Best of our wild blogs: 4 Jul 08

Why do we bother with the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore? find out on the news from international coastal cleanup blog

Oil rig worksite opposite Semakau's natural shores
mpa notice on the wildfilms blog

Kiasi Krab on Changi
and other encounters on the wildfilms blog

Stars delight on Changi
more encounters on the wonderful creations blog

Native parasitic plants
a new book, more on the flying fish friends blog

Broadbills of the Thai-Malay Peninsula: Nesting
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Discovery at Macritchie Reservoir
on the discovery blog

Read more!

Simpang Bedok mango tree dispute

Shop owner rushes back and saves tree - again
The New Paper 4 Jul 08;

AT 7.50am yesterday, Mr Gabriel Tan, 52, rushed from his home at Pasir Ris to his shop at Simpang Bedok.

His mission: Saving a tree.

He had received a call from another shop owner informing him that a contractor was preparing to cut down the mango tree in front of their shops.

This was the same tree Mr Tan has been fighting to save since the management corporation (MC) of Bedok Shopping Complex decided the tree should be removed.

The New Paper reported on 6 Jun that the decision was apparently taken after the owner of a private house next to the tree complained about leaves falling into his backyard.

However, the home owner said at the time that he had asked for the tree to be pruned, not cut down.

Yesterday, when Mr Tan arrived at 8.30am, the area around the tree had been barricaded.

He waited until the contractor's vehicle, parked beneath the tree, was moved away.

Then, he and other tenants who also wanted to save the tree moved the barricades and Mr Tan drove his pickup into the parking lot at the foot of the tree.

That was what he did to foil previous attempts at cutting down the tree.

Seeing that Mr Tan's pickup presented an obstacle to them, the contractor and his workers moved the rest of the barricades and left.

'I'm prepared to leave my vehicle here for the next few days,' said Mr Tan, who added that he never wanted this to be a big issue.

He has been appealing to save the tree since 17 May, when the MC first tried to fell it.

He claims that he has not been shown the minutes of the meeting during which the felling of the tree was apparently decided.

'They have every right to cut the tree if the paper work has been done correctly.

'I'm just asking them not to cut down the tree until the next annual general meeting, so we can vote on it,' he said.

Mr Tan said there had been previous attempts to cut down the 17-year-old tree.

ALERTED BY SUPPORTERS

'They are trying to catch me off guard, but my supporters here call me immediately if they see anything,' said Mr Tan, who has had an audio equipment shop there for 12years.

Around 10.30am, an MC member, who declined to be named, arrived to check out the scene and left after speaking to Mr Tan and other tenants.

When approached by The New Paper, the MC member declined to comment.

According to Mr Tan, the MC member gave his word that the tree would be safe for that day.

Soon after 11am, the estate's managing agent, employed by Kenwood Property Consultants, arrived.

Mr Tan said the agent, Mr Samy, told him that he could not see the minutes until he sends in a written request. Even then, there is no guarantee that the tree will be spared.

Mr Samy then called the police, saying that Mr Tan had committed an act of vandalism by moving the barricades.

The police arrived at around 11.45am. They later issued a statement confirming that 'no assault or threat took place' and that the parties involved were asked to 'settle the matter amicably'.

Mr Tan said the MC gave other reasons yesterday for wanting the tree removed, such as the roots damaging the road and posing a danger to passers-by.

He said a trained botanist had examined the tree and found it to be 'healthy' and had also said it did not pose any danger.

Two other shop owners, Mr Neo Wang, 68, and Mr Kwek Khan Che, 53, also want the tree saved.

Mr Neo said in Mandarin: 'The tree has been here for so many years, none of us want it to go'.

Concerned that the tree may not live to see the end of the week, Mr Tan said: 'I've done all I can for 1 1/2months.

'If more people like me will fight to save a tree, decision-makers will think seriously before they make such decisions'.

The tree was still standing at press time.

By Shila Naidu, newsroom intern

‘My right’ to save mango tree in backyard
Christie Loh, Today Online 4 Jul 08;

HIS efforts to save a 17-year-old tree from death-by-chainsaw have led to angry blows nearly being exchanged, police reports being filed and neighbours taking the opportunity to air their own grievances.

For the past seven weeks, Mr Gabriel Tan, 52, has tried to stop the management council of a shopping complex in Simpang Bedok from cutting down the healthy mango tree outside his audio equipment shop.

“(When) I see trees being felled on the road, I know I have no say. I feel sorry,” he said. “But this tree is, in a sense, in my backyard. I have a voting right.” So, Mr Tan decided to “take up the fight”.

The complex is majority-owned by the Far East Organisation; shopkeepers and residents own the rest.

On three occasions now, Mr Tan has stayed the chainsaw by parking his pick-up under the tree. Some neighbours lent a hand; they say they are frustrated with the council’s lack of consultation on matters such as carpark fee hikes.

The third attempt on Wednesday, however, has gotten Mr Tan and others into legal hot soup. Those who moved the barricade around the tree have been reported to the police for “criminal mischief”, council spokesman and assistant secretary Siva Kumar said yesterday.

Another police report concerned “assault”.Mr Siva said one man, hurling abusive words in Hokkien, physically challenged council treasurer Low Chuan Hee to a fight.

A civil suit may be filed.

“It’s sentiment against safety,” said Mr Siva. The committee feels the tree’s roots have damaged the pavement; it may even collapse one day. “Chopping the tree down will save a lot of (trimming) cost and liability issues.”

They wonder why Mr Tan had not protected another mango tree, which was cut down the same day they tried to fell the one still standing.

“It could be, he’s being selfish,” said Mr Siva, pointing out that Mr Tan’s vehicle enjoys the tree’s shade everyday.

While the decision to fell the tree this week is “final”, the council will hold a dialogue this Saturday with disgruntled shopowners and residents.

Read more!

Student protest earns reprieve for banyan tree

Sheralyn Tay, Today Online 4 Jul 08;

THE old banyan tree has sheltered hundreds of students under its green canopy for years.

So when student Dani Guy, 15, learned it was to be felled yesterday to make way for a new building at the Tanglin Trust School, she was “extremely” upset. Today understands that staff found out only on Wednesday that the tree was to be cut down the following day. The students were not informed.

Dani, a student for 12 years at the school, said: “The school has been on the site (at Portsdown Road) for 30 years, and the tree had been there long before then ... it could be 100 years old. It’s been very significant in the school’s history and there are a lot of memories associated with it.”

She spoke yesterday to headmaster and CEO Steven Andrews before class started, showing him old yearbook photos “to make sure he could appreciate the history the tree has”.

By mid-morning, news of the tree’s fate had spread. “Some of us went down to the tree (now surrounded by a fence due to upgrading works) ... we just stood and sat in front of the tree throughout morning break,” said Dani. Their silent protest has brought only a brief reprieve: Plans have been postponed just a week.

“One of the people from management said it was inevitable,” said Dani.

In a statement yesterday evening, the school said necessary expansion meant “tough decisions” had to be made and all alternatives had been examined. “The school is actively seeking expert advice on how to save part of the tree with a view to relocating it on the campus,” it read.

The school, which has promised “compensatory planting”, is also considering ways for students, staff and parents to “mark the rite of passage” of the tree, recognised as “a symbol of Tanglin’s history”.

It is not enough to satisfy Dani: “I don’t think you can plant anything that can make up for this tree. It was what they told us today to make up for it; I think it was in response to our actions. But it does not excuse the fact they did not tell us about the news beforehand.”

Read more!

National Day Parade: Packaging the fun - in an eco-friendly way

Goodie bags made from recyclable material, fewer plastic water bottles and stage to be re-used
Tania Tan & Sumathi V. Selvaretnam, Straits Times 4 Jul 08;

A GROUP of artists aged between 12 and 16 are doing their bit to paint this year's National Day Parade a distinct shade of green.

Their work adorns the goodie bags to be given out to parade spectators - bags which, for the first time in parade history, will be made from recyclable material.

The handsewn and re-usable 'funpacks', as they are called, come from Tetra Paks, from which most drink cartons are made.

Laminated to make them waterproof, they can withstand loads of at least 3kg, said industrial designer Terence Woon, 26, who conceptualised the funpacks.

The bags, to be distributed to the 135,000 people at the parade, its preview and the National Education Shows, will hold an assortment of snacks, drinks and items such as a mini Singapore flag and temporary tattoos.

The artists who created the 'skin' of the funpack hail from Very Special Arts Singapore - a group of artists with disabilities - and the School of the Arts, a pre-tertiary arts school.

The artists came up with 10 paintings, which were then digitally stitched together to form a mural on the theme 'Singapore Spirit'.

The funpacks are each clad in different parts of this mural.

It was Mr Woon's idea to bring together these two groups of artists 'whose paths do not normally cross'.

The environmentally friendly bags are only one way the parade is pushing the 'Reduce, Re-use and Recycle' message in ways big and small.

A close eye is being kept on the trash, for example, said the parade's logistics and finance chief, Lieutenant-Colonel Lim Siong Tiong.

The target is to ensure that at least 10 per cent of the trash from the parade makes it into recycling bins, he said.

For the third consecutive parade, the recycling effort will extend to spectators, who could win prizes for using the trash bags they will be given and depositing them in designated bins.

Of the trash swept up by cleaners at last year's parade, 4,000kg was recycled. This year's parade organisers hope to top that.

Lt-Col Lim said he hoped spectators will not forget 'the environment is a crucial part of our show, and to keep it clean'.

Even the plywood used to build the three-tier stage, the size of nearly 11/2 football fields, will be re-used, for example, at the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix in September.

Sitting atop the Marina Bay - which itself is testimony to Singapore's efforts to manage its water resources - the stage will also have a green twist.

It has been designed in a way that keeps its waiting areas ventilated - only fans are needed to keep parade participants cool, not air-conditioners.

Yet another pro-environment move: slashing the number of plastic bottles of Newater given out to participants by half to 160,000. Instead, water points will be set up where bottles can be refilled.

Lt-Col Lim said: 'It takes some doing for such a big event to be green, but it's not impossible.'

Singapore has made several efforts to go green this year, including running 'save-energy' drives requiring retailers to slap household power guzzlers with energy-efficiency labels.

All eyes will be on the goodie bags
Straits Times 4 Jul 08;

MORE than 100,000 people will walk away from this year's National Day Parade, and its associated shows, with a goodie bag featuring paintings by disabled and mentally challenged artists like Muhammad Noh Arjuna.

The 16-year-old, who has autism, used his thumb and paintbrush to create an artwork of bursts of bright pinks, purples and greens entitled Fireworks. The painting has been reproduced on the goodie bags that will be handed out to mark Singapore's 43rd birthday.

Even before his paintbrush hit paper, Muhammad Noh brushed up on his skills by watching a British documentary about art. And once the painting was done, it was touched up on the computer, said Muhammad Noh, who has won numerous art competitions.

Another of this year's artists is 14-year-old Daren Leslie, who is hearing-impaired.

He chose to capture the National Anthem with a drawing of a musical notation - the treble clef. He is excited by the prospect of thousands of spectators carrying his design.

'It makes me feel like a famous artist,' said Daren.

The students created their artwork at a printmaking and digital darkroom workshop held by Cultural Medallion-winner Chng Seok Tin and digital artist Tan Haur.

Meanwhile, organisers of this year's parade gave a sneak peek yesterday of the treats to be found in this year's funpacks.

One highlight: a giant inflatable glove that can be lit up for the night-time segment of the Aug 9 festivities.

The six light-emitting diodes in the glove will blink for six seconds every time the glove is shaken or hit. It also doubles as a noise-maker.

'It will be a sea of red hands representing Singaporeans united together,' said former Nanyang Polytechnic student Fu Huifen, 20, who designed the item with four others.

There will also be the usual party favours, including the customary Singapore flag and temporary tattoos.

Organisers will also hand out caps to block out the sun and ponchos to keep out the rain.

Snacks, sweets and drinks, including Newater, will keep the hunger pangs and thirst away. And should the roar of the jets lead to a headache, there is even medicated oil for instant relief.

Bargain hunters will also get some post-party fun: There is a 90-page booklet full of discount coupons for everything from restaurant meals to beauty treatments.

Read more!

Welcome to scary Singapore, land of four million smiles

Lynn Lee, Straits Times 4 Jul 08;

IF THEY breed, you bleed. Pay the correct fare or risk paying more. Life is unpredictable, make time for your family.

Welcome to scary Singapore, where public missives urge responsible behaviour by feeding on one's darkest fears - blood, death and running foul of the law.

Yes, the three morbid messages above were crafted with the health and welfare of the population in mind.

No one wants to be afflicted with dengue, so mosquito breeding needs to be stamped out. Weaselling your way out of paying for your bus ride is just cheap and churlish. And it is crucial to make time for loved ones. They're the only family you've got.

So what's stopping agencies tasked to put out these messages from saying it as it is, minus the veiled threats and overtones of doom and gloom?

In the case of the reminder to make time for one's family - an advertisement for National Family Week last year - it came superimposed on a picture of tombstones in a graveyard.

It was definitely eye-catching.

But it didn't leave anyone with the pleasant feelings that usually accompany thoughts of one's loved ones.

It's understandable that hard-hitting, catchy messages are used to promote socially acceptable values and behaviour. People take notice of them. They are easy to remember and will hopefully sink roots into one's psyche.

But there is good reason to think about whether this communication strategy should be used more sparingly.

For one thing, it makes Singapore seem schizophrenic.

We have a slew of campaigns - reminding us to be more courteous and kind, and welcome foreign visitors with 'four million smiles'. Yet, we have no qualms about using fear to promote compliance with basic social norms, such as keeping your home mosquito-free and taking time to hang out with your family.

There are those who feel this style of communication is quintessentially Singaporean.

As a colleague remarked wryly, it stems from a Hobbesian view of our world - that human beings cannot be trusted to do the right thing. They can only respond to strong incentives and disincentives. Hence, the efforts to guide society with deterrence and the looming spectre of punishment.

Sure, the tough-love approach to managing society can come in handy when it comes to repelling extremely anti-social behaviour, like speeding and drink driving. But it loses its edge when used to keep all and sundry in line, like the poster campaign to discourage fare cheats, which is plastered all over public buses these days.

It smacks of the same tough stance taken by London last year, when it rolled out an advertising blitz to remind fare evaders that they risked a criminal conviction.

The principle of the message - if you do not do X, then you will risk Y, which will be a much worse fate than doing X in the first place - is really effective in promoting, say, safe sex.

But I'm not convinced it's the best way to get people to pay for public transport.

Why not appeal to their conscience and sense of fairness, that they should pay the full cost of a worthy product? This approach would square more with our aim for the past two decades - to be a kinder, gentler society.

Already, there are examples of public campaigns which promote civilised behaviour and good values in touching and funny ways. Two noteworthy ones were by the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority to discourage people from getting pets on impulse and to sterilise the pets they have.

Ads for the second campaign had dogs and cats 'suited up' with a condom and with the tagline: You can't teach them to play it safe - sterilise your pet.

In the United States, the Agency for Health-care Research and Quality has been pushing for men to go for regular medical check-ups.

The message is clear: Obesity and high blood pressure are growing health threats. If they are left unchecked, more men will be felled by them. Unable to provide for their families, they will burden the social- safety net.

Yet the doom and gloom is missing from publicity for this initiative. In its place are two video clips on the agency's website, entitled Real Men Wear Gowns.

It shows fathers, husbands and brothers togged out in hospital gowns speaking to their doctors, then living rich and full lives with their families.

In Singapore, we should play more on aspirations and less on punishments when promoting socially acceptable behaviour. This means showing people the benefits of behaving in a certain way.

With hordes of foreigners coming to town for the world events we are set to host, we certainly do not want to be known as a place where people do the right thing only out of fear.

Having that reputation would make Singapore seem a scary place indeed.

Read more!

Climate - every little bit helps

Letter from Sylvia Lee (Mrs), Straits Times Forum 4 Jul 08;

IT IS so heartening and proud to know that our Singapore leaders are committed, progressive and holistic in their thinking and economic approach to sustainability (reference PM's speech at the International Water Week). These are important messages and directions that have to be set at the national level.

Singapore has been well regarded in its structured approach and intellectual power to tackle social and political issues. It prides itself to have world-class medical care, high educational standard and a high literacy rate. It is aspiring to be an R&D centre, financial hub, knowledge hub, water hub, renewable energy hub, and so on. This will not be possible if it does not have thinking individuals at all levels who believe that these aspirations would benefit everyone in Singapore.

The next big item to target is climate change and the environment. This issue is of a different league as we are dealing with the 'common space', and tackling it would mean costs and sacrifices, to a different degree at the international, national, corporate and individual levels.

Each one of us can do our part, big or small. One proxy to one's capability to act and to influence is the amount of income tax one pays. The more tax you pay, it is more likely that you have a larger carbon footprint due to a bigger house, higher standard of living, hence higher electricity bill, do more air and road travel, drive bigger cars and so on. The more tax one pays would also be synonymous with the job and role one is responsible for, the extent you could influence others, the directions you set for others and/or the type of decisions you could make.

Unlike carbon tax, the taxes that we currently pay do not absolve one's responsibility to look after the 'common space', our environment. We certainly do not look forward to the day when carbon tax is needed (carbon tax is a tax on emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases). Or maybe there is no alternative, but to do so with big cars; especially when clean air, just like clean water is priceless.

Everybody has a responsibility to the environment, and must be considerate in leaving something pleasant for our future generations as well as those in developing countries who have yet to enjoy what we have been enjoying for the past 30 years.

Examine your needs, examine your habits, examine your decision, examine your action and examine your carbon footprint; and decide what you can do to help preserve the quality of the 'common space' for the future generations.

I used to drive an automatic SUV with a consumption of not more than 8km per litre. One and an half years ago, I was totally convinced by 'The Inconvenient Truth' and changed to a manual Honda Jazz, which is running at 14 to 15km per litre. At an annual mileage of 20,000km, the reduction in carbon dioxide emission amounts to 2.5 MT per year, representing a whopping 43 per cent reduction (or the SUV emits 75 per cent more carbon dioxide). 2.5 MT per year is probably minute in the global and national context. However, at the individual level, it is an action in the right direction.

Do we need to drive big cars? Do we need to drive SUVs in town? In the Singapore context, is this the consequence of our success? Can we measure success differently? Is this about feeding our ego? What is the cost of 'feeling good'?

Choose one action, and commit to making a difference in your own way. It can be as small as switching off the light and fan or air-conditioner as the National Environment Agency has been effectively campaigning or a bigger and more impactful one, such as changing to a small car. This does not only reduce greenhouse gas emission and improve air quality, it will also help our next generation to build genuine self confidence which is the natural quality of egolessness.

Collective efforts are needed; every little bit counts. Do our part. Do what we can. If we could elevate our behaviours and actions to the level of beyond self, we could become a top class society with truly responsible human beings.

Read more!

Go green? Not at cost of growth

Letter from Maximilian Png, Straits Times Forum 4 Jul 08;

IN MONDAY'S article, 'Inflation, sustainability and growth: When less is more', Professor Linda Lim and Dr Geh Min claimed that aggressive GDP growth targets were 'less justifiable for higher- income countries like Singapore'. This implied that economic growth should be curtailed in order to save the environment and, ultimately, ourselves.

Although I agree with many of the writers' points, notably on demolition of residential buildings, on the targeted 50 per cent increase in population and on pollution, I have a hard time digesting the reason to restrain economic growth.

A key negative impact of restraining economic growth is that the middle-income group and the poor will suffer. Restraining GDP targets would result in less economic development. All Singaporeans will benefit from economic growth, and restraining it - especially when Singaporeans need more money to deal with rising prices - would deal a heavy blow to people with middle and low incomes.

A much larger, more ominous threat lies in wait though. If Singapore took a passive, laid-back economic stance, Singaporeans would find it increasingly hard to buy basic necessities. This is because, as the rest of the globe surges ahead, notably China and India, demand for energy, food and pretty much everything in the market will rise. When Singaporeans do not have the money to buy what they need due to lax GDP growth targets, Singapore would be in trouble.

Perhaps the Government could do more to help the poor by spending more than 1 per cent ($427 million on the Workfare Income Supplement scheme and $242 million on public housing subsidies) out of the $58 billion expected government expenditure. But restraining economic growth is definitely not the way to go.

Read more!

Go sustainable to survive the crunch

Will recession force people to ditch good environmental habits? It shouldn't: going green is the best solution to a financial squeeze

Arlo Brady, The Guardian 3 Jul 08;

Over the last five years we have witnessed what I describe as a "greenrush". Businesses and consumers alike – one driven by the other – have sought to become more environmentally and socially responsible, with varying degrees of practical and perceived success.

However, today, as we sit on our forest stewardship council-certified wooden chairs, on the verge of a recession, we find ourselves asking whether this trend can survive. As the prices of many everyday items spiral out of control, are consumers now set to "dump values for value"? The answer is both yes, and no.

In the last decade, public awareness of the key sustainability issues of our generation has risen as has public perception of the power of big business. Ten years of mega-mergers, each more substantial than the next, have done little to alter this perception.

The new breed of behemoth brands and businesses has been at the forefront of the greenrush; desperate to prove to consumers and regulators that big does not necessarily equate to bad. This behaviour, coupled with the invasive transparency of the digital revolution, has resulted in an unprecedented growth in public expectation of business.

By enthusiastically showing that they can be part of the solution, businesses have inadvertently opened Pandora's box. There can be no going back.

Today's consumers want more from business, and following an unprecedented period of economic growth, they have become unaccustomed to compromise. They are looking for value, but they are also looking for authenticity, transparency and responsibility. As a recession takes hold, it's true that consumers may themselves be willing to compromise, but they are unlikely to react sympathetically if businesses and brands try the same trick.

As consumers get used to questioning what they spend their hard earned money on, they will place businesses under an unprecedented level of scrutiny. Ironically, in doing so they may inadvertently find themselves making some fundamentally more sustainable choices. This is certainly true in the automotive market where consumers are currently downshifting from large 4x4s to more economical vehicles in their droves.

Throughout the recent greenrush a fundamental misunderstanding had become established in the consumer mindset – namely that buying products and services that have a lower environmental impact is costly and therefore a luxury. This is a direct result of the premium pricing strategy that many businesses have adopted, and the lack of easily accessible and credible information on environmental impact.

This misunderstanding is fundamentally wrong on a number of levels.

Firstly, there is the obvious point that in general, consuming less equates to less environmental impact. This is the paradox of environmental consumerism. And then there is the observation that products that are more environmentally friendly tend to have used (and use) fewer resources than their conventional counterparts, and should therefore be cheaper to buy or run.

Following the principles of environmental efficiency enables us to do more with less. I can't think of a better message during a downturn. Smart businesses, governments and individuals will seek out efficiency and the competitive advantage that it brings.

In the short term, there will be a number of unsavoury consequences. For example, as the oil price soars perhaps to the $200 mark within the next year, businesses like Shell and BP will seek to exploit hard-to-extract oil resources like Canada's carbon-heavy tar sands. But in the long-term this trend will be self-defeating: it will act only to stabilise oil prices at a high level, while simultaneously increasing the economic viability of alternatives. The investment that oil majors are making in unconventional reserves is only viable if the oil price remains high. Big oil will very soon have a vested interest in maintaining a price that will ultimately lead to a decisive shift towards renewable energy.

From a corporate perspective, there is no doubt that many shortsighted businesses will stop, or even reverse, investment in sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives. But I don't view this as a serious cause for concern – instead, I argue that it could and should be viewed as a bonus. We have all had more than enough of greenwash.

Sustainability will simply enter a new, and more robust, phase of its development. A recession is likely to foster a more genuine sustainability, removing inefficient and vacuous programmes, and leaving the most effective and authentic in their place.

Although an economic downturn will have many negative consequences, the pain won't last forever. It's my contention that those businesses that use the time to lay reputational and practical foundations for success, by working on relevant issues that matter to real people, will be those that emerge with real competitive advantage when the downturn lifts.

Read more!

Why Canada is the best haven from climate change

Michael McCarthy, The Independent 4 Jul 08;

A group of islands with the potential to develop into a tourist paradise has been named as the country least equipped to withstand the effects of climate change.

The Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, between Mozambique and Madagascar, are a small nation of sparkling blue lagoons and picture-postcard beaches. But the country is politically unstable and a report published today says it is the world's most vulnerable country to the future impacts of global warming such as increased storms, rising sea levels and agricultural failure.

At the other end of the scale, Canada is the best place to move to if you want to be a climate change survivor in the decades ahead (although Britain is also a good place to be as a warming atmosphere takes hold).

The best-to-worst rankings are revealed in the first-ever climate change vulnerability index, produced by Maplecroft, a British consultancy which specialises in the mapping of risk. Its study, The Climate Change Risk Report, looks in great detail at global warming risks in 168 countries.

Africa is the most vulnerable region, and eight of the 10 most vulnerable countries are African, with the Comoros Islands followed by Somalia and Burundi in second and third places. Only five non-African countries are in the 20 most vulnerable. They are Yemen, Afghanistan, Haiti, Pakistan and Nepal.

As might be expected, developed nations score best. Canada is top, followed by Ireland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The United Kingdom is in 12th position, just behind the US. The surprise in the top 20 is Uruguay, which is listed ninth, and the only well-placed nation not to be in the club of countries which are rich, or Western (and usually both).

The originality of the new study is that it does not predict global warming's impacts, from increased droughts to rising sea levels, which has been done for the past two decades by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Instead, it looks at how countries are fitted to meet them. "We're not saying anything about the changing climate," said Andy Thow, one of the report's authors. "We're saying, what's the situation on the ground in terms of vulnerability? If there were an impact, how vulnerable would the country be?"

Vulnerability is examined by the study across six different sectors – the economy; natural resources and ecosystems; poverty, development and health; agriculture; population, settlement and infrastructure; and institutions, governance and social capital. Eventually a figure is arrived at on the scale of one to 10, with one being the most vulnerable, and 10 the most secure. The Comoros score is 1.21; Canada's score is 8.81. (The UK scores 8.06.)

"The simple reason that Comoros is most vulnerable overall is that it scores poorly across all parts of the index," Dr Thow said.

"The combination of all these factors is worse than for any other country. It scores particularly poorly in the agriculture and natural resources and ecosystems components.

This reflects a situation in which pressure on natural resources is extremely high and there is very limited capacity to adapt to the impacts of changes in climate. That capacity is limited by factors such as poor land quality, low crop production and yields and water stress, combined with a growing population.

"Canada, on the other hand, is extremely well equipped to adapt to changes in climate. It scores well across all aspects of the index. This is because of the low pressure on natural resources resulting from a low population density and large land area, combined with high agricultural capacity, a healthy economy, few development and health challenges and excellent public institutions."

But Dr Thow pointed out that while Maplecroft's work showed Canada was well placed to manage the impacts of climate change on people and society, its wildlife was likely to be seriously affected by the expected magnitude of changes to climate in the Arctic region.

The Comoros also scores lowest in the world (jointly with Chad) on the report's index of emissions of carbon dioxide, which means that the country likely to suffer most from global warming has done the least to cause it.

Worst hit

75% Proportion of the world's 20 most vulnerable nations to climate change that can be found in Africa

The report is available at climate@maplecroft.com

Read more!

Climate risk from flat-screen TVs

Ian Sample, The Guardian 3 Jul 08;

The rising demand for flat-screen televisions could have a greater impact on global warming than the world's largest coal-fired power stations, a leading environmental scientist warned yesterday.

Manufacturers use a greenhouse gas called nitrogen trifluoride to make the televisions, and as the sets have become more popular, annual production of the gas has risen to about 4,000 tonnes.

As a driver of global warming, nitrogen trifluoride is 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide, yet no one knows how much of it is being released into the atmosphere by the industry, said Michael Prather, director of the environment institute at the University of California, Irvine.

Prather's research reveals that production of the gas, which remains in the atmosphere for 550 years, is "exploding" and is expected to double by next year. Unlike common greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs), emissions of the gas are not restricted by the Kyoto protocol or similar agreements.

Writing in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Prather and a colleague, Juno Hsu, state that this year's production of the gas is equivalent to 67m tonnes of carbon dioxide, meaning it has "a potential greenhouse impact larger than that of the industrialised nations' emissions of PFCs or SF6, or even that of the world's largest coal-fired power plants".

While concerns have led Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology to avoid using the gas, Air Products, which produces it for the electronics industry, told New Scientist that very little nitrogen trifluoride is released into the atmosphere. But Prather argues that as the gas is not controlled in the same way as other greenhouse gases, companies may be careless with it.

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Secret report: biofuel caused food crisis

Internal World Bank study delivers blow to plant energy drive
Aditya Chakrabortty, The Guardian 4 Jul 08;

Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.

The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body.

The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will add to pressure on governments in Washington and across Europe, which have turned to plant-derived fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce their dependence on imported oil.

Senior development sources believe the report, completed in April, has not been published to avoid embarrassing President George Bush.

"It would put the World Bank in a political hot-spot with the White House," said one yesterday.

The news comes at a critical point in the world's negotiations on biofuels policy. Leaders of the G8 industrialised countries meet next week in Hokkaido, Japan, where they will discuss the food crisis and come under intense lobbying from campaigners calling for a moratorium on the use of plant-derived fuels.

It will also put pressure on the British government, which is due to release its own report on the impact of biofuels, the Gallagher Report. The Guardian has previously reported that the British study will state that plant fuels have played a "significant" part in pushing up food prices to record levels. Although it was expected last week, the report has still not been released.

"Political leaders seem intent on suppressing and ignoring the strong evidence that biofuels are a major factor in recent food price rises," said Robert Bailey, policy adviser at Oxfam. "It is imperative that we have the full picture. While politicians concentrate on keeping industry lobbies happy, people in poor countries cannot afford enough to eat."

Rising food prices have pushed 100m people worldwide below the poverty line, estimates the World Bank, and have sparked riots from Bangladesh to Egypt. Government ministers here have described higher food and fuel prices as "the first real economic crisis of globalisation".

President Bush has linked higher food prices to higher demand from India and China, but the leaked World Bank study disputes that: "Rapid income growth in developing countries has not led to large increases in global grain consumption and was not a major factor responsible for the large price increases."

Even successive droughts in Australia, calculates the report, have had a marginal impact. Instead, it argues that the EU and US drive for biofuels has had by far the biggest impact on food supply and prices.

Since April, all petrol and diesel in Britain has had to include 2.5% from biofuels. The EU has been considering raising that target to 10% by 2020, but is faced with mounting evidence that that will only push food prices higher.

"Without the increase in biofuels, global wheat and maize stocks would not have declined appreciably and price increases due to other factors would have been moderate," says the report. The basket of food prices examined in the study rose by 140% between 2002 and this February. The report estimates that higher energy and fertiliser prices accounted for an increase of only 15%, while biofuels have been responsible for a 75% jump over that period.

It argues that production of biofuels has distorted food markets in three main ways. First, it has diverted grain away from food for fuel, with over a third of US corn now used to produce ethanol and about half of vegetable oils in the EU going towards the production of biodiesel. Second, farmers have been encouraged to set land aside for biofuel production. Third, it has sparked financial speculation in grains, driving prices up higher.

Other reviews of the food crisis looked at it over a much longer period, or have not linked these three factors, and so arrived at smaller estimates of the impact from biofuels. But the report author, Don Mitchell, is a senior economist at the Bank and has done a detailed, month-by-month analysis of the surge in food prices, which allows much closer examination of the link between biofuels and food supply.

The report points out biofuels derived from sugarcane, which Brazil specializes in, have not had such a dramatic impact.

Supporters of biofuels argue that they are a greener alternative to relying on oil and other fossil fuels, but even that claim has been disputed by some experts, who argue that it does not apply to US production of ethanol from plants.

"It is clear that some biofuels have huge impacts on food prices," said Dr David King, the government's former chief scientific adviser, last night. "All we are doing by supporting these is subsidising higher food prices, while doing nothing to tackle climate change."

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Madagascar: Can tourists help save the "Noah's Ark" of wildlife?

Gregoire Pourtier, Yahoo News 3 Jul 08;

Exotic species and Homo sapiens have a hard time existing side by side. Wherever you find Man, you are also likely to find that rare birds, mammals, fish and flowers have been driven to the brink of extinction, and sometimes beyond.

Madagascar, though, is pinning its hopes on turning this tragic fact on its head.

By encouraging smart, environmentally-sensitive tourism, it hopes to muster funds vital for development and also nurture the wildlife that earns it the title of the "Noah's Ark" of the Indian Ocean.

Rene Razafindrajary lists the rare kinds of lemurs, birds and fish found in Ankarafantsika, an park of 1,250 square kilometers (500 square miles) comprising dry tropical forest rich with rosewood and ebony.

They are just part of the dazzling inventory of living things in Madagascar, which by itself hosts five percent of the world's known species.

"This protected area shelters an absolutely unrivaled biodiversity," he said in his office on the edge of the iconic site, located 460 kilometres (285 miles) northeast of the capital Antananarivo.

The forest is not just an area of rare and exquisite beauty, but is also a key water source for the Marovoay plains, where some of Madagascar's essential crops, especially rice, are grown.

Half a dozen years ago, a dark, destructive shadow was hanging over Ankarafantsika: deforestation, as poor local communities struggling to survive chopped down trees for fuel.

The National Association for the Management of Protected Areas (ANGAP) was placed in charge of the site, and opted for eco-tourism as the solution to its ills.

"Ecotourism was the best solution," said Justin Rakotoarimana, in charge of ANGAP's conservation and research branch, adding however that the novel scheme had to overcome doubt and reluctance.

-- 'They like hearing the sounds of animals at night' --

Schools and wells have already been built with the proceeds while the park has also created 50 jobs, most of which were reserved for local residents.

"I decided to become a guide when I worked out that I could be earning more than by growing rice," explained Justin Rakotoroa, who escorts visitors through the park.

Fifty percent of the park's entry fee of 25,000 ariary (around 15 dollars, or 10 euros) per head goes to local development projects, and the rest goes to conservation.

Last year, 5,500 tourists visited Ankarafantsika, many of them well-heeled visitors from Europe.

Park officials said the tourists were generally very enthusiastic about their experience and, after being briefed about the eco-tourism policy, accepted paying entry fees that were higher than expected.

"We don't offer all modern amenities but the foreigners who come here are not bothered by this. They like sleeping in tents and hearing the sounds of animals at night," said Vanona Rafam'andriajafy, in charge of the project's tourism activities.

From the conservationist perspective, the results speak for themselves: 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of forest were chopped down in 1998 but barely 40 hectares (100 acres) in 2007.

The picture isn't entirely rosy, though.

Trade stutters from season to season, there are gripes among those who say they are excluded from the scheme, and the future of a key source of finance, from a German cooperation fund, is uncertain beyond year's end.

"We have everything we need to produce good quality and in large quantities, but we're lacking a large enough market," said a woman at a weaving workshop set up at the park entrance to manage the harvest of raffia, or palm fibre, and manufacture souvenirs sold to the tourists.

"In the low tourist season, we don't sell anything."

"Those who benefit directly from the scheme are very happy but the others are not and it is difficult for them to play by the new rules," a park employee said privately.

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"Red Tide" to Blame for Illnesses in Florida

PlanetArk 4 Jul 08;

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Several cases of respiratory illness that occurred last year in northeastern Florida were brought on by exposure to a so-called red tide caused by the toxic marine organism, Karenia brevis, health officials conclude in a report released Thursday.

This harmful algal bloom organism is known to produce neurotoxins called "brevetoxins," which are responsible for neurotoxic shellfish poisonings and respiratory illness.

According to the report, the detection of this red tide event "was unusual because public health authorities were first alerted by a cluster of reported symptoms of human respiratory illness among dredging workers rather than by more common means (e.g., observation of dead fish or birds, detection of contaminated seafood, or use of satellite imagery or routine beach water sampling."

The illnesses, which involved 20 workers at a beach restoration worksite in Fernandina Beach, were reported to the Nassau County Health Department on September 25, 2007. The most common symptoms were coughing and throat irritation followed by eye irritation, sneezing, and sniffling.

Many of the workers said that their symptoms came and went as they went to and from work each day. None of the workers required medical care and all of them were able to perform their jobs without impairment. After these cases surfaced, public health agencies began receiving reports of similar illness up to 200 miles south of Fernandina Beach.

Testing of water samples near the worksite and at other locations with similar cases revealed the presence of K. brevis. Initial samples showed medium levels of the organism, but testing in Jacksonville, which is 35 miles south of Fernandina Beach, showed high levels. However, after a major storm hit on September 29, levels began to decline. By November 8, all test samples were clear of the organism.

"During this red tide event, prompt investigation of a small cluster of symptoms led to quick identification of the K. brevis bloom. This public health vigilance enabled authorities to take immediate action to issue advisories and otherwise alert the public to an illness of environmental etiology," the report concludes.

SOURCE: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, July 4, 2008.

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South Asia Adopts Action Plan on Climate Change

PlanetArk 4 Jul 08;

DHAKA - Environment ministers from South Asian countries adopted a three-year action plan on Thursday for regional cooperation to combat climate change effects.

The meeting agreed to share information and best practices on nationally appropriate actions to mitigate carbon emissions, technology transfer, increasing climate change awareness and other areas.

The meeting was also attended by environment experts from the eight countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) -- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

They blamed industrialised nations for global warming and asked them to fulfil their commitment as per the UN climate change conference in Bali to provide additional resources to other countries.

"The industrialised economies must provide adaptation funds and facilitate technology transfer without any conditionality," said Fakhruddin Ahmed, head of Bangladesh's army-backed interim government, in opening the one-day meeting.

"Given our vulnerabilities, inadequate means and limited capacities, we need to ensure rapid social and economic development in our region to make SAARC climate change resilient," said SAARC Secretary-General Sheel Kant Sharma.

"Development provides the best form of adaptation," he added.

Bangladesh urged the SAARC states to work together in international forums, including the UN climate change meeting scheduled to take place in Copenhagen in December 2009.

"Between now and Copenhagen, we must work closely to take a common position on mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology transfers," Fakruddin said.

The SAARC meeting came shortly before the annual G8 summit of leading industrialised nations in Japan next week, where climate change is expected to be a leading topic and an agreement may be reached on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

However, some analysts expect truly substantive progress on global warming may have to wait for a new administration to take office in the United States.

The experts meeting in Dhaka said that across the South Asian region, warmer weather could cause more intense and more frequent cyclones and storm surges, leading to more salt water fouling waterways and crop lands.

Crop yield in South Asia could decrease up to 30 percent by the mid-21st century, they added. (Reporting by Masud Karim; Writing by Anis Ahmed; Editing by Jerry Norton)

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