Best of our wild blogs: 20 Aug 09

Scene City: Singapore - Wednesdays 8.30pm on Channel News Asia from Deadpoet's Cave

East Coast - Worms in the walls
from Singapore Nature and wild shores of singapore and wonderful creations and the annotated budak blog

Tiny Beauties @ UPR
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Someone Dumped Bullfrogs Into The Stream
from Life's Indulgences

Nesting Laced Woodpecker
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Hunters & Collectors – The Origins of The SouthEast Asian Collection from My Itchy Fingers

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Otters just out to have fun

Jogger spots otters frolicking in sun at Pasir Ris Park
Teh Jen Lee, The New Paper 20 Aug 09;

HE HAD never seen wild otters before but jogger Dawson Lee knew what they were, thanks to nature documentaries on TV.

Mr Lee, 50, a cafe owner, was jogging with his brother at Pasir Ris Beach Park yesterday morning at about 10am when he spotted a group of otters sunbathing on the sandy bank of Sungei Api Api.

The river is one of the two that cut through the park.

He said: 'From the bridge across the river, I often look at the water and see monitor lizards as there are many of them there.

'When I saw the otters, I recognised them immediately because I like to watch (nature documentary) Animal Planet.

'There were six to seven of them. When I took a closer look, they went into the water and swam to the other side.'

He watched them for about 15 minutes, mesmerised by their playful antics.

'I wonder if the Government could gazette the place as protected for them to stay there because it's quite interesting.

'I think people who fish and have barbecues there may frighten them away,' said Mr Lee, who is married with two children.

'I will probably take my family to see the otters.'

Mr Lee, who lives in Tampines and jogs at the park three times a week, called The New Paper about his rare wildlife encounter.

Mr N Sivasothi, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore's department of biological sciences, looked at our photographs and identified the species as the smooth otter (Lutrogale perspicillata).

The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the species vulnerable because of habitat loss, poaching and contamination of waterways by pesticides.

Seen elsewhere

Mr Sivasothi had received a photo of a smooth otter spotted at Pasir Ris Park early last year from a friend who works there, but it is not known whether the photograph is of one of the otters spotted yesterday.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said smooth otters have also been seen at Chek Jawa and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

There have been regular sightings of these mammals at Sungei Buloh since 2000.

Mr Sivasothi, 43, who used to study otters, said otters have also been seen at Punggol.

He said: 'It's not uncommon but it is the luck of the draw. In protected parks (like Pasir Ris), people can't go into the water and interfere with them so they may ignore the presence of people up to a certain distance.

'There's a better chance of seeing them now than in the past, say in the late 1990s, because they have returned to several areas.'

And with more people visiting nature areas, the chances of spotting otters are higher.

Thanks to better camera equipment and the prevalence of blogs, more people are also communicating about these animal encounters, said Mr Sivasothi.

'It's great that people are seeing this because when they realise we have this rich biodiversity, the motivation to help protect natural habitats will increase,' he added.

Mr Nick Baker, 51, from the Singapore Nature Society vertebrate study group, said otters are indicators of a healthy ecosystem.

He said: 'They feed on fish mainly so if there's a lot of fish there, there will be top-level predators like crocodiles and otters.

'These otters are quite wide-ranging and will move along the coast a lot. One sighting doesn't mean it has taken up residence.

'They could just be passing through.'

Otters are not known to be a nuisance and they play a crucial role as predators in maintaining the health of ecosystems.

As for Mr Lee's suggestion of restricting human activities, Mr Baker thinks it's more important to preserve the mangrove system at the park so that there are healthy fish populations to attract the otters.

A spokesman for NParks said the smooth otter has been sighted in Pasir Ris Park since last year.

Said the spokesman: 'We are pleased that our efforts to conserve the mangroves in Pasir Ris Park are bearing fruit.

'We seek the cooperation of the public not to disturb the animals.'

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Green week gets pedal power

Liaw Wy-Cin, Straits Times 20 Aug 09;

EAST will meet West on Saturday when about 100 cyclists push off from opposite ends of the island to meet in the city.

The riders, starting from East Coast Park and West Coast Park, will converge on the Singapore Management University campus in Bras Basah, to kick off this year's Green Transport Week.

The campaign, organised by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), will be launched by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor.

First launched in 2006, the campaign aims to encourage people to form a car pool and to use public transport, green cars and alternative means of transport such as walking or cycling, said SEC executive director Howard Shaw.

Since then, more people have taken to environmentally friendly hybrid cars - from about 300 to more than 1,000 now, he added.

The focus on public transport will give individuals the power to make a difference in fighting climate change.

Said Mr Shaw: 'Many people think climate change is such a big problem - 'I'm so small, Singapore is so small'. People become apathetic and lose hope. But transport is something we have to do on a day-to-day basis.'

He added: 'If you take the train to work instead of a private car, you use 12 times less energy. And if you form a car pool to work, you reduce your carbon footprint by half.'

This year's launch will feature a concert and a showcase of hybrid and compressed natural gas (CNG) cars, as well as electric scooters.

Singapore's two major public transport operators are also taking part.

SMRT will hold an exhibition at the launch, showcasing its CNG-powered taxis. It will also hold a lucky draw where participants stand to win one year's worth of free travel on SMRT trains, LRT and buses.

SBS Transit will give away a limited supply of free bags at its North East Line's Dhoby Ghaut MRT station and the Toa Payoh bus interchange tomorrow at 8am and 12.30pm.

It's time to go public
Esther Ng, Today Online 20 Aug 09;

DITCH that car, take a bus or a train and help save the environment.

This is one of several ways to show your support for the Green Transport Week - back after a three-year break due to funding issues - which kicks off on Saturday.

The campaign began in 2000 as Car-Free Day, in which Singaporeans were encouraged to not use their cars for a day.

Over the years, the message has evolved to encourage Singaporeans to look at all the transport options available, such as car pooling and public transport, including taxis.

"The taxi service is green in the sense that it provides an alternative to private car ownership," said Mr Howard Shaw, executive director of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), the campaign organiser.

When asked if the SEC has compromised its green message over the years, Mr Shaw disagreed: "I wouldn't call it compromise but adaptation. When we first did Car-Free Day, it was a simple message. What we did learn is that Singaporeans do love their cars and there is no one silver bullet for Singapore's urban transport system to be sustainable."

Instead, a more effective way, he argued, is a balanced mix of different transport solutions. "Since motor vehicles can't be eliminated, the solution would be to encourage responsible use in order to minimise their environmental impact," Mr Shaw said.

So, consider walking or other modes of transport if you're travelling less than 2km and choose a fuel-efficient model if you have to own a car, he suggested. Mr Shaw hopes Singaporeans will not use their cars at least one day during this year's Green Transport Week, which is backed by some 20 sponsors, including SMRT.

Financial consultant Melissa Wang, 28, will not use her car during the campaign. She will take a train to Orchard Road or the Central Business District to meet clients.

But property agent Freddie Teo, 48, said it would be too "troublesome" as he has to meet clients all over the island.

The Green Transport Week will be launched at the Singapore Management University with an exhibition of green cars and a rock concert. Those who pledge to go green on www.greentransportweek.sg can win $1,000 and a Biomega bicycle.

Those who make their pledge on the SMRT website can win a year's free travel on its network.

Meanwhile, SBS Transit will hand out eco-bags at Dhoby Ghaut Station and Toa Payoh Interchange tomorrow from 8am to noon.

More about the event on the Green Transport Week website and wildsingapore happenings.

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Rehashing plan for 49 km Malacca,-Sumatra bridge

But prospect of bridge linking Malacca, Sumatra still doubtful
S Jayasankaran, Business Times 20 Aug 09;

A 14-year old plan to build a US$12.5 billion, 49 kilometre bridge between Malacca and Sumatra has been dusted off and resubmitted to both governments by a private Malaysian firm for approval. But now, as it was then, its feasibility remains in doubt.

Yesterday, businessman Ibrahim Zain was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying that his private Straits of Malacca Partners had submitted its proposals to both capitals and hoped to start work 'by the end of the year or early 2010'.

He said that the project would cost US$12.5 billion and was based on traffic projections of at least 15,000 vehicles a day. He also said that toll charges would be around US$75-US$85 per vehicle based on current ferry charges of RM100 (S$40) per person one way.

According to Mr Ibrahim, funding was also no problem with his firm generating 15 per cent (RM6.64 billion) and an official from China's Exim Bank being quoted as saying that his bank could provide 'up to 85 per cent funding for such infrastructure projects'.

The plan seems to suggest a return to the Think Big credo that former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad suggested should be the operational philosophy of Malaysia's business community. During the go-go 1990s, all sorts of grandiose projects - including, memorably, a planned city-on-a-river - suggested by the private sector were endorsed by him.

In any case, the plan does reinforce a suggestion in 1995 by Dr Mahathir to build a similar bridge to enhance greater connectivity between Malaysia and the region's largest economy.

At the time, the plan was embraced with enthusiasm by the Renong conglomerate, then no stranger to grandiose projects, which came up with a feasibility study. But the project ran up against the Asian financial crisis and nothing was heard about it again.

The project presupposes that Malaysian businessmen would use the facility and invest in Sumatra in a big way, thus creating enough jobs there to stem the influx of Indonesian immigrants to Malaysia looking for work. It also is based on a belief that trade and tourism between Malacca and Sumatra would boom - at least 7 per cent of Sumatra's 70 million people are middle class.

But some maritime analysts argue that the Straits of Malacca is one of the world's busiest waterways and building a bridge across it could be a hazard looking ahead. Last year, shipping volume grew at 7 per cent and that's been a continuous process.

Indeed, a recent study by the Maritime Institute of Malaysia estimated that the waterway would be at near-peak capacity by 2024. 'Given that the bridge would be spanning 48 kilometres, its pylons could pose a danger to ships especially in stormy weather,' one analyst told BT.

It also isn't clear if permission for such a bridge would be needed from the waterway's users epitomised by the International Maritime Organisation. It also isn't clear if Singapore's wishes must be heeded. Maritime law stipulates that the permission from littoral states must be obtained, but some maritime analysts argue that Singapore's littoral status is confined to the Singapore straits and not the Malacca straits.

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Sugar stocks hit by weather woes

Shortfalls in India and Brazil pushing up prices for commodity globally
Ravi Velloor, Straits Times 20 Aug 09;

NEW DELHI: The unpredictable weather is playing havoc with people who have a sweet tooth or get a sugar rush whenever a festive occasion is around the corner.

Drought in parts of India and excess rainfall in Brazil - two major world producers - are causing shortfalls in sugar cane crops and pushing up prices worldwide to unseen heights.

The international price of raw sugar hit a nearly three-decade high of 23 US cents (33 Singapore cents) a pound last week, compared with 11.8 US cents at the end of last year.

India, the world's biggest consumer of the sweetener, is feeling the pangs.

The world shortage is also poised to cut into the bottom lines of food companies such as Cadbury, Nestle and Danone.

What all this means for the consumer, whether in India, Singapore or the United States, is that the next sugar fix will cost much more.

In India, the demand for sugar, like gold, tends to peak at festive times. The country has a series of festivals starting this weekend, and ending with Deepavali in November. Therefore, one reason for surging global prices is that speculators are eyeing the prospect of India importing vast amounts of sugar.

'Last year, many farmers moved out of sugar cane because of low prices,' Mr Vinay Kumar, president of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, told The Straits Times.

'This year, the drought has added a new issue. Sugar production may not go beyond 15 million tonnes,' he said. India produced a little more than 26 million tonnes of sugar in the 2007-2008 season.

As food prices tend to be politically sensitive, the Indian government has moved to quickly free up sugar imports in order to try hold prices down. With India looking set to buy at least five million tonnes of sugar, or about twice what was initially expected, an international scramble to sell to the country has broken out, often with hilarious consequences.

Earlier this month, Indian naval boats intercepted a North Korean vessel anchored suspiciously at a remote area close to the Little Andaman Island. Its crew was arrested and the cargo seized, sparking speculation that it could be linked to an illegal nuclear trade with Myanmar.

Interrogation of the crew later revealed that the hold contained 16,500 tonnes of Thai sugar bound for Iraq. But after the ship's charterers heard that New Delhi had allowed duty-free sugar imports, they decided to divert the cargo to an Indian port instead. So, as the captain waited for the official notification to reach customs officials, he dropped anchor off the Andamans, sparking an alert.

Late last week, large US food companies warned that the country could 'virtually run out of sugar' unless the government eased import curbs, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In a letter to the Agriculture Secretary, the companies - including Kraft Foods, General Mills, Hershey and Mars - said there could be a severe shortage of sugar used in chocolate bars, breakfast cereal, cookies, chewing gum and thousands of other products, the paper reported.

They also reportedly warned that they would raise consumer prices and lay off workers if the Agriculture Department did not allow them to import more tariff-free sugar. Current import quotas limit the amount of tariff-free sugar the food companies can import in a given year.

Consumers are complaining of sugar stocks running low in Malaysia, where the Ramadan fasting month starts on Saturday, and ends on Sept 19, the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

The shortage, which has hit sundry shops, has forced consumers to buy from hypermarkets and supermarkets, Malaysia's The Star daily reported this week. Shoppers are limited to 2kg each time.

To prevent panic buying, the Perak state government has allowed sugar to be sold temporarily at petrol stations, The Star reported yesterday.

'The Hari Raya celebration is just around the corner, and many people, especially those making foodstuff, are hoarding sugar in fear of shortages and price hikes,' said an official of the Perak Sundry Shops Guild, Mr Diong Khek Chai.

In Singapore, prices holding but for how long?
Straits Times 20 Aug 09;

AS WORLD sugar prices soar on falling yields, suppliers and retailers here are starting to feel the pinch.

A source from a major industry player said that suppliers' wholesale pricing decisions are closely tied to world prices of sugar futures, which have been climbing steadily since the start of the year.

Recent developments, such as unfavourable climatic conditions in the sugar-exporting countries of India and Brazil, are likely to exacerbate the situation and drive prices up further.

Retailers have been absorbing the increases so far. Data from the Department of Statistics indicates that the average retail price of 2kg of white sugar has remained within the range of $2.63 to $2.66 between January and June this year.

Mrs Mui-Kok Kah Wei, deputy director of integrated purchasing at NTUC FairPrice, said the supermarket chain would be keeping sugar prices stable in the next few months, despite recent developments.

'As we have longstanding contracts with our suppliers, we have been able to hold prices and will not be increasing the prices for most of our sugar products in the short run,' she said.

But retailers, including those who make use of sugar in their production processes, are facing mounting costs.

The chairman of the Singapore Bakery and Confectionery Trade Association, Mr Liow Kian Huat, said that while most bakeries will not be raising the price of bread and other baked goods in the near future, he could not rule out price increases should the cost of sugar continue to rise.

According to Mr Liow, a 50kg bag of imported baking sugar used to cost $38 just a month ago, but now costs $46.

'Most bakeries have been absorbing rising ingredient costs - we didn't raise prices when the cost of eggs and butter went up recently as well,' said Mr Liow.

He said that if sugar prices went up by another 50 per cent to 100 per cent, bakeries and confectioneries might be forced to raise prices to cover costs.

CHIA YAN MIN

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Suckling pig imports hit by disease in China

Wendy Hui, Straits Times 20 Aug 09;

DINERS might have to give suckling pig the chop if a severe shortage of imports forces up the price of the delicacy.

Stocks have been badly hit by an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in China.

Around 600 tonnes of suckling pigs were imported into Singapore last year from five farms in various Chinese provinces, according to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

But only 191 tonnes came in from January to July this year, after the disease led to the suspension of imports from Hunan, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces in recent months.

A farm in Zhejiang province is now the lone approved exporter, but The Straits Times understands that this outlet deals mostly with the domestic market. Its last export was made in 2005.

'Our last consignment was in July, when we imported about 6,000 suckling pigs,' said Mr Liew Yew Fah, managing director of Pin Corporation, which used to handle almost 20,000 suckling pigs a month when supplies were readily available.

'We have no choice but to wait the suspension out,' added Mr Liew.

Some importers blame the shortage on tough AVA criteria for meat imports, which include strict hygiene and sanitary requirements, and stringent inspections. 'Some of the farms are not interested (in exporting to Singapore) because they need to spend money upgrading (their facilities) to meet AVA standards; they'd rather cater to domestic demand,' said one importer.

A check with five restaurants found that while orders for suckling pigs are still being taken, two are considering raising prices if supplies stay tight.

The dish is costly, with prices starting from around $128, and is normally eaten at Chinese wedding banquets or Chinese New Year. It is often used as an offering during the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Said the manager of a well-known Chinese restaurant in Orchard Road: 'Different importers are saying different things. Ours has been quite honest, saying he has stocks for now, but we expect prices to go up.'

A spokesman for Tiong Bahru Roasted Pig Specialist said they are selling the dish at the same price despite a 10 per cent increase in cost. 'It depends on our supplier - if he raises the cost, we're going to have to raise the price of our suckling pigs too.'

Some suppliers and restaurants are turning to alternatives, such as golden pigs - small pigs that weigh between 5kg and 25kg - of which about 275 tonnes were imported between January and July.

Mr Darren Toh, director of Yan Chuan Roaster, said he encourages clients to order golden pigs instead, given the dwindling suckling pig supplies. 'Although the taste and texture of suckling pigs cannot be replaced, golden pigs are bigger so even though they cost more, customers are getting more for their money,' he said. So far, he has secured about 200 to 300 orders for golden pigs this month.

But some connoisseurs of suckling pigs are unfazed by the current shortage. Student Low Sin Yee, 20, said: 'I will continue to eat suckling pig if the price goes up marginally, but if it gets too expensive, I'll just eat roast pork.'

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Chances of escaping bad haze are slim

Ministers of affected nations to strengthen efforts to fight the fires
Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 20 Aug 09;

THE chances of the region being shrouded in a bad haze this year have gone up a notch.
This is because the El Nino weather pattern, which brings sustained dry weather, will hit harder than expected, it was revealed yesterday at a regional ministerial meeting on the haze.

Previous predictions were for a mild to moderate El Nino, but the weatherman has since revised the forecast to 'moderate to strong'.

The continuing practice by farmers in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sarawak of setting forests and scrub land ablaze to clear land for planting amid the drought will create a smoky pall.

That this is the period of the south-west monsoon will not help. The prevailing winds will blow the haze into South-east Asia, and each time this has happened in the past decade, the region's economies have suffered, as has the health of its people.

Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, ruling out the possibility of 'zero haze' this year, said: 'Let's prepare for the worst, do what we can.'

He was at the 8th meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution, attended by representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Asean Secretariat.

With El Nino expected to make a stronger stamp in the coming months, the ministers at the meeting agreed to renew efforts to outlaw all open burning in the region and to step up enforcement.

To date, such bans have been called for, but have gone largely unenforced.

Other measures agreed on include suspending permits for prescribed burning activities in fire-prone areas in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Indonesia, an epicentre of raging forest fires for much of the past decade, unveiled a slew of new initiatives at the meeting. Key among them is its ban on open burning, which took effect this month in Kalimantan, and will be extended to other areas.

Malaysia, on its part, said it had stepped up enforcement on companies in Sarawak, where wildfires consuming more than 1,000ha sent the Air Pollutant Index to unhealthy levels last week.

The ministers noted the efforts made in the past three years to raise awareness of the problem and to share technical expertise and equipment. Indonesia's collaborations with Singapore and Malaysia were highlighted as having played a role in cutting the number of hot spots.

Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar was asked during the conference to respond to the controversial comment made recently by his forestry counterpart M.S. Kaban: that Jakarta would intervene in the slash-and-burn activities only if neighbouring nations protest and regional flights are disrupted.

Mr Witoelar said Mr Kaban's remarks were his own opinion and probably made for 'sexy' quotes in the media, but were not reflective of the work done on the ground to douse the fires. But he said results will take time to show, given that the task involved changing the outdated farming techniques of 240 million people.

At the meeting, Dr Yaacob later made a call for a concerted war by the region on the problem.

The 1997 haze, also during a severe El Nino year, wrought more than $9 billion in damage to the region's tourism, transport and farming.

Dr Yaacob said that cost aside, the haze issue was hurting the regional grouping's international credibility in tackling climate change: 'If we are able to tackle this, then we can gain some credibility in our ability to preserve forests as a contribution to climate change.'

The next MSC forum, to be held here in October, at the same time as the 11th Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment, will involve the local authorities of MSC countries and international groups sharing strategies against forest fires.

Said Dr Yaacob: 'The urgency is there, and the ministers recognise that if the situation deteriorates as in 2006, it will not be good for the region.'

Mr Afdhal Mahyuddin of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in Indonesia's Riau, a fire-prone province, said it was now important to walk the talk: 'What is needed is to make things happen in the field. If the government can mobilise all the stakeholders at the district, village and provincial level, then the talks will not be in vain.'

New initiatives launched by Indonesia
Straits Times 20 Aug 09;

INDONESIA announced yesterday that it would take the following measures to curb the practice of slash-and-burn farming:

# Issue warning letters to local government officials and plantations against slash-and-burn farming. This move has been implemented and is expected to gain pace.

# Douse fires with water bombs launched from military planes.

# Beef up firefighting. This now includes mobilising the Forestry Ministry's Forest Fire Prevention Brigade, known as Manggala Agni, in places that are ablaze. This brigade is responsible for disseminating information, improving early-warning systems and fighting forest fires.

# Train 600 oil palm farmers and 240 other villagers and provincial officials in the nine areas supervised by Manggala Agni.

# Launch a pilot project to encourage zero burning in five provinces covering eight districts.

# Revise an environmental management law to give the Environment Ministry powers to take to task companies which start the fires and regional governments which slacken in their efforts to stop the burning.

# Step up enforcement against offenders in the fire-prone provinces of Riau and Kalimantan.

# Supply poor communities with mechanical land-clearing equipment so that they do not practise slash-and-burn agriculture.

# Ban open burning. The ban took effect in central Kalimantan this month and will be extended to other fire-prone areas.

INDONESIAN Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban, in comments made earlier this month, said the haze issue 'was being exaggerated domestically'. He was quoted as having said: 'Why should we care about domestic affairs? Our international image is what's important.'

Asked about this later by The Straits Times, he had said: 'What I said was that this haze issue was being exaggerated domestically. Why are we ourselves making the noise? Even they (Singapore, Malaysia and other neighbours) are keeping quiet.'

Responding to these comments yesterday, Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar (below) said: 'Every official is free to comment...on this. It is his position. If he were to highlight the difference of our opinions, then my opinion and his opinion are two opinions.

'I do not want to enter into a debate with the foreign press. As I say, we will both adhere to the law as it is addressed...

'He is just setting a timeline for his ministry and, in fact, his actions do not reflect what he is saying, as we are, in fact, dousing the fires...

'The Environment Ministry does not put out fires. We prevent and try to institute new measures as well as conduct negotiations with other countries.

'But the ones fighting the fire are Jakarta - I mean his department, and there is more power given to him for doing it.

'Maybe these comments are sexy for you to quote, but they do not really reflect what we are doing. We are fighting the fires.'

ASEAN countries pledge to ban all open-air burning activities
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia 19 Aug 09;

SINGAPORE: Environment ministers from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have agreed to ban all open-air burning activities in a bid to combat the recurrent haze.

Open-air burning activities like slash-and-burn agriculture are the biggest culprits of the region's haze problem.

Permits for burning activities at fire-prone hotspots will also be suspended and ministers have promised a quicker emergency response to fight fires should the need arise.

In addition, Indonesia revealed that it is introducing a law next week that will impose penalties for open-air burning.

These measures were announced at a news conference on Wednesday, following the eighth meeting of the sub-regional ministerial steering committee (MSC) formed in 2006, which was tasked to look into the haze situation in the region.

But while the political will is strong, how it translates into action is another matter.

Indonesia, which has been blamed for causing the pollution, hopes that its new law will give it more teeth to punish offenders. The law is expected to be passed on September 8.

Singapore's Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Yaacob Ibrahim, said: "I appreciate the difficulty that Pak Rachmat has on the ground, because enforcing it (the law) is not easy. But at least there is a movement by the Indonesian government to enforce this, and now that Pak Rahmat's ministry has the power to penalise (offenders), I think that's a very major move."

Indonesia also played down recent comments by its Forestry Minister, M S Kaban, who was earlier reported to have said that the Indonesian government will not take firm action against those setting fires in Sumatra, unless flights are disrupted and protests break out in neighbouring countries.

Indonesian State Minister of Environment, Rachmat Witoelar, said: "These comments are maybe sexy for you to quote, but does not really reflect what we're doing. We are fighting fires."

The ministers also said the measures by the ASEAN MSC had helped to reduce the haze in their own countries.

Thailand's Supat Wangwonwatana, director general of pollution control at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said southern Thailand had not experienced any haze for the past three years.

Brunei's Environment Minister, Abdullah Baker, summed it up by saying, "If the MSC had not been there, the situation would have been worse."

The ministers noted that the haze situation had improved in recent years as a result of joint efforts, but said it would be impractical to aim for a "zero-haze situation".

They also cautioned that with a stronger El Nino event predicted this year, haze pollution may become worse in the next few months as dryer weather will lead to more hotspots and fires.

- CNA/yt
End to slash-and-burn practice in sight?
Indonesia pledges to introduce tougher laws to combat offenders
Zul Othman, Today Online 20 Aug 09;

THE region's haze problems would be solved if an agreement between environment ministers from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia to ban all open-air burning activities is put into effect.

For the first time, these ministers have collectively decided that practices like the slash-and-burn agricultural methods used in fire-prone areas in the region must be stopped.

They also agreed to step up enforcement measures and to promote public awareness to control fires.

Announcing this yesterday at a news conference following the 8th meeting of the sub-regional ministerial steering committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution, the ministers also noted that the situation has improved.

The commission, formed in 2006, was tasked to look into the haze problem.

However, the ministers also said that it would be impractical to aim for a "zero-haze situation", which might worsen in the coming months.

A strong El Nino event is predicted this year, prolonging the current dry season till October and increasing hotspot activities in fire-prone areas in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sarawak.

Forest fires occur regularly during the dry season but the situation is made worse by farmers and palm oil plantation firms in Indonesia who start fires to clear their land.

Perhaps with this in mind, Indonesian State Minister of Environment Rachmat Witoelar told reporters that his country is in the process of introducing tougher laws to combat offenders.

The proposals will be tabled to the Indonesian Parliament next week and could be passed as early as next month, he added.

But with its vast territory and millions of farmers, Indonesia would need a longer time to reduce the hotspots and curb the haze pollution. In the last three years, the Indonesian authorities have undertaken preventive efforts such as promoting awareness, as well as training, providing equipment and technical assistance to farmers - all of which have helped bring down the number of fires in the country's hotspots.

Mr Rachmat also downplayed recent comments by Indonesia's Forestry Minister M S Kaban, who reportedly said his government will not take firm action against those starting fires in Sumatra, unless flights are disrupted and protests break out in neighbouring countries.

He added: "These comments are maybe sexy ... to quote, but does not really reflect what we're doing. We are fighting fires."

The plan is definitely a step in the right direction but observers told Today "corruption and resistance by the big companies" might hamper that implementation.

Chief among the hurdles would be the simple issue of cost, said Associate Professor Victor Savage from the department of geography at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

"It would cost only US$5 ($7) to slash and burn plantations while more eco-friendly methods would set these companies back by US$250 per hectare," he noted.

"Given those costs, obviously many would still opt for the cheaper solution. As such, farmers who tend to smaller plots of land need to be taught to look for alternative methods."

Assoc Prof Matthias Roth, who is also from NUS' department of geography, said it is good that the affected countries have come together to discuss the issue and "apparently have come with some agreements and put in place an action plan".

However, he said: "The question really is about the implementation and effectiveness as discussed."

Singapore's Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Yaacob Ibrahim, noted that Indonesia is taking "a very major move" to penalise offenders.

"We must acknowledge the fact that Indonesia is trying to do something to bring down the fires, but as to whether or not their plan of action is on target ... this is best left to Indonesia to review,"

Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand have also offered Indonesia assistance in combating outbreaks of fire but no concrete details on fundings or measures have been disclosed.

"Indonesia has expressed gratitude for that and we will wait for Indonesia as and when to mobilise," said Mr Yaacob.

Read more!

Indonesia tight-lipped as SE Asia braces for worsening haze

Reuters 19 Aug 09;

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Indonesia appeared to bat away offers from other Southeast Asian countries to help stop haze pollution on Wednesday, leaving the region facing worsening skies as a result of a brewing El Nino weather pattern.

Worried about the potential impact, environment ministers of the region met on Wednesday in Singapore to discuss ways to mitigate the haze, which cost over $9 billion in damage to the region's tourism, transport and farming during an El Nino weather pattern in 1997/98.

"Recognizing the situation will be drier than normal, the ministers now agree that: 'Let us prepare for the worst, do what we can,'" Singapore Environment Minister Yaacob Ibrahim told a news conference after the one-day meeting in the city-state.

Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand offered help to Jakarta to combat outbreaks of fire, but gave no details of concrete funding or measures such as providing fire-fighters.

Asked at a news conference if other Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) members had offered Indonesia help in fighting the fires, Indonesian State Minister for Environment Rachmat Witoelar did not respond.

But Singapore's Yaacob said there had been such a discussion. "Indonesia has expressed gratitude for that and we will wait for Indonesia as and when to mobilize," he said.

Ministers and senior officials from the five countries agreed to ban all open burning and to suspend permits for burning in fire-prone areas, but the region's track record in combating fires that lead to international pollution has been weak.

Regional grouping ASEAN has a policy of non-interference in its members' domestic affairs and is seen by some as a talking shop.

Forest fires are a regular occurrence during the dry season in Indonesian regions such as Sumatra and Borneo, but the situation has been aggravated in recent decades as farmers, paper and palm oil plantation firms start fires to clear land.

The result is smog-like haze in cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Thailand's Hat Yai, reducing visibility and increasing health problems. The ministers said Indonesia had made progress in the past three years to reduce fires.

Indonesian environmental groups said the government of President-elect Yudhoyono should put forest protection at the top of its agenda, ahead of a international meeting in Copenhagen in December to agree action against climate change.

"Every day more precious forest and peatland is being destroyed, burned and cleared by climate and forest criminals ... leading to an exponential increase in greenhouse gas emissions that is causing climate change," Greenpeace said in a statement.

(Reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan; Editing by Neil Chatterjee and Jeremy Laurence)

Read more!

Johor: Nurture this natural treasure

The Star 20 Aug 09;

JOHOR is among the most developed states and the richness of the diverse biodi­versity is still there as seen in the several parks and protected areas.

Mt Belumut, Sedili, River, Mt Ledang (Ophir) and the islands off Mersing coast are some of them, among which Panti forest reserve is a definite “hidden natural treasure”.

The mountain range of Panti, in the Kota Tinggi district, may be only about 1,500 feet but the richness of the biodiversity is unequalled, offering an array of rich fauna and flora. It can compete with any of the parks in Malaysia of a similar size.

Fresh sightings of leopards, wild boars and elephant dung are common.

Birding, with more than 320 species recorded, is one of the main activities.

Many Singaporeans and foreigners visit this forest reserve during weekends and public holidays. They are aware of this place as it is regularly featured in foreign bird forums and also in several blogs and foreign Internet bird sites. Birds such as hornbills, pittas, the Malaysian Rail-babbler, Eagle-owl and Rufous-backed Kingfisher are found here.

The second most important activity is trekking up the mountain. It is a three-hour challenging walk with manageable obstacles that are popular with day-trippers. The view from the top is breathtaking and unobstructed. A camp at the peak is a must for nature enthusiasts.

It hurts when villagers indicate that poaching and the removal of rare orchids and birds are common.

These poachers seek wild game including deer, porcupines, ant-eaters and snakes. Some of the wildlife are sent to neighbouring countries.

The modus operandi is to approach from the west side of Panti and do a lot of damage, including illegal harvesting of gaharu, to be sold for direct export.

Bullet pellets are a common sight, especially at the foothills. It could be from the hunters or army personnel who use the reserve as a training ground.

Demarcation here is vital to ensure the safety of visitors. The army must be reminded about the proper upkeep of the environment as army leftovers are often seen.

After doing some Internet research, I gather that the Panti mountain range was designated as a potential state park in 2003. This was announced by Freddie Long, who was in charge of the Environment and Tourism portfolio then.

Why does it take so long to gazette it? The state government needs to act fast to protect this beautiful area, which is only an hour’s drive from Johor Baru and Singapore.

If properly managed, it can be a boon to tourism and research. Imagine schoolkids coming to appreciate and learn about nature.

My trekking friends and fellow naturalists from Thailand, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore appeal to the Johor state government to quickly protect this area and gazette it immediately as a state park.

By doing this it will also promote eco-tourism, agro-tourism and local culture under the home-stay programme.

The Johor Tourism Ministry has long complained that the state needs new products – this can be a potential source of revenue.

The possible income generated is enormous considering that it is close to Desaru and Singapore.

Such activities would correspondingly generate employment and create more spin-offs for the local tourism related industries.

MOHD HANIPAH SALLEH,

Kluang.

Read more!

Call for detailed EIA on Pulau Upeh development

WWF-Malaysia Calls for Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment Study for Proposed Development on Pulau Upeh, Melaka
WWF 18 Aug 09;

The recent news that the development on Pulau Upeh by the State Government has been deferred pending the outcome of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Fisheries Impact Assessment, and possible establishment of a hatchery on the island by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry offers only slight relief (State defers Pulau Upeh redevelopment, 7 August 2009 & Hatchery plan for Hawksbills, 13 August 2009).

The entire coastline of the mainland fronting Pulau Upeh has been reclaimed causing major changes to the coastal dynamics of the area. A project of this magnitude with the corresponding detrimental impacts to the hawksbill turtle and its habitat of Pulau Upeh justifies the preparation of a Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) and not merely an EIA.

This call is justified as WWF-Malaysia fears that the proposed development and any reclamation to accommodate the proposed development could be carried out in phases, thereby escaping the requirement to prepare a DEIA. WWF-Malaysia calls on the Chief Minister of Melaka to ensure the preparation of a DEIA for the proposed development project due to the extreme sensitivity of the area. Impact studies of the proposed development should take into account the cumulative impacts of all development in the area on the hawksbill turtles and their habitats. Additionally and more importantly, a DEIA will enable the study to be open to public review and allow transparency of the State Government’s development plans on and near the island.

The State Government, with the help of the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry and Department of Fisheries, must bear the ultimate responsibility for the care and protection of this critically endangered species. It takes more than setting-up a hatchery to ensure their survival. The viability of Pulau Upeh as a nesting home to the hawksbills is contingent upon the protection of the whole island and its surrounding waters. WWF-Malaysia stresses that only sustainable low-impact turtle-based ecotourism will ensure minimal disturbance to the turtles and its habitat.

Read more!

Social Marketing Techniques to Help End Fish Bombing

WWF Malaysia 18 Aug 09;

Kudat, 18 August 2009: The District Office of Banggi, RARE Pride and WWF-Malaysia successfully launched an Anti-Fish Bombing and Cyanide Fishing Campaign in Karakit, Banggi last Saturday (15 August 2009).

The campaign uses an innovative method of social marketing to change the behaviour of people to reduce fish-bombing and the use of cyanide, which are destructive fishing methods that threaten coral reefs, other marine life and the environment.

The year-long campaign will involve the participation of seven communities within the proposed Tun Mustapha Park; namely Kampung Sibogo, Kampung Perpaduan, Kampung Singgahmata, Kampung Maliangin and Kampung Karakit of Banggi; Kampung Berungus of Pitas; and Kampung Tanjung Kapur of Kudat.

“Support from communities, enforcement agencies and the general public is needed for the success of this campaign to reduce and ultimately stop fish bombing and cyanide fishing practices in the proposed Tun Mustapha Park,” said Encik Abdan Abdul Majid, Pemimpin Kemajuan Rakyat of Banggi in representing the Wakil Rakyat of Banggi to launch the campaign. “Maliangin and Berungus are role model communities that are already supporting the campaign to combat fish bombing and cyanide fishing, and they should be emulated”. Encik Abdan also stressed the important role played by a Ketua Kampung in leading a good example and ensuring that fish bomb and cyanide is not used in any kampung.

The event also marked the start of a three-day Reef Check Training in Karakit and nearby Maliangin Island right after the campaign launch. In collaboration with Reef Check Malaysia, WWF-Malaysia is conducting the training to build the capacity of local communities to monitor the status of coral reefs around their islands. Apart from monitoring and reporting destructive fishing methods, the communities will: 1) monitor the health of reefs to better understand the role of reefs in sustaining fish and marine habitat, and 2) participate directly in managing their coral reefs and marine environment.

“Active community participation in the management of marine resource is the foundation for the implementation of collaborative management. This is the key management approach recommended for the proposed Tun Mustapha Park,” said Dr Rahimatsah Amat, Chief Technical Officer of WWF-Malaysia.

Move to check destructive fishing
Jaswinder Kaur, New Straits Times 20 Aug 09;

KUDAT: Seven communities at the proposed Tun Mustapha Marine Park in northern Sabah are taking part in a year-long campaign to teach them about the dangers of fish bombing and cyanide fishing.

The campaign aims to change the way villagers relate to nature by explaining how destructive fishing threatens coral reefs, fish stocks and the environment.

The Anti-Fish Bombing and Cyanide Fishing Campaign in Pulau Banggi is being carried out by the Banggi district office, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Malaysia and conservation group Rare Pride.

Rare Pride provides training to communities on biodiversity conservation.

Pulau Banggi people's development leader Abdan Abdul Majid said cutting down on and eventually stopping destructive fishing needed the support of communities and enforcement agencies.

"Village heads must also play a role in making sure fish bombs and cyanide are no longer used," he said at the launch of the campaign during the weekend.

He said two villages -- Maliangin and Berungus -- are role models, as fishermen there are already supporting past efforts to stop fish bombing.

WWF-Malaysia chief technical officer for the Borneo programme Dr Rahimatsah Amat said active community participation in caring for marine resources is the foundation of the collaborative management of the proposed Tun Mustapha Marine Park.

The launch of the campaign also saw the start of a three-day Reef Check Training programme by Reef Check Malaysia and WWF-Malaysia to get local residents to monitor the condition of coral reefs.

Read more!

Malaysia to export rice in two years’ time

The Star 20 Aug 09;

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia will able to export rice when the new padi cultivation areas in Sabah and Sarawak produce the crop within the next two years.

Infrastructure work on the 12,140ha in Kota Belud and 16,187ha in Setumbin-Bijat padi cultivation areas has already started, said Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim.

“The country will be able to export the rice from the new padi hybrid that produces six tonnes of rice per hectare.

“Also, more Malaysians, especially the younger people, are reducing rice intake in their diet,” she said.

The additional rice production from Sabah and Sarawak would reduce dependency on traditional sources such as Thailand and Vietnam.

At present, Malaysia imports 30% of its rice. Under the National Guarantee Supply Policy 2008-2010, the country can be considered self-sufficient if it can produce 86% of its needs.

“However, the Government wants to bring the figure down to 80% by 2010,” Rohani said in a press conference here on Wednesday.

She added the Government lowered the target from 86% to 80% due to several factors - such as the hike in the crude oil prices last year and less land available in the peninsula for rice cultivation.

Rice bowl projects give hope of exports
Satiman Jamin, Straits Times 20 Aug 09;

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia will not only achieve complete self-sufficiency in rice production, but could even become a rice exporter once the rice bowl projects in Sabah and Sarawak are fully implemented.

The combined size of the rice bowls is l Larger than the area of Singapore, and is located in Setumbin-Bijat in Sarawak and Kota Belud in Sabah.

They would propel Malaysia into the league of global rice exporters.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry deputy minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim said the country's rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) was currently at 76 per cent and the ministry was upbeat about increasing it to 80 per cent next year.

She said although the SSL fell to 72 per cent during the recent fuel price crisis, the government was able to improve the local rice production through the National Food Security Policy 2008-2010.

"We had focused on rice production as it is the staple food in the country.

"As the rice production areas in Peninsular Malaysia could not be expanded any more, the government had decided to develop new rice bowl areas in Sabah and Sarawak."

She said the new padi planting areas will cover a total of 70,000ha, which would translate into 420,000 tonnes of rice production per season based on the current national output of six tonnes per hectare.

"It shows that once the rice bowl projects in Sabah and Sarawak were in full production, we will produce more rice than we consume.

"This would enable us to be a net rice exporter instead of being an importer currently."

However, she declined to give a time frame for the projects' completion as many infrastructure and supporting projects need to be completed before the projects could get off the ground.

A check with the ministry website showed that next year, Malaysia will need to increase rice production by 305,000 tonnes to be 100 per cent self-sufficient because the projected rice production figure stood at 1.92 million tonnes compared to the consumption figure of 2.225 million tonnes.

If the new rice bowls were in full-production by then, it would mean a total of 115,000 tonnes of surplus rice that could be exported.

Read more!

Some Indonesian Prawn Breeders Struggle to Meet Demand as Stock Grows Rarer, Pricier

Arti Ekawati, Jakarta Globe 19 Aug 09;

Breeding stock for giant tiger prawns has become rarer and more expensive over the past 10 years due to a decline in the quality of seawater and overfishing, local government fisheries officials attending an aquaculture conference said.

Cultivators of giant tiger prawns now have to pay anywhere from Rp 150,000 ($15) to Rp 1 million for one high-quality breeding female prawn, compared with only Rp 75,000 as cultivation peaked in 1985-95.

“Environmental degradation and the increased exploitation of the oceans, such as overfishing, have badly affected the prawns,” said Murdjani, head of the Lampung Provincial Marine Aquaculture Agency.

“This has had a significant effect on the prawn breeding stock in the sea.”

Murdjani was speaking in Jakarta on the sidelines of a one-day seminar on shrimp cultivation on Tuesday.

Production has been gradually declining since 1995 because of white spot and other diseases.

Haerani Saleh, the head of the East Kalimantan Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Agency, who also attended the seminar, acknowledged that the province could no longer meet its own demand for prawn fry because of the lack of breeding stock.

In the past, the agency had fulfilled the demand for breeding stock by catching large tiger prawns from the waters of Balikpapan. During the 1990s, Haerani said they could catch about 500 female breeding prawns every month. But this has dropped by about 50 percent.

The province needs about four million prawn fry annually to produce about 6,700 tons of cultivated tiger prawns.

However, with the breeding stock available at the moment, the province can only produce one million annually.

“We must buy another 3 million fry from other areas, such as Situbondo and Makassar,” Haerani said.

In 2008, the country produced 540,000 tons of prawns, including 162,355 tons of tiger prawns and 377,645 tons of vannamei prawns.

Some 124,835 hectares of aquaculture ponds across the country are devoted to the cultivation of tiger prawns, and 102,581 hectares to vannamei prawns.

Read more!

Chinese city aims for greener growth

Guy Newey Yahoo News 19 Aug 09;

HUIZHOU, China (AFP) – The mayor of Huizhou, Li Ruqiu, likes to tell a story that he believes highlights the southern Chinese city's environmental credentials.

A 4.3 billion dollar petrochemical joint venture between Chinese energy giant CNOOC and Anglo-Dutch firm Shell -- one of the largest ever foreign deals in China -- was halted suddenly when developers found a bird's nest.

"The company would rather postpone the construction process, wait for the two eggs to be hatched and for the birds to fly away, before they resumed construction," he said. The tree was, of course, later destroyed.

The question of whether China can move beyond such nods to environmental protection and create a genuinely green model is a huge challenge for the country, amid increasing worries growth is being stifled by terrible pollution.

The southern province of Guangdong -- for many years the centrepeice of China's no-holds-barred, heavily-polluting growth model -- is a crucial testing ground for this upgrade and this city of 3.6 million is at the forefront.

Huizhou's city centre is full of beautifully maintained lakes and a tree-lined river more like a European capital than the hastily constructed nearby cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

The city even organises fish-releasing ceremonies into the main river to promote a culture of conservation.

Alongside such measures, Huizhou is also becoming one of China's petrochemical and energy hubs, with ambitious plans for several refineries at Daya Bay, a coastal area about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from downtown.

Li is adamant such expansion, which will see huge areas of the sea reclaimed, would not compromise the city's environment.

"Petrochemicals are generally considered a highly polluting industry, but as long as you use new technologies and new materials, the problem can absolutely be solved," he told foreign reporters on a recent visit.

Li said the city has rejected 700 proposals for new business in the last two years over pollution worries.

The Shell-CNOOC plant is a state-of-the-art facility, processing 800,000 tonnes of ethylene a year, a crucial chemical for making packaging that is used in the endless toy, clothes and electronics factories that populate Guangdong.

When announced, the project drew criticism from green groups in nearby Hong Kong, but much of it has tapered off. Li said the air quality in Daya Bay is better that in Huizhou's city centre.

Southern China's manufacturing boom over the last 30 years has left a dreadful environmental legacy.

The endless rows of factories throughout Guangdong's Pearl River Delta have often operated without strict supervision and now the region's air and water quality are dire.

This has become a major problem in Hong Kong, where the city is shrouded in a haze for large chunks of the year, much of it caused by Guangdong factories.

Governments on both sides of the border -- Hong Kong and mainland China operate separate political and legal systems -- have pledged to take measures to clean up the filthy air.

State media have reported improvement in the past year in Guangdong's air quality, but much of that could be a result of factories shuttered because of the global economic downturn.

However, there are tentative signs that tough decisions -- such as those already made by Li -- are being made by senior leaders.

Last month, officials confirmed that a nine billion dollar joint venture between Sinopec, one of the China's most powerful firms, and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation would be moved from the original site.

The site, in Nansha district, was close to heavily built-up areas near the regional capital of Guangzhou and just 37 kilometres from Hong Kong.

The refinery will still go ahead, but Guangdong's Communist Party chief, Wang Yang, made an unusual admission that pressure from environmental groups in China and Hong Kong had forced the relocation.

"The question of balancing economic growth with environmental protection is indeed a very challenging one," said Wang, who is often touted as a future top leader.

To highlight how difficult the relocation would be, Wang pointed out the original Nansha site had already received approval from the state council, one of China's top decision-making bodies.

Edward Chan, Greenpeace's China campaign manager, said the decision showed a tentative step forward in the thorny struggle between balancing growth and environmental fears.

"It shows that Chinese leaders are responding to concerns from the community both from mainland China and from Hong Kong," he told AFP.

Zhou Yongzhang, director of Sun Yat-sen University's Environment research centre in Guangzhou, said officials were now prepared to take tough decisions rather than simply gesturing to the green lobby, even if it meant slowing growth in the short-term.

"Because the province's environment is limited, officials now take more precautions when it comes to mega projects, and their attitudes are more serious," he told AFP.

Read more!

Scientists discover 18 new species of invertebrates in Africa

Scientists have discovered 18 new species of invertebrates, including spiders, snails, millipedes, earthworms and centipedes.
Ben Leach, The Telegraph 19 Aug 09;

The discoveries were made over eight days by researches for the environmental charity Earthwatch at the Mkhambathi nature reserve on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape.

But scientists have warned that the ecosystem there could be threatened by proposed developments for a toll road and titanium mining – denying them the chance to identify other species in the area.

Jan Venter, an ecologist working for Eastern Cape Parks, which manages the reserve, said the team suspects that another 18 species might be discovered.

"To get so many species in one survey shows the importance of the reserve. It's a very special area, conservation-wise. If we do another survey, we'll find just as many.".

Experts predict that the 2 million identified species on the planet could represent only 2 per cent of all those that exist. Many of these are likely to be in South Africa, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.

Michelle Hamer, a scientist at the South African National Biodiversity Institute, said: "These discoveries are important because they highlight just how little we know about our biodiversity, even in a relatively well-studied country like South Africa … many of the species we collected seem to be unique to a small area in or around Mkhambathi."

"There is also a lot of pressure to develop tourism infrastructure inside the reserve. This means that many of these species could have disappeared before even being discovered. If we understand the importance of the area in terms of its invertebrate fauna, then we can try to protect it.

"Will it make a difference … if these species go extinct? We don't know for sure, but we do know that every species that is removed … results in some weakening of the ecosystem."

The freshly discovered species are now being named and described in South African research institutes.

Read more!

Scientists uncover new ocean threat from plastics

Steve Connor, The Independent 20 Aug 09;

Scientists have identified a new source of chemical pollution released by the huge amounts of plastic rubbish found floating in the oceans of the world. A study has found that as plastics break down in the sea they release potentially toxic substances not found in nature and which could affect the growth and development of marine organisms.

Until now it was thought that plastic rubbish is relatively stable chemically and, apart from being unsightly, its principle threat to living creatures came from its ability to choke or strangle any animals that either got caught in it or ingested it thinking it was food.

But the latest research suggests that plastic is also a source of dissolved substances that can easily become widely dispersed in the marine environment. Many of these chemicals are believed to toxic to humans and animals, the scientists said.

The scale of plastic pollution in the sea has only been widely recognised in recent years when sailing yachts reported vast areas of ocean, such as an area estimated to be twice the size of Texas in the North Pacific, that seem to be permanently covered in a layer of floating marine litter caught up in swirling ocean currents or gyres.

Some of the items were found to be many decades old, suggesting that the plastic took a long time to degrade. However, a study by Katsuhiko Saido at Nihon University in Chiba, Japan, has found that plastics degrade relatively quickly in the conditions and temperatures that were designed to simulate the environment of the open ocean.

“Plastics in daily use are generally assumed to be quite stable. We found that plastic in the ocean actually decomposes as it is exposed to the rain and sun and other environmental conditions, giving rise to yet another source of global contamination that will continue into the future,” Dr Saido said.

“To date, no studies have been conducted on plastic decomposition at low temperature in the environment owing to the mistaken conception that plastic does not decompose. The present study was conducted to clarify that drift plastic does indeed decompose to give rise to hazardous chemicals in the ocean,” he said.

The scientists found that when plastics decompose in the ocean they release a range of chemicals, such as bisphenol A and substances known as polystyrene-based (PS) oligomers, which are not found naturally. Bisphenol A has been implicated in disrupting the hormonal system of animals.

A common form of plastic rubbish is styrofoam, which soon gets crushed into small pieces in the sea. However, it also releases substantial quantities of a toxic substances called styrene monomer, which is known to cause cancer, as well as styrene dimers and trimer, which are suspected of being carcinogenic. The trimer also breaks down into the toxic monomer form.

Findings from the study were released yesterday at the American Chemical Society meeting in Washington. Dr Saido said that samples of seawater collected from the Pacific Ocean were found to be contaminated with up to 150 parts per million of some of these components of plastic decomposition.

“This study clearly shows new micro-pollution by compounds generated by plastic decomposition to be taking place out of sight in the ocean. Thus, marine debris plastics in the ocean will certainly give rise to new sources of global contamination that will persist long into the future,” he said.

It is estimated that there could be hundreds of millions of tons of plastic rubbish floating in the world’s oceans. In Japan alone, it is calculated that 150,000 tons of plastic is washed up on its shores each year.

Study says plastic decomposes at sea
Yahoo News 19 Aug 09;

WASHINGTON – Environmentalists have long denounced plastic as a long-lasting pollutant that doesn't break down. A new study indicates that, in the oceans, plastic does decompose, but says that's not a good thing either.

Thousands of tons of plastic debris wind up in the oceans every year, some of it washing up on coasts, some being swirled by currents into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between California and Hawaii, said to be larger than Texas.

"Plastics in daily use are generally assumed to be quite stable," Katsuhiko Saido, a chemist at Nihon University, Chiba, Japan, said in a statement.

"We found that plastic in the ocean actually decomposes as it is exposed to the rain and sun and other environmental conditions, giving rise to yet another source of global contamination that will continue into the future," said Saido, who presented his findings at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society on Wednesday.

Saido reported that the decomposing plastics release potentially toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A and PS oligomer, which can disrupt the functioning of hormones in animals.

___

On the Net:

American Chemical Society: http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content

Plastic Breaks Down in Ocean, After All -- And Fast
Carolyn Barry, National Geographic News 20 Aug 09;

Though ocean-borne plastic trash has a reputation as an indestructible, immortal environmental villain, scientists announced yesterday that some plastics actually decompose rapidly in the ocean. And, the researchers say, that's not a good thing.

The team's new study is the first to show that degrading plastics are leaching potentially toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A into the seas, possibly threatening ocean animals, and us.

Scientists had previously thought plastics broke down only at very high temperatures and over hundreds of years.

The researchers behind a new study, however, found that plastic breaks down at cooler temperatures than expected, and within a year of the trash hitting the water.

The Japan-based team collected samples in waters from the U.S., Europe, India, Japan, and elsewhere, lead researcher Katsuhiko Saido, a chemist with the College of Pharmacy at Nihon University in Japan, said via email.

All the water samples were found to contain derivatives of polystyrene, a common plastic used in disposable cutlery, Styrofoam, and DVD cases, among other things, said Saido, who presented the findings at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., today.

Plastic, he said, should be considered a new source of chemical pollution in the ocean.

Cooking Up Plastic Soup in the Seas

The toxic compounds the team found don't occur naturally in the ocean, and the researchers thought plastic was the culprit.

The scientists later simulated the decomposition of polystyrene in the sea and found that it degraded at temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).

Left behind in the water were the same compounds detected in the ocean samples, such as styrene trimer, a polystyrene by-product, and bisphenol A, a chemical used in hard plastics such as reusable water bottles and the linings of aluminum cans.

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been shown to interfere with the reproductive systems of animals, while styrene monomer, a derivative of styrene trimer, is a known carcinogen.

The pollutants are likely to be more concentrated in areas heavily littered with plastic debris, such as ocean vortices, which occur where currents meet.

Plastic Breaks Down Fast

About 44 percent of all seabirds eat plastic, apparently by mistake, sometimes with fatal effects. And 267 marine species are affected by plastic garbage—animals are known to swallow plastic bags, which resemble jellyfish in mid-ocean, for example—according to a 2008 study in the journal Environmental Research by oceanographer and chemist Charles Moore, of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation.

Now, it seems, they also face the invisible threat of toxic, plastic-derived chemicals.

Once Styrofoam, for example, breaks down, the tiny polystyrene components start to sink, because they're heavier than water, Moore said. "So it's likely that this styrene pollutant is prevalent throughout the water column and not just at the surface."

Along with Moore, David Barnes, a marine ecologist from the British Antarctic Survey, doesn't think the Japanese team's lab results can be applied uniformly across the ocean, however. Water temperatures are typically much cooler than the 86 degrees Fahrenheit in the study, he said.

"We're talking about, effectively, what happens in [zones] of tropical and some subtropical coasts. And there, [the] study may be very important," Barnes said.

Ocean as "Plastic Soup"

Plastic hits marine creatures with a double whammy, Moore said. Along with the toxic chemicals released from the breakdown of plastic, animals also take in other chemicals that the plastic has accumulated from outside sources in the water.

"We knew ten years ago that plastic could be a million times more toxic than the seawater itself," because plastic items tend to accumulate a surface layer of chemicals from seawater, Moore said. "They're sponges."

Moore worries about the plastic-derived chemicals' potential damage to wildlife. The chemicals can potentially cause cancer in humans, he said, and simpler life-forms "may be more susceptible then we are."

Pollutants also become more concentrated as animals eat other contaminated animals—which could be bad news for us, the animals at the top of the food chain. (Read National Geographic magazine's "The Pollution Within.")

Moore estimates plastic debris—most of it smaller than a fifth of an inch (five millimeters)—is "dispersed over millions of square miles of ocean and miles' deep in the water column.

"The plastic soup we've made of the ocean is pretty universal—it's just a matter of degree," he said. "All these effects we're worried about are happening throughout the ocean as a unity."

Read more!

Gene experts see high-yield rice in flood zones

Reuters 19 Aug 09;

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Researchers in Japan have identified two genes that make rice plants grow longer stems and survive floods, and hope this will enable farmers to grow high-yielding rice species in flood-prone areas.

The long-stemmed deepwater rice varieties grown at present in areas of frequent flooding have very low yields.

"In southeast Asia, there are floods in the rainy season and deepwater rice is planted in these regions. But they have yields that are only one third or one quarter that of high-yielding rice. This is a big problem," said Motoyuki Ashikari at Nagoya University's Bioscience and Biotechnology Center.

"If we combine the deepwater genes with high-yielding rice, we can have the best combination," he said in a phone interview.

In their experiment, Ashikari's team analyzed the genes of a deepwater rice variety and found two genes that were unique to the plant.

"The genes Snorkel 1 and Snorkel 2 are only in the deepwater variety but not in the non-deepwater variety," he said.

They discovered that rice plants begin producing a lot of the plant hormone ethylene when grown in deep water.

"As water levels rise, accumulation of the plant hormone ethylene triggers expression of the Snorkel genes, which in turn switches on rapid stem growth," they wrote.

They later tested their findings by inserting the two genes into a non-deepwater variety of rice and found that it grew longer stems, enabling it to survive in deep water.

"It's hoped that the findings will help researchers to breed rice that can be grown in lowland areas that are frequently flooded during the rainy season," they wrote in a statement.

(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn, editing by Tim Pearce)

Scientists develop high-yield deep water rice
Eric Talmadge, Associated Press Yahoo News 20 Aug 09;

TOKYO – A team of Japanese scientists has discovered genes that enable rice to survive high water, providing hope for better rice production in lowland areas that are affected by flooding.

The team, primarily from the University of Nagoya, reported their findings in Thursday's issue of Nature, the science magazine.

The genes, called SNORKEL genes, help rice grow longer stems to deal with higher water levels. Deep-water rice generally produces lower-yield rice plants. But the researchers report they have succeeded in introducing the genes to rice varieties that are higher-yield.

According to the report, as water levels rise, accumulation of the plant hormone ethylene activates the SNORKEL genes, making stem growth more rapid. When the researchers introduced the genes into rice that does not normally survive in deep water, they were able to rescue the plants from drowning.

Motoyuki Ashikari, who headed the project, said his team is hoping to use the gene on long grain rice widely used in Southeast Asia to help stabilize production in flood-prone areas where rice with the flood-resistant gene is low in production — about one-third to one-quarter that of regular rice.

"Scientifically, the gene that we found is rare but clear proof of a biological ability to adapt to a harsh environment," he said. "It's a genetic strategy specifically to survive flooding."

Ashikari said his team already successfully tested the gene on a Japanese "Japonica" rice, and his team now plans to create a flood-resistant long grain rice in three to four years for use in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Cambodia.

High water levels in paddies can be a serious problem. In some areas, rains can cause water levels to rise dangerously high during the growing season and flash flooding can fully submerge plants for days or even weeks.

Rice is a staple food for billions, and while productivity has increased dramatically since the 1960s, yields must be doubled to meet projected requirements by 2050. More than 30 percent of Asian and 40 percent of African rice acreage is cultivated in either lowland paddies or deepwater paddies.

Laurentius A. C. J. Voesenek, at the Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, who was not part of the research team, said the study is significant because high-yield rice varieties cannot survive extremes of inundation.

"The introduction of (these genes) into high-yielding varieties, using advanced breeding strategies, promises to improve the quality and quantity of rice produced in marginal farmlands," he said in a review of the paper, also published in Nature.

Snorkel rice could feed millions
Sudeep Chand, BBC News 19 Aug 09;

A new rice plant has been developed which grows "snorkels" when exposed to floods.

A paper in the journal Nature, describes how the plant elongates rapidly in response to being submerged.

One of the scientists, Motoyaki Ashikari from Nagoya University in Japan, said "the impact is huge".

It could also boost the production of rice in Asia and Africa, where up to 40% of crops are subject to flash floods or deep water.

"People cannot plant any crops in the rainy season, because the crops drown and die in the floods," said Mr Ashikari.

Writing in Nature, Laurentius Voesenek describes how the Japanese scientists discovered the "snorkel" genes in flood-tolerant rice, and introduced them to more sensitive high-yield rice.

"Snorkels" grow as hollow tubes from parts of the plant called internodes, preventing it from drowning.

When the floods arrive, the super rice plants can grow up to 25cm per day.

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Deep-fried locust, anyone?

Insects may be the answer to our looming food crisis
Gaia Vince, The Guardian 19 Aug 09;

Sustainable and nutritious, it's time insects were seen as another source of protein. The problem is how to make them desirable

As with gingerbread men and gummy bears, the dilemma when served a locust is whether to begin eating it head or legs first. I choose to start with the six little legs (sometimes you need to fold them in a bit because they tend to trail out of your mouth otherwise), then the abdomen and finally (gulp) the head. Crunch, crunch, swallow. Think: bbq prawns, but unshelled.

I'll be honest, deep-fried locust is not the most delicious snack I've ever had. But on a long road trip through Cambodia, it was cheap, filling and tasty enough – more than can be said for most motorway service station food in Britain and less frightening than other menu options in the region. Goat-scrotum hotpot, anyone?

In south-east Asia, insects are an important part of the daily diet for millions of people. Crickets, cockroaches and other bugs and grubs are sold across the region by roadside vendors and in smart restaurants. They are harvested commercially and by home producers, providing vital income for struggling farmers. Often, insects are the only source of income for women earners, who rig polythene awnings above a fluorescent tube-light to trap flying insects after dark.

Insects are plentiful, multiply and grow to adulthood rapidly and require little food to sustain them. They are the perfect source of protein. As countries in the west and developing world wake up to the looming threat of food shortages, it's time that governments seriously considered an alternative source of protein. Could insects provide food security for the coming centuries?

Entomophagy (insect eating) is a growing industry with more than 1,400 insect species being gobbled in 90 countries. In terms of how much food insects require per gram of protein produced, they are twice as efficient as chickens and more than six times as efficient as cows. One reason for this is that insects are cold-blooded, so they don't need to eat food to keep warm.

Animal feed is an important consideration as agricultural costs soaring across the world, leaving millions of families unable to meet their basic rice needs. Meat is an unheard of luxury for many in the developing world, leading to protein deficiencies for populations across sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia and Latin America.

The nutritional benefits of insects and better ways of marketing them were probed during an international conference last year in Chiang Mai, Thailand, involving scientists from 15 different countries, but not enough progress has been made since then. Researchers, governments and international agencies such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization need to look seriously at insect harvest and production to meet the world's food needs both in the poor world and the rich west. This doesn't necessarily mean a cockroach burger with grub fries, but it could mean using insect protein to replace soya bean protein in packaged foods. Insects are a far more environmentally sustainable source of protein, because they can be harvested without destruction of forests or food crops.

It's not the perfect food. People allergic to some seafood are likely also to suffer insect allergies. And insects exposed to pesticides retain high levels of toxins in their bodies.

There is a niche market for insects; there are cookbooks, websites, online recipe sites, suppliers and restaurants specialising in bug dishes. But insects need to follow the path of other exotic foods, such as sushi in the 1990s, and become desirable. As entomologist Gene DeFoliart, at UW-Madison, says: "If insects become more widely accepted as a respectable food item in the industrialised countries, the implications are obvious. They would form a whole new class of foods made to order for low-input small-business and small-farm production. International trade in edible insects would almost certainly increase."

Still grossed out by the yuck factor? It's worth realising that most of us do already eat insects. The US Food and Drug Administration allows, for example, up to 75 pieces of insect in 55mm of hot chocolate and up to 60 aphids in a portion of frozen broccoli.

• Gaia Vince is travelling around the developing world looking at the impacts of climate change

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Food supplies at risk from price speculation, warns expert

Global food markets must be regulated to avoid speculators creating panic with artificial prices rises, says the head of the International Food Policy Research Institute
Jonathan Watts, guardian.co.uk 19 Aug 09;

The world food market is still "seriously exposed" to speculators artificially driving up prices and worsening the risks of malnutrition, according to one of the world's leading agricultural researchers.

Linking the recent food and financial crises, Joachim von Braun, the head of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), warned that the world was at risk of a new panic over grain unless commodity markets were more tightly regulated and production expanded.

"The banking sector is in the process of being re-regulated worldwide, but the food market remains seriously exposed to short-term flows of indexed funds into commodity exchanges. That vulnerability needs to be addressed," he said in an interview with the Guardian.

Von Braun was one of the first to predict the sharp rise in food prices that peaked last year, when 13 nations halted cross-border trade amid fears of shortages.

The crisis, which escalated over four years, hit poor people hardest and saw pasta protests in Italy, tortilla rallies in Mexico and onion demonstrations in India.

During that period, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates the number of hungry people in the world rose from about 800 million to more than 1 billion.

At the time, most of the blame for the price spike centred on growing populations, climate change, biofuels, rising oil prices and increased demand from fast-growing economies like China and India that were running down food stocks.

But von Braum said recent research highlighted the role of commodity speculators: "What we didn't foresee two years ago is how speculation exacerbated the real market issues. It was not a primary cause but a second-round amplifier, which added seriously to the problem."

Daily trading volumes on the Chicago commodities exchange surged at the peak of the crisis between December 2007 and March 2008, boosted by the entry of non-commercial investors entering the market to speculate.

"When food supply is at risk, speculators are attracted, especially when trade barriers are put in place," he warned.

Exchanges in India and China were closed down to prevent similar speculative attacks.

The global credit crunch also hamstrung government efforts to boost food production by reducing the money available for investment in new technology and better irrigation.

With climate change expected to reduce yields by 15% by 2050 even as demand grows from a rising world population, von Braum said it was important for nations and international institutions to respond with more funds for agriculture.

China, Japan, South Korea and several Middle Eastern nations have begun buying up farmland in Africa and South America as a hedge against food shortage risks.

Global prices are down from their peak thanks partly to effective measures by the Chinese government to rebuild grain stocks, increased agricultural investment in India and a great focus on food production in the aid programmes of the UK and other donor nations.

But von Braun said prices remain high in many African countries because of trade constraints and foreign exchange rates, while an unusually dry Indian monsoon could affect harvests in Asia. A UN report published earlier this week warned that Asia faces dire food shortages unless hundreds of billions of dollars are invested in better irrigation systems to grow crops for its growing population.

"Fundamentally, the crisis of high food prices in the majority of poor countries is not over at all," said von Braun.

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Massive river water transfers lacking scrutiny

WWF 20 Aug 09;

Stockholm, Sweden - Large scale transfers of water from one river basin to another are generally occurring without adequate scrutiny of their economic, environmental and social impacts, according to an analysis released to World Water Week by WWF.

“With the number of large water transfer schemes possibly nearly tripling by 2020 and the amount of water transferred expected to double, poorly assessed mega-transfers have the potential to inflict immense harm on both the communities donating the water and the communities receiving it,” said WWF-Germany Freshwater Director, Martin Geiger.
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Pipe dreams? looked at existing and proposed large water transfer schemes in Spain, Australia, Lesotho and South Africa, Greece, Brazil, Peru and China and found the schemes to be high cost, high risk solutions to water problems “with the benefits much less, or likely to be much less, than the sales pitch,” Geiger said.

By 2020, large scale water transfers from one river basin to another are expected to reach around 800 cubic kilometres a year - around half a Lake Ontario or more than eight Lake Genevas. With problems evident in many of the 360 schemes implemented since 1950, the total number of schemes is predicted to reach between 760 and 1240 by 2020.

Australia’s Snowy Mountains Scheme took 99 per cent of the iconic Snowy River’s flows to produce power and provide for distant irrigation, causing generations of conflict. Despite expensive re-engineering and irrigation efficiency schemes, implementation of a decision to return a forth of the Snowy River flows is well behind schedule while climate change impacts are threatening to seriously reduce power generation.

Both donating and receiving basins experienced depletion and damage as Spain’s 282 km Tagus-Segura transfer provoked a unrestrained expansion of irrigated land, much now watered illegally. Planners were wildly optimistic about the water available and while users of the transferred water were to pay for the scheme and its operations only around 30 per cent of these payments have been collected.

Greece’s proposed diversion of the Acheloos River, mainly an economically questionable US$ 3.9-5.9 billion (€ 2.9 – 4.4 billion) prop to thirsty cotton farming heavily subsidised by the EU on the Thessaly Plains, is likely to go ahead following government circumvention of a Supreme Court declaration it was illegal and would be in violation of local, European and international laws on issues including water management, environmental assessment procedures and cultural heritage protection.

The report finds that in many cases there was little examination of alternatives to massive schemes, particularly in managing demand and promoting efficient water use in the mostly water scarce regions.
“Often it is going to make much greater sense to import water in extra food grown in wetter areas than to import water to grow food in a drier area,” said Geiger. “However, non-technical solutions such as this trade in virtual water, less water intensive farming or more water efficient industries and cities tend to be neglected in planning directed at just supplying more water continually.”

Water planning in isolation is also likely to lead to unforeseen problems. The report details the numerous examples of poor integration with land use planning, particularly for agriculture and inadequate consultation on schemes leading to often severe local and regional conflict.

“Don’t venture into interbasin transfers unless you have done your homework on impacts and alternatives,” Geiger said.

“Otherwise you could face serious planning deadlocks, operational shortfalls, unforeseen economic and environmental disruption, and expensive follow-up works that will only partly remedy the damage. If trends in water tables through climate change are not properly taken into account, the water planned for transfer might not be there any more in future.”

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Green power safer for workers than fossil fuels

Ewen Callaway, New Scientist 19 Aug 09;

As if helping to save the world from the worst effects of climate change were not enough, renewable energy may also curb workplace injuries and deaths.

That's because fossil fuels – as the term suggests – have to be dug or drained from underground, and mining is one of the deadliest of industries. Oil and gas extraction account for 100 deaths each year in the US alone, coal another 30, not to mention many more non-fatal injuries.

Carbon-sparing energy sources such as solar panels and windmills, on the other hand, are unlikely to take such a toll on the workers who build and maintain them, argues Steven Sumner, a physician at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. "Extracting the fuel, generating the power and distributing the power are more dangerous in fossil fuel energy than renewable energy."

That sounds like common sense, but there's little hard data on the health costs of producing green energy compared with extracting fossil fuels. One study, a 2005 European Union assessment of the external costs of different energies, found working with wind power was safer than working with coal or oil. And US Department of Energy researchers put solar's occupational health costs in the same ballpark as nuclear, though they ignored the potential for long-term harm from nuclear radiation and catastrophes such as meltdowns.

"We don't know very much," Sumner admits. But as green energy make up a ever-larger chunk of global power supplies, firmer data on workers' health should follow.
Beware biofuels

Vasilis Fthenakis, a photovoltaic researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, agrees that greener energies are generally safer to produce than fossil fuels. Increased demand should make that difference even starker, as renewable energy manufacturing become more efficient and automated. "The picture keeps improving because the technology keeps improving," he says.

Not all green energies are inherently safer for workers than fossil fuels, though. "Rates of injury in agriculture are high, therefore we suspect that biomass energy that comes from crop production is likely to have high risks," Sumner says.

Journal reference: Journal of the American Medical Association, vol 302, p 787

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