Best of our wild blogs: 21 May 10

Sat 22 May 2010 @ Science Centre Singapore - Otterman tells stories about Singapore's biodiversity on the International Day/Year of Biodiversity from habitatnews

350 hits the streets!
from Green Drinks Singapore

Nature in Singapore: Frogs, fig snails, aliens and rediscovery of plants from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

Ubin, We All Went
from Life's Indulgences

Composites attract
from The annotated budak and Pens without paper and Anemosities

Rose-ringed Parakeet eats Caesalpinia pulcherrima seeds
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Raffles Museum Treasures: Estuarine crocodile
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

Extensive shore works at Pasir Ris
from wild shores of singapore and massive reclamation at Tekong and Tuas and Jurong.

Is NOW or NEVER!
Petition to save Langkawi's forests from Natura Gig

Photos reveal paradise-like site for coal plant in Borneo
from Mongabay.com news

Malaysia introducing tough new wildlife laws
from Mongabay.com news

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Why researchers included Singapore in green study

Straits Times Forum 21 May 10;

WE WELCOME Wednesday's reply from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and Ministry of National Development ('Green study disregards Singapore's circumstances') to last Friday's article, 'Is Singapore the worst environmental offender?', which highlighted the recent publication of our paper in PLoS One.

In a telephone interview with The Straits Times reporter, Professor Navjot Sodhi mentioned that Singapore had lost large amounts of forests and species. We do not know how the phrase 'past 30 years' was added to this statement.

Another author, Mr Xingli Giam, had replied in an e-mail to the reporter that 'in Singapore's case, deforestation was almost complete by the end of the 19th century - primary forests were felled for cash crop agriculture'.

There is no doubt that we agree with the ministries that these losses occurred between the late 1800s and early parts of the 1900s, well prior to Singapore's independence.

As for the inclusion of emissions from bunker fuels, we believe that bunker fuel should be accounted for in the environmental impact rankings.

By including the carbon emissions generated by bunker fuels, we are taking into account the environmental trade-off generated by this often-excluded aspect of fuel consumption. However, we recognise that this approach over-estimates the environmental impact to ports and under-estimates the environmental impact to the home country of the ships.

Prof Navjot, in the telephone interview with the reporter, had conceded that the study could be perceived by some as less than fair to Singapore and that more meaningful comparisons of environmental impact could have been made with other major cities such as New York City and Hong Kong.

Nevertheless, we thought it was still appropriate to include Singapore in this country-level study.

We are acutely aware of Singapore's constraints and environmental management initiatives.

There is no doubt that Singapore has done well, particularly in recent years, in terms of good environmental practices.

We sincerely hope that our study will be taken in a positive light and encourage those involved in environmental management to see if more can be done for the environment in the years to come.

We believe that good environmental management is the key to human survival and well-being.

Professor Navjot S. Sodhi
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science
National University of Singapore

Professor Corey J.A. Bradshaw
The Environment Institute and School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia

Xingli Giam
Graduate Student, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, USA

Related post
Singapore No. 1 global eco-destroyer? on wild shores of singapore.

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More people releasing animals into wild

Released creatures often die or disrupt ecological system here: NParks
Grace Chua Straits Times 21 May 10;

MORE people are releasing animals into the wild, reversing a downward trend.

The number of them caught trying to do so in the parks and reserves here - in a free fall from the 44 cases in 2004 to just one in 2007 - saw an uptick with three cases in 2008.

Last year, the figure climbed to 10 - either people tired of their pets or those setting free animals in religious rites.

The 150 animals on the brink of being released last year included domesticated pets like rabbits, dogs and cats, as well as turtles and birds.

The National Parks Board (NParks) and water agency PUB, hardly thrilled with this trend, have beefed up their 'Operation No Release' squad, which patrols the parks, reserves, waterways and the coast and advises those releasing animals against doing so.

These volunteers number more than 250, more than triple the number since the programme began in 2004.

This year alone, bags of crickets, goldfish, guppies and swordtail fish have been found in the MacRitchie Reservoir Park.

NParks, which said it does not know why the numbers are on the up again, has so far not prosecuted anyone for the practice.

Its Central Nature Reserve assistant director Sharon Chan said nine in 10 released animals die within a day, while more aggressive animals such as the white-crested laughing thrush can drive out native species to claim turf.

The thrush species has now spread to the Southern Ridges and Bukit Batok Nature Park, and has even reached the edge of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Some people do not even release animals into the right habitat. Freshwater soft-shell turtles are known to have been released into the sea.

Even where the habitat is right, the ecosystem may not be able to sustain so many animals, said National University of Singapore biologist Chou Loke Ming, in reference to a group releasing 10 tonnes of cockles, mussels and other shellfish into the sea off Pulau Ubin this year.

Shellfish will not live long when piled on top of one another, he said.

The volunteers in Operation No Release will have their work cut out for them next weekend, when Buddhists set free animals in observance of Vesak Day, and this weekend too, in the run-up to it.

Already, Buddhist temples and groups here have discouraged the practice.

The Buddhist Fellowship's spiritual patron Ajahn Brahm said: 'Before one releases a captive animal, one must use one's wisdom and reflect whether one is doing more harm than good.

'If more harm is being done, such as sending that animal to a certain death or destroying the local habitat, then releasing the animal is clearly bad karma. It should not be done. Compassion without wisdom can do more harm than good.'

Secondary school students are also doing their bit to discourage the practice, and yesterday, 30 pupils from Fuhua and Zhonghua primary schools and enrichment centre Neumind attended a workshop to learn why releasing animals harms the environment.

RGS students pitch in to spread the message
Straits Times 21 May 10;

A GROUP of students from Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) will be among adult volunteers stationed in the nature reserves to discourage people from releasing animals.

This year, the eight girls have already held public expeditions, conducted nature walks through MacRitchie Reservoir and visited primary schools to spread the message.

They are working with the National Parks Board (NParks) to put up signs and exhibits in nature areas to explain the fate of released animals, and have also recruited about 50 of their schoolmates to join in this month's volunteer campaign by NParks to discourage animal release.

The RGS project, called AnimaX Release, received a $1,500 grant last September from the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) to grow in scope.

The project had its beginnings last year as a school research project, said team leader Deborah Tang, 16. But research, making posters and leading nature walks for the project took up more of the girls' time than expected, and it evolved into a two-hour-a-week extracurricular activity.

She said some girls in the group had previously released unwanted pets into the wild, not knowing then that it was illegal, could threaten the balance of nature and also harm the released animals.

RGS team member Stephanie Siow, 16, recalls releasing hamsters into forested areas and aquarium fish into drains as a child.

'I really thought the hamsters would be happy in the wild,' she said, with remorse.

From a survey of 200 people at MacRitchie Reservoir, the girls found out they were not alone in thinking this way: More than a third of people polled also believed it was all right to release animals into the wild.

AnimaX Release is one of four projects Acres is supporting. The others are for projects on insanitary dog farms called 'puppy mills', a cat care and sterilisation programme and one that raises awareness of the continuing illegal trade of wildlife.

Acres' executive director Louis Ng said: 'This is not just a conservation issue, since most of the animals released are non-native species, but also one of animal welfare, because most of the animals released are unable to survive in the wild.'

GRACE CHUA

FACT SHEET on Operation No Release
NParks media release (pdf)

‘Operation No Release’

An initiative led by the National Parks Board (NParks) and PUB, the national water agency, ‘Operation No Release’ is an annual activity where NParks and PUB staff, its partners, and volunteers reach out to members of the public to raise awareness on the detrimental effects of releasing animals. The activities are usually carried out just before Vesak Day and on Vesak Day itself, when such acts are more common.

In recent months, however, there have been more instances of people releasing animals not just on Vesak Day, but also throughout the year. The volunteers then also act as our eyes and ears throughout the year when they visit the parks to lookout for such activities.

While the intention behind such acts may be kind, it actually causes more harm than good. Most of the animals do not survive after they are released, as they are usually not native to Singapore and are unable to adapt to the habitat, or are domesticated and unable to fend for themselves in the forest. It is estimated that about 90% of released animals die within a day.

The act of releasing animals also creates the demand for more animals to be captured from the wild, and sold in shops. The time spent in captivity would be stressful for these animals. Some of the common animals released include birds, crickets, rabbits, hamsters, and terrapins.

The introduction of non-native animals into the nature reserves and reservoirs also affects the ecological balance. Some of the introduced animals that do survive are usually more aggressive or prolific breeders (such as the red-eared terrapins) and may compete with the native animals for space and food, or prey on the native animals.

This year, more than 250 volunteers – the largest number to date - will patrol the nature reserves, reservoirs, parks, and waterways to reach out to the public and advise them to refrain from releasing animals.

In the past few months, NParks has also been working six students from Raffles Girls’ Secondary School on a project titled AnimaXRelease. The students have set up booths at MacRitchie Reservoir Park and also conducted guided walks for the public to share the detrimental effects of animal release. For Vesak Day, the students have also produced T-shirts, postcards, and lapel pins with the ‘no release’ message to be sold to members of the public at their booth at MacRitchie Reservoir.

‘Operation No Release’ 2010 volunteers
NParks would like to thank all volunteers, as well as the following partners for their participation in ‘Operation No Release’ this year.

Volunteer Groups, Associations, and Organisations
- Buddhist Fellowship
- Cicada Tree Eco-Place
- Mediacorp Singapore
- Nature Trekker
- SG Care Volunteers
- Singapore Zoological Garden Volunteers
- Toddy Cats (volunteers from Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research)
- Wild Singapore
Schools and Educational Institutions
- Anglo-Chinese School
- Catholic High School
- Nanyang Junior College
- Raffles Girls’ School
- Raffles Institution
- Singapore Polytechnic

Buddhist Fellowship President Henry Baey:
“Compassion and wisdom are like two wings on the same bird. One without the other is not only futile, it can even be dangerous. Though the Buddha had unlimited compassion, he also had the wisdom to know when to intervene, where to help, and when to leave things alone. Similarly, we need to exercise our judgment in the course of practicing kindness. Releasing animals may seem like a beautiful, kind, meritorious thing to do. However if it upsets the eco system and causes harm, not only to the animals released, but to all living things in the area, can that be called a genuine act of compassion?

As Buddhist Fellowship’s Spiritual Patron, Ajahn Brahm, puts it, “Before one releases a captive animal one must use one's wisdom and reflect whether one is doing more harm than good. If more harm is being done, such as sending that animal to a certain death, or destroying the local habitat, then releasing the animal is clearly bad karma. It should not be done. Compassion without wisdom can cause more harm than good.”

Related links
Help stop cruel 'Animal Liberation' on wild shores of singapore.

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NParks launches Nature Keeper Programme

Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 20 May 10;

SINGAPORE : A programme for primary school students that focuses on local forests and its floral and faunal inhabitants, has been launched.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said the Nature Keeper Programme will bring students through a series of theoretical and field workshops on eight topics that will be carried out over two years.

The topics include the impact of the release of animals in nature reserves, the native plants and animals unique to Singapore, the importance of forests in regulating climate.

Beyond the workshops, the programme also aims to nurture young volunteers in protecting our natural heritage in the longer term.

NParks aims to reach out to 1,000 students over the next two years through the programme.

Workshops that are held on scheduled dates over the next two years will be free for students.

Schools or groups that request to organize the workshops on other dates will be charged a nominal fee of S$5 per student.

The programme will be carried out at the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment Nature Reserves.

Some 30 students from Fu Hua Primary School, Neumind School and Zhonghua Primary attended the first workshop this morning, and learnt about the ill effects of the release of animals into the nature reserves.

The participants, along with their parents and teachers, are encouraged to join over 250 volunteers in NParks' 'Operation No Release', to reach out and advise members of the public to refrain from releasing animals.

It will be carried out in the nature reserves, reservoirs, parks, and waterways, over the next two weekends as well as on Vesak Day.

The Nature Keeper Programme is made possible by a S$55,000 donation from Mitsubishi Corporation.

It is organised in celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). - CNA/jy

Launch of Nature Keeper Programme
NParks media release 20 May 10;

Singapore, 20 May 2010 - The National Parks Board (NParks) today launched the Nature Keeper Programme - the first programme in Singapore for primary school students that focuses on local forests and its floral and faunal inhabitants. Made possible by a S$55,000 donation from Mitsubishi Corporation, the programme will bring students through a series of theoretical and field workshops on eight topics that will be carried out over two years. The topics include the impact of the release of animals in nature reserves, the native plants and animals unique to Singapore, the importance of forests in regulating climate, and more. (For more information on the topics, please refer to Annex A)

Nature Keeper Programme

Designed to stimulate the interest of the young and inculcate in them an appreciation of our forests, the programme will be carried out at the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment Nature Reserves. Beyond the workshops, the programme also aims to nurture young volunteers in protecting our natural heritage in the longer term. NParks aims to reach out to 1,000 students over the next two years through the programme. Workshops that are held on scheduled dates over the next two years will be free for students. Schools or groups that request to organize the workshops on other dates will be charged a nominal fee of S$5 per student.

No release of animals

Some 30 students from Fu Hua Primary School, Neumind School and Zhonghua Primary. attended the first workshop during the launch of the programme to learn about the ill effects of the release of animals into the nature reserves. Following the workshop, the participants, along with their parents and teachers, are encouraged to join over 250 volunteers in NParks' 'Operation No Release', to reach out and advise members of the public to refrain from releasing animals. With the largest number of volunteers involved to date, 'Operation No Release' will be carried out in the nature reserves, reservoirs, parks, and waterways, over the next two weekends as well as on Vesak Day. (For more information on 'Operation No Release', please refer to Annex B)

Community Involvement

The Nature Keeper Programme is made possible by Mitsubishi Corporation, through the Garden City Fund, NParks' registered charity and IPC (Institution of Public Character). The sponsorship monies go towards the production of the programme collaterals, field equipment such as binoculars, and logistics of the workshop including stationary and other materials, refreshments for the participants etc.

The General Manager, Mr Kenji Yasuno, from Mitsubishi Corporation, said: "'Corporate Responsibility to Society' is one of Mitsubishi Corporation's three Corporate Principles that serve as the foundation of our corporate philosophy since the company was established. The Nature Keeper Programme by NParks is one of the many socially responsible activities that we support globally. Through good corporate citizenship, we hope to instill in young children, who are the pillars of our future, the importance of the nature, and fulfill our commitment to building a sustainable future."

On the programme and partnership, Professor Leo Tan, Chairman of the Garden City Fund, said: "Programmes like this are important as they help our leaders of tomorrow cultivate an appreciation of our rich biodiversity in Singapore. This will go a long way in ensuring that our natural heritage can continue to thrive for decades to come, under their care. We are heartened that we have like-minded organisations from the community, such as Mitsubishi to partner us in leaving an enduring legacy for the next generation."

International Year of Biodiversity

The Nature Keeper Programme is organised 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.

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Cost of waste disposal could rise

Waste collectors may face more costs as NEA reviews systems
Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 21 May 10;

Public waste collectors say their manpower and fuel costs have risen by as much as three times since 2006, due to inflation and rising diesel prices. -- ST FILE PHOTO

THE cost to get rid of your rubbish could go up, as the National Environment Agency (NEA) proposes changes to the way trash is collected and sorted.

The Straits Times has learnt that the agency, which regulates the waste management industry, is reviewing the present collection and recycling systems.

Proposed ideas include installing recycling bins in more HDB blocks, up from the present ratio of one for every five, while the practice of having recyclable material collected from your doorstep every fortnight could be scrapped altogether.

Any proposed changes, said the NEA, will provide a higher level of service to households, while taking into consideration the needs of public waste collectors and meeting overall recycling targets.

New initiatives could be in place as early as next year, when the waste collection contracts in two areas - Tampines and Bedok - are up for renewal.

Whether waste collection fees in these areas will change will depend on the value of the bids placed when a tender is called by NEA later this year, The Straits Times understands.

But industry experts say prices are likely to head north as the proposed requirements - such as added recycling bins and increased collection points - will only add to what the public waste collectors say are escalating operating costs.

Currently, the fee structure is designed to differentiate among flats, houses, markets and businesses, ranging from as low as $4.31 per flat to $24.08 for landed property owners.

Since 1999, when the industry was privatised, fees have fallen - from a high of about $9 per flat to the current average of around $6. The last change in fees took place in 2006.

But since then, public waste collectors say they have seen their manpower and fuel costs soar by as much as three times, due to inflation and rising diesel prices. The competition to provide good service has also seen investments made in recycling infrastructure, transport trucks and training workers.

Such factors will be taken into account when NEA starts the tender process for Tampines and Bedok.

An NEA spokesman said that it will be 'adopting best sourcing, rather than cheap sourcing, for its contracts to raise the overall standards of public waste collection'.

Rubbish collection in Singapore is divided into nine geographical sectors and shared by four players - Veolia, Colex, SembWaste and 800 Super Waste Management.

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S$680 million will be set aside to build solar ecosystem in Singapore: EDB

Travis Teo Channel NewsAsia 20 May 10;

SINGAPORE: The Economic Development Board (EDB) says some S$680 million will be injected over the next 5 years to build a comprehensive "solar ecosystem".

EDB says of the total investment, S$350 million will be devoted to develop the clean energy sector.

The move seeks to make Singapore more conducive for innovations from research to test-bedding of products and commercialisation.

This initiative is also supported by the Building and Construction Athourity (BCA), and will be funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

Goh Chee Kiong, Director, Cleantech EDB, said: "We are using this funding to build research capabilities, this includes building up R&D centres. One example is the solar energy research institute of Singapore or SERIS.

"Another use of the funding will be to develop manpower capabilities. Which is very important as a lot of companies are telling us there is a shortage of manpower in the industry and we hope that we can train this skilled manpower to provide a differentiation for Singapore."

And companies like Suntech Power hopes to expand their operations in Singapore, citing the strong government support and the country as a technology centre.

While wind energy companies like Vestas already has a wind energy R&D centre in Singapore, market players at an industry conference say the strong government support will be crucial to advance the solar energy market here.

Meanwhile, EDB says the remaining S$330 million investment will go into developing water and waste management solutions.

Companies like Hyflux and Sembcorp are expected to be involved in the projects.

The Research Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC) will be funding the initiative.

The focus of the S$700 million investment will be on development of manpower and R&D capabilities in Singapore.

EDB has also established a series of living laboratories for test bedding which includes a Clean Tech Park.

It estimates that 20,000 green professionals will be working at the Clean Tech Park by 2030. - CNA/fa

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First-year NUS engineering students showcase cars designed for future transportation

Lynda Hong Channel NewsAsia 20 May 10;

SINGAPORE: With fossil fuel consumption being one of the main culprits of carbon emissions, the race is on to develop vehicles with a lower carbon footprint.

47 first-year students from the National University of Singapore's engineering faculty spent six weeks developing these cars to be road worthy.

11 of these battery-operated cars are programmed to fulfil certain tasks - without the use of a remote control or human interference.

Fan Yizhong, the winner of the First year student design competition on future transportation, said: "It comes with a lot of research as well. The programme that we implemented is PID - Proportional Integral Derivative which was not taught in the first year, but that is a topic that was taught in the third year. But we went to read up a lot about this concept, such that we can implement it in the programme as well."

Yizhong and his team's "And.I" - emerged winners.

The faculty hopes these students can introduce the first driver-less system on Singapore roads - by replacing the current shuttle buses within NUS campus.

The designs used in these scaled-down battery-operated models can be further developed.

"Going into second year, this group of students will start to look into actual components of the vehicle and maybe electric vehicle, said Associate Professor Lu Wen Feng, a lecturer at the Design-Centric Curriculum, NUS.

"When they go into the third year and the fourth year, they will be engaged in the real EV design. The industry has the needs for skill sets on electric vehicle or renewable energy cars or vehicles. And we are training this group of students to help the industry in the future," he added.

There are currently 55 engineering students in the Design Centric Curriculum and they have teamed up with electric vehicle industry players to gain hands on experience and solve real-life engineering problems using multidisciplinary perspectives. - CNA/fa

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Tender for Tuas offshore marine centre called

Starting in July, project to be ready by end-2011
Ronnie Lim, Business Times 21 May 10;

CONSTRUCTION of an offshore marine centre at Tuas South for oil/gas exploration & production support and marine companies will start this July, with the multi-million dollar project scheduled to be up and running by end-2011, BT has learnt.

JTC Corporation on Tuesday called the main construction tender for the offshore base which will be built at a 13-hectare site at Tuas View Extension. The latter, a hockey-stick shaped area in the west, is fast shaping up to be Singapore's next big port development.

Confirming the project go-ahead, a JTC spokeswoman said that strong demand for limited waterfront sites prompted the move.

'The multi-user facility will provide common waterfront and berthing facilities for offshore and marine companies that are involved in the manufacturing and fabrication of heavy equipment, components and structures,' said the spokeswoman.

'It is aimed at attracting new and quality types of manufacturing activities which will generate high economic value in terms of value-add and fixed asset investment,' she added.

While there are about 20 designated plots at the centre, some of the larger tenants are expected to take up several plots each.

JTC declined to give an estimate of the total project cost.

But one indication comes from the JTC tender which specified that the winning contractor should have at least an A2 grade for civil engineering under the Contractors' Registry administered by the Building and Construction Authority. This allows the contractor to tender for public sector projects with contract values of up to $85 million each.

The scope of works, covering architectural to civil and structural, includes dredging of the seabed fronting the offshore centre, plus construction of a 320-metre long wharf.

The base will have a two-storey central operations building and an electrical sub-station, while three areas of the 30-metre wide wharf will be designed for 500-ton mobile crane operations.

JTC first announced plans for the project in September last year, following a strong pipeline of customers for waterfront land, especially in the west.

There used to be an offshore supply base at Shipyard Road in Jurong which has since closed, and all the offshore supply facilities there relocated to Loyang Offshore Supply Base in the east.

Other developments at the new Tuas View Extension include Sembcorp Marine's new massive yard - with the first phase 73.3 ha development expected to be completed by 2013. The Marine and Port Authority of Singapore is also doing soil investigation and seismic surveys at the hockey-stick shaped area.

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Prehistoric frogs face extinction in New Zealand

Zoological Society of London, EurekAlert 20 May 10;

The world's most ancient frogs may soon be mined to extinction, if the New Zealand government's plans to open up a conservation area for mining go ahead.

The primitive Archey's frog (Leiopelma archeyi) and Hochstetter's frog (Leiopelma hochstetteri) are two of the species that inhabit the area of 'high conservation value' on New Zealand's North Island where the mining is planned to take place.

Archey's frog is currently ranked top of the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) EDGE of Existence amphibian list, making it the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered amphibian on the planet. Described as a "living fossil", Archey's frog is almost indistinguishable from the fossilised remains of frogs that walked amongst the dinosaurs 150 million years ago.

"In the year when reducing biodiversity loss is high on the political agenda, it is inconceivable to think that we'd put the nail in the coffin of some of our rarest and most extraordinary frog species," say Helen Meredith, EDGE of Existence amphibian conservation projects coordinator at ZSL.

She adds: "We will be faced with these kinds of decisions again and again in the future. Now is the time to start recognising the long-term value of our natural world over any short-term economic gains."

The frog populations have been intensively monitored for over 40yrs, representing the best data set on frog populations in the world. The proposed mining will cut through the heart of these monitoring sites.

Dr Phil Bishop, leader of the University of Otago's frog research says "Only four species of frog survive in New Zealand, and this proposed mining activity could cause the extinction of one of New Zealand's native amphibians, and a severe decline in another - a devastating blow to global amphibian conservation."

7,000 hectares of land in the West Coast's Paparoa National Park, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula has been proposed to be considered for mining of coal, gold, iron ore and other rare minerals.

The North Island brown kiwi, long-tailed bats, striped geckos and Helm's butterfly are some of the other rare and endangered species found in these protected areas.

The New Zealand government is now holding a public consultation on whether the conservation status of the area should be downgraded to allow mining to take place. The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 26 May: www.med.govt.nz/Schedule4

ZSL conservationists are now calling for UK residents to support the protection of New Zealand's unique flora and fauna by submitting to the public consultation process.

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Indonesia probes massive forest corruption: official

Yahoo News 20 May 10;

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) – Indonesia's anti-graft commission is investigating rampant corruption in the forestry sector that has cost the state more than 100 billion dollars, an official said Thursday.

Corruption Eradication Commission deputy chairman Mohammad Jasin said investigators had found "indications of violations" of forestry rules by 470 companies, mainly miners, operating in Indonesian Borneo.

Deforestation and rampant illegal logging is the main reason Indonesia is the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, blamed for man-made global warming.

"They misused forest permits, chopped down trees for wood without replanting, destroyed forests for mining activities and avoided tax payments, among other breaches," Jasin said.

"These violations cost the state more than 1,000 trillion rupiah (110 billion dollars)," he added.

Corruption "permeates every level" of the forestry sector, he said.

"Those with power take advantage of the weak forestry regulations and local government officials who are supposed to supervise the forests take bribes from plantation companies," he said.

"It's hard to catch corruptors because supervision costs a lot of money. The forests are vast and we need helicopters and expensive equipment to check illegal practices on the ground."

Forestry ministry official Masyhud said a "big percentage" of companies granted permits to use forest resources had broken laws designed to limit damage to the environment and protect endangered species.

"Many of these permits were issued by local governments, not the ministry. The permit holders illegally cleared land for plantation and mining activities and carried out illegal logging," he said.

A report by a coalition including the BlueGreen Alliance and the Rainforest Action Network released in the United States this month found that 40 to 55 percent of Indonesia's timber is illegally harvested.

It warned that 98 percent of the archipelago's lowland forests could be gone by 2022.

Violations of forest permits cause losses of Rp 1,000t to state
The Jakarta Post 20 May 10;

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is investigating alleged violations of forest permits that have reportedly cost the state more than Rp 1,000 trillion (US$110 billion).

KPK deputy chairman Mohammad Jasin said in Jakarta on Wednesday the violations ranged from the misuse of forest permits for other activities such as logging, to conducting mining operations in forest areas without proper licenses from the Forestry Ministry.

Jasin said the anticorruption agency had found indications that many plantation companies paid bribes to local administration officials to enable them to carry out illegal practices, such as using forest areas for other purposes.

“Many companies that received permits to use forest areas for plantations did not carry out their plantation activities. They only took the wood and left,” he said.

Jasin said that as many as 470 coal mining permit holders were also involved in the destruction of forest areas because they carried out mining operations without proper licenses.

According to the forestry law, a mining company is required to obtain a license from the Forestry Ministry to carry out mining activities in forest areas even if the areas are located in their concessions.

Jasin also said that many forest concession holders avoided their tax payments.

The findings indicated that about one-third of the 2.3 million hectares of forest areas granted to be use as plantations were not used in accordance with the permits.

He said that 79 forest concession holders in Riau were found to have violated their permits. The companies, for example, carried out logging activities but left the area without conducting rehabilitation programs such as replanting the areas as required by the regulation, he said.

“It shows that these forest concession holders only want the wood from our forests and these kinds of activities violated their permits,” Jasin said.

The findings from the KPK investigation, which is expected to be finished by the end of this year, also indicate the weakness of forestry regulations and systems and the lack of the credibility on the part of the forestry and local government officials involved in the supervision of the forests.

“For example, the commission found that a one forest concession area overlapped with another because the officials in charge issued the permit without a prior survey,” he said.

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan says he supports the KPK’s allegations on the misuse of forest permits.
Zulkifli said that 6.7 million hectares of peat areas, which had already been granted licenses for oil palm plantations had been abandoned.

“So it is no longer necessary to issue new permits,” he said.

According to the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) secretary general Joko Supriyono, the ministry’s decision was regrettable.

He said the government should not punish the industry by not issuing new permits just because some businesspeople failed to follow regulations.

“They should resolve the problems with the business people who violate their permits without dragging the rest of us into it,” he said.

“If we cannot get new permits, it will affect the growth of palm oil plantations in the country.” (rch)

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Online protest drives Nestlé to environmentally friendly palm oil

Food giant bows to Greenpeace campaign and vows to cut its 'deforestation footprint'
Martin Hickman, The Independent 21 May 10;

Nestlé, the world's biggest food manufacturer, says it will make the palm oil in its best-selling chocolate bars more eco-friendly, after a guerrilla campaign against it on the internet.

The Swiss confectionery-to-coffee giant said it was inviting a not-for-profit group to audit its supply chain and promised to cancel contracts with any firm found to be chopping down rainforests to produce the vegetable oil, which it uses in KitKat, Aero and Quality Street.

The concession followed a three-month campaign by the environmental group Greenpeace, which led to Nestlé being attacked on social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube. One million people watched Greenpeace's spoof advert for KitKat, despite its being taken off YouTube temporarily after a legal threat.

As well as illustrating the vulnerability of multinational companies to new media campaigns by NGOs which can galvanise individuals in a way that was impossible before the creation of the internet, the campaign also illustrated the intense environmental controversy surrounding palm oil.

Thousands of hectares of rainforests in Malaysia and Indonesia have been cleared to make way for oil palm plantations, depriving tribes of ancestral lands, increasing climate change emissions and killing rare animals such as the Sumatran tiger, sun bear, clouded leopard and pangolins. Campaigners have particularly stressed the damage done to orangutans, a close relative of man which lives only on the heavily deforested islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

Since The Independent disclosed the presence of palm oil in 43 of the UK's top-selling grocery brands, companies such as Nestlé, Marks & Spencer, Cadbury and Mars have committed to moving to a sustainable supply.

But Nestlé had been a relatively slow mover, promising only to meet the latest acceptable date of 2015 set by the World Wildlife Fund for moving to supplies certified sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

On 17 March, Greenpeace began a campaign against Nestlé, launching an early morning protest at its UK headquarters in Croydon, Surrey, and posting its one-minute Have a Break? "advert" on the internet. It showed an office worker biting into a KitKat containing an orangutan finger, which dripped blood onto a computer keyboard.

"Indonesian forests are being torn down to grow palm oil, which is the vegetable fat of choice for companies worldwide, including Nestlé," Greenpeace complained. "But while many companies such as Unilever and Kraft are making efforts to disassociate themselves from the worst practices of the palm oil industry, Nestlé has done diddly squat."

The action group claimed it had uncovered evidence that the Indonesian palm oil supplier Sinar Mas – which it said supplied Nestlé – had been involved in continuing deforestation. Nestlé denied it bought oil from Sinar Mas but said it would ask its supplier, Cargill, to investigate the claims. That was not enough to stop the campaign.

Members of the public posted angry messages on Nestlé's Facebook page – substituting the word Killer for KitKat; anti-Nestlé campaign groups such as Baby Milk Action and Nestlé Critics took up the cause; and hundreds of thousands of people watched the grisly Have a Break? video.

On 15 April, Greenpeace disrupted Nestlé's annual general meeting in Lausanne. Protesting "orangutans" met arriving shareholders and, inside the building, activists hidden in the ceiling unfurled banners with the message: "Nestlé, give the orangutans a break".

Apparently braced for the protests, the company's chairman, Peter Brabeck, defended the company's position, saying Nestlé only used 320,000 tonnes of palm oil a year, slightly under one per cent of global production and less than the 500,000 tonnes used for bio-fuel in the UK and Germany. To applause, rather than blaming Nestlé for deforestation in Indonesia, he blamed a "political decision" to use palm oil as a bio-fuel. The protests continued.

On Monday, Nestlé announced what Greenpeace hailed as a "positive step" – the auditing of its supply chain by the Geneva-based Forest Trust. The company said: "By setting critical requirements for its procurement process and checking compliance with our supplier code, Nestlé wants to ensure that its products have no deforestation footprint." The company intended to source 18 per cent of its palm oil from "sustainable sources" this year and 50 per cent by the end of 2011.

Scott Poyntor, the Forest Trusts's executive director, said the commitment was a "game changer". "For the first time, a global company is saying it doesn't want its products to have a deforestation footprint, and is taking action to live up to its words," he said.

Greenpeace welcomed the agreement, which it warned it would closely monitor. "Online and offline the message to Nestlé has been strong and relentless over the past two months," it told its supporters.

"All of it – from protesting orangutans on the streets to Facebook status updates – has brought us to today's commitment."

Who's going green – and when

The dates by which firms say they will have all their palm oil supply certified sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

2011 United Biscuits

2012 Unilever, Waitrose

2014 Sainsbury's, Cadbury

2015 Marks & Spencer, Mars, Co-op, Tesco, Asda, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Allied Bakeries

No date Morrisons

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Investments in Asia's clean energy sector likely to reach US$70 billion

May Wong Channel NewsAsia 20 May 10;

SINGAPORE: Investments in the clean energy sector in Asia are likely to double this year - to up to US$70 billion.

In 2009, global investments in this sector hit US$145 billion and Asia accounted for one third of the investments.

So experts say prospects are bright, especially for Asia.

The winds of change are certainly blowing in the direction of countries like India and China when it comes to clean energy.

China is expected to pump in about 4 trillion yuan or US$585.8 billion to build up its renewable energy infrastructure over the next 10 years.

And experts say that will translate into investment opportunities.

"I think there's a green race that's on and you're absolutely right that Asia is recognising that there's a huge opportunity, a chance for Asia, Asian companies to be leaders in some of these renewable energy segments, said Abyd Karmali, MD, Global Head of Carbon Markets, Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

"As an example, in the Chinese solar sector, we've got four or five companies that are world leading that happens to be based in China, we've got one of the largest wind manufacturers that happens to be an Indian company. So there are big big opportunities," he added.

"Europe and the US have been pre-occupied for the last 12 months or so. Doesn't mean they're out of the race, but certainly they've been side-tracked for the time being," said Karmali.

As the renewable energy sector grows in Asia, observers believe that merger and acquisition activities will also grow.

Mr Karmali said, "As part of the drive towards creating these larger companies in the renewable space, there's going to be consolidations that take place."

Aside from relying on yet another sector now, in the form of clean energy, to boost a country's economic performance, experts say Southeast Asian countries will also stand to benefit through greater energy diversification, energy security and better interconnectedness such as shared gas pipelines among regional countries. - CNA/fa

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Limited biofuel land compatible with food: industry

Martin Roberts, PlanetArk 20 May 10;

A large but limited amount of land can be used to provide plant-based fuel without cutting the world's food supply, environmentalists and consultants told a global biofuels gathering on Wednesday.

Governments around the world have promoted biofuels in order to cut greenhouse emissions and their dependence on fossil fuels, as well as prevent pollution.

"In climate change, in oil spills, the Earth is paying the price for providing us with all this easy, unsustainable oil," Margo Oge of the United States Environmental Protection Agency told the World Biofuels conference in Seville.

Public debate, however, has focused on whether grain used to make fuel is needed to combat world hunger. Biofuels makers have often replied that they use up just 3 percent of the global grain supply.

Martina Fleckenstein of the World Wild Fund for Nature said the WWF estimated 380-450 million hectares could be sustainably planted for fuel feedstocks, alongside 1.6 billion ha needed to guarantee the world's food supply.

Carlo Hamelinck of consultants Ecofys provided a similar estimate of 480 million ha, which could provide enough biofuel to make the world's energy mix sustainable by 2045.

"It is large, but not shocking. It can make a large contribution to the global energy supply," he said in the southwestern Spanish city.

Estimates on how much of the world's energy supply could be met by biofuels varied widely.

Hamelinck predicted 50 percent, while Enrique Cerda, a professor of genetics at Seville University, said data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization showed biofuels could only provide 3 percent of the total energy supply.

Hamelinck urged biofuel manufacturers to use raw materials grown with sustainable water supplies, and without eroding soil or using land needed to maintain biodiversity.

"In the coming years we will see if the industry is serious about sustainability," he said. "It is up to you to demand feedstocks which are sustainable."

Supporters of biofuels say growing crops for fuel can provide much-needed cash flows to small farmers in developing countries.

Tanzania could plant sugar cane, jatropha, sweet sorghum and palm oil to make biofuel, Energy Minister William Mganga Ngeleja said, but the southern African country cultivated less than 10 percent of its arable land.

"The exact amount of land used will depend on investment flows, but this gives you some idea of the potential.

"I would like to take this opportunity to entice and welcome investors in biofuels to come and invest in Tanzania," he said.

(Reporting by Martin Roberts)

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FACTBOX: What are tar balls and what is their impact?

Reuters 20 May 10;

(Reuters) - Tar balls found on beaches in the Florida Keys this week are not from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill leaking from a well owned by BP, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday, citing laboratory tests.

But tar balls linked to the spill have been found elsewhere on the Louisiana and Alabama coastlines, raising concerns about the disaster's ecological impact.

Following are some facts about tar balls:

- They are the remnants of crude oil dumped into the ocean by marine vessels or, in this case, by a blown-out undersea well. They are "little, dark-colored pieces of oil that stick to our feet when we go to the beach," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

- During the initial stages of a spill, the oil will spread into a thin slick, leaving it susceptible to tearing by wind and wave action. The smaller patches that result often disperse over a wide area and some of the crude mixes with water to form an emulsion that looks like chocolate pudding.

- This mix is thicker and stickier than the original oil in the spill, but it can still be torn by wind and waves. The smaller pieces it breaks into are tar balls.

_ They can be as big as pancakes but are mostly coin-sized, according to NOAA.

THREATS TO HUMAN HEALTH/WILDLIFE

- Tar balls "are very persistent in the marine environment and can travel hundreds of miles," NOAA said

- "For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil, while not recommended, will do no harm. However, some people are especially sensitive to chemicals, including the hydrocarbons found in crude oil," it said. "They may have an allergic reaction or develop rashes."

- Sea turtles are known to eat tar balls. Dr Gilly Llewellyn, the Oceans Program Manager for WWF-Australia, a conservation group, said tar balls can "attract a curious or hungry turtle" with often fatal results.

- Tar balls can also heat up and ooze into the sand, fouling crucial nesting habitat for turtles, said John Hocevar, the Oceans Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA.

TAR BALL CLEAN UP

- "There is no magic trick to making tar balls disappear. Once tar balls hit the beaches, they may be picked up by hand or by beach-cleaning machinery. If the impact is severe, the top layer of sand containing the tar balls may be removed and replaced with clean sand," NOAA said.

(Sources: Reuters, NOAA, WWF, Greenpeace)

(Compiled by Ed Stoddard)


Gulf oil spill chemical dispersant too toxic, EPA orders
BP has 24 hours to chose another form of dispersant as toxicity of Corexit raises concerns among scientists
Suzanne Goldenberg, guardian.co.uk 20 May 10;

The Obama administration has ordered BP to use a less toxic form of chemical dispersant to break up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The decision, first reported in the Washington Post, comes only hours after Congress heard devastating testimony from BP executives and scientists on the high toxicity of two forms of Corexit, and their relative ineffectiveness against the type of crude now polluting the Gulf. The two versions of the chemical being used on the spill are banned in the UK because they are damaging to sealife.

The Washington Post reported this morning that the Environmental Protection Agency has given the oil company 24 hours to choose a less toxic form of dispersant. Once approved by the EPA, BP will have 72 hours to deploy the new chemicals.

The heavy reliance on chemical dispersants to break up the spill has raised increasing concern among scientists and environmentalists. More than 600,000 gallons of chemicals have been sprayed on the surface of the Gulf with another 55,000 injected directly into the oil billowing out of the ocean floor.

Scientists say the chemicals could be doing more for the oil company's PR, than the overall clean-up of the Gulf. The chemicals that break up the oil in small droplets help prevent giant tides of oil washing up on shore, with their disturbing images of oil-encrusted wildlife.

But they are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and highly toxic, and it is unclear how much damage they are causing to marine life in deep water – a risk acknowledged by the EPA chief, Lisa Jackson.

Corexit has never been used in such high quantities before, Jackson told Congress earlier this week. "There has been a real reliance on them, maybe more than anybody thought would ever happen." Jackson said. She added: "I'm amazed by how little science there is on the issue."

It is also unclear what – if any – effect the use of Corexit has on the course of the spill, especially if it gets caught in the powerful loop current. "The injection of dispersants are really likely to change the transport," Richard Camilli, an oceanographer at the Woods Hole Institute, told Congress this week.

The disclosure deepened fears in the scientific community that BP's mode of cleaning up the spill could be compounding the long-term environmental damage.

The scientists say there are more powerful, less toxic dispersants available than Corexit. Members of Congress suggested this week that BP chose Corexit because of links between the oil industry and the manufacturer, Nalco Holding. Nalco has a former BP executive on its board.

"Why would you use something that is much more toxic and much less effective, other than you have a corporate relationship with the manufacturer?" asked Jerrold Nadler, a Democratic congressman from New York told a hearing on Wednesday. The EPA had approved 14 dispersants for use on the spill, including the two versions made by Corexit.

The controversy over Corexit also exposed the Obama administration to additional criticism that its scientific agencies have been too compliant with BP. In addition to sanctioning the use of Corexit, EPA has come under fire for withholding test results on the toxicity of the water close to shore.

Meanwhile, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, which has charge of the oceans and forecasting, has been criticised for underestimating the scale of the disaster.

Independent scientists have dismissed Noaa's estimate that oil was flowing out of the ocean floor at 5,000 barrels a day, and say the agency has been slow to assess the damage caused by the underwater plume of oil.

Scientists studying newly released video footage of oil billowing out of the broken pipe on the ocean floor have put the flow rate as high as 100,000 barrels a day. The scientists are also demanding access to Noaa testing of deep water samples.

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