Best of our wild blogs: 21 Jun 08

Otters at Sungei Buloh!
Lots of wonderful photos on the wonderful creations blog

Stars at Changi
a closer look at some stars on the wildfilms blog

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Orang utans at Singapore Flyer - zoo clarifies

Straits Times Forum 21 Jun 08;

WE REFER to yesterday's online letter by Mr Chang Qizhong on putting orang utans on the Singapore Flyer. We would sincerely like to thank Mr Chang for his feedback, and understand and appreciate his interest.

The objective of having the orang utans in the Flyer was to highlight to a wider audience the plight of orang utans and the destruction of their rainforest habitat. By doing this, we were able to disseminate the conservation message to people who may not have been aware of this very serious issue.

Broadcasting the conservation message through the juxtaposition of the orang utans against the backdrop of the city skyline serves to remind urban planners, developers and plantation owners that the orang utan habitats are fragile areas and, once destroyed, almost impossible to replace.

The fact is, there is already not much natural setting left for them, and the rate with which we are losing these green spaces is decreasing at an alarming rate. We would like to assure Mr Chang that at no time were the orang utans exposed to a highly unnatural and stressful situation.

The team from Singapore Zoo visited the Singapore Flyer on several occasions to understand how the orang utans would react to the environment and whether they would be comfortable with the new location. During the trips, the orang utans were accompanied by their curators and keepers who have cared for them since birth. They were comfortable and enjoying their rambutans and other fruits in the capsule. Please be assured that Chomel and Merlin were completely relaxed and Merlin, especially, proceeded to do what he does most of the time - eat.

Our collaboration with Singapore Flyer during the June holidays is significant as this will help widen our reach to people who may not realise the significance of maintaining the biodiversity of the region.

Apart from this foray beyond the boundaries of the Singapore Zoo, Chomel and Merlin live in one of the best natural habitats for captive orang utans within the zoological world.

We are convinced that the conservation and public awareness messages conveyed through the various media reports have helped to raise the awareness on the plight of the orang utans. Orang utans are endangered and, if we do not act quickly and make informed decisions regarding how we manage their habitats and their survival, we may only see them in zoos, books or media reports in the near future.

To date, the Singapore Zoo has undertaken orang utan conservation efforts within and out of their natural habitats. Apart from a good track record of breeding 34 of these charismatic animals in captivity, the zoo also contributed veterinary supplies to the Nyaru Menteng Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Kalimantan in 2005. The centre's focus is to rescue illegally-kept orang utans and rehabilitate them for eventual release into designated rainforests.

Our educational outreach programmes are not only limited to the zoo. We also have 'Zoo Goes to School' programmes which involves visits to educational institutions. This year, the zoo has pledged monetary contribution towards helping orang utans in the wild in both in Sumatra and Borneo.

With regards to photography, the orang utans were not at the Singapore Flyer for a photography session with visitors. Photographs taken by members of the public at that time were purely opportunistic. At no time were these members of the public allowed to come into close contact with, or to touch, the orang utans. We would like to reassure Mr Chang that we have always been aware of such issues even within our zoo setting.

Our experience has shown that once people make a connection with an animal through a real-life encounter or by capturing a special moment in a photograph, their perception and interest in doing more for that particular animal, either through active conservation or making informed decisions, is further heightened.

Singapore Zoo recognises that there are institutions and individuals who will employ animals for commercial purposes at the expense of the animals' welfare. This is not what we do at Singapore Zoo. Our token feeding sessions are not forced activities, neither are they dedicated photography sessions. Rather, the sessions are accompanied by live commentary, and the orang utans are given the choice to join in if they so please.

Once again, we would like to thank Mr Chang for his letter.

Biswajit Guha
Assistant Director, Zoology
Singapore Zoo

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Green urbanites in Singapore

Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

Urban living does not have to be about valuing modern conveniences over environmental sustainability, as these green champions prove.

LIAW WY-CIN & DARYL TAN report.

Professor Leo Tan, 63, winner of the President's Award for the Environment 2007

IF NOT for nature and marine conservationist Leo Tan, Labrador Park could have ended up paved over with concrete and forgotten.

He stepped in to stop it from being cleared for development, and in 2002, succeeded in getting Singapore's only remaining rocky shore and reef declared a protected nature reserve.

Now, the Nanyang Technological University professor, who is also chairman of the Garden City Fund, is crusading for companies and people to plant trees, to compensate for the carbon dioxide they introduce into the environment.

'You can continue to do whatever you want to do - pollute the lakes, cut down the trees, but if the earth dies, you will die too.

'Planting trees is one way we can atone for what we have done...(in emitting carbon) in our daily travel, flights and the rubbish we generate. And it does not require any government to lay down policies; it can be done by individuals,' says Prof Tan.

Professor Peter Ng, 48

When Prof Peter Ng speaks about conservation, it is not just historical buildings and culture he means, but plants and animals unique to Singapore, too.

The director of the National University of Singapore's Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research is known for his passion for all creatures - big and small.

His views and work have been highlighted in some of the world's top scientific publications.

Singapore's top crab man has also discovered and named numerous crabs new to science, some of which are found only here.

On the challenge of achieving global sustainability, Prof Ng says:

'Conservation is the privilege of the rich. The rich, developed countries have to help the developing ones. And we can't do this by lecturing them, but by working with them.

'If you are an Indonesian student here to learn about crabs and conservation, we don't want you to stay in Singapore. Your job is to learn as much as you can here, then go back to your country and try to use the Singapore model in your country.'

Mrs Rosalind Tan, 67, winner of the National Environment Agency's EcoFriend Award 2007

It is not just medicine that helps soothe the sick at Alexandra Hospital but, thanks to Mrs Rosalind Tan's green thumb, beauty as well.

In 2002, the senior operations executive started a garden of plants, trees and medicinal and aromatic herbs at the hospital, and it has since drawn over 100 species of butterflies.

Not bad, given that only about 280 species have been spotted in Singapore.

Besides butterflies, the garden also draws photographers, students and members of the public, and has trails for them to walk along.

Mrs Tan hopes to repeat the feat at the hospital's new site in Yishun in 2010.

Alexandra is also going further in the green cause - it turns off the lights and air-conditioners at lunchtime every Friday, even if this means a little discomfort for the staff.

'Eventually, they will get the message that we're all just doing our little bit to help...They will slowly get used to it, and it will become a habit,' she said.

Mrs Annie Young Giri, 57, winner of the National Environment Agency's EcoFriend Award 2007

Mrs Annie Young Giri takes her role in the Waterways Watch Society seriously - so much so that her weekends for the last three years have been spent on boat patrols from Kallang River to the Singapore River, picking up rubbish, and alerting the authorities to major litter problems.

She teaches school students about the importance of keeping Singapore's waterways clean, making them understand how junk can ruin the rivers.

She wants to ingrain the instinct of keeping waterways clean among the young, especially as Singapore opens up more of them to the public for recreational activity.

She says: 'The rubbish that gets thrown in, like plastic bags, bottles and styrofoam boxes, can kill marine life.'

As people become more affluent and chase material goods, Mrs Giri hopes they do so with discretion.

'Be conscious of what you buy, think three times before you buy something and think about whether you really need it,' she says.

'A lot of natural resources and energy sources went into producing these material goods.'

Mr Edwin T.F. Khew, 59, chief executive of IUT Global, the sole Singaporean winner of the European Union Parliament's Energy Globe Award 2007

For IUT Global chief executive Edwin Khew, no waste goes to waste - not even rotting food. It can be turned into energy and fertiliser.

Since late last year, his company began using bacteria to convert food waste from some foodcourts and hotels into natural gas, which is then used to power its factory. Some of it is fed back into Singapore's electricity grid.

Today, the factory converts 12.5 tonnes of food waste each hour into 3MW of energy, enough to light 5,000 four-room flats.

By next year, he says, IUT Global aims to establish similar plants in developing countries in the region. It will hire people who scavenge in shanty towns and dump sites to work in these facilities.

Mr Khew, a Nominated MP, feels that Singapore has a big role to play in leading a regional realisation that it is possible to be both economically viable yet socially and environmentally enlightened at the same time.

A business-as-usual approach to the environment is not an option - and people are starting to realise that, he says.

'Up to a few years ago, nobody believed that having bigger cars, bigger condos and air-conditioners would have such a big impact on the environment. But with recent natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and very aggressive cyclones which have caused a lot of destruction and misery, more and more people are realising that the impact of global warming is very real,' says Mr Khew.

Mr Wilson Ang, 26, winner of NEA's EcoFriend Award 2007 and the DHL Young Entrepreneurs for Sustainability Award

So impassioned was he for the environmental cause that, two years ago, Mr Wilson Ang, then 24, ended his career with the Republic of Singapore Air Force to devote more time to developing the Environmental Challenge Organisation Singapore (ECO Singapore).

With support from his family, and funding from local ministries and corporations, ECO Singapore, which he started in 2003, has since ballooned to include 120 volunteers.

It reaches out to thousands of young people every year through a range of projects, including the annual National Youth Environment Forum and Earth Hour Singapore in March this year, when 3,500 homes turned out the lights.

Mr Ang says: 'It gives me immense satisfaction to engage youth of the new generation to start thinking and acting like responsible global citizens, taking ownership of their actions and impact...It is heartening to see positive changes, big and small. The world requires everyone to do their part to become a better place.'

Ms November Tan, 26, winner of the Bayer Young Environmentalist Award and HSBC National Youth Achievement Award

Ms November Tan began her love affair with nature when she was a child. She went for hikes with her parents and learnt about the environment she lives in.

Now 26, she is a nature guide on Pulau Ubin, taking groups around the island and teaching them about environmental conservation. She also trains new guides, and authors a blog about the island and its history.

The environmental warrior in her also initiated Toddycats Engage, a group of over 100 volunteers from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, which provides feedback to various government agencies and organisations on environmental issues.

'Every time I hear somebody come up to me saying that they felt inspired to do something for the environment, even if it's as simple as to stop using straws, I feel a sense of fulfilment.'

See November's leafmonkey blog for errata in this article.

Mr Christophe Inglin, 45, managing director of solar firm Phoenix Solar

He may be the boss, but the managing director of Phoenix Solar's choice mode of transport to his office - which is some 6km away from his home - is the bicycle.

The chairman of the Renewable Energy Committee of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, is keeping a close eye on his carbon footprint - or the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases he puts into the air.

Only a meeting requiring him to be in a shirt and tie would compel him to reach for the car keys. He owns a 1.6 litre car, even though his childhood dream was to own a sports convertible.

And instead of hopping on a plane, he opts for phone conferences or e-mail exchanges, says Mr Inglin, who has solar panels in his home to feed electricity back into the power grid.

It sometimes means having to battle the green-eyed monster - but for the planet, it's worth it, he says.

'You look at what other people have and you'll want to have the same thing - the same big car, the same material goods. More consumption of goods means more consumption of energy, because all these goods take energy to make.'

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Serious lessons on water get a splash of colour

Liaw Wy-Cin, Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE is a city-state which epitomises the urban planner's biggest challenges.

From how to provide for growth while keeping the place green, to how to overcome scarcities of land, water and other resources, the Republic has found innovative ways to respond to many of these challenges.

It is therefore fitting that more than 6,000 government officials, scientists, industry experts and businessmen from across the world will be meeting here next week to study how to keep cities sustainable.

They will discuss and try to find ways to make cities more liveable at a time when population growth and economic progress are putting pressure on the world's resources.

To help them figure out how to get there, two inaugural events will be held - the Singapore International Water Week and the World Cities Summit. Both events are being held for the first time and Singapore is organising both.

Mr Michael Toh, 40, the general manager of the water conference, said one inspiration for the event was Singapore's award-winning water success story.

In 40 years, this nation has raised its number of water sources from two to four. They are: imported water, water from the country's reservoirs, treated used water and desalinated water.

The star in this success story is technology, which is being tapped to treat used and sea water.

Mr Toh said: 'We wanted this event to be a platform to showcase our technologies to the world, to share with other countries how we solved our water problems and to help them solve theirs as well.'

The theme for the water event, organised by national water agency PUB, is Sustainable Water Solutions For Cities.

The cities summit, organised by the Ministry of National Development, the Civil Service College and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, will bear the theme Liveable And Vibrant Cities.

Under the wings of these two big events are more than 20 international high-level meetings and workshops, including a conference with a special focus on East Asia.

The buzz word at these meetings will certainly be 'sustainability', short form for how nations can attain economic prosperity without straining the world's resources.

The global escalation of oil and food prices in the past few months has made the need for the judicious use of scarce resources even more pressing, so this will certainly also come under the spotlight at next week's discussions.

Although most of the event's sessions will involve government officials, businessmen, scientists and industry experts, some activities will be tailored for students and the public.

Policymakers will largely be involved in meetings to discuss the challenges of growing urban populations.

Academics and industry experts will be tied up in a conference on water and used-water treatment technologies; they will also be drawn to a trade show on water-related products and services as well as seven business forums.

Mr Toh said these will serve as a marketplace for 'buyers and sellers to come together to see what water technologies are available'.

The trade show will be open to the public on Thursday, he said.

Environment groups will have their own area of interest in the proceedings.

As Singapore develops and as the Government opens up more nature areas to the public for recreational purposes, the Waterways Watch Society, for example, hopes the protection of reservoirs and rivers will be discussed.

Its chairman, MrEugene Heng, 59, said: 'There has to be proper awareness and education for all the users because, unfortunately, people create litter and this may pollute the waterways.'

In the World Cities Summit, one area of urban planning to be discussed will be how to make cities happier and more satisfying places to live in.

Cities summit delegate Rajendra Kumar, 38, the deputy general manager at the reserve bank of India and who is now doing a master's degree at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said he hopes to take some lessons back with him to India, where waves of rural folk are migrating to the cities.

'This puts a lot of strain on housing, the provision of water, sanitation, transport and infrastructure,' he added.

The president of non-profit organisation Eco-Singapore, Mr Wilson Ang, 26, hopes conference delegates will explore setting up funds to develop a regional centre of expertise on sustainable city planning.

'This way, more research and development can go into supporting countries keen on making their cities more sustainable,' he said.

Among the events planned are forums and a concert for the delegates, featuring Tan Dun, the composer of the Oscar-winning score of the Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The works, Water Concerto and Crouching Tiger Concerto, will be performed at the Esplanade Concert Hall by the Singapore Festival Orchestra.

The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, an international award that honours an individual or organisation for contributions to solving the world's water woes, will also be given out.

Local pop maestro Dick Lee has been roped in as the creative director of the gala prize-giving ceremony. He also wrote the theme song for the water week, which will debut at the ceremony.

Another highlight: an energetic three-night performance by Dutch theatre troupe The Lunatics at Bedok Reservoir, which started yesterday.

The Marina Bay area will be turned into a field for canoe polo matches and a stage for water ski performances.

At the Science Centre, an exhibition on water and how it shapes ecosystems around the world opened last month and will be on until October.

Water meet to get ideas to flow across divides
Tania Tan, Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

WHEN Singapore's national water agency, the PUB, won the prestigious Stockholm Industry Water Award - the Nobel equivalent in water industry circles - last year, it was like a splash of cold water on a tired, distracted world.

Suddenly, this water-scarce nation found itself a little spring of ideas on how to tackle some of the most pressing water issues facing the world.

The PUB did not stop there. It decided a follow-up act was called for. This gave rise to the inaugural Singapore International Water Week, which officially kicks off next Tuesday.

More than 5,000 heads of government, research and industry will be in town to discuss water issues during the four-day event, which took 15 months of planning by the PUB.

'The event will not only allow Singapore to share with the water industry its experiences, but also bring together experts from around the world to share their views and brainstorm practical solutions,' said PUB chief executive Khoo Teng Chye.

Leaders from over 70 countries will be in town to discuss policy, make deals and check out Singapore's own water successes.

They have much to discuss: International finance institution, the Asian Development Bank, estimates that 700 million people in the region lack access to safe water. About two billion lack access to basic sanitation facilities.

Strong global economic growth, population pressures and increased urbanisation have dovetailed to sharply increase water use. Pollution and climate change put further strain on resources, he added.

A report by the United Nations Environment Programme predicted that the escalating burden of water demand will become 'intolerable in water-scarce countries' within the next few decades.

Such issues are also discussed at conferences, like the annual symposiums by the Stockholm International Water Institute and the biennial International Water Association (IWA) conference, but on different playing fields - either by industry or policymakers.

With such established events around the world, Singapore's water summit had to 'carve out a niche for itself', said Mr Khoo.

That involved bringing leaders 'across the water cycle' together under one roof.

Programmes and seminars were designed to cater to a wider audience of industry and non-industry types, said Singapore International Water Week managing director Michael Toh.

'We want everyone in one place to get them on the same page when it comes to water problems in the region,' he said.

'Partnerships and innovation must be at the centre of addressing water problems,' said Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs director-general for enterprise and innovation Renee Bergkamp, who will speak next week.

Having the chance to speak to regional policymakers, and industry players is a 'unique chance', said Associate Professor Vladan Babovic, director of the Singapore- Delft Water Alliance. He will attend the conference next week.

Running since 1991, the Stockholm institute's World Water Week focuses on water management and policy, while the IWA meeting traditionally brings together technological stalwarts and companies, he noted.

Conferences are often tailored to either policy or industry players, preventing 'fluid communication' between parties, said Prof Babovic, who is also with the National University of Singapore engineering faculty.

'It's easy for either party to get lost if they're not experts in these events - it prevents good solutions from being achieved,' he said.

Added Mr Toh: 'We are not suggesting we have the perfect answer, only that we can help matchmake solutions to problems.'

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Prepared for water crisis? Singapore shows the way

Andrew Benedek, Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

LIFE on earth would not be possible without water.

For human beings, water plays a role in almost every aspect of life, two of them critical to survival.

First, we need water to quench our thirst and, almost as importantly, we need copious amounts of it to grow our food.

Interestingly though, our behaviour towards water as a species is either one of great reverence - sacred rivers and versions of baptismal or holy water exist in most religions - or one of total disregard of its value.

Today perhaps more than ever, we are coming to a crossroad: We either learn to respect water as the stuff of life and then learn to manage its use better or we will face increasingly severe food shortages and pandemics as a consequence of our current profligate ways.

I am optimistic that solutions can and will be found.

Throughout history, we tried to either avoid damage from floods or tidal waves or tried to improve the quantity or quality of the water available to us.

The fact that some 6.3 billion of us are living on the earth today is testimony to the fact that somehow we have managed to find solutions to the problems of each era.

In the 1800s, humanity started to use fossil fuels on a larger scale and with that came our ability to transport food and water.

That, in turn, allowed the human population to increase as never before.

Soon, the beginnings of microbiology allowed us to understand water-borne diseases.

The first of the major water treatment inventions of modern man, water disinfection by chlorine, was introduced to the world in 1850. The flush toilet was also introduced to the world.

Both inventions were made in London which then had a cholera epidemic.

The flush toilet was implemented rapidly, keeping the cities cleaner. But rivers, lakes and oceans became more and more polluted over time.

It was only at the beginning of the 20th century that a few cities and industries began to recognise that the discharge of sewage directly into streams was causing health problems.

It led to the construction of the first sewage facilities. But it was only during the second half of the 20th century that most cities and towns got that technology.

Still, most industries were allowed to discharge their waste untreated until the Cuyahoga River in Ohio caught fire and many people died of mercury poisoning in Japan.

To end that, by 1970, all new plants had to have an approved waste water system before they could be built.

Today, the developed world is focused on finding solutions to more subtle - but serious - concerns, such as the presence of potentially carcinogenic compounds, human hormones or pharmaceuticals in water.

While solutions exist, they are still not widely implemented due to a lack of agreement on the necessity to do so.

The developing world, in the meantime, has been primarily putting its emphasis on the economic growth needed to catch up with developed countries and pollution control has been a secondary concern.

Safe - or disinfected - drinking water is still not available to 1.1 billion people in the world, and 2.6 billion people lack any kind of sewage treatment.

Fortunately, many developing countries, like China and India, are now doing much better economically and they are beginning to catch up in water treatment as well.

The level of sanitation in the developing world, however, is still a great danger to all of us.

As an example, a new type of E. coli bacteria was formed in Costa Rica due to poor sanitation during the 1960s.

Thirty years later, this bacteria showed up in the potable water supply of a small Canadian town called Walkerton where thousands developed bloody diarrhoea and seven died.

In the short term, our biggest danger is the spreading of a 'superbug', such as this mutant E. coli, especially a chlorine-resistant one.

Treatment methods such as membrane technology should protect people if already installed but, unfortunately, at this time, there are still many plants needing improvement for this type of an eventuality.

But the biggest issue right now, and for many years to come, is the shortage of water.

Many factors are acting in concert to make the current situation dangerous.

First, we have the continuing growth in population. By 2050, the earth may need to support nine billion people versus the current 6.3 billion.

Second, each year, the consumption of water per person is growing as developing nations increasingly adopt the more affluent lifestyle of the developed world.

Third, both the growth in population as well as the increase in affluence is occurring in relatively water-short areas.

Fourth, global warming is predicted to significantly reduce the availability of water for human use.

Fifth, many of the most critical agricultural areas of the world use groundwater in excess of replenishment, meaning that sooner or later, we will run out of water for irrigation.

So, we have here the ingredients of a perfect storm.

Unless something is changed, we will not have sufficient water for the burgeoning population and we will be unable to feed a large segment of humanity.

Fortunately, excellent solutions already exist for supplying water to people even when natural circumstances are stacked against a country.

Singapore is by far the best example of what can be done. Singapore has very little renewable water resources; it is listed by the World Bank as the 165th country out of 173 in the amount of water available per capita.

In spite, or perhaps because, of it, Singapore leads the world in virtually every aspect of water management.

In particular, Singapore has pioneered direct water re-use to the point that when the current plants are completed, more than 20 per cent of the nation's water needs can be met by the recycling of water so pure that it meets or exceeds virtually any current and even probable future standards.

Singapore was also one of the first countries outside of the Middle East to demonstrate membrane-based sea water desalination at an affordable cost.

All in all, Singapore is prepared for the water-short future to come.

Singapore is also acting responsibly as a world leader by hosting next week's Singapore International Water Week and sharing its knowledge openly with the world.

On the basis of Singapore's example, it is easy to see that providing water for people can be done provided the management skills and necessary money are available.

The amount of money needed to improve water systems globally is large, but it is significantly less than the approximately US$100 billion (S$137billion) spent annually by consumers on bottled water.

And, if done for even the earth's poorest, everyone's life would be better for it.

Dr Benedek is the winner of the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew water prize.

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Hot topic: Keeping our cities growing and green

As more people move to cities, planners are pondering ways to keep economies growing while safeguarding the environment
Clarissa Oon, Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

GREEN is the new black. The environment is the new 'it' cause, with its own heroes, mantras and slogans.

The buzzword among the green crowd these days is 'sustainability', meaning how to give economies robust, while ensuring that scarce resources such as fresh water, clean air and land remains available for future generations to enjoy too.

But sustainable development, or how to keep economies humming in an environmentally friendly way, has also gone mainstream. No longer just an airy-fairy notion upheld by tree-huggers, it now weighs heavily on the minds of many city planners and development professionals like Mr Keshav Varma.

As municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad in western India from 1994 to 1997 - a crowded Indian education and technology hub historically dubbed the 'city of dust' - he cleaned up slums, built parks and tried to ensure that as many people as possible enjoyed the benefits of both economic growth and a good living environment.

Mr Varma, 57, is now the World Bank's sector director of urban development for the East Asia and Pacific region, and has gone from urban planner to dispenser of bank loans and advice to developing Asian cities.

Singapore is hoping to ramp up dialogue on sustainable development when it hosts the likes of him at a major international summit next week.

The inaugural World Cities Summit, to be held from Monday to Wednesday, will see over 700 policymakers, governors, urban planners and environmentalists from around the world gathering at the Suntec convention centre.

The participants are worried that unbridled urban sprawls of energy-guzzling buildings and traffic are depleting the planet's resources, causing it to overheat. Climate volatility, scientists say, will melt icecaps, aggravate droughts and floods, and squeeze food production over the next few decades.

The event is organised by Singapore's Ministry of National Development, Civil Service College and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in partnership with organisations such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The organisers hope this high-level talkfest will evolve into a Davos for sustainability issues, in the same way that the Swiss alpine town draws thousands of the world's political, business and academic leaders to discuss the general state of the world at the annual World Economic Forum.

To give the summit more mileage, two related events will be held here next week. They are the first International Water Week on sustainable urban water solutions and an East Asia Summit Conference on Liveable Cities.

'Liveability plus'

AS INDICATED by the theme of this year's Singapore summit, 'Liveable and Vibrant Cities', the concept of 'liveability' has become one yardstick of competitiveness for cities as they jostle to woo and keep talent in a globalised knowledge economy.

Cities become liveable by virtue of criteria like low crime, affordability as well as high-quality housing and health care, good schools, efficient transportation, access to nature and a sense of culture and community, say academics, architects and development experts.

Sustainability is the more difficult, long-term goal, with half the world's population living in cities and rich urbanites producing more harmful greenhouse gases through their daily activities compared to poor villagers.

Today's policymakers and urban planners are being 'squeezed on both sides' because 'you have got to make the city liveable for the ordinary citizen and sustainable in terms of its impact on global environment', says Professor Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

In Asia, cities typically make up 85 per cent of a country's gross domestic product, and are growing at a speed never before seen in world history, notes Mr Michael Lindfield, ADB's principal urban development specialist.

The key to sustainability, he believes, is a tricky balance between environmental, social and economic needs.

'It's no good to have a green environment if your cities are full of protests or if your citizens are mostly poor, just as it's no good to have a healthy economy if the health of your citizens is under threat from pollution,' says Mr Lindfield.

In short, sustainability involves an entire ecosystem of related issues.

It entails rethinking everything from budget allocation and funding, to land use and how to design buildings and transport systems so that resources can be recycled and energy or fuel consumption minimised.

It goes right down to everyday acts of recycling and energy-saving because without civic pride and responsibility, all the green technology in the world would go to waste, says environmentalist Geh Min.

'A city is not bricks and mortar, it's people. It's the people element that will make it sustainable or liveable; they are the real building blocks,' says Dr Geh, who is president of the Nature Society (Singapore).

Asia's slow greening

ENTRENCHED mindsets among the wider population need to be changed, chief of all the perception that environmental sustainability is expensive and inconvenient, stressed experts.

'It is true it takes time to educate citizens, especially in developing countries, on the full benefits of environmental protection,' says the World Bank's Mr Varma.

'But it is our view that once these benefits are analysed for their economic, social and environmental impacts, they will far outweigh the costs of taking action.'

Fortunately, the wheels of the sustainability movement are turning - albeit slowly - more than 30 years after development champions and environment activists first clashed over the subject.

More cities are drawing up action plans against climate change - and not just the Scandinavian and central European capitals which have traditionally taken the lead.

New York is aiming for a 30 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, while London hopes to slash emissions by 60 per cent in 20 years.

To that end, London has slapped an £8 (S$21.50) congestion charge on cars entering the city centre, similar to Singapore's Electronic Road Pricing scheme.

Even traffic-choked Bangkok has a five-year green plan which includes recycling residents' used cooking oil for biodiesel.

Attitudes are also changing among the once-resistant population giants China and India. In particular, China - the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases last year - has started addressing the impact of climate change in policy documents. It has also set targets for its cities to reduce energy intensity and key pollution indicators.

About half of the US$1.5 billion (S$2.05 billion) the World Bank lends to China every year goes to addressing environmental challenges such as solid waste disposal and water pollution.

The ADB says most of its urban lending - which comes to about US$1 billion a year - is for environment-related projects such as sanitation.

Advocates and critics of sustainable development both say there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each city has to work out its own mix of planning and controls on one end, and market forces and innovation on the other.

Still most sustainability advocates walk around with a spring in their step these days.

San Francisco-based architect Mr Joe Brown, CEO of award-winning landscape and urban design firm Edaw, who will be here for next week's summit, said: 'I had lunch with former UN chief Kofi Annan recently and I said: 'There's so much bad news in the world, famine, genocide, Africa, Iraq, could you name one powerful positive?' He said: 'The sustainability movement'.'

Mr Brown adds: 'Every country, whether rich or poor, is into it. When you think about it, no other subject has ever generated as much focus as a unifying mission, except maybe world peace.'

The Green Oscars
Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

They cover just 1 per cent of the earth's surface, but cities are home to more than half the world's population and can be blamed for most global warming. But some cities have been pioneering efforts to marry economic development with environmental sustainability, making their transport system or energy production more sustainable for the future.

ARTI MULCHAND highlights some success stories

Eco-cities

Songdo international business centre, near Incheon, South Korea

THE US$30 billion (S$41 billion) Songdo international business centre has quickly become a model for sustainable development, thanks to steps taken to reduce the city's carbon footprint right from the conceptualisation stage.

The city, which is being developed on 600ha of reclaimed land along Incheon's waterfront, includes features like underground cisterns which trap storm water run-off for irrigation systems and non-potable uses for commercial buildings.

It also has hectares of green space, fuel-cell buses, water taxis and extensive bike ways.

It opens officially in August next year but when fully completed in 2015, the business centre will be home to 65,000 people, and 300,000 will work there.

Songdo was named one of the winners of the first Sustainable Cities Award, sponsored by the Financial Times and the Urban Land Institute, earlier this year - the only Asian winner.

Dongtan, China

LOCATED on Chongming island, about an hour from Shanghai, Dongtan's goal is to stay as close to carbon neutral as possible - with city vehicles that produce no carbon or particulate emissions, and highly efficient water and energy systems.

All its energy will come from renewable sources, including biofuels, wind farms and solar panels.

Most of its waste will be reused as biofuel for additional energy production, and organic waste will be composted. Even human sewage will be composted and processed for energy and composting.

Dongtan expects to use 64 per cent less energy than a comparable conventional city of its size. Construction is expected to begin some time this year. Up to 10,000 people will live in the city on completion of the first phase, which is planned for 2010.

Curitiba, Brazil

MAYOR Jaime Learner and his government are credited for Curitiba's transformation into a model of sustainability, by drawing on a combination of sound transport policies, recycling and low-tech solutions.

Two-thirds of the city of 1.6 million people used public transport by the 1990s, thanks to a sophisticated and efficient bus system which acts almost like a railway, and integration between different forms of transport.

It means the city has 25 per cent less congestion and noticeably cleaner air than cities of similar size.

Recycling in Curitiba is also so advanced, two-thirds of the city's daily waste is processed.

The city is also home to 21million sq m of parks, woods, gardens and squares. The parks' lakes are used to hold back floods, and function as water-flow regulators during the rainy season.

Freiburg, Germany

THE humble bicycle has gone some way to help establish Freiburg as Germany's ecological capital since the 1970s. One-third of all journeys are by bike.

By 1986, sustainability received a further push from the city's vision to be reliant on an ecologically oriented energy supply.

Ten years later, Freiburg passed the Climate Protection Concept, a resolution to cut emissions to 25 per cent below 1992 levels by 2010 - by targeting energy use in buildings, homes and businesses, as well as transport.

In a decade, the city's emissions came down by more than 10 per cent per head. Public transport use has also doubled, with a third of the city's residents choosing not to own a car. Today, its solar, energy efficiency and transport programmes are among the best in the world.

Transport

Mexico City

ONE of the primary sources of Mexico City's carbon emissions - and a major contributor to its air pollution - is the transport sector.

The sector accounted for more than a third of its 2000 estimate of 51 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted. Thus, many of the city's sustainability solutions zoom in on that sector.

One municipal government-sponsored programme is that of replacing 10,000 of Mexico City's taxis that are at least eight years old with more fuel-efficient models. So far, 3,090 taxis have been replaced.

More than 40,000 other taxis have also gone greener - thanks to taxi drivers who got loans on their own and changed their cabs.

Energy use

San Francisco, United States

SAN Francisco is home to the largest city-owned solar power system in the United States.

Located at San Francisco's Convention Center, it covers 60,000 sq ft, equivalent to the size of a football field, and generates 826,000 kwh annually. This is equivalent to powering 184 homes in San Francisco for a year, or the power saved by removing 7,000 cars from the road, or not driving 141 million km.

Over the lifetime of the project, it will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 35,000 tonnes.

Water management

Singapore's Marina Barrage

TOUTED as the poster child of Singapore's quest for environmentally sustainable development, the $226 million Marina Barrage provides far more than waterfront beauty.

Not only does the island's 15th reservoir increase its water supply, but the tidal barrier will also help alleviate flooding in the city's low-lying areas during high tide.

When officially opened next year, it will be Singapore's first reservoir in the city, and will offer recreational activities.

It is one of the crown jewels in the national water agency PUB's water management plans.

Biodiversity

Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin, Singapore

GIVEN Singapore's small land area and need for economic growth, a pragmatic approach has been adopted in trying to balance development and biodiversity management.

The country's model focuses on protecting nature reserves and areas rich in biodiversity, such as Chew Jawa Wetlands on Pulau Ubin.

Chek Jawa Wetlands made news in 2001, when there was a strong petition against the Government carrying out reclamation work in the area. Nature lovers spoke up for the area's unique ecosystem.

About 20,000 people visit Chek Jawa annually.

Cities going the eco-friendly route
Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

Wellington
Population: 190,500

Situated along a curved harbour and with hills, coastlines and forests just a drive away, New Zealand's capital is not short of natural beauty.

Its good public transport infrastructure, skilled and talented workforce as well as a safe, tolerant, diverse and cohesive community all make Wellington 'a great place to live and well placed to meet future sustainability challenges', says the city's mayor Kerry Prendergast.

Ms Prendergast, who will speak at next week's World Cities Summit, says climate protection is one of the key thrusts of the city's current 10-year plan.

Among other things, the city council wants to be carbon-neutral in its operations by 2012 and future homes are planned to be close to public transport.

The council has also partnered with a trust to provide free or low-cost home insulation against heat and cold, to reduce energy inefficiencies.

Copenhagen
Population: 509,900

Cycling is a way of life in Denmark's small, affluent capital city, as is taking summer dips in one of five outdoor public pools in Copenhagen harbour.

A seamless, smog-free network of cycle lanes, an efficient subway system and the cleaned-up harbour have won this design and commercial hub a string of international accolades.

Ranked the world's most liveable city in this month's edition of Europe-based lifestyle magazine Monocle (Singapore was ranked No. 22), Copenhagen's aim is to ensure that 90 per cent of its residents are within walking distance of a park, beach or swimming facility by 2015.

With an abundance of fresh air and wind, it is also trying to rely less on fossil fuels by producing renewable wind energy. There is a marine-based wind farm just outside Copenhagen harbour and wind energy makes up 26 per cent of total electricity production in Denmark.

Yokohama
Population: 3.6 million

Japan's second largest city after Tokyo is home to one of the country's busiest commercial ports but has a spacious, relaxed feel. Its charms include modern cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, traditional gardens and waterfront views.

Mayor Hiroshi Nakada wants to take the city's quality of life further.

'All of Yokohama City's policies are based on the aim of becoming a sustainable city,' says Mr Nakada, the youngest individual to head one of Japan's major cities when he was elected mayor in 2002, at the age of 37.

He has succeeded in cutting the city's waste by more than 30 per cent through a campaign which gets residents involved in sorting their household trash for recycling.

The mayor is also promoting energy savings through higher air-conditioning temperatures, and seeking to improve trust between residents and officials through an open policy of information disclosure. He will speak at the World Cities Summit.

Singapore
Population: 4.59 million

Singapore has made the most of its lack of natural resources, with achievements in water treatment and recycling and its many parks and gardens.

Fiscal prudence and canny economic strategies have helped it attain a First World standard of living over 30 years, as long-term land-use planning aims to cater for continued growth while providing a good living environment.

Plans were recently unveiled for another 900ha of park land and a new 150km round-island cycling route.

Many new homes planned in the north and west regions will be located near reservoirs and parks, while Kallang Riverside was recently earmarked to become a vibrant waterfront housing and hotel development.

Singapore is also studying clean energy sources such as solar energy, and is looking to improve the connectivity and efficiency of its public transport system to wean more residents off cars.

CLARISSA OON

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Panel proposes plan for 'cleantech' park in Singapore

It says this will help Republic secure position as global clean energy hub
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE is taking preliminary steps to set up a 'cleantech' park to showcase the country's burgeoning green energy technologies.

The Economic Development Board (EDB) said yesterday that it is talking to other agencies about the proposal.

The comments came as a high-powered global panel said Singapore could cement its position as a global clean energy hub by setting up just such a cleantech park.

This was one of the key recommendations by a panel of experts which wrapped up its inaugural two-day meeting at the Swissotel in Singapore yesterday.

It concluded that the establishment of such a park would help the Republic differentiate itself from other countries that are also making headway in the cleantech industry.

The panel, formed earlier this year to advise Singapore, also said in a statement that the Republic was 'on track to developing a robust clean energy ecosystem'.

At a press conference, EDB managing director Ko Kheng Hwa said the idea of the cleantech park is now being discussed with other government agencies. 'We have proposed allocating a sizeable parcel of land,' said Mr Ko. This will be dedicated to creating a cleantech cluster and community for the next two decades.

At the park, researchers and professionals in the industry would work and play together. Cleantech innovations can also be tried and tested, with a plug-and-play setting, and the facility will make use of environmentally-sustainable technologies, he said.

It is too early to disclose details or a specific location, but the park will be separate from the current manufacturing cluster in Tuas, said Mr Ko.

The clean energy international advisory panel, which has seven members and will meet once a year, also commended Singapore's clean energy initiatives.

These included Singapore's research and development drive, efforts to groom local and foreign talent, and construction of an industry ecosystem by attracting established clean energy firms to set up shop in the Republic.

Lord Ronald Oxburgh, the panel's co-chairman and former chairman of the British House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, told The Straits Times: 'From what we've seen, Singapore is on its way. I don't know of any country that has taken the initiatives Singapore has taken.

'But you can expect other countries like Japan and China to also move quickly to get first-mover advantage...so Singapore must act fast.'

The panel is also chaired by EDB chairman Lim Siong Guan, and was formed for Singapore to glean insight from clean energy experts around the world.

'The panellists' valuable insights will help Singapore accelerate our efforts to be a leader in clean energy. If Cepo implements our strategies well, there will be many exciting business opportunities available for firms based here,' said Mr Lim. The Clean Energy Programme Office, or Cepo, was set up last April to implement and coordinate clean energy programmes.

The panel also noted that Singapore must move rapidly to become the regional leader in clean energy solutions.

'This would in turn lead to the export of these solutions to overseas markets, and would also hasten mass adoption in Singapore when they become cost efficient,' said the panel.

Live, breathe clean energy?
Clean tech park to be set up here, to test such an ecosystem
New Chai Chin, Today Online 21 Jun 08:

IN THE field of clean energy, it’s not much of an exaggeration to say changes are happening at the speed of light. Because of this, the inter-government agency’s Clean Energy Programme Office decided to hold its International Advisory Panel’s first meeting over Thursday and Friday this week, despite two of the seven members not being able to make it.

The report card from the panel — co-chaired by the Economic Development Board (EDB) chairman Lim Siong Guan and former chairman of Shell Transport and Trading, Lord Ronald Oxburgh — is this: Singapore is on the right track in building its research capabilities in clean energy applications, especially solar energy. But it needs to become a living example of a clean energy ecosystem.

To do this, a clean tech park looks set to be built and developed into a “working, living and production laboratory for ideas to be easily tried out”, said Mr Ko Kheng Hua, the EDB’s managing director, who addressed reporters together with the panel on Friday.

The park will be built on a sizeable parcel of land dedicated to creating a clean tech community over the next two decades, said Mr Ko. A set of “smart regulations” governing the distribution of energy, waste and water would also be experimented with at the park.

While the timeline for the park has not been drawn up, it cannot happen a moment too soon, said the panel.

“There are lots of places in the world that want to be hubs or clusters of clean tech. The race is on,” said Mr Nicholas Parker, one of the panel members and chairman of the United States-basedCleantech Group. The park will put notions of “industrial ecology” into practice, where one company’s waste stream becomes another company’s input, he said.

Besides urging Singapore to get a headstart in clean tech knowledge and expertise, panel members also urged the Government to make converts of its people.

And the perception that clean energy is pricier than conventional energy needs to be changed as it is fast becoming a myth, said Dr Winfried Hoffmann, president of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association.

For example, Californians now pay up to US$0.45 ($0.61) per kilowatt hour for their electricity during peak summertime periods in the afternoons. But with photovoltaic systems on their roofs, they would only have to pay US$0.25 per kilowatt hour, said Dr Hoffmann.

Clean energy developments could bring energy prices back to “affordable” levels in 20 to 30 years’ time — unlike current levels with oil prices hovering around US$140 per barrel, he said.

“As we go forward, what we regard as expensive, as alternative energy sources, will before very long be the cheapest form of energy,” said Lord Oxburgh.

Singapore on track in developing clean energy ecosystem
Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: Singapore needs to move quickly on the clean energy front, says the International Advisory Panel (IAP) following an evaluation of the sector here.

Overall, the panel says, Singapore is on track to developing a robust clean energy ecosystem. But it would like to see more building regulations to incorporate clean energy.

The IAP says that it is key for Singapore to drive research and development in order to keep ahead and tap into the growing demand for clean energy.

Singapore has already taken some key steps in clean energy. For instance, Singapore is constructing its first zero-energy building to promote green technology.

In addition, Singapore will be hosting Renewable Energy Corporation's integrated solar manufacturing complex.

But according to the clean energy IAP, Singapore can push further ahead from the pack.

Ronald Oxburgh, former chairman of Science and Technology at UK House of Lords, said: "Singapore has got an immense resource in its people who are technologically very well trained, very ingenious and very innovative and entrepreneurial. I think it is a matter of Singapore spotting the opportunities. I think this is clearly an opportunity that Singapore should spot and get first mover advantage.

"There is little doubt that people all around the world will be seeing this business opportunity but I doubt that any country has actually got the agility and the technical expertise to move as fast and as appropriately as Singapore."

One idea is to develop a clean technology park. Plans for such a park, which would act as a working/living/production lab, are still in the early stages.

The international advisory panel says Singapore needs to move fast to build its strengths, skill and talent to tap into the huge knowledge-base capital in the renewable energy sector.

Nicholas Parker, co-founder & chairman of Clean Tech Group, said: "Renewable energies are part of the bigger clean tech stories that are playing out and we could see Singapore taking 2% of the global jobs....and if about a million and a half jobs are being created over the next few years, that's a very significant employment number. You're talking about thousands of jobs at stake, but there is the other side of the coin, which is if you don't act...the jobs are going to go and (with it) the loss of competitiveness in the industry."

The IAP was formed to advise the Clean Energy Programme Office (CEPO) on overall development of the clean energy industry in Singapore. - CNA/ir

Singapore mulls setting up cleantech park
Zone producing and operating on clean energy could be running in a decade
Jamie Lee, Business Times 21 Jun 08;

IMAGINE a business zone where companies run only on sun, wind, water or any other form of clean energy.

Singapore could see such a cleantech park aimed at producing and operating on clean energy over the next decade, state investment agency Economic Development Board (EDB) said yesterday, even as experts urged it to 'move fast' to beat the competition.

EDB has suggested setting up a cleantech cluster that could operate as a 'living lab' for clean technology (cleantech) experiments, based on recommendations by the International Advisory Panel on Clean Energy, which met over the last two days to assess Singapore's clean energy efforts.

'What we have proposed with our partner agencies is to allocate a sizeable parcel of land, which we can develop over the next one or two decades, that is dedicated to creating a cleantech community,' said Ko Kheng Hwa, managing director of EDB.

'It will be a living lab. A place for new ideas that can be easily mounted and tried out . . . and for those workable ideas, to scale it, apply it to other parts of Singapore and then, perhaps project it to other markets around the world,' he added.

Singapore must build its pool of homegrown researchers to stay ahead of the competition, noted experts in the panel, which included Ronald Oxburgh, former chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, and Winfried Hoffmann, chief technology officer of Applied Materials' Solar Business Group.

The country must also complete the 'clean energy ecosystem' by boosting its clean energy manufacturing sector.

Singapore has thus far attracted a $6.3 billion project by Norway's Renewable Energy Corp to build the world's largest solar manufacturing plant here, and Dr Hoffmann said Applied Materials is 'in intense discussions' with the company to provide crystalline silicon wafers.

While the clean energy sector has seen limited success and has yet to reach the economic scale to bring costs down, the panel experts said clean energy is a good long-term investment that companies can use to offset even higher fuel and other raw material costs expected in the future.

Singaporeans must also be convinced of clean energy, even as anecdotal evidence suggests that people here are less environmentally conscious. During the recent Earth Hour movement, which aimed to get people worldwide to switch their lights off for an hour, most households and shops kept their lights on.

'You people here have got a very important role to play,' noted Lord Oxburgh, who is also deputy chairman of the science and engineering research council of A*Star. 'In other parts of the world, the evidence of climate change is perhaps more conspicuous than it is in Singapore.'

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Shipyards urged to have downtime to review safety procedures

Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: The Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI) has urged shipyards to take a voluntary time-out to review their safety procedures.

The call comes in the wake of two fatal accidents within less than two weeks - one on June 8 and the other on June 17 - which left three dead and sent 19 to hospital.

Singapore has 89 shipyards, which range from the big boys to the smaller players.

With a boom in the marine industry, there has been a staffing crunch in recent years.

Given a mounting workload, safety measures may not be followed as closely as they should be.

This is the concern of the newly-established Workplace Safety and Health Council.

It plans to share more safety information at an upcoming forum for all shipyards, but will zoom in on small to medium-sized shipyards.

Lee Tzu Yang, chairman of Workplace Safety and Health Council, said: "We believe they are the ones most under pressure in this current business environment. They are the ones who have most difficulty in retaining skilled workers, in filling their safety officer positions."

There is one concern, though. Given that many of the workers are foreign nationals, safety messages may be lost in translation.

Mr Lee said: "I think that's a challenge, not only in shipyards but also in construction, in any industry which uses foreign nationals who work in Singapore. I think that simply increases the challenge - it is not an excuse."

Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said he is saddened by the loss of three lives in the accidents this month.

He urged the industry to learn from the incidents and take immediate steps to prevent them from happening again.

Mr Gan added that his ministry will step up enforcement on all shipyards to ensure that regulations are implemented on the ground to protect workers' lives.

Channel NewsAsia understands that this means that all shipyards will be checked, instead of random inspections.

In the immediate term, shipyards - both small and big - are starting to heed the call for downtime.

This, ASMI says, will allow them to do two things. One, have the management of shipyards ensure that processes and systems are in place, and two, ensure that the workers are fully aware of the need to follow safety procedures.

But how soon these will be carried out will be left to the shipyards. - CNA/ir

Shipyards face safety checks following two accidents
Islandwide exercise to zoom in on adherence to safety and health management systems
Jermyn Chow, Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

THE island's 89 shipyards will come under the close scrutiny of the Manpower Ministry's safety enforcement officers after two accidents in the space of two weeks killed three people and injured 19.

Yesterday, its spokesman told The Straits Times that checks, which begin next week, will zoom in on the shipyards' safety and health management systems, to see if they are being properly followed.

In a statement, Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said the enforcement checks would supplement a forum to be held next month, where lessons learnt would be shared to help protect workers' lives.

In the first of two deadly incidents, an Indian national died in hospital after he was severely burnt in an explosion on board a boat at the Kreuz shipyard in Tuas Crescent last week.

Then, just this Tuesday, two Indian nationals died and five others were injured while working below a ship deck at a neighbouring dry dock, in what appears to be a case of gas poisoning.

The deaths prompted the industry-led Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC) to put out an e-mail alert yesterday urging shipyards to call for an unprecedented 'time-out' from work to review safety processes and brief workers on safety measures.

It echoed the call made by the Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI) to 200 members, which comprise shipyards and marine contractors, on Thursday, also recommending safety time-outs.

No timeframe was suggested for the voluntary stoppage of work, but some shipyards - both big and small - have already responded.

At least two are believed to have suspended operations for several hours yesterday to reflect on and relook safety processes.

Others have planned time-outs for next week, including ST Marine's two shipyards in Benoi and Tuas, where workers will spend two hours each day, for the whole week, running through safety procedures.

Keppel Offshore & Marine's seven shipyards here will also suspend operations for an hour from today. This will be in addition to the daily one-hour safety briefings it already has, said Mr Choo Chiau Beng, chairman and CEO of Keppel O&M.

Mr Michael Chia, president of the ASMI, said the time-out would help shake up shipyard workers who may have been lulled into complacency.

'It's good to pause for a while and reflect on how we are practising safety,' he added.

In a statement issued yesterday, WSHC chairman Lee Tzu Yang also pointed out that the latest incidents involved workers in confined spaces, where safety standards should be even higher because escape is hard when things go wrong.

He had visited DryDocks World Singapore - the shipyard where the suspected gas leak occurred - with marine industry leaders on Thursday.

The tragedies cast a pall over an industry that is booming.

Last year, the marine and offshore industry - largely the ship repair and conversion and offshore sectors - rang in $13.05 billion in total output - a 33 per cent jump from 2006.

Business is expected to stay buoyant for the next few years, as demand for oil spurs offshore exploration, which in turn ramps up the need for rigs. Growth in global shipping is also expected to rise.

However, a spokesman for Sembcorp Marine, which is calling for a daily half-hour safety time-out for the next two weeks, says safety is more crucial than the bottom line.

He added: 'The time-out will effectively reinforce the safety message among our employees and subcontractors. Safety should always be our number one priority.'

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Singapore campaign launched to get entrepreneurs to think out of the box

Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: The Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.

With a tag line called "Why Not?", the month-long campaign is challenging local entrepreneurs to think out of the box for new ideas that will bring about change and go beyond the norm.

ACE hopes these ideas could be turned into enterprising ventures to raise Singapore's attractiveness as a business hub. To spur entrepreneurs, there will be a contest open to the public. Entries will be accepted until July 17, with the top prize at S$1,000.

Indeed, challenging the norm could just be a start to a thriving business idea.

Kenny Eng, director of Gardenasia, said: "Just several years ago, our management decided to say, 'hey, I think why not we try having F&B in farms and why not have farm-stay in farms as well'.

Just from that simple vision that they had, we explored it together as a team and we started to say, 'ok, let's do agri-tainment, you know, we can bring events to our farm'. We have now people coming over (to the farms) for workshops, retreats, wedding solemnisation, and over the weekends, you'll see people coming to our cafe to eat."

Inderjit Singh, CEO of Infiniti Solutions, said: "Many things that many government agencies used to say 'no' to, have become 'yes' today. Night (motor) race is an example of something that we have resisted for many years - in fact, racing in Singapore. And (now) the government has changed its mind...I think there are many opportunities when there are difficulties. For example, now the cost of living is a big issue, energy is a big issue. There's no reason why we cannot think of things to do."

The campaign is part of ACE's 5th anniversary celebrations. - CNA/ac/ir

'Why not' submit an idea on how to boost entrepreneurship?
Ong Bi Hui, Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

A NATIONWIDE campaign posing the blunt question 'Why not?' has been launched to garner ideas to promote entrepreneurship.

In effect, people are being asked: Why not start your own business? What innovations would make doing so easier?

To get people thinking, a contest has been launched with $1,000, $500 and $300 for the top three winners and five more $100 consolation prizes up for grabs.

The campaign is part of the fifth anniversary celebrations of the Action Community for Entrepreneurship, which was set up in 2003 to foster the spirit of enterprise in Singapore.

As well as seeking new ideas, the campaign also highlights previous suggestions that have helped to bring change to the business scene.

These include an online licensing scheme and the Over-the-Counter Capital scheme in which smaller firms can raise up to $5 million without a prospectus.

The launch yesterday at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station was attended by 20 local entrepreneurs and public sector representatives, including Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan.

Explaining the rationale for the campaign, Mr Lee said: 'Why not? represents a question that inspires paradigm shifts. We hope to set more Singaporeans thinking about new business ideas that they can initiate through this campaign.'

The contest aims to seek out the best ideas to help promote Singapore as an attractive business hub, nurture the entrepreneurial spirit or encourage innovation and competitive businesses.

The contest is open to all members of the public, and ideas can be submitted at www.ace.sg until July 17.

Campaign launched to promote entrepreneurship
Business Times 21 Jun 08;

ABOUT 20 entrepreneurs and public sector representatives yesterday launched a campaign called 'Why Not?' at Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station to promote higher entrepreneurship in Singapore.

'Why Not?' is all about developing new ideas for local business - ideas that were not deemed viable a mere five years ago.

They include the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS), to which businesses can apply, renew and terminate multiple business licences and permits with various government entities through one portal (www.business.gov.sg), and the F1 night race to be held here in September.

The campaign is part of the celebration of the fifth anniversary celebrations of the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE).

Kim Faulkner, CEO, Activiste Pte Ltd and executive committee member of ACE, described optimistically how these developments can challenge contemporary established norms, stating how a simple idea and a group of people who ask 'why not?' can offer better alternative solutions to bring new ideas to fruition.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Minister-in-charge of Entrepreneurship, Lee Yi Shyan, was equally sanguine, saying that the young of today are turning innovative ideas into enterprising ventures. He observed a gradual mindset change in terms of entrepreneurial paradigms.

The top three ideas stand to win $1000, $500 and $300 respectively.

Besides, there are five $100 consolation prizes. The public can log on to www.ace.sg to submit their ideas till July 17.

Read more!

Malaysia suspends seafood exports to EU

Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

Move comes after six processing factories fail EU health standards
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA said it has suspended seafood exports to the European Union (EU) to avoid a ban for allegedly failing to meet European health standards.

Malaysia's Health Ministry said on Thursday that all companies which export seafood to the EU had been told to stop shipments since Tuesday until they complied with the standards.

'This request is made to avoid (a) European Commission decision to ban imports of fishery products from Malaysia,' the statement said.

'All the concerned processing establishments and vessels are currently being audited to verify their compliance with EU requirements,' it said.

The statement did not say how long the suspension would be in place, but a ministry official said companies were expected to be reviewed after six weeks.

In April, visiting EU health inspectors found that six Malaysian seafood factories had failed to meet EU health standards.

The regulations govern proper freezing and storage facilities on board vessels, including clean water and washbasins.

The annual value of Malaysian seafood exports to the EU is RM1.5 billion (S$630 million).

Between 40 and 50 Malaysian companies export seafood to Europe.

The EU's ambassador to Malaysia, Mr Vincent Piket, welcomed Malaysia's decision to voluntarily suspend exports. 'This measure demonstrates clearly Malaysia's commitment to food safety. And it will make it easier to gradually re-certify exporters once the EU requirements are met,' he said in a statement.

The Malaysian Frozen Foods Processors Association's 26 members are expected to lose millions of dollars as it is estimated that it will take three months for exports to flow normally again.

The group's chairman, Mr Ch'ng Chin Hooi, said this is because it is during the next few months that customers place orders for the Christmas season.

Malaysia Shrimp Industry Association chairman Syed Omar Syed Jaafar said his group's members would lose RM69.3 million during the period.

He expected seafood prices in Malaysia to drop over the next few months as exporters dump stocks locally.

Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) last week said imported fish from Malaysia are safe to eat.

Last year, Singapore imported 42,400 tonnes of fish from Malaysia. Stringent checks are in place to ensure the quality of fish imports, said AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong.

Consignments undergo random testing to ensure they are safe for consumption.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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Thai tiger temple a con job, says wildlife group

Animals exploited, abused and traded illegally, reports undercover worker
Nirmal Ghosh, Straits Times 21 Jun 08;

BANGKOK - THAILAND'S famed tiger temple, where monks walk around with tigers - and make money from tourists - is facing accusations that it is a con job, where tigers are traded on the quiet with Laos in violation of the law.

Making the claim is the Britain-based conservation organisation Care for the Wild International (CWI), which this week released a report based on an extensive investigation of the Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannsampanno in Kanchanaburi.

The 28-page report - much of it a contribution by a volunteer working undercover at the temple - details extensive abuse and exploitation of the tigers.

It also warns of a grave risk to tourists from tigers which, though physically weakened and psychologically cowed, are stressed out and therefore volatile - and have been known to injure staff and volunteers.

The report also reproduces a document showing a deal between the abbot of the temple - which styles itself as a tiger rescue centre - and a tiger trader in Laos to exchange a tiger for breeding purposes. Such a deal is illegal under Thai and international law.

The report was given to the Thai authorities last November, said Mr Guna Subramaniam of the CWI's Bangkok office. A reply was promised, but it never came, he said. Neither has any action been taken.

That led to the CWI's decision to release the report.

The temple has, in recent years, become Kanchanaburi's primary tourist attraction, surpassing even the famed bridge over the River Kwai.

Based on the number of visitors, entrance fees and the price for having a picture taken with a tiger's head on your lap - 1,000 baht (S$40) - the CWI estimated that the temple earned about 45 million baht to 50 million baht per year.

The estimates did not take donations into account.

Despite claims to the contrary, it added that 'the tiger temple makes no discernible contribution to tiger conservation'.

It said that the genetic make-up of the tigers is unknown, and the temple did not meet minimum standards for captive breeding for conservation.

Monks and staff let an average of about 10 of the 15 or so tigers out of their cages daily at 1pm. The tigers are walked on short leather and chain leashes to a small abandoned quarry, where they are tethered on short chains, and tourists are allowed to have their photographs taken with them.

The report said the tigers were kicked, poked, beaten, punched, dragged around by their tails, and had their ears and whiskers pulled.

It added that the abbot and staff control the tigers - which were malnourished and kept in small concrete cages - by spraying tiger urine in their faces.

This psychological tactic, which mirrors tigers' spraying of urine to mark their territory, aggressively establishes dominance and keeps the tigers cowed.

Though the temple does not have the necessary licence to breed tigers, it does so anyway. But the CWI said it was impossible to say accurately how many tiger cubs had been born at the temple, and how many had survived.

'It is clear that (the temple) is not a sanctuary for tiger cubs rescued from poachers, but a commercial tiger breeding centre. Most of the animals at the temple now have either been bred on site or were brought in from the tiger farm in Laos,' it said.

The report recorded cases of tigers disappearing overnight, and in some cases being replaced, in what appeared to be deals to exchange or sell tigers with a tiger farm in Laos.

Even some of the original eight 'rescued' tigers which formed the nucleus of the big cats at the temple eight years ago were not rescued - but bought from a wildlife trader, who confirmed this to the CWI.

Conservationists told The Straits Times that they were not surprised.

The conservation community had long suspected something was amiss at the temple, where the tigers seemed oddly docile. Allegations had been made in the past that the animals were doped, but this had never been proven.

Attempts to investigate such allegations had always been resisted by the temple.

Black Market Tigers Linked to Thai Temple, Report Says
Christine Dell'Amore, National Geographic News 20 Jun 08

It's the hottest part of the day at a forest monastery in western Thailand, and tourists are led by the hand, one by one, into the beating sun to pet chained tigers and smile for the camera.

Every day at this unusual "Tiger Temple," as many as 800 tourists pay 300 Thai baht (9 U.S. dollars) each for their chance to interact with the endangered big cats.

he tigers—several of which were born at the compound—live alongside monks and volunteers in what one temple handler called a beautiful blend of Buddhism and conservation.

Though the remote monastery near the Burmese border is considered a must-see by some tourists, it's what the public doesn't see that has prompted a growing chorus of wildlife groups, both internationally and in Thailand, to call attention to its conservation missteps. (See Thailand map.)

Not only does the temple fail to preserve dwindling tigers as advertised, experts say, a new report released today by the U.K.-based conservation group, Care for the Wild International (CWI), asserts that the monastery has been trading the animals illegally with a tiger farm in neighboring Laos.

"What we feel is important is that people know this is not real conservation—people are being fooled. They are exploiting wildlife," said Guna Subramaniam, the Southeast Asia director for CWI.

CWI conducted its investigation between 2005 and 2008 with the aid of people who enlisted as temple volunteers. Subramaniam also visited the monastery in 2006 and 2007.

The temple staff dismisses any involvement in illegal trade.

Good Karma?

The temple's abbot, Pra Achan Bhusit Chan Khantitharo, began taking in abandoned and orphaned tigers in 1999, according to the temple's literature. Giving up or abandoning unwanted animals at temples is a common Buddhist practice that givers believe brings them good karma, Subramaniam said.

Soon after the temple opened its gates to tourism around 2000, monks began breeding the tigers. The temple now cares for up to 16 of the predators at a time.

The monks say that tourist dollars and Web site donations will go toward putting the rare predators back into the forests of Thailand, where they number between about 250 to 500. There are fewer than 4,000 wild tigers left in the world, according to the conservation group WWF.

"We want to become the premiere tiger facility—no one will be able to compete with us," said Rodrigo Gonzalez, a tiger handler who has lived at the temple since 2002.

But the report says the monks have paid little heed to conservation, instead illegally exchanging tigers with a tiger farm in Laos, Subramaniam said.

Tiger farms fuel the skyrocketing black market in illegal animal parts, such as tiger bones and penises, which are used for traditional Chinese medicine. (See a photo of a tiger skin on the black market in Myanmar [Burma].)

The report's investigators found that new tigers brought to the temple are often given the same name as an outgoing tiger—in essence, the animals are replaced. In particular, older male tigers are swapped for young females, possibly because the males become less manageable as they age.

The CWI report also found that though the first cub may have been donated legitimately, the rest were purchased from a farm.

Illegal Activity

A 2005 agreement signed by a Lao tiger farm owner and the temple abbot, obtained by CWI, describes the purpose of the tiger exchange as "conservation."

Yet under the international wildlife-trade treaty CITES, exporting or importing tigers across borders is illegal—unless appropriate permits have been issued to a scientific institution with a conservation purpose, the report said.

There is no evidence the temple has such a permit, according to the report. The Thai government considers it a sanctuary for temporarily holding animals, not a conservation facility.

Samart Sumanochitraporn is director of the Wildlife Conservation Office under the Bangkok-based Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The Thai government, which by law owns the temple's animals, "is considering the future of wild animals at the temple with the most important issue the safety and welfare of the animals," Samart said in a translated email.

"The animals will stay at the temple before being relocated to [a] suitable location," he added.

No Confirmation

As for illegal trade, Samart said "there is no confirmation that the temple has been concerned in the dealing of tigers."

Gonzalez of the Tiger Temple also asserts the temple does not trade tigers. But, he said, the monks don't ask about the origins of animals that appear at their gates.

That's because the monks consider the tigers—along with the monastery's eclectic menagerie of more than 200-odd animals—part of their spiritual family.

The Buddhist temple's openness has also made it an easy target for conservation groups' criticisms, he said.

"If people want to harp on tiger trade and exploiting tigers, go to China," he said.

"We're trying to do something good here. If [conservation groups] don't see what we're doing here, that's their loss."

Witness

Edwin Wiek leads the nonprofit rescue group Wildlife Friends of Thailand.

"I was quite amazed that they're putting on a show, parading these tigers around as if they were rescued from the wild, which is not true—they were taken from a tiger farm," Wiek said.

New Zealander Fiona Patchett, a volunteer at the temple from 2005 to 2006, witnessed the exchange of a cub on the temple grounds, including the signing of its contract. The temple staff told her the young animal came from a breeding farm in Laos.

She thought it was a legitimate swap, and that the temple had permits to exchange tigers—only to realize later that it was illegal. During her experience, she said, six or seven tigers disappeared without explanation.

The tigers—which stay in their cages 21 hours a day—are also sometimes abused by temple staff, Patchett said. She saw staff sitting on tigers, hitting them with rocks and fists, and playing with their genitals. Such abuse is also detailed in the new report.

Though some past visitors to the temple have commented on Web sites that the tigers appear drugged to keep them docile, the CWI report found no evidence of drug use.

No Conservation Sense

The temple also breeds the big cats without regard to their subspecies, a practice that creates hybrids and negates the purpose of conservation, experts agree.

"If you're talking about cross breeding of subspecies, of animals out of their range, it's scientifically and ethically wrong," Wiek of Wildlife Friends said.

But Gonzalez, who like the majority of the volunteers has no previous conservation experience, said that the Tiger Temple's goal is the overall preservation of tigers. (See tiger photos.)

"They're dwindling at such a pace, we need to stop the division and stop saying, We're only concerned with Bengal tigers," Gonzalez said.

"Conservation organizations like to put themselves on high pedestals, but we don't split hairs," he said. "You try to save as much as you can."

Largest Tiger Sanctuary

In that vein, Gonzalez and the temple monks envision creating the world's largest tiger sanctuary, encompassing 40,000 acres (16,187 hectares) with an option to expand to 120,000 acres (48,562 hectares).

Under this plan, temple workers would teach tigers how to hunt and release them, so their offspring could be "wild."

Such a plan is unrealistic, experts say. No tigers raised in captivity have ever been successfully reintroduced into the wild, said Mahendra Shrestha, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Save the Tiger Fund.

"The temple makes it look like there is an easy way out for tigers in the wild," Shrestha said. "It gives the complete wrong picture of tiger conservation."

Ultimately the focus should be on the remaining tigers in the wild, Wiek said.

"We still have stock that is protected and sustainable. We still have a chance of having a future, and that's what we should focus on—not tigers in cages that are not pure subspecies," he said.

(Related: "Harrison Ford Endorses New Global Tiger Initiative" [June 9, 2008].)

Once in a Lifetime

Back at the temple, a monk named Kruba Som sits in the shade near the tiger cages, casually positioning a young tiger's paw on tourists' heads as they line up for photos.

"People want once in their life to come here," he said through a translator.

Over the din of delighted laughter, he said he wants tourists to "be happy with tigers like the [monks] are happy with them."

But Wiek and other conservationists worry that Buddhism's power can trick unsuspecting tourists into thinking they are saving tigers.

"The making of pictures for 30 dollars with the tigers is a lucrative circus act," Wiek said, "nothing more or less."

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U.N. calls on Asian nations to end deforestation

Reuters 20 Jun 08;

MANILA (Reuters) - The United Nations has called on more Asian leaders to agree to a plan to end deforestation by 2020 to slow down the destruction of plants and animals, a top official said on Friday.

About 80 percent of the world's known biodiversity could be found in forests, where about 1.6 billion people also depend for their survival, Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive director of U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), told a news conference in Manila.

"The project to stop deforestation by 2020 is feasible, it's doable," Djoghlaf said.

In a meeting in Germany in May, 65 countries committed to support a call by the Worldwide Fund for Nature for a zero net deforestation by 2020, but only two -- Cambodia and Vietnam -- were from Southeast Asia.

Djoghlaf said the world was losing around 13 million hectares of its forest cover every year, about the size of 36 football fields a minute. About 95 countries have totally lost their forests, he said.

In Southeast Asia, forest fires destroyed about 10 million hectares between 1997 and 2006. More trees were being felled due to shifting agricultural practices, illegal lumber trade and large-scale mining, he said.

At the current rate of deforestation, said Rodrigo Fuentes, head of Southeast Asia's Center for Biodiversity, the region would lose three-fourths of its 47 million hectares of forest and up to 42 percent of its biodiversity by 2100.

Djoghlaf and Fuentes said the destruction of biodiversity would also impact global security and the world economy due to rising competition for scarce food and fuel resources.

(Reporting by Manny Mogato; editing by Carmel Crimmins and Roger Crabb)

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Crown-of-thorns starfish on wane at Great Barrier Reef

Drew Cratchley, Courier Mail news.com 18 Jun 08;

THE potentially devastating crown-of-thorns starfish is in retreat on the Great Barrier Reef, with its numbers hitting a 20-year low, researchers say.

Findings from the Australian Institute of Marine Science released Tuesday, June 17, indicate the latest outbreak of the coral-eating pest is near an end.

Surveys of the Reef in 2007 detected fewer crown-of-thorns starfish than in any year in the past two decades, the head of AIMS' long-term monitoring program, Hugh Sweatman, said.

"There were outbreaks on 6 per cent of the 104 reefs surveyed in 2006, and on just 4 per cent of the reefs we surveyed in 2007," he said.

"Historically, the numbers of the starfish have increased drastically every 15 years, and in 2000 up to 17 per cent of the reef was afflicted."

However, the crown-of-thorns starfish remains a "mysterious phenomenon", according to AIMS, and it is not known when the next outbreak could begin.

AIMS researchers have also detected a fall in coral cover on outer sections of the Reef due to coral diseases, particularly a disease known as white syndrome.

The cause of the disease was unknown but it killed off massive areas of coral on previously healthy reefs, Dr Sweatman said.

"The disease is found particularly where hard coral cover is high," he said.

"What we see is that the healthy reefs with lots of coral cover are the ones at risk."

Seven reefs in the Capricorn-Bunker sector and six in the Swain sector of the Great Barrier Reef were surveyed.

No crown-of-thorns starfish were recorded on Swain reefs but scuba surveys found the starfish for the first time at Fairfax Reef in the Capricorn-Bunker group.

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Bay's environmental fishing ban

BBC News 19 Jun 08;

A ban on fishing in one of Britain's "richest" marine environments is to be implemented to protect its wildlife and seascape.

About 10% of Lyme Bay off Dorset and East Devon is to be permanently closed to scallop dredging and bottom trawling from July, Defra has announced.

The bay's reefs are home to an abundance of sea life including rare sponges, corals and starfish.

Conservation groups have welcomed the ban but some local fishermen are angry.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "Lyme Bay is one of Britain's richest environments, and the measures we have announced today will protect the reefs and the wildlife that depends on them from the most damaging fishing methods."



The fishing ban will cover 60 square nautical miles of Lyme Bay, from West Bay in Dorset to Beer Head in Devon.

The area will be off-limits to fishing boats which drag nets along the seabed. Wildlife groups had argued this was damaging the environment.

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt of the Marine Conservation Society said: "In the end, most fishermen and conservationists want the same thing - sustainable fishing which has limited impact on the marine environment."

Fishing organisations said they were furious and felt betrayed that a gentleman's agreement to allow them to fish in certain parts of the bay and leave others alone had been rescinded by the Government.

Nick Prust from the South West Inshore Fishing Association said: "It's catastrophic for inshore fishing. We feel let down, disappointed and disgusted."

Jim Portus from the South West Fish Producer Organisation said: "I'm devastated, it will mean a £3m annual loss for the local economy. It's not a happy day for inshore fishing."

More marine reserves are likely to be announced in the forthcoming marine bill.

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