Day 4

Today everyone divide up the work to be in groups which one group goes along the beach to collect some bottle that tourists left it, one group create a structure of product by steel rod, and another group go to buy some materials that need to be used in design such as rope and wire net. After we can collect everything as plan, we start to build up the structure by bending the steel follow the design and everyone tries to bind off steel frame until night. 

Our dinner is a grilled fish and we don't have any spoon or fork so we just make it simple eat by using hand, this is a local food which even it has to be grilled but it doesn't create much smoke and pollute the air. 

Everyone helps each other to work until 4 a.m. and the product that we think is formed and it is almost done. Because of everyone is too tired so we break and get back to sleep. Finally, today we can produce the product that made from the waste in the beach especially beer bottle to become more useful and can be use in real. With the design it can cover a normal rubbish basket and make everyone knows that the garbage that was thrown away and bad for environment, it can be changed to be useful and can be one way to save environment as well.



Our prototype done by Raffle Design Students

Day 3

Today we have a snorkeling trip in the morning to survey the marine life around Koh Tao. There is many coral reef and living things underwater world. The place that we go for snorkeling has lots of fishes that tourists can feed them by bread and another bad thing is most of people are smoke and then some cigarette butts fall into the sea. This is really bad for environment because while we are snorkeling, we see some fish bite a cigarette butt. It should not happen to living thing under the sea.

The last place, before we back to resort, is a Nang Yuan island we stop there for lunch. This island is very strict about bringing the plastic bag and water bottle into the island by checking everyone before get inside the island. 

After that we get back to New Heaven Diving School to consult the problems with staffs. And everyone wants to solve the problems about waste and cigarette so we think to design a product that use some garbage to be useful. Then we make a plan for tomorrow and after the meeting just take some salad for dinner and back to resort.

Day 2

Today we have to go to survey the waste problems of Koh Tao in many places. In the morning, we have breakfast at resort restaurant. The food that orders, it doesn't have to fry so no oil usage and less energy produce. It is just a toast and sausage in this meal. 

After that, the first place that we start to survey is the main harbour, there are some wastes were left on the pathway such as plastic bag, water bottle, and food scraps. Some of them are flow on the clean water which makes polluted water and impact those fishes that live around.



At the main harbour, some waste were left on the floor which is not good for environment

under the clear water, there are many things that people throw away
and some food was flow on the water.

Next area is Haad Sairee which is the place that lots of tourists stay and there are many resorts, pubs and bars along the beach. Because of each resorts has cleaned their own area so the beach look quite clean but there are still some ash of cigarette on the sand.



At Haad Sairee beach

Last place to survey is the garbage factory on the hill. First thing that can be seen is a mountain of garbage, some of them are sorted out to be the same type, and some are packed get ready for sale such as beer bottle. But there is some garbage that has to destroy by burning which can releases toxic smoke in the air. This is very harmful for environment, it creates the bad environment of island and result in global warming. Even landfills also make soils become toxic. 



Big amount of waste from everywhere in koh tao were gathered into this plac,
increasing everyday and just few tons of waste were eliminated.

Power station emitting carbon smoke into the air.

On the way getting down from the mountain, there is a power station which we can see lots of black smoke emits from the smokestack. The smoke comes from burning to generate the electricity to be used in the whole island so the smoke makes air pollution. After that we get back to resort, and we choose to eat som tum which is simple process and does not create any bad for environment.

Day 1

Departing from Bangkok about 10 p.m. on 29 Jan at Khao san Road, the bus that I take it can load about 40 people. It is a NGV bus which is more environmentally clean alternative to other fuels like gasoline, and it doesn't increase the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere. About 7 hours that it takes to get to Chumphon (Thung Makham Noi Pier) at 5 a.m. and everyone has to check in and wait for 2 hours until 7 a.m. because it is a boat's departing time. The boat can load 350 people and it is a speed ferry even though it uses petrol and releases some pollution in the air but it takes only 2 hours to reach Koh Tao. On the other hands, the normal ferry would take times as double which is longer and the amount of carbon dioxide that it releases each time would also less than the speed ferry, but the small amount of pollution that released from normal ferry in longer time would probably be the same as speed ferry in short time.


New Heaven Diving School



When arriving to Koh Tao and get in the resort, my room is on the third floor which just open the door we can feel the wind access through the room without turning on a fan. In the afternoon, everyone has appointed to meet at New Heaven Diving School to see the staffs which they give some information and brief about Koh Tao. Then we talk about sustainable design so staffs take us to see the obvious problem in Koh Tao which is the waste on the beach. It flows into the sea because there are some people left it along the beach, when the sea wave hit the coast then it brings the waste into the sea.


Waste along the beach go into the sea

 

Staffs also take us to look around at the resort which has a design that use scraps of wood that were left from other works to make the pattern of ceiling, even the woods that are damaged from weevils the designer brings it to  be decorated and become outstanding in the resort. This is one way that designer can do to save an environment by creating things with something that are useless before.



At Viewpoint Resort

Inside the resort use most of nature materials

After we finished surveying this resort, we go back to the New Heaven Diving School. Staffs explain about the missions to save Koh Tao and the projects that they did about coral reefs nursery.   



Signate to remind people to save island's enviraonment

Discussion about coral reef nursery project

The structure that helps to create marine life habitat

They also talk about the main problem in Koh Tao which is obviously the exceeding waste in here and then make the plan for tomorrow to survey the waste problems in different location. After the meeting, staff suggests us to the New Heaven local restaurant which provides the local food. So we walk up and down the mountain instead of taking any car so that no pollution created.