Best of our wild blogs: 6 May 10

I've been to Cyrene!
from a brand NEW blog: Encounters with Nature in Singapore

Civets of Siglap: Singapore' last wild urban carnivores
from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity! and The Biodiversity crew @ NUS

Labrador Nature Reserve
from Crystal and Bryan in Singapore

Bukit Batok Nature Park
from Singapore Nature and Webspinner gallery in my garden

Courtship and mating of the Spotted Dove
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Mon 10 May 2010: 3pm @ LT20 – William Laurance on “Long-term changes and threats in the world’s tropical protected areas” from The Biodiversity crew @ NUS

Raffles Museum Treasures: Oriental house rat
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

Shoreline restoration at the East Coast continues until Aug 10
from wild shores of singapore

Funny signages from Langkawi
from Planet of the Monyets

Read more!

Singapore No. 1 in global ranking of environmental degradation

New study ranks countries on environment impact
University of Adelaide, EurekAlert 4 May 10;

A new study led by the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute in Australia has ranked most of the world's countries for their environmental impact.

The research uses seven indicators of environmental degradation to form two rankings – a proportional environmental impact index, where impact is measured against total resource availability, and an absolute environmental impact index measuring total environmental degradation at a global scale.

Led by the Environment Institute's Director of Ecological Modelling Professor Corey Bradshaw, the study has been published in the on-line, peer-reviewed science journal PLoS ONE (found at www.plosone.org).

The world's 10 worst environmental performers according to the proportional environmental impact index (relative to resource availability) are: Singapore, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia, Philippines and Netherlands.

In absolute global terms, the 10 countries with the worst environmental impact are (in order, worst first): Brazil, USA, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, India, Russia, Australia and Peru.

The indicators used were natural forest loss, habitat conversion, fisheries and other marine captures, fertiliser use, water pollution, carbon emissions from land use and species threat.

"The environmental crises currently gripping the planet are the corollary of excessive human consumption of natural resources," said Professor Bradshaw. "There is considerable and mounting evidence that elevated degradation and loss of habitats and species are compromising ecosystems that sustain the quality of life for billions of people worldwide."

Professor Bradshaw said these indices were robust and comprehensive and, unlike existing rankings, deliberately avoided including human health and economic data – measuring environmental impact only.

The study, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Princeton University, found that the total wealth of a country (measured by gross national income) was the most important driver of environmental impact.

"We correlated rankings against three socio-economic variables (human population size, gross national income and governance quality) and found that total wealth was the most important explanatory variable – the richer a country, the greater its average environmental impact," Professor Bradshaw said.

There was no evidence to support the popular idea that environmental degradation plateaus or declines past a certain threshold of per capital wealth (known as the Kuznets curve hypothesis).

"There is a theory that as wealth increases, nations have more access to clean technology and become more environmentally aware so that the environmental impact starts to decline. This wasn't supported," he said.

###

Professor Bradshaw also holds a joint position with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).

Australia's global footprint one of the worst
Birdie Smith, The Age 6 May 10;

AUSTRALIA ranks among the world's 10 worst countries for environmental impact, according to research that found the richer a country, the greater its environmental footprint.

Published in the science journal PLoS ONE yesterday, research led by Professor Corey Bradshaw, of the University of Adelaide's environment institute, found Australia's carbon emissions, rate of species threat and natural forest loss were the greatest contributors to its ninth-place ranking.

Countries were measured on a range of indicators, including fertiliser use, natural forest loss, habitat conservation, fisheries and other marine captures, water pollution, carbon emissions and species threat.

Professor Bradshaw said in many cases there was a link. ''If you're clearing a lot of forests, you tend to also to overharvest in the ocean and use a lot of fertilisers.''

The 10 countries with the worst global footprint were Brazil, the US, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, India, Russia, Australia and Peru.

Professor Bradshaw said while he was not surprised that the US and China were in the top 10, he was surprised that a relatively poor country such as Brazil took out the top spot.

''The wealthier you are, the more damage you do, on average,'' he said. ''It's just a function of human nature. Growth is the be-all and end-all for all economies around the world, and if you're not growing economically, you're stagnant, and therefore that's a bad thing and governments get sacked. So we have a system built around increasing our consumption rates, and that's unsustainable in the long term.''

Unlike other rankings, the study did not include human health and economic data, instead focusing exclusively on environmental indicators.

Professor Bradshaw said while Australia had few forests to start with, land clearing had removed more than half of them since European settlement.

Released in the United Nations' International Year of Biodiversity, the study also indicates that Australia has the highest mammalian extinction rate in the world, largely due to introduced species such as foxes, cats and rats, and habitat loss. ''And we are one of the highest per capita water users and carbon emitters in the world,'' Professor Bradshaw said.

The study, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Princeton University, also developed a separate ranking using a proportional environmental impact index, which measured impact against resource availability. On that scale, the 10 worst countries were Singapore, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Netherlands.

Professor Bradshaw said the better-ranked countries were small places such as Cape Verde, Swaziland, Niger and Grenada.

''They haven't wiped out all their forests but they live well below what we'd consider poverty,'' he said. ''We have things to learn from these countries in terms of consumption and in reducing our consumption.''

We're in the top 10 of worst polluters
Ben Cubby, Sydney Morning Herald 6 May 10;

Australia has earned the dubious honour of being in the top 10 countries with the worst environmental impact on the planet, according to a major international study of more than 200 nations.

The report challenges the idea that high levels of wealth, education and access to non-polluting technology lead to better environmental results. The more money citizens have, the more they damage they do, the study suggests.

Researchers from the Adelaide University, National University of Singapore and Princeton University in the US measured forest and habitat loss, species extinction, greenhouse gas emissions, fisheries and fertiliser use.

''It's a very attractive hypothesis, that as nations become richer they become more environmentally aware and their impact starts to decline,'' Professor Corey Bradshaw, of the environment institute at Adelaide University, told the Herald. ''It makes people feel good about being wealthy. But we looked hard for any evidence of the theory, and we didn't find it.''

Australia was ranked ninth in the list of nations for its absolute impact on the natural world, a ranking derived by cross-referencing data from the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Resources Institute.

The list was headed by Brazil which, though a developing country, has stewardship over landclearing in most of the Amazon rainforest.

On a per capita basis, Singapore was classified as the world's worst offender, followed by South Korea, Qatar, Kuwait and Japan.

The report, published in the Public Library of Science journal, noted that the high representation of Asian countries in its list of poor performers was ''striking''. It suggested this could be explained by the fact that Europe and North America had been developed for longer, meaning much of the land clearing and species extinction had already taken place there.

The report came as the UN released its own summary of the impact of climate change on Africa, concluding that progress in food security and poverty reduction is likely to be overturned as the continent heats up.
BIG IMPACT

Countries ranked by the scale of their total negative impact on the environment.

1 Brazil

2 United States

3 China

4 Indonesia

5 Japan

6 Mexico

7 India

8 Russia

9 Australia

10 Peru

Brazil and U.S. Ranked Worst for Environmental Impact
livescience.com Yahoo News 6 May 10;

Brazil and the United States rank as the two worst countries in terms of their environmental impact, a new study finds.

The researchers, led by the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute in Australia, used seven indicators of environmental degradation to create two rankings - one in which impact was measured against the total resources available to a country, and another measuring absolute environmental degradation at a global scale.

The indicators included: natural forest loss, habitat conversion (when natural areas are converted into shopping centers or farmland), fisheries and other marine captures, fertilizer use, water pollution, carbon emissions from land use, and species threat.

Overall, the richer a country, the greater its environmental impact.

"The environmental crises currently gripping the planet are the corollary of excessive human consumption of natural resources," said study leader Corey Bradshaw, of the Environment Institute. "There is considerable and mounting evidence that elevated degradation and loss of habitats and species are compromising ecosystems that sustain the quality of life for billions of people worldwide."

Here's how the two types of rankings came out:

The world's 10 worst environmental performers (out of 179 considered) according to the proportional environmental impact rank are (with 1 being the worst):
Singapore Korea Qatar Kuwait Japan Thailand Bahrain Malaysia Philippines The Netherlands

The world's 10 worst environmental performers (out of 171 considered) in absolute global terms are:
Brazil USA China Indonesia Japan Mexico India Russia Australia Peru

Bradshaw said that the indices used were robust and comprehensive and, unlike other rankings, deliberately avoided including human health and economic data - measuring environmental impact only.

The study, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Princeton University, revealed that the total wealth of a country (measured by gross national income) was the most important driver of environmental impact.

"We correlated rankings against three socio-economic variables (human population size, gross national income and governance quality) and found that total wealth was the most important explanatory variable - the richer a country, the greater its average environmental impact," Bradshaw said.

There was no evidence to support the popular idea that environmental degradation plateaus or declines past a certain threshold of per capital wealth (known as the Kuznets curve hypothesis).

"There is a theory that as wealth increases, nations have more access to clean technology and become more environmentally aware so that the environmental impact starts to decline. This wasn't supported," Bradshaw said.

The study and rankings are detailed online in the journal PLoS ONE.

Related articles

• Singapore Ranked #1 in the World for.... from The Biology Refugia by Brandon.
  
• Singapore No. 1 global eco-destroyer? on wild shores of singapore.
  
• Is Singapore the worst environmental offender? Victoria Vaughan Straits Times 14 May 10;
  
• Green study disregards Singapore's circumstances response by MEWR and MND Straits Times Forum 19 May 10;

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NParks to turn Southern Ridges into Singing Forest

S Ramesh, Evelyn Choo Channel NewsAsia 5 May 10;

SINGAPORE: Visitors to Southern Ridges will soon be able to enjoy a chorus of birds singing at dawn when a new collection of bird-attracting tree species is established.

Called the Singing Forest, it is part of the National Parks Board's (NParks) plans to enhance biodiversity within Singapore's urban areas.

Showcasing trees from 38 native tree species, the Singing Forest project aims to intensify the already high diversity of native bird species in the Southern Ridges. There are 72 species of native birds in the Southern Ridges.

To amplify these songs of nature, some two hundred trees have been planted in the area. The aim is to get more feathered friends to flock here.

NParks said care has been taken to select the native tree species from four botanical families that will provide a wide variety of suitable food sources as well as shelter and nesting areas for the native birds.

S K Ganesan, deputy director, Landscape & Arboriculture, NParks, said: "As these trees grow, they will provide either nectar, sources of food for insects, which in turn feed birds, and fruits which feed birds as well."

Comprising a 20-hectare chain of green spaces spanning the hills of Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park, the Southern Ridges was chosen to showcase the Singing Forest due to the presence of bird life already rich in the area.

NParks said urbanisation has depleted some native tree species, forcing some of the winged residents to take flight. NParks is confident the new trees will enhance the biodiversity.

"We are trying to attract those birds that are specialised fruit feeders. And one of the group of trees that we're planting here is the forest nutmeg," said Ganesan.

The cabbage-leafed tree is one such type - and its fruits are a favourite snack of the emerald dove.

The launch of the Singing Forest is another key event to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB).

NParks said it has lined up an exciting series of activities throughout the year to raise public awareness of the rich biodiversity in Singapore.

- CNA/jy/al

Singing Forest to lure more bird species
Tree-planting project at Southern Ridges aims to draw different birds
Grace Chua, Straits Times 6 May 10;

VISITORS to the Southern Ridges will soon be serenaded by a wider variety of birds, attracted by trees from a new National Parks Board (NParks) project.

NParks has planted a variety of native trees along the sides of a forest trail in a 20ha swathe of land near Gillman Village, to attract more and different types of avian life to feed on the fruit and insects there.

In a few months, the parks authority will start guided walks and bird-watching trips as well.

This Singing Forest project, launched yesterday, is sponsored by semiconductor company ST Microelectronics under the Garden City Fund, an NParks charity. The company declined to disclose how much it gave.

It is the newest of NParks' projects at the Southern Ridges, the hilly green area stretching from West Coast Park to HarbourFront.

Last month, it launched the Sembcorp Forest of Giants, a stretch of trees that will grow to the height of 30-storey HDB blocks.

In the bird-friendly Singing Forest are trees like the cabbage-leafed nutmeg (Horsfieldia superba), with its leaves the length of a man's forearm, and mahang putih (Macaranga hypoleuca). In all, some 200 trees of 38 native species were planted starting last September. Some, like the mahang putih, are already bearing fruit, while others, like the cabbage-leafed nutmeg with its tennis ball-size fruit, will begin to do so in the next two to five years.

Their fruit, as well as insects that feed on their nectar, are expected to draw out birds like hornbills - once resident to the area but now largely gone from it - fruit pigeons and the greater racket-tailed drongo. Typically, these native birds are found deep in forested areas.

Mr S.K. Ganesan, NParks' landscape and arboriculture deputy director, who is overseeing the project, said it aimed to increase the number of Southern Ridges bird species and expand the habitats of existing ones. More than 60 species of birds already frequent the area.

Professor Leo Tan, a biologist and chairman of the Garden City Fund, said in his opening address yesterday that he hoped the project would replicate for visitors his childhood experience of waking up to birdsong.

'The Singing Forest...helps to increase the biodiversity of our tiny island, and will encourage endemic birds to entertain us,' he said.

The forest is alive with the sound of singing
Today Online 6 May 10;

Visitors to the Southern Ridges will soon be able to enjoy a wonderful chorus of birds at dawn when a new collection of tree species that draws birds is established.

It is called the Singing Forest and is part of the National Parks Board's (NParks) plans to enhance biodiversity within Singapore's urban areas.

Showcasing trees from 38 native species, the Singing Forest project aims to intensify the already high diversity of native bird species in the Southern Ridges.

NParks said care has been taken to select the native tree species from four botanical families that will provide a wide variety of suitable food sources as well as shelter and nesting areas for native birds.

Comprising a 20-hectare chain of green spaces spanning the hills of Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park, the Southern Ridges was chosen to showcase the Singing Forest due to the presence of rich birdlife in the area.

There are 72 species of native birds in the area.

The launch of the Singing Forest is another key event to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity.

NParks has lined up a series of activities throughout the year to raise public awareness of the rich biodiversity in Singapore.

Singing Forest Launched To Boost Biodiversity In Urban Areas
Nparks Press Release 5 May 10;

Singapore, 5 May 2010 - Visitors to Southern Ridges will, in time to come, enjoy a wonderful chorus of birds singing at dawn when a new collection of bird-attracting tree species is established. Conceived to create a bird-friendly forest using regional native trees, the Singing Forest is part of the National Parks Board's (NParks) plans to enhance biodiversity within our urban areas. This project is sponsored by STMicroelectronics.

Showcasing trees from 38 native tree species that originally dominated our regional landscape before urbanisation, the Singing Forest project aims to intensify the already high diversity of native bird species in the Southern Ridges. Care has been taken to select the native tree species from four botanical families that will provide a wide variety of suitable food sources as well as shelter and nesting areas for native birds. When established, the additional planting of suitable tree species will eventually provide an opportunity for visitors to learn and appreciate the diverse collection of birds and trees in Singapore.

Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Special Advisor, Institute of Policy Studies and the Patron of the Nature Society of Singapore, was the Guest-of-Honour at the launch of the Singing Forest today at HortPark. He applauded STMicroelectronics and the National Parks Board for this unique initiative. "Although Singapore is a small island and highly urbanised, it is still home to five times the number of species of trees as, for example, a country as large as the United Kingdom. By planting these bird-friendly trees, we will make this forest resonate with the songs of birds. This will bring joy to all who go for walks along the Southern Ridges," remarked Professor Koh.

The trees that have been planted in the Singing Forest will attract the birds in the following phases: Trees belonging to the first phase include members of the mahang tree family (Euphorbiaceae) and the bean family (Leguminosae). These trees fruit soon after planting. Their fruits are small and this would attract both small and large native bird species in the short to medium term. This will provide an immediate effect for the community to see the birth of the Singing Forest.

Trees belonging to the second phase include members of the wild nutmeg family (Myristicaceae) and forest mangosteens (Guttiferae). These trees produce larger fruits, which in turn attract larger birds. such as green pigeons, and hornbills. These trees need more time to grow and bear fruit.

In the long term, the planting of these trees will also help to regenerate the existing forest in the Southern Ridges.

The Singing Forest is made possible by STMicroelectronics, through the Garden City Fund, NParks' registered charity and IPC (Institution of Public Character). The sponsorship goes towards the costs of implementing the tree-planting project, installing educational signage and organising educational programmes for the public.

Dr Mao Bor-Yen, General Manager, Frontend Manufacturing, STMicroelectronics, said, "As a company that is constantly driving conservation efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, STMicroelectronics has for a long time now taken great pride in actively participating in local environmental initiatives. Our partnership with NParks for the Singing Forest project is an opportunity to further enhance Singapore's natural biodiversity. We are proud and delighted that the project will leave a living legacy for generations of Singaporeans to enjoy."

Said Prof Leo Tan, Chairman, Garden City Fund, "The Singing Forest project does not just help to augment and conserve our rich local biodiversity but also connects the community to our nature heritage. Community involvement is key to Singapore's long-term success in conserving our biodiversity. STMicroelectronics' sponsorship has provided an example for other companies to follow and focus on greenery as part of their corporate social responsibilities. We hope this will be one of many collaborations with other corporations to come, as we work towards creating a green city that everyone can appreciate and enjoy."

Comprising a chain of green spaces spanning the hills of Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park, the Southern Ridges was chosen to showcase the Singing Forest due to the presence of birdlife already rich in the area.

The launch of Singing Forest is another key event in celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). NParks has lined up an exciting series of activities throughout the year to raise public awareness of the rich biodiversity in Singapore.

For updates on other IYB activities, members of the public can visit www.nparks.gov.sg/IYB2010.

Read more!

Oil spill threatens livelihood of fishermen in Johor Baru

Austin Camoens, The Star 6 May 10;

JOHOR BARU: Fishermen here are fearing for their livelihood following a recent oil spill that contaminated the waters near Kampung Senibong.

Senibong fishermen’s community chief Yacob Shadan said that since the oil spill three days ago, many of the fish he had in a kelong there were in dire straits due to lack of oxygen in the water.

He said 60 licensed fishermen were affected by the oil spill, which he believes came from a vessel berthed in Singapore waters.

“If the fish continue to be exposed to the oil, our livelihood will be threatened,” he told reporters during a visit by Permas assemblyman M.M. Samy to the area yesterday.

Yacob said that this was the first case of water pollution in the area since the village was established some 100 years ago.

“We first detected the oil spill on Monday. Many of us noticed a strong diesel-like smell coming from the sea,” he said.

Yacob said heavy rain and the tide had since lessened the pollution, but many fish were fighting for survival as they had oil stuck to their gills and scales.

Meanwhile, Samy said he was there to gauge the seriousness of the problem.

“The Department of Environment as well as the Fisheries Department have been notified.

“Investigations are under way to determine the source of the oil spill,” he said, adding that he would also be contacting the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to ensure oil spills do not occur in the area.

Fishermen fear oil spill could destroy their catch
The Star 7 May 10;

JOHOR BARU: The Department of Environment (DOE) is investigating the source of the oil spill affecting fishermen at Kampung Senibong here.

DOE director Dr Zulkifli Abdul Rahman said:

“We are aware of the oil spill and an investigation is under way.” Samples of the polluted water has been collected and sent to the state Chemistry Department to determine the type of oil contaminating the waters there, he added.

He said that this was the first reported case of an oil spill in the area. It was detected off the shoreline in the area four days ago.

Local fishermen believe the source of the contamination was a vessel berthed in Singapore.

It was reported in The Star yesterday that more than 60 fishermen were worried for their fish in “kelongs” which were said to be affected by the lack of oxygen in the water due to the contamination.

Those with information on, or affected by, the pollution can lodge a report with the DOE through its hotline 1800 88 2727 or with the Johor office by calling 07-2366528.

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Grim reminder to look for alternative energy sources

G Panicker, Business Times 6 May 10;

NOBODY knows when British Petroleum's (BP) oil well will stop leaking after the underwater explosion that killed 11 began releasing about 5,000 barrels of oil per day. Conventional approaches have failed in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Innovative attempts to disperse oil deep under water are being made. BP's workers are also building a containment dome, a giant structure that the company plans to lower into place over one of the three leaks to catch the escaping oil and allow it to be pumped to the surface. Relief wells beside the leaking pipes to reduce pressure are being drilled. That will take time. In the meantime, bad weather is hampering relief work.

As everyone gropes for the answers, an environmental disaster worse than the infamous Exxon Valdez saga is brewing. A giant slick is floating to America's shores from its origin 65km off Louisiana. Bad weather and stormy seas frustrate the bid to check the slick.

The spill renews the poser: Are we on the right track in securing our energy needs from the deep? If not, drilling companies are not the only ones to be blamed. Oil companies, desperate for reserves, have been shut out from traditional oil sources by state energy companies, where the environmental risk can be managed better.

But because of oil politics, the reserve-rich nations have forced companies to go far out into the sea and plumb depths as deep as 12,000 metres in their search for oil. An environmental challenge on land has been shifted to the oceans with even greater consequences and greater uncertainty as the attempted remedial measures show.

But oil demand is not going away anytime soon. So is the risk from potential disasters as our energy needs keep growing. We can try to minimise a collective crisis if producers and consumers cooperate to exploit reserves with manageable risk first. But it is unlikely the resources hoarders share such lofty goals.

The risk of disasters is real as new frontiers open up, among other places in Brazil and West Africa. Russia and Norway have settled on offshore border in Barents Sea, which may hold as much as 10 billion barrels of oil. China is contesting Japan's attempt to exploit the sea dividing them. US President Barack Obama has allowed drilling in certain parts of the Atlantic and Alaska, but has imposed a moratorium after the latest rig disaster. It was an oil slick off Santa Barbara in 1969 that led to a moratorium in offshore oil exploration initially.

But companies will learn from the current disaster and push boundaries. We need oil and companies will point at the history of offshore drilling without major incidents. Ironically, it is southern states of the United States that supported offshore exploration that are now most worried.

Washington has pressed its vast resources into the fight. The US can afford to throw a billion dollars at it. So what happens when things go wrong offshore of a poor nation?

For those of us who were horrified by a wayward Indonesian mine that drilled until it hit a geological formation that spewed mud and buried villages, it is still a scary but a distant story.

But we are inextricably bound to such risks by our huge need for fossil fuels. As companies venture out farther, the probability of human error and mechanical failure is taken for granted until a rude shock is delivered.

Our voracious need should not be an excuse to look at other energy options. The way out is alternative energy. Energy as well as other companies must invest in them more actively. Consumers and shareholders should encourage companies to become bolder in their search for alternatives.

Consumers should show tolerance for a higher price and support improved energy efficiency. Energy has costs - in terms of price at the pump and in terms of environmental damage. The true cost of oil is not what one pays at the pump.

We are on the cusp of new technologies. Nuclear, which can offer alternative energy at a competitive price, is of course not without risk.

We still can use more sun and wind power and drive cars powered by electricity or renewable fuels such as diesel from algae. We have technologies to use wave power and to tap the power of the flowing water. We may soon have an opportunity to produce our energy from fuel cells. But the faster adoption of such technologies will depend on proactive corporate and consumer attitude and governmental push.

Only by doing so, we can limit disasters to our drinking water supplies and shoreline from Gulf-like colossal tragedies. At the very least, the world must start moving truly beyond petroleum.

The writer is with BT's foreign desk

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Seven companies feted at inaugural Singapore Sustainability Awards

Karen Ng, Business Times 6 May 10;

IS your company going green? Now, not only is doing your part for the environment good in itself, it could win you an award, too.

And yesterday, seven organisations did just that during the inaugural Singapore Sustainability Awards 2010.

In the first division of awards - for Outstanding Sustainability - City Developments Limited and Senoko Power won in the Enterprise Green Adopter category, while Samwoh Corporation and TetraPak Jurong won the same award in the Enterprise Green Technology/Service Enabler category.

In the second division of awards - the Green IT Awards - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore won the Enterprise Green IT award and Trusted Hub won the Small and Medium Business Green IT award for SMEs.

These awards were organised by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), IBM and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Teresa Lim, managing director of IBM, said: 'We congratulate the winners of the awards, who have not only successfully implemented sustainable green IT practices to minimise environmental impact, but have also undertaken long- term IT planning with a view to environmental responsibility.'

Another interesting development is the creation of the Green IT Index which means that companies' efforts to go green are now measurable in tangible terms.

The idea was formed early this year and was derived from early discussions between SBF, IBM and ITE. Frost and Sullivan was invited to participate in the design of the Green IT Index metrics.

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Opposition, green groups slam Malaysia's nuclear plant plan

Straits Times 6 May 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian environmentalists and opposition leaders yesterday slammed the government's plan to build a nuclear power plant, calling it a risky and unnecessary venture.

Energy Minister Peter Chin announced on Tuesday the government's in-principle approval for a nuclear plant, due to operate from 2021, as an efficient and cost-effective means to fuel economic growth.

Prime Minister Najib Razak said in his blog that Malaysia will start identifying sites for the country's first nuclear power plant but no decision has been taken on whether to proceed.

'Our non-renewable natural resources are finite,' Mr Najib said. 'Eventually, the supply will end. In this regard, our current fuel mix for power generation in Malaysia is skewed too much in favour of natural gas and coal.'

Malaysia will join neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam, which have unveiled plans to operate their first nuclear power plants by 2020, while Indonesia plans to build its own on Java island by 2015. Even Singapore has not ruled out nuclear power.

The opposition Democratic Action Party said there was no need for nuclear power because Malaysia has a 40 per cent energy reserve margin, double the government's target of 20 per cent.

In addition, it said, several large hydroelectric dams are being built on Borneo island to cater to future demands. 'Clearly Malaysia has more energy than it needs ...why then does Malaysia need a nuclear power plant?' the party's secretary-general, Mr Lim Guan Eng, said in a statement.

He also expressed concerns for safety and the environment, citing the 1986 Chernobyl reactor explosion that sent a cloud of radiation over much of Europe and left some two million people ill.

Malaysian officials maintain the plan is crucial for long-term energy security in view of a growing population and future economic expansion, but say they will conduct feasibility studies before deciding.

Malaysia uses coal and natural gas to generate most of its electricity, and the government has warned the cost of relying on both will spiral in the decades ahead.

The Centre for Environment, Technology and Development, a local think-tank, warned that nuclear power was capital intensive and risky because it generates radioactive waste that has to be discarded. Its chairman, Mr Gurmit Singh, said there is a lot of energy wastage in the country as petrol, diesel and electricity are subsidised. He urged the government to bolster energy efficiency and turn to other renewable sources like wind and solar power.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, there are more than 430 nuclear power plants operating in some 30 countries worldwide, accounting for about 15 per cent of global electricity output.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, BERNAMA

Selangor Against Nuclear Power Plant
Bernama 5 May 10;

SHAH ALAM, May 5 (Bernama) -- Selangor has refused to support and allow the construction of a nuclear power plant in the state as it believes other energy sources are available.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the state was also prepared to reduce electricity usage and study the use of new energy-efficient technology instead of relying on the proposed nuclear power plant.

"I don't think we need further effort to increase energy production through the nuclear power plant," he said at a news conference after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting here Wednesday.

Abdul Khalid who is also Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament, said he considered the construction of a nuclear power plant as a serious issue which needed to be discussed in Parliament.

"We have one of the most expensive power plants, which is the Bakun dam, and I don't see the need for a nuclear power plant as an alternative," he said.

On Tuesday, the government gave the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry the go-ahead to proceed with its plan for the nation's first nuclear power plant to cater to the country's increasing power needs. The plant is expected to be fully operational by 2021.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Wednesday urged the public to give their views on the future of power generation in Malaysia, including using nuclear energy.

He said although nuclear energy was undeniably more cost-effective and efficient, the government needed to study whether it was the right new source of energy for the country.

In KUALA LUMPUR, environmental organisations urged the government to gauge public opinion before setting up a nuclear power plant.

Centre For Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia (CETDEM) chairman Gurmit Singh said as the decision would directly affect the lives of Malaysians, their views should be taken into account before any decision was made.

He said he did not feel that Malaysia needed nuclear energy, adding that the nuclear power plant would require radioactive waste disposal, which at the moment could only be processed by France and Britain.

Malaysian Nature Society executive director Dr Loh Chi Leong said the public had not been given enough information on the plan.

"A detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report must be published and given to the public so they have accurate information on the plant's operations," he told Bernama Wednesday.

He said the government should also prepare a comparative report on the use of nuclear energy by other countries to assure the public of its safety.

"The government needs to also think about the effects nuclear power will have on the people as it will involve toxic waste disposal and a radioactive system that can harm the environment," he added.

Meanwhile, Masterskill University College of Health Sciences deputy vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Proom Promwichit said many people were unaware that nuclear power was the safest source of energy compared to others.

He said so far, its use only involved a risk of 0.007 per cent and there had yet to be accidents involving nuclear energy reactors, unless caused by human negligence.

He welcomed the government's proposal to make nuclear energy an alternative source in the future, saying it would greatly benefit the country.

"We don't have any issues on expertise as we have the people who are trained and skilled in this area. However, we may face problems in finding a suitable location to build a small reactor," he said when contacted by Bernama Wednesday.

Proom, who is the first Malaysian to introduce nuclear medical technology to the country, added that he felt Kedah or Terengganu would be an ideal location to build the first reactor as the areas were free from the risk of earthquakes.

-- BERNAMA

Nuke plant not in Klang Valley
The Star 7 May 10;

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s first nuclear power plant should not be built in the Klang Valley which has a high population of seven million people, said the atomic energy regulator.

Atomic Energy Licensing Board director-general Raja Datuk Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan said the plant and its buffer zone needed to be constructed on at least 2.6sq-km of land, equal to about 314 football pitches.

Abdul Aziz, who claimed he was neither for nor against nuclear energy, said the plant would need a base of solid rock with little or no seismic movement, more than 10m elevation to be safe from disasters like tsunamis and hurricanes, and located near a large body of water for cooling purposes.

“It needs to be near the electricity grid in order to ‘hook’ onto it and on the least populated area with no other land use.

“So, the Klang Valley is expected to be out,” he said in an interview yesterday.

Abdul Aziz was commenting on a statement by Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui that his ministry was currently conducting a study into constructing Malaysia’s first plant, estimated to cost RM20bil.

He stressed that the Government must fully comply with the advice of the International Atomic Energy Agency on the construction.

“It is important that an independent, internationally recognised agency look at whether our infrastructure meets world standards,” he said, adding that technology using mixed oxide methods could convert plutonium, which was spent nuclear fuel, to become more manageable by recycling part of it.

He said there were also mechanisms whereby vendors could lease nuclear fuel to Malaysia and then take it back for reprocessing.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Nuclear Science Department scientist Prof Datuk Dr Sukiman Sarmani said the plant’s ideal site would be near the Straits of Malacca, among which are Batu Pahat in Johor, Pulau Angsa in Selangor and Sitiawan in Perak.

“Other states like Malacca and Pahang will definitely offer some locations. too,” he said, adding that selection must be subject to the Environmental Impact Assessment and Radiological Impact Assess­ment.

Dr Sukiman said while there was already a storage facility for low-level radioactive material in Belanja, Perak, spent fuel waste could also be kept in an underground mine.

“The Sungai Lembing tin mine is quite suitable for such a long-term storage,” he said, adding that as a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory, Malaysia was not allowed to process spent nuclear fuel from a reactor.

Both men also agreed that the current third and fourth generation nuclear reactors were safe and reliable, having “evolved” from the unstable first and second generation plants such as the one in Chernobyl.

Abdul Aziz said the Government might be looking into building two 500 MV plants while Dr Sukiman said a 2,000 MV plant was necessary for a 25% energy reserve to attract foreign investments.

Selangor won’t allow nuclear plant on its soil
The Star 7 May 10;

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Government is against the building of a nuclear plant in the country.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said Selangor will also not allow the plant to be built in the state.

He said this was because the state government believed the use of alternative energy sources such as solar energy should be enhanced instead of resorting to nuclear power.

He said new technologies with low energy emission and were more environmental-friendly should also be considered as alternatives.

Khalid also said the plan to build the nuclear plant should have been brought to Parliament first.

“This matter is serious and should be tabled and discussed in Parliament.

“The people of Malaysia should be told why there is a need for another energy source after the very expensive Bakun Dam,” he said.

He said everyone was under the impression that all energy requirements would be resolved with the construction of the Bakun Dam.Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin had announced on Tuesday that approval had been given for the setting-up of a nuclear power plant scheduled to be operational from 2021.

Klang MP Charles Santiago has also called on the Government to debate the matter in Parliament before making any firm decision.

Santiago said Chin was mistaken in believing that nuclear power was renewable,

“Nuclear fuel, like coal and gas, is dug out of the ground under very polluting conditions and needs to be securely disposed of when spent,” he said, adding that a new generation nuclear plant might be able to operate for 50 years but its wastes has a radioactive lifespan of thousands of years.

The Asian Rare Earth case in Perak, he said, also showed the Govern­ment’s dismal track record in the management of radioactive waste, he said.

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Malaysian campaign encourages pest hunting over use of pesticide

Embun Majid, The Star 5 May 10;

RAT hunting will be promoted among farmers to control the rodent population in 96,958ha of padi fields under the purview of the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) in Kedah and Perlis.

Mada Padi Industry Department director Fouzi Ali said the hunting would reduce the number of rats which he said were harmful to padi from the day the seedlings were sown.

He said Mada had been promoting rat hunting since 2008 through seminars and talks to padi farmers but only some of them were using the method.

“We promoted rat hunting because we want farmers not to use pesticide containing zinc phosphate, which is harmful to humans and the environment, to kill the rodent,” he said in an interview yesterday.

He said the agency had been holding rat hunting competitions since last month at four locations — Pangau Padi Estate in Mada Area l in Perlis, Jerlun Tengah Padi Estate in Mada Area ll and Sungai Limau in Mada Area lV with the latest one held on Monday at Sri Pudak Padi Estate, Titi Haji Idris in Mada Area lll.

“We caught 37 field rats during the competition held for about one hour and 30 minutes at the four locations.

“We gave hampers of goodies to those who caught the highest number of rats at the four locations,” he said.

For those who still prefer to use pesticides to kill the rodents, Fouzi said Mada was providing subsidy to farmers to buy pesticides that contain broadifaccoum, chlorophacinone and warfarin.

He said these substances were not harmful to humans and barn owls that were also being used as a biological method to control the rat population.

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Malaysia, Indonesia palm oil groups unite against critics

Yahoo News 5 May 10;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Palm oil producers from Malaysia said Wednesday they had formed a coalition with their counterparts in Indonesia to counter intensified campaigns that blame the industry for rapid deforestation.

The Indonesia-Malaysia Palm Oil Group brings together six organisations from the two countries, which account for 85 percent of global production.

They said they had come together after being attacked by non-government organisations (NGOs) for causing deforestation and threatening the survival of endangered species.

"The group will enable us to get together to defend some allegations that were made by the NGOs," Mamat Salleh, chief executive of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA), a member of the new group, told AFP.

"(The NGOs) have even influenced some of the big companies to boycott (the use of palm oil). It's getting serious, we are not as bad as portrayed by those people," he said.

Palm oil, which is used extensively across the globe for biofuel, processed food and toiletries, is a key export for the two nations, earning them more than 25 billion dollars in total last year.

As well as the MPOA, the coalition includes the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, the Association of Plantation Investors of Malaysia in Indonesia and the Indonesia Oil Palm Smallholders Association.

It also includes the Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association and Federal Land Development Authority.

The announcement comes after Indonesian producer Sinar Mas was dropped by high-profile clients following allegations it was not following environmentally sound practices.

In a statement, the coalition -- which was formed at an industry meeting in Malaysia on Monday -- said they agreed "to engage with the existing Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for a more practical scheme".

The RSPO was formed in 2004 to establish stringent social and environmental criteria including a ban on clearing forests in order to plant the crop.

The MPOA's Mamat did not elaborate on the "practical scheme" or whether the group will shun the RSPO, but said "we will decide what we want to do".

Sinar Mas has been hit hard by campaigners after Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever and Switzerland's Nestle this year dropped it as a supplier in response to protests by Greenpeace.

And in March US food company Cargill asked Sinar Mas to respond to Greenpeace's allegations and sought an investigation by the RSPO.

The environmental group accused the producer of wiping out rainforests and destroying endangered orangutan habitats. Sinar Mas has rejected the claims.

Unilever unit says Indonesia remains key palm oil supplier
Reuters 5 May 10;

JAKARTA, May 5 (Reuters) - The Indonesian unit of Unilever (ULVR.L) (UNc.AS), the world's top palm oil buyer, on Wednesday said it gets 65 percent of its palm oil from Indonesia despite halting purchases from a unit of market leader Sinar Mas Group.

Unilever, which uses palm oil in such products as Dove soap and Ben & Jerry ice cream, cancelled its annual 20 million pound ($30.27 million) contract with one of its Indonesian suppliers, PT SMART (SMAR.JK) in December. SMART is part of Sinar Mas Group, Indonesia's biggest palm oil producer.

The move prompted speculation that Unilever might cut palm oil purchases from other Indonesian suppliers, but a spokeswoman for the company said it was still buying from Indonesia.

"About 65 percent of palm oil bought by Unilever worldwide comes from Indonesia. We only stopped buying from SMART but we are still buying from other Indonesian suppliers," said Maria Dewantini Dwianto, a spokeswoman for PT Unilever Indonesia (UNVR.JK).

SMART had shipped some palm oil cargoes up to April to fulfil an agreement made ahead of Unilever's decision to stop purchasing from SMART, Dwianto added.

Other palm oil suppliers in Indonesia include Musim Mas and an Indonesia unit of Singapore-listed Wilmar (WLIL.SI), she added.

Unilever consumes about 1.9 million tonnes of palm oil each year -- of which about four-fifths comes from Indonesia and Malaysia -- and has pledged to buy only from certified sustainable plantations from 2015.

Greenpeace has alleged that Sinar Mas, Indonesia's biggest palm oil producer and the second-biggest in the world, has been responsible for widespread deforestation and peatland clearance, practices which release vast amounts of carbon dioxide.

PT SMART and PT Unilever Indonesia agreed to appoint two independent auditors -- Netherlands-based Control Union Certification (CUC) and British Standard institute -- last month to investigate the environmental allegations.

SMART's president director, Daud Dharsono, has said that the independent auditors would complete their study by the end of June.

The allegations by Greenpeace prompted Nestle (NESN.VX) to stop buying palm oil from Sinar Mas, while agribusiness giant Cargill Inc [CARG.UL] has also threatened to remove Sinar Mas as a palm oil supplier. ($1=.6606 Pound) (Reporting by Telly Nathalia; Editing by Yoko Nishikawa and Sara Webb)

Read more!

Indonesia Feels Heat to Contain Seasonal Forest Fire Haze

Fidelis E Satriastanti, Jakarta Globe 5 May 10;

With the dry season just around the corner and the El Nino weather phenomenon making matters worse, concerns are being raised over whether Indonesia’s infamous forest fires will once again shroud its neighbors in smoke.

Just last week, Indonesia and four other Southeast Asian countries under the Subregional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution gathered in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, and agreed to evaluate efforts to reduce the haze.

This was hoped to build on measures agreed to at the last regional meeting in August, when Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia and host nation Singapore agreed to ban all open burning.

However, Heddy S Mukna, assistant deputy for forest and land degradation control at the Ministry of Forestry, said the country already had strict environmental and forestry regulations that restricted the use of open fires for land clearing.

“We don’t need to agree to everything, actually, because we already have our own regulations,” he said.

Indonesia has yet to ratify the Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution signed in 2002.

Under the country’s 1999 Forestry Law, all forms of land clearing by burning is prohibited. The law was passed not long after major fires in 1997 and 1998 — fueled by drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon — created a debilitating haze across Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand, causing more than $9 billion in damages to tourism, transportation and farming.

However, not much progress has been seen since the law was passed in 1999. In fact, at a United Nations meeting in 2006, Singapore accused Indonesia of doing nothing to alleviate the problem.

But Heddy said he was optimistic for the year ahead. “We just need to encourage local governments more. We need to coordinate all regions to reduce hotspots by 20 percent per year from the 2006 baseline [of 145,522 hotspots countrywide],” he said.

“The regulations on forest and land fires will automatically help us achieve the target.”

But two provinces that regularly deal with the forest fires every year say a blanket ban on open burning cannot be implemented that easily.

Agustin Teras Narang, governor of Central Kalimantan, said fire was still being used to clear vast tracts of land because of tradition and the mistaken belief that it helped to improve the soil. Furthermore, these methods were not only used by local farmers, but also by big plantations.

“These plantation companies usually hire contractors to manage the land, who prefer the burning method to clear the lands because it is more effective. But their idea of effectiveness costs a lot for others,” Teras said.

“The toughest time was in 2007 when it was extremely hot, causing the peatlands to dry out and easily catch fire.”

The following year, Teras’s administration decided to crack down on violators, but at the same time issued a gubernatorial regulation allowing controlled burning by some small farmers. A complete ban, he said, would have adversely affected small producers and hurt the province’s rice output.

A limited permit system was established, requiring farmers to get varying levels of permission depending on amount of land held.

“However, this is not for big plantation companies or forest concessionaires. If companies are proven to have conducted open land clearing, then there will be no mercy — I will revoke their permits,” Teras said.

He added that the province’s new policy had proven effective. “With the new regulation, our hotspots have decreased significantly — by around 50 to 65 percent,” he said.

Riau says the blanket ban has so far been futile because of poor implementation.

Fadrizal Labai, head of Riau’s environmental agency, said the effectiveness of the ban depended on law enforcement. “There were some cases investigated by the police, but plenty of them got away,” he said.

Since 2005, Riau has been trying to pass a regional regulation that is stronger than a gubernatorial regulation and would allow land clearing by burning for farmers with less than two hectares of land. The initiative, however, has been shot down by the home affairs and forestry ministries.

“The regulation came up because the province’s smaller farmers were not able to rent heavy machinery to clear land,” Fadrizal said, adding that in the meantime a gubernatorial regulation has been issued on the matter.

To prevent forest fires and haze this year, Syaid Nurjaya, head of forest and land fires at the Riau forestry agency, said monitors and firefighters had already been dispatched to the most fire prone areas in the province.

Based on satellite imaging, there were 401 hotspots in Riau from January to April, a massive decrease from the same period last year, which had 4,681.

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Indonesia to embrace International Biodiversity Day, Year

Fardah, Antara 5 May 10;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has been acknowledged by scientists as one of the world`s mega centers of biodiversity for her abundant flora and fauna species and a wide range of natural habitats.

Having a population of around 235 million, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, located between two oceans, the Pacific and the Indian, and bridging two continents, Asia and Australia.

The country consists of more than 17,000 islands, including five main islands - Java, Kalimantan (Borneo), Papua, Sumatera and Sulawesi, which host the world`s third largest forest area after Brazil and Zaire.

About 17 percent of all species in the world can be found in Indonesia, although it accounts for only 1.3 percent of the Earth`s land surface.

According to data compiled by the Indonesian forestry ministry, the country`s forests are habitats for 38,000 plant species including 27,500 species of floral plants (10 percent of the world`s floral plants), 515 mammalian species (12 percent of the world`s mammalian species), 511 reptilian species (7.3 percent of the world`s reptilian species), 2,827 species of invertebrates, 121 species of butterflies (44 percent of the endemics), 480 species of hard corals (60 percent of the world`s coral species), 1400 species of fresh water fishes, 270 species of amphibians (the world`s 6 percent), 1531 species of birds (the world`s 5 percent), 240 rare species (the world`s 1 percent).

A number of the world`s rarest and endemic fauna species can be found in Indonesia. They include Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) - most primitive reptiles with a prehistoric appearance; and Orangutans which comprise the Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) species and the Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo albelii).

The rich flora of Indonesia includes many unique varieties of tropical plant life in various forms. Rafflesia arnoldi, for instance, is found only in certain parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, and is the largest flower in the world.

In Papua Island, 2,500 different orchids are known; among them is the world`s largest orchid, Grammatophyllum papuanus, with three-meter sprays of orange blossoms.

Indonesia has 477 species of palm; 3,000 species of medicinal plants; more than 400 species or 70 per cent of the world`s dipterocarp species (the most valuable timer species in Southeast Asia) including ebony, teakwood, and sandalwood; 122 species of bamboo; and over 350 species of rattan.

Indonesia deserves to celebrate the year 2010, which has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) under the theme "Biodiversity is Life, Biodiversity is Our Life".

In response to the UN`s decision, the forestry ministry has planned to launch the International Year of Biodiversity and organize the commemoration of the International Biodiversity Day (May 22), at Manggala Wanabakti Building, Jakarta, on May 24-26, 2010.

Around 150 participants consisting of various biodiversity conservation stakeholders, are expected to join the events, according to a press statement of the forestry ministry, early this week.

The events will be highlighted with a number of activities such as an exhibition on biodiversity conservation, talk shows, a national seminar, and a journalists` trip to One Thousand Islands National Park where participants to transplant coral reefs together with local fishermen.

The UN hoped the IYB will provide a unique opportunity to raise public awareness about the global biodiversity crisis and the urgent need for stronger action to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to achieve the Convention`s objectives.

The United Nations General Assembly decided on 15 April 2010 to hold a high-level event on biodiversity on 22 September 2010 or on the eve of the opening of the general debate of its sixty-fifth session.

The meeting will be an occasion for world leaders to provide political impetus and support for a sustained global response to the world`s biodiversity challenges, and the need to address the Convention`s three objectives.

The Convention encompasses three equally important and complementary objectives, namely the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.

In 2002, 10 years after the entry into force of the Convention, member countries attending the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention acknowledged that the rate of biodiversity loss was still accelerating and that, in order to reduce and halt this loss, threats to biodiversity must be addressed.

A former UNEP Executive Director, Klaus Topfer, said "If any part of the web suffers breaks down, the future of life on the planet will be at risk." That is why the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity, he said.

"A wide variety of environmental goods and services that we take for granted are under threat, with profound and damaging consequences for ecosystems, economies and livelihoods," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in November at the start of the pre-celebrations.

"In this International Year, we must counter the perception that people are disconnected from our natural environment. We must increase understanding of the implications of losing biodiversity. In 2010, I call on every country and each citizen of our planet to engage in a global alliance to protect life on Earth."

One of the most serious threats to the biodiversity loss is the destruction of forests - the habitats of flora and fauna species.

Among the world`s fastest deforestation rate, unfortunately, happens in Indonesia. Illegal logging activities, forest fires and human encroachment have caused forest dwindling.

According to Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan recently, Indonesia`s forest area reaches 130 million hectares, and 40 million of them are in a good primary condition, 45 million hectares are critically damaged, and the remaining 45 million hectares had no planted trees.

Given the important meaning of biodiversity to support life on Earth, the Indonesian government and people urgently need to take concrete actions immediately to save the remaining forests beside organizing ceremonial activities in observing the International Day and Year of Biodiversity 2010.(*)

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Parrot to be the first bird to disappear in Australia in more than 70 years

Soon to be ex-parrot extinct in the wild within five years
Sean Dooley, The Age 5 May 10;

After years of being told it was about to drop off the perch; of grabbing the headlines for supposedly stopping a range of development projects from windfarms to chemical complexes, without ever actually being responsible for halting a single project; years of being sniggered at for its somewhat Pythonesque name, the orange-bellied parrot is officially about to become extinct.

The announcement by federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett that the orange-bellied parrot will be gone from the wild in the next three to five years is due to the fact that there are fewer than 50 birds in the wild, down from an estimate of about 140 only a couple of years ago.

It will be the first species of bird to disappear in Australia in more than 70 years, yet the announcement seems to have been met with thunderous silence. Sure, we had a lot on our plates, news-wise, what with celebrity crims being murdered in prison and holiday plans disrupted by Icelandic volcanoes, but Garrett's announcement is very big news, and not just for the parrot. How in a prosperous, Western country, one that is not averse to lecturing others about their environmental stewardship, can we be witness to the demise of a high-profile species living on the doorstep of one of our biggest cities?

Never a common bird, habitat clearance and, to a lesser extent, trapping for the caged bird trade had seen the orange-bellied parrot drop to perilously low numbers. To counter this, the OBP Recovery Team was formed in 1984, the first threatened species team in Australia. Aided by various and varying government funding, and by thousands of volunteers, the team staved off extinction for the best part of two decades by monitoring birds, protecting and managing their preferred habitat both on the breeding grounds in south-west Tasmania and at key mainland wintering sites, establishing a captive breeding program as insurance, and even giving supplementary feed to breeding birds.

But something went wrong. A study by Birds Australia showed that the parrots relied on high-quality coastal saltmarsh to survive the winter. This tends to occur primarily where there is a regular inflow of fresh water - where there is fresh water coming in, the plants set more seed, providing vital food resources. With the changing climate, the past 15 years of drought has meant minimal freshwater inflows and very little seed; a situation exacerbated in the Coorong where overallocation of Murray-Darling water has seen crucially important saltmarsh completely die off. Basically, the birds have been starving on the mainland, and the journey across Bass Strait has become ever more perilous.

With the situation so dire, the recovery team has recommended drastic action be taken. While they claim they are not going to give up on the birds, the main thrust of the new approach is to capture up to 20 of the remaining wild birds to breed in captivity, in order to bolster the genetic resilience of the insurance population. Females are to be targeted, because they have better breeding success in captivity than in the wild. How the figure of 20 birds has been arrived at has not been explained. Neither has it been made clear why adult birds will be taken from the wild when usual practice would be to raise the first clutch of eggs laid, allowing the wild birds to re-lay and produce another potential future wild generation.

While this last-ditch attempt will keep the species alive, it will be effectively as a living museum piece, consigning the bird to permanent exclusion from the wild. Successfully reintroducing such a migratory species will essentially be impossible - without wild birds to guide them, how will the aviary-raised parrots possibly find the feeding grounds in their widespread natural range?

The loss of any species is surely a tragedy, not just for the sake of the creature in question, but because it is a loss of an essential part of a delicately balanced system - lose too many constituent parts and the system begins to fail. We are part of the same ecosystem as the orange-bellied parrot.

My two-year-old daughter heard me discussing all this and, being something of a parrot herself, looked up at me seriously and said, ''Orange parrot is going away,'' before adding, ''I want to see the orange parrot, daddy.'' It then hit me - by the time she is four, I won't be able to show her one in the wild. Ever. And dammit, I reckon that is something to get in a flap about.

Sean Dooley is the author of The Big Twitch and has been a volunteer with the orange-bellied parrot recovery program. He is speaking on this issue at 12.45pm tomorrow at the Wheeler Centre in the State Library of Victoria.

Read more!

'Germ Islands' Found Floating in Ocean

livescience.com Yahoo News 5 May 10;

Bacteria and other germs latch on to clumps of decaying matter floating in the ocean, creating "germ islands" that could spread disease, a new study reveals.

When plants and animals near the surface of the ocean die, they decay and gradually fall to the seafloor. This dead matter can clump together with sand, soot, fecal matter and other material to form what is called "marine snow," so named because it looks like tiny bits of white fluff. Marine snow continuously rains down on the deep ocean, feeding many of the creatures that dwell there.

A group of scientists studying marine snow found that these clumps, or aggregates, may act as island-like refuges for pathogens, the general term for disease-causing organisms or germs, such as bacteria and viruses. (The "island" term comes from the comparison of the existence of pathogens on marine snow with the way insects, amphibians and other creatures establish homes and persist on remote islands in the oceans.)

The scientists are evaluating the degree to which aggregates made up of this decaying organic matter provide a favorable microclimate for aquatic pathogens. These "refuges" seem to protect pathogens from stressors, such as sunlight and salinity (amount of salt in the water) changes, and from predators. They also might provide sources of nourishment for the pathogens.

"If the microclimate is favorable, aggregates likely facilitate the persistence, prevalence and dispersal of aquatic pathogens," said study team member Fred Dobbs of Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Va.

The researchers found the bacteria had an increased metabolism (meaning they were more active), and a greater diversity, when living on individual organic aggregates compared with those in the surrounding water. These results indicate that aggregates might be potential reservoirs and vectors for aquatic pathogens.

"We've shown, for example, that vibrios [a type of pathogen] proliferate in aggregates and decline in adjacent, aggregate-free water," the authors wrote in the paper describing their findings, which is included in the May 4 issue of the journal Aquatic Microbial Ecology.

Current models developed to look at the transmission of waterborne diseases and illnesses, however, don't consider the benefits microorganisms gain from hitching a ride on marine snow.

This detritus may skew water-sampling procedures and mathematical models used to predict the transmission of waterborne diseases to humans. When water sampling is conducted - to determine whether recreational waters should be open to swimmers, or whether shellfish beds should be closed to fishers - aggregates lend a hit-or-miss aspect to the testing.

A sample might include only water without aggregates, giving false-negative results that no danger exists.

"The presence or absence of a single aggregate in an environmental water sample could drastically alter the measure of bacterial concentrations," Dobbs said.

The scientists are using the information they have gathered to help predict "how long bacteria can thrive on an individual aggregate and the relationship between the size of the aggregate and the diversity of species found on it," said lead author of the study Maille Lyons, also of ODU.

A better understanding of these relationships could help make water-sample tests more accurate.

The research was funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ecology of Infectious Diseases (EID) grant.

Islands of Germs: Researchers Discover Pathogens Floating on Tiny Clumps of Aquatic Detritus
ScienceDaily 5 May 10;

Researchers have found evidence that "marine snow"--aggregates of organic material floating in water bodies--may act as microscopic, island-like refuges for pathogens, or disease-causing organisms. This detritus may skew water sampling procedures and mathematical models used to predict the transmission of waterborne diseases to humans.

The scientists responsible for these findings, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ecology of Infectious Diseases (EID) grant, published their results in the journal Aquatic Microbial Ecology.

The findings are the first to compare the existence of pathogens on marine snow with the way insects, amphibians and other creatures establish homes and persist on remote islands in the oceans.

Theories in island biogeography--the study of the factors that affect species richness on islands--also apply to microscopic drifting aggregates, according to Maille Lyons, a scientist at Old Dominion University (ODU) and lead author of the paper, with ODU co-authors Fred Dobbs and Holly Gaff. Other authors are J. Evan Ward of the University of Connecticut; Randall Hicks of the University of Minnesota, Duluth; and John Drake of the University of Georgia.

"These predictions help explain whether and for how long bacteria can thrive on an individual aggregate," said Lyons, "and the relationship between the size of the aggregate and the diversity of species found on it."

"This study shows that theory developed for the 'macroscopic' world applies equally to the microscopic one," said Sam Scheiner, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology, which co-funds the EID program with NSF's Directorate for Geosciences.

"It allows scientists to link the small to the large," said Scheiner, "and to provide predictive tools for understanding disease transmission."

Aggregates are made up of small bits of detritus and other components--some of which are living organisms--that usually aren't visible to the naked eye. When these tiny components come in contact with each other, they clump together.

The scientists are evaluating the degree to which detritus-based organic aggregates provide a favorable microclimate for aquatic pathogens.

These "refuges" seem to protect pathogens from stressors such as sunlight and salinity changes, and from predators. They also may provide sources of nourishment for the pathogens.

"If the microclimate is favorable, aggregates likely facilitate the persistence, prevalence and dispersal of aquatic pathogens," said Dobbs.

The researchers found an increased metabolic response, and diversity of bacteria, on individual organic aggregates compared to the surrounding water, indicating that aggregates may be potential reservoirs and vectors for aquatic pathogens.

Current models of the transmission of waterborne diseases and illnesses, however, don't consider the benefits microorganisms gain from hitching a ride on marine snow.

"We've shown, for example, that vibrios [a type of pathogen] proliferate in aggregates and decline in adjacent, aggregate-free water," the journal paper states.

When water sampling is conducted--to determine whether recreational waters should be open to swimmers, or whether shellfish beds should be closed to fishers--aggregates lend a hit-or-miss aspect to the testing.

A sample might include only water without aggregates, giving false-negative results that no danger exists.

"The presence or absence of a single aggregate in an environmental water sample," said Dobbs, "could drastically alter the measure of bacterial concentrations."

Read more!

China issues strict rules to meet emissions targets

Yahoo News 5 May 10;

BEIJING (AFP) – China said on Wednesday it would punish officials who failed to fulfil emissions reduction targets, warning the nation's current environmental situation was extremely serious.

"The energy-saving, emissions reduction situation is very grim, particularly since the third quarter of 2009 when high energy, high emissions industries increased rapidly," China's State Council, or cabinet, said.

"Energy needs have hugely increased, energy consumption has intensified, the speed of reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions has slowed, and they are even starting to increase again."

China, the world's top emitter of greenhouse gases, has pledged to reduce its carbon intensity -- the measure of greenhouse-gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product -- by 40 to 45 percent by 2020 based on 2005 levels.

But it has already warned this year that its environment is still deteriorating, prompting speculation it could miss its energy goals.

Premier Wen Jiabao, who heads up the State Council, laid out a series of measures Wednesday to help reverse the trend, including punishing local authorities that did not achieve their targets, according to Xinhua.

"Areas that achieve their energy-saving targets must be rewarded, those that haven't must make their main leaders and relevant leaders accountable, and they will be punished accordingly, and might even be dismissed," he said.

The State Council also ordered local authorities to cut electricity and water to those projects that violated rules, and financial institutions to stop giving them loans.

The government has already said it will spend 83 billion yuan (12 billion dollars) on promoting emissions cuts in 2010.

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U.S. Carbon Emissions Fell Record 7 Percent In 2009: EIA

Timothy Gardner and Tom Doggett, PlanetArk 6 May 10;

U.S. emissions of the main greenhouse gas from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas fell a record 7 percent in 2009 due to the recession and more efficient use of fuels, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

Carbon dioxide emissions from energy sources, which make up about 80 percent of the country's output of gases blamed for warming the planet, fell more than 400 million tonnes last year, the EIA said.

"While emissions have declined in three out of the last four years, 2009 was exceptional," the EIA, the statistics arm of the Energy Department, said in an annual report.

The 2009 decline was the biggest annual drop since the government started keeping energy records more than 60 years ago. From 2000 to 2009 the U.S. annual emissions decline averaged 0.9 percent, the EIA said.

The latest drop may help the United States edge closer to a short-term goal on emissions cutting, but analysts warned emissions could start rising again quickly once the economy bounces.

"Economic recession is not a sound strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions," said Michael Levy, a climate analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations.

President Barack Obama has said he wants the country to cut emissions of greenhouse gases to 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

Scientists say emissions from the United States and other big polluters such as China, India and Europe, would have to be cut by much steeper rates by 2050, however, in order to help prevent the droughts, floods and stronger storms expected from climate change.

Senator John Kerry said on Wednesday he expected the U.S. climate bill to be unveiled soon. The legislation has been delayed for months amid opposition from lawmakers in coal and oil states. Senator Lindsey Graham, the lone Republican who was helping to craft the bill, has dropped out of the effort, leading to further delays.

Last year as the recession hit, U.S. consumption of petroleum-based fuels fell to 13.3 million barrels per day, from 13.7 million bpd a year earlier, the EIA said.

Cheaper natural gas also helped to cut emissions. Power utilities switched some electricity generation from coal to that gas, which releases about half of the carbon dioxide per energy unit. Increased use of wind power also helped as U.S. capacity soared 39 percent last year, according to industry group the American Wind Energy Association.

The average fuel efficiency of U.S. vehicles rose slightly last year to 28.5 miles per gallon, another factor in cutting carbon dioxide output, the EIA said.

(Editing by Walter Bagley and Lisa Shumaker)

US carbon emissions down record 7 percent in 2009
Yahoo News 6 May 10;

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US energy-related carbon dioxide emissions fell a record seven percent in 2009, officials said late Wednesday, citing the economic slump and other factors including increased energy efficiency.

The drop of 405 million metric tonnes was the largest absolute and percentage decline since energy data collection began in 1949, the Energy Department said in a statement.

"Emissions developments in 2009 reflect a combination of factors, including some particular to the economic downturn, other special circumstances during the year, and other factors that may reflect persistent trends in our economy and our energy use," the agency's Energy Information Administration said.

The decline is positive for efforts by the US and other countries to reduce emissions linked to global warming.

Officials said that even though some of the decline came from reduced economic activity, the country's so-called energy intensity also fell.

Economic activity measured by gross domestic product fell 2.4 percent in 2009, but the population increased an estimated 0.9 percent.

Total energy consumption fell by 4.8 percent, with the industrial sector seeing the largest drop, of 9.9 percent.

The use of transportation fuel also fell, with higher prices in early 2009 causing people to drive less. Fuel efficiency of the US auto fleet also improved during the year.

Another factor was the conversion of some electric generation from coal, which produces more emissions, to natural gas.

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