Wet cleaning for clothes is a greener alternative to dry cleaning

Channel NewsAsia 10 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: Dry cleaning clothes is touted to be gentler on delicate fabrics. But a local company is now offering another greener alternative called wet cleaning which uses less water and electricity.

It has even received a grant of S$11,000 from the National Environment Agency to develop its technique.

Four years ago, Mr Balraj Gopalkrishnan heard about wet cleaning from his friend. Since then, he has been paying S$7 to wet-clean a jacket. But he also continues to use the dry cleaning option.

He said: "With wet cleaning, you get your clothes a little more cleaner. But when I want to have more delicate material clothes washed, I usually use dry cleaning."

The washing machine that uses the wet cleaning technology takes only 15 minutes to complete the wash. And for the dry cleaning option, it takes about 45 minutes.

Besides consuming less electricity, the wet cleaning technology also uses less water. Chemicals used are also vegetable-based.

And the wet cleaners said they spent a few months to develop the wet cleaning technique as they had to understand how various fabrics react to different wet cleaning chemicals.

Now that they've developed the technique, the company hopes that more laundry shops can adopt this greener option especially as the cost of a wet cleaning machine is about S$10,000 compared to S$50,000 for a dry cleaning machine. - CNA/vm

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Forecast: Dead zone off US coasts to grow

Yahoo News 9 Jun 08;

Researchers predict a "dead zone" of oxygen-depleted waters off the Louisiana and Texas coasts could grow this summer to 10,084 square miles, making it the largest such expanse in at least 23 years.

If the preliminary forecast holds, the researchers say, the size of the so-called "dead zone" would be 17-21 percent larger than at anytime since the mapping began in 1985 — and about as large as the state of Massachusetts. Another forecast is planned next month.

The report Monday from scientists at Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium is based on May nitrate loads on the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge.

Excess nutrients can spur the growth of algae, and when the algae die, their decay consumes oxygen faster than it can be brought down from the surface. As a result, fish, shrimp and crabs can suffocate, threatening the region's commercial fishing industry.

R. Eugene Turner, who led the recent modeling effort, said in a statement that intensive farming — including working land for crops used to make biofuels — has contributed to the high rate of nitrogen loading.

Researchers say the largest dead zone measured was 8,894 square miles in 2002. It was about 7,900 square miles last year.

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US second to China in illegal wildlife trade: official

Yahoo News 9 Jun 08;

The United States is second to China as the biggest market for illegal wildlife and wildlife parts, with demand fueled by interest in traditional medicine, a US official said Monday.

"The biggest market for illegal wildlife and wildlife parts is China," according to Assistant Secretary of State for Environment, Claudia McMurray. "But the number two market is the United States."

Wildlife trafficking is worth an estimated 10 billion dollars a year, according to Interpol figures she cited. But she did not have individual estimates for how much goes to China and the US.

Consumers were buying while traveling, on the Internet or in shops in the United States, McMurray said at a news conference highlighting a public awareness campaign launched by US embassies around the world against the illegal wildlife trade.

"In most cases, they think the products are perfectly legal. We consider it our job in the US government to tell Americans that that is not the case," she said.

McMurray said interest in traditional Chinese medicine was fueling demand for illicit wildlife trade in the United States and that it was coming not just from people of Asian origin.

She added that there was also growing demand in the United States for live exotic pets.

Actress Bo Derek, who is US special envoy for wildlife trafficking issues, said "it was very embarassing for me to find out that the US is number two in consuming endangered wildlife."

She said China had been helpful in boosting public awareness about wildlife trafficking.

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Scientists warn G8 of climate peril to food

Yahoo News 9 Jun 08;

Scientists from Group of Eight countries and the five biggest emerging nations urged next month's G8 summit to ratchet up action against global warming, warning that climate change threatened food and water supplies.

The 13 academies called for leaders to commit to a goal -- sketched in the 2007 Heiligendamm summit as something they would "seriously consider" -- that would halve global emissions of carbon gases by 2050.

They also demanded urgent action to improve energy efficiency and expand renewable energy and for a timetable, to be drawn up by 2009, for building "carbon capture" plants to snare carbon dioxide from power stations and other big emitters.

"Progress in reducing global greenhouse gas emission has been slow," they said. "Climate change is a pressing issue for today."

"Key vulnerabilities include water resources, food supply, health, coastal settlements and some ecocystems, particuarly Arctic, tundra, alpine and coral reef.

"The most sensitive regions are likely to include the Arctic, Africa, small islands and the densely-populated Asian mega-deltas," the statement added.

In a press statement, Martin Rees, president of Britain's Royal Society, said: "Food and water shortages are now a dangerous reality particularly in many developing countries.

"In the coming years, they will be aggravated by rising populations, and climate change. These threats must be properly assessed and solutions identified if we are to avoid costly mistakes from investing in technologies and infrastructure that do not take climate change into account."

The joint statement was signed by the heads of the national academies of science of the G8 countries and of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa.

It is the fourth appeal on climate change issued by the 13 academies ahead of the annual summit of the G8, which comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

The first appeal came ahead of the 2005 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.

This year's summit runs from July 7-9 in Toyako, a lakeside resort on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Capture carbon to avert catastrophic climate change, say world's scientists

Chris Smyth, Times Online 10 Jun 08;

The world must have a clear plan to fit power stations with facilities to capture carbon dioxide within a year to prevent "catastrophic" climate change, the world's leading scientific bodies said today.

But the warning came as Britain's support for the technology was blasted as "woefully inadequate" by experts.

The Royal Society, along with the scientific academies of the eight leading industrial nations and of five other countries including China and India, says that millions will be at risk from food and water shortages if action is not taken.

They are calling on next month's G8 summit to begin action now to halve global emissions by 2050. The scientists say this will not be achieved without the ability to capture to capture and store carbon from coal-fired power stations.

Carbon capture technology works by separating and liquefying carbon dioxide emitted by power plants. This is then stored deep underground, often in depleted coal or gas fields. Some technologies can also use the injection liquid carbon dioxide to force out more gas.

"Coal will continue to be one of the world's primary energy sources for the next 50 years. If coal burning power plants and industries continue to pump out carbon dioxide unabated we face a growing risk of triggering a dangerous and irreversible change in the climate. Techniques for carbon capture and storage must therefore be developed urgently," said Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society.

"So much is at stake that current efforts are quite inadequate. The nations at the G8 summit should commit themselves to a much expanded and coordinated programme. The sooner this technology can be proven and widely adopted, and annual carbon dioxide emissions stopped from rising, the lower the risk of catastrophic climate change."

But Britain is falling behind the pace on this technology – which could on its own cut global emissions by up to 50 per cent – because of failing government policy, according to a report for the Policy Exchange think tank.

Half of the commercial schemes planned in Britain have fallen through because the Government has refused price supports needed to make the experimental technology viable, the report claims. It recommends that carbon capture technology be given the same price guarantees as wind power.

"The industry is currently way ahead of Government. An electricity market is needed which enables this new industry to see a fair price for decarbonised electricity, take risks, grow rapidly, and build not one, but a suite of clean power plants in the UK,” said Stuart Haszeldine, Professor of Geology at the University of Edinburgh and co-author of the report.

“If Government takes heed and acts now we can ensure that CCS does not become just another missed UK opportunity. The UK was first to industrialise and now can be first to decarbonise.”

The report estimates that fitting carbon capture technology to all large UK coal and gas-fired power stations would add GBP60 a year to average household bills, less than most other renewables.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that global temperatures will rise by 0.2C to 0.4C over the next 20 years and that to stabilise the climate emissions must be reduced to less than half current levels.

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China consuming twice what its ecosystems can supply: WWF

Yahoo News 9 Jun 08;

China is now consuming more than twice as much as what its ecosystems can supply sustainably, having doubled its needs since the 1960s, a new WWF report said Tuesday.

China now utilises 15 percent of the world's total biological capacity, said the report, which is published jointly by the WWF and the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

The report found that the Chinese had an average ecological footprint of 1.6 hectares in 2003, the most recent year for which figures are available.

This means that each person needs 1.6 hectares of biologically productive land to support their lifestyle demands.

While this is still lower than the world average of 2.2 global hectares per person, it "nonetheless presents challenges, considering China's large population and the robust economic development," said the report.

"If China were to follow the lead of the United States, where each person demands nearly 10 hectares of productive area, China would demand the available capacity of the entire planet.

"This is likely to be a physical impossibility for China, and for the other nations of the world," said the report.

If on the other hand China could, in its development, also balance environmental needs, it could "lead the way for the world as a whole," the report added.

"It's a critical period in the coming 20 years for China to realise its sustainable development, which is determined by important indicators including the balance between the utilization efficiency of natural resources and the Earth's regeneration capacity improvement," said Zhu Guangyao, secretary general of the Chinese council.

China using up natural resources fast: report
Robert Evans, Reuters 9 Jun 08;

GENEVA (Reuters) - China is drawing on natural resources such as farm land, timber and water twice as fast as they can be renewed in its drive for development, a report from Chinese and international environmentalists said on Tuesday.

The report said the next 20 years would be critical to correct the situation and put the Asian giant's burgeoning economy, with a rapidly growing population, on to a sustainable path.

"China's average ecological footprint has doubled since the 1960s and now demands more than two times what the country's ecosystems can sustainably supply," said a summary of the report, issued by the Swiss-based WWF International.

It said China's "footprint" -- a measure of how much productive land and inland water resources are used up to satisfy the average current lifestyle of each member of the population -- was running at 1.6 hectares per person.

This suggested that for China's current 1.2 billion people -- one sixth of the world population -- to sustain this rate, it would need to either double the land and water area it uses or cut back to nearer the available 0.8 hectares per person.

The report was commissioned jointly by the WWF, formerly the World Wide Fund for Nature, and the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) in Beijing.

CHINESE EXPERTS

It was drawn up with the help of Chinese experts by a U.S.-based group, the Global Footprint Network, which works with the WWF to produce reports on the global, regional and national ecological impact of use of resources.

The Network reported with the WWF on Monday that many African countries were running down their natural resources in the drive for development as their populations grow, but were still using only 1.1 hectares per head, compared with the 1.3 hectares available.

It said the global average footprint was 2.2 hectares per head -- significantly more than the 1.8 hectares available.

By 2050, the whole world's current rate of drawing on natural resources and disposing of waste will require an entire extra planet, Monday's report said.

CCICED Secretary General Zhu Guangyao, an author of the later study, "Report on Ecological Footprint in China", was quoted by WWF as saying the next 20 years would be "a critical period ... for China to realize sustainable development".

WWF said the report presented two strategies to tackle the Chinese problem, starting with "easy" and "slow" measures that would be simple, cheap and popular, such as investing in clean technology and changing to energy-efficient light bulbs.

After that, it said, China could implement a wider approach focusing on compact urban development, individual action, reducing hidden waste flows, carbon reduction strategies, land management and efficiency increases.

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Jun 08

Dolphins and low tide surprises
amazing encounters during the latest series of low tides on the singapore celebrates the reefs blog

Resorts World Sentosa and sharks fins
compilation of recent comments in the media on the wildfilms blog

Zoanthid hunts
a round up of zoanthids on the nature scouter blog and other amazing marinelife seen.

Raffles Lighthouse
the lighthouse and its history and marine life there on the mountain and sea blog and tidechaser blog

St. John's Island
on the tidechaser blog

Ubin shore sightings
flying fowl on the wildfilms blog and shore flies and crabs on rock and under stone on the budak blog

How Much Nature is Enough?
Does humanity need 2,000-pound jellyfish-chomping turtles that almost no one will ever see? on the New York Times blog

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One man’s efforts to keep chainsaws away from 17-year-old mango tree

Out on a limb
Gabriel Tan, Today Online 10 Jun 08;

IT IS heartening that the media has been providing greater issues about mother earth, issues which were once only the realm of “fringe fanatics” environmentalists.

As a result, more people are practising a environmentally-conscious lifestyle. Companies are also making an effort to go green. Phrases such as “global warming” and most recently, “Saving Gaia” are now being used more frequently in the conversations of people in the street.

The importance of trees in the fight against global warming cannot be understated. Yet among us, there are still many who will not hesitate to cut down a tree for whatever immediate benefits the action may bring.

I am trying to save a 17-year old-mango tree from being cut down by the management committee in Bedok Shopping Complex. I am running a business in this complex and the mango tree is right behind the shop unit that I occupy.

The tree has been providing shade for visitors and the shophouses next to it for a long time. In recent years, it had also begun to bear fruit, providing delicious refreshment for whoever cared to pluck them.

About a month ago, the management sent a contractor and two workers with chainsaws to cut down the tree. At that time, my vehicle was parked under the tree. I refused to move it to stop them from cutting down the tree.

When I asked the management why the tree was being cut down, a few reasons were given, but none that would warrant cutting it down. My vehicle stayed under the tree that day.

After many appeals, emails and letters to anybody who might have had an influence on the matter, and a legal letter from the management to me, the tree is still standing.

However, I do not know how much longer I can keep the chainsaws away. The management committee claims to have the legal right to cut the tree down as it is standing on its land.

I am appealing to them to do the right thing.

In the eventuality that the mango tree is cut down, it will be another sad testimony to what is happening to millions of trees all over the world — cut down in the name of progress.

One tree may seem insignificant but my cry is “Save Gaia, one tree at a time”.

Related links

You Can Help Gabriel Save a Tree
on the flying fish friends blog

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Singapore has best living in Asia: Survey

Alicia Wong, Today Online 10 Jun 08;

The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) new Leisure Plan could be a panacea. “Singapore could further improve its standing by enhancing its socio-cultural environment, recreation options, and natural environment. (The URA’s plan) aims to address precisely some of these issues.”

SINGAPORE has improved when it comes quality of living, but would this be enough to offset the rising cost of living for expatriates?

This year, Singapore emerged tops in Asia, excluding New Zealand and Australia, for quality of living and climbed two notches higher globally to 32nd, according to Mercer’s annual quality of living rankings.

Singapore also topped Asia for personal safety, followed by cities in Japan and Hong Kong. Covering 215 countries, the survey acts as a guide for governments and companies placing employees on international assignments.

However, in a survey last year, the same firm also noted Singapore’s rise from the 17th to the 14th most expensive city in the world for expatriates, due to rising housing and transportation demands.

This could remain a problem, :Mercer’s managing director of Asean Su-Yen Wong told Today, citing the lack of specific expatriate housing in the long term and shortage of international school vacancies as causes for concern.

But, beyond rising costs, Singapore’s only issues with respect to quality of living would be the hot and humid climate, and socio-cultural environment, she said.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) new Leisure Plan could be a panacea. “Singapore could further improve its standing by enhancing its socio-cultural environment, recreation options, and natural environment. (The URA’s plan) aims to address precisely some of these issues.”

The plan aims to ensure that “even as we continue to grow, we can still enjoy a very good quality of life”, URA chief executive Cheong Koon Hean had said last month.

Singapore’s improvement this year shows her :strength, relative to other cities, in quality of living in terms of political and social environment, medical and health considerations, public services and transportation, and housing.

Mercer is also monitoring the: rise in dengue fever cases and Chikungunya fever here, as expatriates have started to consider these infectious diseases as an issue for expatriation, added Ms Wong. But “it is still not an alarming situation and globally, Singapore is still seen as extremely enticing city for international assignments”.

Singapore ranked 2nd in Asia, 4th in the world as key centre of commerce
Channel NewsAsia 9 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: Singapore ranks second in Asia after Tokyo as a key centre of commerce, according to a study by MasterCard Worldwide Research.

The study ranks the top 75 centres of commerce by comparing how they perform critical functions that connect markets around the world.

Globally, Singapore takes fourth spot ahead of Hong Kong which is sixth in this year's index.

According to the study, Singapore shines as a financial hub for its ease in doing business, economic stability, as well as legal and political framework.

Phillip Overmyer, Chief Executive, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, said: "The things that we consistently hear are that people want quality and stability in business decisions from the government. They want predictability and stability and those are the kinds of things that are rated in this study and show Singapore with very high rankings."

But analysts said the city-state must not be complacent as ratings for Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong are very close to one another. They added that ASEAN integration may help Singapore break into the top three.

Manu Bhaskaran, CEO, Centennial Group, Member of Research Panel, said: "If the ASEAN region were to enjoy a sharp acceleration in economic growth over the next few years, then the sheer volume of activity that will be generated, will gravitate towards Singapore and that would help us move up the rankings."

The study also showed Asia and Eastern Europe's growing importance in the business world, with eight Asian cities in the top 25 list.

And experts said ongoing urbanisation means that economic activity will be increasingly city-oriented. As a result, cities in Asia will make a play for a greater share of such activity.

Shanghai jumped eight notches to number 24 from its 32nd spot a year ago.

London was number one in the global ranking, followed by New York, Tokyo, Singapore and Chicago. - CNA/vm

Singapore is easiest city in the world to do business
It is also top in region for economic stability and legal/political framework: Survey
Michelle Tay, Straits Times 10 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE has leapfrogged rival Hong Kong in a ranking of the most influential commercial centres around the world.

The Republic is now the second most influential centre in Asia, just behind Tokyo, according to the survey, which is said to be used by multinationals to help guide investment decisions.

Singapore sits in fourth spot globally in the MasterCard Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index, up two places from last year. Hong Kong fell from fifth to sixth.

Although the Republic trails London, New York and Tokyo, it beat them in terms of a key criterion used to compile the ranking - the ease of doing business.

In last year's inaugural ranking, Singapore came in fourth in this area, which covers a range of factors, including quality of life, investor protection, health and safety, and corporate tax levels.

Mr Mark Ellwood, the managing director of recruitment firm Robert Walters Singapore, attributed the high score to how easy it is to set up a business and to hire foreign talent here.

Mrs Mildred Tan, the managing director of Ernst & Young Associates, said: 'Singapore is very pro-business, and institutions gravitate towards environments that are open and welcoming.'

She called the ranking a 'positive reinforcement' for firms considering doing business in the Republic.

'When it comes to relocation, they will look at various things, from tax incentives to telecommunications infrastructure. The study will be another indicator for them whether to start here, to remain here, or to grow here.'

Singapore was also top in the Asia-Pacific for two of the other six criteria used in the ranking: economic stability and the legal/political framework.

The ranking of 75 cities is drawn up by a panel of academics and other experts.

It serves as 'a road map for corporations to identify and evaluate investment and market opportunities in a world where cities, instead of countries, have become the primary economic players', said Dr Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, MasterCard Worldwide's economic adviser.

He said Asia 'is experiencing a renaissance in terms of economic growth and social development'.

Eight Asian cities feature in the top 25 this year, up from five last year. 'The growth performance of China and India has shifted the economic centre of gravity towards Asia,' said Dr Hedrick-Wong.

Mr Manu Bhaskaran, the head of economic research at the Centennial Group and one of the eight members of the Worldwide Centres of Commerce research panel, said that given time, Singapore could overtake Tokyo as the top Asian centre of commerce.

'Tokyo has not opened up the way the US, Europe, Dubai and Singapore have,' he said, adding that Singapore's absolute score of 66.16 points was not far behind that of Tokyo (66.6).

The other four criteria used in the ranking are volume and connectivity of financial flow, reputation as a business centre, knowledge creation and information flow, and liveability.

One of Singapore's biggest challenges appears to be its place in the bottom half of the 75 cities in terms of liveability.

While Vancouver in Canada emerged as the world's most liveable city, Singapore ranked 40th - or fifth in the Asia-Pacific.

MasterCard said a relative lack of personal freedom dragged its score down.

As was the case last year, the top three places in the study went to London, New York and Tokyo, in that order.

First-timers in the top 25 include Shanghai and Amsterdam.

Mr Bhaskaran said the Chinese city could rise further, as it was 'sitting on top' of what is probably the most dynamic economy for the next 20 to 30 years.

Singapore leapfrogs HK as a financial centre
Survey ranks it fourth worldwide but expert says it can't stand still
Joyce Hooi, Business Times 10 Jun 08;

(SINGAPORE) Singapore climbed to fourth place on MasterCard's Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index this year, leapfrogging Chicago and Hong Kong along the way. It is now the number two city in Asia in this ranking of financial centres - with only Tokyo ahead of it.

'The Centers of Commerce Index is a roadmap for corporations to identify and evaluate investment and market opportunities in a world where cities, instead of countries, have become the primary economic players,' said Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, MasterCard Worldwide's economic adviser in Asia-Pacific.

The index surveyed 75 cities using seven key indicators of varying weightages that evaluated a city's legal and political framework, economic stability, ease of doing business, financial flow, business centre, knowledge creation and information flow, and livability.

Singapore's ranking was driven by its strong showing in relation to the ease of doing business and its legal and political framework indicators, in which it ranked first and second overall, respectively.

Manu Bhaskaran, a member of the panel behind the index, attributed Singapore's strength in these areas to prudent government leadership in facilitating commerce,

'The government has made the right decisions in cutting taxes, bringing in talent and focusing on integrated resorts,' said Mr Bhaskaran at the briefing on the index yesterday.

He is, however, quick to caution against complacency. 'Singapore tends to do well in the 'process areas' which are related to bureaucracy. But other people can learn this formula and mimic it,' he said.

Instead, Singapore would do well to shore up its competence in the knowledge creation and liveability areas, he said.

It is currently ranked 40th for liveability - an indicator measuring elements like personal freedom and quality of life. 'To generate more knowledge creation, Singapore should keep adding more universities and encouraging foreign talent,' said Mr Bhaskaran.

Singapore also has its work cut out if it wants to break into the top three, which is illustrated by the fact that the top three positions have been retained this year by London, New York and Tokyo.

'London and New York possess critical mass, having amassed a concentration of analysts, investment banks and the support services that accompany them. Critical mass is something that we lack, especially in the financial flows area,' said Mr Bhaskaran.

The key to overcoming this limitation is cross-border integration and higher levels of economic growth within the Asean region, he revealed. 'Singapore has to be the capital city in the economic sense in Asean, in order for it to be in the top two,' he said.

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Malaysia to examine status of Pulau Pisang

Straits Times 10 Jun 08;

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA's federal government will consult the Johor state government before engaging with Singapore on taking over the management and administration of the Pulau Pisang lighthouse, said Foreign Minister Rais Yatim.

'The federal government will have to do its homework with Johor first. We have not consulted Johor officially yet,' he told reporters yesterday. Dr Rais was asked to comment on calls to take over the management and administration of the lighthouse on the 154ha island from Singapore for fear of losing the island.

This was despite a statement by Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman that ownership of the island was based on a treaty between Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Abu Bakar and the British in 1900, which clearly stated that Malaysia had sovereignty over the island.

Dr Rais said there were at least 110 islands within Malaysian territory near Sabah, Sarawak, Johor and Kedah that required mapping and determination of their status.

'That is why people say you only become wiser after an event. If we look at the history of Phuket, it is historically named Bukit (hill in Malay), but Thailand claimed ownership of it. History has shown that we did not do anything about it,' Dr Rais said.

He said he instructed the relevant authorities to carry out homework on the 110 islands and prepare a report for the Cabinet for further action to determine their sovereignty.

On May 23, the International Court of Justice ruled that Singapore had sovereignty over Pedra Branca and Malaysia over Middle Rocks.

Meanwhile, Datuk Abdul Ghani said that the Johor state government was open to discussing the federal government's proposal to take over the management of the lighthouse.

But he said several measures had already been taken to consolidate the state's rights over the island, including requiring the personnel managing the lighthouse to register with the Kukup marine department.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Malaysia Should Start Talks To Take Over Lighthouse On Pulau Pisang, Says MP
Bernama 8 Jun 08;

PULAU PISANG (Pontian), June 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia should start negotiations with Singapore to take over the administration and management of the lighthouse in Pulau Pisang from the republic, said Pontian member of parliament Ahmad Maslan.

Ahmad said he had made the request to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim to initiate immediate discussions with the island state on the takeover.

"I hope Pulau Pisang will one day be handed over to Malaysia through diplomatic negotiations. The lighthouse can be a tourist attraction to the island.

"Datuk Seri Rais was receptive to the suggestion," he told reporters at the 53-metre high Pulau Pisang lighthouse, currently managed by staff of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. It is about 1,000 metres above sea level.

Earlier, Ahmad led a 60-member delegation comprising representatives from various government agencies, Umno and the mass media to the 178.4ha Pulau Pisang, located 8km off the Pontian coast.

Though Pulau Pisang is located in the Malaysian territory, the lighthouse is managed by Singapore following an agreement between Sultan Ibrahim of Johor and the British government in 1900.

Following the International Court of Justice's decision that Singapore had sovereignty over Batu Puteh, concerns have arose on the future of Pulau Pisang, which also has a lighthouse run by Singapore, that it would receive the same fate as Batu Puteh.

Pulau Pisang is strategically located at the "southern shipping route of the busy Straits of Melaka.

"We will not allow history to be repeated. Losing Batu Puteh to Singapore is bad enough," said Ahmad, adding that negotiations on Malaysia taking over the management of the lighthouse should not involve the ICJ.

"We need to re-visit the 1900 agreement allowing Singapore to manage the lighthouse on Pulau Pisang," he said.

He said plans to develop Pulau Pisang should be executed as soon as possible to ensure Malaysia's sovereignty on the island would not be challenged by others now and in the future.

In a symbolic gesture that plans to develop Pulau Pisang had started, he said, a surau, costing RM50,000, would be built on Pulau Pisang soon, with Ahmad contributing RM25,000.

He said the federal and state governments had agreed to develop Pulau Pisang for eco-tourism.

"What we need to do now is to promote the potentials of Pulau Pisang as a tourist spot to local and foreign investors.

To spur development, I will propose Pulau Pisang be placed under the development plans of Iskandar Malaysia.

"I believe investors from oil-rich Middle East countries will be interested to develop Pulau Pisang," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Federal Govt Will Confer With Johor Govt On Pulau Pisang Takeover, Says Rais
Bernama 9 Jun 08;

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Bernama) -- The federal government will confer with the Johor state government on the taking over of the management and development plans for Pulau Pisang, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said Monday.

He said the government also planned to do mapping, surveying and research on the 110 islands in the country whose status had not been specified.

Rais said he believed the Johor government was gamed for the kind of development Pulau Pisang should be endowed with.

"With the consultation and consent with the Johor state government, we will work with Singapore to find out the best solution. As I've said after the Batu Puteh and Middle Rocks issue, we would like to charter a continuous passage of harmony and friendship with our neighbour, a statement which my counterpart in Singapore had shared publicly.

"We will do some homework first in respect of the agreement (between Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor and the British government in 1900 over the management of the lighthouse on Pulau Pisang). The situation is bound by history.

"We would like to do some homework," he told reporters after delivering his welcoming remarks at the Third International Conference themed "The Muslim World and The West: Bridging The Gap".

Rais was responding to the call by Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan on Sunday that Malaysia should start immediate negotiations with Singapore on taking over the management of the lighthouse on Pulau Pisang.

Ahmad had said though Pulau Pisang was located in Malaysian territory, the lighthouse was managed by Singapore under an agreement between Sultan Ibrahim of Johor and the British government in 1900.

Rais also said Malaysia must be aware of the status of her surrounding islands and had asked for a report to be tabled in the Cabinet to decide on for further action to be taken, be it in Sabah, Sarawak, Johor or in Kedah.

"For instance, if we look at the history of Phuket, we owned the island at one time, but history has taken away the island from us. We didn't do anything about it.

"So, we will do our homework for the 110 islands throughout the country. I've asked for a report to be prepared for the Cabinet to decide on further action to be taken on every island owned by Malaysia," he added.

-- BERNAMA

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Malaysia plans to determine status of 100 islands

Channel NewsAsia 9 Jun 08;

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia plans to determine the sovereignty of 100 islands around the country after an international court handed neighbouring Singapore a strategic islet, a minister said Monday.

The International Court of Justice last month affirmed Singapore's sovereignty over Pedra Branca, while the sovereignty of Middle Rocks was awarded to Malaysia. This has triggered fears that more unoccupied islands could be up for grabs.

"There are about 100 islands and formations in our country which need to be mapped and have their status determined," Foreign Minister Rais Yatim told reporters.

He said the islands were located in seas off Sabah and Sarawak states on Borneo island -- which Malaysia shares with Indonesia -- as well as off the coasts of northern Kedah state near Thailand and Johor which lies near Singapore.

"I have asked for a report to be submitted to Cabinet on the issue and that action be taken to verify each island as Malaysian property," Rais added.

The ICJ found that the Malaysian sultanate-turned-province of Johor had held the original title to Pedra Branca, but had not taken any action on Singapore's lighthouse operations there for more than a century.

Rais' comments came after newspaper reports aired fears that other islands such as Pulau Pisang, located in the strategic Malacca Straits, could also be claimed by Singapore.

Singapore also operates a lighthouse on that island as part of an agreement signed by the state's ruler and earlier British colonial authorities in 1900, although the island remains in Malaysian territory.

Rais said the government would investigate how it could take over administration of the facility.

He said: "We will do some homework first regarding the agreement prevailing over the lighthouse because as you can imagine, the situation is bound by history and we would like to do some homework." - AFP/vm

Malaysia moves to verify claims over 100 islands: Minister
Today Online 10 Jun 08;

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia plans to determine the sovereignty of 100 islands around the country after an international court handed Singapore a strategic islet, a minister said yesterday.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month affirmed Singapore’s sovereignty over Pedra Branca, known as Batu Puteh in Malaysia, triggering fears that more unoccupied islands could be up for grabs.

“There are about 100 islands and formations in our country which need to be mapped and have their status determined,” Foreign Minister Rais Yatim told reporters.

He said the islands were located in seas off Sabah and Sarawak states on Borneo island — which Malaysia shares with Indonesia :— as well as off the coasts of northern Kedah state near Thailand and Johor which lies near Singapore.

“I have asked for a report to be submitted to Cabinet on the issue and that action be taken to verify each island as Malaysian property,” Mr Rais added.

The ICJ found that the Malaysian sultanate-turned-province of Johor had held the original title to tiny Pedra Branca, but had not taken any action on Singapore’s lighthouse operations there for more than a century.

Mr Rais’ comments came after newspaper reports aired fears that other islands such as Pulau Pisang, located in the strategic Malacca Straits, could also be claimed by Singapore. Singapore also operates a lighthouse on Pulau Pisang as part of an agreement signed by the state’s ruler and the British colonial authorities in 1900, although the island remains in Malaysian territory.

Mr Rais said the government would investigate how it couldtake over administration of the facility. “We will do some homework first regarding the agreement prevailing over the lighthouse because as you can imagine, the situation is bound by history.”

Citing Mr Rais, The Star newspaper reported yesterday that the government would consult the Johor state government before negotiating with Singapore about taking over the administration of the Pulau Pisang lighthouse. — AFP

Read more!

Fans take the plunge, swim with sharks

Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 9 Jun 08;

Not everyone is pleased. Some animal researchers worry the new program could do more harm than good. They say the fish already have a small space in which to swim so why throw in a bunch of Jacques Cousteau wannabes.

Thirteen-year-old Evan Strawn now knows what a whale shark feels like.

Evan and 11 other regular folk were among the first to swim or dive with the "gentle giants" and thousands of other fish as part of a new program at the world's largest fish tank.

"One of the whale sharks touched me," Evan said in disbelief after the swim.

Divers and swimmers are not allowed to touch the fish, but whale sharks go where they want to and one of them brushed up against the boy. Three dive masters guided the swimmers around the tank and tried to keep them out of the way when the behemoth fish came by.

The swimmers wore wet suits and breathed compressed air as they snorkeled next to whale sharks Trixie and Alice as well as acrobatic mating cow-nosed rays.

The divers and swimmers emerged from the tank with the awe of children and used words like "incredible," "unbelievable" and "awesome."

"I remember being on the other side of the glass thinking 'wow.' I never want to be on the other side again," said Mike Strawn, who swam with his wife, two children and two friends.

Brothers Daren and Dale Newfield did the dive portion of the event.

"Did you see the hammerhead circle?" Daren said excitedly to his brother. In case you're wondering, all the fish were fed about an hour before the divers took the plunge.

The event has attracted tourists from outside Georgia. Marlene Gillrup traveled from Jacksonville for the dive.

"It's a lot of species in a very small area compared to when you dive in the open," Gillrup said smiling. "I'm running short of words."

The experience is a move that aquarium officials hope will educate visitors about marine animals and help the aquarium continue to attract big guest numbers.

"It's the only place where you are guaranteed to swim with whale sharks," says Dave Santucci, aquarium spokesman. "We want to engage people with animals and help them make a connection."

Not everyone is pleased. Some animal researchers worry the new program could do more harm than good. They say the fish already have a small space in which to swim so why throw in a bunch of Jacques Cousteau wannabes.

"I have numerous concerns with this," said Lori Marino, a senior lecturer in neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory University. "The first is that they have lost two of them already. And secondly, we don't know a lot about whale sharks, so this just seems risky."

Ralph and Norton, two of the attraction's original whale sharks, died last year. Ralph died in January of complications from peritonitis.

Norton was euthanized in June 2007 after months of declining health. Aquarium officials suspected a pesticide used to treat the tank for parasites may have contributed to his demise.

"They are already confined in captivity and now you are adding people to the mix," she said. "I don't see what it has to do with teaching people about whale sharks. It seems more about entertainment."

So far, the program has proved popular.

Already, 1,500 people have signed on through 2008, Santucci said. Space

for the next three months is almost completely booked.

There will only be a maximum of six swimmers and six divers a day. Each will be allowed in the water for 30 minutes. The program is open to anyone 12 years old and older, but those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. And divers must be certified. Videos of swim/dives are available for participants for $50.

"We really wanted to do something that would bring people in from all over the country and all over the world," Santucci said.

He said he understands concerns about protecting the animals' well-being, but thinks fish fans have nothing to worry about. The animals' health will be closely monitored and the swim/dives will be guided.

"Safety is our first priority," he said, noting that the facility has already invited V.I.P.s to swim without incident. "It's a guided tour. It's not a free for all. Touching the fish is not allowed."

And for those worried that the fish may bite, he shakes his head no.

"They don't eat anything bigger than a quarter," he said.

Chris Reinolds contributed to this article.

Read more!

Animal rights: Lead the pack in voicing concerns

Letter from Marie Hogan (Ms), Straits Times Forum 10 Jun 08;

ANIMAL rights group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently criticised Singapore Airlines for using the image of a rodeo in one of its advertisements.

But the sometimes cruel exploitation of animals for commercial and entertainment value is nothing new. Note the following:

1. A full page ad by SilkAir showing two men in a river forcing open the mouth of a crocodile - the animal was probably tame and used to being manhandled; nonetheless, the message sent out was wrong.

2. Prudential Insurance's use of the matador to symbolise its strengths.

3. HSBC's particularly cruel one of a live fish being dragged across gravel then stepped on by a bear and eaten (did Peta get this one and if they did, was there anything done about it?)

4. An episode on a popular entertainment programme which showed a fish sliced, garnished and served up live, while the host giggled and made inane remarks.

5. An episode on a cooking show on cable TV that showed a live octopus thrown into a pot of boiling soup and the host making insensitive remarks as the creature flayed about.

Who is at fault for perpetuating these cruelties? Companies, public relations firms or consumers?

Clearly, all.

It does not take much to curtail this perpetuation. Companies have influence, so they need to take more responsibility with their advertising content.

Consumers need to be more discerning about what they watch. And if a programme is clearly offensive, say something about it.

If consumers demand better treatment for animals, all related and even non-related services will have to clean up their act.

But until that happens, associations like Peta, even if at times overzealous, will be vital to monitoring the welfare of animals.

Read more!

Teachers’ Estate chikungunya-free

Today Online 10 Jun 08;

THE coast is clear — at least for some residents of Teachers’ Estate, the latest area where chikungunya surfaced.

Blood tests conducted by the National Environment Agency (NEA) showed that 311 people working and living in the private housing estate located off Upper Thomson Road were free of the virus.

The checks come after the Ministry of Health (MOH) was notified last week that two people living in the estate — an 86-year-old retiree and a domestic helper from the same household — had contracted the fever.

It was the first time that locally contracted cases of chikungunya had been reported to the MOH outside the Little India area early this year.

The MOH said 23 cases of chikungunya fever had been reported this year, with 15 of them contracted locally.

To combat the disease, the NEA conducted intensive inspection and fogging operations over the weekend. It checked more than 170 homes and 18 cases of mosquito breeding were detected. It will continue to monitor the situation. — SHERALYN TAY

Checks find no new cases of chikungunya in Teachers Housing Estate
Channel NewsAsia 9 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: Following the detection of two cases of chikungunya fever last week, the authorities have conducted property checks and taken blood samples from residents and workers in the Teachers Housing Estate, off Upper Thomson Road.

All the 311 samples collected between last Thursday and Saturday have been tested negative for the virus.

Officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA), who have found 18 instances of mosquito breeding, inspected over 170 premises in the estate and sprayed over 100 of them with insecticide.

According to the Health Ministry, the two cases last week brought the total number of reported cases of the disease in Singapore to 23 this year.- CNA/so

Read more!

Indonesian couple develop micro-hydroelectric power plants in rural areas

Channel NewsAsia 9 Jun 08;

INDONESIA: Preserve the forests to ensure a continuous supply of green energy – that's the mantra of an Indonesian couple who have developed micro-hydroelectric power plants in Indonesia's rural areas.

Deep in the rural districts of Aceh, Indonesia, Iskandar Budisaroso and his team are building another micro-hydroelectric power plant.

The area's huge water catchments will allow the plant to generate more than 400 kilowatts of green energy – enough to supply electricity to more than 2,000 rural households, once it is ready in September.

Costing US$1 million – all raised through donations from international donors – this plant is by far the biggest for Mr Iskandar since he started building micro-hydroelectric power plants in Indonesia's poor rural areas more than 20 years ago.

Mr Iskandar, People Centred Business and Economic Institute, IBEKA, said: "At that time, we don't think about clean energy or green energy because I began this in the early 80s or the late 70s. The green energy issue at that time was not in place. It was still fossil fuel everywhere."

He and his wife, Tri Mumpuni, are now hailed as the leading proponents of renewable energy in the country and their efforts have been acknowledged by the United Nation's agencies and several environmental groups.

So far, they have built more than 60 micro-hydroelectric power plants in Indonesia, aimed primarily at improving the lives of the poor.

To ensure that the projects would succeed, they have rallied the beneficiaries to preserve the forest.

Tri Mumpuni said: "I told the community that if you want constant energy or electricity, you have to take care of the catchments area. How to preserve the catchments area? You cannot cut the trees in the catchments area and you have to plant more trees."

"After that, they made a regulation (that states) nobody can cut the trees 500 metres right and left of the stream. That is the consensus of the community, not forced by the government," said Mr Iskandar.

The success of their micro-hydroelectric power plants is attracting interest from many developing countries – a 120-kilowatt project in Subang, West Java, has drawn a steady stream of international experts who not only study the technical aspects of the power plant, but also the social enterprise that is being developed to sustain each project.

The electricity produced is sold to the state-owned power company and the income is used to develop the village. For the past four years, more than 300,000 households have benefited from such schemes, which are mostly run by village cooperatives.

Mr Iskandar and his wife now want to reach out to thousands more Indonesians who are still not connected to the state power grid, and they believe they have found the right formula – promote green energy to improve the lives of the rural poor.- CNA/so

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Nature-inspired purifier wins inaugural youth water prize for Singapore

The device and its designers to compete in Stockholm next
Tania Tan, Straits Times 10 Jun 08;

THREE students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) High School have designed what they hope will be a cheap and simple way to deliver drinking water to poor communities.

Their portable water purification unit, which distils contaminated or sea water, won them the Singapore Junior Water Prize yesterday.

They beat five other finalists to the $5,000 prize, which was given out for the first time here. They will also represent Singapore at the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize in August.

Team member Koh Shao Yang, 17, said of the win: 'Shock is an understatement. We didn't expect to get this far.'

Their portable device draws inspiration from nature. It has a shape which resembles the jellyfish-like Portuguese man-of-war and floats on water as the sea creature does.

Made out of styrofoam and plastic, the unit uses heat from the sun to evaporate sea water off a saltwater-soaked sheet of fabric.

The distilled water, now stripped of salt, drips down the sides of the device's domed plastic roof into tiny reservoirs.

Each unit produces about 20ml of water an hour, so a few units need to be deployed together.

'It's a small mouthful,' conceded team member Rajarshi Roy, 17, but he added that, in the harshest of situations, 'even a small mouthful can save lives'.

The project impressed judges with its 'elegance and simplicity'.

'It provides a simple solution to pressing problems,' said head judge Ng Wun Jern, the executive director of the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute.

Fellow judge and technology director of the Public Utilities Board (PUB) Harry Seah said that the project's application was relevant, especially in disaster areas, although the device was still in its early stages of development.

Organised by Ngee Ann Polytechnic and philanthropic group the Lien Foundation and supported by the PUB, the competition drew 56 entries from 24 institutions.

It aimed to tap the creativity of youth here to produce long-term water solutions and is expected to be a fixture on the calendar, said Dr Amy Khor, the guest of honour and Senior Parliamentary Secretary with the Environment Ministry.

The team will spend the next three months fine-tuning the unit before heading for the Swedish capital for the international competition.

'We just hope to make Singapore proud,' said Mr Roy.

Singapore to participate in Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition
Channel NewsAsia 9 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: For the first time, Singapore will take part in the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in August 2008. The team to represent the Republic was picked from the Singapore Junior Water Prize competition held on Monday.

The winning team came from NUS High School of Mathematics and Science where a group of students designed a device that desalinates water. Their aim was to get clean water through an innovative system based on thermal distillation.

The winning team beat five other finalists for the top prize. The competition attracted 56 teams from 24 secondary schools, junior colleges and polytechnics. The participants were students between 15 and 20 years old.

Besides its simplicity, the judges also considered how the project could help in the aftermath of disasters.

Professor Ng Wun Jern, chairman of the judging panel, said: "Aside from being able to be applied for large-scale desalination eventually, what I think is interesting about this project is its immediate relevance, which is the possibility of developing this technology into something that can be used for disaster relief. It is something simple, something that people who have been badly affected by disasters can use on their own very quickly."

The winning team received S$5,000 in cash and a trip to Stockholm. - CNA/vm

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Celebrities join World Bank in saving tigers

Lesley Wroughton, Reuters 9 Jun 08;

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hollywood celebrities Harrison Ford, Bo Derek and Robert Duvall on Monday threw their support behind a new global initiative by the World Bank to save tigers from extinction.

While the global development agency's main mission is to fight poverty in developing countries, it has rarely taken on wildlife conservation efforts of endangered species.

The new Tiger Conservation Initiative will bring together wildlife experts, scientists and governments to try to halt the killing and thriving illegal trade in tiger skins, meat and body parts used in traditional Asian medicines.

Ford, a long-time environmental activist, said efforts to protect tigers would only succeed if local communities were involved in conservation efforts.

"By committing to help wild tigers, the World Bank is sounding its intention to be a global leader in biodiversity conservation," Ford, the star of the latest "Indiana Jones" movie, told an event at Washington's Smithsonian National Zoo.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the decline in the number of tigers was "shocking" from over 100,000 a century ago to currently less than 4,000.

The clearing of large areas of forest land for urban development has added to their decline and disappearance from Central Asia, the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali, and most of China.

POACHING AT ALL-TIME HIGH

A World Bank report warned that "if current trends persist, tigers are likely to be the first species of large predator to vanish in historic times."

"Just as with many other challenges of sustainability, such as climate change, pandemic disease, or poverty, the crisis facing tigers overwhelms local capabilities and it is one that transcends local borders," Zoellick said.

"This is a problem that cannot be handled by individual nations alone, it requires an alliance of strong local commitment backed by deep international support," he added.

Zoellick said the World Bank would convene a series of discussions with countries, conservationists and the private sector to mobilize funding for tiger conservation, and launch studies on how better to protect the cats.

The World Bank chief said there were examples of where tigers had been brought back from the brink of extinction, such as in Russia and Nepal, but added that saving the world tiger population would not be an easy task.

"All those concerned may not agree but this does not mean we should stand on the sidelines and do nothing," he said.

John Seidensticker, chief scientist at the Smithsonian National Zoo's Conservation Ecology Center, said tiger poaching and trafficking in tiger parts and meat was at an all-time high and the biggest immediate threat to tigers.

"For wild tigers to live they must have much better security on their home ground," he said, also calling on countries to properly enforce laws to protect tigers.

This, Seidensticker said, required strong political will.

"We're at a tipping point and we're going to lose wild tigers but with the World Bank initiative wild tigers now have a chance," he added

Seidensticker said tiger conservation efforts needed to be more coordinated and focused, and the World Bank could help as a global institution.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Sandra Maler)

World Bank leads tiger conservation drive
P. Parameswaran, Yahoo News 10 Jun 08;

The World Bank launched Monday a joint project with conservation groups and Hollywood to help reverse the dramatic decline of wild tigers in Asia, in what is seen as the single most important act to save the Big Cat.

The Tiger Conservation Initiative will begin by consulting with countries that have tiger populations to assess financing needs for conservation, identify funding sources and mobilize resources to protect the animals, officials said.

"Just as with many of the other challenges of sustainability -- such as climate change, pandemic disease or poverty -- the crisis facing tigers overwhelms local capabilities and transcends national boundaries," World Bank President Robert Zoellick said at the launching at the National Zoo in Washington.

"This is a problem that cannot be handled by individual nations alone. It requires an alliance of strong local commitment backed by deep international support," he said at the event held in sweltering heat alongside the zoo's enclosure of Sumatran tigers.

Even before the launching, the Washington-based bank initiative came under fire from wary tiger conservationists in India, which houses the largest number of wild tigers.

They slammed the bank for backing projects such as highways and forestry plantations in India that had harmed wildlife.

To show that the bank was sensitive to the demands of such groups, Zoellick said Monday that the bank's "first" step in the tiger conservation drive was to review its own internal policy.

"First, we at the bank are going to initiate a review to our own independent evaluation group of our projects in tiger habitats to learn from the lessons of the past for our future engagement," he said.

Actor Harrison Ford, fresh off the success of his latest movie "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," and actress Bo Derek were at the event to put their celebrity status behind the tiger initiative.

"Acting together, we can put fangs in tiger security and commit the resources necessary to save wild tigers," said John Seidensticker, a world renowned tiger conservation biologist and head of the Smithsonian's National Zoo center for conservation ecology.

John Berry, the zoo's director, described the World Bank-led initiative as "the single most important act for tiger conservation in history."

Tiger poaching and trafficking is at an all-time high amid exploding economic growth in Asia.

Tiger numbers have declined from more than 100,000 a century ago to around 4,000 today, driven by loss of prey and habitat due to uncontrolled development and poaching for the black market trade in tiger skins and bones.

"The decline in the numbers of tigers is shocking," Zoellick said, adding that because of poaching, tigers in many supposedly "secure" reserves across Asia had simply been wiped out.

"Tigers are disappearing from Central Asia, and from East and South Asia," he said.

The International Tiger Coalition (ITC), comprised of 39 member groups aiming to stop trade in tiger parts and products, asked the World Bank to have "open and frank" dialogue with countries on tiger conservation.

"This process is crucial in avoiding further damage to tigers brought by poorly planned development projects," said Grace Ge Gabriel, the ITC spokeswoman. "Nothing short of global action will bring back wild tigers."

The World Bank is planning to host a "Year of the tiger" summit in 2010 to provide a forum for those involved in tiger conservation to review the status of the wild tigers and their habitant.

It will be a "opportunity to hold our feet to the fire," Zoellick said.

Harrison Ford Endorses New Global Tiger Initiative
Christine Dell'Amore, National Geographic News 9 Jun 08;

A new World Bank-led tiger conservation initiative will draw on the collective might of the world's nonprofits, governments, and local citizens to prevent tigers from completely "slipping away," experts announced today at a press conference with Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford.

The predators have plummeted from 100,000 to 4,000 in the past century and now occupy only 7 percent of their original range.

The "urgent, immediate threat" of poaching continues to whittle down that number, Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank Group, told a press briefing at the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

The new initiative will take a hard look at existing projects in tiger habitats, review existing efforts to combat the trade in illegal tiger parts, and develop alternative funding for saving tigers, among other strategies.

In addition, a 2010 "Year of the Tiger" summit will bring together the many groups and individuals working to preserve the big cat.

"If wild tigers are to be saved, they must be seen as more valuable alive than dead," Zoellick said.

Because tigers are at the top of the food chain, their health is an "indicator of biodiversity and a barometer for sustainability," he added.

Partner organizations include the International Tiger Coalition, the National Zoo, and the Global Environment Facility.

Illegal Trade

The "great preservers of the past"—inaccessibility and poverty—no longer shield tigers from humans, who are poaching and trafficking the animals at an unprecedented rate, said John Seidensticker, a conservation biologist at the National Zoo.

As Asian economies flourish, the demand for tiger meat and parts for traditional Chinese medicine and trophies has wiped out most of the tigers living in reserves. (See a photo of an illegal tiger skin for sale in Myanmar [Burma].)

The big cats, which once prowled most of Asia, have already disappeared from Central Asia and almost all of China.

In the face of development pressures, the new initiative should also focus on how to balance habitat conservation with the needs of local people in countries where tigers still roam, experts said.

Actor Harrison Ford, vice chair of the board of directors of the nonprofit Conservation International—one of the groups that will participate in the new plan—emphasized that local people should have a say.

"I recognize that these projects work more efficiently and more sustainably when local communities are involved," Ford told National Geographic News. "That's the general reality of the situation."

"I've seen how conservation outcomes are scaled up when a variety of people … pool together to apply their influence," he said.

Promising Steps

In general, tigers can recover if their habitat is protected, conservationists say.

Siberian tigers in the Russian Far East have bounced back to a stable population of about 500 thanks to vigorous conservation efforts.

And ASEAN-WEN, a network of Asian countries committed to halting wildlife crime inside their borders, is a promising first step, said the Zoo's Seidensticker. The network complements the international treaty CITES, which bans illegal trafficking of endangered species.

But tigers will rebound only with strong political will and only if everyone involved—from local people to governments—demands that they survive, Seidensticker said. Conservation projects largely remain underfunded and low-priority in many tiger-inhabited countries.

"A world without tigers would be a world without hope," Seidensticker said. "It would be like a clear night sky without stars."

Read more!

Deep-Sea Creatures Contaminated

LiveScience Yahoo News 9 Jun 08;

Chemicals produced by humans have been found in deep-sea squid and other creatures, further evidence that contaminants make their way deep into the marine food web, scientists said Monday.

Researchers found a variety of chemical contaminants in nine species of cephalopods, which include octopods, squids, cuttlefishes and nautiluses. These species are food for dolphins, narwhals, killer whales and other toothed whales. The researchers collected nine species of cephalopods up to a mile down and deeper in the western North Atlantic Ocean by trawling.

"It was surprising to find measurable and sometimes high amounts of toxic pollutants in such a deep and remote environment," said Michael Vecchione, a researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Among the chemicals detected, all of which don't degrade and therefore persist for a very long time:

Tributyltin (TBT), an additive used to control growth of organisms and is found in antifouling paints for boats, wood preservatives.

Dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), a pesticide banned in the U.S. in the 1970s but still used on a limited basis in some parts of the world to control diseases like malaria.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), used to insulate electrical transformers and capacitors and in coatings, sealants, adhesives, paints, wood floor finishes, and in carbonless copy paper.

PCB production was banned in the U.S. in the 1970s.

Brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), used as flame retardants in a variety of household products, from plastics to foam in furniture and fabrics.

The findings will be published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Recent studies have reported the accumulation of such chemicals in the blubber and tissues of whales and other predatory marine mammals as well as in some deep-sea fish. Other investigators had speculated that the pollutants in marine mammals had resulted from feeding on contaminated squids. However, almost no information existed prior to this study about POPs in deep-sea cephalopods.

Vecchione and colleagues wanted to see if whales had a unique capacity to accumulate pollutants or if they were simply one of the top predators in a contaminated deep-sea food web.

"The cephalopod species we analyzed span a wide range of sizes and represent an important component of the oceanic food web," Vecchione said. "The fact that we detected a variety of pollutants in specimens collected from more than 3,000 feet deep is evidence that human-produced chemicals are reaching remote areas of the open ocean, accumulating in prey species, and therefore available to higher levels of marine life. Contamination of the deep-sea food web is happening, and it is a real concern."

Read more!

Island Birds Can Adapt to Predators, Study Suggests

Anne Minard, National Geographic News 9 Jun 08;

An island bird in New Zealand is able to change its nesting behavior to outwit predators—offering a ray of hope for island species worldwide facing threats from exotic invaders—researchers have discovered.

Melanie Massaro, a biologist at the University of Canterbury, and her co-authors found that New Zealand bellbird mothers spend longer periods of time on their nests when the risk of predation rises.

Both male and female bellbirds also make fewer trips to and from the nests, which reduces activity that might draw predators' attention.

Although the research focused on a single New Zealand bird, the conclusions suggest that island birds worldwide may be able to adapt to predation, the authors say.

The new study flies in the face of a widely accepted theory that suggests that island birds are especially vulnerable to predators because they've missed the opportunity to evolve alongside them, unlike their mainland counterparts.

"The main findings of our study are that naïve endemic island birds are not necessarily trapped by their evolutionary history as is generally considered to be the case, but they have the ability to change their behaviors in ways that appear adaptive," Massaro said.

"More importantly, our study demonstrates that such a change can occur over an ecologically relevant time scale of years and not centuries."

The work appears in this week's online journal PLoS ONE.

Island of Opportunity

The introduction of predatory mammals such as rats, cats, and weasels to oceanic islands has caused the extinction of many native birds. On New Zealand, casualties have included huias, piopios, and bush wrens.

The study authors point out that exotic predators threaten the survival of a quarter of the world's remaining endangered bird species.

But studying the effects of exotic invasion is difficult, because "very few island bird populations still exist in habitats that have not been affected by human-mediated changes," Massaro said.

"This study took advantage of the unique situation in New Zealand where exotic predators were introduced, but a few offshore islands remained undisturbed."

Her research team looked at three sites: a site where exotic predators have become well established, a site where exotic predators were experimentally removed, and an offshore island lacking exotic predators.

They found that, as the risk of predation increased, female bellbirds spent more time on their nests each round of incubating, a strategy that minimized activity at the nest and decreased the risk of predators locating and destroying the eggs.

"Parental activity during the nestling period, measured as number of feeding visits per hour, also decreased with increasing nest predation risk across sites, which would further reduce the risk of an exotic predator destroying the nest," Massaro said.

Massaro's team also compared the parental behavior of New Zealand bellbirds with that of two related honeyeaters in Tasmania, an environment where native birds co-evolved with a variety of predatory mammals.

"We were able to confirm that parental care patterns in previously naïve populations of bellbirds that have since been exposed to exotic mammalian predators are converging with those of birds that evolved in continental areas with a high risk of predation," she said.

More Work Needed

Tim Blackburn, who heads up the Institute of Zoology in Regent's Park, London, noted that in general "the longer that a species has been isolated on an island, the more likely it is to go extinct when predators are introduced. Isolation causes bird species to lose their responses to predators."

Blackburn said it's possible that bellbirds may be relatively recent arrivals to New Zealand, and thus more likely to redevelop antipredator behaviors than other species that have gone extinct.

He's also unsure about whether the bellbirds' strategy is working.

"The bellbirds in the predator treatment have changed their behavior but still have higher nest predation rates than bellbirds on predator-free islands," he said.

"It is not clear from the paper whether the behavioral changes have made sufficient difference to nesting success to allow the bellbird population to persist in the face of predators, or whether the population with predators persists because of immigration of individuals from other areas."

And he expressed concerns about drawing grand conclusions from a study of limited scope.

"The main shortcoming is that they only have single field sites for each of their experimental treatments," he said. "It would be very interesting to see whether the same results hold for other bellbird populations with and without predators."

More Work Needed

Massaro said that her team largely agrees with Blackburn "that likely many island bird species are doomed because of their evolutionary history," Massaro said.

"For example, we are quite aware that [the] kakapo, the famous flightless parrot of New Zealand, will unlikely ever [to] be able to coexist with mammalian predators.

"In general, what evolved over millions of years can't change within a few decades or hundreds of years."

But Massaro and her co-authors believe other conservation efforts could benefit from the knowledge that at least one island bird can respond to exotic predators—especially when the elimination of such predators is not possible.

More work, particularly to see if other birds are able to adapt as well as bellbirds, is needed, she said.

"While we have shown in this study that bellbirds have adjusted behaviorally to the presence of exotic predators to some degree, it is presently unknown whether other endemic island birds have responded in a similar fashion," she said.

Her team is already looking at responses to new predation by other island bird species.

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More Than a Million Birds Killed in Cyprus - Group

PlanetArk 10 Jun 08;

NICOSIA - More than a million birds, most of them migratory, were killed in Cyprus in the past year and served up as local culinary delicacies, conservationists said on Monday.

Songbirds are a popular dish on the east Mediterranean island, which lies on a key migratory route. Although trapping and consumption is banned, they are still served up in some restaurants, say wildlife campaigners.

"Unless decisive action is taken the future will be bleak for Europe's migrant birds," said Martin Hellicar, executive director of the BirdLife charity in Cyprus.

Hellicar said surveys by the organisation suggested more than 1.1 million birds had been killed from March 2007 to February 2008. Indiscriminate trapping methods meant many threatened migratory birds and resident birds were killed, he said.

"In terms of Europe, Cyprus are probably the worst trapping offenders," Hellicar told Reuters.

Blackcaps, robins and song thrushes are the main targets, caught in thickets of vegetation in fine mist nets or on sticks dipped in sticky lime. Birds are lured to coastal areas by birdsong recordings. There are also suggestions that boats are also being used for trappings at sea.

One tiny bird, served picked, fried or grilled, goes for five euros each in some taverns, BirdLife said.

(Reporting by Michele Kambas, editing by Paul Casciato)

Million migrating birds killed as Cyprus delicacy: NGO
Yahoo News 9 Jun 08;

More than one million migratory birds were illegally trapped and killed over the past year to feed an illicit Cypriot taste for such delicacies, an conservationist group said on Monday.

According to a field survey by Birdlife Cyprus carried out between March 2007 and February 2008, an estimated 1.1 million birds were indiscriminately killed with the use of mist nets and limesticks.

These methods are used to catch black caps and song thrushes, much sought after delicacies on Cyprus that fetch five euros (more than seven dollars) a bird at restaurants, making the illegal trade a lucrative one.

"Cyprus is most probably the worst in Europe for killing migratory birds. They are in the premier league for offenders," Birdlife director Martin Helicar told AFP.

"If there isn't the political will to clamp down on the restaurants, then Cyprus will return to the bad old days of the 1990s when up to 10 million birds were killed," he added.

A huge crackdown on trappers and restaurants was enforced before Cyprus joined the European Union in May 2004 but now conservationists say the government lacks the political will to eradicate the trade.

"MPs have already tabled a bill before parliament that would decriminalise such activity and greatly reduce the fines," said Hellicar.

He said MPs were proposing to amend existing legislation which provides for a maximum three-year jail term and or 17,000-euro fine to be replaced with on-the-spot penalties of up to 200 euros for nets and 100 euros for sticks.

"Unless the law is properly enforced millions of migratory birds are at risk," he said.

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Mass dolphin strandings very rare, say experts

Urmee Khan, The Telegraph 9 Jun 08;

Although 'mass strandings' of dolphins are fairly rare, they do occur every year throughout the world.

Dolphins are very sociable and will communicate to each other by whistling, and in times of distress this can cause a large group of dolphins to cluster together.

According to experts, mass strandings are usually linked to natural reasons or directly caused by humans.

Dr Peter Evans, director of Sea Watch Foundation, says the strandings can happen if an older dolphin, usually a female, is sick or suffering from a disease, causing the rest of the pod to follow.

"In such circumstances, the dolphin seeks shallow water to enable it to breathe easier."

Certain types of shore and some particular coast lines are more prone to strandings than others. Shallow, sloping shores made of soft sediments can attract pods of dolphins.

Human factors responsible for mass strandings can include sea pollution and intense noise pollution from naval sonar can also be responsible for a mass stranding.

Sarah Dolman from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) said: "Earlier this year over 50 deep diving whales washed up in Scotland, Ireland and Wales and that was due to high-powered naval sonars which can cause a great deal of distress."

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Death traps for marine turtles

Geoffrey Bew, Gulf Daily News 10 Jun 08;

BAD fishing practices caused the deaths of at least 170 sea turtles in Bahrain last year, according to a study released yesterday.

They were mainly killed during the shrimping season by trawlers, nets and traps, according to the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research (BCSR).

Head of the organisation's fisheries studies and technical manager of the marine turtle protection programme Dr Ebrahim Abdulqader called for urgent changes in fishing methods, to protect the endangered species.

"We were able to estimate, according to the data we have, that 170 was the minimum number of turtles which died," said Dr Abdulqader.

"It could have been higher than that, because of non-reporting.

"The shrimping trawlers are responsible for most of the deaths.

"Most of the cases happened between July and October, during the shrimping season.

"Most also occurred in the northern area of Bahrain located around the habitat of shrimps where sea grass is found."

The turtles' main nesting season is between June and September.

Dr Abdulqader said the other main threats to sea turtles were from dredging and reclamation, litter dumped at sea, pollution and recreational boats speeding through shallow water.

The study, which covered five coastal areas in the northern, eastern and western areas of Bahrain, used reported sightings from fishermen and a questionnaire to collect data.

It was sponsored by the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife and the company Banagas.

The findings were unveiled during a meeting at the BCSR near Awali, attended by around 40 people including academics and environmental officials.

Dr Abdulqader called raising awareness among fishermen about the problem and the importance of introducing new types of nets that do not trap sea turtles.

"These deaths are unnecessary and are not acceptable," he told the GDN.

"These animals are part of the eco system of marine animals and it is also a beautiful creature that is attractive to divers.

"If there is a specific procedure that fishermen can follow that will minimise the impact."

The report found there are two types of turtle in Bahraini waters, the green turtle and hawksbill turtle.

However, Dr Abdulqader said he was unable to estimate the number of turtles that may exist in Bahrain because of a lack of historical data. geoff@gdn.com.bh

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Dozens of Dolphins Die, Stranded on Madagascar Beach

PlanetArk 10 Jun 08;

ANTANANARIVO - Some 55 dolphins have died, after coming ashore on a beach in the northwest of Madagascar, conservationists said on Monday.

The melon-headed whales, a species of dolphin, were first spotted at sea last month, but then became stranded on a beach last week, Herilala Randriamahazo, from the Wildlife Conservation Society, a non-profit organisation, told Reuters.

"We have counted 55 dead dolphins today," Randriamahazo said by telephone from Antsohihy, the seaside town where the dolphins died. They were buried in a mass grave, he said.

American specialists had arrived on Monday to examine possible reasons for the beaching and to lead some remaining dolphins out to sea, he said.

"This is the first time that Madagascar has seen such sea animals," he said.

A spokeswoman for the Indian Ocean island's environment ministry said the dolphins had created a stir. "Lots of people are going to Antsohihy to see these animals for the first time," she said.

(Writing by Ed Harris)

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Too many fishermen cause stocks to dwindle in giant Lake Malawi

Felix Mponda, Yahoo News 9 Jun 08;

Saidi Afida rows his dugout canoe back to the beach on the shores of Lake Malawi with a worried face.

"Things have really changed," says Afida, in between selling his catch to a group of women at Senga Bay beach in central Malawi.

"Just five years ago I came back from fishing with a full canoe every day. Now it's barely half full," he says.

Afida, 33, knows the the cause of the problem, but he can't do anything about it.

"There are too many of us fishing in this lake. Everybody has become a fisherman and we all fish from the shallow waters."

The 22,490 square kilometer Lake Malawi, bordered by Tanzania and Mozambique, covers a third of the country and is Africa's third largest pool of fresh water.

Home to more than 500 species of fish, it plays a crucial nutritional role by providing for over 60 percent of national protein requirements.

It also is a key source of employment in one of Africa's most impoverished nations. While an estimated 40,000 people fish its waters, many more derive their livelihoods indirectly through industries such as fish processing and boat repairs.

Alexander Bulirani, director of fisheries in the ministry of agriculture and food security, says the number of fishermen had increased by 124 percent in the last decade but denies that stocks are running low.

"The lake still has substantial amount of fish in deep waters" which ordinary fishermen cannot reach without motorised boats.

He said recent research had shown the existence of deep-water offshore fish stocks estimated at a maximum sustainable yield of about 33,000 tonnes per year.

Despite the more than doubling of the size of the fleet, fish production is currently at 50,000 tonnes per annum, down from a peak of 75,000 tonnes in the 1980s.

In order to help fishermen get access to stocks in deep waters, the government has teamed up with the African Development Bank to provide credit to acquire equipment such as outboard engines, fishing nets and drying racks.

Moses Banda, chief fisheries research officer, said the project seeks to give credit to 7,000 fishing communities in four districts along the lakeshore, including Mangochi in southern Malawi, where most of the Chambo is caught.

Bankrolled to the tune of 183 million kwacha (130,000 US dollars), the main aim of the project is to improve household incomes in a country where half of the 13 million citizens live on less than a dollar a day.

Nevertheless, many fishermen fear their industry is doomed without a clear recognition that stocks are finite and that the best chance of preserving stocks in the long-term is to make alternative employment more attractive.

"Will the fish last in this lake? What will our children feed and rely on?" says Iman Saidi.

The 24-year-old has opted for a life as a fishermen even though he had wanted to become a teacher.

"I thought I could become a teacher for a change, but with no jobs, I need to feed my family of two," he said.

Sandalamu Katembo, 70, who retired two decades ago, says there are no job opportunities in this small fishing town on the lake's southwestern shores.

"Young men go to school but they end up taking up fishing as their career. Why go to school then?" he asks.

Daulos Mauambeta, executive director of the leading environmental group, Wildlife Society of Malawi (WSM), says the only solution to halting overfishing is to stop the "open policy" which allows anybody with a licence to "fish as long as they want."

"Malawi needs to establish a quota system. We have this major weakness which allows anybody to fish the whole year. Fish is free here," he told AFP.

Mauambeta said the fishing industry lacks the capacity to monitor and enforce its own regulations.

"There are no guards to monitor the sizes and volumes of catch. In other countries, that's very strict."

The WSM chief also suggests that fishermen must be taught conservation.

"Fishermen are business people, not conservation people. We need to breed a culture that they need to conserve fish to sustain their business."

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Africa Fast Running Down Resources - WWF Report

PlanetArk 10 Jun 08;

GENEVA - Many African countries are rapidly running down their natural resources as growing populations push the continent towards its ecological limits, the conservation organisation WWF said on Monday.

The warning was issued in its first-ever detailed report on Africa's ecological footprint -- an estimate of the area of a country or region's land and sea surface used annually in meeting the individual consumption demands of its people.

"A growing number of African countries are depleting their natural resources -- or will shortly be doing so -- faster than they can be replaced," said WWF President, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, in presenting the findings to a Johannesburg conference.

The report put Egypt, Libya and Algeria at the head of a list of nations of the continent already living well beyond their ecological means.

But nine others were also using up their bio-capacity -- Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The Swiss-based WWF, previously known as the World Wide Fund for Nature but now identified only by the initials and its panda logo, issued the report, "Africa-Ecological Footprint and Human Well-being" together with a US-based research body, the Global Footprint Network.

It said that despite over-consumption of resources in some countries, Africa's overall ecological footprint at 1.1 hectares of land and sea -- still behind the continent's total biocapacity of 1.3 hectares per head of population.

And the African figures are still well below the global average footprint of 2.2 hectares per person which, with 1.8 hectares available, is running at a rate suggesting humanity will need two planets by 2050.

But the big danger for the continent is that its current population of some 680 million is growing rapidly and is predicted to double, meaning Africa will account for nearly a quarter of the world's people by 2050.

Although development is vital for Africans, at the lower end of the United Nations' human welfare index, they have to "work with, rather than against, ecological budget constraints," said Global Footprint Network director Mathis Wackernagel.

"Development that ignores the limits of our natural resources ultimately ends up imposing disproportionate costs on the most vulnerable and the most dependent on the health of natural systems, such as the rural poor," he added. (Reporting by Robert Evans; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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