We step out into the open from the air-conditioned basement, and instead of the cool night air we expected we suddenly feel somebody turned on the radiator in summer.

That kind of warmth.

Jayson remarks the effects of global warming are beginning to show themselves physically. I wonder aloud how true awareness of global warming has only recently surfaced with greater enthusiasm as Al Gore goes on film to warn the world about the “Inconvenient Truth”; countries are urging their people to bring their own shopping bags as to cut down on the number of plastic bags used as they do not degrade easily when dumped; governments are pledging to reduce emissions by a certain yada-yada time… and years back we have been talking about CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon) and a thinning ozone layer – then people acknowledged the fact but no concrete actions were taken. Although the gap in the ozone is irreparable, we can still substitute felled trees to reduce greenhouse emissions, one of which is carbon dioxide, which plants intake for photosynthesis (where they nourish themselves) emitting oxygen in the process. And so this is also a cycle to replenish oxygen for the humans too.

Coming to the topic of felling trees… a computerised world has not reduced the usage of paper but increased it. People prefer to read their documents from paper to the computer screen, which tires their eyes. Furthermore they can scribble much more easily on paper, and they can carry it with them wherever they go. Printers have not helped either – few have the capability to print on double sides of the paper. And we are discouraged from printing on a sheet of paper where one side has been used because the heat from the printer will cause the ink to melt and damage the roller as the sheet of paper passes through the machine. Myself I keep documents that have been printed on one side to be used for rough work, or even writing notes. Some friends and classmates have thought amusingly that I am crazy to collect their documents that they are about to throw away – why not, since I can use the other side of the paper? Let’s not waste it.