BRAINSTORMING: Marc-Antoine Dunais (left) and Armely Meiviana discuss the next project for the Green Lifestyle community they founded last year. (JP/Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak)

Unlike fashion and airborne diseases, knowledge is both contagious and remains.

Perhaps freelance copy writer Armely Meiviana and environmental consultant Marc-Antoine Dunais used the magic word -- green -- to attract people to join the mailing list they founded.

Nonetheless, what started as a personal concern about the environment has become an established Green Lifestyle Community.

In 2007, it was the chaotic city that gave Marc the idea to start a mailing list on sustainable living. Melly, who formerly worked for an environmental watchdog, used her network of colleagues and schoolmates to get the mailing list started.

"We have regular discussions with experts on particular issues," Melly said in a recent interview.

At first targeting professionals, the mailing list has seen more businesses join.

"There are many companies concerned with sustainable living," Marc said. "They want to know more about energy saving, paperless offices and tips on how to save water," Marc said.

Those do-it-yourself tips, according to Melly, have become the most frequent threads discussed on the mailing list.

"At first I thought it was a waste of time, repeating the same subject over and over again. But then I realized by doing, so the mailing list members become more familiar with the issue and established interaction among themselves," she said.

In one year, the mailing list has netted over 615 members -- many of them activists of various green organizations -- and see an average of six mails in one thread each day, and higher in discussion on emergency issue such as new policy on environmental management or the new law on waste treatment.

The members have also got together at four events over the past year to learn how and where to recycle paper and make compost. At the events, a pooling center for recyclable plastic, bottle, paper packages and used batteries was provided.

The community hosts a talk show twice a month on Green Radio 89.2 FM at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, taking turns with older environmental group Jakarta Green Monsters.

It also provides articles on sustainable living for The Jakarta Post's Weekender magazine and has a partnership with Aksara bookstore.

"(The achievement) is beyond our expectation. When we started the mailing list in June last year, we targeted 300 members in three months, otherwise we would close it. After three months, we didn't have 300 members, but a lively rapport and discussion.

"Now we have 615 members and counting," Marc said. "A member has provided us with a website, which is still under construction."

As more and more people started to ask where they could get environmentally friendly products, such as energy-saving light bulbs, folding bicycles and affordable solar cell systems, Marc thought that the mailing list would be the best place for green producers to meet eager consumers and vice versa.

"In the near future we would like to intensify our presence in companies, bridging the gap between them and the general public," he said.

Mailing list member Bayu Wardhana, an IT specialist who joined nine months ago, said that all the information had changed the way he saw things.

"Now I have the courage to bring my own shopping bag and provide a lunch box when I want to buy food from street vendors so they don't use plastic wraps," he said.

"I can now also tell which plastic products are safe to keep food in and which computers are already certified as environmentally friendly."

He is now organizing a pick up point for used batteries at his office in South Jakarta with the support of his working colleagues.

"It could be green fever that so many people are caught with, but I hope it lasts. Even when the fever dies down, I hope people maintain the (environmentally friendly) lifestyle," Bayu said.

If you want to be part of the community, join greenlifestyle@googlegroups.com or visit www.greenlifestyle.multiply.com (under construction).

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