Overwhelming response for Singapore's inaugural 'Family Day Out'

Channel NewsAsia 22 May 08;

SINGAPORE: The inaugural 'Family Day Out', which will be held this Saturday, has attracted an overwhelming response from the public. Over 40,000 people have expressed interest in taking part in the day's events.

On Thursday, families were given a glimpse of the programmes they can expect on that day, which include promotions and activities at family-friendly attractions such as Sentosa, Downtown East, Jurong Bird Park, the Night Safari and the Singapore Zoo.

They can also expect some 300 family-oriented activities, programmes and promotions during the National Family Celebrations month from May 24 to June 28.

This year, 113 businesses and companies have decided to support the month-long event by offering special family packages, as well as leisure, travel and dining discounts.

The National Family Council had announced earlier that it would designate the fourth Saturday of May each year as 'Family Day Out'.

Lim Soon Hock, co-chair, National Family Celebrations 08, said: "This year, we are trying to raise the awareness on the importance of families, make Singapore a great place for families and children, and promote the notion that every one of us in Singapore must make the family a top priority."- CNA/so

Singapore's first-ever "Family Day Out"
Channel NewsAsia 24 May 08;

SINGAPORE: Saturday was Singapore's first-ever "Family Day Out".

Henceforth, every fourth Saturday of May will be designated as Singapore's "Family Day Out".

Saturday also marked the start of the month-long National Family Celebrations.

The event was launched by President S R Nathan and Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Vivian Balakrishnan.

They later joined thousands of families at The Singapore Flyer.

Also present were more than 70 underprivileged families and the physically disabled from various voluntary welfare organisations.

As part of National Family Celebrations, organisers have lined up many programmes to encourage Singaporeans to spend time with their family.

These include free rides on The Singapore Flyer and special family packages at attractions such as the Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park.

For more information on the special discounts, log on to this website.- CNA/ir

8,000 families participated in annual cycling, skating event
Channel NewsAsia 25 May 08;

SINGAPORE: It was not your usual sighting of planes and aircraft at the Paya Lebar Air Base on Sunday morning as more than 8,000 families took to the runway on bicycles and skates.

Into its 13th year, this annual National Runway Cycling and Skating event was flagged off at precisely 8.30am.

For many, it was a time for some good old family bonding as this year's national Family Day Out enters its second day.

Besides skaters and bikers whizzing along the runway, there were also go-cart enthusiasts burning up the tracks.

The event, jointly organised by SAFRA and the Republic of Singapore Air Force, is a platform to promote healthy and active lifestyle.- CNA/so

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New initiatives launched to promote green building movement

Channel NewsAsia 22 May 08;

SINGAPORE: The green building movement in Singapore has gained momentum and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) hopes to spur it further by enhancing its Green Mark Incentive Scheme.

At the BCA awards ceremony on Thursday, City Developments was named Singapore's first Green Mark Champion.

This new award is given to developers and building owners who have at least ten projects that have attained the BCA Green Mark Gold and Platinum standards.

However, BCA was unable to find a winner for the ultimate prize – the Green Mark Champion Platinum Award, which requires developers to have at least 50 eco-friendly projects to qualify.

Among the 97 winners at this year's BCA award ceremony, three CityDev projects secured the Green Mark Platinum prize. They are 9 Tampines Grande, Cliveden at Grange and The Solitaire. They were evaluated based on several criteria, with more weightage placed on energy efficiency.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said: "A key aspect of sustainability in the built environment is how efficiently you use resources, especially energy.

"All indications show high energy prices are here to stay for quite some time, so a focus on energy efficiency will reduce costs and enhance the competitiveness of the building."

BCA expects more industry players to tap into its S$20 million fund which has been set aside for the Green Mark Incentive Scheme in 2006. So far, S$2.6 million has been committed to 17 projects.

There are over 100 green buildings in Singapore and BCA said another 200 are waiting to be certified. With effect from Thursday, it has expanded the scheme to smaller buildings, as well as other stakeholders in the industry as the minimum gross floor area (GFA) eligibility is reduced from 5,000 sqm to 2,000 sqm.

Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA, said: "If you do your green building design from day one with that objective of energy efficiency in mind, you'll tend to have a more cost-effective design, so we are extending the incentive scheme to the architects and to the mechanical and electrical engineers to encourage them to take charge from day one."

Huge savings can be reaped from green developments. For instance, the new mall – 313@Somerset – is expected to generate S$1.3 million in energy savings a year.

Another new initiative is the Green Mark for Parks Award as the BCA is working with the National Parks Board to promote sustainable practices and features in parks.

The three winners for the new award this year are Fort Canning Park, Chinese Garden and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

BCA also launched the inaugural Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Award on Thursday to commend industry players who have upheld high construction safety standards.- CNA/so

More homes, buildings in Singapore going green
19,000 homes with energy-saving features built under BCA's Green Mark scheme
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 23 May 08;

EFFORTS to green Singapore's buildings are paying off, with more than 19,000 environmentally friendly homes built across the island and 18,000 more in the pipeline.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said on Wednesday that the number of homes with energy-saving features has been on the rise since the BCA Green Mark scheme was introduced in 2005.

Under the scheme, buildings which meet a benchmark in terms of environmentally friendly features are awarded the 'Green Mark'.

As more developers embrace environmental sustainability, 'we are seeing the number of green buildings rising exponentially', said BCA's chief executive John Keung on Wednesday.

These homes can save their occupants as much as $1,800 a year on power bills, based on a recent survey of green homes by the BCA recently.

Green homes typically boast green features such as energy-efficient air-conditioners and water-efficient fittings which help to cut bills.

As energy costs escalate, it makes 'even more economic sense to consider green homes', said the BCA.

And the number of such homes is set to grow even further.

From last month, all new buildings and major retrofitting will have to meet the basic Green Mark standard.

The scheme, which rates a building's environmental impact and performance, was slow to take off when it was launched. But the initiative has since gathered steam, with about 100 buildings getting the Green Mark stamp last year, and another 200 to be assessed this year.

Of these, about 60 residential projects with 19,000 green homes have been built, with another 60 projects, set to yield 18,000 green homes, in the pipeline.

The BCA has so far dished out $2.6 million in cash incentives to developers of 17 projects to encourage the adoption of green standards.

To recognise developers' efforts, 42 projects which achieved high Green Mark standards received awards from National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan at the BCA's annual awards last night.

There are six platinum winners this year, including City Developments' residential project The Solitaire at Balmoral Park, and Lend Lease Retail's eight-storey mall above Somerset MRT station, 313@Somerset.

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Sabah Chief Minister Musa Wants Practical Policies To Shape Nature Conservation

Bernama 22 May 08;

KOTA KINABALU, May 22 (Bernama) -- Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has urged the scientific community worldwide to help in formulating practical policies to shape nature conservation programmes amid the challenges posed by global climate change.

According to Musa the impact of climate change was very serious not only to human being but also to the marine life as the rise in ocean temperature by just a few degrees could destroy coral reefs through bleaching.

"The creation of networks of marine protected areas, I believe, can help degradated marine habitats recover and thrive. I therefore request the scientific community to do more to provide help in formulating practical policies needed to shape nature conservation," he said.

Musa said this in his speech text read by his deputy Datuk Yahya Hussin who is also the State Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry at the 7th International Scientific Symposium of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (Western Pacific), here today.

The four-day symposium was jointly organised by the National Oceanographic Directorate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and Borneo Marine Research Institute of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) incorporation with Western Pacific Chapter of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/Westpac) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture Organisation (UNESCO).

More than 20 scientific working papers would be presented at the symposium being attended by local and foreign participants from the 20 IOC/Westpac member countries.

Musa acknowledged that dealing with climate change was indeed a complex matter that involved complex issues such as those pertaining to quality of life, equity and environmental practices.

He also urged the international community to stand together in facing natural hazards which knew no national boundaries.

"A tsunami originating in one country can bring havoc in places far remote from the source, and this calls for joint efforts to handle the situation," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Need to sustain marine resources, says Sabah CM
Ruben Sario, The Star 22 May 08;

KOTA KINABALU: The global community must start giving attention to climate change in the planning for sustainable marine resources, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said Thursday.

He said climate change was exerting impact on marine life. Rising ocean temperatures by just a few degrees is even capable of destroying coral reefs through bleaching - a stress response that causes corals to lose their colonies of nutrient-gathering algae.

"The impact can be minimised by identifying critical areas where fish, corals and other tropical marine life resist bleaching and damage as well as factors that contribute to their resilience," Musa said.

He said this in his speech read out Thursday by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin at the opening of the seventh international scientific symposium on Natural Hazards and Changing Environment in the Western Pacific here.

Musa said the creation of networks of marine protected areas could help degraded marine habitats recover and thrive.

"The scientific community should do more to provide help in formulating practical policies needed to shape nature conservation programmes," he added.

In this regard, he said ignoring climate change and the seriousness of problems with the oceans would amount to undermining efforts and resources being mobilised for economic development.

Musa said the international community must also come together irrespective of their nationalities to face natural hazards that know no national boundaries.

"A tsunami originating in one place can wreak havoc in places far removed from the source," he added.

Continuing on this theme, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili told the symposium that governments were in dire need of a comprehensive and efficient information system to develop a cohesive mechanism for a disaster management.

In his speech read out by his deputy Fadillah Yusof, Dr Maximus said the impact of cyclone Nargis on Myanmar recently was testament of the dire need for a transnational information system for natural disasters.

More than 200 scientific papers are to be tabled at various workshops during the four-day symposium that ends Saturday.

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'Safe passage' for wildlife traffickers in Nepal

Navin Singh Khadka, BBC News 21 May 08;

For many years, Nepal has been widely regarded as a conservation success.

But now it is emerging as an international transit point for illegal wildlife goods, particularly those being moved between India and China.

Sandwiched between the two Asian giants, Nepal has devoted nearly 20% of its land to national parks and protected areas that have conserved endangered animal and plant species.

But outside such preserved areas, highways and mountain trails are increasingly becoming transit routes for wildlife traffickers, conservationists and officials say.

"The amount of wildlife goods seized in the recent past really tells us that Nepal is indeed a transit point," says Prasanna Yonjan of Wildlife Conservation Nepal, an organisation that has helped authorities catch many traffickers and poachers.

"We know Nepal is a conduit for the international market, particularly the Orient. Most of the goods seized here are not products from Nepal but from down south, particularly India, Bangladesh and perhaps also from Bhutan."

The superintendent of police, Devendra Subedi, who heads the crime branch in the capital, Kathmandu, says illegal wildlife trafficking has become a part of organised crime.

"There are several layers involved, and the people in it are found to be [involved] in other crimes like drug trafficking as well," he explains.

So much so that even the country's forest minister Matrika Prasad Yadav is well aware of the happenings. A former Maoist rebel leader, he even went on to say that several government agencies are involved in the trafficking network.

"One example is the smuggling of red sandalwood that comes in from India and is smuggled out to China," he said in an interview for the BBC's One Planet programme.

"I have documentary proof that even my own ministry, before I took over, allowed such smuggling by calling the red sandalwood 'common wood'.

"Later when my ministry, and the finance and home ministries, opened checkpoints on highways, my staff were harrassed and threatened by the people of the other two ministries.

"When tonnes and tonnes of red sandalwood can be smuggled in and out, you can imagine what could be happening with things much smaller in size."

But others point out that, as a former Maoist rebel, the minister has a track record of tough talk about other political parties.

Goods seizures

Material that is much smaller in size, such as rhino horns, elephant tusks, and skin and bone from tigers and leopards, has been seized by authorities at different locations around the country, suggesting that they are indeed smuggled in and out.

In southern Nepal, just outside Chitwan National Park which has conserved endangered species like tigers and rhinos, is a government storage facility used for such seizures.

Hundreds of tiger and leopard pelts, their bones and claws, nearly 60 pairs of elephant tusks, more than 100 rhino horns and 50 sacks of shatoosh - the wool of the endangered Tibetan chiru antelope - are stored here.

The chief of the storage depot, Dhan Bahadur Thapa, said that every month at least three such products are seized from different places in the country.

"From the people involved in trafficking, we have come to know that such products are often sent to Bangkok, Hong Kong and China with the help of international smugglers," he said.

In most cases, the illegal wildlife goods were seized by chance, as there is no particular crackdown operation on traffickers.

One such seizure took place in Langtang to the north of Kathmandu in 2005. By pure chance, an army patrolling team came across nearly 240 leopard and tiger pelts being transported to Tibet.

Bhim KC, an official in the country's wildlife department, investigated the case and found that four of the five persons involved were Nepalese and one Tibetan.

"The Tibetan said he was only a porter carrying those illegal goods for another Tibetan who, he said, was an influential businessman in Tibet and Nepal," the government official explained.

Nepalgunj, a town in western Nepal bordering India, has been blacklisted by conservationists as one of the hotbeds of international smugglers.

The more than 1,800km-long border between Nepal and India is open, and Nepalese and Indians do not need passports to cross.

Regular patrol

The district police office in Nepalgunj arrested five people on charges of trafficking tiger and leopard skins and bones in the last five years.

"These people were arrested from areas where we have our regular patrolling," said deputy superintendent of police Ram Govinda Pariyar.

"But, unfortunately, the border between Nepal and India is open and smugglers can come in from anywhere."

Wildlife officials have noticed that traffickers are indeed taking undue advantage of the open border.

"With the help of our informers, we have repeatedly confirmed that Nepalgunj is the trading centre of illegal wildlife, and this place also sees tiger bones from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh of India," said Ramesh Thapa, the assistant warden of Bardiya National Park which is near the border.

Conservationists say poaching has completely wiped out tigers in Siraska National Park in the Indian state of Rajasthan. A recent study showed that the total tiger population in India has declined from about 3,000 a few years ago to about 1,500 today.

A joint report from the UK's Environment Investigation Agency and the Wildlife Protection Society of India found that all tiger and most leopard skins reached Tibet and other Chinese provinces from India via Nepal.

"Most traders in Tibet, and Linxia and Gansu provinces, claimed to have connections in India and Nepal," stated the report of an investigation carried out between 2004 and 2006.

Conservationists and wildlife officials say illegal wildlife goods arriving from India were previously transported to trans-Himalayan regions such as Dolpa and Mugu before being smuggled out to Tibet through mountain trails.

Today, they say the regular route used by smugglers is the highway which ends in Kathmandu. From there, the goods are transported to Tibet.

"This route is much more convenient, because you can drive with the consignments all the way to the Nepal-China border," says Mr Thapa.

To find out how such illegal goods could be smuggled out through the regulated border, I travelled the Arniko highway that links Kathmandu with Tibet.

During the entire journey of nearly 100km, there was just one checkpoint. Police officials there said traffickers often used unregulated mountain trails to smuggle such prohibited goods across the border.

Ropes and pulleys

At the border point, known as Tatopani, customs and police officials refused to make any official comment.

But, requesting anonymity, some customs field staff told the BBC that at night, smugglers fix ropes at both sides of a rivulet that separates the Nepal-Tibet border. Then, with the help of a pulley, they smuggle items in and out.

WWF-Nepal's office in Kathmandu said it too had learnt about the rope and pulley idea.

"We have been trying to [raise] all these things with the Chinese side, but it has not been an easy experience trying to work together," said WWF official Diwakar Chapagain.

Just outside the Tatopani customs office, I saw for myself two impounded trucks with illegal cargoes of red sandalwood.

The vehicles had double-sided number plates. One side had a Chinese diplomatic number while the other carried a Nepalese registration.

The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu did not respond to a request for an interview.

Nepal's forest minister Matrika Prasad Yadav, whose Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has just won a major election, said his party will take action once it reaches office.

"If we come to power, all those who have been arrested as wildlife traders but who are actually only porters and the lowest strata in this trade will be released, and the real traders in the upper echelon will be arrested," he told the BBC before the polls.

There are allegations from conservation groups that the Maoists used illegal wildlife products to fund the insurgency, an allegation the former rebels reject.

The Maoists might like to take action against wildlife traffickers, but political and economic issues are likely to be more pressing factors as they try to lead a new coalition government.

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Senegalese fisherman save dozens of stranded whales

Emmanuel Braun Yahoo News 21 May 08;

Senegalese fishermen dragged dozens of stranded pilot whales back out to sea on Wednesday but at least 20 more died on the beach after mysteriously coming ashore.

More than 100 pilot whales, which have bulbous foreheads and can grow to over 4 meters long, beached themselves overnight at Yoff, a traditional Lebou fishing community on the Cap Vert peninsula, mainland Africa's most westerly point.

Local fishermen struggled through the night to drag the animals back to sea from the sloping sandy beach, using their brightly colored open wooden boats known as "pirogues" and attaching ropes around the animals' sleek, black bodies.

"No one slept last night because all the fishermen were called out to help save the whales," said Iba Dieye, a local fisherman from Yoff.

"About 100 of the big fish washed up on the beach last night at around 9 p.m.. We worked all night to try to drag them back into the ocean. We got about 80 back into the water with ropes, our pirogues and our hands. But the ones still here are dead now," said another fisherman, Elima Bah.

Nevertheless, hours after the mass stranding, local adults and children were still trying to haul some of the remaining live whales back into the waves.

During the day, curious crowds gathered around the carcasses of the dead animals. Some snapped photos with their mobile phones, while children played on the carcasses, dousing them with water to create a slippery slide.

Local fishermen said they would need government help to remove the dead whales from the beach. They said they feared the rotting carcasses could cause disease and infection.

"COLLECTIVE SUICIDE"

"All animal carcasses should be destroyed and shouldn't be eaten. But this is Africa, and if the area is not secured, people are tempted to cut off a piece of flesh, some for their animals, like their dogs, and some to eat themselves," said Kabore Alassi, a professor from Dakar's Veterinary School.

Witnesses said some residents dragged off whale carcasses.

Local experts said a similar mass beaching of whales had occurred at the same spot some 30 years ago. Some residents had fallen ill after eating meat from the dead whales.

They had no precise explanation for the mass stranding.

"It's like a collective suicide. Even when you push them out, they still keep coming back," said Ali Haidar, president of the Oceanium marine conservation organization in Dakar.

"It's something to do with their navigational and orientation systems getting disturbed," he added.

Haidar said that when around 250 whales beached on the shore in neighboring Mauritania two years ago, experts believed the animals had been disturbed by offshore seismic and sonar exploration by international oil companies.

The sonar systems of submarines patrolling or involved in military exercises could have a similar effect on whales.

It was also possible that the pilot whales at Yoff had been driven ashore by chemical pollution in the water, Haidar said.

(Additional reporting by Finbarr O'Reilly, Normand Blouin, Diadie Ba and Pascal Fletcher; writing by Pascal Fletcher; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

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Blue whale nursery threatened by fish farms

Charles Clover, The Telegraph 21 May 08;

One of the largest nursery grounds of the blue whale is threatened by the expansion of the global salmon farming industry, a prize-winning conservationist warned yesterday.

The hitherto unknown feeding and nursery area for hundreds of the world’s largest animals was discovered off Chiloé island, near the Corcovado Gulf, in Northern Patagonia, Chile five years ago.

The find thrilled the scientific world and later featured in the BBC TV series, Planet Earth, but the area has quickly been overshadowed by concern.
The near-pristine waters of Northern Patagonia are under threat from the Chilean salmon farming industry, striving to overtake Norway as the biggest producer on Earth, Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete, a marine biologist, told an award ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society.

Dr Hucke-Gaete, 33, was in London to be presented with a £60,000 gold award by the Whitley Foundation, said that salmon farms, often financed by investors from the northern hemisphere, were expanding southwards down the coast of Chile into the area which is also a refuge for humpback whales.

The Southern Hemisphere population of blue whales is thought to be less than 2,000 after 350,000 blue whales were killed there between 1904 and when they were finally protected in 1967.

Dr Hucke-Gaete explained: "The expansion of the industry brings the threat of collisions with nets, also increased debris – whether nets, ropes or plastic bags – which are floating right where the whales are feeding.

"Salmon nets are beginning to appear in the stretches between the islands, increasing the risk of entanglement. We are also worried about the increased used of chemicals and antibiotics and the increase in nutrients which could change the ecosystem and affect the food of the whales, the krill."

The organisation he founded, the Blue Whale Centre, has been working for six years monitoring the damage to the area and trying to persuade the Government and local communities to agree to a conservation plan that would zone the salmon farms so they are less dangerous to whales and the marine ecosystem.

Dr Hucke-Gaete added: "I hope winning a Whitley Award, one of the most prestigious conservation awards in the world tells Chile that this is a good idea and that we can work together to make this happen, so blue whales can come back from the brink of extinction to a healthy population around the world."

Edward Whitley, chairman of the judges, said: "We are backing this project because of the conservation urgency. It needs to be designated as a marine reserve."

The joint winner of the gold award, Cagan Sekercioglu, 32, is a graduate of Harvard and Stanford universities who turned down a Wall Street career to work in a wetland in Kars provice of north west Turkey, where there are 160 species of bird, including the globally endangered white-headed duck and Egyptian vulture.

The lake, where temperatures in winter drop to minus 20 C, is threatened by agricultural intensification.

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Wild elephants attack plantations in Aceh

Antara 21 May 08;

Tapaktuan, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (ANTARA News) - A herd of 12 wild elephants wreaked havoc on local residents` plantations in Pinto Rimba and Ie Jeurneh villages, Trumon Timur District, recently.

"Tens of hectares of nilam (patchouli), soybean and oil-palm plantations were destroyed. We cannot do anything when the big animals come and destroy our crops," a local community leader, Jamadi Pohan, said here Wednesday.

The herd which included four baby elephants also damaged clean water distribution pipes in Ie Jeurneh village.

"The villagers are now beginning to face clean-water scarcities. We hope the authorities can send a team to tackle the problem which is causing us to suffer great financial losses," he said.

Previously, the protected animals also attacked farmers working in fields near their village at the foot of Mount Leuser.

There were no casualties in the recent incident but local residents are afraid the elephants would also attack their village.

Director of the Institute of Social Development Strategy Studies (Insosdes), T Masrizal, said elephants had begun to attack villages near the forest since January 2008 but no serious efforts were made to overcome the problem.

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Amazon Indians attack Brazil official over proposed dam

Alan Clendenning, Associated Press Yahoo News 20 May 08;

Painted and feathered Indians waving machetes and clubs slashed an official of Brazil's national electric company Tuesday during a protest over a proposed hydroelectric dam.

Mobs of Indians from different tribes surrounded Eletrobras engineer Paulo Fernando Rezende minutes after he gave a presentation to a gathering debating the impact of the Belo Monte dam on traditional communities living near this small, remote city in the Amazon region.

Rezende emerged shirtless, with a deep, bloody gash on his shoulder, but said "I'm OK, I'm OK," as colleagues rushed him to a car.

It was not immediately clear whether Rezende was intentionally slashed or received the cut inadvertently when he was surrounded and pushed to the floor. Police said they were still investigating and no one was in custody.

Tensions were running high at the meeting, where about 1,000 Amazon Indians met with activists to protest the proposed dam on the Xingu River. Environmentalists warn it could destroy the traditional fishing grounds of Indians living nearby and displace as many as 15,000 people.

"He's lucky he's still alive," said Partyk Kayapo, whose uses his tribe's name as his last. "They want to make a dam and now they know they shouldn't."

Following the attack, Kayapo and dozens more members of his tribe danced in celebration with their machetes raised in the air, their faces painted red and wearing little more than shorts and shell necklaces.

The Brazilian government said the proposed US$6.7 billion (euro4.3 billion) hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River, which flows into the Amazon, will supply Brazil with an estimated 11,000 megawatts of power and is essential to meet growing energy demand.

Rezende, who was the top government official at the conference, said the dam's impact would not be as bad as some environmentalists were making it out to be and that it was selected from a number of Xingu dam proposals as being the option that will least affect Indians.

Rezende was booed several times during his presentation, only to be followed by Roquivam Alves da Silva of the Movement of Dam Affected People, who roused the crowd by declaring: "We'll go to war to defend the Xingu if we have to."

Da Silva denied that he incited the attack.

"It's true it happened right after I spoke, but I don't think I caused it," he told The Associated Press. "Tensions were already simmering."

Wilmar Soares, who head's Altamira's association of business owners, said residents were demanding increased security at the weeklong protest, scheduled to end on Friday.

"No one has the right to cut anyone. It was a surprise, but it was preventable," he said.

Rezende was given stitches at a hospital and released. He then made a statement to authorities and left without speaking to reporters.

The attack recalls a similar meeting in 1989 when Indians held a machete to the face of another Eletrobras engineer during protests against a series of proposed hydroelectric dams on the Xingu river. Following that incident, the World Bank canceled loans to Brazil for the dam.

Eletrobras, or Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, said it "will take all necessary steps to ensure that those responsible for this attack are punished." Dam conference organizers said the incident "does not reflect the democratic spirit of dialogue."

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Brazil looks to develop Amazon as deforestation alarm rings

Yahoo News 21 May 08;

Brazil is preparing a controversial plan to develop parts of the Amazon and shed the idea of the area being a "sanctuary", even as warnings mount over the threat of deforestation to the vast and important zone.

Two ministers offered contrasting evaluations of the Amazon on Wednesday in declarations that underlined the struggle between competing interests inside President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government.

Strategic Affairs Minister Roberto Mangabeira Unger told congress that a development plan was being readied that would finish with the "wrong idea" that the Amazon "can be kept as a sanctuary for mankind's enjoyment without productive activity."

At the same time, Environment Minister Carlos Minc was issuing a warning to reporters that the destruction of the Amazon has picked up since the beginning of the year despite government efforts to curb it.

Figures to be released next Monday by the Brazilian Institute for Spatial Research "are going to show a rise," he said, adding that the central state of Mato Grosso accounted for more than 60 percent of the new deforestation.

The wrestling between those who want to see Brazil's economic development include the Amazon, and others that want to conserve the world's biggest forest has reached a new intensity.

Last week, Minc was named to take over the environment ministry after his greatly respected predecessor, Marina Silva, resigned unexpectedly after a long series of defeats against other ministries wanting to turn the Amazon into an economic, not ecological, prize.

Minc has signalled he intends to pursue Silva's policies, and has received backing from Lula for an idea to have the army patrol the Amazon and defend it against illegal loggers, soya farmers and cattle ranchers.

But Unger's detailing of a Sustainable Development Plan, floated by the government two weeks ago, suggested the new environment minister would also have an uphill battle.

The Amazon, Unger told lawmakers in Brasilia, is not only "the biggest collection of plants on the planet" but also "a group of people."

"If the 25 million people who live in the Amazon don't get economic opportunities, they will be pushed toward disorganized activity that will result in deforestation," he argued.

"An environmentalism lacking an economic plan would be counterproductive environmentalism," he said.

The minister stressed that the preservation of the Amazon remained a priority, but alongside development that would allow "modern" and "intensive" farming and cattle-raising in specified areas.

He also asserted that "defense" issues were involved in maintaining order in the Amazon, opening the door to the army's involvement.

The last official figures showed that deforestation of the Amazon picked up in the last half of 2007, reversing conservation progress made by the government since 2005.

A total of 7,000 square kilometers (2,700 square miles) of vegetation had been chopped or burned down between August and December 2007.

Minc, speaking at a Rio de Janeiro news conference, said he would try to find ways to negotiate with soya farmers in the region, who are blamed by ecologists as wreaking the most damage.

He singled out the governor of Mato Grosso, Blairo Maggi, who was seen as having a significant role in Silva's resignation.

"As of now, Blairo won't have me to fight with, but directly with President Lula, who has decided to create a National Forestry Force to watch over the Amazon," Minc said.

Brazil says Amazon deforestation rising
Michael Aster, Associated Press Yahoo News 21 May 08;

Destruction of the Amazon is again on the upswing despite a recent crackdown on illegal logging, Brazil's new environment minister said Wednesday.

Carlos Minc said official calculations of how much rain forest has been cut down would be released Monday by the National Space Research Institute.

"It will be bad news. It will be data showing an increase in deforestation," Minc said in an interview on Globo TV.

Minc took his post last week after veteran rain forest defender Marina Silva surprised the nation by stepping down, citing "stagnation" in the fight to preserve the world's largest remaining tropical wilderness.

Deforestation in the Amazon had declined for three consecutive years until earlier this year when preliminary satellite data detected a spike.

In response to the increase, the government sent environmental agents and elite federal police units to crack down on illegal logging in the jungle region.

The crackdown was met with violent protests as it shut down dozens of illegal sawmills and led to seizure of 15,500 tons of illegally logged wood.

Earlier this month, the country's Justice Ministry said the operation had reduced deforestation by 80 percent between February and March.

But environmentalists said such month-to-month comparisons are unreliable.

Aides at Minc's office said he wasn't immediately available to comment on how his data differed with the Justice Ministry's.

The Brazilian Amazon, covers about 1.6 million square miles (4.1 million square kilometers) or nearly 60 percent of the country. About 20 percent of the forest has already been razed.

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Australian dilemma: too many kangaroos, too few devils

Rod McGuirk, Associated Press Yahoo News 21 May 08;

Too many kangaroos, too few Tasmanian devils. Two of the country's beloved icons are challenging Australians' thinking on wildlife management.

Researchers are trying to battle a cancer epidemic among Tasmanian devils, and on Wednesday they were listed as endangered. At the same time, an abundance of kangaroos has prompted the government to begin administering lethal injections to 400 of the animals.

Protesters have vowed to seek a court injunction to stop the slaughter of the eastern gray kangaroos, which are viewed as sacred symbols by Australia's indigenous people.

Scientists say the kangaroos' rapidly growing population threatens their survival, as well as that of some reptiles and insects that share their grassy habitat.

Police on Wednesday charged eight Aboriginal activists with trespassing on the Canberra site where the kangaroos are being killed. The activists hope to persuade officials to relocate the animals; the Defense Department says that would be too costly.

Canberra's local government leader, Jon Stanhope, said he understands that the killings distress many people. But he said more than 3.5 million kangaroos are commercially shot in the Outback each year. The meat is served in restaurants and is also used in pet food.

Pat O'Brien — president of the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia, whose patrons are the family of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin — said government leaders miss the point.

"Shooting millions of kangaroos doesn't make it right," he said. "The national capital has a chance to lead by example and show that Australia has moved beyond solving all our wildlife management problems with a gun."

While the kangaroo population is growing, another Australian favorite — the Tasmanian devil — is threatened by a contagious cancer that has cut its population by up to 60 percent in a decade.

The disease, which causes disfiguring facial tumors, has spread so quickly that scientists last year estimated there might be no disease-free animals in the southern island state of Tasmania within five years.

The government of Tasmania, the only place where the devils exist in the wild, on Wednesday reclassified the animal from vulnerable to endangered status.

The change qualifies Tasmanian devils for greater government conservation aid and adds pressure on the federal government to revise its threatened species list.

"We are committed to finding an answer and saving the Tasmanian devil for Tasmanians and the world," state Primary Industries Minister David Llewellyn said in a statement.

Early European settlers named the devil for its spine-chilling screeches and reputed bad temper, and it gained fame as the Looney Tunes cartoon character Taz. Its larger cousin, the Tasmanian tiger, which like all marsupials carried its young in a pouch, was hunted to extinction in the 20th century.

Veterinarian Hugh Wirth, former president of the World Society for the Protection of Animals, said Australians have become more concerned about wildlife in the past 20 years.

He accused Defense Department officials of ignoring the growing kangaroo population until the animals were at risk of starvation.

"Impossibly high numbers have been allowed to develop, and then you have a mass slaughter. That's not close management and it's intolerable," Wirth said. "In a decade's time, we'll have another slaughter."

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Greenpeace encourages sustainable growth of palm oil industry

Antara 22 May 08;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Greenpeace has called on crude palm oil producers to think of sustainable growth to prevent environmental damage.

"We are not against industries, but they need to understand the need for the most appropriate management of the environment so that industries could continue operating safely, without harming the environment," Southeast Asia Greenpeace political advisor Arief Wicaksono told a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He added that the expand of land for the cultivation of oil palm should be temporarily stopped to enable the industries to continue operations safely.

"If the producers and suppliers of CPO, and CPO-consuming industries failed to immediately stop damaging the forests unsustainable industrial operations will create carbon emissions in the future," he added.

He added that as the result of oil palm plantation expansion into forests, and peatland, will increase the emission of CO2 (carbon dioxide/greenhouse effect).

"In Indonesia, the annual greenhouse emissions from peatland located near oil palm concessions constitute one percent of the total global emissions," he said.

He also said that if the Kyoto Protocal, second stage, is applied by giving a compensation 30 euro per ton of C02 gas emissions, the producers will lose their income.

As an example he cited Unilever as one of the biggest CPO consumers, if the carbon effects is directed to the company, it would have to pay 714 million euro per year, or 14 percent of its total profits.

"For that purpose, Unilever as a company has pioneered in calling for a halt in environmental damage through a moratorium in the CPO industry," he said.

He also said that the damage on the forests caused by oil palm state expansion is also the result of bad government management of this industry.

Read more!

Eco-friendly claims for ‘hybrid’ cars dismissed as gimmickry

Lewis Smith, The Times 19 May 08;

Cars promoted as eco-friendly were criticised yesterday for pumping out up to 56 per cent more carbon dioxide than the manufacturers claim.

Three models, including the Honda Civic hybrid, performed so badly in tests that their environmental claims were dismissed as a gimmick.

A further five vehicles, including Volkswagen’s Polo BlueMotion, hailed as Britain’s greenest car when it was claimed that it emitted less than 100 grams of CO2 per km (g/km), failed to match the claims made by their makers.

Road tests were carried out by Auto Express magazine, which accused manufacturers of attempting to cash in on concerns about global warming.

David Johns, the magazine’s editor, said that demand for eco-friendly cars was rising rapidly but it could be hard for consumers to determine what was “truly green or just pure gimmick”.

Almost a quarter of new cars now claim a CO2 rating of less than 140g/ km. Those with a figure below 120g/ km accounted for one in 20 sales last year – it is thought that there would have been more, given a better supply.

Cars with CO2 emission figures below 100g/km qualify for a free band A tax disc. Band B cars emitting up to 120g/km pay only £35 annual vehicle excise duty a year, compared with £400 for band G vehicles that emit more than 225g/km.

The Honda Civic hybrid, regarded widely as one of the lowest emitting cars, performed the worst in the tests.

Instead of the 109g/km of CO2 claimed in the makers’ specifications, it was found to put out 171g/km. The testers said its electric motor was “not strong enough to propel the oddball four-door Civic on its own” and they concluded that the vehicle “failed to match the firm’s economy claims”.

The second car labelled a gimmick was the Lexus GS450h, leased by David Cameron, the Conservative leader. It managed fuel consumption of 26.7 miles per gallon (mpg) in the road test compared with the claimed 35.8 mpg – meaning higher carbon emissions. Diesel rivals were said to “produce similar emissions and better economy”.

Skoda’s Fabia Greenline was condemned because its emissions were higher than two other less bulky super-minis that use the same 1.4 litre diesel engine – the Polo BlueMotion and Seat’s Ibiza ECOmotive.

Auto Expressdescribed carbon emissions as “the yardstick by which a car’s ‘greenness’ is measured,” and said that environmental concerns now made a difference in the car market.

Nevertheless, the testers were impressed by the technological innovations introduced to cut CO2 and said five cars tested could be considered “green” despite fuel consumption – and, consequently, emissions – failing to live up to official figures.

The five were Ford’s Focus ECOnetic, the Mini Cooper Clubman D, VW Polo BlueMotion, Seat Ibiza ECOmotive and Toyota Prius.

Official figures for cars are based on laboratory tests conducted by the manufacturers themselves, importers or independent test engineers. They are a selling point in adverts and are listed by the Department for Transport’s Vehicle Certification Agency in its consumer guide to 365 models on sale.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders insisted that the industry had “made progress in delivering lower carbon cars”. A spokesman admitted that cars may emit more CO2 under real world operating conditions but insisted that all cars had the same “industry standard” tests. Emma Stanley, of Honda, denied that the Civic hybrid claims were a “gimmick”.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 22 May 08

Free Chek Jawa boardwalk tour this coming Sunday
school's out! Bring the kids for a special event on the naked hermit crabs blog

Changi Rocks!
on the wonderful creations blog and wildfilms blog

Spotted seahorse of Singapore
more about Hippocampus kuda on the wildfilms blog

Where are the sand stars?
A return to Changi on the wonderful creations blog

Beautiful Cyrene: Mr Stonefish in a fish trap
on the sgbeachbum blog

Bathing Oriental Magpie
on the bird ecology blog

Laced Woodpecker at Kent Ridge Park
on the bird ecology blog

International Museum Day 2008
RMBR celebrates on the rmbr news blog

Social Networking for Green
on the Social Media and Environmental Education blog

Read more!

Singapore: Leisure Island

NOTHING to do on the weekends in Singapore? Not if its city planners can help it.
Jessica Lim, Straits Times 22 May 08;

Yesterday, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) revealed an ambitious blueprint to make Singapore a great place to work, live and have fun in.

Under its Leisure Plan, 900ha of new park space and 260km of park connectors will be added in the next 10 to 15 years.

The plan also includes an uninterrupted 150km round-island cycling and jogging route.

'I think we may be the first and only people in the world to be able to take a walk, relatively easily, around our whole country,' said Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan, unveiling the plan at the Singapore Institute of Architects' 47th annual dinner last night.

He added that Singaporeans need not worry that higher economic and population growth will come at the expense of space and greenery.

The URA plan also earmarks six areas to be developed into leisure hotspots.

Five have been previously announced. Last night, Mr Mah added the sixth - the Kranji and Lim Chu Kang areas which will become a 'countryside' retreat for urban dwellers.

Boating activities such as kayaking will be permitted at the Kranji Reservoir and new parkland and nature trails will allow better access to the Kranji Marshes and the wetlands in Sungei Buloh.

A final plank in the plan is to inject more buzz into the city, especially at night. The URA is relooking everything from night lighting to street fixtures, and hopes to kick-start these after-dark activities with a new Night Festival in July.

The Leisure Plan is part of a bigger blueprint, the 2008 URA Draft Master Plan, which will be revealed tomorrow.

For ideas, URA planners combed the island looking for leisure opportunities for the young and old, said URA chief executive officer Cheong Koon Hean.

'We want to ensure that even as we continue to grow, we can still enjoy a very good quality of life,' she said.

Leisure Plan promises fun times ahead
Devts include 150km round-island path, agri-tainment sites and urban hotspots
Emilyn Yan, Business Times 22 May 08;

(SINGAPORE) From a round-the-island jogging route to night festivals in the city, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has shown it is serious about fun by coming up with Singapore's first Leisure Plan.

According to National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, there is a need to 'further sharpen Singapore's distinctiveness as a vibrant yet liveable city'.

But the task is not simple, says URA chief executive Cheong Koon Hean. 'It is not just about providing space and facilities to play, it is also about enhancing the variety and quality of leisure options we have around-the-clock, where there is something for everyone.'

Built on the 2003 parks and waterbodies and identity plans, the Leisure Plan aims to enhance Singapore's quality of life. It is part of the 2008 Draft Master Plan that will also focus on sustaining economic growth.

The Leisure Plan seeks to provide recreation to suit everyone.

For those seeking active fun, more green spaces will be available.

For starters, a 150-km round-the-island route for joggers and cyclists is in the works. Linking park connectors and other trails from Changi to areas such as Punggol, Lim Chu Kang, Jurong Lake, Marina Bay and back, the route will be finished in 10-15 years. Stretches in some regions such as the Southern Ridges are already complete, and the next five years will see at least half the route laid out.

Bringing parks closer to homes, the park connector network will more than triple in size from 100 km to 360 km in the next 10-15 years. The web will expand further to include six more loops in the next five years, in areas such as Siglap-Kallang.

Parks will grow to 4,200 ha in the next 15 years, from 3,300 ha today. In the more immediate future, new parks in areas such as Lower Seletar Reservoir will appear.

Besides parks, more accessible waterways and new sports facilities will become must-go destinations for residents keen on outdoor play.

Beyond creating spaces, the Leisure Plan aims to carve out destinations with a distinctive character.

Under the second part of the plan, the 1,400-ha Kranji and Lim Chu Kang area will become a countryside getaway. Besides the 115 farms there, new parkland, new trails though Kranji Marshes, three agri-tainment sites and other facilities will be created.

In the city area, special lighting will dot areas such as Orchard Road, Bugis and Marina Bay to help give the island a vibrant nightlife.

And the National Heritage Board will step up the beat over two weekends in July in the Bras Basah and Stamford Road area, with night festivals featuring live music, street theatre and other performances. The Singapore Tourism Board will follow in September with its Singapore River Festival.

Arts activities and lifestyle hotspots such as Tanglin Village and Rochester Park will also provide urban entertainment.

Industry players are positive on more recreation. 'The development of recreational venues is a boon to surrounding residential areas,' said Cushman & Wakefield managing director Donald Han. 'With more attractions and infrastructure being built, we are likely to see higher demand and a sustainable price increase over the longer term.'

Supporting that view, director of marketing and business development at Savills Singapore Ku Swee Yong said: 'A planning approach that packages work and play around daily activities in one area, such as the proposed Jurong Lake District, will mean premium property prices in the area.'

In particular, more recreational venues will help the western region of Singapore shed its industrial image to present a better value proposition for home buyers. As Mr Han noted: 'Residential prices in the east are traditionally higher because of the diversity of attractions in the area - golf courses, the beach, restaurants and interesting food and beverage chill-out concepts.'

Kranji Countryside Association president Ivy Singh-Lim supports the increased focus on agri-tainment. According to her, visitors will benefit from a refuge away from the city and farmers can gain additional income.

But Mrs Singh-Lim is concerned that development could encroach on the area's rustic charm, and hopes agri-tainment will become just be 'part of the scene (of sustainable agriculture)'.

URA will launch the Draft Master Plan 2008 exhibition tomorrow for the public to give feedback.

Leisure Plan drawn up to enhance recreational options in Singapore
Channel NewsAsia 21 May 08;

SINGAPORE: In the near future, one will be able to stroll, jog or cycle around the whole of Singapore just by following an extensive route.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is developing a 150-kilometre round-island path as part of its Leisure Plan.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan revealed details of new recreational options at the Architectural Design Awards 2008 ceremony on Wednesday.

The round-island route will be developed over the next 10 to 15 years, but up to two-thirds of the path – which includes the Punggol Coastal Promenade – could be ready in just five years.

At three and a half times the length of the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE), the route will comprise existing and new park connectors, waterfront promenades and other trails.

It will also cover leisure destinations at the Marina Bay, Changi Point and the upcoming Jurong Lake District.

Mr Mah said: "We may be the first and only people in the world to be able to take a relatively easy walk around our whole country. You can spend a morning with your family at East Coast Park, enjoy the sea breeze at the new coastal promenades at Punggol and Woodlands, or take an evening stroll through our hilltops at the Southern Ridges."

Besides visiting the rustic countryside and farms at Lim Chu Kang, the more adventurous will also be able to trek along new nature trails to the 17-hectare Kranji Marshes.

Furthermore, the National Parks Board will be launching a Wetland Master Plan in the Sungei Buloh area to promote "bio-learning" activities.

Cheong Koon Hean, CEO of URA, said: "We already have the very beautiful Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which we will enhance. We will add 21 hectares of park land around it to protect the ecology of the entire system.

"The agri-tainment sites have been introduced because a lot of people just want to get away and experience farmstays, so we are creating opportunities to do that. Some sites will be tendered out for agri-tainment use."

Singaporeans can also look forward to more quiet retreats, which will be made available with 900 hectares of new green spaces, including the new Gardens by the Bay and the Diary Farm Nature Park.

Authorities also plan to triple the existing park connector network from the current 100 kilometres to 360 kilometres within 15 years.

Waterways like the one in Bukit Chermin will be made more accessible. At the same time, urban planners are considering converting some of the black-and-white bungalows there into boutique hotels or spas.

The URA has also come up with ideas to transform Singapore into a 24/7 city. One way is to create more lifestyle hotspots like the one at Dempsey Hill. In the years ahead, new chill-out places will be found at the Lakeside Village in Jurong and Kallang Riverside.

Some other leisure plans will be happening much sooner this year. Come July, the National Heritage Board is holding a Night Festival at the Bras Basah area, followed by the Singapore Tourism Board's Singapore River Festival in September.

Besides hosting more programmes, URA said improvements like better night-lighting, new street furniture and more attractive activity spaces will be introduced to create a better ambience for people to enjoy the nightlife in Singapore.- CNA/so

Welcome to leisure island
Loh Chee Kong, Today Online 22 May 08;

SOON, when someone claims there is nothing to do in Singapore, you can tell him to go fly a kite. Or cycle around the island, literally.

Alternatively, he can relax amid the rustic charms of Changi on a spa treatment table, soak up the carnival atmosphere at night festivals down by the Singapore River and Bras Basah area, or take in a theatre performance at the nearest community centre.

Apart from a more vibrant arts scene and nightlife, parks, green space connectors, farms and a 150km round-island route form the centrepiece of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) plan to up the Republic's leisure quotient — the first time the urban planners have drawn up a comprehensive scheme to help Singaporeans relax and have fun.

Notably, Changi's distinct colonial flavour would be retained, with all-time haunts such as the old Changi Hospital and former Hendon Camp converted to spa resorts. The vicinity's black-and-white bungalows could also be turned into boutique hotels.

Unveiling the "Leisure Plan" yesterday as part of the URA's draft masterplan for the next 10 to 15 years, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said that with "judicious land use planning", Singapore would be able to set aside land for new leisure options — or "valuable gateways for our city dwellers".

At the same time, the URA will enhance the "night-time buzz" along Orchard Road, the Singapore River, Bras Basah and Bugis areas and Marina Bay through activities, bolder night lighting and new street furniture.

"Singaporeans need not be concerned that higher economic and population growth will come at the expense of a sense of space and greenery. Even as we seek to further green our city, we want to add life and colour to our city centre," said Mr Mah, who was speaking at the Singapore Institute of Architects' 47th annual dinner.

Touted to redefine the Republic as a "City of Garden and Water", the blueprint would see the creation of new trails into the previously inaccessible Kranji marshland, while the Sungei Buloh wetland reserve would undergo a makeover. The Kranji and Lim Chu Kang area would also be spruced up into a "unique countryside destination" boasting of farm stays, spa resorts and kayaking.

Some 900 hectares of land would be carved out as parks, increasing park space by 27 per cent to 4,200 ha. Eventually, the total park space in Singapore would be equivalent to the size of 15 Bishan Parks.

The round-island route, which would take a day of cycling or a whole weekend of walking to complete, would take visitors through the "nature retreats, breathtaking waterfront views, beautiful beaches and attractive parks".

For instance, a family can spend a morning at East Coast Park, enjoy the sea breeze at the Punggol promenade, take an evening stroll through the scenic Southern Ridges and end the day by pitching a tent at a campsite along the way.

Mr Mah enthused: "I think we may be the first and only people in the world to be able to take a walk, relatively easily, around our whole country."

Part of the route is already in place, with Changi Point linked to the Southern Ridges via East Coast Park -- a trail described by avid cyclist Joshua Lee as "beautiful".

Still, the 28-year-old pointed out: "Unless the park connectors have nearby amenities such as fast food restaurants and restrooms, they will not be fully utilised as most people would stay put within hotspots like East Coast Park."

By 2013, at least half of the route would be completed, in tandem with the creation of an extensive web of connectors linking up parks located all over the island.

The draft masterplan would be fully unveiled on Friday with a month-long exhibition at the URA Centre. The public is invited to give its feedback.

Planning for the LONG RUN
Joggers, rejoice - the URA's Leisure Plan means you'll be able to enjoy a 150km run around Singapore
Desmond Ng, The New Paper 23 May 08;

FIND jogging along East Coast Park a bore?

How about a 150km jog around the entire country, passing through estates like Punggol, Sembawang and Jurong on the way?

The route, about 3 1/2 times the length of the Pan-Island Expressway, will be seamless - which means you will not be running across any of the expressways.

And completing it should take you a whole day, assuming you've got the stamina to run such a distance.

The route is part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Leisure Plan, which includes provisions for a range of activities.

The plan was unveiled yesterday by Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan at the Singapore Institute of Architects 47th annual dinner.

Said Mr Mah: 'When fully completed, the round-island route will bring Singaporeans even closer to our coastline and greenery.'

The highlights of the Leisure Plan include enhancing Singapore's greenery, creating leisure destinations with unique offerings and encouraging greater buzz and nightlife in the city.

Some of the green enhancements include increasing park spaces from the current 3,300ha to 4,200ha.

The park connector network will also be more than tripled from 100km today to 360km.

The round-island route, which will allow people to cycle, stroll or run around the country, will also have sections linked by park connectors, coastal promenades and so on.

It will be ready in 10 to 15 years, said the URA.

Areas earmarked for change include Kranji and Lim Chu Kang.

New park land, agri-tainment such as farm stays, and greater access to nature areas will make this project a unique countryside attraction.

Other areas to get a revamp will be the Jurong Lake District, Mandai, Changi Point, Southern Ridges and the City Centre.

There are also plans to spice up Orchard Road, the Singapore River, Bras Basah, Bugis and Marina Bay to keep the city buzzing.

URA's chief executive officer Cheong Koon Hean said this is the first time that such an island-wide plan has been drawn up, with a range of leisure opportunities for all.

She added: 'We want to ensure that even as we continue to grow, we can still enjoy a very good quality of life.

'It is not just about providing space and facilities to play, it is also enhancing the variety and quality of leisure options we have round-the-clock, where there is something for everyone.'

The Leisure Plan is part of the Draft Master Plan 2008 Review.

The Master Plan is a statutory land use plan that URA develops to guide Singapore's development over the next 10 to 15 years. It is reviewed every five years.

Members of the public can give their feedback during the Draft Master Plan 2008 exhibition this Friday at the URA Centre.

Read more!

Plans to up countryside charm in two areas

Lim Chu Kang, Kranji to be developed into 'weekend refuge', with farm stays and spas
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 22 May 08;

FANS of the lush farms in Lim Chu Kang and the serenity of Kranji's Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve can look forward to more outdoor activities in Singapore's small slice of countryside.

Under a plan unveiled by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday, Lim Chu Kang and Kranji have been earmarked for several new leisure activities, from kayaking to farm stays.

The goal is to turn the areas into a 'weekend refuge' for urbanites, said Mr Mah.

The blueprint is part of a bigger five-year review of the masterplan for Singapore's development, which will be announced tomorrow.

It will include a new emphasis on the laidback countryside charm of Lim Chu Kang, now dotted with 115 fish, goat and vegetable farms.

Three new sites will be released for the 'agri-tainment' business, a sector that includes farm stays, countryside spas and centres that teach urban dwellers the appeal of farming.

In Kranji - already home to the 130ha Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve - land will be set aside for two new parks totalling 21ha.

Besides the current 2km-long Kranji Nature Trail, new paths are being created to make another 17ha of the mangrove swamps in the Kranji Marshes accessible to the public.

Sea sports enthusiasts can also look forward to kayaking on the Kranji Reservoir and other non-motorised boating activities.

Mr Mah announced the plans yesterday at the Singapore Institute of Architects' annual dinner at Suntec convention centre.

The area, he said, will be 'developed into an attractive weekend refuge for urban dwellers'.

Farmers in Kranji and Lim Chu Kang welcomed the news that the area has been set aside as a playground for Singaporeans.

It is something the farmers who formed the Kranji Countryside Association have been trying to do for the past few years. They have organised annual events such as the Spring Festival during Chinese New Year to promote the area and attract visitors.

Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim, president of the association, said their aim now is to 'bring back the fireflies within five years'. The bugs, once plentiful in Singapore, died out years ago because of development.

Her only worry is that the developments will become too artificial, ruining the area's rustic charm.

Read more!

Trash and burn: Singapore's waste problem

Gillian Murdoch, Reuters 21 May 08;

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Creeping out of their condo after dark carrying illicit bags of garbage was not part of the life Sarah Moser and her husband envisioned for themselves before moving to tropical Singapore.

But with recycling in its infancy on the island, such nocturnal escapades have become normal for the two academics.

Each week they dodge watchful security guards, barking dogs and suspicious neighbors to carry rubbish they cannot recycle at home to recycling bins far down the road.

"We end up storing tons of stuff," Sarah Moser said. "Paper and cardboard, plastics like milk, juice, takeaway containers."

"Then we have to do a huge big binge trip, and we're so embarrassed because the guards are watching us."

This small act of rebellion illustrates the problem faced, on a much larger scale, by tiny Singapore: there's nowhere to put the trash.

"It is very costly to get rid of our waste," said Ong Chong Peng, general manger of the island's only remaining landfill, which cost S$610 million ($447 million) to create on Pulau Semakau eight kilometers south of the mainland.

The landfill "island," a 350-hectare feat of engineering reclaimed from the sea, opened the day after the last of five mainland landfills closed in 1999.

Every day it takes shipments of over 2,000 tonnes of ash -- the charred remnants of 93 percent of Singapore's rubbish, burnt at its four incinerators.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) predicts a new multimillion dollar incinerator will be needed every five to seven years, and a new landfill like Pulau Semakau every 25 to 30 years.

With nowhere to site another landfill, recycling, though not yet rolled out to the masses in condominiums or state Housing Development Board (HDB) skyscrapers, is no longer just nice to have, but a necessity, said Ong.

"Singaporeans have to practice the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to extend the lifespan of Semakau as long as possible," he said, "and also reduce the need to build new incineration plants."

DIRTY MESS

Untroubled by the festering mounds of pungent tropical garbage that frequently pile up in its less-developed neighbors, clean, green and super-efficient Singapore's unique rubbish headache stems from its small size and high population density.

Incinerators have met with public resistance in neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia, and have been banned in the Philippines because of perceived health risks.

But the plants are sacred cows in Singapore, which opened its first in 1979, little commented on or questioned.

"Singaporeans understand and accept that because land is scarce, incineration is one of the most cost effective ways of waste disposal, as it can reduce the volume of waste by up to 90 percent," the NEA said in a statement.

Other proponents stress that the four waste-to-energy plants scattered in the south, centre and north, recover enough heat from the combustion process to generate power equal to lighting up the city three times over.

"Some people think that incineration is just merely a destruction method, but it's not true," said Poh Soon Hoong, General Manager of the S$900 million ($659 million) Tuas South Incineration Plant, Singapore's largest, which burns up to 3,000 tonnes of trash a day.

"We actually generate power. The plants produce two to three percent of the total power generated in Singapore."

For critics, however, Singapore's set-up is a dirty mess.

"Waste incineration sounds like a pretty good idea if you don't really look into it too deeply," said Neil Tangri, of the international Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance (GAIA).

"It's power, it gets rid of this problem we have... but it creates dioxins where none existed before. Dioxin is known to increase rates of cancer growth... An incinerator is a major contributor to a whole range of major health problems," he said.

For Greenpeace Southeast Asia Director Von Hernandez, the plants fly in the face of the green goal of resource conservation.

"Incineration does not really make the waste disappear, it transforms the problem into a formidable pollution problem," said Hernandez, who led the world's first successful campaign to ban the technology in his native Philippines.

"If you look at this model, from harvesting resources to selling them, disposing of them, it's a linear model. In fact we should be looking at circular models to bring back some of this stuff to nature, and conserve materials."

"In a small country like Singapore, inevitably, their landfill space will run out and they will have to find other ways of dealing with the problem," he said.

RECYCLING TO THE RESCUE?

With Semakau landfill expected to be full by 2040, even those who have worked for decades in Singapore's incineration industry agree the old burn-and-bury approach is unsustainable.

"We cannot keep building incinerator plants," said Poh. "It's not really the solution."

Like the NEA, he says Singaporeans must change their mindset. "We need to get people aware of the environmental impact of their actions."

Convincing people to buy less in a country whose "national pastime" is shopping is a hard win, he said.

Instead, a wave of softly-softly initiatives are being deployed to enthuse, inspire, or slyly enforce compliance.

Recreational Sentosa Island pushes edu-tainment, with a troupe of trained macaque monkeys who perform daily recycling displays.

At supermarkets, shoppers are now asked to bring their own bags to reduce the likelihood of the thousands of plastic bags handed out each day ending up in incinerators.

Another stealthy project, which began in March, targets the cornerstone institution of Singapore life -- the hawker centre.

Darting between tables to snatch up dirty plates at Chinatown's Smith Street food court, the army of plate clearers are at another new frontline in the battle -- food waste recycling.

Leftovers scraped into black sacks on the end of the cleaners' trolleys are trucked to a start-up food waste recycling plant that hopes to save 800 tonnes of organic scraps a day from being sent to the incinerators.

Local company IUT Global feeds the scraps into a bacteria-filled digester which turns them into biogas energy and compost.

The plant's capacity will make it Southeast Asia's biggest bio-methanisation and renewable energy plant when fully operational, said Assistant Manager Leon Khew.

In the meantime, normalizing the idea of recycling through legislation would help, he said.

"Right now in Singapore recycling is not legislated. In Europe, everyone separates organics, everyone recycles, it's legislated."

(Reporting by Gillian Murdoch; Editing by Eddie Evans)

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Garbage is dirty, but is it a clean fuel?
Nichola Groom, Reuters 20 May 08;

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Singapore aims to be self-sufficient in water

Neil Chatterjee, Reuters 21 May 08;

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's state water agency PUB is investing in a new water treatment system and reservoirs, as it aims to make the import-dependent country self-sufficient in water, its chief executive told Reuters on Wednesday.

The country, which relies on imported water from Malaysia for more than half of its needs, is building additional plants to recycle water and new catchment reservoirs to collect rain, PUB's Chief Executive Khoo Teng Chye said in an interview.

It plans capital expenditure of $1.47 billion in the next five years on water infrastructure, on top of a S$3.6 billion water reclamation plant to be finished early next year.

"The goal is to supply all our needs," said Khoo. "We know that we have the capacity...it's well within sight."

PUB has built three "NEWater" plants, using membranes and ultraviolet rays to purify waste water, with another built by conglomerate Keppel Corp and a fifth by peer SembCorp Industries expected to make recycled water 30 percent of the city-state's supply by 2010.

Khoo said more could be on the drawing board, with the capital expenditure to come from water firms and guaranteed demand at a set price for 25 years from the government.

"NEWater plants will be the main focus for the foreseeable future," he said. "Recycling is one of the most practical ways of solving water problems for many cities."

Demand for water is expected to grow in line with economic growth, forecast long-term by the government at 4-6 percent, with industrial needs also rising as firms such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell build water-intensive plants.

A lack of land means the country is dependent on water from neighbouring Malaysia, a potential security risk should relations turn hostile in the future, but Khoo said three new reservoirs would make two-thirds of Singapore a water catchment in three years.

Singapore already has 14 reservoirs, enabling it to collect rain that falls on half of its land area of 700 square kilometres -- about eight times the size of Manhattan.

A dam sealing its Marina Bay harbour has been completed and will be turned into a freshwater reservoir by the end of 2009 or early 2010, when the other two reservoirs will also be ready.

The Marina Bay will be used to control flooding and for water sports, part of a strategy to have multiple uses of land with golf courses in water catchment areas and jogging tracks along drainage areas.

"We try to turn drains into streams and reservoirs into lakes," Khoo said.

Land is in short supply in Singapore, with the government aiming to increase the population by about 40 percent in coming decades. The country has expanded its land area by 10 percent since independence in 1965 through reclamation from the sea.

The island has one desalination plant, run by Hyflux (HYFL.SI: Quote, Profile, Research). Khoo said the cost of getting water through desalination from the sea had fallen sharply but was still twice as expensive as recycled water plants.

"If there are new technologies that make desalination closer to NEWater then we will look at it," Khoo said, adding the government was sponsoring new water research projects and attracting research firms to make water a sector for growth.

Khoo said expenditure would be funded by consumer tariffs and government money. PUB is a regular issuer of Singapore dollar bonds with an estimated S$2 billion in outstanding debt, and brokers expect it to issue more bonds in coming months.

"They have tapped the Singapore dollar debt market before and there was talk earlier in the market that they were likely to do so again," said Selena Ling, a fixed income analyst at Singapore's OCBC Bank.

(Additional reporting by Ovais Subhani)

PUB plans to spend S$2b in water treatment and infrastructure projects
Channel NewsAsia 21 May 08;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's national water agency, PUB, is planning to spend S$2 billion in water treatment and infrastructure projects in the next five years.

Responding to queries from Channel NewsAsia, PUB said the investment will be in water infrastructural projects such as NEWater network expansion and upgrading of NEWater plants.

Singapore already has five NEWater plants and the latest will be built at Changi by Sembcorp Utilities.

With the addition of this new plant, NEWater will meet a third of Singapore's current water needs by 2010.

The Changi NEWater Plant is the second NEWater project by the private sector. - CNA/vm

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Bicycles to be allowed on trains, buses as part of 6-month trial

Channel NewsAsia 21 May 08;

SINGAPORE : Cyclists will be allowed to bring foldable bicycles on board all trains and public buses, in a six-month trial.

This is an initiative by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a study to meet the transport needs of diverse groups of people.

The trial period is from May 24 to November 24 this year.

Foldable bicycles will be allowed on MRT trains every weekday during off-peak hours and on SBS and SMRT buses on weekends and public holidays.

The trial is one of several initiatives announced during the Land Transport Review. The Review recognises an increasing trend of people cycling for sports, recreation or as a means of transport.

Although the move gives cyclists more convenience, LTA spokesman Jeremy Yap said public safety must still come first.

He said, "Cyclists and other commuters are encouraged to be considerate and make way for one another, so that more people can use our public transport system to meet their needs."

During the trial, public transport staff can stop a cyclist from boarding a bus or train if the cyclist is unable to comply with given guidelines.

The LTA and operators will monitor and review the initiative after the trial period.

For more information on the guidelines, members of the public can go to http://www.lta.gov.sg, call LTA at 1800-225-5582, or email to feedback@lta.gov.sg - CNA/ms

Foldable bikes to be allowed on buses and trains
Trial starts tomorrow, but some rules apply
Maria Almenoar, Straits Times 23 May 08;

FROM tomorrow, the growing number of Singaporeans who own foldable bicycles will be allowed to take their two-wheelers into buses and trains.

The trial run comes after a major review of the public transport system, which aims to get people to give up their cars in favour of mass transit.

Originally slated to begin in March, the trial will last for three months on buses and six months on trains.

Currently, station masters and bus drivers decide on a case-by-case basis if these bikes can be allowed on board.

There are no Land Transport Authority (LTA) guidelines on the size of the two-wheelers, which are becoming increasingly popular.

They have caught on among adults who are looking to inject an exercise regimen into their daily lives.

In a statement earlier this week, the LTA outlined a laundry list of rules for the trial. It included limits on the size of foldable bicycles, the times they are allowed on board and where cyclists can place them.

LTA's group director for vehicle and transit licensing Jeremy Yap said the rules are necessary.

'While catering to the needs of cyclists, we also want to ensure the safety and comfort of other commuters.

'Social graciousness and mutual accommodation play an important part,'' said Mr Yap.

Cyclists like Alex Neo hope the decision to allow bikes on public transport will encourage more Singaporeans to take up cycling.

'It started as a hobby, but now it's a lifestyle choice and I hope more people will learn the joys of it,' said the 33-year-old IT consultant.

Every morning, Mr Neo cycles 10 minutes to Boon Lay MRT station, where he takes a six-stop train ride to his workplace in Buona Vista.

Ms Vivian Yuan, marketing manager of a foldable bike company, said she has seen very strong demand in the last year.

She estimates that there are up to 1,000 foldable bikes here, and about 200 active users.

These bikes, which can cost from $700 to more than $20,000, come in different shapes and sizes.

Some of them fold into a rectangular shape while others collapse into what looks like a golf trolley.

'The trial will encourage people on the sidelines who were unsure of regulations to try it out,'' said Ms Yuan.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHRISTOPHER TAN

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Haze may hit Singapore in 2 weeks - it all depends on the wind

Forecast of south-westerly winds means smoke from Sumatran fires could hit soon
Tania Tan, Business Times 22 May 08;

THE smoke from fires in Indonesia could hit Singapore sooner rather than later.

Unpredictable wind conditions at this time of year could mean that the haze, caused by Sumatran fires, may be here in two weeks.

All it will take is for the winds to blow in a south-westerly direction - exactly what the National Environment Agency (NEA) has forecast for the next fortnight.

In any case, one thing is for sure unless the fires are quelled: It is only a matter of time before Singapore is enveloped in haze.

Between June and September, south-westerly winds are expected to strengthen, said Associate Professor Matthias Roth of the National University of Singapore's geography department - and this could blow the acrid pall this way.

The thick smoke over Sumatra has resulted from an earlier-than-usual start to the slash-and-burn season in Indonesia.

Soaring temperatures and drier vegetation have helped prime the land for burning, and hundreds of hot spots have appeared over the past few days, the Indonesian meteorological service reported.

Over 850 hot spots were counted last week, up from just 130 the week before, said the NEA,which added that about 270 hot spots have been sighted in Sumatra since Monday.

And there may be more. Cloud cover has obscured some areas, resulting in partial satellite images.

The National University of Singapore's Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (Crisp) said the fires were raging earlier than usual.

'They popped up suddenly,' said Crisp director Kwoh Leong Keong. 'Most started over the weekend.'

In May, the usual number of hot spots is between 30 and 40, he said.

The number of fires typically starts to climb in June, peaking in July, he added.

'Hundreds is definitely on the high side for this time of year,' noted Mr Kwoh. 'You usually see those numbers in July.'

There are so many fires that the smoke from them has led to poor visibility in parts of Kalimantan.

On Tuesday, the thick smoke forced temporary airport closures.

Prof Roth said a weakening La Nina effect is not helping things.

La Nina is a weather phenomenon which results in lower temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, leading to wet weather.

A weakening effect means higher temperatures, leading to more fires.

The combination of more fires being set and hotter weather points to a repeat of what happened in 2006, when Singapore experienced its worst haze in a decade, with the air quality in the unhealthy range.

Crisp's Mr Kwoh said the next two months will bear watching. If hot-spot numbers keep rising, it will be a sign that hazy days are ahead.

The problem has plagued the region since 1997.

Many farmers and plantation owners in Sumatra and Borneo use the slash-and-burn technique to clear large tracts of land, usually in the middle of the year, ahead of the planting season.

The problem prompted countries affected by the haze, including Singapore, to set up a task force to combat the problem.

Members of the task force are collaborating with Indonesia to develop action plans to mitigate the haze problem. These include encouraging alternative land-clearing methods and implementing fire-monitoring systems.

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Singapore Sentosa casino costs under control: Genting

Business Times 22 May 08;

(KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysian casino operator Genting Bhd does not expect further cost over-runs for a casino it is building on Singapore's resort island of Sentosa, the company's chief executive said here yesterday.

Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd, a wholly owned unit of the Singapore-listed arm, Genting International, is building the casino at a cost of up to $6 billion - about $800 million, or 15 per cent, above its initial budget, due mainly to higher construction expenses.

'At this point, we are staying at $6 billion. Concerns about cost over-runs for the project are unsubstantiated,' Lim Kok Thay, Genting's chairman and CEO, told Reuters on the sidelines of a tech conference. 'Costs are under control despite high oil prices,' he added.

Genting unveiled the higher price tag for the casino project last November and said it would cover the additional expenses through project financing at the resort level.

The raised budget covers the cost of six new attractions as well as improvements to transportation and access infrastructure, with higher building costs accounting for half of the increase.

Mr Lim said there was no need to raise any more funds for the project. 'The recent financing we announced has catered for the increase in construction costs. All the financing is in place, there is no need for further financing.'

In April, Resorts World at Sentosa said it had obtained a $4 billion syndicated loan to fund the casino project.

Last December, Genting International and sister company Star Cruises won the right to build and operate Singapore's second casino resort. The 49-hectare project will include a Universal Studios theme park, a giant oceanarium with 700,000 aquatic creatures, and six hotels with more than 1,800 rooms. The resort is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

Singapore's first casino site, a 20.6-hectare piece of waterfront land at Marina Bay near the financial district, was awarded to Las Vegas Sands in May 2006. -- Reuters

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Travel company plants 200 trees at Jurong Central Park

Channel NewsAsia 21 May 08;

SINGAPORE : Residents in Jurong West now have their own central park.

South West District Mayor, Dr Amy Khor, was at Jurong Central Park on Wednesday to help 30 staff from travel company Abacus International plant 200 native trees.

The event launched the company's efforts to help the environment by cutting carbon emissions.

It is also part of the Plant-A-Tree programme by the Singapore Environment Council and the Garden City Fund, a fund-raising arm of the National Parks Board.

It also ties in with the South West Community Development Council's aim to plant 100,000 native plants. - CNA/ms

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Jump in number of Green Mark buildings

Of the 100 certified last year, over 60 are residential
Lim Wen Juin, Business Times 22 May 08;

THE Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has reported an 'exponential increase' in the number of buildings certified under its Green Mark scheme.

Almost 100 buildings were certified last year, compared to 17 each in 2006 and 2005, the year in which the scheme was introduced.

More than 60 of these buildings are residential developments, which translates to over 19,000 green homes.

BCA chief executive John Keung noted that of the five key Green Mark assessment criteria, energy efficiency is the main emphasis.

It takes into account 'passive design' features such as natural ventilation and natural lighting.

BCA Green Mark department deputy director Jeffery Neng added that the most common green features found within residential units include energy-efficient air-conditioners, sun-shading devices and water-efficient fittings such as tap flow limiters and dual flush cisterns.

Air-conditioners certified with four ticks under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme promise at least 30 per cent energy savings over their non-inverter counterparts, which translates to monetary savings, pointed out Mr Neng.

In a study of nine private residential projects, the BCA found that, assuming air-conditioner operation eight hours a day, a household certified Gold or above, under the Green Mark scheme, can expect to save $1,000 to $1,800 a year in utility bills.

The savings are not confined to homeowners either.

In a separate study of 15 buildings, the BCA calculated that a certification of Gold or above offers overall energy savings of 15-35 per cent, resulting in the cost of greening being paid back within two to eight years after construction and fiscal savings for the building owner thereafter.

So far this year, a further 200 buildings have already been voluntarily committed to be assessed and certified under the scheme. This is nine million square metres in terms of floor area, compared to a cumulative 6.24 million sq m certified over the last three years.

Under legislation that came into effect on April 15 this year, all new buildings and major retrofitting projects with ground floor area exceeding 2,000 sq m are required to meet minimum Green Mark certification standards.

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