wildsingapore news: Jul 1, 2009

Best of our wild blogs: 1 Jul 09

Heritage Fest 2009: Pasir Panjang Heritage Walk
Registration now open from Toddycats!

Birding Ethics: For photographers, by photographers
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Do birds fart?
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Birds - Do they save?
from Manta Blog

Hantu Dive Blog Log, 27 June 2009 (Part 1)
from Pulau Hantu

Our first seagrass monitoring session!
from Labrador park

Nest of the Zitting Cisticola
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Sand mining off the East Coast for dumping off Labrador
from wild shores of singapore

Checking out Chek Jawa
from Water Quality in Singapore

St. John's Intertidal Walk
from Urban Forest

Pedal Ubin 13th June – durian dominates!
from Toddycats!

Envirofest – debrief, blog posts and photos
from Toddycats!

It's monkey land at Admiralty Park
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

Upgrading work at Ubin Jetty until 8 Jul 09
from wild shores of singapore

Winged Beauties @ Endau Rompin (Selai) Part 3
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Getting a charge from cooking oil: biodiesel in Singapore

Biodiesel producer sets out to raise public awareness of green alternative to diesel
Kate Lim, Straits Times 1 Jul 09;

BIODIESEL may sound like a technologically advanced fuel, but the green alternative to pump diesel can be produced from something as simple as cooking oil.

And since June 2007, Alpha Biofuels has been collecting used cooking oil from local businesses and refining it to produce biodiesel.

What comes out the other end of its facility at Tanjong Penjuru is way ahead of other fuels in terms of environmental credentials and significantly cuts black smoke, greenhouse gases and carcinogenic emissions from vehicles.

Alpha Biofuels' manufacturing plant currently produces 300 tonnes of the fuel per month, which it distributes to local businesses and consumers.

The firm claims it is the first Singaporean company to bring biodiesel to local consumers via a retail network.

Alpha Biofuels chief executive Allan Lim set up the company in 2004 with Mr Tan Hai Woon, its chief technology officer and his coursemate from Nanyang Technological University.

The pair, both 37, started and failed at four start-ups before striking gold with Alpha Biofuels.

'We believe that sustainable energy is the next thing to come,' said Mr Lim.

Mr Tan added: 'It may be a relatively novel venture in Singapore, but the idea is not new to the world. Firms in the United States, Europe and Australia have been collecting used cooking oil as part of community waste management programmes.'

After a two-year incubation at ITE College East, where they perfected the biotechnology, they managed to amass $1 million from their own bank accounts and from angel investors to pay for the manufacturing facilities at Tanjong Penjuru and a fleet of trucks.

While they were incubating their business at ITE College East, the partners were convinced Singaporeans would embrace their environmentally friendly business - but they were wrong.

'We had a hard time even convincing businesses to let us have their leftover oil,' Mr Tan said, telling of how they had to pay for used cooking oil.

As there is no official waste management programme here for cooking oil, it is common for third-party firms to purchase used oil and re-export it as raw material for use elsewhere.

In fact, public awareness of biodiesel was so limited that Mr Lim and Mr Tan initially had trouble marketing their product.

'Nobody knew about biodiesel, so we had to sell what was essentially 'Liquid X' - a golden liquid with additional benefits that will enhance the power of your vehicle,' quipped Mr Tan.

Despite this tough start-up period, the business has managed to attract a small but loyal following as its go-green message filters through. One of Alpha Biofuels' first walk-in customers, Mr Jack Ling, even joined the firm as its chief operations officer in April last year.

To promote the benefits of its biodiesel, the firm has embarked on a slew of public education campaigns and regularly gives talks and workshops on biodiesel for schools and businesses.

Some students have been so inspired by these initiatives that they intern at the firm during vacations, said Mr Ling.

The partners believe that they are winning hearts and minds, with most businesses buying in to the green message, provided the fuel does not cost too much. But their business continues to face challenges - most notably, the volatility of oil prices.

Explaining their strategy of deliberately pricing biodiesel cheaper than pump diesel - despite the high costs involved - Mr Lim said: 'Every tonne of waste recycled cuts our carbon footprint by 2.5 tonnes, but most Singaporeans do not appreciate this and will not pay a premium for it.'

This means that Alpha Biofuels has to sell biodiesel at prices that yield little profit when conventional fuel prices are low. Retailers like Shell and ExxonMobil can still profit by adjusting pump prices in line with rises and falls in the price of crude oil, but Alpha Biofuels is at a disadvantage because it has to match the price of conventional fuel when the cost of its raw material is relatively static.

Alpha Biofuels is currently selling its biodiesel at a promotional price of 85 cents a litre.

Mr Lim says the firm is now in 'rapid expansion' as a result of sharply increasing sales. It has six retail points islandwide and four more are expected to open by the end of this week.

He expects Alpha Biofuels to make between $1 million and $2 million in sales revenue this year, but admits the firm is not profitable yet. He expects to cross the break-even point by the end of the year.

The company's green message is slowly but surely winning converts, and Alpha Biofuels' founders think the more motorists see of it, the more likely they will be to use its fuel.

With this in mind, Alpha Biofuels is getting involved in this year's National Day Parade by supporting 'backroom logistics'. It will supply biodiesel to power a range of support services, for example, the Old Chang Kee mobile kitchen and cleaning equipment from Purechem Veolia.

Alpha Biofuels expects the use of its biodiesel to cut the volume of carbon emissions from the parade by up to the equivalent of four Olympic-size swimming pools.

The company is looking to supply fuel to more large-scale events in the future, and is currently in discussions with the organisers of the Youth Olympic Games set to be held here next year.

It is also designing and constructing a micro-refinery in the Marina financial district which is expected to produce about 1,000 litres of biodiesel daily to power the site.

'This is not a business that will flourish in a year or two,' said Mr Lim. 'Our vision is to become a bread-and-butter company eventually, by changing the perception of energy.'

Government to take over development & ownership of LNG import terminal

Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia 30 Jun 09;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore government will take over the development of the country's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on Jurong Island. It will take over ownership of the facility from current owners Power Gas and its partner GDF Suez.

The government said this is to prevent delays in the building of the terminal which is part of Singapore's strategy to diversify its energy sources.

It's now slated to be ready in 2013, a year later than originally planned.

Factories have seen orders fall amid the current economic downturn resulting in lower demand for electricity.

The International Energy Agency estimates that global electricity consumption could drop by up to 3.5 per cent in 2009, the first annual contraction since the end of Second World War.

The Singapore government said uncertainty over energy demand has made it less commercially viable for PowerGas and GDF Suez to proceed with the country's liquified natural gas terminal.

The global economic downturn has also made raising funds more difficult.

The cost to build the facility could also have gone up by 50 per cent to S$1.5 billion.

In 2007, PowerGas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Power, was designated as the LNG terminal owner and operator.

S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State, Trade & Industry and Education, said: "If we were to pursue this option of continuing on a commercial basis with Power Gas, there will inevitably be more delays as PowerGas tries to put together a proposition that works for all parties.

“Secondly, the costs are likely to be higher because of the financing element. From Singapore's point of view, it is of national interest to proceed with this project and that we do it in a timely way."

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) will set up a new firm, Singapore LNG Corporation, to develop the terminal.

EMA said it will hire up to 60 staff.

Lawrence Wong, chief executive, Energy Market Authority, said: "EMA will second some staff. I have about 20 people in the company. We will recruit more including a potentially new person to head the company. We haven't found that yet and we are opening up for recruitment. We need engineers and people with LNG expertise."

EMA said the land for the project on Jurong Island has been fully reclaimed.

It also said it will award the design and construction contract by year's end.

PowerGas will receive compensation for the work that has been done so far.

EMA added that these are mainly consultancy work that accounted for a small portion of the billion-dollar investment.

Going forward, EMA will study and put in place an appropriate financing model.

The government will also not rule out divesting its stake in the terminal should the opportunity arises.

Observers said the nationalisation of the LNG terminal is unlikely to affect the energy market but could raise concerns among utilities firms.

David Ernsberger, editorial director (Asia), Platts, said: "The power utilities are certainly going to be fearful that they are about to have something rammed down their throats in the form of a consumption requirement. How do you make people consume stuff that is twice as expensive as stuff that are already available?"

Analysts expect a long line of potential investors wanting to buy a stake in the terminal when it is economically viable, including local players and big names like Petronas and Shell.

Still, the future prospects look bright.

Mr Iswaran said the fundamentals of the Asia Pacific LNG market remain strong in the mid to long term, fuelled by the growth of emerging markets.

The Energy Information Administration forecasts that natural gas demand in non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Asia will grow from 9.4 trillion cubic feet in 2006 to 24.5 trillion cubic feet by 2030.

This represents more than four times the average annual demand growth of OECD countries.

Mr Iswaran added that Singapore can also become a major player in the LNG trade in Asia.

It's estimated that there will be 120 million tonnes of "flexible" LNG supplies available for spot trading by 2015, making up 30 per cent of the total global supply base.

Mr Iswaran also told conference delegates that LNG supplier BG Asia Pacific has concluded discussions with EMA on an agreement which sets out the pricing details and other terms for the supply of LNG to Singapore. - CNA/vm

Government takes over Jurong Island LNG project
Developers find it 'challenging' amid slowing gas demand and costly financing
Ronnie Lim, Business Times 1 Jul 09;

(SINGAPORE) The government is taking over the development and ownership of Singapore's planned $1 billion-plus liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal to ensure timely and sufficient supplies for power stations and industry, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said yesterday.

This is because the appointed developers - Singapore Power subsidiary PowerGas (70 per cent) and GDF Suez (30 per cent) - have found it 'challenging' to develop the Jurong Island project on a commercial basis and on time, amid a slowdown in gas demand and 'more difficult and costly' financing over the past 12 months due to the credit crunch.

Mr Iswaran made the announcement at an international LNG conference yesterday, surprising many participants, given the developers have been working on the project since April 2008.

'The aim is to ensure the terminal is completed and operational by 2013, notwithstanding the present uncertainties in the market,' he said, adding that the government decided after a review that this is the best course of action.

It is in Singapore's interest to develop the terminal 'at the earliest opportunity' to meet anticipated growth in gas demand and be prepared for future opportunities, like regional LNG trading, when economies recover, Mr Iswaran added. Pushing on with the project on a commercial basis would 'inevitably mean further delays and likely higher costs because of the financing difficulties', he explained.

Even now, despite the government stepping in, the LNG terminal will start a year later than 2012 as originally scheduled.

Energy Market Authority (EMA) CEO Lawrence Wong said the delay could have stretched to two or three years if the existing developers were left to plough on.

With the takeover, EMA will spearhead the LNG terminal project by forming a new company, Singapore LNG Corporation, to own and oversee the development. PowerGas staff earlier involved in the project, plus EMA personnel, will be seconded to the new company, which also needs to recruit foreign expertise, Mr Wong said.

As to what form government financing for the terminal will take, Mr Iswaran said this will be worked out by the new company with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the Finance Ministry and the EMA.

'Our immediate priority is to ensure a smooth transition from PowerGas to the new company,' he said.

With government ownership, there will also be a need for a different financing model for the terminal's operation, which the EMA will study and put in place.

Still, the government has left the door open to future private ownership, with Mr Iswaran saying that when the market improves 'it will leave open the option of divesting its stake in the terminal'.

Reclamation of the project's 30-hectare site on the south-western part of Jurong Island, plus the front-end engineering design, has been completed.

Mr Wong said that following a design tender involving three competing contractors, the EMA expects to award the main engineering, procurement and construction contract to the winner by end-2009, with the terminal now slated to start operating in 2013 after a three-year building process.

The EMA has just concluded an agreement with the LNG aggregator or sole buyer, BG Group, which sets out the pricing details and other terms and conditions for its LNG supplies to Singapore, Mr Wong revealed. The details are confidential, although the EMA apparently looked to secure competitively-priced LNG.

Dan Werner, general manager of BG's Singapore LNG team, said it intends to source most of the LNG from its Curtis project in Queensland, Australia, with two LNG plants there, each of 7.4 million tonnes capacity, starting up in 2014.

At present, Singapore imports about six million tonnes per annum (tpa) of piped natural gas from Indonesia and Malaysia. The LNG terminal is expected to bring in 0.8-1.2 million tpa in 2013, building up to 3.3 million tpa by 2018.

Govt steps in to build LNG plant
Essential part of energy plan, plant risked delay due to economic crisis
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 1 Jul 09;

THE Government has taken over the development of Singapore's first LNG terminal as the global credit crunch threatens to delay plans for its completion.

Singapore Power's unit PowerGas and French partner GDF Suez were originally appointed to develop and operate the $1 billion terminal, designed to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) and add an emerging energy source to Singapore's power supply.

Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said yesterday that the fallout from the global economic crisis had made it 'significantly more challenging' for PowerGas and GDF Suez to proceed on a commercial basis.

So the Government has decided to take over ownership and development of the LNG terminal, he said.

The consortium, with a 30 per cent stake by GDF, had been due to make its final investment decision this month for the project which will now be completed by 2013 instead of 2012.

'If we were to pursue this option of continuing on a commercial basis, there will inevitably be further delays as PowerGas tries to put together a proposition that works for all parties,' Mr Iswaran told reporters at an Asia-Pacific LNG conference at the Pan Pacific Hotel yesterday.

'It is in our national interest to proceed with this project at the earliest opportunity... because it is an essential part of our energy strategy to diversify our sources,' he said.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) will now facilitate the takeover by setting up a new company - Singapore LNG Corporation - to take ownership of the terminal and oversee its development.

PowerGas staff familiar with the project will be seconded to this new firm to continue the work, said Mr Iswaran.

In 2007, Singapore first announced plans for an LNG terminal designed to reduce its reliance on piped natural gas from its neighbours Malaysia and Indonesia.

Since then, PowerGas has been designing the terminal, while EMA has appointed London-listed BG Group as the sole aggregator for LNG in Singapore.

LNG is natural gas cooled to liquid form and globally exported via tankers from source countries such as Australia.

Industry watchers noted that the high-profile rescue of the terminal signalled the Government's determination to diversify Singapore's energy landscape as quickly as possible.

Chief executive John Ng of genco PowerSeraya told The Straits Times that with the Government 'taking the lead in spite of the economic challenges, the industry can be assured of LNG security'.

He added: 'This spells good news for the energy sector, as the terminal will open up a diversified source of fuel... thereby leading to an improved fuel range and reach.'

Mr Lim Kong Puay, president and CEO of Tuas Power, said that the move was not surprising, 'given the current economic situation and tightness of credit'.

'Having this alternate source will enhance energy security and make the supply market more competitive,' he added.

The terminal - to be built on a 30-ha site on Jurong Island - will initially comprise two 150,000 cu m tanks with capacity of three million tonnes per annum and flexibility to double it.

EMA chief executive Lawrence Wong said yesterday that PowerGas had made good progress in completing the front-end engineering and design for the terminal and that the firm will be compensated for sunk costs.

EMA will award the design and construction contract by year end and work towards having the terminal ready for its start-up by 2013.

The impact of new LNG supply on electricity prices from 2013 is unknown for now and will depend on the market price of LNG at that time, said Mr Iswaran.

CIMB-GK economist Song Seng Wun said the takeover showed that the Government was not letting Singapore's long-term growth be interrupted by short-term financial problems.

'We have the financial resources so we can do this - rather than wait for the private sector, which may potentially mean that Singapore misses out when the recovery comes,' said Mr Song.

Mr Iswaran said yesterday that the Government will leave open the option of divesting its stake in the terminal at an opportune time.

Govt to build terminal
Today Online 1 Jul 09;

THE Singapore Government will take over the development of its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal from a Singapore Power consortium to avoid any more delays, and has pushed back its completion date by a year to 2013.

PowerGas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Power, was appointed in 2007 to jointly build and operate the terminal with French-utility Gaz de France - now known as GDF Suez.

The downturn has tightened liquidity and dampened the fuel's demand outlook, posing an additional threat to the project. Singapore initiated the project to boost supplies and diversify its natural gas sources.

"The LNG terminal is a critical part of Singapore's energy infrastructure to ensure diversification of our gas supply sources," Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said at the Next Generation LNG Asia-Pacific 2009.

The downturn has also "created considerable uncertainty in demand, going forward", he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.

The proposed terminal may cost around US$1 billion ($1.45 billion) to US$1.5 billion, said Mr Iswaran. "It's difficult to give an exact number" as engineering, procurement and construction costs have fallen in the past 12 to 18 months, he added.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) will set up a new company, Singapore LNG Corp, to build and own the terminal and it will study financing options, added Mr Iswaran. The Government may divest its stake in the terminal in future, he said.

The terminal will be built on a 30-hectare site on Jurong Island and will have an initial capacity of 3 million metric tonnes a year.

United Kingdom-based BG Group secured the franchise in April last year to be the exclusive supplier and distributor of LNG for the terminal.

EMA and BG have reached an agreement on the price and other conditions for supplying the LNG, said Mr Iswaran, declining to elaborate.

While BG is committed to selling 3 million tonnes a year, Singapore is open to securing supplies from other sellers when the terminal expands, he added. Dow Jones

Wise move for energy security
Business Times 2 Jul 09;

WHILE some may consider it a $1 billion bailout, the Singapore government's takeover of both ownership and development of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal here is clearly a calculated and critical move to ensure the country's long-term energy security. In short, it could not afford to let the crucial project get derailed by short-term problems.

Like many investors, the original developers (PowerGas and GDF Suez) unfortunately ran smack into the global economic storm. If left to their own devices, the project may have seen light only in 2-3 years. That's as long as the postponement which Germany's Lanxess announced for its $800 million-plus synthetic rubber investment on Jurong Island just a day earlier.

Clearly, the last 12 months have been tough. With the economic downturn, demand for power - and, correspondingly, natural gas - is down, while securing project financing is more difficult and costly. This has raised questions about the LNG terminal's commercial viability. Furthermore, there is no visibility right now of exactly when the economic recovery will come.

So, as one official noted, 'France's GDF Suez (with a 30 per cent terminal stake) was no mere, small fry', and given today's difficult circumstances, there was no point approaching other companies to try to take over the Singapore LNG project. On the other hand, deferring the LNG terminal would have created a bottleneck once the economic recovery came and gas demand from power stations and industries here picked up quickly; two new mega petrochemical complexes of Shell and ExxonMobil are already scheduled to start up here in 2010 and 2011.

Currently, 80 per cent of Singapore's electricity is generated from natural gas, which is a clean and efficient fuel, with 100 per cent of this piped in from Indonesia and Malaysia - although both countries will increasingly need more gas for their own growing domestic needs. Generation companies here like PowerSeraya reckon that even though electricity demand here will slow in the next 1-2 years, it will pick up again - and, with that, gas demand will rise too. The government's LNG move is therefore a no-brainer.

Apart from new governmental financial muscle, the designated new Singapore LNG Corporation overseeing the terminal will also benefit from an existing moratorium, or ban - meant to reduce investment risk for the terminal investor - on further piped natural gas imports here until LNG imports reach 3.3 million tonnes per annum or 2018, whichever comes earlier.

Singapore also sees opportunity in that the LNG terminal can potentially provide the oil trading hub here with the potential to tap into the regional LNG spot trade, given the Republic's proximity to LNG suppliers such as Australia and Indonesia, and demand centres in powerhouses China and India. Capitalising on recent tax incentives, some companies have already started LNG trading here. All the pieces of the jigsaw should start falling neatly into place come 2013, when the LNG terminal is scheduled to start up.

Govt lauded for leading the way in building LNG terminal
Straits Times Forum 3 Jul 09;

I REFER to Wednesday's report, 'Govt steps in to build LNG plant'.

On behalf of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Committee in Singapore, I congratulate the Government on having taken leadership in the development of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.

Natural gas is the most environment-friendly fossil fuel and it is therefore the right decision to diversify the sources of natural gas and not let the economic downturn disrupt our efforts to have cleaner air in Singapore.

This is also important for the transport sector. More CNG stations will be built in Singapore with rising demand for CNG vehicles, which do not emit any particle matters.

Alexander C. Melchers
Chairman, CNG Committee @ SEAS
Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore

Three schools bag prizes for hot eco-friendly ideas

Straits Times 1 Jul 09;

A NOVEL idea to use Singapore's hot roads to heat water systems has bagged a team of students from Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) a top prize at the biennial National Weather Study Project awards.

For their project, which involves installing water pipes under roads, the team of four JC2 students won $10,000 in cash, plus a trip to Germany to showcase their eco-friendly project to schools there.

They were one of three top winners who received their awards from Law Minister K. Shanmugam at the Science Centre Singapore yesterday.

A total of 235 projects were submitted by 152 primary and secondary schools and junior colleges for the event organised by local electricity generator Senoko Power.

The competition, launched in 2005, honours ideas about going green, using information from mini-weather stations installed in participating schools.

At yesterday's event, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, had a change of heart in an effort to go green.

He told an audience of about 600 students, teachers and guests an anecdote about how his environmentally conscious wife had replaced his usual shaving foam with one that was environmentally friendly. But he did not like the new product.

'So this morning, I decided I will put my foot down and say, no I'm not going to use this, I'm going to go back to my shaving foam. But after coming here, maybe I will stop my act of rebellion,' he quipped.

Principal chairman of the project's advisory committee, Professor Leo Tan, said the winners were chosen based on how well thought through their ideas were. He said: 'We were not looking at the end results, whether the projects could be commercialised, whether there were any direct applications, but whether they were logical, based on sound evidence, building on information available.

'They don't need to solve the problem of climate change or come up with a solution.

'But we hope we set them thinking about it, and if more of us do it conscientiously, then we might be able to make a greater impact to reduce the effects of climate change.'

Nanyang Girls' High School won the top prize in the secondary school division for showing that students were best at recalling shapes and words when the room temperature was between 25.9 deg C and 27.3 deg C.

The team suggested that air-conditioning was generally not needed in schools, and not necessary in companies before 10am.

In the primary school division, Unity Primary School won the top prize for finding what material was best at absorbing perspiration and could be used in T-shirts in physical education classes. It is Dri-Fit.

LIAW WY-CIN

Kampung Mangkuk mangrove restoration: An example to others

Sean Augustin, New Straits Times 1 Jul 09;

SETIU: Kampung Mangkuk here has become a shining beacon for other villages in the district when it comes to the conservation of mangrove trees.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia's Setiu wetlands project community liaison officer River Foo said when the mangrove replanting programme was started last year, the people in the village were ignorant about conservation.

But all that has changed. On a scale of one to 10, environmental awareness has jumped from zero to eight, he said yesterday.

"They know what the WWF is trying to do as well as the importance of the mangrove ecosystem.

"But more importantly, they are enthusiastic about the whole project, especially the younger generation.

"We are pleased that the teachers in the school have also been encouraging their students to be more environmentally conscious," he said, adding that about 1,700 Asiatic mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) and Nipah palm (Nypa fruticans) saplings have been planted, to date.

The project has also attracted non-governmental organisations to the site, which has in turn inspired the participation of the locals.

The mangrove ecosystem is important in preventing erosion on the riverbanks and is home to the Nipah crab and Galah prawns, which can contribute to the livelihood of the fishing community here.

Foo hopes that Kampung Mangkuk would be an inspiration to neighbouring villages and attract the people to take part in the project.

Sekolah Kebangsaan Mangkuk mathematics teacher Sahara Zakaria said he has seen a change in the villagers' thinking in the past year, especially among the younger generation.

"They are more environmentally conscious. They are looking at mangrove conservation and its benefits in the long term."

Study asks Indonesia to adopt green economy

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 1 Jul 09;

A study analyzing the impacts of switching to a low-carbon economy has shown that investing more in energy efficiency, reducing the use of coal-based fuels and stopping deforestation, could improve per capita incomes and help ease the level of unemployment.

The joint study was conducted by Padjadjaran University, the Center for Economic and Development Studies (CEDS), Strategic Asia and the office of the State Minister for the Environment.

The study found that these benefits would be gained by increasing energy efficiency by 25 percent, reducing the use of coal-based fuels by 50%, implementing a US$50 per ton tax on carbon production, and reducing the rate of deforestation by 10 percent.

“The environmental and economic benefits of such measures are huge. It would cut 177 million tons of CO2 emissions and increase GDP by 2.7 percent [Rp 133 trillion] per year,” Arief Anshory Yusuf, a researcher from Padjadjaran University told The Jakarta Post.

“Such economic benefits could create new jobs for more than 3 million people, and the number of poor people would be reduced by more than 4 million per year.”

The study also included policy recommendations designed to meet targets by promoting energy-saving policies in 25 percent of wealthy households in urban areas, energy-intensive industries and the transport sector.

Several countries, including the US, China and South Korea have been considering adopting “green economy” policies to cut carbon emissions.

The US has allocated US$80 billion for renewable resources and energy efficient programs.

China has allocated 12 percent of its $586 billion economic stimulus package toward energy efficiency and improving the quality of environment.

The South Korean government has created a “Green New Deal” by investing $28 billion in four years to finance 36 projects focused on improving the environment.

Indonesia has issued a series of regulations aimed at cutting emissions from the energy and forestry sectors, but its implementation record remains poor.

In 2005, the government issued a presidential decree on fuel savings requiring government offices to reduce the use of energy and official trips. The government also issued a decree on energy, setting targets to cut 17 percent of the country’s emissions from the energy sector.

State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar said the country should take advantage of its enormous stock of low carbon energy sources like geothermal energy to move toward a green economy.

Indonesia has about 33.000 megawatts of the geothermal resources.

Masnellyarti Hilman, the ministry’s deputy for nature conservation enhancement and environment degradation control, said there were alternatives to carbon market mechanisms, which could generate income and produce a green economy that was not reliant on destroying the environment.

“In forests for example, ecotourism could provide an alternative source of income, rather than cutting down trees for timber,” she said.

Indonesia presidential hopefuls accused of ignoring the environment

Channel NewsAsia 30 Jun 09;

JAKARTA: Presidential hopefuls vying for Indonesia's top job next week are ignoring the environment, despite dire threats from global warming and deforestation, environmental group Greenpeace has said.

None of the three candidates has made the environment a priority in their campaigns or offered any detailed policies on issues such as deforestation or carbon emissions, Greenpeace climate campaigner Arif Fiyanto said.

"Up to now we haven't seen anything concrete from the three pairs of candidates," Fiyanto said.

Rampant deforestation fuelled by corruption and poor law enforcement has made Indonesia the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind the United States and China.

Greenpeace activists said the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had paid little more than pay lip service to environmental problems over its five years in power.

"Environmental problems aren't sexy in the election, indeed ... we've never had a government that has paid attention to the environment," forest campaigner Joko Arif said.

"They're talking about poverty, they're talking about benefits for the community, but if they don't talk about environmental problems it's complete (rubbish)," he added.

Yudhoyono is the strong favourite to win the July 8 poll, which will pit him against ex-president Megawati Sukarnoputri and current Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

Megawati has agreed to a Greenpeace demand for a moratorium on deforestation, but has also promised to open millions of hectares of land for farming and biofuel plantations, Arif said.

Indonesia has been a key advocate of a scheme to get big polluters in rich countries to pay for forest conservation in developing countries.

But Greenpeace fears the plan could trigger a collapse in global carbon prices and undermine broader efforts to fight climate change.

- AFP/ir

Presidential hopefuls losing green points
Niken Prathivi, The Jakarta Post 1 Jul 09;

Greenpeace Indonesia on Sunday slammed presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his running mate Boediono for their apparent lack of concern for environmental issues in their campaign agenda.

Greenpeace forest campaigner for Southeast Asia Joko Arif said Yudhoyono, as the incumbent President, should know better, especially with Forestry Minister M.S. Ka'ban as one of his supporters.

"Unfortunately Yudhoyono and his running mate Boediono have put environmental issues 12th among 15 points in their agenda, with a simple line *environmental restoration'," Joko said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post.

Their stance became more apparent given that the two other hopeful pairs - Megawati Sukarnoputri-Prabowo Subianto and Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto - had already mentioned environmental issues in their campaigns.

During her campaign tour of Palangkaraya, Kalimantan, Megawati promised to implement a moratorium on forestry if elected, Arif said.

Megawati also committed to avoiding the use of nuclear energy, while Kalla promised to reject plans for a nuclear reactor in Indonesia, he added.

"We appreciate these plans. However, we are asking for a thorough and solid working plan."

Greenpeace Indonesia also noted that despite pointing out environmental issues, Megawati and Kalla also had flaws in their campaigns.

Megawati once promised to provide two hectares of land for agricultural goods and four hectares for plantations to provide raw materials for biodiesel production, but failed to elaborate on how she would obtain the land.

Meanwhile, Kalla once stated he would not introduce a moratorium (on forest clearing) because Indonesia was no longer facing forest exploitation.

Kalla also promised to boost Indonesia's production of coal, an environmentally damaging resource, to support power plants.

Arif also said he was disappointed that the General Elections Commission (KPU), which organized the official public debates for presidential and vice-presidential candidates, had neglected to include environmental issues in its topics for discussion.

"Considering that we are already facing impacts of climate change, it is important to protect our environment, especially forests.

"Such efforts need strong political will from leaders.

"Therefore, whoever the president will be, we need a visionary person - someone who not only cares about what happens in the next five years, but also for the next generation," he added.

Greenpeace Indonesia organized a mock debate on Sunday, on environmental issues, presenting six campaigners with masks picturing Megawati, Prabowo, Yudhoyono, Boediono, Kalla and Wiranto.

Are rich tourists losing touch with nature?

Michael Marshall, New Scientist 30 Jun 09;

Are people becoming more isolated from nature, spending all their time cooped up at home watching TV? Quite the reverse, according to a new study of nature tourism around the world.

Andrew Balmford of the University of Cambridge, UK, and colleagues looked at the numbers of visitors at 280 protected areas, such as national parks, in 20 countries.

Between 1992 and 2006, the team found that the numbers of visitors had overall increased.

Total visit numbers to protected areas on average grew in 15 out of the 20 countries sampled and fell in four; with Uganda showing no change. Even allowing for population growth, per capita visit numbers rose in 14 countries; with Uganda and Australia added to the list of countries showing a downward trend.

When they pooled the results by continent, they found that Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America all showed significant growth in visitor numbers, while North America and Australasia showed no significant trends.
Too much TV?

The popularity of nature tourism depends on how rich the country is, but perhaps not in the way you might expect, Balmford says. "When you compare the trends in visitor numbers with how wealthy the countries are, you see that growth is stagnant in the richest countries," he says. "Nature tourism is growing fastest in the poorest countries – Madagascar is a good example."

Muttulingam Sanjayan of the Nature Conservancy says, "The paper is interesting and adds a lot to the debate."

Balmford's results go against the suggestion of a much-reported paper by Oliver Pergams and Patricia Zaradic, which showed that visitor numbers to protected areas in the US and Japan had been falling for several decades (PNAS, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0709893105, http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0709893105).

The pair argued that people were turning away from nature-based recreation in favour of "videophilia": spending time on sedentary activities like watching TV, rather than communing with nature.
'Hyped' study

The new study offers some support for Pergams and Zaradic's finding of a decline in the US and Japan, but shows that it is not part of a worldwide trend. "The original study was hyped beyond what the data suggested," says Balmford.

So does this mean Americans are definitely turning away from nature holidays?

Sanjayan says, "Lots of people in the US are pretty disconnected from nature. Given how big a role [the nation] plays in things like overseas aid, I think that's a worrying trend."
'Drive-through' trend

While videophilia may be to blame, there are several other explanations for his results, which can't be tested using his data alone, he adds.

Because many US national parks are overcrowded, people may be choosing to go elsewhere; either to US locations that are less well-known – and where visitors are not monitored – or to more exotic places overseas.

"In those poor countries with rapid growth, the majority of the visitors are often from outside that country," Balmford says.

Sanjayan thinks that other questions need to be asked. "The biggest challenge for anyone doing studies of nature tourism is: how do people experience nature? In the US, most people who visit national parks experience them in a drive-through way, without leaving their cars. That is an emerging trend in developing countries as well."

Balmford's team is now working on a global model that will predict tourist numbers to protected areas.

Journal reference: PLoS Biology ( DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000144)

Summer Vacation
People are still flocking to national parks. Just not in the U.S.
Journal Watch Online 2 Jul 09;

A new study attempts to resolve two seemingly contradictory and widely reported trends on people’s engagement with nature.

Nature-based tourism is said to be a booming sector within the travel and recreation industry, a trend that’s also a boon for arguments to conserve natural lands. But, to much fanfare, recent studies have also concluded that people are in fact more isolated from nature than ever before, largely based on evidence that the number of visitors to U.S. and Japanese national parks is declining.

The authors, writing in PLoS Biology, conducted a broader survey of 280 protected areas in 20 countries. They confirm that visitation is indeed dropping in the U.S. and Japan, but is growing in 15 of 20 nations. Such results indicate that despite worrying local downturns, tourists elsewhere are still flocking towards natural attractions and generating income for conservation.

Interestingly, the highest rates of visitor increases were generally in the nations with the lowest per capita income whereas the decreases were in richer nations, such as the U.S. and Japan. The authors cannot explain the reason for this trend, but they suppose that corresponding overall drops in international tourism to these countries could have a role. – Jessica Leber

Source: Balmford, A. et al. 2009. A Global Perspective on Trends in Nature-Based Tourism. PLoS Biology DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000144

Image © elkor, iStockphoto.com

Malaysia rescues smuggled baby orangutans: report

Yahoo News 30 Jun 09;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysian wildlife authorities have rescued three baby orangutans believed to have been smuggled into the country, following raids on a zoo and an ostrich breeder, a report said Tuesday.

The three young apes were among a smuggled group of five, and a search is under way for the remaining two, Department of Wildlife and National Parks deputy chief Misliah Mohamad Basir told the Star newspaper.

One of the orangutans was discovered in a raid on an ostrich breeder in central Selangor state, who then revealed that the other two were being kept at the Taiping Zoo in Malaysia's north.

"All orangutans at the zoo are microchipped but these specimens were without microchips, hence we are able to ascertain that they are of dubious origin," Misliah reportedly said.

Zoo officials defended their actions, saying the orangutans were sent to them by "anonymous people" and that the raid was carried out before they could notify the authorities.

"We accepted them because we wanted to save the animals out of compassion, that's how they ended up with us. If we said no, the people might have traded them," zoo director Kevin Lazarus told AFP.

"We have got nothing to do with this (smuggling)," he added.

Local laws require a special permit to keep orangutans -- native to Malaysia's eastern states on Borneo island -- which are under threat of extinction because of poaching and habitat destruction.

The report said that DNA samples of the rescued apes were taken to determine their origin.

Wildlife officials have said that wildlife trafficking has hit alarming levels in Malaysia.

Experts say there are about 50,000 to 60,000 orangutans left in the wild, 80 percent of them in neighbouring Indonesia and the rest in Malaysian's eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak.

Greenpeace rap for Orissa

Times of India 30 Jun 09;

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has done nothing much to protect the endangered Olive Ridley turtles on the Orissa coast, according to the Greenpeace. In the assessment of this international environmental watchdog body, there lies a big gap between government rhetorics and actual work done in the field.

The reaction came in its evaluation report on the government's performance in the 2008-09 season (November-May). Turtle mortality figures are set to touch nearly 15,000, it said.

"While some steps have been taken, there remains a yawning gap between the measures on paper and action on the ground," the Greenpeace said in a release issued here on Tuesday. It said in 2008-09 about 7,162 turtle carcasses had been found on the Chilika-Paradip stretch alone."

This is above the average turtle mortality of 6,280 recorded in the past six seasons, but a marginal decline of eight percent when compared to mortality figures from 2007-2008 in the Devi region.

"Taken together with mortality figures, south of Chilika, in Gahirmatha and north of the Dhamra river mouth, including the Udabali Islands, the mortality in the state is once again likely to be 14,000-15,000," the release said.

Greenpeace asked the government to involve local and independent organizations in its exercise to monitor turtle mortality with "transparency and greater accuracy". It also mentioned 473 incidents of trawler violations during the "critical phase of the turtle season (November to February), resulting in largescale turtle deaths and severe hardship for traditional fishermen communities.

Norway helps endangered eel wriggle from fish nets

WWF 30 Jun 09;

Oslo, Norway – Norwegian fisheries regulators in a landmark decision have banned all fishing of the critically endangered European eel starting in 2010 and cut 2009 catch quotas by 80 percent.

The Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries also has announced that all recreational fishing of European eels would stop on July 1st, as stock of the eels hit historically low levels and continue to decline. The decision represents a major conservation decision that is a model for proper fisheries management, according to WWF-Norway.

“The Minister of Fisheries is making an important, and the only right choice, and is showing international leadership in fisheries management,” said Rasmus Hansson, WWF-Norway CEO. “Norway’s Fisheries Minister, Helga Pedersen, has used every occasion to point out that Norway is the best in the world on fisheries management, and by making bold moves like this they have probably earned the title.”

The European eel is listed as critically endangered in Norway and on the IUCN Redlist. Stocks are at historically low levels with spawning levels at between one and five percent from their 1970 level, with only the Atlantic area seeing higher levels. In the Baltic Sea, including Kattegat and Skagerrak, indices show a sharp decline in young yellow eel stocks since 1950.

As early as 1999, The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) stated that the eel stock was outside safe biological limits, and that the fishery was unsustainable. Yet, fishing has been ongoing for decades, despite scientific advice.

“A total fishing ban is the strongest measure the fisheries management can use, and when a species is critically endangered one must use the strongest and most efficient measures. This protection should have been implemented many years ago, and we are hoping that the long-overdue protection is not too late,” Hansson said.

A successful rebuilding strategy for the eel, both in Norway and the EU, will have a substantial impact on eel numbers in Norwegian waters. Consequently, Norway has a great responsibility in influencing both the management and the research that is being undertaken in Europe. In Europe, fishing for eel continues, despite the very severe and depleted state of the stock.

“WWF urges Ms Pedersen to fight for the EU taking similar bold measures in their fisheries management, and WWF will fight to stop the eel fishery in the EU,” Hansson said.

Australians warned off 'Migaloo' the white whale

Yahoo News 30 Jun 09;

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australian officials on Tuesday warned the public to stay away from "Migaloo," a much-loved white humpback whale who has reappeared off the eastern coast.

Queensland authorities reminded enthusiasts Migaloo was a "special-interest whale" with a 500-metre (yard) exclusion zone for boats, jetskis and aircraft enforced by a maximum fine of 13,300 US dollars.

"The whale-watching regulations are there to protect the whales, but also to protect people from these huge, unpredictable mammals," said state environment minister Kate Jones.

"Adult humpbacks can weigh more than a fully-loaded semi-trailer so you need to stay out of their way."

Migaloo, meaning "white fella" in one of the Queensland Aboriginal dialects, is the only all-white humpback ever documented and has built up a loyal following since he was first spotted in 1991.

As well as two dedicated websites, the animal also inspired Operation Migaloo, an anti-whale hunting campaign by environmental activists which concluded in March 2008.

Celebrity white humpback Migaloo marks start of Australian whale season
Albino humpback whale Migaloo
Adam Ward, Sydney's Daily Telegraph The Telegraph 2 Jul 09;

Migaloo and friend photographed off Queensland in 2004, Sophie Tedmanson in Sydney

Whale watching season has begun in Australia and the star attraction of the annual migration – Migaloo, a rare white humpback – made his first appearance off the eastern coast this week.

The white Eastern Australian humpback celebrity, who was spotted off the coast of northern NSW, causes so much interest during his annual swim up to northern Queensland that the local environment authorities this week declared him a ‘special interest whale’ and threatened to issue hefty fines for anyone who gets too close.

There is now a 500m (1,600ft) exclusion zone around Migaloo for boats and jet skis, and aircraft must not venture closer than 2,000ft above.

The Queensland Environment Minister Kate Jones said anyone found in breach of these conditions faces a fine of up to $16,500 (£8,100). For other whales, the limits are 100m (350ft) for a boat and 300m (1,000ft) for jet skis and other watercraft, with a maximum penalty of $12,000 (£5,800).

“Migaloo has been declared a special-interest whale, granting him more space to swim up the Queensland coast,” Ms Jones said.

“The whale-watching regulations are there to protect the whales, but also to protect people from these huge, unpredictable mammals.

“Adult humpbacks can weigh more than a fully-loaded semi-trailer so you need to stay out of their way.”

Southern Cross University whale researcher Dave Paton spotted Migaloo at Evans Head, just south of Byron Bay near the border of Queensland and NSW, on Tuesday morning and said he was in good spirits and looked healthy.

“He was by himself and just cruising along looking very relaxed,” Mr Paton, who has seen Migaloo six times over the past decade, told The Times.

Migaloo is about 20 years old and weighs approximately 40 tonnes. He was first sighted off Cape Byron – the eastern most point in Australia - in 1991 and is usually spotted once a year during the annual whale migration.

Migaloo is named after the Aboriginal word for ‘white fella’ and is so popular there are two websites and at least four Facebook pages dedicated to him. There is even an album of whale songs being produced which features Migaloo’s distinctive song.

He is one of approximately 11,000 humpbacks who migrate from their feeding ground in Antarctica to different parts of the world each southern winter.

Many of them head for the coasts of New Zealand and Australia where they congregate in the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef and Harvey Bay in far north Queensland for mating, birthing and calving.

From the end of June and early July the whales can regularly be seen along the eastern Australian coastline, where whale watching has turned into a popular pastime and lucrative ecotourism business for the winter season, which lasts until November when the humpbacks head back to Antarctica to feed on krill.

Juanita Ryder from Sydney’s True Blue Cruises said this week they have been taking up to 100 people a day – including many tourists from the UK and Europe – for a $75 (£37) boat trip outside the heads of Sydney Harbour to watch the whales as they swim past in the Tasman Sea.

At Harvey Bay in Queensland, whale watching tour operators were this week busy preparing for their annual visitors.

Jill Perry, who has run Harvey Bay Whale Watch with her husband Brian for the past 23 years, said they see on average up to 500 whales and take approximately 12,000 people on whale watching tours each season.

Another popular location for sightings is the cliffs at Cape Byron, where most of the whale group converge before moving north again.

Wally Franklin, a whale researcher and director of The Oceania Project based at Byron Bay, said the population of the migrating humpbacks is improving.

However he added the population is still only 20 per cent of what it was before the last period of commercial whaling in Australia in the late 1960s. He said by the time whaling ceased, the humpback population had been reduced to only 150 individual whales.

Mr Franklin, who later this month will head to Harvey Bay for his annual research expedition, said Migaloo’s distinctive appearance means he is an ‘ambassador’ for the humpbacks.

“His white colouring gives him special significance, and he certainly demands respect because of that,” Mr Franklin, who is producing an album of whale songs which features Migaloo’s song, said.

“And because he is so distinctive and so well known he is somewhat of an ambassador for his group of whales.

“It’s quite an extraordinary experience to be in his presence.”

'Voracious' ladybird threatens native UK species

Emily Beament, The Independent 1 Jul 09;

The recent arrival of the invasive harlequin ladybird in the UK is likely to threaten more than 1,000 native species, scientists warned today.

The harlequin has become a common sight as it has spread across the country in the past few years - even invading houses in the autumn to hibernate over winter in warm spots.

The ladybird is originally from Asia but was introduced in continental Europe to control pest insects which were damaging crops and has since spread to the UK on fruit and flowers and by being blown across the Channel.

A survey launched in 2005 has, with the help of the public, managed to track its progress using some 30,000 online records.

Since its arrival in 2004, the ladybird has spread from Essex to Orkney in just four years, with places such as London parks now recording staggering numbers of the insect.

The bug is a "voracious" predator, which preys on a wide variety of insects, including the larvae of other ladybirds, caterpillars and even fruit, and out-competes with native species.

As a result, the species poses a major concern for the UK's wildlife according to Dr Helen Roy of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).

Evidence from the US, which introduced the harlequin more than 20 years ago, shows "severe declines" in native species.

"We believe that the negative impacts of the harlequin on Britain will be far reaching and disruptive, with the potential to affect over 1,000 of our native species," she said.

"It's a big and voracious predator, it will eat lots of different insects, soft fruit and all kinds of things. Its reproductive capacity is also immense."

The harlequin ladybird has a variable appearance, is very difficult to tell apart from our native ladybirds, and can chomp through more than 12,000 aphids a year.

But it is also known to eat species such as lacewing larvae as well as pest insects carrying pathogens, depleting the supplies of the diseases which normally keep such species under control.

It will try anything it comes across when hungry, and had even been recorded eating the caterpillar of a brimstone butterfly, Dr Roy said.

Scientists from five organisations are presenting information about the harlequin at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition this week, and warn its arrival will mean "one winner, 1,000 losers".

Ladybirds do not have many enemies, as they are distasteful and toxic to many predators and let would-be diners know this with their bright colouring.

The harlequin ladybird has even fewer predators as it is not a native species.

But the researchers are exploring how the few native enemies that exist, including fungal disease, male-killing bacteria, parasitic wasps and flies, could be used to control the population - or may evolve to tackle the harlequin naturally.

One of the most promising ideas could involve encouraging the transmission of a sexually transmitted mite which makes some ladybirds infertile in a bid to reduce the harlequin population.

Dr Remy Ware, of the University of Cambridge, who is working on how the mite could control harlequin populations, said it was a naturally-occurring UK species which did not affect most British ladybirds because of their breeding cycles.

She said her team was examining if it could be artificially transferred to harlequins, where the ladybird's breeding pattern may allow it to be naturally transmitted, causing females to become sterile.

Dr Roy also said that if the harlequin is found in the habitat of rare ladybirds such as the five spot, which lives in just a few sites of disturbed river shingle in Wales, it may have to be physically removed to protect the native insect.

But she warned: "We haven't got a hope of blanket control of the harlequin ladybird. Anything we do here we'd have to do in other countries in Europe."

And she said the researchers were not encouraging people to kill harlequins as it would make no difference to the overall population and they may accidentally kill native species.

The scientists from CEH, the University of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University, Rothamsted Research and the University of Hull, will be at the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition this week.

They will be explaining how to tell the difference between harlequins and native species and what methods might be used to control the invasive insects.

* The Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition is free to the public. It runs from Tuesday June 30 to Saturday July 4 at the Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London.

Invading ladybirds breed up ecological storm for UK species
A voracious predator, the Asian harlequin ladybird has spread across the UK since its arrival from continental Europe in 2004
David Adam, guardian.co.uk 30 Jun 09;

Millions of very hungry ladybirds are poised to create ecological havoc for hundreds of Britain's native species, scientists warn today.

Experts said the anticipated warm summer would provide the perfect conditions for the Asian harlequin ladybird to breed and prepare for a springtime assault. "They are creating a huge genetic stock ready for next year," said Helen Roy, a scientist with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

The insect, a voracious predator, has spread across the UK since its arrival from continental Europe in 2004. The bugs have been spotted as far north as Orkney, though they remain strongest in south-east England, where they have overrun many of London's parks.

"We believe that the negative impacts of the harlequin on Britain will be far-reaching and disruptive, with the potential to affect over a thousand of our native species," she said. "It's a big and voracious predator, it will eat lots of different insects, soft fruit and all kinds of things."

Unlike British ladybirds, such as the most common seven-spot, the harlequin does not need a cold winter for adults to reach sexual maturity, and so be able to breed. "That gives them a massive advantage," Roy said.

The ladybird, originally from Asia, was introduced to Holland and other European countries to control aphids on crops. From there, it crossed the English Channel on the wind, or hidden on fruit and flowers.

A public survey launched in 2005 has tracked its progress using some 30,000 online records. Roy said the results revealed a "staggering expansion". Scientists fear the harlequins will push out natural rivals through competition for food. They can munch through more than 12,000 aphids a year, as well as feed on other species such as lacewing larvae. The harlequin has even been recorded eating the large caterpillar of a brimstone butterfly.

Scientists from five organisations will present the latest findings on the spread of the harlequin this week at the Royal Society summer exhibition, and warn its arrival will mean "one winner, 1,000 losers".

Scientists are exploring whether harlequin numbers could be controlled using their few native enemies, such as fungal disease, male-killing bacteria and parasitic wasps and flies. One idea is to encourage the transmission of a sexually transmitted mite that makes some ladybirds infertile.

The researchers said people should not take matters into their own hands. Vigilante action against the harlequin invaders would make no difference to the overall population and could inadvertently kill similar-looking native species.

Ladybird 'risk to 1,000 species'
BBC News 30 Jun 09;

The Harlequin ladybird is putting over 1,000 species in the UK in peril, scientists have warned.

"The rate of spread is dramatic and unprecedented," said Dr Helen Roy of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

The ladybird has spread to most parts of the UK in just four years, preying on many other insects.

However, research outlined at the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition suggests local ladybird parasites are adapting to prey on the interloper.

To help that process along, scientists are suggesting introducing a mite that renders the ladybirds infertile.

Originally from Asia, the harlequin preys on a wide variety of insects, including the larvae of other ladybirds, and will also eat fruit.

It was introduced in continental Europe to control pest insects.

First "spotted" in Essex in 2004, the invader was quickly classified as a major threat to the UK's 45 native ladybird species.

Since 2005, its spread has been tracked by a survey inviting members of the public to report sightings.

'Top predator'

"What we've seen is that the southeast is the stronghold, but they have also reached Orkney, Northern Ireland, far west Wales and far west Cornwall," said Dr Roy.

The researchers have also worked out how the insect fits into the UK's ecology.

"The Harlequin ladybird is a top predator and we know that it sits within a web of many other insects that it interacts with, and other organisms as well," Dr Roy told BBC News.

"Because there's nothing very much that attacks it, we believe that 1,000 species all have the potential to be impacted."

Dr Remy Ware of Cambridge University is looking into potential measures to stop the frantic spread of the ladybirds.

She said that some natural enemies of UK ladybirds, known as parasitoids, are adapting to prey also on the Harlequin. Parasitoid flies and wasps lay their eggs inside ladybirds, killing them.

"We have evidence from the past two years that these two groups may be adapting to attack harlequin as a novel host," Dr Ware told BBC News.

Mite work

Another more promising predator for the insects is a sexually transmitted mite that renders female ladybirds infertile. The mite must be passed from one generation to the next by inter-generational mating.

Native ladybird species produce just one generation per year, which does not leave enough time for the mite to propagate.

But the Harlequin has as many as five generations per year, making it an ideal candidate to carry and pass on the mite.

"We're not suggesting that we would introduce a novel enemy into the UK; it's actually already here and in time we expect it would naturally take on in the harlequin," Dr Ware said.

"We've developed methods whereby we can artificially infect Harlequin ladybirds with the mite - it'd be a case of infecting them and releasing into the wild."

However, Dr Ware stresses that the suggestions are still in the formative stages.

Hi-tech puffins to monitor decline in UK seabird populations

Severin Carrell, guardian.co.uk 30 Jun 09;

Short, stubby and gifted with a distinctive comedy beak, the puffin is an iconic bird. But seabird may also be the bellwether for a crisis in the seas around Britain.

The puffin now has a new role, helping scientists investigate the causes of a steep decline in seabird numbers across the British Isles using miniaturised digital tracking devices, including one borrowed from in-car satellite navigation systems.

Data for last year shows puffin numbers suddenly and sharply crashed. Scientists found that on the most significant North Sea colonies, puffin populations fell by a third or more. Adult puffins were malnourished, with large numbers washed up dead along the UK's coast.

Confronted by other evidence of a significant change in the North Sea's health, which has led to declines of up to 40% in seabird numbers in just eight years, conservationists have begun a series of urgent studies into its possible causes. Many believe climate change is the main culprit.

On the Farne islands, a low-lying archipelago off the Northumberland coast 50 miles north of Newcastle, puffins are now being fitted with equipment which should help plug large gaps in scientific knowledge about the species and, in turn, other threatened seabirds.

Scientists will use three different devices on up to three dozen puffins: GPS monitors; "geo-locators" which work differently; and time and depth recorders.

They will monitor how and where they feed and behave once they leave their burrows on the Farnes, and track their movements while they winter at sea. Each puffin will carry only one small device which will be attached with super-strength glue onto its back.

Food is a critical issue: zoologists believe last year's population slump – when numbers plummeted on the Farnes from 58,000 in 2003 to just 38,000 - is closely tied to a collapse in their main food source, the sandeel.

Populations of the slender, silvery fish, whose availability may be crucial to the puffins' long-term survival, have been in decline since the 1990s because of heavy trawling for fishfarm feed and exposure to the changes in plankton distribution brought about by rising sea temperatures.

Puffins nest in dark, dry burrows that the birds carve out each spring from the soft, sandy earth, shaded by sea campion, nettles and coarse, hardy grasses. Their behaviour on land and within sight of the islands is well understood. However at sea, scientists have been largely guessing.

Dr Richard Bevan, a zoologist with Newcastle university who is leading the National Trust research on the Farnes, said: "All we can record at the nests is the number of chicks, how quickly the chicks are growing and the numbers that fledge, but what we don't know is what they do as soon as they fly away.

"Puffins can theoretically be foraging anywhere within a 60km radius of the islands, which is a huge area for us to cover. But the further they have to forage the more energy they use, and the intervals between when they feed their chicks will increase, so chicks will be fed less and are less likely to do well."

The results of the hi-tech monitoring will help conservationists establish whether puffins have regular feeding grounds and allow them to protect those places. Evidence that puffins spread across a wide area would present a more difficult problem, perhaps increasing pressure for a more substantial conservation effort.

That information will also help protect the significant Arctic tern, sandwich tern, guillemot and shag colonies on the Farnes, which are home to approximately 160,000 adult seabirds and their offspring.

This research could prove crucial. Last month, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the UK's most authoritative conservation research agency, reported that about 600,000 seabirds had been lost since 2000, 9% of the total population. There are now 40% fewer black-legged kittiwake – another bird that feeds on sandeels – and 33% fewer European shags breeding in the UK than 40 years ago. On Shetland, globally significant colonies have collapsed.

Yet this year's research so far has given Bevan and the trust grounds for optimism. Their trawls for sandeels around the Farnes suggested the tiny fish were, this year at least, relatively abundant. Puffins are flying in – their short wings urgently flapping 400 times a minute, with sandeels dangling from their beaks.

Bevan believes last year's population crash may be explained by unusual north-easterly winds during last year's breeding season, which may have cooled the seas at the wrong time. Herring – a fish which competes for sandeels – were also abundant, and may have out-eaten the puffins.

Last year's population crash may be a blip, not a trend. But it does indicate there are changes in the marine environment which scientists do not yet understand, Bevan added.

"It's a warning sign. I'm willing to bet that this year numbers would be up from last year, but not up to pre-2008 levels. The problem is, we don't know what's happening out there. There's a change in the ecology of the North Sea. What the implications are of that, we have no idea."
Seabirds in trouble

Black-legged kittiwake

Its numbers have fallen by 35% since 2000 due to declines in sand eels caused by overfishing and climate change. Breeding success has fallen markedly on the North Sea.

Herring gull

One of the UK's best known gulls, notorious for scavenging from trawlers and city dumps, but is a new entry to the UK "red list" of threatened birds because its numbers are sharply falling, down by 69% since 1969 and 33% since 2000.

Arctic skua

This relatively rare inshore seabird was put on the UK's "red list" of threatened species this year as its numbers are declining rapidly: 2,100 were counted in 2002, but it has declined by 57% since then.
Seabirds on the up

Great skua

Its numbers have rocketed by nearly 400% since 1969 and by 56% in the last eight years alone - but at the expense of others. The large scavenger has outmuscled the herring gull for trawler discards and preyed on Arctic skuas. Cuts in discarded fish suggest it will increasingly have to steal food from other seabirds to survive.

Sat nav fitted to puffins in bid to halt decline
Tracking devices glued to birds as scientists try to explain slump
Cordelia O'Neill, The Independent 1 Jul 09;

Puffins living in one of the most remote places in the UK are to be fitted with "sat nav" devices to help scientists discover why their numbers are falling.

This summer, researchers will use GPS technology to track the movements of a colony of puffins living on the Farne Islands, off the Northumberland coast, in a bid to explain a dramatic decline in numbers over the past five years.

The distinctive black and white birds will be tagged with GPS transmitters in order to shed new light on puffin movement and behaviour, researchers from Newcastle University said.

The tags, which are glued on to the birds' feathers and fall off after several days, will map their movements to find out where they go to find fish, how they get there and what they do once they arrive.

A survey of the breeding pairs of puffins carried out on eight of the Farne Islands in the summer of 2008 found that numbers were down by one-third compared with the previous survey in 2003 – the puffin population dropped from 55,674 to 36,500 in five years.

Researchers from Newcastle University are working with National Trust wardens on remote Brownsman Island to tag and ring the puffins before fitting them with the GPS devices.

The puffins will also be weighed and measured to make sure that the tags do not affect their feeding habits.

In addition, the puffins will be fitted with small time-depth recorders, which will help scientists find out more about the way that puffins dive in search of food.

The recorders will give detailed information about how often and how deeply they dive, and at what sea temperatures – helping to explain how puffins might be affected by climate change and possible changes in sea temperatures.

David Steel, the National Trust head warden on the Farne Islands, said: "This has become the case of the disappearing puffins. Young puffins are successfully fledging each year and it would seem that their staple food, the sand eel, is in good supply but they're just not coming back to the islands. This research, including further counts, is designed to shed some light on what is happening."

Dr Richard Bevan, from Newcastle University, said: "Technological developments now mean that we're getting closer to finding the pieces of the jigsaw to help solve the puffin puzzle.

"The new data will help explain what the puffins are doing when they're on the Farne Islands and hopefully then help us to understand why numbers have declined so dramatically."

Puffins in Farne Islands be fitted with 'sat nav'
Puffins are to be fitted with satellite transmitters for the first time in an effort to understand a worrying decline in the sea birds.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 1 Jul 09;

In the last five years numbers puffins plummeted around Britain.

On the Isle of May in the North Sea, the largest breeding colony in Britain, numbers fell from 70,000 in 2003 to 41,000 in 2008. On the Farne Islands numbers also dropped by around a third, from 56,000 to 36,000, during the same period.

However scientists do not know why numbers are decreasing. Possible reasons include climate change, that is causing the birds' main food source sand eels to move north to cooler waters. Pollution can also affect numbers and competition from other species such as gulls.

In an effort to find out the reason, scientists will fit global positioning system (GPS) technology to puffins to work out where the birds go to feed in the winter, how they get there and how long they stay in different areas. The devices will also provide information on diving behaviour, such as how often they dive and how deep and sea temperatures.

The birds on the Farne Islands will be fitted with a tiny GPS attached to a leg ring this summer. When the data is collected from returning puffins the following year it will provide clues to the kind of feeding grounds the birds have been to and therefore the threats they are exposed to.

Puffins spend the winters at sea, floating, swimming and diving for food, coming to land only during the nesting season.

Dr Richard Bevan, of Newcastle University where the data will be processed, said scientists will be able to work out why puffin are dying from seeing where the birds go in the winter.

"Technological developments now mean that we're getting closer to finding the pieces of the jigsaw to help solve the puffin puzzle. The new data will help explain what the puffins are doing when they're on the Farne Islands and hopefully then help us to understand why numbers have declined so dramatically," he said.

David Steel, National Trust Head Warden on the Farne Islands, said puffins are breeding successfully so it was essential to find out what could be causing the death of the birds out at sea.

"This has become the case of the disappearing puffins," he said. "Young puffins are successfully fledging each year and it would seem that their staple food, the sand eel is in good supply, but they're just not coming back to the islands. This research, including further counts, is designed to shed some light on what is happening."

Huge declines in woodland birds in the UK

Matt Walker, BBC News 30 Jun 09;

The nightingale has effectively vanished from woodlands across the UK.

A 30-year survey of British woodland birds has found that its population has fallen by more than 95%.

Seventeen other bird species have also declined significantly, many of which overwinter in tropical west Africa where their habitat is being destroyed.

Numbers of starling, linnet, bullfinch and willow warbler all crashed, while 12 species, including the blackcap, magpie and collared dove, increased.

These startling trends in the populations of some of the UK's best known woodland birds comes from the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Common Bird Census, which gathered data on 49 species between 1967 and 1999.

The results of the survey have not been reported before.

Although the survey ended in 1999, the data provides the longest and most up-to-date trends anywhere in the UK or Europe for how the composition of woodland bird species has changed in modern times.

Of the species studied, the populations of 17 species significantly decreased since 1967, while the populations of 12 have significantly increased.

The greatest disappearing act has been that of the nightingale, whose numbers fell by 95% over the study period.

Numbers of starling fell by 91%, linnet by 89%, lesser redpoll by 85%, and spotted flycatcher by 83%.

Of the birds whose status in woodlands improved, numbers of the collared dove increased by 1052%, and the stock dove and wood pigeon by 359% and 344% respectively.

"Using these longer term datasets can provide really important additional insights over the more recent ones," says Chris Hewson of the BTO, who along with colleague David Noble has published the latest trends in the journal Ibis.

"For instance, much ado was [recently] made over the Red Listing of the Cuckoo. But an equally iconic species that missed out by the skin of its teeth was the nightingale, which actually declined in woodlands by 95% over the period examined, more than any other species studied and greatly in excess of the 63% decline shown by the cuckoo."

Hewson says that had these longer term trends been taken into account, then the nightingale would have been Red Listed too.

The causes of the varying fates of British woodland birds are many and varied.

"Some scarce resident species such as the lesser spotted woodpecker, redpoll, willow tit and hawfinch have declined and we're still not absolutely sure why," says Hewson. "But in some cases at least, less sympathetic woodland management looks a likely cause, along with possibly the impacts of browsing by an exploding deer population in some parts of the country."

The availability of food explains other trends. For example, numbers of collared and stock doves and wood pigeons have exploded due to the increased planting of winter crops, which provides a valuable source of food for these birds over the winter months. In contrast, linnets and turtle doves have suffered due to a lack of seeds in the summer.

However, changes in habitat outside of the UK are also having a major impact, particularly on migrant woodland species that spend part of the year in Africa.

"Our results illustrate that a whole suite of migrants are declining, but that over the 32 year period we studied the species of migrant in decline changed," says Chris Hewson.

During the beginning of the survey period, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was species such as whitethroat and redstart that spend the winter in the arid Sahel just south of the Sahara that were suffering due to drought conditions in that region.

"Now, though, these species are doing ok as rainfall levels have recovered," says Hewson. "But by the end of the period we looked at it was the species that winter further south in the humid tropics of west Africa that were suffering."

More recent data from the British Bird Survey, which replaced the Common Bird Census in 2000, shows that all the woodland species that migrate from west Africa continue to decline.

"That leads us to believe they are suffering from changes occurring in west Africa, possibly due to the intensification of agriculture and other land use changes leading to habitat degradation," says Hewson.

The BTO has now started a major research programme to study these migrant birds, backed by an appeal called Out of Africa recently launched in an attempt to fund the work.

That will involve starting a field project in Ghana and Burkina Faso this October with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The BTO is also collaborating on a pan-European project to track the migrations of nightingales using GPS tags, to find out more about where British nightingales spend the winter.

"This research will hopefully enable us to identify what the changes happening in Africa are that are causing these declines and ultimately, we hope, to enable us to come up with suggestions for solutions that would benefit not just the birds but also the people who live there," says Hewson.

Peregrine falcons found dead

More than 50 peregrine falcons have been found poisoned, trapped or shot this year in one of the worst years on record for persecution of the protected bird.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 1 Jul 09;

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have recorded 50 dead birds already this year, with more cases waiting to be processed. Last year just 79 birds were found dead in the whole year.

The findings include a female peregrine and her chick in Sunderland found next to the body of pigeon that police suspect was poisoned bait. A racing pigeon in Walsall was found with a pill capsule taped to its leg that wildlife crime officers believe was designed to poison any bird of prey that killed the pigeon.

Peregrine falcons were also found "peppered" with shot in the Forest of Dean and a bird crash landed in a back garden near Litchfield in Staffordshire with its leg caught in a spring trap.

All five chicks were stolen from a peregrine nest site near Mansfield within a week of them hatching. It is the fourth year in a row the nest has failed, according to the RSPB.

Mark Thomas, RSPB Investigations Officer, urged the Government to add peregrines to its list of priority species for wildlife crime enforcement.

"These crimes are cruel, needless and selfish. That they happen at all in the 21st Century is a disgrace. Peregrines have taken 30 years to recover from the devastating effects of pesticide poisoning and still we find them targeted by people who hold a grudge against them," he said.

"This has included rogue elements within the pigeon racing and game shooting communities, who blame them for the loss of their birds. Then there are those crooked individuals intent on taking eggs and chicks for falconry.

"The Government recently made the persecution of birds of prey one of the UK's wildlife crime priorities, with emphasis on five key species. We believe peregrines should now be added to that list."

Protection sought again for giant, spitting worms

Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press Yahoo News 30 Jun 09;

SPOKANE, Wash. – Fans of the giant Palouse earthworm are once again seeking federal protection for the rare, sweet-smelling species that spits at predators.

They filed a petition Tuesday with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the worm be protected as an endangered species.

"The giant Palouse earthworm is critically endangered and needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act to have any chance of survival," said Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity.

The center filed the lawsuit along with Friends of the Clearwater, Palouse Prairie Foundation, Palouse Audubon and Palouse Group of Sierra Club.

The worm has been seen only four reported times in the past 110 years, but supporters contend it is still present in the Palouse, a region of about 2 million acres of rolling wheat fields near the Idaho-Washington border south of Spokane.

Decades of intense agriculture and urban sprawl have wiped out much of the worm's habitat, said Steve Paulson with Friends of the Clearwater. Only about 2 percent of the Palouse prairie remains in a native state, he said.

The worm can reach 3 feet in length, is white in color and reportedly possesses a unique lily smell, said Greenwald, who is based in Portland, Ore. It is the largest and longest-lived earthworm in North America.

During the Bush administration, the agency rejected a similar petition from the groups, saying there was not enough scientific information about the species to prove it needed protection. The groups hope to have better luck with the Obama administration.

"We no longer have an administration adamantly opposed to protecting species," Greenwald said. The latest petition includes new research the groups hope proves the worm is rare and threatened, he said.

Doug Zimmer of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Seattle said they had not seen the petition and could not comment on its merits. "It's always good to see new information and good science on any species," Zimmer said.

In 1897, the giant Palouse earthworm was described as "very abundant" in the region, but sightings are rare. The last confirmed sighting was made on May 27, 2005, by a University of Idaho researcher. Before that, the worm had not been seen since 1988.

Most earthworms found in the Northwest originated in Europe, arriving on plants or in soil shipped to the New World. The giant Palouse earthworm is one of the few native species.

In previously rejecting endangered species protection, the Fish and Wildlife Service said there was too little information in the scientific record. That prevented the assessment of population trends.

The agency concluded that while the Palouse prairie has experienced a dramatic conversion of native habitat to agriculture, it was not clear if that hurt the worm. The agency also found no information on predation or transmission of pathogens by other earthworms to the giant Palouse earthworm.

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On the Web:

http://www.palouseprairie.org/invertebrates/palouseworm.html

Searchers shovel Northwest dirt seeking giant worm
Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press Yahoo News 11 Jul 09;

MOSCOW, Idaho – The giant Palouse earthworm has taken on mythic qualities in this vast agricultural region that stretches from eastern Washington into the Idaho panhandle — its very name evoking the fictional sandworms from "Dune" or those vicious creatures from the movie "Tremors."

The worm is said to secrete a lily-like smell when handled, spit at predators, and live in burrows 15 feet deep. There have been only a handful of sightings.

But scientists hope to change that this summer with researchers scouring the Palouse region in hopes of finding more of the giant earthworms. Conservationists also want the Obama administration to protect the worm as an endangered species, even though little research has been done on it.

The worm may be elusive, but there's no doubt it exists, said Jodi Johnson-Maynard, a University of Idaho professor who is leading the search for the worm. To prove it, she pulled out a glass tube containing the preserved remains of a fat, milky-white worm. One of Johnson-Maynard's graduate students found this specimen in 2005, and it is the only confirmed example of the species.

The worm in the tube is about 6 inches long, well short of the 3 feet that early observers of the worms in the late 1890s described. Documented collections of the species, known locally as GPE, have occurred only in 1978, 1988, 1990 and 2005.

The farmers who work the rich soil of the Palouse — 2 million acres of rolling wheat fields near the Idaho-Washington border south of Spokane — also have had little experience with the worm.

Gary Budd, who manages a grain elevator in Uniontown, said no farmer he knows has talked about seeing the worm. He compared the creature to Elvis.

"He gets spotted once in awhile too," Budd joked.

Johnson-Maynard and her team of worm hunters are working this summer at a university research farm and using three different methods to try and find a living worm.

One involves just digging a hole and sifting the soil through a strainer, looking for any worms that can be studied.

The second involves old-fashioned chemical warfare, pouring a liquid solution of vinegar and mustard onto the ground, irritating worms until they come to the surface.

The third method is new to this search, using electricity to shock worms to the surface.

"The electro shocker is pretty cool," said Joanna Blaszczak, a student at Cornell who is spending her summer working to find the worm alongside Shan Xu, a graduate student from Chengdu, China, and support scientist Karl Umiker.

The shocker can deliver up to 480 volts. That makes it dangerous to touch, and it could potentially fry a specimen.

On a recent day, Umiker drove eight 3-foot-long metal rods into the ground in a small circle and connected them to batteries. Then he flipped the switches. The only sound for several minutes was the hum of a cooling fan.

"I'm kind of bummed we haven't seen anything yet," Umiker said.

Eventually, a small rust-colored worm dug its way to the surface. It was not a GPE, but it was collected for study anyway.

The search for the giant worm is reminiscent of efforts in Louisiana, Florida and the swamps of eastern Arkansas to find the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker. The large, black-and-white bird was believed to be extinct until a reported sighting five years ago stirred national experts and federal funding to launch a full-blown campaign to verify its existence. Search efforts later dwindled after biologists and volunteers were unable to find the evidence they were looking for.

The GPE was described as common in the Palouse in the 1890s, according to an 1897 article in The American Naturalist by Frank Smith. Smith's work was based on four samples sent to him by R.W. Doane of Washington State University in nearby Pullman.

Massive agricultural development soon consumed nearly all of the unique Palouse Prairie — a seemingly endless ocean of steep, silty dunes — and appeared to deal a fatal blow to the worm.

They were considered extinct when Idaho graduate student Yaniria Sanchez-de Leon in 2005 stuck a shovel into the ground to collect a soil sample and found the worm that now is in the tube in Johnson-Maynard's office.

Conservation groups quickly petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the worm as an endangered species, citing as proof the lack of sightings. But the agency said there simply was not enough scientific information to merit a listing.

Conservationists recently filed a second request, saying they had more information. They are also hoping the Obama administration will be more friendly than the Bush administration. The GPE would be the only worm protected as an endangered species.

Doug Zimmer of the Fish and Wildlife Service in Seattle said the agency isn't ready to comment on the petition.

"It's always good to see new information and good science on any species," Zimmer said.

Farmers are keeping a wary eye on the process.

"The concern is whether a listing is going to end up curtailing farming activities," said Dan Wood of the Washington State Farm Bureau. "I don't know if people plan to stop all farming for the possibility of a worm being somewhere."

Most earthworms found in the Northwest originated in Europe, arriving on plants or in soil shipped to the New World. The giant Palouse earthworm is one of the few native species, and has become quite popular with the public.

While it's tough to come by a live GPE, visitors seem happy to take a picture with a dead one. Johnson-Maynard said she has received calls from tourists who want to come to her office and be photographed with the specimen.

"A lot of people are curious about it," she said.

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On the Web:

http://www.palouseprairie.org/invertebrates/palouseworm.html

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