Festive packaging will create 3m tonnes of waste in the UK

Ben Russell, The Independent 24 Dec 07;

Three million tonnes of rubbish will be thrown away by families during Christmas, with as much as three-quarters of children's presents amounting to nothing more than plastic and cardboard packaging.

Trading standards officers and MPs called on manufacturers to cut the piles of plastic, card and wire used to wrap millions of toys after a survey found three-quarters of toys came wrapped in at least their own weight in packaging.

In the worst case a toy came with nearly five times its own weight in packaging, the study, by officers from six councils in the North-west, found.

They warned that as much as half of the packaging around toys was non recyclable plastic and ties.

Dawn Robinson, a trading standards officer at Lancashire County Council, said she and her colleagues were "shocked" by their findings.

Officials are writing to manufacturers warning them to cut the amount of packaging used to wrap toys, warning the excess plastic will fill landfill sites and add to global warming.

Trading standards officers bought 25 popular toys and weighed the goods and their packets to determine the scale of packaging used.

The worst offender in the survey was a Bratz camping tent toy, which had 601 grammes of packaging to protect a 120g toy.

A Disney flying Peter Pan, pictured, had 270g of packaging around a toy weighing just 109g while a Dr Who sonic screwdriver weighing just 65g had 137 grammes of wrapping.

Ms Robinson said: "Half of the packaging is cardboard which can be recycled but the rest is all sorts of different types of plastic, more than 30 types."

Toy manufacturers insist packaging is necessary to prevent damage to goods and say the cost of shipping products from China gives firms a strong incentive to keep waste to a minimum.

Yesterday the Local Government Association warned that excess packaging helped swell the estimated three million tonnes of rubbish thrown away by English families each Christmas. The festive season accounts for an extra 750 million glass containers and 500 million drinks cans as well as up to one billion Christmas cards and enough wrapping paper to cover the island of Guernsey.

Paul Bettison, Chairman of the Local Government Association Environment Board, said: "Celebrations around the country will generate millions of tonnes of rubbish this Christmas.

"People are working hard to increase their recycling rates but their efforts are being hamstrung over the Christmas period by excessive packaging on products in shops and supermarkets. Much of this cannot be recycled.

"We all have a responsibility to reduce the amount of waste being thrown into landfill, which is damaging the environment.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 25 Dec 07

Upcoming butterfly guide and weekly butterfly quizzes
more on the nature-singapore list

Another coral garden on Ubin!
on the manta blog and tidechaser blog

Stars of Chek Jawa
but alas, more litter, on the wildfilms blog

A Clean, Green and Cool Christmas
by Geh Min on the Champions of the Environment blog

More Chek Jawa trip stories
on the mountain and sea blog and tidechaser blog

Read more!

Singapore port project: $20m to limit harm to environment

Govt focus on saving the coral along Labrador beach near construction works
Bryan Lee, Straits Times 25 Dec 07;

THE Government is spending more than $20 million to curtail the environmental effects of a new $2 billion port expansion project near Labrador Park.

Well before the first bulldozer started its engine two months ago, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) commissioned studies and sponsored initiatives to save the coral in the affected areas.

Many of the conservation efforts began two years ago and centred on coral along the park's beach, about 1km from where the new berths will be.

Key initiatives included studies to ensure that port developmental works meet environmental objectives, while coral in affected areas was moved to an artificial reef.

The MPA, which is spearheading the port project, said it engaged marine biology professor Chou Loke Ming of the National University of Singapore to conduct a study on coral in the Labrador nature reserve area.

He found that some coral would have been destroyed in making way for new submarine water pipes and electricity cables that have since been built from the mainland to Pulau Bukom.

These were replacements for original lines that had run through the new dock area.

Prof Chou said 42 per cent of the affected coral has been moved to a new artificial reef and it is doing well.

No coral species were lost in the process, he added.

An environmental monitoring and management plan has also been put in place to watch out for potential ill effects from port development work over the next six years.

Contractors are also required to use silt screens and containment bunds to mitigate the impact of sediment spill during construction.

Mr Leong Kwok Peng, who chairs the marine conservation group at the Nature Society, said the volunteer organisation has seen the reports and given its feedback to the authorities.

'Moving some coral is better than nothing at all. Many years back, there was much less attention to environmental effects at the last port expansion project.

'They have come a long way and have done well,' he said.

Still, Mr Leong said it will be key to monitor sediment spill from construction work over the rest of the project as it could block out sunlight needed by coral.

'Maybe they can make the data from the monitoring open to public scrutiny,' he said.

RELATED ARTICLES

Singapore port expansion: impact on Labrador Nature Reserve?
Singapore to spend $2b on port expansion
When completed by 2013, it will increase annual capacity by over 50 per cent.
Bryan Lee, Straits Times 21 Dec 07;

Labrador Nature Reserve: trashed?
Lots of rubbish near the work area relating to the port expansion project
on the wildfilms blog

Labrador: cofferdam coming down but more trash on the shore, on the the reddot blog and wonderful creations blog and wildfilms blog

Read more!

Dolphin therapy a dangerous fad?

CDNN - CYBER DIVER News Network 23 Dec 07;

ATLANTA, Georgia (23 Dec 2007) -- People suffering from chronic mental or physical disabilities should not resort to a dolphin "healing" experience, warn two researchers from Emory University. Lori Marino, senior lecturer in the Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Program, has teamed with Scott Lilienfeld, professor in the Department of Psychology, to launch an educational campaign countering claims made by purveyors of what is known as dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT).

"Dolphin-assisted therapy is not a valid treatment for any disorder," says Marino, a leading dolphin and whale researcher. "We want to get the word out that it's a lose-lose situation for people and for dolphins."

While swimming with dolphins may be a fun, novel experience, no scientific evidence exists for any long-term benefit from DAT, Marino says. She adds that people who spend thousands of dollars for DAT don't just lose out financially they put themselves, and the dolphin, at risk of injury or infection. And they are supporting an industry that outside of the United States takes dolphins from the wild in a brutal process that often leaves several dolphins dead for every surviving captive.

Marino and Lilienfeld reviewed five studies published during the past eight years and found that the claims for efficacy for DAT were invalid. Their conclusions were published recently in Anthrozošs, the journal of the International Society for Anthrozoology, in a paper entitled "Dolphin-Assisted Therapy: More Flawed Data and More Flawed Conclusions."

"We found that all five studies were methodologically flawed and plagued by several threats to both internal and construct validity," wrote Marino and Lilienfeld, who conducted a similar review in 1998. "We conclude that nearly a decade following our initial review, there remains no compelling evidence that DAT is a legitimate therapy, or that it affords any more than fleeting improvements in mood."

An upcoming issue of the newsletter of the American Psychological Association's Division of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities will feature another article by Marino and Lilienfeld, entitled "Dolphin-Assisted Therapy for Autism and Other Developmental Disorders: A Dangerous Fad."

"We want to reach psychologists with this message, because DAT is increasingly being applied to children with developmental disabilities, although there is no good evidence that it works," said Lilienfeld, a clinical psychologist. "It's hard to imagine the rationale for a technique that, at best, makes a child feel good in the short run, but could put the child at risk of harm."

The Emory scientists have timed their campaign to coincide with a recent call by two UK-based non-profits the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and Research Autism to ban the practice of DAT.

While Marino is against taking dolphins from the wild and holding them captive for any purpose, she finds DAT especially egregious, because the people who are being exploited are the most vulnerable including desperate parents who are willing to try anything to help a child with a disability.

Many people are under the impression that dolphins would never harm a human. "In reality, injury is a very real possibility when you place a child in a tank with a 400-pound wild animal that may be traumatized from being captured," Marino says.

Dolphins are bred in captivity in U.S. marine parks, but in other countries they are often taken from the wild. "If people knew how these animals were captured, I don't think they would want to swim with them in a tank or participate in DAT," Marino says, referring to an annual "dolphin drive" in Japan. "During the dolphin drives hundreds of animals are killed, or panicked and die of heart attacks, in water that's red with their blood, while trainers from facilities around the world pick out young animals for their marine parks. They hoist them out of the water, sometimes by their tail flukes, and take them away."

Each live dolphin can bring a fisherman $50,000 or more, she says. "The marine parks make millions off of dolphins, so that's a drop in the bucket. It's an irony that dolphins are among the most beloved, and the most exploited, animals in the world," Marino says.

RELATED ARTICLE

Sentosa IR: Captive dolphins to be used for spa therapy
Dolphins at your doorstep?
Cara van Miriah, Electric New Paper 22 Dec 07;

Read more!

How can conservation charities make a difference?

The logic of green giving
Sylvia Rowley, BBC News 25 Dec 07;

Which charities are most deserving? Those working on environmental issues tend to come low on most people's lists, judging by the paltry amounts they receive; yet, argues Sylvia Rowley, they can make a huge difference to some of the world's most pressing problems.

What can UK charities do about climate change when China is building two new power stations every week?

How can conservation charities make a difference when fish are being hauled from the oceans so rapidly that 70% of species are in danger of collapse by 2048?

And when an area of Amazon rainforest the size of Belgium has been hacked down in one year, is the problem simply too big for charities to tackle?

Climate change and the destruction of the environment are unprecedented global problems.

In the face of the sheer scale of these challenges, charities may look impotent. But they are not.

By influencing governments and businesses - which ultimately have most power to stem environmental damage - charities are bringing about big changes in the way we treat our planet.

Green Philanthropy, a recent report by New Philanthropy Capital, showed some charities using this approach to produce remarkable results.

Finding out facts

On one level, all that is needed from charities is information.

Many governments and corporations are looking for ways to turn themselves a more flattering shade of green in the public eye. But without sound research, they risk opting for "solutions" that do more harm than good.

The Dutch government, for example, thought it was being environmentally friendly by subsidising imports of palm oil to be used as a biofuel. A 2006 report by the global conservation charity Wetlands International (WI) proved otherwise.

The findings of WI's research are startling. The drainage and burning of peatlands in Indonesia to make way for palm oil crops causes vast amounts of CO2 to be released.

As a result of the degradation of these carbon-storing habitats, Indonesia has become the third largest carbon emitter in the world - only the US and China are worse.

In response to these findings, the government of the Netherlands, where WI has its headquarters, stopped subsidising palm oil early in 2007. The main Dutch utility generating energy from palm oil has also stopped using it.

WI continues to work with governments and the private sector around the world to make biofuel production sustainable and to preserve peatlands, as well as carrying out direct conservation work.

Putting on the pressure

In the case of biofuels, providing information was enough; the involved parties were already keen to be green.

But charities can also influence less enthusiastic institutions by applying more pressure. Global Witness (GW), for example, pushes governments to close their borders to the illegal log trade.

It does this by gathering detailed, first-hand evidence of illegal logging, writing meticulous reports naming and shaming those involved, and lobbying policy-makers for long-term solutions.

The charity's work is well respected by organisations such as the EU, UN and the World Bank.

Most recently, the charity's research and lobbying led the EU to pressure China into closing the Chinese/Burmese border to illegal timber trading.

This has protected more than five million hectares of Burmese forests, preventing the release of further carbon dioxide

For every £5 ($10) invested in GW, two trees have been saved from destruction every year for the foreseeable future. Carbon offset companies, in comparison, will get you only one tree for your fiver.

Influencing big business

With dedication and innovation, relatively small charities can influence massive corporations, or even whole markets.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), for example, is trying to tackle plummeting fish numbers by influencing the global fish market. It has devised a certification scheme for sustainably run fisheries, and is creating a market for sustainably caught fish by persuading retailers to stock them.

In 2006, MSC convinced Walmart, the world's largest retailer, to stock only wild-caught fish that it has certified as sustainable.

Other retailers such as Carrefour and Aeon, Japan's largest supermarket, have also agreed to stock a range of certified fish.

There is evidence that, now large retailers are on board, some unsustainable fisheries are cleaning up their acts in order to meet MSC standards.

A solution to overfishing, such as the one MSC is devising, is desperately needed. If things continue as they are, collapsing fish stocks will deprive up to a billion people of their primary source of protein within 50 years.

By working with governments and businesses, environmental charities can punch above their weight. Relatively small organisations can make an impact on environmental problems on a national or even global scale.

But the work of these charities is only just beginning, and funding is woefully inadequate.

Less than 2% of UK charitable grants are directed to environmental causes, and less than 5% of private donations in the UK go to environment charities.

The next 50 years will be critical in deciding the fate of our planet. Now is the time to give environmental charities your support.

Sylvia Rowley is research analyst at New Philanthropy Capital, a charity that advises donors on how to use their money for the greatest effect on peoples' lives

The Green Room is a series of opinion articles on environmental issues running weekly on the BBC News website

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To save ourselves, we must get back to nature

Letter from Eugene Tay Tse Chuan, Straits Times Forum 25 Dec 07;

THERE is something wrong with our culture, which more or less forces us to destroy the planet in order to live. What is wrong with our culture?

One, we see ourselves as separate from nature. In fact, we think we are superior to nature. We take what we want from nature and change nature to suit us. We forgot we are nature and only one species out of millions that inhabit this planet.

Two, we do not follow the rules of nature. Because we think we are separate from nature, we conclude that we are not subject to its rules. The rules of nature evolved over millions of years and suit the biodiversity of life on this planet. The rules work because they have survived the test of time. The rules of nature include:

Resources instead of waste. There is no waste in nature and by-products become resources for others.

Competition but no extermination. Nature kills and eats to survive, and not to destroy others for the sake of power and absolute control.

Diversity and no one best way to live or do things. There is diversity of life, and nature does not force others to live one way of life or allow one species to rule.

Adaptation but no exploitation. Nature adapts and uses what is available. It does not use more than it needs and does not force others to produce more.

Three, we created our own rules. Because we do not follow the rules of nature, we invented our own rules. Our rules include:

More is better. We define success by having more money and stuff.

Win or lose. We want the best for ourselves.

Focus on means and not meaning. We focus on money and stuff (means) and not what we achieve with money and stuff (meaning such as happiness and health).

Short-sightedness. We do things without considering the consequences on nature and future generations, and ignore problems that do not occur in the near future.

To stop our destruction and save ourselves, we must first change what we believe in our culture. When our beliefs change, a new culture will appear and our actions will be for the better. We must believe this: Learn what works in nature and do what is good for nature because we are nature.

Read more!

Singaporeans splurge at Christmas

Singaporeans give in to urge to splurge
Desmond Ng and Megha Gupta, New Paper 25 Dec 07;

LOUIS Vuitton wallets for $540, and coin purses for $250.

No big deal, say Singaporeans who have no qualms forking out for branded goods.

A recent American Express (Amex) report shows that spending in the luxury sector is growing by 30 per cent annually, said a Business Times article last month.

The report said that sales of luxury watches, jewellery, designer fashion items and fine dining spending were 29 per cent higher in the second quarter of 2007, compared to the same period last year.

The report tracks spending by Amex cardholders in the above four key areas, based on data from more than 100 retail and dining establishments.

The Link Group's vice-president of marketing, Mr Alphonsus Chung, said he has seen a sales increase of close to 10 per cent. The group carries labels like Givenchy and Zac Posen.

He credits the spending momentum to several feel-good factors such as the upcoming integrated resorts, double-digit growth rates, low unemployment figures and influx of foreign funds.

Locals make up about 60 per cent of its shoppers. The rest are Indonesians, Indians, Chinese and Russians.

He said: 'These are exciting times indeed. It's like boom town Charlie in Orchard Road once again.

'In the last five years or so, sales have been fairly stagnant and many of the high-end stores remained status quo. But now, they're expanding.'

At Takashimaya Shopping Centre, its second level now features brands like Van Cleef & Arpels and La Perla.

Luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Chanel will also double the size of their flagship stores there too.

Louis Vuitton, which occupies 5,200 sq ft, will double its size to about 10,500 sq ft by mid-2009.

Chanel's sole flagship outlet at 3,600 sq ft will be expanded to more than 7,000 sq ft by early 2011.

Fashion brand Hugo Boss is also consolidating its two stores there into a 7,000 sq ft flagship outlet on the first floor. And Tiffany & Co will renovate its 6,000 sq ft duplex in the middle of next year.

While none of the brands would reveal sales or customer traffic, Toshin Development Company, a Takashimaya subsidiary that manages speciality luxury shops there, said these brands had experienced 'strong double-digit growth' in the past few years.

When The New Paper visited the Louis Vuitton boutique at Takashimaya last Wednesday afternoon, about 15 people were waiting to enter the outlet.

Shops like Gucci, Chanel were also invaded by shoppers doing their last minute festive shopping.

And shoppers were lapping up these high-end goodies.

Student Laura Ng, 20, who splurged $250 on a Louis Vuitton coin purse, said she has no problem spending that much because her parents give her a sufficient allowance.

'It's a gift for someone special, so money doesn't matter,' she said.

Christmas makes its Orchard Road splash
Arthur Lee, Business Times 25 Dec 07;

(SINGAPORE) Nothing symbolised the mood of the season quite like Orchard Road.

The crowds thronged, with each traffic light change opposite Ngee Ann City seeing over a hundred pedestrians waiting to cross the road. Vehicles crawled endlessly into carparks.

Love came on cue, with couples soaking in the light rain, kissing under the 20-metre-tall Christmas tree at Paragon or simply relishing the displays along Orchard Mall.

Discounts were everywhere and bonuses were splurged. One sporting goods chain offered 30 per cent discounts with an additional 10 per cent for members. At Orchard Cineleisure, a gourmet coffee corner went even further, offering sandwiches and pies at 50 per cent off.

One bank's credit card company had four young women, in Santa outfits, giving away candy sticks. Upmarket watch stores did brisk business.

There were also offers for those more careful with their spending. Hypermart giant Carrefour had a promotion offering The Straits Times readers a $10 rebate voucher on purchases above $65 through to Christmas Day. POSB Everyday card holders were offered another 5 per cent off.

The malls joined in the fun, with CapitaLand re-enacting a classic nativity scene at Plaza Singapura with the theme, 'Discover the Perfect Gift under the Stars.' Its giant Christmas Village in front of the Plaza, complete with three lifesize camels featuring the Three Wise Men, attracted many wide-eyed visitors and shutterbugs. Paragon spent about $400,000 creating a Whimsical Christmas with some 18,000 ornaments. Central at Eu Tong Sen Street claims to have spent about $300,000 while Plaza Singapura spent almost $200,000 on this year's decorations.

Read more!

Power generation - some posers for the National Environmental Agency

Letter from Christopher James Thong Yew Kwong, Straits Times Forum 25 Dec 07;

THE proceedings over the last two weeks at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali and the statement by Mr James Hansen, Director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, in San Francisco over the weekend (on shutting down coal plants globally to avert irreversible effects of global climate change) make one wonder what's in store for the environment in Singapore as our economy continues to grow with the ever increasing oil prices.

Speaking to friends involved in the energy sector in Singapore, all sorts of solutions seem to be making their way to the table, but of greater concern to the man on the street are the environmental implications of these solutions.

One of the cheapest sources of power generation, I am told, is coal. In fact, with our close proximity to Indonesia and our strong relationship with China (both countries with huge coal reserves, and more importantly, cheap reserves), should we be looking at coal in the near future to move away from the record high fuel costs that we are seeing today? I know that there are no coal powered electricity plants in Singapore, and the question arises as to why not?

But then again, based on Mr Hansen's statement, we shouldn't be building coal plants in Singapore or, for that matter, anywhere in the world. Mr Hansen said the planet is at a "tipping point" which could lead to rising sea levels, severe droughts and floods, and reduced fresh water supplies if world leaders do not act to reduce emissions such as carbon dioxide. He claims a "point of no return" is avoidable with a moratorium on coal-fired power plants that do not capture carbon emissions.

I am not an engineer, but I do know that rising water levels and an island don't quite mix well.

What assurance do we have to ensure that in the quest to reduce the cost of electricity, appropriate controls are in place to ensure that companies don't start building pollutive coal plants in Singapore which will engulf us in a smog similar to Beijing's? Or worse, still contribute to the worsening greenhouse gas situation globally?

I would like to take this opportunity to raise several questions to the National Environmental Agency:

1. Will the NEA allow coal-powered electricity plants in Singapore? And if so, how do we prevent Singapore from being smog engulfed like many other cities? Worse still, how about Mr Hansen's statement above? Coming back from Bali, does the NEA have a view?

2. Is there clear legislation on what emissions are allowed in power generation in Singapore, and where can these be found? Are these clear enough to prevent companies from shifting to a cheaper fuel in their quest to produce cheaper electricity? We know that there are already power plants here burning high sulphur fuel oil. Do these meet the emission requirements?

3. What part is Singapore playing going forward to help the greenhouse gas situation? Are we going to take a firm position both domestically and globally to prevent the "point of no return"?

Read more!

Singapore's hot new export - governance expertise

Former civil servants put in touch with other governments in need of help
Chuang Peck Ming, Business Times 25 Dec 07;

[wildnews comment: environmental achievements in Singapore's governance and urban development can pay off]

(SINGAPORE) Some are known to the public but others toiled, often unknown, to help build modern Singapore. Now, they have been recalled from retirement to help shape emerging economies.

Among them: Liu Thai Ker, former chief executive of the Housing and Development Board; Chua Cher Yak, ex-director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau; Soh Siew Cheong, who was chief engineer at the Public Utilities Board; Low Choo Tuck, a former director at the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board; and Soh Siew Cheong, formerly a senior official in the Accountant-General's Department.

Given Singapore's success story, these former civil servants who helped to shape it are highly valued by foreign governments, according to Alphonsus Chia, chief executive of Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE). The company has been set up by the government to sell Singapore's public-sector expertise to the world.

Formed less than two years ago, SCE already has some 30 projects in the pipeline, ranging from the development of industrial parks and townships to the reform of healthcare and public service.

These projects are worth billions, with even bigger spin-offs for the private sector. Mr Chia estimates that every dollar that goes to SCE will generate $10 for Singapore companies.

SCE, which offers consultancy and project management services, is tapping experts past and present from 15 ministries and 66 statutory boards. It is still building up its talent pool, which includes many former public sector officials.

SCE is also a platform for former civil servants to capitalise on their experience and expertise to launch a second career in selling their services abroad.

Because it is a creation of the Singapore government, which is respected globally, SCE enables these ex-civil servants to reach where they could not have on their own. Often, their potential clients are foreign governments who deal directly with SCE.

Mr Low, whose expertise is in productivity improvement, says SCE offers him a wider choice of clients. Thanks to SCE, he has secured assignments in the Middle East. Otherwise, his talent would have remained confined to the region.

Mr Liu, who is now a director with RSP Architects Planners and Engineers, says his tie-up with SCE has provided useful contacts to enable him to sell his expertise to governments.

'SCE fills a need for us,' he says. 'SCE is the Singapore government - and Singapore is a brand name.'

Mr Chua, who quips that SCE offers him an opportunity to make some money to pay for his beer, has been put in touch with governments in emerging economies who want to fight corruption. He has helped some of these governments draw up manuals and set up systems to implement anti-corruption measures.

Mr Liew, who has set up his own consultancy firm, has secured a job through SCE to help a government in the Middle East to overhaul its tax system.

According to these former civil servants, foreign governments pushing for development are not keen on big-name consultants. They put a greater value on practical advice.

'They want people with experience, not just consultants,' says Mr Soh, who has helped to turn around money-losing government energy providers.

Added Mr Liu: '(But) a solid track record matters, not grey hair.'

Read more!

Plant pirates take the bloom off promising biofuel source

Harish Mehta, Business Times 25 Dec 07;

THE wonder plant jatropha - which holds the promise of a cheap and clean replacement for fossil fuel - is attracting investments from Western firms that are keen on entering the countries where it is grown, such as India, China, the Philippines, and parts of Africa. So it is unfortunate that this promising new fuel source should become the target of biopiracy so early on.

Indian authorities have barred a British company, D1 Oils plc, from conducting research on jatropha following charges that involve the company in biopiracy.

Two years ago, an Indian agricultural scientist allegedly arranged for the removal of certain jatropha plant varieties from the reputable Indira Gandhi Agriculture University in Chhattisgarh state, and relocated the plants to D1 Oils' nearby farm.

Biodiesel can be extracted from the seeds. The biomass residue can be used to fuel electricity power generation.

What raised eyebrows was that the Indian scientist, Sunil Puri, took up employment with D1 within a few weeks of the plants' removal. The university authorities raised the issue with the chief minister of Chattisgarh state, and then lodged police reports against the scientist and the company.

Following local protests, the state government ordered an inquiry into the matter. The police raided the scientist's house and seized seeds of jatropha germplasm. Another raid at a D1 Oils research farm in Panchdeori village, about 25 km from Raipur, yielded 1,540 plants, all of which had tag numbers of Indira Gandhi Agriculture University. There were no records at the university that these plants had been legally moved out.

The inquiry said that both the Indian scientist and the company had violated India's biodiversity laws because they had appropriated the plants without proper authorisation. These laws are primarily designed as protection against from foreign biopiracy.

In October this year, the Chemical Weekly reported that D1 Oils had said that it would comply with any court ruling if found guilty of violating laws designed to control foreign exploitation of India's natural resources.

The Indian National Biodiversity Authority has filed a lawsuit against the company for allegedly using its jatropha plant varieties to manufacture biodiesel without the authority's approval.

For its part, D1 Oil says that it has not violated Indian laws, and that the entire affair is a misunderstanding. However, Rupantar, a local non-governmental organisation in Chattisgarh, said that the university had 'failed to protect the bio-resources of Chattisgarh of which it is presumed to be the custodian'.

Undaunted by the pending court case, D1 Oils announced in November that its new joint venture with British Petroleum was planning to plant one million hectares over four years in various Indian states. British Petroleum is expected to invest £pounds;31.75 million (S$91.56 million). D1 Oils has already planted jatropha in 46,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and in the north-eastern states.

Foreign interest in jatropha is growing because its seeds contain 40 per cent oil that can be easily turned into diesel, and the residue can be used to fuel electricity plants. Studies have shown that jatropha plants yield oil in the second year and continue to do so three times a year during its lifespan of about 50 years.

Many countries are turning to cultivating jatropha because it has the potential to yield more than 2,000 barrels of oil per square mile a year, against corn which yields under 200 barrels. Rice yields 1,000 barrels per square mile but has been ruled out as a source of biofuel because it is an essential food. Moreover, jatropha is a perennial crop which can grow even in desert conditions, and does not require irrigation. It is very easy to cultivate even on substandard land.

Indian Railways has started to use jatropha oil blended with diesel to power its diesel engines, and the future seems promising. China already has two million hectares of jatropha under cultivation, and aims to plant 11 million hectares more in the southern states by 2010. Myanmar plans to plant several million hectares, and the Philippines and several African countries have begun large-scale cultivation.

Western oil companies are involved in many of these ventures - but they must be made to uphold the intellectual property rights of local scientists and institutions. After all, they demand no less with their products and patents.

Toronto-based Harish Mehta contributed this article to BT. He writes on environmental and intellectual property rights issues.

Read more!

Singapore Christmas Island story misses threats to crabs

Red Alert
Come December, bright red crabs are found crawling virtually everywhere on Christmas Island as they make their annual migration to the coast
Mavis Toh, Straits Times 25 Dec 07;

[wildnews comment: sadly, no mention of the threats to these crabs, highlighted in next article 'Crazy ants' threaten Christmas Island crabs, Nick Squires, Telegraph 23 Dec 07]

THERE it stood - the bright red crab - lying nonchalantly in the middle of the road as cars zipped by it.

I was driving out of the Christmas Island Airport and when I saw the cars in front of me swerving to avoid the crab, I followed suit.

For the next 15 minutes, I turned into an F1 driver, zig-zagging across the two-lane road.

As I drove along, I realised it was not just one crab but hundreds, perhaps thousands, of them on the road.

I cringed as I heard my first casualty crackle under the Toyota Rav 4's wheels but soon learnt that it was a sound I had to get used to.

Visitors to Christmas Island during the December period will be treated to the company of the millions of red crabs as they make their annual migration to the coast.

They are on the roads, the beaches, in the forests and even scratching on your front door.

The peculiar sight of the red crustaceans and the stunning view of the Indian Ocean aside, Christmas Island resembles Singapore in the 1970s with its low-rise flats, the roti prata breakfast and the Mandarin-speaking female boss at the grocery store.

Unknown to many, Christmas Island was part of Singapore in the 1910s but was acquired by the Australian government in 1957 for £2.9 million.

Although an Australian territory, the island is far more reminiscent of South-east Asia than anywhere in Australia.

It is a tiny dot on the Indian Ocean, some 60 per cent of the 1,400 islanders are Chinese, 20 per cent Malays and the remaining are Europeans.

Most of the early settlers came from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

The island's small population makes no one a stranger. Locals wave as they drive by each other and stop every few steps to greet friends as they make their way through a restaurant.

The closeness of the community makes the island so safe that locals leave their houses and cars unlocked - with the keys in the ignition for the latter.

Captain Don O'Donnell, my local guide who has been on the island for eight years, explained: 'No one would steal a car here because if you need one, just ask and people would gladly lend you theirs.'

On the first tour, the captain, a 72-year-old grandfather, took us to rugged terrain.

Parking his car (unlocked and with my iPod and passport inside) among some vegetation - 63 per cent of the island's 135 sq km is a national park - he led us into the forest.

Though a 20-minute uphill hike avoiding the sharp edges of the rocks and the omnipresent red crabs was not an easy feat, the captain did not so much as pant.

The city girl in me was starting to worry about losing the signal on my cellphone when I saw the light at the end of the ordeal - a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean glistening under the hot sun and an overview of the island's nine-hole golf course.

The panting pack was still taking in the picture when the captain pulled out two golf clubs and several golf balls hidden behind some rocks, like a magician.

'People on the island like to find their own space and this is a favourite spot for many golfers,' he said, passing us the clubs to take a shot. 'The aim is to get the ball onto the green from here.'

Teeing off from a cliff, overlooking the blue sea could jolly well be one of my best Kodak moments here.

Seven beaches, 13 eateries

On another occasion, while exploring the island on my own, I spotted a man, washed wet by the sea, 'finding his own space' on a steep cliff, fishing.

Solitude is something you need to be prepared for when visiting the island. While its lush forests, swarms of birds and clear water beaches must be heaven for the nature lover, there really isn't much to do once night falls.

Of the 13 eateries available, fewer than half are open for dinner. The few gift shops are closed by five and nightclubs are unheard of.

The chatty islanders, though, make the nights bearable. One told me how the resort I was staying in used to be an old hospital. Another entertained me with his own colourful history and a third showed me the best spots to pick ripe mangoes.

The highlight for many locals would be the open air cinema which screens 'almost new' movies every Saturday evening. For A$5 (S$6.32), I watched Spider-Man 3 under the stars with a can of Coke and a pack of microwaved popcorn.

Despite the slow nights, there is more than enough to do in the day, depending on your energy level.

Most would start the day at 8am with a dive. Christmas Island, surrounded by a narrow tropical reef which plunges into a bottomless abyss, boasts one of the world's top diving spots where divers can expect to see untouched coral reefs, dolphins and whalesharks.

The afternoon can be spent visiting one of the seven beaches on the island. Getting to the best spots, though, requires some tracking especially when most of the roads are closed for the crab migration.

A bumpy 40 minutes four-wheel drive later - there were so many crustaceans on the road the driver in front of me had to take out his broom to sweep them to the side - I still had to trudge through a half-hour forest trail before reaching Dolly Beach.

You will be treated to a panoramic view of the fantastic rock formations on the Robinson Crusoe-style beach before taking a vertical descent to the sandy shore. There, the water is clear and a rock formation creates a little lagoon safe for swimming.

Very often, the beauty of Christmas Island is in its untouched innocence.

There are no beach chairs and shops lining the shore but instead you get your own little piece of quiet paradise. Once, I pretended I was taking a dip in my private beach.

At that moment, I understood what Lisa, a local on the island, meant when she said that 'I'd rather have a bad day on the island than a good day elsewhere'.

Despite the seemingly rural lifestyle on the island, things here do not come cheap.

A plate of fried rice costs A$7, a sandwich A$13 and a can of Pringles A$4. However, I was also told that jobs on the island pay well. A waitress could make A$30 an hour and a truck driver A$70,000 annually.

When I told the restaurant boss my salary back home, he offered me a waitressing position at his joint.

At the end of my seven days on the island, it was hard to trade in the blue sea at my resort door for a view of the CTE from my bedroom window.

Besides, driving zig-zag to avoid the crabs got to be quite fun.

Now, I wonder if that waitressing position is still open.

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'Crazy ants' threaten Christmas Island crabs

Nick Squires, Telegraph 23 Dec 07;

The festive season holds little cheer for the most famous inhabitants of Christmas Island, a subtropical speck in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The tiny outcrop, a former British colony, is home to millions of bright red crabs but they are being threatened with extinction by an aggressive species of acid-squirting ant.

Yellow crazy ants have now halved the island's population of red crabs from 120 million to around 60 million since research began 15 years ago.

Scientists have discovered that the ants have spread out from isolated colonies and cover the entire island, which is administered by Australia but lies closer to Java.

Crazy ants kill the crabs by spraying them with formic acid. "It makes the crabs blind, they start frothing at the mouth, and they die in as little as two hours," said Laurie Corbett, an environmental consultant. "The ants then eat their insides out. They now cover the whole island."

The ants were accidentally introduced to Christmas Island in the 1930s, possibly in shipments of timber. But it was only in the 1990s that they became a serious problem, after the evolution of multi-queened super colonies.

Mr Corbett found that the 12,000 hectare island is now infested with almost 80 super colonies, in which the ants are found at densities of 1,000 per square metre.

He said aerial spraying of the island in 2002 with 12 tons of poison had done little to halt the ants' advance.

The red crabs' annual migration from the island's forested interior to its rugged coastline in order to spawn has been described by Sir David Attenborough as one of the planet's greatest wildlife spectacles.

Christmas Island hopes to turn the migration into a major tourist attraction, as its main source of income - phosphate mining - comes to an end.

Earlier this year the Australian government rejected an application for the extension of the island's phosphate mine on the grounds that it would destroy forest and threaten endangered species, including the red crab.

But unless drastic measures are taken to exterminate the ant super-colonies, the crabs could be doomed.

"Crazy ants are very difficult to control, so there's a pretty good chance that the crabs could become extinct or at least be reduced to very low numbers," said Mr Corbett.

"That would be catastrophic for the island because crabs are a keystone species. They chew up the rainforest floor and deposit nutrients back into the soil. The ecology of the rainforest depends entirely on the crabs."

Mr Corbett accused the island's environmental managers of waiting too long before tackling the ant plague.

"They missed a good opportunity in the last 20 years to experiment with solutions, before the ants spread across the whole island."

But the manager of the Christmas Island national park, Mick Jeffery, said rangers were tackling the problem with the help of a £1.7m government grant.

"We are working on a new bait that is aimed at stopping the ants reproducing, and we are exploring promising bio-control options to disrupt a key food source."

He said "good progress" was being made in controlling the invasive insects. "Our targeted ant-baiting has helped keep red crab numbers relatively stable for the last five years."

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Mistletoe "Keystone" to Forest Health, Scientists Say

Aalok Mehta, National Geographic News 25 Dec 07;

Mistletoe, it turns out, is important for far more than sneaking in smooches during the holidays.

The parasitic plants are a vital member of many types of forests—and may even be the key to renewing ailing woodlands, according to ongoing research.

"Even though mistletoe represents a minor component of the habitats it inhabits, in terms of species richness, abundance, and biomass, it has a disproportionately strong and pervasive influence on diversity patterns," said David Watson, an associate professor of ecology at the Institute for Land, Water, and Society at Charles Sturt University in Albury, Australia.

In 2001 Watson wrote a paper outlining mistletoe's role as a "keystone resource" that helps increase the diversity and abundance of wildlife in forest environments.

The plant serves as a nesting ground and food source for many animals, often increasing the number of species in its vicinity, Watson said.

Since then additional research has shed light on just how important mistletoe is to the overall health of woodland plants and animals.

Holiday Aphrodisiac

Mistletoe can refer to approximately 1,500 or so parasitic plants that live high above the ground in trees or shrubs around the world.

Unlike other plant parasites, especially those that live underground, mistletoe makes its own energy through photosynthesis and relies on its hosts mostly for water and minerals. Though it sometimes kills its hosts, usually it does little more than stunt their growth.

The plant is best known as a hanging Christmas decoration under which men and women are obliged to kiss—a ritual that may owe its origins to mistletoe's long association with aphrodisiacs.

But mistletoe is also a key player in myths such as the death of the Norse god Baldur, and has symbolic importance in many other cultures.

Ancient Britain's Druids may have used the plant in their winter solstice ceremonies, for instance, since mistletoe remains growing and green around that time when most other plants appear lifeless, lending the plant a mystical aura.

The Flipside of Littering

This year-round growth is a key to mistletoe's importance, Watson pointed out.

The plant produces flowers, berries, and leaves continuously—even during the winter, when trees and shrubs have gone bare in order to conserve energy and resources—providing a food source for foraging animals.

But fallen mistletoe leaves also serve as a key element of overall forest health, according to soon-to-be-published research.

"Weve discovered that leaf litter may be one of the key mechanisms through which mistletoe influences overall forest dynamics and diversity patterns," Watson said.

"[Leaf litter] is the main source of carbon and a whole lot of other 'raw materials' that are used by microbial communities to form soil, the engine that drives aboveground productivity and growth."

"Fallback" Food

Other recent research is bolstering Watson's finds.

For example, Mitchell Irwin, a postdoctoral biology fellow at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, studies sifakas, a type of lemur found only on Madagascar.

"I didn't particularly go there to study mistletoe, but it turned out that it was the most important story for lemur survival," he said.

During the island's wet season, the lemurs can find plenty of fruit, their preferred meal, he pointed out.

"Yet in the dry season, the trees are almost unanimously holding out and not producing any good foods," he said. "So the sifakas turn to the mistletoes ... eating a ton of their flowers, fruits, and young leaves. In ecological terms we call this a 'fallback food.'"

No one knows why mistletoe reproduces all year long, but it probably has to do with its parasitic nature, he added. Mistletoe may not experience the stress of dealing with dry soil since it leeches its water supply directly from its host.

"I think it is debatable whether [the lemurs] could survive the dry season at Tsinjoarivo [a Madagascar rain forest site] if there weren't mistletoes—they are fairly large lemurs and thus have fairly high energy requirements," Irwin said.

"As it is, sifakas already lose body mass in the dry season, so without mistletoes the stress may be too much to survive."

Stay-At-Home Sons

Janis Dickinson, a professor of natural resources at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, has meanwhile found that mistletoe is crucial for western bluebirds.

The plant provides a winter food source that can keep young males home with their parents, allowing the birds to build thriving cooperative family units, she said.

"The mistletoe is probably what gets [the bluebirds] through the cold spells when insects are not active," she added. "It provides a constant berry crop all winter long and is clumped in its distribution."

All the new findings suggest to Watson, the Australian researcher, that mistletoe could help cure certain kinds of ailing forests.

Tropical forests are probably poor candidates, since mistletoe's importance is reduced by the presence of plants with similar keystone roles, such as figs.

But for other kinds of struggling forests, managing and reintroducing mistletoe is "most definitely" a potential solution, he said.

"I have advocated this for restoring certain habitats."

McGill's Irwin agreed.

"I have read things saying that foresters in the past used to want to kill mistletoes in order to promote the health of the trees," he said, "but of course recent research shows that to be a bit stupid."

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Scotland: Beavers could be released for the first time in 500 years

BBC News 24 Dec 07;

Plans are in the pipeline for beavers to be released into the Scottish wild for the first time in 500 years.

Wildlife bodies have asked the Scottish Government for a licence to allow about 20 beavers to be set free in Argyll in 2009.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland believe the animals will improve the eco-system and boost tourism.

Beavers were hunted to extinction in Scotland in the 16th Century.

The mammals, best known for their dam building and tree felling skills, have been successfully reintroduced elsewhere in Europe, including parts of Germany and the Netherlands.

The licence application submitted to the Scottish Government is for a trial reintroduction of European beavers in the Knapdale Forest in Mid-Argyll.

Important role

The bid follows the publication of the results of a two-month long local consultation.

The survey showed almost three quarters of people in Mid-Argyll backed the beaver plan, but more than half of those living directly around Knapdale were opposed to the scheme.

Beavers are thought to play an important role in aquatic and wetland eco-systems, and on the wider biodiversity of the area in which they live.

Allan Bantick, chairman of the Beaver Project Steering Group and trustee of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: "We are delighted that this licence application has now been submitted and we look forward to conducting a full scientific trial of the first formal reintroduction of a native mammal into the wild in the UK.

"The first beavers could be reintroduced to Mid-Argyll in spring 2009.

"Once we get the green light from the Scottish Government we will develop the detailed plan for the trial taking into consideration issues raised during the consultation."



David Windmill, Chief Executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: "We are very keen to see this trial go ahead.

"We will work with all the various stakeholders involved in the project to make it a success and to benefit from the contribution the beaver can make to improving our natural ecosystems and habitats as well as encouraging tourism.

"We are very pleased to have so much support for this project and anticipate a great deal of public interest in the long awaited return of the beaver to Scotland."

Approval for the trial reintroduction would see 15 to 20 beavers from Norway introduced to the trial site following a period of quarantine.

The ultimate aim of the trial would be to monitor the success and impact of the beaver reintroduction before the animal is released elsewhere in Scotland.

In January 2007, the Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage launched a wildlife strategy that included restoring the European beaver to Scotland.

The Scottish Beaver Trial partnership hopes that the government will make its decision on the licence application in spring 2008.

A previous licence application for a trial reintroduction of beaver in Knapdale, submitted by Scottish Natural Heritage was rejected in 2005.

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U.S. seagrasses sprout where they hadn't: causing legal issues

As seagrasses expand, state considers new rules to protect them

The Associated Press Fay Observer 24 Dec 07;

An unexpected expansion of underwater seagrass along North Carolina's coast has come as state agencies work on a revised definition of the habitat, a discussion that could protect more areas from human disturbance.

Officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries have said the state must modify the definition of seagrass to more accurately describe the habitat _ and possibly help identify and protect areas that could support the seagrass.

But much of the shallow areas ideal for seagrass growth lies in territory ideal for piers or docks. So the discussion among state officials has some regulators and developers worried about what a new definition could mean for coastal development.

"Unfortunately, it's an awkward situation," said Jim Leutze, the former University of North Carolina at Wilmington chancellor who serves on both the Coastal Resources and Marine Fisheries commissions. "But both sides are trying to do the best they can within their responsibilities."

The debate comes as clusters of the so-called submerged aquatic vegetation have sprouted in places where it hadn't been for years. Researchers are trying to figure out whether the grasses are recolonizing old habitat or expanding their range _ and why they're doing so.

New beds are popping up around Topsail Island and appear ready to grow in New Hanover's highly developed tidal creeks and other coastal waters.

The seagrass, found in North Carolina's coastal waters from the Cape Fear River north into Virginia, is critical habitat for a range of sea life from fish to flora. Submerged aquatic vegetation usually grows in water less than 6 feet deep. Water clarity, strength of the current and sedimentation are also critical in determining where the grasses may grow.

Smaller fish seek protection in the beds, other small animals attach themselves to the blades of grass or eat the plants themselves, and big fish and other animals come into the vegetation looking for food.

"You end up with a big food web that's very productive and supports a high-diversity of animal life," Deaton said.

State regulators have for decades treated the areas like a rare commodity, limiting dredging and dock building around them.

Fisheries officials have said a new, broad-based definition is important because some of the vegetation is seasonal. Others can appear one year and not the next. And regulators want to make sure that dredging or development won't cut into the areas where seagrass could grow.

But that could make it difficult for regulators to determine the locations of seagrass beds that aren't always present. And other regulators have worried about an avalanche of permit appeals from developers.

Leutze said officials have to be practical about what a new definition would mean for waterfront property owners and development.

Officials have formed a small committee to find a compromise for differing interests. They hope to have a unified definition by early next year.

Mike Durako, a marine biologist at UNC Wilmington, said while dredging through sea grass effectively destroys the seagrass habitat, people can still build smaller docks to limit how much water they shadow.

"Having seagrass doesn't necessarily prevent people from developing their shoreline," Durako said. "But accommodations have to be made."

Information from: The Star-News

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Mass deaths of rare crocodiles in India: ‘Ghariyals consumed heavy metals’

‘Ghariyals consumed heavy metals’
Manish Sahu, Express India 24 Dec 07;

Lucknow, December 24 A Preliminary report submitted by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilli, on ghariyals, which were found dead in Etawah district around two weeks ago, states that the deaths were caused due to the presence of excess heavy metals in their livers. The heavy metals recovered were zinc cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead.

Officials at the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) suspect that ghariyals came in contact with excess heavy metals when they consumed a fish called Kahawai, mostly found in Yamuna. The fishes entered Chambal from Yamuna as both the river meet in the Pachnada locality of the Etawah district, they added.

IVRI doctors maintained that winters usually reduce the immunity power of ghariyals. As there was a sudden drop in temperatures in December, their immunity power declined, resulting in their deaths, the doctors added.

Sources in the IVRI and NCS said that the dead ghariyals were above 10 years of age, and have therefore consumed heavy metals for a long time.

However, District Forest Officer, NCS, G Sudhakar Rao said: “We can’t confirm the reason behind the death of the ghariyals at this point of time. We are still waiting for reports from other centres.”

NCS officials had sent the fins of the dead fish found in one of the dead ghariyals for further tests. It has also sent samples of water and sand from both Yamuna and Chambal to IVRI for tests.

According to NCS officials, Yamuna contains heavy metals because of the presence of several factories on its banks in Agra and Ferozabad.

During the last two weeks, the NCS and the Madhya Pradesh government have recovered 52 dead ghariyals in the Chambal river area. According to official records, 30 of these ghariyals were recovered in Uttar Pradesh while 22 were found in Madhya Pradesh.

The death came under scrutiny after NGO Society for Conservation of Nature spotted two dead ghariyals near Chambal and informed the forest officials.

The Forest department then took up the matter with the NCS.

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