My Second Visit to Semakau Island Part 2
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature
Life History of the Mottled Emigrant
from Butterflies of Singapore
TMSI’s first St. John guided walk
from Urban Forest
Long-tailed Sibia feeding on fruits
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Neighbourhood Rooftop Garden
from Urban Forest
Green Volunteers update
from The Green Volunteers by Grant W.Pereira
The impact of photography on public opinion
from The Art of Science
Higher urban density is partly to blame, but global warming is the big worry
Amresh Gunasingham Straits Times 14 Mar 10;
The rain returned last week, giving some temporary respite from the scorching heatwave of late.
With the temperature on most days hovering around the 35 deg C mark, and February being the driest month in history, the burning question on my lips is: Why has it been so hot and how much worse can it get?
The why can be explained by two factors - Singapore's rising urban density means the expanding concrete jungle traps more heat than before. There are also the effects of global warming to consider, and it is in this area that the signs look more ominous.
Earlier last week, the first study done by the Government forecasting the impact of climate change on Singapore over the next 100 years showed the present average daily temperature of 26.8 deg C could increase by between 2.7 deg C and 4.4 deg C.
This should not come as a surprise as the days have been getting warmer. Historical data traced back to the 1900s shows Singapore's average daily temperature has been rising, especially in the last 30 years.
Between 1987 and 2007, it rose by 0.6 deg C in total or about 0.3 deg C per decade, which is slightly higher than the global average.
The implications of this are far-reaching as studies show that increases in temperature expose the vulnerable - the sick and the old - to respiratory and cardiovascular disease due to heat stress as well as outbreaks of vector-borne diseases such as dengue. Studies have also shown that the length of time required for Aedes mosquitoes to grow from an egg into an adult insect decreases dramatically as the temperature rises.
At 15 deg C, for example, it takes more than 40 days, but at 30 deg C, it takes only a week.
Speaking in Parliament last Monday, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Environment and Water Resources), pointed to the 'double-edged' challenge that soaring temperatures pose to containing dengue.
'The expected warmer ambient temperature... may increase the rate of dengue transmission as mosquitoes reproduce faster and the dengue virus replicates faster and remains infective for a longer period of time,' she said.
The climate change study also noted that sea levels could rise by up to 65cm over the same period.
This, it said, is no cause for alarm because the sea walls and embankments protecting Singapore's coast, and height on which reclaimed land is built, mean that the country can cope.
But experts, such as Associate Professor Wong Poh Poh from the department of geography at the National University of Singapore, say the extent of sea level rise for an island with areas situated as much as 1m below sea level is being underestimated.
Prof Wong was Singapore's sole participant in the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), contributing the coastal chapter of its climate change report released in 2006.
The impact of melting ice sheets from the Arctic and Himalayan regions, for example, is not considered in the projection, because it is not fully understood within the scientific community.
'But the trend of thought points to a multi-metre rise in sea levels,' said Prof Wong.
This would mean that even building reclaimed land at least 1.25m above the highest tide level here - as is the present rule - will not prevent low-lying areas from being inundated.
The adaptation taskforce spearheaded by the Ministry of National Development to tackle global warming says more studies need to be done in time to examine this threat.
The IPCC also predicts an increase in frequency and intensity of extreme rainstorms in South-east Asia.
The last century had brought more heatwaves (warmer days and nights), more rain and more tropical cyclones to the region, causing massive flooding, landslides and droughts that had done untold damage to property, assets and human lives.
With its deep resources and access to the latest know-how, and the fact its geographical position means that it escapes the worst of the elements, Singapore has so far been spared the trail of destruction seen elsewhere.
Yet climatologists say it is difficult to tell how much more rain could come this way. They say charting a trend for rainfall is difficult because there are year-on-year fluctuations characteristic of the region's unpredictable monsoon seasons.
The concern going forward is whether the drains will be big enough or homes built high enough above the ground to prevent flooding.
Singaporeans, especially those in the Bukit Timah and Dunearn areas, got a taste of that last November, when heavy rain caused waist-deep floods that wrecked more than $1 million worth of cars and property. The PUB says it continuously reviews the island's drainage network to improve its capacity to hold stormwater.
More dry spells like the one just past also place a strain on water supply.
With more than half of Singapore's land already used as catchment areas, any significant reduction in rainfall is an immediate concern as it affects the amount of water collected and stored in reservoirs.
It was comforting to note from Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim in Parliament that water levels in the reservoirs did not dip significantly last month despite the dry spell, largely because the national water agency could turn to two other 'taps' - Newater and desalinated water.
The other hot issue relates to energy, which is sourced from dwindling capacities of fuel that is in ever greater demand worldwide. As it becomes hotter and drier, more energy will be consumed to keep the environment cooler.
In the United States, building contractors estimate that a 1 deg C increase in temperature could translate into between 3 per cent and 5 per cent more energy being consumed per building.
Although there are no similar estimates for Singapore, it is expected to be the same, if not more so, considering how much Singaporeans need their air-conditioning. Air-conditioning usage makes up at least half of an average building's utility bill here.
Several MPs spoke about this in Parliament, citing their experiences with commercial buildings which had 'freezing' temperatures.
The National Environment Agency has commissioned a second study, due out in 2013, that will explore in detail the potential impact of climate change in areas such as public health, energy consumption in buildings as well as biodiversity.
Indeed the science of modelling the interactions of the various components of the climate system - the atmosphere, oceans, land surface and glaciers - far into the future brings a certain level of uncertainty.
What are within human control to an extent are efforts to slow down the effects of climate change by mitigating the amount of carbon put into the atmosphere.
This will require both the developed and developing worlds to agree on a binding agreement aimed at cutting future emissions, following the failure to achieve such a deal at the Copenhagen conference last December.
The chances of achieving this do not look promising, for now at least.
In the larger scheme of things, Singapore can only prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
Kueh Xiu Qing and Ng Hui Ying, Straits Times 14 Mar 10;
The prices of greens, both imported and locally grown, have been going up in the past month, along with the bad weather.
There is a drought in Malaysia while in China, a cold snap there has reduced the inflow of veggies here.
One stall owner said he has had no choice but to up the price of imported kai lan, a popular vegetable here, by a whopping 75 per cent.
Mr Victor Chia, 33, owner of Chia's Vegetables Supply at Tekka Centre wet market, said: 'I was charging $4 per kg for kai lan, but my price is now $7. If the supplier raises his price again, I have no choice but to follow suit.'
Most of the kai lan sold here comes from China.
Prices of other imported leafy vegetables, such as caixin and xiao bai cai, have also gone north.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said nearly 50 per cent of the imported vegetables are from Malaysia while some 26 per cent comes from China. They are the biggest exporters.
A Sunday Times check with 15 wholesalers which get their supplies from these two countries showed price hikes from 15 per cent to 100 per cent.
One importer, who declined to be named, said the previous price quoted to him for spring onions was $1.50 per kg. It is now $3.
Mr Desmond Lim, 28, Lim Thiam Chwee Food Supplier's marketing manager, said: 'The drought in Malaysia has led to a 30 per cent increase in the prices quoted to us.'
At MP Projects Company, another importer, the selling price of imported watercress has increased to $23 per carton, a 15 per cent hike.
It all means retail vendors and consumers are hit too.
To try and keep prices down, wholesalers are trying to get more supplies from their other sources - countries such as Thailand, Australia and even the United States.
Local vegetable farms, mostly in the Lim Chu Kang area, which have been feeling the heat, report low yields, especially for leafy greens which need plenty of water to thrive.
'Yields at my farm have fallen by as much as 10 per cent to 20 per cent,' said Mr William Huang, 26, business development manager of Kok Fah Technology Farm.
Most local farms have resorted to various measures to combat the drought.
Oh Chin Huat Hydroponic Farms now uses shading nets to cover the vegetable plots in its green houses to cut down on the heat.
At Bollywood Veggies, crops are now watered twice a day by the sprinkler system, for 20 to 30 minutes each time, compared with once a day before the drought.
All these add to costs.
'The prices of many vegetables have gone up a lot. Caixin has easily risen by about 25 per cent.
'Before, I paid my supplier roughly $4.50 per kg; now I pay $6,' said one retail vendor at Tekka Centre, who wanted to be known only as Richard.
Ultimately, the consumer pays more too.
Madam Ong Leck Teng, 60, who frequents Geylang Serai wet market, said: 'What can we do? Vegetables are a necessity, and we need them in our dishes every day.
'So we just have to bear with it and hope prices go down soon.'
She might still have some way to wait. Despite a slight dip in vegetable prices over the past few weeks, as a result of better weather conditions, they are not back to normal.
Said Mr Chia, the retail vendor: 'It'll probably take another two to three weeks.'
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 14 Mar 10;
I have been an advocate of electric vehicles (EVs) since the early 1990s, when a battery-powered brigade led by General Motors, Ford and Nissan rolled out the first production EVs in modern times (electric cars actually date back more than 100 years).
But I am having second thoughts, and not because the 1990s EV initiative blew a fuse and died.
Don't get me wrong. I still think electric cars have a place in greener and more efficient mobility. But they are not the only solution.
In recent years, conventional cars have made dramatic leaps in efficiency.
Technologies such as direct injection, dual-clutch transmissions (with up to eight speeds), twincharging (where both supercharger and turbocharger are employed in one engine), and automatic stop-start systems (which turn off the engine when you come to a stop, and restart when you step on the accelerator) are now becoming common.
Diesel engines too have advanced. Volkswagen's new Polo 1.2TDI Bluemotion, for instance, emits only 87g of carbon dioxide per km - well below the 120g/km average which European manufacturers must meet by 2012 under the European Union legislation.
Industry observers reckon manufacturers with guzzlers in their lineup will exploit loopholes in the legislation. Because if they roll out electric models, they will be able to use carbon credits as an offset that allows them to make up to 3.5 big SUVs for every electric vehicle they sell.
This practice might in reality lead to higher emissions and oil dependence on the whole.
A recent study by Oxford University concluded that the most effective way of cutting vehicular emissions would be having lighter, smaller petrol and diesel cars.
The Singapore Government is setting aside sizeable resources to 'test-bed' EVs. A multi-agency taskforce led by the Energy Market Authority has been given $20 million for the scheme.
The test fleet can also plug into another tax exemption scheme announced in Parliament the previous week. The scheme, which is technically open to all types of vehicles worthy of research but is expected to be used up largely by EVs, will cost the Government about $75 million in tax revenue.
So the EV test-drive can incur up to $95 million, in real cost and opportunity cost.
Is such an exercise worth so much in tax money, especially when it is open only to companies and institutions?
True, governmental subsidies are necessary for EVs to take root. This is because such cars cost twice as much as conventional cars.
Britain has set aside £230 million (S$482 million) in similar subsidies to kick-start EVs and other new-tech green cars. But the man in the street can partake of the grant, enjoying around 25 per cent off a car's sticker price (up to £5,000 each) from 2011.
The British plan will help about 50,000 motorists who want to go green.
The Singapore plan will help offset the cost of up to 3,000 cars, which are likely to be owned by fleet operators, transport firms, and corporations and institutions at large.
Individuals who want to own an EV will either have to lease one from the corporations, or buy them at showroom prices minus a 40 per cent reduction in the Additional Registration Fee (the main car tax) granted to cars such as those which are CNG-powered and hybrids.
In the latter, real savings work out to be less than 10 per cent of the purchase price because such a car will be eligible for a far lower scrap rebate at the end of its lifespan.
In my opinion, we should rethink vehicle 'test-bedding'. Specifically, is there a better way of finding out how EVs or other new vehicle types perform in the Singapore environment?
The British subsidy method is one alternative. But instead of skewing it towards EVs, the end-user grant should be open to all forms of ultra low-emission vehicles. As mentioned, these do not have to be fanciful newfangled models that run on hydrogen or solar power, but cars which are nonetheless superior.
For instance, the VW Golf 1.6TDI Bluemotion covers 100km on 3.8 litres of fuel and emits 99g/km of carbon dioxide - figures comparable to a petrol-electric hybrid's.
Yet, because of the punitive taxation system for diesel cars here, an owner of a Bluemotion Golf will pay $2,740 in road taxes a year, versus $976 for a leading Japanese hybrid.
And in the case of the Polo Bluemotion cited earlier in this article, its carbon footprint is equivalent to that of an electric car. Yet its buyer will not qualify for any special tax breaks, and will in fact have to bear the hefty diesel taxes.
Volkswagen currently has one of the most efficient models on the market, but other manufacturers are also working on improving the internal combustion engine.
Daimler, for instance, has prototypes of the Diesotto engine, which combines the best qualities of a petrol and diesel power plant in one. Lotus has been testing a two-stroke Omnivore engine, while Fiat has just introduced diesel-rivalling MultAir petrol engines to its range.
Singapore would do well to keep pace with developments on all fronts, and not be overly dazzled by any one technology. Perhaps a carbon-based taxation system will be the best way to go - where cars are taxed according to their overall environmental impact, and not according to their technology.
This holistic approach will allow end-users to make intelligent choices and in turn influence the course of the industry - not the other way around.
Piecemeal measures will only give rise to abuse and ridicule. We are already seeing examples here, in the form of indiscriminate and clunky CNG conversions.
Most of the owners who have strapped bulky compressed natural gas tanks onto their cars did so only to enjoy the 40 per cent ARF cut. Many rarely fill up with CNG, and run their cars predominantly on petrol.
The result? Heavier cars with poorer efficiency and higher emissions. Which make a mockery of the green vehicle rebate.
Straits Times 14 Mar 10;
I refer to the article, 'Shocked by pigeon culling? Then stop feeding them?' (Feb 28).
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) is concerned that poisoning is still being used as a way of culling pigeons, as poisoning tends to induce a slow and painful death for the birds.
Culling the pigeons addresses only the symptom of the problem. It is essential to educate the public to stop making food accessible to pigeons.
Acres would also like to highlight the following points:
# Culling by poisoning is potentially dangerous for pets, wild animals and even children who may consume the poisoned bait.
# Alternative and humane me-thods of bird population control are available. Progressive vector control agencies, such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, have approved humane methods such as the contraceptive bait (Ovocontrol) for pigeon control since 2007.
# Town councils can consider providing artificial nesting sites. Dovecotes or nesting boxes can be installed at a low, one-off cost at these sites. Once pigeons have been encouraged to roost in these sites, their eggs can be collected regularly and destroyed. This is a simple, fast and very effective way to reduce pigeon numbers.
# Scientific research has shown that culling is completely ineffective, as bird numbers can increase above pre-cull levels within weeks of the cull being carried out.
Acres urges town councils to cease the current pigeon culling operations using poisoning, as these are inhumane, ineffective and costly (involving third parties), and instead explore more humane and effective methods.
Amy Corrigan (Ms)
Director of Education
Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres)
Dad hospitalised because of birds
Straits Times 14 Mar 10;
Mr Lim Lee Nguan asked last Sunday ('Life's precious, stop pigeon culling') if anyone has been really ill as a result of exposure to pigeons.
Birds, including pigeons, can threaten the health of people. My father went through an ordeal on the eve of his 83rd birthday in October 2007.
He was struck by a form of fungal meningitis - an infection of the brain membrane that causes memory loss and hallucinations. The doctor asked if my father had come into contact with birds. We checked and discovered that the neighbour living above our unit was unknowingly breeding mynahs in a rusty, broken air-conditioner unit.
The birds perched on the window ledge and their droppings dried up and blew into my father's bedroom.
As a result, my father suffered a painful experience - more than a month's stay in hospital, countless blood tests and having spinal fluid taken from him.
He took medication for almost two years before he was given the 'all clear' in September last year. There were also huge medical costs incurred.
So I, for one, fully support Jalan Besar Town Council in its culling operation to keep the pigeon population in check and keep potential diseases at bay.
Wee Eng Leong
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 13 Mar 10;
Environmental activists are wary that their support for building geothermal plants in protected forests will be an excuse for the government to allow companies to operate mines in the areas.
The concerns were raised following the passing of new regulation allowing underground mining in protected forests. Activists say geothermal plants pose different environmental impacts from mining and that the government should draw a clear distinction.
WWF Indonesia climate policy coordinator Ari Muhammad said allowing mining in protected areas would only accelerate already high levels of deforestation in Indonesia, which runs counter to the government’s pledge to voluntarily reduce emissions to combat climate change.
“We support the development of geothermal energy as an alternative energy source, but our support doesn’t extend to issuing permits to exploit mineral resources in protected forests,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The government pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2020, 14 percent of which would come from the forest sector.
To meet the 14 percent target, the Forestry Ministry vowed to slow down deforestation, which currently stands at 1.08 million hectares lost per year, and combat widespread illegal logging.
Data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry showed 265 geothermal deposits across the country had a potential energy yield of 28,100 megawatts.
It estimated that 70 percent of the country’s geothermal deposits were located in protected and conservation areas.
The 1999 Forestry Law prohibits mining in both protected and conservation areas.
Last week, the government issued a regulation paving the way for underground mining in protected and production forests following protracted debate.
Geothermal energy has been a key topic in alternative energy, with climate change experts pointing out the massive dependence on fossil fuels as the main source of carbon emissions.
The National Energy Policy stipulates that energy from geothermal sources should reach 9,500 megawatts by 2025.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said eight geothermal energy sites had been discovered so far in West Papua, Maluku and West Sulawesi.
The head of the ministry’s geological agency, Suchyar, said that by 2014, the country would generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity from geothermal sources, equal to the energy from 2.4 billion barrels of oil.
The director of Institute Indonesia Hijau, Chalid Muhammad, warned that the development of geothermal projects should comply with environmental standards.
“Energy from geothermal heat is far more environmentally friendly than nuclear or coal but the huge development needed also has negative impacts, including on human conflict,” he said.
Chalid said the government should stop providing new licenses to mine, including in protected forests as the 10,000 licenses already issued was excessive.
Chalid voiced suspicion that the policy to allow mining in protected areas was a first step toward massive conversion of forests for other uses.
Greenpeace Indonesia climate and energy campaigner Nur Hidayati, who supports geothermal projects, urged the government to drop regulations on mining in protected forests if it was serious about meeting its emission cut target.
“The government has double standards. They promised to reduce emissions to tackle climate change but on the other hand, they issue policies accelerating forest destruction,” she said.
World Bank Helps Indonesia Increase Geothermal Energy
Lisa Friedman of ClimateWire, New York Times 22 Mar 10;
The World Bank has announced $400 million to help double Indonesia's geothermal energy capacity, part of a broad effort at the bank to ramp up climate change spending in the developing world.
Indonesian leaders estimate the country has about 28,100 megawatts of geothermal capacity -- the equivalent of about 12 billion barrels of oil. They are aiming to make the renewable power a major source of energy in the coming years, a goal that Indonesian officials note will require hefty foreign investments.
At the same time, the country has pledged to reduce its growth of greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent in the coming decade. World Bank officials said they believe the funding will help Indonesia meet its goal.
"Indonesia has the largest geothermal energy potential in the world. The co-financing will help Indonesia reduce the use of fossil fuels to meet its rapidly growing energy needs. It also gives a clear signal on the practical actions developing countries can take to combat global climate change," Katherine Sierra, the World Bank's vice president for sustainable development, said in a statement.
The funding announcement comes at a time of heightened tension at the World Bank. The board is expected to decide next month whether to lend South Africa $3.75 billion for a 4,800-megawatt coal-fired power plant. The project has sparked widespread anger in the environmental community, which is pressing the World Bank to eliminate all fossil fuel lending and only fund clean-energy projects.
The debate could have a direct impact on the bank's Climate Investment Funds, from which money for the Indonesia geothermal plan flows. Green groups are leaning on Congress not to put money into World Bank climate programs as long as the institution continues to underwrite coal. They also are closely eyeing the fund's 2012 sunset provision, and argue the bank should not assume it will be the main delivery mechanism for the hundreds of billions of dollars wealthy nations have pledged to fight climate change.
"They have to prove they're going to be helpful and not hurtful, and the jury is still out on that," said Jake Schmidt, international policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Bank earmarks $40 billion for low-carbon projects
The bank, meanwhile, appears to be moving full speed ahead to increase climate funding. At a weeklong meeting in the Philippines to discuss the climate fund, World Bank executives announced plans to mobilize $40 billion for country-led low-carbon growth.
In addition to the Indonesia plan, the bank has approved projects in Columbia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Mexico and several other countries to ramp up a range of solar, wind and public transportation plans.
Activists largely praised the World Bank's involvement in developing Indonesia's geothermal capacity. "Obviously, helping Indonesia invest in clean energy and at the same time meet development needs is critical," Schmidt said.
Under the plan, Indonesia will use the financing to "expand large-scale geothermal power plants and to accelerate initiatives to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy by creating risk-sharing facilities and addressing financing barriers to small- and medium-scale investments," the World Bank said.
Dennis Tirpak, a climate change expert at the World Resources Institute think tank, called the funding a positive step that can help jump-start Indonesia's geothermal industry. But he also stressed that Indonesia needs to make long-term policy changes -- particularly to its fossil fuel subsidy structure -- if it hopes to make lasting changes to its energy structure.
Indonesia's national energy policy aims to derive 9,500 megawatts of power from geothermal sources by 2025. Recently, the country's energy minister told The Jakarta Post that the country hopes to attract $12 billion in foreign investment when it hosts the World Geothermal Congress in late April.
Antara 13 Mar 10;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Greenpeace activists scaled the Ministry of Forestry building in South Jakarta and unfurled a giant banner reading "Plantations are not forests".
Greenpeace feared that the inclusion of `plantations in the definition of forests, would lead to massive concealment of the ongoing emissions from peatland and forest destruction that has made Indonesia the world`s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, according to information on the Greeanpeace Southeast Asia`s official website, Saturday.
Greenpeace, along with a number of environmental and civil society organizations, have condemned the Indonesian government`s attempts to classify `plantations as forests while allowing continued destruction of critical habitats like peatland forests and the last remaining biodiversity hotspots.
Further, the rising demand of crude palm oil (CPO) for biofuels in the international market has triggered the expansion of the palm oil concessions. The move by the ministry may well augur further destruction of forests to allow more plantations camouflaged as forests, Greenpeace said in its press statement.
"Minister Zulkifli Hasan must immediately withdraw all plans to categorise plantations as forests and shift his focus towards protection of Indonesia`s forests , its biodiversity and the millions of forest dependent communities who rely on them for their livelihood and for future generations.
If this plan is approved, massive forest destruction will follow and Minister Zulkifli will be responsible for Indonesia failing to meet President Yudhoyono`s emission reductions commitment," said Joko Arif, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest Campaigner.
Currently Indonesia has one of the fastest rates of forest destruction in the world and is the third largest contributor to climate change globally.
President Yudhoyono made his commitment to cut Indonesia`s emissions by 26% in 2020 and by 41 percent with international support in September last year. But so far no real action has been taken to fulfill this commitment. The government stands by as palm oil and paper giants like Sinar Mas and APRIL continue with their destructive business as usual.
"The international will and funding to protect Indonesia`s forests is there. It is therefore contradictory for Indonesia to promote further plantations at the expense of forests. This funding should not be used for the conversion of forests into plantations, or the promotion of palm oil based biofuels.
If the government is serious about cutting emissions and about taking action to avert the catastrophic impacts of climate change, the most effective step they need to take is to declare a moratorium on forests destruction, and full peatland protection" Joko said.
Indonesian NGOs, including Greenpeace, Walhi, Forest Watch and Sawit Watch have also written to the Forestry Minister and the EU Ambassador to Indonesia to warn them of the consequences of their misguided policies, the statement said.
Tan Sri Yusof Basiron Malaysian Palm Oil Council CEO answers ...
The Star 13 Mar 10;
What does the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) do? – PG Sheng, Batu Pahat
MPOC was formed in 1990 to carry out market development and promotional activities for Malaysian palm oil globally. We have nine regional offices abroad – in Shanghai, Mumbai, Lahore, Dhaka, Istanbul, Cairo, Brussels, Durban and Washington DC – to support, promote and venture into new markets for the industry. It is funded by a cess of RM2 per tonne levied on palm oil produced.
What did the MPOC achieve in 2009? – Bulbir Singh, Seremban
Some of the most successful activities for the past year include holding lively debates in Europe with members of the European Parliament, with the support of international think-tanks; engaging with political and regulatory audiences in the US; hosting frank roundtable discussions with NGOs; and running European Parliament and media field trips to Malaysia. On the marketing front, the Palm Oil Trade Fair and Seminar (POTS) has become our signature event and a platform for the palm oil trade to deliberate and discuss the latest trends and changes in the market. Corporate social responsibility programmes are carried out through the Malaysian Palm Oil Wildlife Conservation Fund set up by the council. While the main aim is to facilitate conservation education and programmes on endangered species, the green fund has been successfully used to address and manage various other biodiversity conservation efforts in the country.
Our strategy is to ensure that policymakers, downstream users and consumers understand the facts about palm oil. Our task is to create adequate demand for palm oil to ensure price stability. Since a steady price level reflects a well-developed demand, the MPOC’s success is reflected through the remunerative prices enjoyed by palm oil producers in recent times.
Most of the palm oil mills in Malaysia are not ‘green’ as their effluent is not treated using green technology. What will the MPOC do when the European Union (EU) countries enforce the rule which will result in them buying palm oil from ‘non-green’ palm oil mills at discounted prices? – KL Low, Petaling Jaya
Processing is only one step in the palm oil production chain. Palm oil is ‘greener’ than other vegetable oils because it consumes less energy and produces more energy.
There are other major sustainability benefits in the palm oil processing chain. Palm oil effluent and empty fruit bunches have been used as fertiliser, while kernel shells have been used in the construction industry. It is also not correct to say methane is not captured during milling. There are many palm oil mills that are fitted with effluent and methane capture. These in turn are used to produce electricity and compost. There is always room for improvement, and capturing methane is one way.
We are not aware of such an EU rule. However, an EU development that does bother us is the proposal to restrict biofuel imports from developing countries so as to favour biofuel produced in the EU, which is more expensive and far less sustainable. This looks like just another trade barrier to cheaper and better products from the developing world.
You have been very vocal in defending the oil palm industry against allegations that it harms the environment. But it seems to have no effect. Clearing jungle for food is perfectly all right. How do you intend to carry on from here? – Seah, Kuala Lumpur
Conversion of forests and jungles to expand production of staple foods has been a traditional way of meeting the global demand for food. There is legitimate concern over the protection of biodiversity of the jungles and natural forests. This is achieved by setting aside properly designed areas for conservation. It is not necessary to conserve all jungle. Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity decided many years ago that 10% of the world’s forests needed to be reserved to preserve forest biodiversity. In Malaysia, more than 50% of the country has been set aside for that purpose – the average in Europe is 25% – in a commitment we made at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Palm oil is not produced on this land but on the additional 25% set aside for agriculture.
The remaining area can and should be used to produce food for both Malaysia and the rest of the world, as well to create jobs for Malaysians and to reduce poverty. Land earmarked for agricultural development will be used to expand palm oil production in Malaysia, but it will not be the only way to increase production. Improved practices mean that, over time, the amount of palm oil from each hectare of land will certainly increase.
As I have spent many years in R&D for the oil palm industry, I am a firm believer in the science of palm oil. I will continue to use my knowledge of science to argue and provide counter-arguments to support the sustainability of the Malaysian palm oil industry. My views can also be read at my blog (www.ceopalmoil.com).
There is acute labour shortage in the oil palm plantations. With the dwindling labour supply from neighbouring countries, what should Malaysia do? – M Daniel, Miri
The industry should continue to optimise labour utilisation by increasing the use of mechanised tools. Hand-held motorised harvesting machines are available and can reduce labour requirement by 50% or more. To reduce handling and processing, and labour requirement, future fruit bunches designed through breeding and genetics will have high oil content. As long as Malaysia offers well-paid employment, there are huge labour sources that can be attracted from surrounding countries.
How will the Malaysian palm oil brand differentiate our palm oil from the oil from Indonesia? Do you believe branding will help combat the Western countries’ negative perceptions of palm oil? – Ken Tan, Alor Star
Malaysian palm oil is already sustainably produced. Consumers can easily see this from material on public record and from certification labels such as that provided by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Malaysian palm oil is exported to more than 150 countries and has gained brand recognition for its reliable supply, consistent good quality and favourable price.
The anti-palm oil campaign in Europe is not based on knowledge of how Malaysian palm oil is produced. Instead, it is the result of deliberately misleading information circulated by environmental activists groups that are opposed to any use of biofuels in Europe because they believe the substitution of fossil fuels with biofuel will reduce the pressure on producers of fossil fuels to cut back. These activists also oppose biofuels made from rapeseed, sugarcane, soybean and corn grown in other parts of the world. They have attacked palm oil because it is the cheapest and most effective biofuel. They do not care that curbing the oil palm industry would reduce economic growth and endanger jobs in poor countries.
As a scientist, do you believe crude palm oil has what it takes to gain world market acceptance as food and biofuel feedstock? – S. Ramasamy, Kuantan
The steady increase in demand for palm oil demonstrates that it is already proven as a food staple. The world’s population is expanding steadily and standards of living are increasing. Demand for vegetable oil will steadily increase, and we look forward to serving that market. Palm oil is favoured for its proven nutritional and functional attributes and competitive prices. Biofuel based on palm oil has already been demonstrated as an effective fuel. Demand will increase so long as governments create incentives to use biofuels.
I’ve been hearing a lot about this new environment issue, the Water Foot Print (WFP), which is said to be an emerging concern in the US. What is WFP and its impact on Sabah oil palm planters? – Siti Khalid, Kota Kinabalu
The WFP concept is new and not yet fully developed. The idea is that the amount of water consumed and ‘embedded’ in any product should be measured, presumably as way to encourage more sustainable use of water. Use of water can already be measured, and any producer should ensure that water is not wasted. The concept that water might be ‘embedded’ in a product as a result of water being used to grow and process components, and that it can then can be measured, has no technical basis, to my knowledge.
The suggestion that use of water by palm oil in tropical zones should be directly compared with use of water for, say, rapeseed in temperate zones, ignores the fact that there is higher rainfall in the tropics. The tropics are also hotter. Does that mean people there waste natural heat?
Is it true that World Growth, an industry group headed by Alan Oxley, an Australian lecturer and sceptic about climate change, is sponsored by the MPOC to help dispute anti-palm oil allegations? – Ross Tan, Ipoh
I am not aware that World Growth represents any industry. We perceive it to be a pro-development NGO. I believe it is being criticised because it has been producing research that warns against environmental campaigns developed by other Western NGOs, which could increase poverty. I suggest you direct this question to World Growth. To help counter the anti-palm oil allegations made by western NGOs, the MPOC employs a number of PR firms and government relations experts.
How strong is the working relationship between the RSPO and the MPOC, especially in convincing major palm oil buyers from the EU and the US that Malaysian palm oil is sustainably produced? – KS Lee, Johor Baru
The MPOC supports the development of the RSPO as a business-to-business initiative to certify palm oil in meeting the demands of a discerning market. Our industry can be proud to be the first to bring RSPO-certified palm oil to the world market. The MPOC has provided funds to industry associations to attend or hold RSPO meetings to ensure the roundtable moves forward. As sustainable palm oil is already being traded in the global market, in our marketing campaigns, we often offer RSPO-certified palm oil to buyers.
Unfortunately, although the industry has lived up to its side of the bargain in conforming to sustainability requirements, its ‘green’ credentials have yet to excite more buyers.
The Natural History Museum is launching a first-of-its-kind backyard survey of lizard species
Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times 13 Mar 10;
They plan to leave no stone unturned in the hunt for the "Lost Lizards of Los Angeles."
That's what experts at Los Angeles County's Natural History Museum are calling an unusual wildlife safari they plan to launch in backyards across the county.
Museum officials hope to recruit volunteers to poke around flower beds and peek under leaf piles and hedgerows for a first-of-its-kind Los Angeles lizard census.
It's not Los Angeles' first hunt for lizard people, however. One such search 76 years ago sent locals running for their shovels.
There are thought to be about 4,675 lizard species worldwide. It is unknown how many of them exist in heavily developed Southern California.
While the museum's lizard search will begin in late spring and extend into the summer, the counting will actually start Saturday, when about 20 local amphibian experts fan out across Exposition Park to hunt for salamanders. They are braced for the likelihood that they will come up empty-handed.
"We don't find any record of lizards here," said Brian Brown, curator of the entomology section at the Natural History Museum, which is located at the park south of downtown Los Angeles. "The question may be, 'Why are there no lizards in Exposition Park?' "
But Brown and others say there is a good chance that new lizard breeds will be discovered by volunteers conducting the "Lost Lizards of Los Angeles" survey.
"The chance of finding a new species here is the same as in a rain forest. Our own backyards in some way are just as unknown as some remote jungle," he said.
Proof of that is the dare Brown accepted from a museum trustee who challenged him to find a new species of any type in the yard of the trustee's Brentwood home.
"I found one: a small fly. It doesn't have a name yet, but it will. And no, it won't be named after me. That would be poor taste," said Brown, a Monrovia resident.
The lizard hunt is the latest in a series of critter surveys conducted by the county museum. Other research efforts have included examinations of flies in the Santa Monica Mountains and spiders in residential areas across Los Angeles.
The entomology of living creatures is constantly evolving as new species are introduced to this area by people who accidentally transport them here. At the same time, urbanization and pollution sometimes kill off native species, said Leslie Gordon, who lives in Burbank and is the manager of the museum's living vertebrate collection.
Susceptible to environmental changes, animals such as lizards and salamanders offer an early warning to pollution issues that can have a long-range effect on humans, say scientists.
"That's why the museum is getting more and more invested in urban biodiversity," Brown said.
As for lizards, they've gotten a bum rap from some due to their physical appearance. "Some people think they have cold, expressionless faces and look like space aliens," Brown said.
Nonetheless, the last time a Los Angeles lizard search was mounted, in early 1934, it prompted a frenzy of public interest -- not to mention public speculation about a previously unknown human species.
Back then searchers were looking for the "Lizard People's catacomb city" beneath what is now the new downtown performing arts high school on Grand Avenue next to the Hollywood Freeway.
A front-page Times story explained how "geophysical mining engineer" G. Warren Shufelt had supposedly used a "radio X-ray" machine to discover and map a series of underground tunnels that stored gold tablets. Shufelt said Hopi American Indians in Arizona had confirmed that legendary Lizard People had created the tunnels and hidden the gold 5,000 years earlier.
As Shufelt related the legend, the Lizard People viewed the lizard as a symbol of long life. The gold tablets were 4 feet long and 14 inches wide and inscribed with the history of mankind. His radio X-ray had located 37 of the tablets, Shufelt told The Times.
The story described the Lizard People as advanced, with their 9-year-olds having the intellect of college-educated adults, according to Hopi legend. The tunnels were said to have been etched out by some sort of chemical that eventually drained away to the sea.
Shufelt sank a shaft that he hoped would lead to a 1,302-square-foot "room" that was supposedly connected to five of the tunnels, but nothing was ever found. Subsequent excavation of the Fort Moore hill for construction of the freeway a dozen or so years later yielded no evidence of catacombs or treasure.
Museum officials said they were aware of the Lizard People legend.
"Lizards do like their gold," joked Brown.
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