Every year in the last month of August, the Burning Man Project creates a temporary city in Nevada’s Black Rock desert with over 40,000 attendees from all around the world. A makeshift city is built to withstand the harsh desert winds, dust and heat of the ancient lake bed. By the last night, the fifth largest city in Nevada is burnt down and in less than a month there is no trace of human existence. Earth 911 staff member Jason Ayers offers eco-friendly packing tips that can also be used by campers and hikers.

Ayers tells us: “The more time I put into planning my visit the less I have to spend cleaning at the event. In a town with zero garbage cans or recycling bins, every individual is responsible for hauling out whatever trash they create.”  Recycling and cutting down on excessive packaging is really important to these people.  Such a lifestyle definitely hammers the essentials of sustainable living home.

Wonder if we could pull off something like this in Singapore?  Alas, no free land……

INDIVIDUALLY-WRAPPED CASHEWS.  What abomination will they come up with next?

Recipe for Fried Rice (serves 4)

Ingredients: 2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tbspoons vegetable oil
8 tblspoons of rice
1 onion, chopped
100 g leftovercarrots
Pinch of salt

1. Crack eggs into bowl. Beat with sesame oil and salt.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in the skillet/wok.
3. Add onions and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the beaten egg mixture to the pan and fry for one minute.
5. Add rice and stir fry for 3 minutes.
6. Add carrots, chopped onions (and other desired ingredients) and fry for another 3 minutes.
7. Serve hot!

Note: Rice should, ideally be served when it has just been cooked. If you are intending to store leftover rice, cool the rice as quickly as possible (preferably within an hour) and keep it in the fridge for no more than one day until reheating.

Never leave cooked rice to cool on its own – always chill it under running cold water. If cooked rice had been chilled or frozen ensure that it is thoroughly reheated and is piping hot throughout. Never keep rice chilled for longer than 1 day or frozen for longer than 1 month. Once cooked rice has been re-heated, throw away any leftovers. Never re-heat rice more than once.

To quote Tyler Durden in Fight Club: “We are the by-products of a lifestyle obsession with consumerism.”  To the youth of our generation, convenience and cost has engineered it to be such that we feel the more material used in packaging, the more optimal the product.  We give little thought to what we are costing the dwindling resources of our planet.  Our goal is to cut down on excessive wastage that we see going on every day in our lives.

We’ll be bringing to your attention uncomfortable issues you’d feel much better not knowing about but ought to be aware of anyway – such as NTUC plastic bags.  And the styrofoam boxes you eat chicken rice out of.  And individually-wrapped walnuts.  And leftovers.

Feel free to use the comments to expres your views any time!  We welcome discussion.