Best of our wild blogs: 28 Dec 09

Last Dive For Year 2009
from colourful clouds

Butterfly Survival Strategies - Part 1
from Butterflies of Singapore

Diego the devourer
from The annotated budak

Changi Beach
from the NEW blog encounters with nature

Slow at Kranji Nature Trail
from wild shores of singapore

Pulau Ubin Bird ID workshop: Part 1
from Biodiversity Singapore and Part 2

Monday Morgue: 28th December 2009
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

Rescue of a mobbed Amur Falcon in India
from Bird Ecology Study Group

To Save the Planet, Save the Seas
from Pulau Hantu

Read more!

Garbage Disposal Sites in Malaysia Getting 'Critical'?

Syed Azwan Syed Ali, Bernama 28 Dec 09;

This is the first part in a series of two features on garbage disposal

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- The bustling economic growth experienced by a developing country like Malaysia demanded the effective disposal of its domestic solid wastes.

The government's commitment in this aspect was proven with the existence of the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry as well as agencies such as the National Solid Waste Department and Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (PPSPPA).

The National Green Technology Policy was also drafted.

In the international level, Malaysia had signed the Kyoto Protocol 1997 to deal with the climatic changes and global warning due to the green house effect.

However despite this commitment, there were several issues that needed immediate action and improvement particularly in the management of garbage disposal in the country.

SEVEN SANITARY DISPOSAL SITES

Only seven of the 289 garbage disposal sites in the country were environmental-friendly sanitary sites.

This means less than 2.5 percent of the existing garbage disposal sites in the country were being well managed while the rest were operated on the 'open-dumping' basis.

For Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)'s Prof Ir Dr Hassan Basri, this scenario reflected that solid wastes disposal system in the country was still inefficient.

"It is critical in the long run," said the professor in environmental engineering.

Hassan's statement was based on the environmental pollution risks posed by the open-dumping garbage disposal sites.

WATER, AIR POLLUTION

The implication of using open-dumping garbage disposal sites were the permeation (seepage) of 'leachate' into the underground water resources and the release of methane gas (CH4) caused by decomposition of the garbage.

The open-dumping sites also required high maintenance costs apart from causing depreciation in the value of the surrounding real estate.

"There are also constraints facing the opening of new open-dumping garbage disposal sites posed by the infrastructure requirements due to the limited land available," said Dr Latifah Abdul Manaf, a lecturer on environment from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

A visit by this writer to the sanitary garbage disposal site at Bukit Tagar found the facility to have several 'pleasant' features.

The site has a 'liner' to prevent seepage of the leachate into underground water sources apart from a system of underground pipes that pool the leachate and channelled the susbstance into a treatment plant.

The site was also equipped with the 'daily cover' made up of clay and plastic used to cover the garbage to prevent it from being accessible to pests like rodents and crows.

Hence, Bukit Tagar sanitary garbage disposal dump was a much welcomed garbage disposal facility as compared to the open-dumping sites that discharged foul odour that can be smelled kilometres away.

THE BEST CHOICE

Sanitary garbage disposal sites also have a pipe system that absorb the methane gas released from decomposition of garbage that can be used for power generation.

In the case of the Bukit Tagar garbage disposal site, its 'advance cell' that was closed in November 2007 after operating for two years, now generated 1.0 Megawatt of electricity used for operations at the site.

The existence of the pipes prevented accidental combustion of green house gases.

The latest example on this was the fire at the 300 feet high garbage pile-up at the illegal dump at Kampung Sungai Kertas, Gombak early last September.

The problems related to disposal of solid wastes was not only faced by Malaysia but also in other countries due to rapid economic development, population boom and limited land.

POPULATION INCREASE

In Malaysia, with the population jump forecast at 2.4 percent or 600,000 a year (since 1994) more solid wastes was expected to be produced, reducing the life span of the garbage disposal dumps.

The scenario was further worsened with the statistics that showed 113 of the 289 garbage disposal sites in the country were no longer operating. Most of them were waiting for 'decomissioning'.

However the operations of several of theze sites had to be extended, like tha garbage dumps at Sungai Sedu, Banting that received garbage flow from Sepang and Putrajaya. The site was supposed to be closed last June!

And, most of these 113 dumps were not sanitary garbage disposal facilities. Another interesting fact was that these garbage disposal sites were managed by the local authorities or their appointed firms.

According to the PPSPPA, 114 garbage disposal sites were under the management of the local authorities with 58 in the Peninsula and Labuan Federal Territory, 41 in Sarawak and 15 in Sabah.

LIMITATION, SOLUTION

For Prof Hassan, this issue was rather complex coupled with factors like the shortage of funds and expertise, lack of public awareness apart from the 'grey' legal aspects.

Parliament passed the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Act 2007 on Aug 30, 2007 but due to certain reasons, it had yet to be implemented.

According to industry sources, the delay was due to the privatisation of solid waste management which was yet to be finalised despite the fact that the management of solid waste was being handled by Alam Flora, SWM Environment and Idaman Bersih Sdn Bhd according to their respective zones since 1996.

Presently, the 'employers' of these garbage disposal firms were the respective local authorities.

Back to the garbage disposal dumps issue. The government had implemented the Action Plan 1988 that was aimed at boosting the efficiency of the garbage disposal sites in stages.

The stages -- controlled disposal (phase one), sanitary fill-up with daily covers (phase two), sanitary fill-up with leachate circulation system (phase three) and sanitary fill-up with leachate treatment (phase four).

However, it appeared that this action plan was not working well as proven by the fact that only seven garbage disposal dumps in the country were sanitary facilities and they were operated by the private sector.

Three of these sanitary garbage disposal dumps were in Selangor and one each in Kedah, Pahang, Melaka and Johor.

RECYCLING LENGTHENS LIFE SPAN OF DISPOSAL SITES

The situation was further compounded by the society's lackadaisical attitude on the recycling campaign launched in 1993 and 2000. This was proven by the percentage of recycling being a mere 5.0 percent.

This was a great distance away from the government's target of 22 per cent by the year 2020. What more when compared to a developed nation like Japan where the recycling percentage was at more than 50 percent.

The time has arrived for the government to come out with a more effective measure apart from conducting campaigns and advertisements.

Problems associated with garbage disposal such as the unregular collection of garbage should be dealt with in a transparent and wholesome manner as the amount of solid wastes was continuing to pile up everyday and expected to reach 30,000 tonnes within the next 11 years.

Hence, the society does not really have much choice except to recycle, and this can begin right in the home.

-- BERNAMA

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A season of feasting... and wasting

Waste collector sees up to 30% spike in dumped food during festive period
Victoria Vaughan and Kim Spykerman, Straits Times 28 Dec 09;

CHRISTMAS is a time of excess - excess spending, excess eating and drinking, and excess waste.

From discarded wrapping paper to leftover turkey, Singapore's waste levels rise during the festive season - despite the fact that many have left the country to go on vacation.

Data recorded since 2005 shows Singapore generates an average of 7,000 tonnes of waste daily, which is equivalent to the combined weight of about 950 full-grown elephants. During December, the figure goes up by a further 187 tonnes daily or about the weight of 25 elephants.

A National Environment Agency spokesman said: 'The festivities and celebrations leading up to Christmas and New Year could result in more waste being disposed in the month of December.'

There are four public waste collectors in Singapore charged with collecting domestic waste along with recyclables. One such company, SembWaste, which collects waste from Woodlands-Yishun, Hougang-Punggol, Clementi and the city area, said that there is about a 20 per cent to 30 per cent increase in food waste during the festive season, so much so that it deploys an additional truck to cart away all the waste from the shopping malls and major restaurants.

Typically, there is a 5 per cent increase in the total amount of waste generated from November all the way through to the Chinese New Year period, SembWaste added. Chinese New Year is the busiest time for public waste collectors. SembWaste alone deploys 13 extra trucks during that period.

A spokesman for Veolia ES Singapore, which collects waste from Tanglin-Bukit Merah, Bedok and Pasir Ris-Tampines, added: 'During the Chinese New Year period, we will need to increase our collection frequency to twice or thrice a day for certain locations where the waste generation is higher than on normal days. This is due to the tradition of spring cleaning.'

Keeping wastage to a minimum has been a priority for the 30-member extended Tan family this year. Said 24-year-old teacher Karol-Ann Tan: 'Every year, we always have quite a lot of food left over, enough for lunch the next day!'

To make sure more was consumed during Christmas dinner, the family chose to forgo the traditional roast turkey.

This year, with a large turkey out of the way, most of the dishes were empty by the end of the night.

Hotels and supermarkets order extra food in preparation for the festive season and have different ways of dealing with the surplus, if any.

The Swissotel Merchant Court saw an increase of between 10 per cent and 12 per cent for its Christmas orders this year. Senior marketing communications manager Koo Sok Hoon said: 'For Christmas takeaways, we do not have a situation of leftovers as orders are placed three days in advance and we cook to order.

'For the Christmas items served at the buffet, we usually have minimal leftovers. As we specialise in buffets, we are able to estimate the amount of food to serve based on the actual reservations.'

A similar practice is followed at the Sheraton Towers in Scotts Road where orders are placed based on the previous year's consumption so as to avoid wastage, said a spokesman, adding that any leftovers will be thrown away.

At the Goodwood Park Hotel, leftover cakes and puddings are sold at the staff canteen until the end of the Christmas season on Jan 5.

The Grand Hyatt, too, prepares take- away food based on orders. The hotel also gives daily leftover bread to charity Food From The Heart, a voluntary food distribution programme. Founded in 2003 by Mrs Christine Laimer and her husband Henry, the charity delivers food to 120 welfare homes and more than 5,500 needy individuals directly through its 24 distribution centres.

Mrs Laimer, 48, said that although there has not been a spike in the amount of leftover food they receive from their partners, the type of food changes.

'We collect about 21,000kg of bread every month but at Christmas we get log cakes and seasonal goodies from places such as Delifrance and Bengawan Solo, just as at Chinese New Year we get cookies and mooncakes,' she said.

Food From The Heart can help companies with surplus party goodies - if given a day's notice, a volunteer from the charity can collect leftovers.

Supermarkets Sheng Siong and NTUC FairPrice offer an order service for Christmas goodies to avoid waste.

FairPrice sells leftover cakes and pastries at discounted prices, which usually sees most food cleared, and anything left will be thrown away.

'Its important when thinking about the 3Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - that the order is recognised. Reduce comes first,' said Mr Eugene Tay, 32, director of Green Future Solutions, which runs the website Zero Waste Singapore.

'If people are holding a party, they should cook 10 per cent to 20 per cent less food than they think they need as people are more interested in socialising than eating at a party,' he added.

Mr Tay also noted that wrapping paper should be kept for use again or material like cloth could replace paper.

Singapore Environment Council projects manager Uma Sachidhanandam said: 'Pack up leftovers from a party for guests to take home or use them in the next day's meals.'

Singapore's waste in numbers

5.97m tonnes

Amount of waste generated in Singapore last year, an increase from 5.6 million tonnes in 2007

1.26m tonnes

Amount of waste generated in the form of paper and cardboard - the main culprits - with 48 per cent being recycled

0.68m tonnes

Amount of waste generated in the form of plastics, with 8 per cent being recycled

30 per cent for food and 35 per cent for plastic by 2012

Target recycling rates set out under the Singapore Green Plan 2012

0.57m tonnes

Amount of food waste generated, with 12 per cent being recycled

56% (2008) to 65% (2020) to 70% (2030)

Target recycling rate set earlier this year The Government hopes to achieve this by providing more recycling facilities and introducing new measures, such as incentives, to increase recycling.

Tips on saving
Straits Times 28 Dec 09;

CHRISTMAS is over, but there is still the New Year and Chinese New Year to come. Here are some ways to cut down on waste and give the planet a break during the festive seasons.

# Use leftover meat to create new dishes such as turkey curry or porridge. Boil the carcass to create stock for soups and stews.

# For leftover vegetables (must include potatoes): combine in a pan with a chopped fried onion to create potato and vegetable cakes to serve with cold turkey. This is known as Bubble and Squeak in Britain.

# Take leftover cakes to work to share with your colleagues and avoid throwing them away.

# Make sure any guests staying with you know where the recycling bins are so they can sort the rubbish correctly.

# Open presents carefully and iron the paper (not foil wrap) on a low heat to use again. Or use material which can be easily reused to wrap presents such as net or silk.

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Safety of reservoir user comes first but PUB reviewing rules

Straits Times Forum 28 Dec 09;

PUB, the national water agency, thanks Mr George Wee ('Ease up - Review the need for licences for doing so many of the innocent things that make life fun') and Ms Frances Tan (''No U-turn syndrome' taking joy out of leisure') for their letters last Thursday on kayaking in reservoirs.

We are heartened that more Singaporeans are enthusiastic about kayaking at our reservoirs. We encourage Singaporeans to enjoy recreational activities at the reservoirs so they can have a closer relationship with water, and in turn come to appreciate and value it.

However, we take a serious view of the safety of the reservoir user, which is why we currently do not allow individuals to carry out water activities on their own.

To provide more recreational options at reservoirs, PUB has over the years worked with partners such as the Singapore Canoe Federation and the People's Association to open kayaking centres at Bedok Reservoir, MacRitchie Reservoir, Marina Reservoir, Jurong Lake and Lower Seletar Reservoir.

These operators ensure that members of the public are briefed on safety regulations and they do not venture outside the designated areas.

The operators also keep life vests and kayaks in good condition and track the number of kayaks out on the water so all individuals are accounted for.

With these precautions in place, members of the public, especially families with children, can enjoy paddling in the water with ease of mind.

We are currently reviewing the procedures and will take into consideration the feedback received. The public are welcome to give us their feedback at PUB's 24-hour call centre on 1800- 284-6600.

Tan Nguan Sen
Director, Catchment and Waterways
PUB, the national water agency

Ease up
Straits Times Forum 24 Dec 09;

'Review the need for licences for doing so many of the innocent things that make life fun.'

MR GEORGE WEE: 'I refer to Monday's report, 'Left high and dry by waterway rules'. If safety reasons are taken to extreme lengths, even swimming in public pools will need certification. The authorities should review the need for licences for doing so many of the innocent things that make life fun.'

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Owners of protected animals in Malaysia have six months to register

The Star 28 Dec 09;

PETALING JAYA: Owners of endangered species will be required to apply for permits from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) starting today.

The requirement — even for endangered species as pets — is the result of the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 coming into force.

Perhilitan legislation and enfor­cement director Saharudin Anan said all owners of such species have six months beginning today to obtain the necessary permits.

“They have six months’ grace to register before enforcement begins,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Besides pet owners, pet shop owners and any other individuals who could be in possession of such species of animals will also have to obtain the necessary permits.

Common household pets which are on the endangered species list include tortoises such as the star and radiated tortoises. Other exotic pets such as imported snakes and reptiles are also covered.

Saharudin said registration was required under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) and the endangered specie list under the Act mirrors the lists of species under Cites.

Malaysia acceded to Cites on Oct 20, 1977, and the convention entered into force in Malaysia on Jan 18,1978.

Saharudin said: “Under the Act, endangered animals found to be without permits will be confiscated and the owners fined.”

Under the Act, possession of such animals without a permit could attract the owner a fine of a maximum of RM100,000 for each one found up to a total of RM1mil, or be sentenced to a maximum of seven year’s jail.

Corporate bodies and zoos found in violation can be fined from RM200,000 up to a total of RM2mil. Similar fines and jail sentences are provided for those who sell, advertise for sale or display to the public such species without permits.

The public can refer to Perhilitan’s website www.wildlife.gov.my for more information.

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Taiwan opens new national park along the coast

Taijiang National Park in Tainan City and Tainan County will protect traditional economies such as fish farms as well as plants and animals
By Loa Iok-sin, Taipei Times 28 Dec 09;

Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) and several ministry officials yesterday inspected ­Taijiang National Park (台江國家公園) a day ahead of its inauguration.

The park covers 4,905 hectares of coastal land in Tainan City and Tainan County and 34,405 hectares of sea. It features tidal flats, sandbanks and wetlands that are habitat for diverse flora and fauna, including mangrove forests and the endangered black-faced spoonbill.

“Taijiang National Park is the country’s eighth national park and its creation carries very special meaning,” Jiang said outside of a wildlife observation deck inside the national park. “This national park tries to preserve not only the landscape, but also the wildlife, the historic relics and the traditional economic activities here.”

It also includes the place where the Chinese military commander Koxinga (鄭成功)anded in his ­successful campaign to defeat the Dutch, who occupied parts of southern Taiwan in the 17th century.

Although Koxinga swore allegiance to the Ming Dynasty after it was overthrown by the Qing Dynasty, he created his own de facto independent kingdom in Tainan and established the first Han Chinese settlements in Taiwan.

In addition to its natural and historic values, Jiang said the ­traditional economic activities in the area, mainly fish farms and salt fields, were also to be protected by the national park administration.

“Contrary to most other national parks that aim to reduce human activities within, we specifically designated zones inside the national park in which traditional economic activities would be allowed and even encouraged,” Taijiang National Park ­Headquarters director Leu Teng-yuan (呂登元) said. “We will also help the people to sell their products.”

Although most parts of Jiang’s inspection tour went smoothly, an unexpected snag in the proceedings occurred when officials were on a boat tour on one of the lagoons in the park.

Tainan City Mangroves Protection Association Chief Executive Director Lee Chin-tien (李進添), who served as a guide during the boat trip, complained about the government’s decision to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) when showing local fishing techniques.

“Fishing nets made in Taiwan cost about NT$3,000 each, but guess how much one made in China would cost? It’s less than NT$400,” Lee said. “I don’t understand why the government wants to sign an ECFA with China.”

“We should sign a trade agreement with a country where we can sell a NT$10 product for NT$11 there,” he said.

Jiang and other ministry officials smiled as Lee talked, but did not respond.

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125 pilot whales die on NZ beaches, 43 saved

Yahoo News 28 Dec 09;

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Some 125 pilot whales died in New Zealand after stranding on the beach over the weekend — but vacationers and conservation workers Sunday managed to coax 43 others back out to sea.

Rescuers monitored the survivors as they swam away from Colville Beach on North Island's Coromandel peninsula, and by Monday morning they were reported well out to sea.

Department of Conservation workers and hundreds of volunteers helped re-float the 43 whales at high tide. The volunteers covered the stranded mammals in sheets and kept them wet through the day.

"Some 63 pilot whales stranded ... but it looks pretty good, we've got 43 live ones," Department of Conservation ranger Steve Bolten said as the pod swam out to sea.

Bolten said one of the whales may have been sick, or their sonar may have led them into the shallow harbor and they couldn't find their way out again.

Meanwhile on northern South Island, 105 long-finned pilot whales died on Saturday, conservation officials said Monday.

Golden Bay biodiversity program manager Hans Stoffregen said they were discovered by a tourist plane pilot and only 30 were alive when conservation workers arrived.

"They were in bad shape. By the time we got there two-thirds of them had already died. We had to euthanize the rest," he said.

The whales had been out of the water for a long time.

"It has been quite hot and they were very distressed. You could see the pain and suffering in their eyes," he was quoted telling the "Southland Times" newspaper

Because the site is part of a natural reserve, the 105 whale carcasses were left to decompose where they stranded, Stoffregen said.

Large numbers of whales become stranded on New Zeland's beaches each summer as they pass by on their way to breeding grounds from Antarctic waters. Scientists so far have been unable to explain why whales become stranded.

More than 125 whales die in New Zealand strandings
Yahoo News 28 Dec 09;

NELSON, New Zealand (AFP) – More than 125 whales have died in two separate strandings in New Zealand, conservation officials said Monday.

At Farewell Spit, west of the South Island tourist town of Nelson, 105 long-finned pilot whales died in a mass beaching on Saturday, while 21 pilot whales died Sunday at a beach on the east coast of the North Island.

Both areas have a history of whale strandings.

Conservation department official Hans Stoffregen said none of the stranded pod at Farewell Spit could be saved, the Nelson Mail newspaper reported.

"They were in bad shape. By the time we got there two-thirds of them had already died. We had to euthanise the rest," he said.

"It was horrible but nothing could have been done to save them. It was the most humane thing to do."

The whales had been out of the water for a long time "and they were very distressed. You could see the pain and suffering in their eyes."

Another dead whale was found washed up at a nearby beach on Monday and Stoffregen said there could be others that died in the area but had not yet been located.

On the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island, 21 whales died from a pod of 63 who became stranded on Sunday.

Local volunteers and holidaymakers were able to herd the surviving 42 whales back to sea.

"Last they were seen they were swimming healthily out to the ocean," regional conservation spokeswoman Lyn Williams said.

One of the cows even gave birth to a calf almost immediately after being refloated, she said.

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It's manatee vs. military in pending U.S. habitat ruling

As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers environmental groups' bid to expand the creatures' critical habitat in Florida and southern Georgia, the Navy has concerns about its own turf.
David Fleshler, Los Angeles Times 28 Dec 09;

Reporting from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - Manatees may rank lower than traditional military menaces like torpedoes or air-to-sea missiles. But a proposal to protect additional habitat for the deceptively gentle, sea-grass-munching creatures could, according to the U.S. Navy, end up reducing habitat for destroyers, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service soon will make a decision on whether to expand what's called critical habitat for the manatee in Florida and southern Georgia, in response to a petition from several environmental groups.

The coastlines of these states are home to naval installations including Pensacola Naval Air Station, where World War II aviators trained; Kings Bay in southern Georgia, which houses nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarines; and the South Florida Testing Facility in Dania Beach, where the Navy operates an undersea range to determine ships' acoustical signatures.

Although the Navy doesn't object in principal to an increase in protected areas -- and points out the many measures it takes to prevent harm to endangered species -- it says that an overly broad expansion could have "significant impacts" on Navy operations.

"Manatees and their habitats overlap Navy training and operation areas through the Southeast," said a letter from C.R. Destafney, the Navy's regional environmental program director. "Navy's training involves activities necessary to maintain proficiency in mission-essential areas such as mine warfare, strike warfare, electronic combat and maritime security."

Among the military's concerns are security arrangements for Ohio-class submarines entering and exiting Kings Bay. The Navy does not want protections for a marine mammal, no matter how lovable, to compromise security arrangements for submarines approaching shore armed with nuclear weapons.

Spokesman Steve Strickland said that the Navy works hard to leave a minimal environmental footprint. For example, he said, the Navy conducts aerial surveys of endangered right whales off north Florida in order to alert military ships of their whereabouts.

"Certainly the Navy coexists with various endangered species," he said. "We do all kinds of things to help minimize the impact."

The habitat expansion proposal came in a 2008 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Save the Manatee Club and Wildlife Advocacy Project.

These groups argued that the currently designated critical habitat, drawn up in 1976, was outdated. Since then, they said, a skyrocketing population has brought more boats and waterfront development.

A critical habitat designation would not prohibit construction or other activities. But it would require the wildlife service to review federal activities or decisions that could affect the manatees' habitat, such as permitting development, oil drilling, boating or shipping.

Katie Tripp, science and conservation director of the Save the Manatee Club, said that there may be ways the Navy could alter operations to protect manatees without any impact on operations or training.

"In the past, manatees have not kept the Navy from doing what they need to do," she said. "In this state, endangered species and the military have coexisted."

The petition calls for the protection of dozens of natural springs, sea grass beds, travel corridors and coastlines throughout manatee habitat.

Rules to protect manatees have irritated boaters and the marine construction industry for years, and the proposal could face a fight if it moves forward.

Chuck Underwood, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said that any increase in critical habitat would almost certainly be a fraction of the habitat proposed by the wildlife groups.

He downplayed the significance of expanding the species' critical habitat, saying any changes would simply reinforce protections already in place. Of the Navy's comments, he said, "We understand they have concerns, and they're legitimate concerns."

Read more!

Indonesian government yet to agree on nuke power plant development

Antara 26 Dec 09;

Mataram (ANTARA News) - The government has not yet decided to commence the construction of a nuclear power plant (PLTN), and the project was still in a discourse, a minister said.

Research and Technology Minister Suharna Surapranata made the statement after inaugurating the prototype of a hybrid power plant (PLTH) in East Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday.

"Until today, the government has not yet given its approval to the construction of a nuclear power plant because it is still considering other sources of energy," the minister said.

However, he said, the government was still considering the possibility of developing a nuclear power plant while studying other potential energy sources.

Whether or not Indonesia now needed a nuclear power plant is still being considered, the minister said. "I agree if the government has not yet given a green light to start the the construction of a nuclear plant," he said.

He said that the the government was still giving a priority to the use of coal and geothermal energy as a source of energy in generating electricity.

Besides, the government is also still socializing the use of nuclear energy owing to the fact that Indonesia should have been able to operate commercially a nuclear power plant by 2016.

The target for Indonesia to operate a nuclear power plant in 2016 is contained in Law No. 17/2007 on the National Long Term Development Plan. One of its paragraphs stipulates that in 2016 Indonesia should have been able to operate a nuclear power plant, he said.(*)

Read more!

Green is China's new cool

Eco-passionate stars help turn battle to save the earth into latest vogue among the young
Grace Ng, Straits Times 28 Dec 09;

BEIJING: A hip new greeting - 'Have you been 'low-carbon' today?' (Jin tian ni di tan le ma?) - is catching on among China's youth.

Thanks to an eco-friendly apparel commercial starring Olympic diving champion Guo Jingjing and sexy singer Ai Dai, the phrase - which encourages young people to cut carbon emissions in their daily lives - is edging out the standard 'How are you?' (Ni hao ma?).

So influential are such celebrities in China that they are increasingly becoming the frontmen in the country's efforts to go green.

From endorsing solar panels and electric bikes to crooning love songs to the environment, Chinese stars are showing that green is the new cool in the world's heaviest carbon-emitting country.

Leading the pack is film star Li Bingbing, who was recently crowned Best Actress at the prestigious Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan.

State media China Central Television appointed her as its 'star journalist' for the international climate change summit held in Copenhagen earlier this month. She has since hit all the right green notes, successfully branding herself as China's top 'green celebrity'.

Not only does she insist on cycling and taking public transport, even though she has been offered a limousine, she also wears eco-friendly clothes, which she bought herself rather than getting them sponsored.

In addition, she blogs about her green lifestyle, talking about how she takes along her own toiletries for hotel stays and uses handkerchiefs instead of tissue paper.

She even sports an eco-friendly credit card that China claims is a world-first. The Shenzhen Development Bank has appointed her as the spokesman for its 'green card', which is made from biodegradable materials instead of plastic.

For sceptics who question what difference a small card could make, Li offers this statistic: 'Last year, about two billion credit cards were issued - stacked up, they would be high enough to scale about eight Himalayan peaks.

'These cards are not biodegradable, so the damage they could do to the environment really makes one's heart ache.'

Rivalling her in popularity as a green celebrity is actress Zhou Xun, who has been appointed as the 'green fairy ambassador' for the World Expo being held next year in Shanghai.

Zhou urges the Chinese to save water by minimising the amount they use for showers, and to buy more trees. This year, she spent 6,000 yuan (S$1,238) to plant 238 trees in Beijing to offset the amount of carbon dioxide she had emitted last year.

In the popular solar energy sector, big names such as actress Fan Bingbing and child star Xiayu have raised the profile of little-known solar power companies such as Wanbao and Yuansheng, while giving a green boost to their own images.

Other stars who have joined the cause include Hong Kong singer Leon Lai. In his efforts to encourage people to save electricity, he has exhorted Japanese men not to wear ties to work, so air-conditioning thermostats in offices can be set 1 deg C higher.

Green is also taking over the Mandopop world, with fans of Taiwanese heart-throb Wang Lee Hom claiming that he sparked off a new 'green music' trend with his 2007 album 'Change Myself' (Gai bian zi ji). It points out how saving the environment starts with changing one's own habits.

Since then, Hong Kong star Andy Lau has crooned melodies such as No Snow In Winter to warn about the chilling effects of global warming. Last month saw the launch of a new album compilation of green favourites, including Green China and Let My Motherland Become Green, sung by mainland artistes Zhu Hai and Wu Na.

With such star power backing it, the green cause has clearly had a social impact in China.

Young Chinese, in particular, have responded enthusiastically. Fan groups such as the Li Bingbing Green Fan Club and Low-Carbon Tribe have proliferated online, all anxious to do their bit to help save the earth.

Ms Li Qingqing, 23, says her awareness of green issues has grown tremendously since her idol Li Bingbing went to Copenhagen.

For the celebrities, embracing politically correct green causes has certainly done no harm to their popularity.

Chinese supermodel Jiang Peilin - who says she never drinks bottled water because plastic harms the environment - notes that it is now fashionable to be green.

'A low-carbon way of life is in vogue,' she told local newspaper China Daily in a recent article.

'It shows that young people also care about society, and we try to influence the people around us.'

Read more!

China adopts law to boost renewable energy industry

Yahoo News 26 Dec 09;

BEIJING (AFP) – China's national assembly Saturday signalled the country's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by adopting a law supporting its renewable energy industry.

The new law, an amendment to one on renewable energy adopted by the National People's Congress standing committee, obliges electricity grid companies to buy all the power produced by renewable sources.

It also empowers the State Council's energy department, the electricity regulatory agency and its finance departments to determine the amount of renewable energy available in the country's overall power generating capacity.

Power companies will be obliged to take up all of that capacity, and those refusing to do so will be fined an amount up to double that of the economic loss of the renewable energy company, Ni Yuefeng, vice-president of the assembly's environmental affairs commission, told reporters.

The law was adopted after China was criticised for obstructing the adoption of a treaty on climate change during last week's international summit in Copenhagen.

The new law in fact showed China's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Ni said.

"The new law will help China reduce its emission of greenhouse gases in a voluntary manner," Ni told a briefing.

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