wildsingapore news

wildsingapore news will no longer be updated

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 04:07:00 +0000

It's been more than a decade of daily updates, I would like to have a rest.

It's now easy to build your own news feed, and to gather the info you need from social media.

So it's a good time for me to stop the updates.

Besides, I sense that very few people really read the updates...

Ria
hello@wildsingapore.com

Update 16 Sep: Thank you to the about 10 people who wrote to me about wildsingapore news. It really means a lot to me to hear from you. All these years, I've not heard from subscribers. Glad at least a few people have been reading it.

If you would like to keep up with marine issues, do consider subscribing to the Celebrating Singapore Shores blog or the facebook page.

Best of our wild blogs: 9 Sep 19

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:33:00 +0000

Butterfly of the Month - September 2019
Butterflies of Singapore

Night Walk At Windsor Nature Park (06 Sep 2019)
Beetles@SG BLOG

Stretch of Kallang River gets $86 million upgrade, with flood protection and water features

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:31:00 +0000

Lim Min Zhang Straits Times 7 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE - A 1.8km stretch along Kallang River has received a facelift, to make it not only more attractive, but also a better defence against the onslaught of rain.

The four-year, $86-million project called ABC Waters @ Kallang River is meant to boost flood protection for residents in the area, as well as to strengthen the canal's structural integrity.

With the canal wider and deeper, drainage capacity has been increased by 80 per cent.

The drainage improvement works by national water agency PUB at Singapore's longest river was completed recently and unveiled on Saturday (Sept 7), at an event attended by Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MPs Ng Eng Hen and Chong Kee Hiong. Dr Ng is also Defence Minister.

Previously, this part of the canal, between Bishan and Braddell roads, was plain concrete and did not have such water features.

Features to beautify the area include a naturalised slope, small islands with plants, and water cascades which help the water to flow from a higher elevation. However, the canal is not accessible to the public due to safety reasons. A meandering stream, meant to enhance the look of the canal, is the first to be located within a canal in Singapore.

Said Mr Yeo Keng Soon, PUB's director of catchment and waterways: "This stretch of the Kallang River was built in the 1970s and has reached its structural lifespan.

"With the upgrading, it can now convey 80 per cent more rainwater than before, providing better flood protection for residents to cater to potentially more frequent and intense rainfall events due to climate change," he added.

As part of the makeover, PUB also worked with the National Parks Board to develop the Kallang Linear Park along the river between Bishan Stadium and Block 165 Bishan Street 13.

PUB is also constructing a cycling ramp over Kallang River to be completed by the end of this year (2019). The ramp will connect cyclists from Bishan to downtown Singapore in the future.

The project is the latest of six ABC Waters @ Kallang River projects. ABC stands for Active, Beautiful, and Clean. The ABC Waters Programme was started in 2006 to spruce up water bodies here.

Since the 1990s, PUB has been upgrading the drainage infrastructure at Kallang River, which measures 10km and runs from Lower Peirce Reservoir to Marina Reservoir.

The agency has also been carrying out island-wide works to upgrade drains, in preparation for the possibility of more frequent and intense storms with climate change.

Bishan resident of 18 years Jason Cheong, said that the upgraded section with its greenery has given him extra reason to visit it.

Said the 45-year-old, who is a clients operations manager at Eagle Investment Systems: "The river, together with the fishes and birds there, is an ideal place to unwind after a stressful week at work."

PUB releases thousands of fish in Pandan Reservoir to combat midges

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:30:00 +0000

Channel NewsAsia 6 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB has released "tens of thousands" of fish into Pandan Reservoir, the latest measure employed to try to control the midge pupae population, it said on Friday (Sep 6).

The release of the guppies, mollies and swordtails into the reservoir was done in a controlled manner that does not affect its ecosystem, PUB said in a Facebook post.

Midges, which are commonly mistaken for mosquitoes, are small insects which exist in and near water bodies.

"While these midges do not bite or spread diseases, they can be a nuisance when present in large numbers," said PUB.

Residents and businesses at Teban Gardens have been affected as swarms of the insects have infested the neighbourhood.

PUB biologist Tricia Poh releasing fish into Pandan Reservoir to help control the midge pupae population. (Photo: Facebook/PUB)
PUB said insect nets have also been installed at bus stops along Penjuru Road and West Coast Road.

The nets are laced with permethrin, an insecticide used in PUB’s fogging operations. It is non-toxic to humans.

An insect net installed at a bus stop along West Coast Road to help deter adult midges from entering the area. (Photo: Facebook/PUB)
Earlier, PUB said in a Facebook post on Aug 1 that it had stepped up measures to control the rising midge population around Pandan Reservoir.

These include putting more biological liquid larvicide within the reservoir, fogging and misting around the reservoir dyke and surrounding vegetation more frequently, and installing bright spotlights at the Pandan Reservoir pumping station to attract adult midges when they emerge at night. According to PUB, the bright lights deter them from flying into residential estates.

There are approximately 57 species of non-biting midges in Singapore's reservoirs.

The current dominant midge species that has recently emerged at Pandan Reservoir is a rare one that has not been studied in great detail, said Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Monday.

The species exhibits different behaviours from other species, he added.

“Midges cannot be eradicated as they are part of the natural aquatic ecosystem, and will emerge to breed, especially when aided by favourable environmental conditions. Climate change will further complicate our efforts,” he said.

Pandan Reservoir midge infestation: 'You can say that we’ve given up'
Ang Hwee Min Channel NewsAsia 6 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE: For the past month, stallowners at Makan Shiokz coffee shop on the ground floor of Block 49 Teban Gardens have had to watch their regular customers turn around and go home after seeing the swarms of midges plaguing the block.

“At around 6 or 7pm, I see them walk here to buy food, and after they see the midges, they u-turn and go home,” said the coffee shop manager, who only wanted to be known as Zai.

“They don’t even want to come here and take away food. It's so sad. We couldn’t even do anything,” he added.

Located adjacent to Pandan Reservoir, the coffee shop has seen a 40 per cent dip in business over the past month, said Zai.

He told CNA that the stallowners have grown so frustrated at the swarms of midges that they decided to take the problem into their own hands.

“First we tried electric racquets. Then we bought electrical insect traps. Then we tried glue boxes. Then these weren’t working, so we bought small fogging machines to try fogging ourselves, and now we’ve put up this net.

“Every night in August, we even used a paint brush to brush the net and the columns with oil, because it is sticky and the midges get stuck.”

“The problem with (the coffee shop) being here, is because we are located at an angle and there is no HDB blocking us, the wind blows all the midges towards (the coffee shop),” said Zai.

“Whenever they do the fogging, it works for the reservoir, but then the midges come to us. You can see them sticking to the second and third floors also.”

He added: “We did email PUB asking if there’s any possibility for us to get compensation, because (the reservoir) belongs to them. But they emailed back and said no way of compensation.” According to Zai, PUB informed residents that the problem is predicted to persist until October.

“The insects really fly into your food. It makes me uncomfortable,” said housewife and regular customer Ms Normah Johan, 53.

Ms Normah stopped eating at Makan Shiokz for about a month, but recently started going to the coffee shop again as she observed that there has been a reduction in the swarms of midges.

Her husband, Mr Aziz Biat, drives a lorry for work every day, and has to wash it more often because the midges stick to the vehicle after he drives around the area.

“When it was hot in August, there were really a lot of insects flying around. Now it is a bit better,” said the 61-year-old. “Actually this is not so bad, it is just irritating. At least it is not mosquitoes, that actually can be dangerous.”

The couple has lived at Block 24 Teban Gardens for over 20 years. While their home has yet to be invaded by midges because their block is located further away from the reservoir, the family closes all their windows and sprays insect repellent before going to bed.

When CNA visited Teban Gardens between 4.30pm and 7pm on Thursday afternoon (Sep 5), midges were swarming above drains in large numbers, and dead midges had accumulated in crevices on walls and pillars, appearing to be dirt or dust at first glance. Standing still resulted in midges swarming around and getting into one's eyes, mouth, nose and hair.

At about 4.30pm, Block 31 and Blk 33 Teban Gardens, which directly face the reservoir, were washed down with water jets. And at about 6pm, PUB officers carried out fogging around the reservoir, as well as drains surrounding the blocks next to the reservoir.

PUB said in a Facebook post on Aug 1 that it has increased the frequency of fogging and misting around the reservoir dyke and surrounding vegetation, frequency and dosage of biological liquid larvicide within the reservoir, as well as the installation of bright spotlights at the Pandan Reservoir pumping station to attract adult midges when they emerge at night.

According to PUB, the bright lights deter them from flying into residential estates. Midge egg masses attached to floating structures and rocks along the edges of the reservoir have also been removed.

Residents and passersby were spotted wearing masks, swatting the insects away and avoiding drainage areas where huge swarms of midges were gathering.

Mr Lim Thiam Chye, who works in a provision shop in the industrial area near Pandan Reservoir, has worn a mask and a cap to work every day since the midge emergence began in July, to prevent the insects from flying into his eyes, nose and mouth.

“It rained the other day, and the midges disappeared for a while. A few days later, they were back and there was even more of them,” said the 57-year-old in Mandarin.

“I don’t think the fogging has helped. The number of midges hasn’t decreased at all, and the wind is so strong, it just blows them back to the HDB area,” he added.

After the fogging on Thursday ended, CNA observed swarms of midges returning to the drains and the surroundings just 15 to 20 minutes later.

Resident Xavier Lopez, who has lived at Block 40 Teban Gardens for over 40 years, said the midges emergence happens most years.

“But this is the first time it is like that. It’s been going on for more than a month, last time is at most one week. It’s probably the most insects I’ve seen,” he added.

Mr Lopez said he closes all his windows at home, but this does not prevent midges from flying through the bathroom windows. He told CNA that dead midges accumulate on the floor, walls and mirrors, and he washes the toilet every day. He also does not turn on any lights, even at night.

Student Zena Seah and her family have adopted similar habits, choosing to leave all windows closed at all times. They also avoid turning on the lights, as they have observed that midges swarm around their bright kitchen lights.

Zena, who stays in Block 25 Teban Gardens, said she encounters swarms of midges in the lift when she leaves and returns from school. “I don’t even dare to open my mouth,” she said.

When she eats at the nearby hawker centres, she has also noticed midges landing on tables and chairs.

“There was once I went to the hawker centre to get food, and I saw a table full of black marks. Then the cleaning aunty wiped the table, and I realised it was all dead midges,” she added.

But Zena said that while the midges are a nuisance, they have not affected her family’s daily routines. “We don’t really care. Even if we see them, they’ll die in one to two days anyway.”

The current dominant midge species that has recently emerged at Pandan Reservoir is a rare one that has not been studied in great detail, said Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Monday.

The species exhibits different behaviours from other species, like hiding in drains and culverts in the day and swarm above the drains in the evening, he added.

PUB has greased drain walls to trap midges when they land to rest, and have targeted these areas for fogging, he said. It has also explored the use of free-moving oily paper within drains to increase the capture rates of adult midges.

The netting on the reservoir dyke has also been extended by 1km, said Mr Masagos, acting as a barrier to trap adult midges and reduces the number of adult midges that would otherwise be blown to residential estates.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, MP for West Coast GRC Foo Mee Har said residents who live near Pandan Reservoir have “suffered greatly” from the mass emergence of midges since July this year.

"This year’s outbreak is the most severe we have witnessed yet and also persisted for the longest time, impacting the daily lives of our residents. Some have likened it to being in a horror movie. If you visited it's really scary," she added.

READ: PUB stepping up measures to tackle emergence of rare dominant midge species at Pandan Reservoir: Masagos
READ: PUB to carry out fogging, checks as midges multiply near Pandan Reservoir
As for Zai, returning home is not an escape from the midges at work. The 46-year-old lives in a unit in the same block.

He spends his free time looking on the Internet for solutions that might work against the midges, but has not found any other options yet. “I do not know what to do anymore. Seriously, I do not know what to do anymore,” he said.

He added that while he, along with other stallowners, used to paint the insect net and columns with oil by hand every night, they have since stopped doing so.

“You can say that we’ve given up. There are just too many.”

Source: CNA/hw

Taking the climate fight beyond straws and tote bags — individual actions that matter

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:26:00 +0000

NAVENE ELANGOVAN Today Online 7 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE — In a country where most people do not think twice about buying new clothes, Mr Leow Yee Shiang has not bought a single piece of clothing in the past two years.

The 31-year-old civil servant practises what he calls a “minimalist lifestyle”. He rarely shops, and has only bought four items for himself this year – a water bottle, socks, lenses for his sunglasses and a motorcycle plate number.

What sparked the decision? Mr Leow said it happened early last year when he was packing his belongings for his return to Singapore from Australia, where he had been living with his wife for two years because of work.

“I got a bit fed-up as I was packing… There were many boxes. I got so angry at myself that I just started throwing away things,” he recalled. Among some of the items which he threw out included his wedding photo and its frame, as well as the love letters he got from his wife when they were dating. It means that he can now “focus on cherishing” their relationship, he said with a smile.

Another person who has gone to the extremes to reduce his carbon footprint is Mr Tan Hang Chong.

Mr Tan is the co-founder of Foodscape Collective, a community group that aims to raise awareness about food waste. He does not switch on the lights in his house, even at night. Instead, he relies on light which filters in from the corridors or neighbouring flats, and even showers in the dark.

Mr Tan said that the idea to live this way occurred to him after he started pondering about ways to reduce his electricity bill several years ago. “I realised that while I was always so conscious about light pollution and its impact on wildlife… why not harness the light pollution?” he said.

Mr Leow and Mr Tan may be outliers but anecdotally, more and more Singaporeans are taking the effort to do their bit for the environment — in particular, by using reuseable straws and bringing their own tote bags for grocery shopping.

Many of those who swear by reuseable straws would recall watching a video of a turtle with a straw stuck in its nose, which went viral on social media some years ago.

The anti-plastic straw movement got a boost last year, with big corporations such as coffee giant Starbucks announcing that they would eliminate plastic straws and other disposables from their premises.

The surge in sales of reusable straws comes on the heels of other trendy environmental efforts such as the use of tote bags, which at one point were seen as the panacea to plastic bags and freely given out at some retail establishments.

In Singapore, several supermarkets have also introduced reusable bags for sale, or have given them away for free to discourage consumers from using plastic bags.

Such initiatives come as the effects of climate change are being felt around the world with increasing intensity — from erratic weather patterns to melting of glaciers, and rising sea levels. Singapore has not been spared either, with long spells of hot weather and heavier rainfall becoming the new normal in recent years.

Indeed, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently urged the nation to see climate-change mitigation measures like how it treats the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) — “with utmost seriousness”.

“Both the SAF and climate change defences are existential for us. These are life and death matters,” he said during his National Day Rally speech on Aug 18, noting that low-lying Singapore is especially vulnerable to rising sea levels.

While there has been a greater awareness among Singaporeans on the gravity of the climate change problem in recent years, not everyone is aware of what they can do to make a meaningful difference — beyond the use of reuseable straws and bags, which some environmentalists have noted do not make a huge impact in the grand scheme of things.

Mr Ho Xiang Tian, 23, the co-founder of sustainability interest group LepakInSG, recounted an incident where he had refused a straw at a food establishment, only to see the cashier accidentally knock over an entire packet of straws onto the floor, rendering them unusable.

“It was in that instant when I realised that I could refuse a straw 100 times, but in three seconds the cashier negated all my efforts,” he said.

Still, environmental experts and activists TODAY spoke to reiterated the importance of individual action. After all, great social movements start from the convictions of a few before reaching a tipping point, they noted.

The world will be “on a path to failure” if people do not believe in individual actions, said Mr Michael Broadhead, a board member at environmental non-profit Centre for a Responsible Future and founder of EarthFest Singapore.

“Any social change at the beginning has a few people making change. They do it because they see a better way and are passionate about it,” he said. “Eventually these people spread awareness and educate more people to adopt those habits, reaching a tipping point to become mainstream.”

Despite its detractors, the anti-plastic straw movement around the world is a case in point: Individual actions can generate enough momentum to lead to changes in business and government policies.

Starbucks, for instance, announced last year that it would eliminate plastic straws by 2020. At home, fast-food chain McDonalds announced earlier this week that it would remove straws from selected outlets.

These developments — or “small victories” as some would say — suggest that if individuals make other lifestyle changes, they can collectively make a tangible impact in saving the environment.

Here is an in-depth look at five things which individuals can do to make a real difference:

1. SWITCH OFF THE AIR-CON

The air-conditioner is ubiquitous in Singapore given its tropical climate — it is found in 99 per cent of condominium units, and almost every public building here, for example.

While Singapore’s first prime minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, had once described air-conditioning as the greatest invention in history and viewed air-conditioners in civil-service buildings as key to public efficiency, air-conditioners can consume up to half of a building’s energy needs, contributing to climate change.

The amount of energy required to cool Singapore is expected to grow by 73 per cent between 2010 and 2030, said Associate Professor Lee Poh Seng from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Not only are air-conditioners prevalent in most buildings, they are turned on excessively: A survey conducted late-2017 by environmental news website Eco-Business found that 68 per cent of Singapore residents felt that it was too cold in buildings – the highest proportion among six Asean countries surveyed.

Without any change in consumption habits, energy consumption in all Asean countries is likely to increase by a compound annual growth rate of 5.7 per cent by 2030.

According to the SP Group’s website, the air-conditioner is the biggest energy guzzler at home, with its power input reaching as high as 3,000 watts.

Based on calculations from “What is My Carbon Footprint” website, an individual living in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat who often uses air-conditioner and other large electrical appliances — such as refrigerators, water heaters and televisions — can generate 1 tonne of carbon emissions a year.

By reducing usage, the individual can cut his or her carbon footprint by half.

However, based on random interviews with some Singaporeans, it seems that giving up air-conditioning or just setting the machine a few degrees Celsius higher is a big ask for people here.

Ms Priya Chandran, a first-year student at Nanyang Technological University, said that she would usually leave her air-conditioner at home running for up to 10 hours a day overnight.

While the 21-year-old is aware of its environmental impact, she considers the air-conditioner as necessary in Singapore’s hot and humid climate.

“It's very hot. When I'm outside, I don't have the same access to air-conditioning that I have at home, so I would like to make optimal use of that comfort while I'm resting,” she said.

When asked if she was prepared to switch to environment-friendly options at home, Ms Chandran said that she would only do so if they offered the same chillness as her current air-conditioner, and if the alternatives were within her budget.

Mr Rishvinder Singh, who lives in a four-room HDB flat, said his family leaves two of their air-conditioners switched on for up to five hours each night.

When told that he could potentially cut his carbon footprint by half if he were to stop using air-conditioners, Mr Singh, 25, said that while he would consider reducing usage, he would need regular reminders to do so.

“Although there are a lot of push factors against using the air-conditioner frequently because of climate change, it’s a very difficult change to implement throughout the entire country because Singapore is hot and humid, even at night,” said the teacher.

2. DRIVE LESS

Leaving the car at home and making greater use of public transport is another step that Singaporeans can take to reduce their carbon footprints.

The number of cars on the roads in Singapore remains high, even as the Government continues to promote public transport as part of its 2040 land transport master plan.

As of July, figures from the Land Transport Authority showed that there were about 967,800 vehicles on the road. Of these, 556,200 were private cars while another 91,700 were taxis and private-hire cars.

According to the National Climate Change Secretariat, private cars make up the largest share of emissions by the transport sector at 35 per cent. This is followed by commercial vehicles (26 per cent), taxis (17 per cent), bus (15 per cent), MRT and LRT (4 per cent) and motorcycles (3 per cent).

While there are no official figures available on the amount of carbon emissions generated by private car use, the transport sector made up close to 14 per cent of total emissions in 2014, and the figure is projected to increase by 0.5 per cent next year under a business-as-usual scenario.

A study by Assistant Professor Lynette Cheah from the Singapore University of Technology and Design estimated that cars alone generated 2.2 kg of carbon per litre of petrol.

Figures from the Transport Ministry also show that travelling by car generates about 14 times more emissions (187 gCO2/passenger-km) compared with travelling by MRT (13 gCO2/passenger-km).

In a separate study, the average occupancy of cars in Singapore was found to be about 1.7 people per car — and this reflected “immense inefficiencies”, said Asst Prof Cheah.

Like many working professionals, lawyer Melissa Tham, 29, typically travels by car. Each day, she either takes a private-hire car or gets a lift from her family to travel from her home in Upper Thomson to her workplace at Marina Bay Financial Centre.

This comes up to 0.02 tonnes of carbon emissions per week, or about 1 tonne per year.

The figure excludes her travels by private-hire car or taxis during the weekend, which can come up to about six trips each weekend.

Travelling by car generates about 14 times more emissions compared with travelling by MRT. Photo: Nuria Ling/TODAY

While Ms Tham is aware that travelling via public transport will significantly reduce her carbon footprint, she cited convenience as the key reason for continuing to take private-hire cars or taxis.

“I live with my parents and we don’t live near an MRT station, with the nearest being 20 minutes away, and it’s really too long and time consuming for me to walk there,” she said.

She added that with a new MRT station coming up near her home, she might switch to public transport in future.

For Mr Ash Lim, 45, cost had been the major factor — rather than a desire to save the environment — in giving up his car about three years ago.

The managing director of a theatre company said that he had decided not to get another car after he scrapped his car in 2016 due to high Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices.

He added that using the train to get from his Aljunied home to his workplace in the Central Business District “was not really difficult”. He only takes a taxi or private-hire car about twice a week, he said.

Nevertheless, he said he may think about getting a car again if he moves to another place further from his office, for example. On whether the level of carbon emissions generated from driving would be a consideration, he said it would be “a small, but not deciding factor”.

Building more connected infrastructure is one of the ways in which the Government hopes to cut down on emissions intensity generated by road transport. In 2017, 67 per cent of trips during peak hours were made by public transport. The Government is aiming to increase this to 75 per cent by 2030, and 85 per cent by 2050.

However, Asst Prof Cheah noted that several hurdles remain in the drive for a car-lite nation, such as the growing population and a tendency for car owners to drive as much as they can to maximise their financial outlay on the vehicles.

A tax based on mileage rather than ownership, which is currently the case, could deter people from taking the car, she added.

3. EAT LESS MEAT

Beef is more potent in terms of carbon emissions than other forms of meat. Photo: Rawpixel

Reducing meat consumption is one of the most significant ways for an individual to reduce his or her carbon footprint.

The animal agriculture sector has been identified as a key source of greenhouse gas, with deforestation to grow crops for animal feed contributing to global warming.

Beef in particular, is more potent in terms of carbon emissions than other forms of meat. More resources are required to produce beef. Cows also release methane which is 25 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.

A 2014 study of meals in the United Kingdom found that vegetarians generated about half the amount of carbon dioxide (3.8kg) compared to those who had more than 100g of meat a day (7.2 kg).

A study by medical journal The Lancet in January recommended that people eat a plant-based diet, with the occasional inclusion of meat, dairy and sugar in their meals.

However, figures from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority showed that on average, each Singaporean ate 2kg of beef, 3kg of mutton and 20kg of pork in 2017. This works out to about 68g of meat consumed per day — nearly five times the 14g of meat a day recommended by The Lancet study.

Some environmentally-conscious individuals whom TODAY spoke to admitted that they had struggled to make a complete switch to vegetarianism or veganism due to nutritional issues or opposition by family members.

Vegetarians are those who do not eat meat products while vegans do not eat meat and other products derived from animals such as milk or honey.

However, there are Singaporeans who have successfully made the change such as Mr Hilmi Hayan, an entrepreneur and bodybuilder. The 25-year-old decided to go vegan several years ago after watching a small bird killed for food.

Mr Hilmi, who rarely ate vegetables before turning vegan, said that he subsequently learnt about the destruction and level of carbon emission involved in producing meat, and this reaffirmed his decision to stay vegan.

4. BUY LESS, THROW AWAY LESS

Last year, Singaporeans threw out about 7.7 million tonnes of waste, enough to fill about 15,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. On a daily basis, this is equivalent to the weight of more than 1,400 double-decker buses.

Mr Leow, the civil servant who practises a minimalist lifestyle, felt that Singaporeans’ tendency to buy things and throw them away soon after was symptomatic of the country’s affluence.

Mr Leow Yee Shiang has been a minimalist for the last one and a half years. Photo: Najeer Yusof/ TODAY

He has only 20 pieces of clothing in total and he avoids spending money on new items unless they are absolutely necessary. He extends the life of his personal possessions by repairing or repurposing them.

Mr Leow is an anomaly in Singapore, where most people are victims of “fast fashion”.

In 2016, a CNA survey of 1,000 respondents found that on average, Singaporeans bought about 34 pieces of new clothing each year, driven by the lure of cheap prices. They also threw out an average of 27 items of clothing per year.

Only 6 per cent of 220,000 tonnes of textiles and leather generated in Singapore was recycled last year.

According to the United Nations, if the fashion industry does not adopt more sustainable methods of production, it will represent 26 per cent of global carbon emissions, up from 10 per cent now.

Corporate communications senior executive Manesh Rangarajan, for example, buys at least one new item each month, including clothes. Despite being aware of the environmental costs of the mostly imported fast-fashion, Mr Manesh felt that there is little incentive to buy local products to reduce the environmental cost of clothes.

Mr Manesh, who refreshes his wardrobe every two to three years, said: “It’s hard to think about carbon footprint when you live in Singapore where everything is imported.”

“The made-in-Singapore items are mostly pricey and the affordability of ready-to-wear items by bigger brands is a bigger draw,” said the 30-year-old who window shops online on a daily basis.

5. TAKE FEWER FLIGHTS

Singapore generated 9.8 million tonnes of carbon emissions in terms of departing flights. Photo: TODAY file

The aviation industry generates 2 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and 12 per cent of carbon emissions among all forms of transport.

While they seem small, figures by the European Environment Agency show that flying emits 285g of carbon dioxide per kilometre, exceeding 158g by road and 14g by rail for each passenger.

A study in 2012 on the carbon footprint of the aviation industry also found that within Asia, Singapore generated 9.8 million tonnes of carbon emissions in terms of departing flights, second only to Hong Kong (10.4 million tonnes).

The study also found that the route between London and Singapore generated the highest amount of carbon emissions.

With Singapore being a travel hub and its citizens avid travellers, this amount of carbon emissions is unlikely to abate. Last year, Changi Airport Group posted its highest passenger haul of 65.6 million, a 5.5 per cent increase from the year before.

While the global aviation industry has committed to improving its fuel efficiency per year from 2009 to 2020 and reduce its net aviation carbon emissions in half by 2050 (relative to 2005 levels), it remains to be seen whether travellers’ mindsets will change.

Consultant Yoong Leong Yan flies to Kuala Lumpur monthly for work.

On the idea of taking a coach instead of a flight, the 51-year-old said: “The coach is not convenient because of the time and because you need to get on and off at the checkpoint immigration.”

He added: “My main consideration is the efficiency (of the travel mode) and to get … the business done.”

Still, some are making the adjustments, including Mr Tan, the co-founder of Foodscape Collective. He tries to limit his travel, only travelling in the region when he needs to. He also lengthens his stay when he travels — getting more done, instead of having to fly to and fro — and offsets his carbon emissions through green activities.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS COUNT, BUT GOVTS & FIRMS THE REAL GAME-CHANGERS

While making changes to their lifestyle could significantly cut down Singaporeans’ average carbon emissions, several interviewed cited cost, inconvenience or peer-pressure as reasons for not doing so. Some also pointed to Singapore’s negligible contribution to global carbon emissions, and felt that any drastic changes to their lifestyles — along with the inconveniences — are not worth it.

The website “What is My Carbon Footprint” showed that the average Singaporean generates 9 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, more than twice the world’s average, and more than four times the target to maintain a sustainable footprint.

At the same time, Singapore contributes to only 0.1 per cent of global carbon emissions.

Reflecting a common mindset among most individuals, Mr Manesh said: “I think saving the environment is important. And I have made some changes to do so. But with the emissions in Singapore being so low, I would not go out of my way to make drastic changes to the way I do things. But I have and will make a conscious effort if it is convenient for me.”

Green advocates, however, want Singaporeans to know that individual actions count much more than they think.

Ms Melissa Tan, 27, founder of Bamboo Straw Girl, a business selling biodegradable straws, stressed that changing everyday habits would encourage people to think about the consequences of their actions.

“When collective change becomes a habit, our values as a community change. This will be reflected in the policies we push for,” she said.

Ultimately, governments and businesses are the real game-changers — but it is individuals who collectively send a message and drive the behaviours of governments and businesses.

Said Mr Ho of Lepak in SG: “People need to think about what kind of future they want to live in, and actively take steps to talk to those in power about what they want to see and how they think those in power could help bring about this vision of what they want to see in the future.”

Worldwide, there is a growing sense that corporations and governments are not pulling their weight on climate action policies, amid various reports and studies sounding the alarm on the pace of global warming.

The perceived lack of urgency has led to climate strikes being held regularly around the world, such as the “Fridays for Future” school strikes launched by Swedish student activist Greta Thunberg.

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg attends a protest next to Sweden's parliament in Stockholm. Photo: Reuters

The activism has also reached Singapore’s shores, with a group of youths organising the Singapore Climate Rally at Hong Lim Park on Sept 21 to push the Government to adopt more stringent climate action policies.

Ms Annika Mock, 20, who is part of the rally’s organising committee, said that youths are living in “a very important moment in history”, with governments’ actions today likely to “echo into the decades” to come.

At a country level, Mr Marc Allen, technical director at energy and climate change consultancy Engeco, said that consumers have the power to lobby for change by demanding low-carbon options and transparency in emission data.

Mr Allen cited the examples of banks and institutional investors relooking the impact of their portfolios on the environment, as a result of public pressure.

The impact of public pressure has not gone unnoticed in Singapore, with a spate of recent moves by companies to adopt more environmentally-friendly alternatives. NTUC FairPrice, for instance, announced on Wednesday (Sept 4) that shoppers will be charged for plastic bags at selected outlets.

NTUC FairPrice shoppers will be charged for plastic bags at selected outlets. Phtoo: Facebook/NTUC Fairprice

While more stringent, sustainable policies entail trade-offs — such as in the form of higher costs of eco-friendly production methods — economic growth and combating climate change do not necessarily have to be mutually exclusive, experts stressed.

Moving towards a smaller carbon footprint could also create economic opportunities for governments, especially in the areas of innovative business models and new technology, said Mr Allen.

S’PORE MAY BE SMALL BUT IT ‘CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE’

The Singapore Government has been proactive in fighting climate change: Apart from initiatives such as the introduction of carbon tax at the start of this year, it launched the Zero Waste Masterplan last month which aims to reduce the waste sent to the landfill each day by 30 per cent by 2030.

Still, some Singapore government and business leaders have alluded to the fact that even if Singapore were to cut its carbon emissions, it would have little impact on a global scale.

But this does not mean that Singapore’s role does not matter on the international stage, said Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency Member of Parliament Louis Ng.

Ms Melissa Low, a research fellow at NUS’ Energy Studies Institute, stressed that Singapore’s size “should not be an excuse for inaction”.

She noted that while Singapore accounted for a minute percentage of global emissions, some activists had pointed out that industries based here could generate a much larger carbon footprint through their emissions in other countries and measures are needed to mitigate against that.

Mr Ng said that Singapore’s hosting of next month’s meetings by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that the world looked to Singapore “as a leader”.

“If we do something, the rest will follow. Even (former United States president) Barack Obama has said that Singapore punches above its weight. We do it for economic and other issues, why don’t we do it for climate change as well?” he added.

This article is in partnership with the National Youth Council. How far would you go to reduce your carbon footprint? Share your views and see what others have to say at bit.ly/todayonline-zerowaste.

Wasteful practices of affluence must stop

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:23:00 +0000

Let’s consider a set of new 3Rs for environmental sustainability – namely, reinvention, recalibration and reward, says Nominated Member of Parliament Professor Lim Sun Sun.
Lim Sun Sun Channel NewsAsia 7 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE: One of my favourite Instagram accounts is that of Tabao Girl’s. This environmentally minded young woman meticulously photographs the efforts she makes daily to reduce her use of disposables.

On most days, she succeeds remarkably with her inspiring arsenal of reusable cups, containers, and cutlery, and enjoys her take-away food like the rest of us.

But one day in July this year, she recounted in a post her distressing experience at a bakery, while waiting behind another customer: “…when he was done paying, I was almost going to cry. First the 13 buns, each in 1 plastic bag of its own. Then he wanted 6 buns in 1 bag, and 7 buns in another – and he wanted them double-bagged. Then he asked the cashier to give him 1 large bag to put everything into. In 1 bakery trip for 13 buns, there was a total of 18, EIGHTEEN PLASTIC BAGS used in 1 single transaction.”

I share her distress when I witness such scenes in bakeries, hawker centres and supermarkets.

It seems that as consumers, we have become so precious that food items must be individually packed for fear that they come into contact with each other. Heaven forbid that we allow our floss buns to defile our chocolate croissants!

Indeed, I often find it difficult to advise service staff that I do not wish to have my breads individually packed, and that I have no need for disposable cutlery.

Many look at me with annoyance, as if I have disrupted their well-established work processes. I do not fault them.

The broader structural factors we all labour under are norms set in place by industries, and consumer expectations which have been shaped as a result.

HAVE THE 3RS BECOME TRITE?

Earlier this week, the Singapore Government passed the new Resource Sustainability Bill. In the face of scorching temperatures, environmental degradation and climate change, an entirely new bill to address these critical issues is a concerted step towards ridding our society of some damaging practices.

We in Singapore have become so well-acquainted with the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle — to the point that they have become somewhat trite and lost valuable traction.

In truth, although many of us try hard to practise these 3Rs, it seems like broader structural factors and norms work against our best efforts.

Companies are keen to win over customers and see offering individual packaging and free bags as good service. Consumers are in turn trained to expect and demand such provisions and this vicious cycle perpetuates itself countless times, every single day.

Over time, such norms and expectations result in mountains of trash and ingrain in our people wasteful habits that generate more rubbish than we can handle. These harmful norms and expectations exist not only in F&B, but in virtually every industry.

NEW 3RS: REINVENT, RECALIBRATE AND REWARD

I therefore propose an alternative set of 3Rs that can take environmental sustainability at institutional and individual levels to a higher plane. In addition to reduce, reuse and recycle therefore, we must strive to reinvent, recalibrate and reward.

The Resource Sustainability Act will be an excellent initiative with regard to reinvention. By requiring that those who profit from the supply of products be responsible for collecting and treating these products when they become waste, companies will be more cognisant of downstream effects of their commercial activity.

This will motivate them to invest more heavily in reinventing their products so that waste generation is minimised.

On the specific issue of e-waste that the bill seeks to address, technology companies have for too long practised planned obsolescence to boost consumer demand.

They design lifespans of products such as smartphones and laptop computers other electrical appliances to be artificially short, so that consumers are forced to ditch functional products and acquire new ones.

Some devices are also designed to be difficult to repair, or with replacement parts that are tightly controlled by the company, thereby making it challenging to extend their lifespan through replacing faulty parts.

Device repair services have also become few and far between such that consumers find it easier to buy a whole new device.
In contrast, consider the Dutch social enterprise Fairphone which produces smartphones that have significantly less environmental impact. Fairphones are designed to be easy to open, repair and upgrade.

For example, Fairphone owners can unscrew their phones and replace the cameras, thereby enjoying the latest technology without having to buy an entirely new phone.

Their phones are designed to last for at least five years, more than twice the standard 24 month-smartphone replacement cycle.

Examples such as Fairphone show us that resource sustainability is achievable through reinvention, especially if we introduce the right levers.

Governments and consumer advocacy groups worldwide can do more to combat the exploitative practice of planned obsolescence, as well as introduce regulations to strengthen consumers’ rights to repair their electrical and electronic products.

RECALIBRATING

The next R we must act upon is to recalibrate. It is time we recalibrate people’s expectations for what constitutes excellent service and warm hospitality.

Singapore seems to have transformed into a society where events must involve goody bags, bottled water and an oversupply of catered food. Consequently, our homes have been filled with SWAG – stuff we all get – that we later dump into landfills after engaging in Marie Kondo inspired spring cleaning.

Thankfully, these norms need not be cast in stone. Collectively, we can forge fresh norms that help to advance resource sustainability.

Conference organisers should dispense with goody bags, hotels can do away with small toiletries bottles and bakeries must discontinue this practice of wrapping buns in individual bags.

Every industry can identify positive disruptions that can enhance environmental sustainability by maximising resources and minimising waste. Once we create new norms, we recalibrate consumer expectations, and change behaviour for the better.

REWARDING

Finally, the third R is to reward. Beyond punitive measures that clearly have their place in our ecosystem, we must also consider introducing more schemes to reward companies and consumers for their efforts to go green.

As the recent study by the Singapore Environment Council on building a circular food economy revealed, an estimated S$2.54 billion of food loss occurs in Singapore from farm to market annually. This astounding loss must be addressed.

We need to introduce more incentive schemes for companies to invest in technology to extend the shelf-life of food items.

We also have to encourage different players within the food supply chain to collaborate on practical solutions to stemming food waste.

We should also develop Singapore as a centre where we specialise in innovations to transform food waste streams into valuable by-products such as new food items, animal feed or compost.

By rewarding such investments, collaborations and innovations, we can steer companies towards greater resource sustainability.

Similarly, on the consumer level, we can introduce schemes to change consumer behaviour. Those who choose options with smaller carbon footprints can be rewarded with loyalty points that translate into discounts.

Similarly, consumers can be encouraged to reward companies that offer more green alternatives through rating and voting systems.

We are all drowning in the effluents of affluence. The time to act is now.

Lim Sun Sun is Professor of Communication and Technology and Head of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. She is also a Nominated Member of Parliament and Board Director of the Singapore Environment Council.

Source: CNA/sl

Biodegradable plastic alternatives not necessarily better for Singapore, say experts

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:21:00 +0000

Ang Hwee Min Channel NewsAsia 9 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE: You might think that switching from single use plastics to biodegradable plastic alternatives is good for the environment but in Singapore, there are “no effective differences”, experts said.

They often end up in the same place - the incinerator, said Associate Professor Tong Yen Wah from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Biodegradable plastic wastes make a difference to the environment only when they are buried in landfills, he added.

“In these situations, these plastic bags can degrade faster as compared to a regular polyethylene plastic bag and will not affect the environment as much. Overall for Singapore, it might even be more expensive to incinerate biodegradable plastics," said Assoc Prof Tong.He explained that this is because some biodegradable options take more resources to produce, which make them more expensive.

The opinion squares with what Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources said in Parliament in August - that a life-cycle assessment of single-use carrier bags and disposables by the National Environment Ministry (NEA) found that substituting plastics with other types of single-use packaging materials is “not necessarily better for the environment”.

"In Singapore, waste is incinerated and not left in landfills to degrade. This means that the resource requirements of oxo-degradable bags are similar to that of plastic bags, and they also have similar environmental impact when incinerated.

"In addition, oxo-degradable bags could interfere with the recycling process when mixed with conventional plastics," said the NEA study.

Oxo-degradable plastics quickly fragment into smaller and smaller pieces, called microplastics, but don’t break down at the molecular or polymer level like biodegradable and compostable plastics.

The resulting microplastics are left in the environment indefinitely until they eventually fully break down.

The European Union (EU) has in fact decided in March to ban items made of oxo-degradable plastic alongside a ban on single-use plastics.

In making the decision, the EU said oxo-degradable plastic "does not properly biodegrade and thus contributes to microplastic pollution in the environment".

The measures will take effect in 2021.

STILL KEEN ON ALTERNATIVES

Although biodegradable alternatives may not make a difference to the environment, several companies here have already made the switch.

A BreadTalk Group spokesman told CNA that 78 per cent of plastic bags used by the group’s bakery division is biodegradable.

The takeaway boxes used at Food Republic outlets and the cups used at Toast Box outlets are also biodegradable, he said.

“As a key player in the F&B business, BreadTalk Group remains highly committed to gradually increase our biodegradable packaging options for consumers. However, we are also conscious of the reality that certain local cuisines will still require plastic lids for easy handling.”

Similarly, caterer Neo Group has implemented biodegradable cornware utensils since 2010.

“The cost of changing our disposable ware to biodegradable cornware was higher, but we believe in doing our part to save the Earth, which is why our founder initiated the move to implement the change nine years ago,” said a Neo Group spokesman.

The spokesman added that Neo Group’s company-wide long-term goal is to go paperless and reduce the use of plastic by 30 per cent in its day-to-day operations.

BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC PRODUCTS = LARGER CARBON FOOTPRINT?

Despite the belief that they are better for the environment, experts said a larger carbon footprint could be created in producing them.

"Some biodegradable plastics may require more resources to produce and that would inevitably incur a higher carbon footprint," said Mr Liow Chean Siang, head of environmental certifications at the Singapore Environment Council.

He added: "Consumers may have less guilt in using such bags but ultimately this could have little impact on reducing carbon footprint or greenhouse gas emissions."

Many biodegradable materials can only break down under specific circumstances, many of which cannot be provided by natural environments, said general manager of Zero Waste SG Ms Pek Hai Lin.

According to Ms Pek, the carbon footprint for cornware is high compared to regular plastic, and based on the NEA study, it is not clear whether it can be recycled.

“Furthermore, cornware is made from corn starch extracted from kernels, which makes one wonder if the same resource could have been used for food instead of convenience,” she added.

Dr Alexander Jackson, a plastic scientist from A*STAR thinks companies are rushing to find alternatives to single-use plastics without fully considering the complete environmental impact.

“The producers themselves would be the best people to ask, do they know how truly environmentally friendly these products are?”

BOLDER STEPS NEEDED

By 2020, businesses will have to report the type and amount of packaging they put into the market to the NEA, and outline their plans for reducing it. This applies to brand owners, manufacturers, importers of packaging and packaged goods, as well as supermarkets with an annual turnover of more than S$10 million.

An extended producer responsibility framework for packaging waste will also be launched by 2025, MEWR announced on Friday (Aug 30).

Assistant Professor Marvin Montefrio who lectures on environmental studies at Yale-NUS believes that there are still merits in the shift towards biodegradable alternatives.

He said: “I imagine Singapore to be a significant market for the plastics industry, just seeing how pervasive single-use plastics are in the retail sector.

“If the demand changes or if there are regulations that control the use of non-biodegradable single-use plastics in Singapore and elsewhere, imagine how this could potentially influence the single-use plastics and packaging sector.”

But it could be challenging to completely eradicate single-use plastics because they are still necessary in some situations, such as in food packaging or for medical purposes.

“We do need to admit though, that in many other cases they are completely unnecessary, as all they do is just make our lives a little more convenient,” said Asst Prof Montefrio.

“So at some point we do need to make bolder steps beyond just making all single-use plastics biodegradable.”

Source: CNA/hw

Malaysia, Johor: Land reclamation may be behind mass fish deaths

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:15:00 +0000

VENESA DEVI The Star 7 Sep 19;

What went wrong?: Some of the dead fish found along Pantai Lido.

JOHOR BARU: Land reclamation along Pantai Lido could potentially be the main cause of mass fish deaths in the area.

State Local Government, Urban Wellbeing and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said the Department of Environment (DoE), along with the Fisheries Department, were still investigating the matter and not ruling out land reclamation as the contributing factor.

“The DoE visited the location on Thursday upon receiving complaints about the occurrence and found that the dissolved oxygen level of the water was very low at 1.2mg/l,” he said.

“The hot weather and disturbance of the water flow here due to land reclamation are believed to be contributing factors, but we are still investigating the matter.”

In a statement, Tan said he had instructed the DoE to look into the Environment Impact Assessment for the reclamation project to avoid a recurrence of such incidents.

Dozens of dead fish were spotted along Pantai Lido during a visit there yesterday, along with a strong stench.

This is the second occurrence of mass fish deaths along Pantai Lido recently, with the first incident on Aug 28.

State Fisheries Department director Zamani Omar said land reclamation had caused blockages in the waterway, resulting in limited water exchanges.

“The fish in the area were possibly trapped in water with a low dissolved oxygen level, causing them to suffocate.

“The hot weather, followed by sudden downpours, could also have killed the fish as they had to experience extreme and sudden changes of temperature,” he said, adding that there were no signs of industrial pollution in the water.

Malaysia Nature Society vice-president Vincent Chow said the recurring fish deaths here were a clear sign of pollution.

“Just because no industrial waste is found does not mean that there is no pollution, as the mud from land reclamation could also cause pollution.

“The relevant agencies should not only check the water samples, but also take samples from the dead fish to know what caused them to suffocate,” he said.

Johor looking into development projects and mass fish deaths
VENESA DEVI The Star 7 Sep 19;

Dead fish seen along Pantai Lido in Johor Baru following reports of mass fish death caused by low oxygen levels.

TANGKAK: The Johor government is investigating whether development projects, including land reclamation work around Pantai Lido, have led to the mass death of fish in the area.

Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal said that the relevant agencies are currently preparing an in-depth report on the matter.

“The Environment Department (DOE) and Fisheries Department are still looking for the main reason why the oxygen level in the water went down, which led to the death of fish.

“This is the second time we have seen such an occurrence and I have urged the relevant agencies to take proactive measures, ” he said, adding that he is still awaiting reports from DOE and the Fisheries Department.

He was speaking to reporters after attending a Johor Corporation corporate social responsibility programme dubbed Jalinan Ukhwah JCorp here at Kundung Ulu in Tangkak on Saturday (Sept 7).

Dr Sahruddin added that at the moment, the state government has not issued any orders to stop development projects in the affected area.

“If the incidents have anything to do with development projects, we will consult the relevant agencies to improve procedures, ” he said.

Dead fish incident: Johor Fisheries Dept says stagnant water must be treated first before being released
MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 8 Sep 19;

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Fisheries Department has suggested that a process to replace and treat stagnant water be conducted along Pantai Lido following two separate incidents of mass fish deaths in the area.

Its director Zamani Omar said a water analysis report, which was sent on Aug 28 following the first incident, found high amounts of ammonia and phosphate as a result of the decaying fish.

"Things will get worse if domestic wastewater flows into the reservoir and threatens other aquatic life.

"As an immediate measure, the department has suggested that the ammonia problem be rectified by exchanging pool water where stagnant water must be treated before being released into public waters," he said in a statement here on Sunday (Sept 8).

Zamani added that as for a long-term solution, more efficient irrigation routes should be constructed at Pantai Lido to ensure that water flows in and out according to the tide.

He pointed out that this was to ensure that domestic waste does not accumulate locally and affecting the water quality of aquatic life.

Zamani said currently, there was only one pathway that had been built for such purpose compared to the overall large area of Pantai Lido.

It was reported that the state government may look into ways to improve development procedures at Pantai Lido following mass fish deaths in the area, says Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal.

He said the relevant agencies were still investigating development projects, including reclamation works.

Dr Sahruddin added that if the incident had something to do with the development projects, the state government would consult the relevant agencies, including the Department of Environment and Town and Country Planning Department, to look into it.

The state government was not ruling out land reclamation along Pantai Lido as being the main cause of mass fish death there.

Dozens of dead fish were spotted along Pantai Lido for the second time on Friday just days after a similar occurrence on Aug 28.

Malaysia: Two men nabbed, over 600 turtle eggs seized

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:12:00 +0000

Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 8 Sep 19;

KUCHING: The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) enforcement team nabbed two men for selling sea turtle eggs at Pasar Tamu Kubah Ria on Saturday.

SFC chief executive officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said the first suspect, aged 65, was caught at 9.45am and 214 eggs were seized.

“When our team returned to the market for another round of patrol in the afternoon, they arrested a 26-year-old man with 438 sea turtle eggs. We had lodged a police report for further investigation,” he said in a statement today.

On the same day, another team raided a stall at Bandar Riyal market in Kota Samarahan for selling wild boar meat.

A 62-year-old male suspect was nabbed and 17 packets of the wildlife meat were seized.

Zolkipli said anyone who hunts, kills, keeps, sells or consumes protected animals faces a one-year jail term and RM10,000 fine.

“In the case of the sea turtle which is a totally protected wildlife in Sarawak, the maximum fine is RM50,000 and five years’ jail,” he said.

Meanwhile, commercial sale of bearded pigs is strictly prohibited under the Sarawak Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998. The seller and seller can be fined up to RM5,000 and RM2,000 respectively.

Zolkipli added the state government allocated RM70 million for SFC to deploy reef balls along the state shoreline to conserve and protect the marine life, especially the sea turtles.

“We are serious in combating and eradicating illegal wildlife trade and its supply chain. Hence, any sales of the eggs must be reported to the authorities.

“We will continue to intensify our efforts against these illegal activities and raise awareness on wildlife conservation among the public.” he added.

Malaysia: Sharks and rays still in demand in Sabah for their meat

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:11:00 +0000

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 8 Sep 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is keen to protect sharks and rays in the state’s waters but the problem is the two species of marine life have been a staple food for some locals.

A fishmonger of 35 years at the wet market here, who declined to be named, said due to demand from consumers, fisherman continue to net the two species.

“I am aware of the move to ban the catching of sharks and rays to prevent both species from becoming extinct. But some people in Sabah including fishermen still consume the meat,” he said, adding sharks and rays were sold between RM8 and RM12 per kilogramme.

He however said that the catch involving the two marine species was far less nowadays, compared to three decades ago.

“Back then, I used to sell at least a tonne of sharks - guitar sharks and hammerheads in a week.

“I remember the biggest shark weighed about 200 kilogrammes. Now the most I get from the suppliers is just 70 kilogrammes and is available only twice or thrice a week,” he said, adding that he receives his shark and ray supply from fisherman operating in the waters of Sabah’s west-coast.

A buyer who only wanted to be known as Hassan said he consumed shark meat once a month due to the belief that it helps in the “cleansing of the lymph system” in the body.

During a recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference, Malaysia was among 40 countries which opposed a proposal to protect certain species of sharks and rays from exploitation.

The federal Fisheries Department defended the vote against the move saying that the sharks and rays were caught unintentionally.

Shark experts have said fishing of those species did not contribute to direct decline of their population.

However, the federal government had in July gazetted four species of sharks and two species of rays to be listed as endangered under the newly amended Fisheries (Control of Endangered Species of Fish) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.

The newly listed species under the Shark group are Sphyrna mokarran (great hammerhead shark), Sphyrna zygaena (smooth hammerhead shark), Eusphyra blochii (winghead shark) and the Carcharhinus longimanus (oceanic whitetip shark).

The species under the Ray group are Manta birostris (oceanic manta) and Manta alfredi (reef manta).

Previously, it was reported that Sabah Food and Agriculture Industry minister Datuk Junz Wong as saying that in recent years, restaurants in the state had also stopped serving shark fins as there wsas a better conservation awareness among the people.

The state, however, would look into protection of shark and ray species through the amendment of state Fisheries Enactment and ban trawlers in the near future for more sustainable marine stock in Sabah waters.

Malaysia: Govt to build elephant sanctuary in Perak

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:10:00 +0000

The Star 8 Sep 19;

TEMERLOH: The government will set up an elephant sanctuary in an area spanning 100ha in Perak at a cost of about RM20mil.

Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said the move was part of an ongoing effort to conserve elephants, which were increasingly threatened due to human-elephant conflicts.

He said the new sanctuary would be a new addition to the Sungai Deka Elephant Sanctuary in Terengganu and the Johor Elephant Sanctuary in Kota Tinggi.

“The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Perak government, has approved the proposal for the construction of the new sanctuary, which will be implemented under the 12th Malaysia Plan,” he said after launching the 2019 World Elephant Day celebration at the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre yesterday.

Also present were his deputy Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim and Exim Bank chairman Datuk Feizal Mustapha.Dr Xavier expressed hope that other states would be interested in developing an elephant sanctuary, which could solve the human-elephant conflict through the release of the animals into the natural habitat at the sanctuary.

“A total of 1,118 complaints on human-elephant conflicts have been recorded in Peninsular Malaysia between 2016 and 2018. It is estimated that there are 1,680 elephants in the peninsula, while about 2,000 are in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Dr Xavier also announced the appointment of actress and environmental activist Maya Karin as “The Voice of Wildlife” to assist the ministry and Perhilitan in volunteer activities and disseminating information on wildlife conservation.

He also expressed his appreciation to the private sector, non-governmental organisations and individuals for their help in the conservation of elephants and other wildlife.

Exim Bank, for instance, sponsored RM55,000 under its corporate social responsibility initiative by providing two prosthetic legs for a female elephant named Elly as well as medicine and equipment for managing baby elephants. — Bernama

Malaysia: Sarawak haze worsens; visibility in Kuching down to 1.2km

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:08:00 +0000

Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 6 Sep 19;

KUCHING: The haze in Sarawak worsened today, with visibility in the state capital here reduced to 1.2km.

Five other areas are also shrouded in smoke and recorded Air Pollution Index (API) readings of “unhealthy” as of 9am.

Sri Aman registered the highest API of 166, followed by Miri at 133, Kuching at 125, Sibu at 123 and Sarikei at 109.

Stations in Kuala Baram, Bintulu, Samalaju, Mukah, Kapit, Limbang and Miri recorded moderate API readings of between 62 and 99, said Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee secretariat, Major Ismail Mahedin.

Meanwhile, motorists in Kuching have been advised to exercise extra caution amidst reduced visibility.

The haze is believed to be caused by 455 hotpots which have been detected in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Four hotspots have also been detected in Betong, Serian, Bintulu and Miri.

An API reading of 0 to 50 is categorised as good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), and over 301 (hazardous).

Increased hotspots and more hazy areas
Teoh Pei Ying New Straits Times 7 Sep 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: The hazy conditions in the country particularly in the west coast of the Peninsula and western Sarawak are due to increased number of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Jailan Simon in a statement today said haze was expected to worsen if open burning in Indonesia was not brought under control.

“The probability of heavy rains in Sumatra, Kalimantan and our country is low in the coming weeks.

“In this regard, the possibility of our country being affected by transboundary haze is still high, especially in the west and south of the Peninsula as well as in west Sarawak. The haze may last until the end of the Southwest monsoon,” he said.

Malaysians meanwhile are advised to minimise outdoor activities; wear face masks; drink plenty of water and avoid open burning in the current hazy weather.

Based on Department of Environment (DoE) data, Johan Setia Klang was the only area to record unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) of 105 in the Peninsula as of noon.

In Sarawak, Kuching recorded very unhealthy air quality at 214 and seven areas recorded unhealthy - ILP Miri (113); Miri (148); Mukah (103); Sarikei (135); Sri Aman (180); Samarahan (197); and SK Kuala Baram 2 (113).

The API is categorised as ‘good’ from 0 to 50, ‘moderate’ (51-100), unhealthy (101-200), very unhealthy (201-300) and hazardous (301 and more).

The public can refer to the Department of Environment (DOE) website at http://apims.doe.gov.my/v2/ or by downloading the MyIPU mobile application to get hourly API readings.

Meanwhile, the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) said weather remained dry over many parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan today.

“With dry conditions expected to persist over many areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan, hotspot activities and hazy conditions there are likely to continue," it said.

“In Sumatra, persistent hotspots with smoke haze continued to be detected in the provinces of Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, and Lampung. Moderate to dense smoke haze from the hotspots in Riau has been blown by the prevailing winds toward the Strait of Malacca.

“In West Kalimantan, moderate to dense smoke haze was observed to emanate from scattered hotspots in the province. Some of the smoke haze has been blown by the prevailing winds toward western Sarawak.”

Cloud seeding unlikely to end haze in Sarawak
Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 7 Sep 19;

KUCHING: Cloud seeding will not resolve the haze situation in Sarawak if forest fires and open burning activities in Indonesia, particularly in neighbouring Kalimantan, continue.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the operation could only ease the situation temporarily as the haze will return due to the wind direction.

“It is pointless for us to conduct cloud seeding if the burning activities in Indonesia continue. So, I hope Putrajaya will be more firm and urge the Indonesian government to take immediate action to tackle the issue – to douse the forest fires,” he said.

Uggah, who also the state’s Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) chairman, said school principals and headmasters can decide to temporarily close schools if the Air Pollutant Index (APi) readings reach the "very unhealthy" level of over 201.

However, the ongoing Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination will continue despite the high API readings recorded, said JPBN secretariat Chief Major Ismail Mahedin.

He said some 200,000 face masks were given to the education department, which will distribute them to school children in the affected area in the state.

“As part of our preparations, we have handed the face masks to the education department and briefed them on school closure as well as guidelines for teachers and officers on duty or in charge of UPSR,” he said.

A total of 40,448 pupils are sitting for the UPSR in Sarawak, which began on Wednesday, before continuing on Sept 10 (Tuesday) to 12.

“The visibility in the state’s capital has reduced to 700m today (Saturday) from 1.4km yesterday.

The visibility during normal days is 10km and above. Thus, motorists and road users were urged to drive carefully while those riding the motorcycles must use a face mask, he added.

Out of the total 13 API stations in Sarawak, two stations; namely Kuching and Samarahan recorded ‘very unhealthy at 221 and 203, respectively, as of 5pm.

Another five stations showed ‘unhealthy’ air quality which included ILP Miri (117), Miri (151), Sarikei (133), Sri Aman (176), and Kuala Baram (117).

An API reading of 0-50 shows good air quality, 51-100 moderate, 101-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy, and 300 and above hazardous.

A total 12 hot spots were detected in Sarawak,1,087 in Kalimantan and 306 in Sumatera.

Fire and rescue department has recorded a total of 97 forest and peat land fires since Sept 1.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in a statement today said the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) would continue monitoring the situation in the affected areas.

She said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) was also looking into conducting cloud seeding operations taking into account the atmospheric conditions in the areas.

"The people especially those in Sarawak are advised to stay indoors and to wear face masks when out in the open, to avoid health problems," she said.

MetMalaysia also urged people to reduce outdoor activities, wear a mask, drink plenty of water and do not engage in open burning.

Its director-general Jailan Simon in a statement said the possibility of heavy rains occurring there and in Malaysia was low during the next one week, and as such, there was a high possibility for the haze to continue particularly in western and southern Peninsular Malaysia, as well as western Sarawak.

The haze is expected to remain until the end of the southwest monsoon and the situation could worsen if fires in Indonesia are not contained, Jailan added.

Information on the weather forecast can be accessed through the MetMalaysia website or the myCuaca app.

Haze to persist; MetMalaysia on standby for cloud seeding
Teoh Pei Ying New Straits Times 8 Sep 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) is in standby mode to conduct cloud seeding operations to ease the worsening haze situation across the country.

However, its director-general, Jailan Simon, said that they must wait for atmospheric suitability before attempting the operations.

“At the moment, atmospheric conditions in (the worst-affected areas) are not suitable for the operation. (If we proceed now, the operation) is unlikely to succeed.

“(Also), the cost of cloud seeding is high, (so we must be careful to carry out the operation when the situation) is most favourable,” he told the New Straits Times today.

Nevertheless, Jailan warned that cloud seeding would have limited effect in mitigating the haze unless the forest fires raging in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia are brought under control.

“The winds are still blowing from the southwest (from Sumatra, and the east from Kalimantan). Even if cloud seeding is done, the haze will come back if fires persist in Sumatra and southern Kalimantan.

“(We must therefore wait for the arrival of) the southwest monsoon, which is expected in late September or early October,” he added.

There may be a brief respite in the short term.

“(There has been a drop in the number of) hotspots in Kalimantan. There are 446 today, compared to 704 detected on Saturday. The number of hotspots in Sumatra also dropped from 68 to 52 (so that is good news),” Jailan said.

He added that there are also three hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia and a total of 39 hotspots in Sabah and Sarawak.

As of 3pm, two areas in Sarawak registered “very unhealthy” Air Pollutant Index (API) readings – Sri Aman at 241 and Kuching at 224.

“Unhealthy” APIs were recorded in eight locations nationwide. They are Selangor (Johan Setia Klang - 125); and Sarawak (Miri – 158; Mukah – 115; Sibu – 190; Sarikei – 183; Samarahan – 199; and Kuala Baram – 120).

An API of 0 to 50 is categorised as ‘good’, ‘moderate’ (51-100), ‘unhealthy’ (101-200), ‘very unhealthy’ (201-300) and ‘hazardous’ (301 and more).

Meanwhile, according to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), the haze will persist over the next few days as dry conditions continue to affect many locations in the region.

“In Sumatra, we continue to observe moderate-to-dense smoke from hotspots in the provinces of Riau, Jambi, and South Sumatra. Prevailing winds have been blowing some of the smoke… toward the Strait of Melaka.

“In West Kalimantan, scattered hotspots continue to emit moderate-to-dense smoke, which has been blown by prevailing winds towards western Sarawak,” it said.

For the latest information on the haze situation, visit the Department of Environment’s (DoE) website at http://apims.doe.gov.my/v2/ or download the MyIPU mobile application.

Hazy days till month’s end
The Star 8 Sep 19;

Smoky gloom: Claudia Freddy and Rita Patrick taking a wefie on the Darul Hana Bridge in Kuching. The city recorded an unhealthy API reading of 206 yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR: The haze in Malaysia is likely to persist until the end of this month in view of the low chances of heavy rains and the possibility of uncontrolled open burning.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Jailan Simon said the transboundary haze was expected to continue until the southwest monsoon period ends in late September.

“Chances of heavy rain in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Indonesia and our country are low in the coming week. As such, the possibility of the country experiencing transboundary haze is still high, especially for the western and southern regions of the peninsula and west Sarawak,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said the haze shrouding several areas in the country, especially in the west coast of the peninsula and west Sarawak, was due to the increase in hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

The haze, he said, would worsen if open burning in the neighbouring country was left uncontrolled. Yesterday, nine areas nationwide were flagged as having worrying air pollutant index (API) levels.

Eight of these areas were in Sarawak, with Kuching and Samarahan recording a “very unhealthy” API level of over 200.

Kuching had the most polluted air quality yesterday, with its API level hitting 221 as at 5pm.

Samarahan recorded a level of 203.

In Peninsular Malaysia, the API level in Johan Setia in Klang was at 105.

An API reading of between 0 and 50 is good; 51 to 100 (moderate); 101 to 200 (unhealthy); 201 to 300 (very unhealthy); and 301 and above is deemed hazardous.

While other areas nationwide recorded “moderate” API levels, some were close to being categorised as “unhealthy”.

Among others, Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam were at 96. These two areas had API levels ranging between 64 and 70 last week.

Other areas with high API levels yesterday included Nilai in Negri Sembilan (95), Putrajaya (96) and Kangar (90).

Hourly API readings are available on the Department of Environment (DOE) website at http://apims.doe.gov.my.

Data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) showed five hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia and another five across the South China Sea on Sept 6.

The hotspot count on that day also showed that Kalimantan recorded 780 hotspots while Sumatra had 66.

An update by ASMC on Friday said generally dry conditions were expected to prevail in the southern Asean region.

“With the weather likely to remain generally dry over the next few days, the hotspot and haze situation in Sumatra and Kalimantan can be expected to persist,” the update said.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said yesterday that MetMalaysia was studying the feasibility of cloud seeding to induce rain in areas affected by haze.

Dr Wan Azizah also said the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and the Sarawak government would allocate funds to provide masks to the people in the state.

As for students sitting for the Mathematics and Science papers of the UPSR examination in areas affected by haze in Sarawak next week, they will be provided with face masks.

Bernama, quoting head of the Sarawak disaster management committee secretariat, Major Ismail Mahedin from the Sarawak Civil Defence Force, reported that the face masks had been handed over to the state education department for distribution to students in Kuching, Samarahan, Serian and Sri Aman.

“If the API readings exceed 201, schools will be closed but the UPSR examination will go on as scheduled under strict supervision by the school and exam invigilators,” he said in a statement.

A total of 40,448 students are sitting for the UPSR in the state. The Mathematics and Science papers are scheduled for Sept 10 to 12.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the Federal Government must be more assertive in calling for Indonesia to deal with open burning.

Putrajaya must consult with Jakarta on how to resolve the issue, he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/08/hazy-days-till-months-end#DHWRi5VBHukDUBEw.99

2 outdoor events called off as Kuching continues to have 'very unhealthy' air quality
Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 8 Sep 19;

KUCHING: Residents in the state capital, Samarahan and Sri Aman woke up to yet another day shrouded by haze, which also saw two outdoor events being called-off.

The highly anticipated “Stop The Stigma” run organised by Sarawak General Hospital cancelled one of its events after Kuching continued to record an ‘unhealthy’ Air Pollutant Index (API) reading.

The 4km and 12km runs to promote and raise awareness on mental health could not be carried out. However, other activities such as aerobics, free breakfast, health screenings and lucky draw proceeded as planned.

Also biting the dust was Kuching North City Hall’s “Kayuhan Berbasikal Maal Hijrah 2019” scheduled at 7am today.

The haze in Sarawak continued to be bad with two stations recording ‘very unhealthy’ and several others ‘unhealthy’ reading on the API.

Sri Aman recorded the highest API reading of 239 and Kuching 223 while the air quality in Saramahan has shown slight improvement with API 214 at 6am dropping to 200 at 1pm.

Three stations in the Miri district showed ‘unhealthy’ readings with ILP Miri at 142, Miri (156) and SK Kuala Baram (117).

Meanwhile, Sarikei, Sibu and Mukah also recorded ‘unhealthy’ readings at 180, 188 and 112, respectively.

An API reading of 0 to 50 is categorised as good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), and over 301 (hazardous).

Meanwhile Bernama reports that the haze has not disrupted flights at the Kuching International Airport.

A spokesperson at the airport’s information counter said as of 12 noon today, they had not been informed of any flights being cancelled.

“Everything is going on as normal,” he said, adding that in the event the haze worsens and leads to reduced visibility, there was likelihood that flights may be cancelled or postponed.

Malaysia officially complains over haze as Indonesia forests burn

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:04:00 +0000

Reuters New Straits Times 6 Sep 19;

JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s science ministry will urge Indonesia to take immediate action to fight haze, it said on Friday, as Jakarta detected a spike in the number of hot spots indicating worsening forest fires across the archipelago.

During the dry season, Indonesian farmers use fire to clear land, often for palm and pulp plantations, but the flames can rage out of control to produce a choking haze that spreads to neighbours like Singapore and Malaysia.

A mild El Nino weather pattern this year has aggravated the impact of fires, with the number of hot spots rising to the highest since devastating fires in 2015.

In a statement, Malaysia’s ministry of science, technology and innovation said it would “send a diplomatic note to Indonesia, so immediate action will be taken to put out the fires and prevent repeated burning.”

A spokesman for Indonesia’s foreign ministry, Teuku Faizasyah, declined immediate comment, but said he would check if Jakarta had received the note.

Indonesia faces global pressure to put an end to slash-and-burn clearance of land, especially as fires have also burned swathes of the Amazon and parts of Africa.

By Friday morning, disaster officials in Indonesia had detected 6,312 hot spots, which often signal a fire, dotting the western and central areas of its part of Borneo island. That was up from 2,694 a day ago and less than 1,000 earlier this month.

“This is the height of the dry season, hence the height of the number of hot spots,” Agus Wibowo, a spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, said by text message.

The number had risen from Thursday as many had previously been obscured by smoke, he added.

Indonesia has deployed more than 9,000 military, police and disaster agency personnel to douse the fires, having declared an emergency in six provinces on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

Southeast Asia has suffered for years from annual bouts of smog caused by slash-and-burn practices in Indonesia’s islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, but governments in the region have failed to stamp out the problem.

Transboundary haze was detected on Thursday spreading from the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan on Borneo to the island’s Malaysian side, Indonesia’s climate agency said.

Haze reduced visibility to a distance of 10 to 20 metres in the town of Sampit in Indonesia’s province of Central Kalimantan on Borneo, media said.

The town’s air quality index hit 356 by midday on Friday, a hazardous level, according to the non-profit World Air Quality Index.

“I implore the whole community not to burn land,” local government head Supian Hadi said, according to state news agency Antara. “The impact has been very disturbing to the wider community, on health, education and economic activity.”

An aerial photograph from the news agency showed fires had reignited in the national parks of Berbak and Sembilang in Jambi on Sumatra, despite having been put out several days earlier.

Drought has hit large parts of Indonesia as El Nino disrupts the dry season, which is expected to last until October, the climate agency says. - Reuters

Sarawak urges Putrajaya to be more firm with Indonesia on haze issue
Bernama New Straits Times 7 Sep 19;

KUCHING: Sarawak has urged the Federal Government to be more assertive in calling for Indonesia to appropriately deal with its forest open burning activities that have caused haze from the raging fires to overwhelm the state.

In Kalimantan alone, 1,087 hot spots have been detected while another 306 were found in Sumatra.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said Putrajaya must consult with Jakarta on how to resolve the issue.

“We hope the federal government can help us and discuss with Indonesia to restore the situation to the way it was.

“It needs federal to federal discussion as the state government does not have the power to act,” he told reporters when met at a UNIFOR event here today.

Meanwhile, Uggah said the decision to temporarily close schools affected by the haze here was with the Health director. - Bernama

Indonesia: Air-polluting forest fire hotspots in Riau reach 154

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 23:58:00 +0000

Antara 7 Sep 19;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Pekanbaru meteorology station reported that 448 hotspots were observed throughout Sumatra Island, comprising 154 hotspots in Riau Province’s eight districts on Saturday morning, depleting the air quality in parts of the province.

Of the total figure, 60 were spotted in Pelalawan District, 42 in Indragiri Hulu, 34 in Indragiri Hilir, six in Meranti, five in Kuansing, three in Bengkalis, and two respectively in Kampar and Rokan Hilir, Ahmad Agus Widodo, analyst at the Pekanbaru meteorology station, remarked here on Saturday.

At least 97 of the 154 hotspots had developed into firespots, strongly suggestive of forest fires.

A total of 45 firespots were found in Pelalawan, 25 in Indragiri Hulu, 19 in Indragiri Hilir, one in Kuansing, three in Meranti, and two each in Rokan Hilir and Bengkalis.

The air quality in parts of Riau was considered unhealthy, including in Rokan Hilir and Pekanbaru, where the air quality was also very unhealthy.

Last August, the Pekanbaru City Health Office had reported 7,745 acute respiratory tract infection sufferers in the Riau provincial capital between July and August 2019.

"The figure is based on reports from all public health service posts (Puskesmas) in Pekanbaru City, comprising 3,540 cases recorded in July and 4,205 cases in August," Muhammad Amin, acting chief of the Pekanbaru City Health Office, remarked in Pekanbaru recently.

The increase in the number of acute respiratory tract infection sufferers in the past couple of months is the outcome of the haze arising from land and forest fires in several districts and cities in Riau Province as well as in neighboring provinces.

However, the increase is relatively low, at 900 per month in comparison with over three thousand in August 2018 when no haze was detected, he pointed out.

"In August 2019, the number has already crossed four thousand, thereby translating to the fact that not all those suffering from acute respiratory tract infection were affected only by the haze," he added.

Reporter: Anggi Romadhoni, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution

Wildfire annihilates West Aceh's 1.5-ha peatland
Antara 7 Sep 19;

Meulaboh, Aceh (ANTARA) - Wildfire scorched through 1.5 hectares (ha) of peatland area in Suak Raya Village, Johan Pahlawan Sub-district, Meulaboh, West Aceh District, Aceh Province.

"The fire was extinguished on Friday morning, but on Saturday morning, the fire resurfaced and spread to a wider area," Mashuri, a local coordinator, remarked on behalf of Dr Mukhtaruddin, head of the West Aceh disaster mitigation office (BPBD), here on Saturday.

Related news: Police detains suspect in Kampar peatland fire

Related news: BPBD confirms fires engulfed 10 hectares of West Kalimantan's peatland

Fire-fighting efforts were hindered by a shortage of water sources in the affected area and challenging terrain impeding vehicular access to the peatland area.

"Currently, our personnel, with the help of police and military officers, are attempting to put out the blaze," he stated.

Mashuri did not speak of the cause of the wildfire, as he was yet directing efforts to extinguish the fire.

Indonesia has been facing the severe dry season induced by El Nino that triggered drought and forest fires in several provinces this year.

The dry spell has cast a pall over 100 districts and cities in Indonesia’s provinces of Aceh, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara.

Eight provinces in Indonesia are prone to forest fires, but only six have declared an emergency status for forest fire, Director of Forest Fire Mitigation Raffles B. Panjaitan of the Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry stated recently.

The six provinces are Riau, with the emergency status declared from Feb 19 to Oct 31, or 255 days; West Kalimantan (from Feb 12 to Dec 31, or 323 days); South Sumatra (March 8-Oct 31, or 237 days); Central Kalimantan (May 28-Aug 26, or 91 days); South Kalimantan (June 1-Oct 31, or 153 days); and Jambi (July 23-Oct 20, or 90 days).

The Indonesian Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry recorded 2,070 hotspots, with a confidence rate at over 80 percent, during the January-July 2019 period, based on monitoring of the Terra and Aqua Modis satellites.

Reporter: T Dedi Iskandar, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution

Six hotspots observed in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan
Antara 5 Sep 19;

Penajam, East Kalimantan (ANTARA) - No less than six hotspots, suggestive of forest fires, were found in North Penajam Paser District, East Kalimantan, the location of Indonesia's next capital city in future.

The hotspots were found in the sub-districts of Penajam, Waru, Babulu, and Sepaku, Tohar, ex-officio head of the North Penajam Paser disaster mitigation office (BPBD), stated here on Thursday.

Data of the local BPBD showed that as of August 2019, some 23 cases were registered of forest fires ravaging a total area of 65 hectares in North Penajam Paser.

He called on local officers and farmers to remain alert to forest fires, as prolonged drought will last until October this year.

Tohar also called on plantation companies and local farmers to stop using fire for land clearance owing to its damaging impacts on the floral and faunal ecosystem.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has announced that parts of the districts of North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kertanegara in East Kalimantan Province will be the location for the country’s new capital expected to be inaugurated in 2024, the year when Jokowi’s second term would come to an end. Jokowi had informed the media on August 26, 2019, that the two districts were selected, as they faced the least risks from natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, and landslides.

Moreover, they are strategically located in the heart of Indonesia and near Balikpapan and Samarinda that are developed cities. Thus, basic infrastructure and facilities already exist. Furthermore, the government owns 180 thousand hectares of land there.

The government has made assurance that development of the capital city will not harm the environment and pledged that East Kalimantan’s forests would remain intact.

In the meantime, the LAPAN satellite image data showed the presence of 935 hotspots indicating forest fires in West Kalimantan on September 4-5, 2019, a slight dip from 949 hotspots on Sept 3-4.

Head of the Supadio-Pontianak meteorology office Erika Mardiyanti stated here on Thursday morning that the number of hotspots decreased by 14 than that of the previous day.

Of the total figure, 452 hotspots were observed in Ketapang District, surging from 433 on the earlier day.

Reporter: Novi Abdi, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati

Philippines: Whale shark population increases - WWF

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 23:54:00 +0000

Business Mirror 9 Sep 19;

More than 100 new ‘butanding’ (whale shark), including juveniles, spotted in Donsol, the highest number in several years.

DONSOL, Sorsogon—One-hundred-four new butanding (whale shark) individuals have been identified in Ticao Pass off the coast of Donsol, Sorsogon, between January and June 2019, according to a report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.

Whale shark, classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on their Red List of Threatened Species, is a filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest living fish species in the world.

Each whale shark can be identified based on the unique pattern of spots behind its gills, which serves as a “fingerprint” for identification. Just as no two human fingerprints are alike, no two whale sharks have the same spot pattern.

The addition of these new sightings puts the total number of whale shark individuals spotted in Donsol at 676 since the monitoring began in 2007, the WWF said in its news release.

This represents nearly 40 percent of all the 1,724 whale sharks identified in the Philippines. The number of individuals spotted in 2019 was also the largest in several years, with only 22 new individuals spotted in Donsol between 2017 and 2018 by comparison.

The whale sharks were sighted during this year’s photo identification activities conducted by WWF-Philippines. In the first half of this year, 168 individuals—with 64 re-sightings alongside the 104 newly identified ones—were noted.

Very young whale shark juveniles were also identified among the 168 individuals that were spotted. Their presence suggests that the Ticao Pass may be a pupping ground for whale sharks, further increasing the ecological significance of the area.

“These whale sharks that pass by Donsol aren’t just important due to their value to local tourism. More than that, they play an important systemic role in providing resilience to the local ecosystem,” said WWF-Philippines Donsol Project Manager Manuel Narvadez Jr. in the news release.

“The number of whale sharks spotted in Donsol indicates that its waters are now rich with plankton, which is their primary food. They have even come here with their young,” he added.

WWF-Philippines has been active in Donsol since 1998 and has actively worked with the local government unit (LGU) for more than two decades for the conservation of the Ticao Pass and the local whale sharks.

The whale shark census, which monitors the number of whale shark individuals passing through Donsol, began in 2007.

A thriving ecotourism industry centered on communal participation in the conservation of the whale shark has helped Donsol rise from a fifth-class municipality on its way to first class.

Conservation activities in the Ticao Pass between WWF-Philippines and the LGU of Donsol will continue in the coming years. WWF-Philippines is currently exploring options of expanding the current Marine Protected Areas (MPA), or establishing new ones in neighboring Masbate municipality to further protect the Ticao Pass and its inhabitants.

“Whale shark tourism at Donsol is a long established eco-tourism venture, which the WWF-Philippines team helped set up and running. After so many years, it is very gratifying to see local communities and the whale sharks continuing to benefit,” said Dr. Andy Cornish, leader of “Sharks: Restoring the Balance,” WWF’s global shark and ray conservation program.

“Protecting more marine areas near Donsol could play a key role in enhancing protection for these endangered ocean nomads for generations to come,” Cornish said.

WWF’s global program on sharks includes work to conserve whale sharks in Ecuador, Mexico, Pakistan, and Tanzania, in addition to the Philippines, it added in its news release.

Stranded whales: Numbers on the rise around UK shores

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 23:54:00 +0000

Helen Briggs BBC News 6 Sep 19;

The number of whales and dolphins washing up around the UK coastline has risen, according to new figures.

In 2017 alone, 1,000 animals were stranded - more than in any year since records began.

A total of 4,896 whales, dolphins and porpoises died on beaches between 2011 and 2017 - up 15% on the previous seven years.

Scientists found a number of causes for the deaths, including infectious diseases, fishing and plastic.

It's difficult to say conclusively what's driven the rise, but it's associated with multiple causes, including rises in some dolphin and whale populations, they say.

"Strandings aren't actually in and of themselves bad news," Rob Deaville of ZSL (Zoological Society of London), who led the report, told BBC News.

"There's a misconception that we're trying to stop strandings - we're not, we're trying to learn more about those that are due to human activities and then try and mitigate those where we can."

In some respects the data paints a bleak picture, but there are still positives to be drawn, he added.

More than 20 cetacean (whale, dolphin and porpoise) species were recorded over seven years - roughly a quarter of all cetacean species known in the world.

One, the dwarf sperm whale, had never before been seen in the UK.

Why are scientists investigating this?
Since 1990, scientists have been investigating why whales, dolphins and porpoises wash up around the UK coastline.

This gives an insight into the health of marine wildlife in British waters, the changing patterns of different species, and threats from human impacts, such as chemical pollution, marine noise and accidental fishing.

The underlying causes of whales becoming stranded on beaches are not always clear, including any part played by humans.

What did they find?

Over seven years, post mortems were carried out on about 1,000 specimens, allowing the cause of death to be determined.

Accidental entanglement in fishing gear accounted for about one in four deaths of common dolphins, and one in 10 for the harbour porpoise.

Other deaths caused directly by humans included 25 animals struck by a ship and a single Cuvier's beaked whale which died in 2015 after swallowing marine litter.

Deaville said more monitoring was needed on a global scale to get a better picture of the threats.

He told BBC News: "Ultimately we want to make sure that our children and our children's children can still be out there and see these animals in the wild as we've been lucky to do so when we are alive."

Members of the public can report a stranded marine animal here through the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme .

Best of our wild blogs: 6 Sep 19

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:35:00 +0000

Changi Beach
Offshore Singapore

100 hawksbill turtles released into the sea after rare hatching on Sentosa

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:34:00 +0000

JUSTIN ONG Today Online 4 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE — One hundred newly-hatched hawksbill turtles were released into the sea from Tanjong Beach in Sentosa on Wednesday morning (Sept 4).

According to a Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) spokesperson, the eggs were hatched on Tuesday at approximately 10pm. SDC carried out measurements and checks on the hatchlings before they were released into the sea at about 7am on Wednesday.

The hawksbill turtle nest was discovered at Tanjong Beach on July 14, said SDC.

A protective barrier was erected around the nest within the day of the discovery to “keep the eggs safe from natural predators such as monitor lizards and crabs, as well as other potential disturbances during the incubation period,” said SDC.

SDC also worked with the National Parks Board (NParks) to conduct checks to ensure that the nest was safe.

Hawksbill turtle hatchings are rare; this is only the fifth time since 1996 that eggs of the critically-endangered turtle have hatched on Sentosa. Previous turtle hatchings were recorded in 2010, January 2018 and September 2018 at Tanjong Beach.

SDC said members of public should contact SDC at 1800-SENTOSA (7368672) if they spot a turtle nest on Sentosa.

“Guests are advised to keep their distance and not shine lights on the sighted turtle as this could confuse or scare away the turtle,” SDC said.

More information on what to do during a sighting can be found here.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/100-hawksbill-turtles-released-sea-after-rare-hatching-sentosa

Accident with boar, chain collision cause jam in Mandai Road

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:34:00 +0000

Clement Yong Straits Times 5 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE - An accident with a wild boar and a separate chain collision involving four vehicles caused a major jam along Mandai Road on Thursday morning (Sept 5).

The accidents happened one after the other along the same stretch of Mandai Road towards the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) at 6.50am, causing traffic to slow for more than an hour during the peak period.

Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that the wild boar had been killed by an oncoming vehicle, and the motorist left the scene after the accident.

Shortly after the accident with the boar, a chain collision occurred involving four vehicles. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said a 20-year-old man was taken conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

When Lianhe Wanbao arrived at the scene at 8.30am, the dead boar had been moved to the central divider but traffic was still congested.

Officers later removed the body of the animal in a bag.

FairPrice to charge for plastic bags, McDonald’s to stop providing plastic straws at some outlets

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:32:00 +0000

Clement Yong and Melissa Heng Straits Times 5 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE - Supermarket giant NTUC FairPrice and fast-food chain McDonald’s have jumped on the eco-friendly bandwagon.

Both companies announced on Wednesday (Sept 4) that they will be trialling initiatives to cut down on plastic bags and plastic packaging.

NTUC FairPrice will start charging 10 cents and 20 cents for plastic bags at seven outlets in a month-long trial, starting from Sept 16.

The "No Plastic Bag" trial will encourage shoppers to use their own bags, FairPrice said in a statement on Wednesday.

The seven stores are FairPrice Xtra at Hougang One mall, FairPrice Finest at Zhongshan Park mall, FairPrice at 18 Tai Seng mall, FairPrice Xpress in Lorong Chuan and Cheers outlets at Sengkang Community Hospital and in Create Way and Aljunied Road.

Shoppers who want plastic bags will have to pay 20 cents per transaction at FairPrice, FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra stores, and 10 cents per transaction at Cheers and FairPrice Xpress stores. Those who make the payment can use more than one plastic bag only if they buy enough items. FairPrice will donate the collection to the Singapore Children's Society and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

Over at McDonald's, 10 outlets have stopped carrying plastic straws and have replaced certain single-use plastic items with more sustainable alternatives. This trial started on Sept 1 and will last for the month.

According to a McDonald's spokesman, the 10 outlets have switched the plastic packaging for their McFlurry cups and saucers to food-grade paper packaging, and are using cutlery and stirrers made from food-grade wood material.

The McDonald's outlets involved in the trial are located at V-Hotel, Potong Pasir, Lot One, Jurong Green Community Club, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Bendemeer, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, Toa Payoh Central, Boat Quay and SpringLeaf Tower.

The spokesman said no replacement straws would be offered for now, and that McDonald's would monitor consumer sentiment.

"During this period, we will monitor the sentiments of our valued customers closely and keep track of its feasibility in Singapore before making the decision to implement this change in all our restaurants islandwide," the spokesman said.

The trial is part of the fast-food chain's approach to "drive environmentally sustainable practices in our restaurants, including packaging, energy efficiency, waste management and green restaurant design".

FairPrice will also be conducting a consumer sentiment survey on plastic bag usage alongside its trial.

NTUC FairPrice chief executive officer Seah Kian Peng said: "The insights we gain from this trial and the consumer sentiment study will help in developing a well-informed, measured and sustainable actionable plan to reduce plastic bag use."

FairPrice also announced on Wednesday that it is inviting Singaporeans to submit proposals to reduce plastic and food waste in Singapore. It will be launching a new $1 million FairPrice Sustainability Fund to sponsor accepted projects.

FairPrice said that these environmental initiatives will get it closer to its target of saving 30 million plastic bags each year by 2030.

Shoppers that ST spoke to said they would not mind paying for plastic bags.

Manager Esther Tor, 61, said she uses the plastic bags from her supermarket shopping trips to line her trash bin at home.

"Since I need them for rubbish, I don't mind paying. The charge will also help me to remember to bring my own bag if I don't need any more plastic bags," she said.

Editor Sheri Goh, 43, said it is about time that supermarkets charge for bags.

"We should pay for them if we want them. Many other countries like Australia and Holland have been charging for plastic bags for years already," she said, adding that free plastic bags have always been a privilege but not a right.

These initiatives come on the back of earlier efforts by various supermarket chains to encourage more environmentally-friendly habits among customers, especially with greater awareness of the impact of human actions on our surroundings.

In July this year, eight supermarket outlets – two of each from Cold Storage, FairPrice, Prime Supermarket and Sheng Siong – placed donation bins in their vincinities to collect unused reusable bags from patrons. After ensuring they were in good condition, these outlets redistributed the bags collected for shoppers’ use.

Last December, four supermaket operators – FairPrice, Dairy Farm Group, Prime Group and Sheng Siong – also held a series of roadshows to encourage consumers to use reusable bags in the One Less Plastic campaign.

Besides supermarkets, other businesses have also attempted to tackle excessive plastic waste by charging customers for plastic bags.

Notably, fashion giant H&M announced in July it would start charging customers for each plastic or paper bag used.

These efforts are in line with Singapore's Year Towards Zero Waste this year, which aims to raise awareness of the need to reduce wastage.

FairPrice to charge for plastic bags at selected outlets in month-long trial
Channel NewsAsia 4 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE: From Sep 16, shoppers will be charged for plastic bags at seven NTUC FairPrice-owned outlets in a month-long trial, the retailer said on Wednesday (Sep 4).

The seven stores taking part in the No Plastic Bag trial are:

FairPrice Xtra @ Hougang One
FairPrice Finest @ Zhongshan Park
FairPrice @ Tai Seng
Cheers at 1 Create Way
Cheers at 1 Anchorvale Street
Cheers at 611 Aljunied Road
FairPrice Xpress at 384 Lorong Chuan

Plastic bags remain available for use at S$0.10 per transaction at the selected Cheers and FairPrice Xpress stores, and at S$0.20 per transaction at the other participating FairPrice stores.

The proceeds will go to the Singapore Children's Society and the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, FairPrice said in the media release.

Alongside the trial, a consumer sentiment survey will also be conducted "to better understand consumer behaviour and gather public feedback on efforts to encourage the community to 'bring-your-own-bag' (BYOB)".

Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO of FairPrice, said: "The insights we gain from this trial and the consumer sentiment study will help in developing a well-informed, measured and sustainable actionable plan to reduce plastic bag use."

S$1M SUSTAINABILITY FUND

FairPrice also launched on Wednesday a S$1 million FairPrice Sustainability Fund to sponsor projects on reducing waste in Singapore, such as in product packaging, plastic bag use and food, especially within the consumer-retail sector.

Proposal submissions are open to organisations, including civil societies, tertiary and research institutions, charities and start-ups. More information can be found on FairPrice Foundation's website.

Acknowledging that climate change was a key focus in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech this year, Mr Seah said that concerted efforts from industry players, Government agencies and the community were required to address issues of sustainability and the environment.

"We hope that this fund can contribute to a greater collective impact in protecting our environment, especially for our future generation," he said.

READ: Commentary - We are on the cusp of a plastic recycling revolution
The No Plastic Bag trial, consumer sentiment survey and FairPrice Sustainability Fund are extensions of the FairPrice Plastic Bag Management Programme launched last year, which targets to save 30 million plastic bags a year by 2030, FairPrice said in the release.

Source: CNA/jt(rw)

McDonald’s removing straws and replacing some single-use plastics at 10 outlets
JUSTIN ONG Today Online 4 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE — Fast-food chain McDonald’s is trialling a reduction in single-use plastic at 10 of its restaurants in September.

In a statement on Wednesday (Sept 4), McDonald’s said it would be removing straws and replacing various other items — plastic bags, cutlery, saucers and the McFlurry cup — with more sustainable alternatives.

According to a McDonald’s spokesperson, it will be switching the plastic packaging for their McFlurry cups and saucers to food-grade paper packaging, and replacing plastic cutlery and stirrers with food-grade wood material.

The spokesperson said no replacement straws would be offered for now, and that McDonald's would monitor consumer sentiment.

The participating restaurants are: V-Hotel, Potong Pasir, Choa Chu Kang Lot 1, Jurong Green CC, Raffles City, Bendemeer, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, Toa Payoh Central, Boat Quay and SpringLeaf Tower.

“During this period, we will monitor the sentiments of our valued customers closely and keep track of its feasibility in Singapore before making the decision to implement this change in all our restaurants islandwide,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that the trial is part of “a multi-pronged approach to drive environmentally sustainable practices in our restaurants, including packaging, energy efficiency, waste management and green restaurant design”

MPs question Government’s stand on single-use plastics as Parliament passes new sustainability Bill

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:28:00 +0000

Ang Hwee Min and Aqil Haziq Mahmud Channel NewsAsia 4 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE: The issue of single-use plastics was discussed in Parliament on Wednesday (Sep 4), with some Members of Parliament (MP) reiterating a call for plastic bag charges.

This came as MPs debated the Resource Sustainability Bill, which was passed on Wednesday.

The Bill introduces regulations to reduce food, packaging and electronic waste, as Singapore’s only landfill at Pulau Semakau is expected to run out of space by 2035.

It will be mandatory for large food waste generators to segregate and treat their food waste by 2021.

Producers of regulated electrical and electronic products will be responsible for collecting and recycling e-waste like mobile phones, computers and large appliances through an extended "producer responsibility" framework that will be launched by 2021.

A similar framework for packaging waste will also be introduced. Companies that use packaging, like importers and supermarkets, will be required to submit an annual report on the amount of packaging in their products and their packaging waste reduction plans from 2021.

MPs lauded the Bill as a step in the right direction, but some felt that more could be done to tackle the excessive use of single-use plastics.

CALLS FOR PLASTIC BAG CHARGE

Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah reiterated the call for a plastic bag charge, pointing out that while the regulations mainly target businesses, individual actions would also make a difference.

“The impact may be insignificant, but I strongly believe that such gestures will make people more conscious of what they do, how many plastic bags they need and such consciousness will have knock-on effects on their daily life and consumption patterns,” she said.

“Certainly, we must stop consuming more than what we need.”

Workers’ Party Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh agreed that charging for single-use plastics could change mindsets on reducing waste.

For instance, he pointed to how some cities have made it mandatory for households to buy and only use government-certified garbage bags to dispose of trash, nudging people to think less of convenience and more of its cost, leading to overall reduction in the use of plastic bags.

“It has tremendous educational value that will nudge Singaporeans to change their whole approach to consumption and disposal of waste,” he said, describing single-use plastics as the “epitome of convenience”.

“When we tackle single-use plastics, we are not just tackling the plastic. We are challenging the idea of convenience and undermining its importance.”

Associate Professor Goh added that a “true circular economy” cannot have convenience guiding behaviour.

“This is why I think the Government is mistaken in its reluctance to tackle single-use plastics as such, despite the strong public calls to do it,” he stated. “We don’t have to ban plastic bags to (challenge convenience). We need to nudge smartly.”

Another reason why single-use plastics are popular is because it is cheaper than other packaging alternatives, Nominated MP Walter Theseira said, causing manufacturers and businesses to favour them.

“Members of this House will remember when soft drinks were sold in glass bottles. When you finish your drink, the stall owner would collect back the glass bottle and it would be washed and refilled at the factory," he said.

"This practice has ceased because the costs of reuse became too high, compared to the cost of providing single-use plastic or even glass bottles.

“It is really a problem of prices. The goods that we consume, from consumer appliances to bottled drinks to food, have no price attached to reflect the problems their disposal will create.”

MAJORITY PREFER EDUCATIONAL APPROACH

A recent survey by government feedback unit REACH showed that just 9 per cent of Singaporeans wanted a ban on disposable plastic bags, while another 21 per cent opted for a charge.

The remainder preferred public education to reduce usage, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor said in her round-up speech of the debate.

Dr Khor said that Singapore’s approach to single-use plastics should account for “our unique, urbanised, high-rise living context”.

“Most of the plastic bags that Singaporeans bring home from the shops and supermarkets are not ‘single-use’. We reuse them for other purposes, such as carrying wet items, before eventually using them to bag waste for disposal,” she reiterated.

“This has become a way of life for Singaporeans and ensured that our waste disposal is clean and hygienic.”

Nevertheless, Dr Khor said a citizen’s workgroup will be set up to tackle excessive consumption of single-use plastics in Singapore, even as she applauded a move by NTUC FairPrice to charge for plastic bags at seven outlets in a month-long trial starting Sep 16.

Dr Khor urged people to support the trial and encouraged major supermarket companies like Dairy Farm - which runs Cold Storage supermarkets - Sheng Siong and Prime “to do their part”, as the insights could inform recommendations made by the workgroup.

A "SINGLE STAND" ON PLASTIC BAG CHARGES

But raising a clarification to Dr Khor’s speech, Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng asked the Government for a “single stand” on whether it supports a plastic bag charge.

“We just said that we support NTUC FairPrice for introducing the plastic bag charge, but at the same time we keep giving reasons why it is not going to work,” he said.

Mr Ng raised the example of the United Kingdom, which saw an 80 per cent decline in the use of plastic bags after it introduced a plastic bag charge.

“They also use plastic bags to bag their trash, so it’s similar to Singapore,” he added. “I don’t think we can keep using that argument.”

Dr Khor responded that Singaporeans have differing views on the issue of single-use plastics and whether to charge for plastic bags.

“I have also given you in detail the various reasons why our context is unique. So, it is not an excuse that you don’t want to charge for plastic bags because people are using it. These are views from the ground,” she stressed.

“We are equally concerned, so we want to form this workgroup, bringing people from diverse backgrounds and views together. Let us work together and come to an inclusive solution on the way forward.”

Source: CNA/hw(gs)

Consumers unlikely to bear cost of new sustainability measures: Amy Khor
TESSA OH Today Online 4 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE — A new law that compels companies to adopt more stringent measures to cut waste is unlikely to result in consumers having to pay higher prices, said Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor on Wednesday (Sept 4).

She was responding to concerns raised by Members of Parliament (MPs) Joan Pereira and Anthea Ong during the debate on the Resource Sustainability Bill, which outlines measures aimed at minimising Singapore’s food, packaging and electrical and electronic waste.

The new law sets several targets. For instance, from 2021, producers of electronic waste will have to be responsible for the end-of-life treatment of their products. This means that they will have to collect and ensure that the products are recycled by licensed companies.

Dr Khor said that a European Union study on a scheme to tackle waste electrical and electronic equipment had seen an increase of about 2 per cent in the prices of products which is only a “small fraction” of the costs.

“Producers are unlikely to raise the retail prices of their products significantly, as this will affect their price competitiveness,” she said, adding that there is potential for costs to be brought down when the waste streams are converted into valuable materials.

The Bill, which was passed in Parliament, is part of MEWR’s Zero Waste Masterplan, the details of which were unveiled last on Aug 30.

CALLS FOR FOOD WASTE REDUCTION TARGETS

While MPs expressed support for the Bill, some questioned whether it goes far enough to encourage Singaporeans to reduce their food waste.

Mr Louis Ng said that while the Bill addresses the root of the problem for packaging and e-waste, it appears to only address the “symptoms” of the problem for food waste.

“The focus of the Bill here is processing the food waste rather than preventing or at least reducing it,” said Mr Ng, who is the MP for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

Agreeing, MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Liang Eng Hwa expressed his hope that the Government will work closely with industry and community stakeholders to introduce more “game-changing policy measures” to reduce food waste in Singapore.

Addressing these concerns, Dr Khor said the National Environment Agency has been actively promoting the reduction of food waste generation through campaigns and by engaging local communities.

The agency has also created a series of guidebooks on how to minimise food waste for food retail establishments, supermarkets and manufacturers, she said, adding that the guide has been shared with public agencies.

BCA's green building innovation grant gets S$20 million top-up

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:25:00 +0000

Kelly Wong Channel NewsAsia 4 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE: The built environment sector received a S$20 million boost to go green on Wednesday (Sep 4).

This was announced by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong at the opening of the inaugural International Built Environment Week (IBEW), organised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

Mr Wong said that the top-up of the funds will encourage more collaboration between the built environment industry and the research community. This is to support BCA’s drive toward Super Low Energy (SLE) buildings, which BCA has said will be the “next generation of green buildings".

The additional grant provided by the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF) can be used by companies in the Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC) set up by BCA in 2014 and that had an initial grant of S$52 million, also from NRF.

The aim of this cluster is to experiment with, exhibit and exchange knowledge of energy-efficiency solutions with stakeholders.

Kaer, an air conditioning system supplier in Singapore is part of GBIC, utilised their portion of the grant to realise their green innovations faster.

“Our R&D programme has been in operation for the last five to six years. If it wasn't for the GBIC grants that were available, it would have been slower.

"It has allowed us to accelerate, and to deploy more manpower and resources (to) bring those energy efficiencies to the market sooner," said Kaer’s Customer Success Manager, Mr Dave Mackerness.

Over the past five years, GBIC has supported a total of 32 projects including a six-storey, Super Low Energy building housing an operations centre at the upcoming Tuas Terminal mega port that is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of next year.

Besides going green, the construction industry is also going digital.

Mr Wong highlighted that the construction industry is still “a laggard in productivity and technology adoption".

To support the digitalisation of the industry, Mr Wong revealed the first recipient of a S$4 million grant that was announced last year by the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) and BCA.

Delphi is a joint venture between construction company Woh Hup and local start-up tech firm Hubble. The Hubble online platform will help streamline project planning and coordination among industry players and is expected to roll out in phases from the end of next year.

However, they will not be the only ones to benefit from the digitalisation.

Founder and CEO of Hubble Lin Shijing said that customers will stand to benefit from more efficient construction processes.

“If in construction we can build faster, we can build better, build safer and most importantly for all consumers, build cheaper. I think eventually all the home prices can feel the downstream impact of this," said Mr Lin.

Since the launch of the BCA Green Mark Scheme in 2005, BCA has greened about 40 per cent of buildings in Singapore. They are on track to meeting their target of 80 per cent green buildings by 2030.

Despite the industry’s progress in creating a sustainable landscape, BCA chief executive officer Hugh Lim said there are still areas for improvement but remains optimistic of the future.

"There's a lot of work to be done. But I think based on the experience and knowledge that have been built up as well as the commitment of the industry and the public, we are quite optimistic to see that multiply in the years ahead," said Mr Lim.

The regional event will continue until Friday with a showcase of innovative technologies across the sector.

Source: CNA/ic(hs)

Malaysia: Elephants losing its tusks to live

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:19:00 +0000

Roy Goh New Straits Times 5 Sep 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Elephants in Sabah are evolving to lose their tusks to survive, a phenomenon that is also happening in other parts of the world.

Sightings of such tusk-less bull Bornean pygmy elephants are getting more common and a senior veterinarian believes more research needs to be done on the phenomenon and its implications.

Sabah Wildlife department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said it used to be rare, seeing a tusk-less male, but these days it's becoming common.

"I have been involved in trans-locating elephants for more than 20 years and other senior colleagues dealt with the animal longer, more than 30 years, and now, we see this phenomenon becoming more common.

"Seeing elephants with tusks measuring close to two metres was common before but not these days.

"Heavy poaching pressure seems to have caused the Bornean elephants to lose their tusks," Sen said.

"This is something we would like to analyse further and get more data.

"This phenomenon is not only occurring here in Borneo but also among herds in African and Asian elephant range countries. One good example would be Sri Lanka where more than 90% of their bull elephants are tusk-less," he said.

Sen revealed this after a tour operator, River Junkie, posted a photograph of a tusk-less bull elephant spotted by its guests in Danum Valley on social media recently.

"A sad fact but also quite interesting to see how nature evolves for survival," he said.

He said studies have shown despite the human-influenced tusk-less phenomenon in recent decades, elephants missing their tusks are surviving and appear healthy, but more research needs to be done on its implications.

There are 1,500 elephants estimated in Sabah, spread in several ranges in central and the east coast of the state.

Elephants in Sabah are in constant threat from poachers, those involved in the ivory trade and forest fragmentation caused by agricultural activities.

In Jan 2017, just months after the wildlife authorities revealed a rare find of a bull elephant with reverse tusks, it was found dead.

The bull elephant named "Sabre" was mutilated for its tusks, asserting the threat of poachers in the state.

The launch of the special anti-poaching unit by the Sabah Forestry department recently is among steps taken by the government to counter such threats in the state.

Malaysia: Rare Bornean banteng falling victim to traps

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:18:00 +0000

KRISTY INUS The Star 5 Sep 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The banteng, the wild cattle of Borneo, are not just being poached but increasingly turning up as bycatch in snares set for other animals, say conservation groups.

In a joint statement, the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) said the population of the animal, estimated to number fewer than 500 in the state, was already facing fragmentation due to deforestation, infrastructure development and human activity.

“Besides being targeted for bush meat, the mammal has often become a bycatch in snares meant for smaller animals like wild boar and deer,” said DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens yesterday.

This had resulted in the animals suffering from potentially catastrophic injuries such as loss of limb, he said.

“During our study, several images documented incidences of injuries sustained by the Bornean banteng from these snares,” he said.

Dr Goossen was among researchers from the centre and the Cardiff University who were able to build a series of photographic captures of multiple banteng using individual recognition of animals from their natural marks, such as scars.

Their study was recently published in the journal Global Econology and Conservation.

The photographic recapture history was used to estimate the robust population density of the endangered species in two forests in Sabah – Tabin Wildlife Reserve and Malua Forest Reserve.

According to Dr Goossens, who is also a professor at Cardiff University but is based at the centre located in Kinabatangan, several banteng were shot every year in protected forests.

DGFC, he said, had recently assisted the Sabah Forestry Department in securing a grant from the Sime Darby Foundation to increase the capacity of its anti-poaching Protect Unit in June.

“This should provide a fantastic boost to wildlife conservation and hopefully, deter poachers in the state,” he said.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said the Borneo Banteng Action Plan for Sabah, together with two other plans for the proboscis monkey and Sunda clouded leopard, were officially endorsed by the state Cabinet earlier this year.

“This includes setting up a captive breeding programme to boost the number of banteng, which is of great importance due to their dwindling population,” said Tuuga.

He said the department, with the help of DGFC, would also set up an Endangered Species Conservation Unit to monitor the implementation of all existing state action plans for protected species.

Worrying findings published on the wild cattle of Borneo
Roy Goh New Straits Times 4 Sep 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The number of Bornean bantengs (wild cattle) is worryingly dwindling to low densities in Sabah according to findings published in a journal.

This asserts the need to look into captive breeding programme of the species as well poaching and forest fragmentation caused by human activities.

The new publication in the "Global Ecology and Conservation", an open access journal last month uses individual recognition of animals from their natural marks such as scars.

With such marks, researchers from Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and Cardiff University have been able to build up a series of photographic captures over an extended period of time.

DGFC post-doctoral fellow Dr Penny Gardner said the photographic recapture history was used to estimate robust population density of this endangered wild cattle species in two forests; the Tabin Wildlife Reserve and the Malua Forest Reserve.

“This is the first time that researchers have had sufficient quantities of data on this highly elusive species that have facilitated statistical analyses to estimate robust population density," said Gardner who was one of four contributors to the journal.

"The density of bantengs in Malua and Tabin are both exceptionally low; 0.5 per 100km2 in Malua, and 1 per 100km2 in Tabin.

“Herds are increasingly fragmented by deforestation, infrastructure and human activity, and this prevents their ability to move and maintain behaviours essential to their survival,” Gardner added.

Tabin measures about 122,000 ha and Malua about 39,000 ha.

Another contributor to the journal, DGFC director and Cardiff University professor Dr Benoit Goossens said another widespread threat is poaching.

“Poaching is also widespread in all habitat containing bantengs, and the loss of any individual will quicken the time until they go extinct in the wild. There is now an urgency to control poaching to prevent the loss of this species,” he said.

The wild cattle of Borneo are targeted for bushmeat consumption, and several bantengs are shot every year in protected forests.

"They are often bycatch in snares, which result in potentially catastrophic injuries such as the loss of a limb. During our study, several images documented incidents of injuries sustained by Bornean bantengs resulting from snares,” he claimed.

“To respond to poaching, DGFC recently assisted the Sabah Forestry Department in securing a grant from the Sime Darby Foundation to increase the capacity of SFD’s anti-poaching Protect Unit.

"It should provide a fantastic boost to wildlife conservation and hopefully deter poachers in the State,” Goossens said.

State Wildlife director Augustine Tuuga said a captive breeding programme for the bantengs is crucial, with less than 500 estimated in the wild.

"With the help of DGFC, the department will also set up an Endangered Species Conservation Unit that will monitor the implementation of all action plans on Schedule 1 terrestrial species.

“DGFC was instrumental in providing critical scientific information on this totally protected species (Schedule 1) and the department is committed to implement the action plan together with all stakeholders.

"We need support in our mission to protect and conserve our wildlife in Sabah. This year, the Bornean Banteng Action Plan for Sabah, together with two other plans (for proboscis monkey and Sunda clouded leopard), were officially endorsed by the State Cabinet,” he said.

Malaysia: Illegal wildlife trade rampant here

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:16:00 +0000

STEPHEN THEN, MUGUNTAN VANAR and MEI MEI CHU The Star 4 Sep 19;

PETALING JAYA: From urban centres to deep jungles, the illegal wildlife trade is a multimillion-ringgit business spread across the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

It leaves a trail of cruelty starting from the forest – to the longhouses, markets in cities and towns, to certain “pet shops” and then onwards to the homes of the well-heeled, both within and out of Malaysia.

Some of these rare wildlife are endangered and protected under the law, and the most popular animals include macaques, hornbills, rare parrots, colourful birds, rare reptiles, baby sunbears, deer, tortoises, leopard cats and so on.

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime estimates the global wildlife trafficking industry to be worth between US$7bil (RM28bil) and US$23bil (RM92bil) annually.

Malaysia, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, is known as a notorious “destination airport” and transit location on the wildlife trade route.

A 2016 report by Wildlife Justice Commission revealed that Kuala Lumpur is the easiest port to move illegal wildlife, whether in or out, in part due to traffickers needing to pay significantly less bribes for illegal consignments – also known as “tax” – at airports.

The report also revealed that it costs traffickers 50% less to move contraband through KLIA and Klia2, compared to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Yesterday, the police said it would recommend mandatory whipping for criminals involved in wildlife smuggling, and tighten conditions for the issuance of firearms licence and hunting permits.

This followed a May 16 landmark decision by the Kuala Terengganu Sessions Court to mete out a whopping RM1.56mil fine on two Vietnamese nationals caught poaching, making it the biggest fine ever imposed on wildlife crime.

Conservationists lauded this as a good indication that law enforcement is finally treating wildlife crime seriously, though they added that stiffer penalties alone were not enough to deter such crimes.

Malaysia Nature Society president Prof Dr Ahmad Ismail said it is “about time” for the legal system to implement higher penalties as current penalties are too low.

“Besides higher penalties and fines, more public education and regular monitoring are needed, ” said Ahmad, who added that demand and supply are both fuelling wildlife crime, thus there is a need for more education and public awareness to break the cycle.

“Stricter legislation is a good deterrent, but often times, the ones who are punished are the foot soldiers, and not the local masterminds who remain elusive, ” said a conservationist who declined to be named.

“At the end of the day, it is the local middleman who is running the illicit trade. They do not care what happens to their foot soldiers, ” he said, adding that the poachers are usually from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

He said that while these recommendations are good, whether or not they will be implemented remains to be seen.

“Recommendations for tighter firearm licence conditions and hunting permits have been on the discussion board for years, ” he added.

In Sarawak, there is chatter that certain pet shops are actually a front for wildlife traffickers to sell exotic animals, while some shops also serve as slaughterhouses for customers with a taste for wild game.

There is no shortage of whispers about how certain rich or powerful personalities are keeping these animals as pets, even in homes located in cities and towns.

Other than brick-and-mortar outlets, there are also markets and vans dabbling in the illicit wildlife trade, especially in Miri.

Malaysian Nature Society Miri branch chairman Musa Musbah said poaching of protected animals and rare birds are happening even in urban Miri.

“In the Kuala Baram wetlands (15km north of Miri city), poachers are having a field day hunting and trapping wildlife blatantly.

“Despite MNS campaigns against poaching, there is a serious lack of enforcement, ” he said.

However, Sarawak Forestry Corporation CEO Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said his agency is serious in curbing the trade.

“We have seized hundreds of wildlife from these pet shops and markets, and we will be relentless in stopping them, ” he said.

In Sabah, state Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga agrees with the proposal to impose caning to deter would-be poachers and smugglers.

Tuuga, whose department has been grappling with poachers and traffickers eyeing Sabah’s wildlife, said the lack of manpower and intelligence is hindering the fight against the criminals.

A local conservationist, who declined to be named, said the move is “timely and fully supported”.

“It is tantamount to raping Malaysia’s natural resources, ” he said.

He added that harsher sentences will act as a deterrent for someone who is contemplating wildlife poaching or smuggling.

However, Danau Girang Field Centre director Dr Benoit Goossens, who has been involved in the Sabah’s conservation efforts, felt that caning is unnecessary, if not inhumane, and argued that a jail term must be mandatory.

“You possess (wildlife), you are prosecuted, you go to jail if found guilty. Whipping is a form of torture... I disagree with that.

“Send them to jail. Nobody wants to go to jail, ” said Goossens, who added that Sabah’s uphill battle against poachers and smugglers is due to a lack of manpower on the ground, and it is something the Wildlife Department is trying to solve.

“We also lack intelligence on such criminals.”