loading...
Maizal Munif wants Kelowna to go green, and go to his website www.escapepollution.com.
By Kathy Michaels
Local software developer Maizal Munif is hoping a project he’s been tinkering with for the last couple of years will help more Kelowna residents go green.
His website, escapepollution.com, is intended to link eco-minded individuals and businesses on a platform that will ultimately make sustainable living just a little more possible.
“Basically a lot of people talk about sustainability, but when people have questions they say; ‘where do I go? Who do I talk to?’” he said. “This puts everything in one place.”
There are a few components to the site. First is a blog where environmentally minded experts, like Lindsay Eason of Greensteps, get a chance to dish on what’s important to them.
There’s a forum that gives visitors a chance to ask the questions that will put them inline with a sustainable lifestyle.
And last, but not least, is the Grapevine. It’s the newest component of the site and offers visitors a chance to post to the site whatever green-related tidbit strikes their fancy.
“Topics can range from anything from news or if there are any events or products to promote, people can use it for that as well — and it’s all done in real time,” he said.
As an example of what’s an appropriate post, Munif pointed to something he found on the web that day that intrigued him.
He had posted a story he found online about a storage container that had been modified into a portable restaurant outfitted with solar panels — with that, Munif explained the feature can be fun as well as educational.
In recent weeks, the grapevine was integrated with Twitter, meaning if visitors setup their Twitter information, their posts on the Grapevine will automatically be posted on Twitter as well.
“All of the website is just to get people connected and build awareness on sustainablility. Kelowna is kind of big on sustainability right now, but there’s no one resource to bring eveyone together and we want to do that,” he said.
His motivation is personal as well. Munif is part of the generation that’s been spoon fed tales of environmental decline since birth, and as such he’s always been aware of small actions he could take to reduce waste.
“I started all this by purchasing a hybrid. And by just doing that it pushed me toward doing more sustainable activities like cycling, or other little things like turning off the lights or turning off my computer,” he said.
That said, he knows there’s a lot more to do and that’s one of the reasons he hopes the website becomes a success. Before that happens, however, he needs more businesses and individuals to come forward and join the site.
For more information check out escapepollution.com or twitter.com/EscapePollution.
250-575-0761
Tags: entrepreneur, Escape Pollution, website
