accumulation of waste, over expenditure of non-renewable energy are the consequences of the expansion of urbanization.

Aim and Objectives

To create an awareness on the consequences of urbanization and how the problems could be properly solved.

Ideation and concept

The documentary will include the process of construction and interviews with reliable sources.

I have contacts in construction and they are more than willing to offer a helping hand in this production.

Idea 1 : Green City (An interactive game)

Task

To create an interactive game

Research Topic

Interactive Game

With a screen and a table of objects, players task are to build a city without disrupting the balance of the ecosystem. The objects on the table are models of buildings, roads, trees, etc. To successfully complete the task, the player will have to build the city by moving the models on the table. This is to create an awareness to people that plants and trees should be replanted after they are being destroyed for construction purposes.

Target Audience

18 and above (Adults)

Problem Identification

Urbanization will often create unsustainable ecologies. The depletion of natural resources, accumulation of waste, over expenditure of non-renewable energy are the consequences of the expansion of urbanization.

Aim and Objectives

To create an awareness on the consequences of urbanization and how the problems could be properly solved.

Ideation and concept

Objects on the table resembles a forest with no buildings and roads. Players will have to move the buildings and roads into the forest and move the trees and plants to another suitable area on the table.

Sensors will detect the placements of objects on the table and will display the result on the screen in front of the table.