Nature: best teacher for business

Business Mirror 22 May 10;

What do Velcro, Michael Phelps’s sharkskin swimsuit and the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, have in common? The answer rests in a growing field of scientific study through which modern engineers, scientists and architects are looking not at what we can extract from the natural world but what we can learn from it...

Have you ever heard of “biomimicry” or biologically inspired engineering? Simply put, it’s the study and imitation of nature’s best ideas to help solve human challenges. It’s why that now- famous swimsuit was able to replicate a shark’s ability to reduce friction and stay clean, properties that not only made Phelps even slicker in the water, but also protects bacteria-sensitive surfaces in hospitals.

Over 30 percent of known species worldwide are currently under threat. For aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the potential loss for our planet and future generations is already disastrous, but what’s more it also means the loss of vital sources of inspiration and innovation. In the last 40 years, technological innovation has reduced aircraft fuel burn and emissions by 70 percent and noise by 75 percent. Today the aviation industry contributes 2 percent of all manmade CO2 emissions and continues to seek technological solutions to help reduce that impact even further—and nature might just provide the answers.

The natural world has, of course, always been a source of inspiration for the aviation industry, ever since Leonardo da Vinci first started drawing planes and helicopters some 500 years ago. His intriguing designs were based on continuing observations of the world around him. But can nature truly continue to inspire ideas to help shape the eco-efficient industry of the future? How?

A growing number of aeronautical innovations are inspired by a vast range of natural structures, organs and materials; the tried-and-tested patterns in the natural world.



The leaf, the eagle and the wing

The structure of the surface of lotus leaves is designed to keep it clean and dry in damp humid conditions, causing rainwater to run off and take any dirt with it. Known as “superhydrophobicity” or “the lotus effect”, these properties have inspired coatings for cabin fittings that shed water in beads, taking contaminants with them, which improves hygiene and reduces the amount of water needed.

And in the same way that sea birds sense gust loads in the air with their beak and adjust the shape of their wing feathers to suppress lift, probes on the new Airbus A350 XWB detect gusts ahead of the wing and deploy movable surfaces for more efficient flight.

So what about the A380 mentioned earlier? Well, engineers had a lot to learn from the Steppe Eagle. The eagle’s wings can’t be too long, or its turning circle will take it outside the thermal—a rising column of warm air about 20 meters wide on which it relies to soar high in the sky. The eagle’s wings perfectly balance maximum lift with minimum length. It can manipulate the feathers at the tips, curling them upward until they are almost vertical to create a “winglet,” a natural adaptation that acts as a barrier against the vortex for highly efficient flight.

A380 engineers faced almost the same problem—only this time the issue wasn’t turning inside thermals, it was turning inside airports! How could they create enough lift for the world’s largest passenger aircraft but still fit inside airports, where the size limit is 80 meters. If built to a conventional design, the wingspan of the A380 would have had to be about 3 meters longer to create the lift needed to get the fuselage into the air. That’s because “wing-tip” vortices, created by high pressure air leaks from under the wing, around the ends, mean the tips don’t provide any lift, so the wing has to be longer. But thanks to small devices known as “winglets”, which mimic the upward movement of the eagle’s feathers, the A380’s wings are just 79.8 meters—keeping them 20 cm inside that all-important airport limit. But, in fact, the technique is so effective, that Airbus applies the same theory to all its aircraft even though they are much smaller—with the wing of an A320 being the same size as just the vertical tail fin of the A380!

“Nature remains a source of innovation, but it is about so much more than mimicking birds or flying animals.” That’s how Frederic Picard, Airbus head of Physical Design Process, Methods and Tools Program, puts it. “It is about building on the diversity of the natural patterns available. In giving us these solutions, nature has once again evolved to protect its future: Facing environmental changes, nature banks on its capital of biodiversity to adapt and the aviation industry relies on the capital of biodiversity to renew itself.”

Aviation has been called “the real World Wide Web” because it interlinks so many facets that drive global social and economic development. So if air travel does hold the key to a more prosperous future, perhaps it is nature itself that can help aviation unlock and share the benefits of both a more connected and sustainable world.

What all this shows, is that nature is a library from which industry can learn. Pointing to vitally important examples in industries such as biomedicine, nanotechnology and materials science, Airbus’s biomimicry engineers ask how many industries can afford not to protect the resources that may hold the key to the future innovation of competitive products and sustainable growth? It’s a compelling point.

Many people know that biodiversity loss could act as a catalyst for issues such as water scarcity, soil and coastal erosion, population displacement, disease and uncertain food security. But more people need to understand that it also means losing the potential to find innovative solutions to challenges faced by humankind.

In this, the International Year of Biodiversity, Airbus, for instance, is working with the United Nations Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to support The Green Wave program. The Green Wave encourages young people to plant a tree or celebrate the nature around them at 10 hours on May 22 each year, which is International Day of Biodiversity. As the 10 o’clock celebration passes through the world’s time zones, it creates a “Green Wave” of awareness and activity from east to west around the planet, bringing together young people from around the world as they upload photos, videos and stories about their Green Wave activity. n



This special feature on biomimicry was written by David Hills, senior manager, Flight Physics Research of Airbus, to highlight how some businesses worldwide are taking the cue from nature to improve their work while helping preserve the planet. It is being made available exclusively to BusinessMirror on the occasion of World Biodiversity Day, celebrated every May 22.

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Quarter of UK's endangered species 'declining despite government action'

Almost a quarter of Britain's most endangered animals, including red squirrels, juniper trees and turtle doves, have declined over the last decade despite Government promises to stop the loss of species.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 22 May 10;

The Government is part of an international treaty to stop global biodiversity loss by 2010 in order to protect hundreds of endangered species like the bumblebee, common toad and house sparrow.

But an official report, published quietly this week by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) discloses that 88 species are continuing to decline such as sky larks, pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, fen orchid, freshwater pearl mussel and black grouse.

Of the 370 species identified as under threat only half are stable or increasing meaning the rest are in decline or there is simply not enough data. This includes wild asparagus, great yellow bumblebee, basking shark, lady's slipper orchid and capercaillie.

Since 1994 when the UK first drew up its 'Biodiversity Action Plan' to stop species loss, it is thought 19 species have gone extinct, mostly insects and lichens but also the greater mouse-eared bat and colourful Ivell's sea anemone.

Conservationists have pointed out that other species which are not including in the original action plan are also suffering including hedgehogs, wildcats and cuckoos.

Robin Wynde, senior biodiversity policy officer, said it was embarrassment for the Government to admit failure on International Year of Biodiversity Day, on Sunday.

"It shows biodiversity is in trouble in UK. It is not just a problem in the rainforest and overseas. We need to look at species that are declining at home," he said.

Defra pointed out that many species like the blue butterfly, stone curlew and bittern have recovered in numbers and pledged to do more to create wild habitat.

Report on failure to halt wildlife decline is buried
Michael McCarthy, The Independent 22 May 10;

A report showing that Britain is failing to halt the declines of many of its highest-priority wildlife species and habitats, from the red squirrel, the juniper and the common skate to chalk rivers and coastal salt marshes, was "sneaked out" this week by the Government with no publicity, environmental campaign groups said yesterday.

More than twice as many conservation priority species and habitats are declining as are increasing across the UK, the report says, yet to find that study is virtually impossible without special knowledge. It was posted on the website of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the Government's UK-wide wildlife advisers, on Thursday.

But it is buried deep in the site, there was no press release, and there is no reference to it or link to it on the website's front page. It is not even on the website of the relevant Government department, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The report – "The UK Biodiversity Action Plan: highlights from the 2008 reporting round" – was finished more than a year ago, and wildlife campaign groups have accused the previous Labour government of deliberately sitting on it, and the new Conservative-Lib Dem coalition Government of actively seeking to hide it. It concerns the progress – or lack of it – of the 500-plus UK species and habitats which have been the subject of Biodiversity Action Plans, or BAPs, set up since the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

The report shows that 24 per cent of the priority species are declining (88 species in total), as against 11 per cent which are improving. Typical continuing declines, besides red squirrels, plants such as juniper and fish such as the common skate, include the turtle dove, the twinflower and the brindled beauty moth. And 42 per cent of the priority habitats (19 habitats in total, including wildlife-rich upland chalk grassland and upland hay meadows) are in decline, as against 18 per cent which are improving.

"These results are so poor so that it comes as no surprise that they have been hidden away," Mark Avery, director of conservation for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said. "Can you imagine a report on the state of the nation's health, or economy, or education being ignored in the way that this report on the state of the nation's wildlife has been? It is vital that cuts in public spending don't harm the conservation of wildlife. We need to hear from the new government what measures it will take to reverse the declines."

Matt Shardlow, director of Buglife, the invertebrate conservation trust, said: "The handling of this report, sat on for almost a year then quietly slipped out without transparent supporting data, suggests the Government is ashamed its recent track record. There is now an urgent need for Government to re-commit to working with the public to save and indeed restore our wildlife."

Dr Jeremy Biggs, director of the charity Pond Conservation, said the report had been "sneaked out". He added: "Freshwaters in Britain, and especially England, are in a parlous state: 75 per cent of our rivers and streams break EU directive ecological standards, and 80 per cent of ponds are in poor condition, and have declined in quality over the past 10 years."

The JNCC said it was merely "hosting" the publication of the report on its website for the secretariat of the standing committee of the UK Biodiversity Partnership, who are civil servants in Defra. A spokesman for Defra said the findings in the report had already been made available, at the 2009 UK Biodiversity Partnership annual conference, and that environmental organisations had been "kept informed" of the development of the "highlights" report.

The news is not all bad: some rare, threatened or even formerly vanished species are now doing well. The once-extinct large blue butterfly has been reintroduced and is flourishing (mainly in Somerset), and once very scarce birds such as the stone curlew and the bittern are rising steadily in numbers. Also, the ladybird spider has been reintroduced into Dorset after a captive-breeding programme.

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Best of our wild blogs: 22 May 10

Status and Registration for ICCS 2010
from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore

Bridge for biodiversity
Eco-Link to reconnect Bukit Timah and Central Nature Reserves from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

Buchanania sessifolia: The Other Sparrow's Mango
from Flying Fish Friends

A Word on the Monkeys
from Crystal and Bryan in Singapore

Brown-Throated Sunbird in comfort behaviour
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Raffles Museum Treasures: Button snails
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

'Playing God' with the climate?
from BBC NEWS blog by Richard Black

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Attractions of Asia's first river-themed park River Safari unveiled

Mustafa Shafawi / Hetty Musfirah Channel NewsAsia 21 May 10;

SINGAPORE: Singapore will be home to Asia's first river-themed park, River Safari, in less than two years.

It will be the third nature-themed attraction in Mandai - after the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.

Together, they are set to become a "must-see" nature-based destination in Asia.

"With its tropical rainforest setting and rich biodiversity, Mandai area provides a compelling contrast to the largely urban environment of Singapore, with the potential to attract five million visitors a year," said Senior Minister of State, Trade and Industry, S Iswaran.

And Wildlife Reserves Singapore is confident of its strong appeal.

Claire Chiang, Chairperson, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: "This therefore provides a platform, for recreation, for edutainment, and for tourism, we are positive that it is going to add value.

River Safari is also touted to be the world's first and only river-themed park. It is expected to attract at least 820,000 visitors annually. The park is expected to be completed by the first half of 2012.

The park will cost some $180 million to build - $40 million more than the previous budget due to rising costs.

For an admission fee of $28 to $30, visitors can enjoy boat rides and soak in the freshwater habitats of famous rivers.

Fanny Lai, Group CEO, Wildlife Reserves Singapore said: "Rivers such as the river Nile, Yangtze River, Mississippi, Amazon [and] even the frozen river of Tundra will be featured in the river safari.

"On top of that, we have two major theme park rides - white water rides where they can see Malayan Tigers, and the Southeast Asia habitat plus the Amazon slow boat ride where they go on a boat to see more than 20 different types of animals from the Amazon River."

The park will feature more than 300 plant species and 500 animal species.

These include creatures like the anaconda, electric eel and a 350kg mekong river catfish.

The animals are being brought in from various institutions through exchange programmes.

River Safari will also be home to the Giant Pandas from China when they arrive by the third quarter of 2011 as part of a joint collaboration with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Each panda is expected to consume some 20kg of bamboo. And for this, different species of bamboo, will be planted throughout the enclosure.

When operational, the park will open from 9am to 9pm.

A minute's silence was observed at the groundbreaking ceremony as a mark of respect to the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, the brainchild behind Jurong Bird Park which opened in 1971. - CNA/fa

Go on a River Safari in Mandai
Park opening in early 2012 will feature 10 different ecosystems
Grace Chua Straits Times 22 May 10;

SINGAPORE'S newest attraction will allow visitors a peek into places far and wide, from the Mekong to the Mississippi delta.

The River Safari in Mandai will transport guests to 10 different river ecosystems around the world, giving them a glimpse of exotic freshwater flora as well as animals like the giant Mekong stingray and manatees.
The $180 million park, nestled between the Night Safari and Singapore Zoo, is the newest addition to Wildlife Reserves Singapore's (WRS) stable of attractions, and will open in early 2012.

Another star attraction of the 12ha park - it is less than half the size of the 28ha Singapore Zoo and is dwarfed by the 40ha Night Safari - will be a pair of giant pandas, which will arrive late next year on a 10-year loan from China.

The zoo's polar bears, Sheba and Inuka, will move to the River Safari as well. They will get a larger, climate-controlled home in the new park's 'Frozen Tundra' exhibit, which is six times bigger than their current enclosure.

In all, the new attraction - the first of its kind in Asia - will have some 5,000 creatures from 500 species on display, including howler monkeys, giant stingrays, soft-shelled turtles and the Mekong catfish, which can grow to 300kg.

It is expected to draw more than 820,000 visitors each year and tentative admission rates have been set at between $28 and $30 per head.

The park will add to the Mandai cluster of nature-themed attractions, said the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education, Mr S. Iswaran, the guest of honour at the site's ground- breaking ceremony yesterday.

The zoo and Night Safari, which have drawn worldwide acclaim, together pack in some 2.7 million visitors a year.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore chairman Claire Chiang said that besides being a recreational site, the River Safari would inform visitors about freshwater habitats and water conservation.

'It will be an IRR - an Integrated Rainforest Reserve,' she added.

To allay animal conservationists' concerns that the creatures on display would be taken from the wild, WRS chief executive Fanny Lai gave the assurance that they would be sourced via exchanges with other zoos and parks.

Plans for a riverine park in Mandai were first mooted in 2007.

Back then, a fourth site in the area was also earmarked for potential development as a nature attraction offering accommodation and other activities.

Giving an update on this fourth site yesterday, Mr Iswaran said the Singapore Tourism Board was still studying the possibilities for it, 'with a view to moving on to the next stage in the not too distant future'.


Pandas, polars at new Safari
Grace Chua Straits Times 21 May 10;

SINGAPORE'S newest attraction will allow visitors a peek into lands far and wide, from the Mekong to the Mississippi delta.

The River Safari in Mandai will transport guests to 10 different river ecosystems around the world, giving them a glimpse of exotic freshwater flora as well as animals like the giant Mekong stingray and manatees.

The $180m park, nestled between the Night Safari and Singapore Zoo, is the newest addition to Wildlife Reserves Singapore's (WRS) stable of attractions, and will open in early 2012.

Another star attraction of the 12-hectare park - it is less than half the size of the 28-hectare Singapore Zoo and is dwarfed by the 40-hectare Night Safari - will be a pair of giant pandas, which will arrive late next year on a 10-year loan from China.

The Zoo's polar bears, Sheba and Inuka, will move to the River Safari as well. They will get a larger, climate-controlled home in the new park's 'Frozen Tundra' exhibit, which is six times bigger than their current enclosure.

In all, the new attraction will have some 500 species from 1,500 species on display, including howler monkeys, giant stingrays, soft-shelled turtles and the Mekong catfish, which can grow to 300kg. It is expected to draw more than 820,000 visitors each year, and tentative admission rates have been set at between $28 and $30 per head.


Boat rides, two new pandas for Mandai park
Today Online 22 May 10;

SINGAPORE - Mandai could soon become the new buzzword for nature-themed attractions in Asia.

Another step was taken towards making Mandai a unique nature cluster with the announcement by the Government on Friday that it has identified a fourth site in Mandai for potential development into a leisure attraction, offering family-friendly accommodation and activities.

The Singapore Tourism Board is studying the possibilities for this site.

This was revealed by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran, at the ground-breaking ceremony for the $180-million River Safari, Asia's first river-themed park.

Mr Iswaran said that conceptually, this will be the "4th Gate" site in Mandai.

He said with its tropical rainforest setting and rich biodiversity, Mandai provides a compelling contrast to the largely urban environment of Singapore, with the potential to attract 5 million visitors a year.

As for the River Safari, which is set to open its doors in 2012, it will host the largest collection of freshwater flora and fauna in Asia.

It will also be home to the giant pandas, as part of a joint collaboration with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

The attraction is the third nature-themed attraction in Mandai, after the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. Hetty Musfirah

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Japan sends rare turtles to Singapore for release

(AFP) Google News 21 May 10;

SINGAPORE — Thirteen endangered sea turtles bred in captivity in Japan have been given to a Singapore aquarium to prepare them for release into a natural habitat later this year, scientists said Friday.

The hawksbill turtles, listed as a highly endangered species, were brought to Singapore by their Japanese caretakers Tomomi Saito and Yoshihiko Kanou from the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium.

The five one-year-old turtles and eight three-year-olds were turned over on Thursday to the Underwater World Singapore, which is collaborating with the Nagoya aquarium to release the animals.

They are the offspring of hawksbill turtles donated by the Underwater World Singapore to the Nagoya aquarium in 1997 and 2002.

As part of the preparations, staff from the Singapore aquarium will monitor and conduct checks on the turtles to determine their fitness for the release scheduled in September.

"With the success of their breeding... we would want to have some of these captive-bred turtles return to the wild," said Anthony Chang, curator of the Underwater World Singapore.

He said that releasing older turtles that are bred in captivity will improve their chances of survival.

"We know that on the beaches, when turtle eggs hatch, people will poach them," Chang told AFP.

"The turtles may be collected by people and they may be eaten up. The survivability of the small babies is very, very low."

Turtle soup is a delicacy in parts of Asia. Turtle shell is turned into powder and used as an ingredient for a jelly dessert.

Prior to their release, the turtles will be fitted with satellite devices attached to the back of their shells, allowing the scientists to learn about their migratory behaviour and survivability.

Their findings will be reported at an international convention on biological diversity in Nagoya in October.

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Singapore eyes huge China farm project

Temasek unit studying feasibility of jointly developing food zone
Lee Yen Nee, Straits Times 22 May 10;

SINGAPORE could gain access to a major new source of meat, fruit and vegetables if a massive new farming project in north-eastern China takes off.
At 1,450 sq km, the China Jilin (Singapore) Modern Agricultural Food Zone will be more than twice the size of Singapore and will produce everything from pork, beef and dairy products to rice, strawberries and ginseng.

The ambitious multibillion-dollar project is a collaboration between the Jilin city municipal government and various Singapore agencies.

Chief among them is Singbridge International Singapore, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, which yesterday signed an agreement with the Jilin Municipal Government to study the commercial feasibility of jointly developing the food zone.

The study is expected to take nine months to complete and if the project is given the green light, Singbridge and the Jilin municipal government will jointly invest in the food zone, which will take 15 years to build in three phases.

Singapore has yet to reveal the potential size of its investment in the project, but Jilin officials said yesterday that the Chinese expect to sink in a total of 110 billion yuan (S$22.7 billion).

Speaking at the signing ceremony yesterday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said that the project was a 'win-win' for both countries.

'Singapore imports food from all over the world and has a stringent food safety regime. China wants to strengthen its food safety regime and produce food for both domestic and export markets,' he explained.

The idea of this food zone was first mooted in October 2008, said Mr Wang Zhihou, vice-mayor of the Jilin City municipal government.

Dutch bank Rabobank performed a study and found that conditions in Jilin province are conducive for growing crops like corn, soybeans and rice, as well as producing beef, pork and poultry.

Aside from having fertile soil, the area has plenty of access to water and boasts long sunlight hours, boosting agricultural productivity in the summer months.

As for finding a ready market for its produce, Jilin is close to some of Asia's most densely populated cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Dalian and Tianjin.

But the food zone will not just be a giant farm. It will comprise a core area of 30 sq km which will house high-tech industries like food processing, bio-technology and logistics.

An eco-city is also slated for development here that will house finance and insurance companies and even leisure and tourist facilities.

The larger 'control area' that is surrounded by rivers, mountains, swamps and wetlands will be used for farming.

Here, Singapore's Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) will contribute its expertise to ensure that this becomes a Disease Free Zone (DFZ), free of diseases like foot and mouth disease.

The food zone will also rely on a larger hinterland area that includes Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia. These provinces can be relied on to provide high-quality raw materials to the food zone for sustainable development.

AVA's chief executive Tan Poh Hong said yesterday that the collaboration will benefit Singapore by strengthening the resilience of its food supply.

Singapore Food Industries (SFI), for example, has already inked two agreements to set up and develop an integrated pig farm in the food zone over six years. Starting with an annual production of 100,000 pigs, production is expected to be ramped up to one million pigs per year.

'It represents an important and strategic step towards securing a safe, reliable and sustainable supply of pork for our country in the long term,' said Ms Tan.

As part of the multi-party deal, another Singapore entity, Fullerton Financial Holdings, will also chip in.

The Temasek-owned unit agreed yesterday to set up three to five village banks in Jilin city to serve small and medium-sized enterprises, consumers and farmers there.

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70 Park and Ride spaces to go in June

Spaces in Kallang to make way for building of Sports Hub
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 22 May 10;

JUST weeks after Park and Ride was enhanced with the announcement of three new sites, the 20-year-old scheme to persuade motorists not to drive into town for work has hit a pothole.

From June 1, Park and Ride users can no longer park in spaces at the Kallang Sports Complex, near the National Stadium. It is one of the popular spots, as drivers can hop onto buses that take them into the central business district, via Nicoll Highway, in minutes.

Under the scheme, motorists buy a monthly parking pass for a carpark space, along with a stored value ez-link card to use on public transport. It costs $70: $40 in bus or train fares, and $30 for the season parking pass, which is lower than typical season parking charges of $90 or more. There are 70 Park and Ride spaces there, which are usually fully taken up.

The Singapore Sports Council, which owns the spaces, said the move was 'in preparation for construction work' to start on the Sports Hub.

Motorists who have been using the Park and Ride venue are not happy.

Bank officer John Peh, 36, said: 'Why can't they allocate us another carpark nearby? There are so many spaces near the Kallang Leisure Park.'

The Land Transport Authority, when contacted yesterday, would say only that it would 'continue to work with car park owners to enhance the scheme'.

Mr Peh, who lives in Marine Parade and works in Raffles Place, has been using Park and Ride for over a year now.

The scheme was improved recently after public feedback that it could be made more user-friendly.

Changes include allowing users to buy monthly ticket sets online if they do not wish to wait in early morning queues.

And from this month, three more parking sites were set aside, bringing the total to close to 40. The new sites - in Queenstown, Buona Vista and Yio Chu Kang - added 90 spaces to the 4,700 spaces reserved for Park and Ride nationwide. But from next month, 70 spaces at Kallang will go.

Motorist Sebastian Lim, 30, is not only disappointed with the development, but also with the manner in which drivers were informed.

He said: 'We were told only on May 15, when we were queuing to buy sets for next month. The notice is just too short for us to find an alternative.'

Mr Lim, an account manager who lives in Hougang and works in Raffles Place, has been using the scheme since he bought a car about three months ago.

News of the carpark closure at Kallang has also started making its rounds in online car forums.

Offer alternative Park and Ride sites
Straits Times Forum 25 May 10;

LAST Saturday's report ('70 Park and Ride spaces to go in June') about how the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has decided to give up the Park and Ride spaces at the Kallang Sports Complex comes as a shock.

I work at Suntec City and have always thought I was fulfilling the Government's aim to reduce city congestion by parking outside the Central Business District and taking the bus or train to work.

If the parking spaces have to go because of the construction of the Sports Hub, why did the LTA not find alternatives? Carparks D, E and F, which are close to the Stadium MRT station along the Circle Line, are possible options.

Surely, the LTA could have reserved some spaces, given that there are ample sites available.

What is equally a pity is that when the LTA finally comes up with a good idea that works for motorists, it is scrapped.

While the LTA should not be faulted for the need to remove the Park and Ride spaces, it should at least have looked for alternative sites to keep the scheme alive.

Ian Michael deSouza

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World Biodiversity Day: TEEB study leader emphasizes urgent need for action on biodiversity loss

Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres EurekAlert 22 May 10;

New York, 21 May 2010 - Activities taking place around the world on the hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme with financial support from the European Commission; Germany, UK, Norway, Netherlands and Sweden [Saturday 22 May] reflect the growing recognition of the importance of biodiversity to all human well-being and for sustaining the ecosystems we all depend upon.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study leader, Pavan Sukhdev says that the day should act as a catalyst for galvanising action to prevent further loss of biodiversity.

'We can and must bring vigorous new thinking to the table to help undo the ongoing damage to our planet's biodiversity' Pavan Sukhdev commented from UNEP New York today.

Awareness of the importance of biodiversity is rising on government and business agendas. There is increasing evidence and understanding about what is being lost in terms of biodiversity, its impacts on the functioning of ecosystems and actions that can be taken to prevent continuing losses.

Hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme, The TEEB study is undertaking an extensive review of the science and economics of ecosystems and biodiversity. By synthesising these different disciplines the study is providing clear recommendations and practical steps forward for addressing biodiversity loss.

The economic case for biodiversity provides compelling motivation for the need to urgently address policy and business practice moving forward. TEEB estimated that the Net Present Value (NPV) of annual Natural Capital loss as a result of forest loss is between EUR 1.35 trillion - EUR 3.1 trillion (US$ 2.0 trillion – US$ 4.5 trillion). In September last year TEEB highlighted the coral reef crisis, an ecosystem at a tipping point and one that provides significant human welfare benefits (fisheries, shoreline protection, tourism, recreation and aesthetic value) estimated to be valued as much as US$ 172 billion annually. Within the TEEB reports there are many more examples of the economic argument for conservation and ecological restoration.

Pavan Sukhdev continues: 'Biodiversity Day reminds us that we are only five months away from the Convention on Biological Diversity's COP10 meeting in Nagoya. We must all work towards making the meeting in Nagoya a decisive moment in history. One in which, by recognising the social, economic and ethical dimension of biodiversity loss, political and business leaders take practical steps forward to prevent the continued degradation of our environment and the resulting impacts on human well being.'

The TEEB for Policy Makers report released in November 2009 called for governments to reform and enhance national accounting systems to incorporate the value of Natural Capital; to establish payments for ecosystem services, to reform environmentally harmful subsidies and to invest in ecological restoration.

In July TEEB will release its report for business at the first Global Business of Biodiversity Symposium, taking place in London on 13 and 14 July. In September the TEEB for Local and Regional Policy report will be released. Final findings of the TEEB study will be released at the CBD COP10 meeting in Nagoya in October 2010.

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Further information on TEEB can be found at www.teebweb.org

World Celebrates International Day for Biological Diversity
UNEP 22 May 10;

2010 Theme: Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation

On 22 May 2010, the world celebrates the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) under the theme 'Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation'.

The International Day for Biological Diversity will be celebrated in 11 countries around the world – from Tunisia to the Philippines and from India to the United Kingdom.

This year's event is a unique opportunity to raise public awareness on the importance of biodiversity for sustainable development and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

The theme is particularly relevant in this 2010 International Year of Biodiversity – the target year for the 2010 Biodiversity Target.

In 2002, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity committed to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth.

The 2010 Biodiversity Target was later incorporated as a new target under Goal 7 of the MDGs (to 'Ensure environmental sustainability').

However, a report by UNEP researchers published on 29 April showed that the 2010 target has not been achieved, and that world leaders have instead overseen an alarming decline in biodiversity since 1970.

The report, published in the leading journal Science, says biodiversity is still being lost as fast as ever and that the pressures on species, habitats and ecosystems are continuing to increase.

Indeed, since 1970 animal populations have reduced by 30 per cent, the area of mangroves and sea grasses by 20 per cent and the coverage of living corals by 40 per cent.

The findings are the first assessment of how the targets made through the 2002 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have not been met, and are an alarm call about the urgency of taking action for biodiversity.

Protecting biodiversity is the basis of human well-being, yet biodiversity is being threatened by development choices that ignore its full value to us all, and particularly to the poorest. Reversing this negative trend is not only possible, but essential to human well-being.

Global responses to biodiversity loss and the strategies for its conservation need to be reinforced and re-tooled to reverse the current trend of continued loss.

The conservation, sustainable use, and equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity require integration across policy reforms and institutional strengthening.

Country leadership and increased support from development cooperation are critical for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

UN says case for saving species 'more powerful than climate change'
Goods and services from the natural world should be factored into the global economic system, says UN biodiversity report
Juliette Jowit guardian.co.uk 21 May 10;

The economic case for global action to stop the destruction of the natural world is even more powerful than the argument for tackling climate change, a major report for the United Nations will declare this summer.

The Stern report on climate change, which was prepared for the UK Treasury and published in 2007, famously claimed that the cost of limiting climate change would be around 1%-2% of annual global wealth, but the longer-term economic benefits would be 5-20 times that figure.

The UN's biodiversity report – dubbed the Stern for Nature – is expected to say that the value of saving "natural goods and services", such as pollination, medicines, fertile soils, clean air and water, will be even higher – between 10 and 100 times the cost of saving the habitats and species which provide them.

To mark the UN's International Day for Biological Diversity tomorrow, hundreds of British companies, charities and other organisations have backed an open letter from the Natural History Museum's director Michael Dixon warning that "the diversity of life, so crucial to our security, health, wealth and wellbeing is being eroded".

The UN report's authors go further with their warning on biodiversity, by saying if the goods and services provided by the natural world are not valued and factored into the global economic system, the environment will become more fragile and less resilient to shocks, risking human lives, livelihoods and the global economy.

"We need a sea-change in human thinking and attitudes towards nature: not as something to be vanquished, conquered, but rather something to be cherished and lived within," said the report's author, the economist Pavan Sukhdev.

The changes will involve a wholesale revolution in the way humans do business, consume, and think about their lives, Sukhdev, told The Guardian. He referred to the damage currently being inflicted on the natural world as "a landscape of market failures".

The report will advocate massive changes to the way the global economy is run so that it factors in the value of the natural world. In future, it says, communities should be paid for conserving nature rather than using it; companies given stricter limits on what they can take from the environment and fined or taxed more to limit over-exploitation; subsidies worth more than US$1tn (£696.5bn) a year for industries like agriculture, fisheries, energy and transport reformed; and businesses and national governments asked to publish accounts for their use of natural and human capital alongside their financial results.

And the potential economic benefits are huge. Setting up and running a comprehensive network of protected areas would cost $45bn a year globally, according to one estimate, but the benefits of preserving the species richness within these zones would be worth $4-5tn a year.

The report follows a series of recent studies showing that the world is in the grip of a mass extinction event as pollution, climate change, development and hunting destroys habitats of all types, from rainforests and wetlands to coastal mangroves and open heathland. However, only two of the world's 100 biggest companies believe reducing biodiversity is a strategic threat to their business, according to another report released tomorrow by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which is advising the team compiling the UN report.

"Sometimes people describe Earth's economy as a spaceship economy because we are basically isolated, we do have limits to how much we can extract, and why and where," said Sukhdev, who visited the UK WHEN as a guest of science research and education charity, the Earthwatch Institute..

The TEEB report shows that on average one third of Earth's habitats have been damaged by humans – but the problem ranges from zero percent of ice, rock and polar lands to 85% of seas and oceans and more than 70% of Mediterranean shrubland. It also warns that in spite of growing awareness of the dangers, destruction of nature will "still continue on a large scale". The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has previously estimated that species are becoming extinct at a rate 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it would naturally be without humans.

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Scientists select new species for top 10 list; issue SOS

Minnow with fangs, golden orb spider and carnivorous sponge make the 2010 list
Arizona State University EurekAlert 21 May 10;

TEMPE, Ariz. – The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists – scientists responsible for species exploration and classification – today announce the top 10 new species described in 2009.

On the list are a minnow with fangs, golden orb spider and carnivorous sponge. The top 10 new species also include a deep-sea worm that when threatened releases green luminescent "bombs," a sea slug that eats insects, a flat-faced frogfish with an unusual psychedelic pattern, and a two-inch mushroom that was the subject of a "Bluff the Listener" segment on the National Public Radio quiz show "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me." Rounding out the top 10 list are a banded knifefish, a charismatic plant that produces insect-trapping pitchers the size of an American football, and an edible yam that uncharacteristically sports multiple lobes instead of just one.

The top 10 new species come from around the world, including Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, the United States and Uruguay.

Issuing an SOS

The taxonomists also are issuing an SOS – State of Observed Species – report on human knowledge of Earth's species. In it, they report that 18,225 living species new to science were described in 2008, the most recent year for which complete data are available. The SOS report trumpets the latest discoveries of previously unknown plants, animals, microbes, algae and fungi. It also notes 2,140 fossil species described as new in 2008.

The SOS report was compiled by ASU's International Institute for Species Exploration in partnership with the International Plant Names Index, Zoological Record published by Thomson Reuters, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, AlgaeBase, MycoBank and World Register of Marine Species.

Photos and other information about the top 10 new species, including the explorers who made the discoveries, and the SOS report are online at http://species.asu.edu. Also at the site is a Google world map that pinpoints the location for each of the top 10 new species.

The winners are …

Among this year's top 10 picks is a minnow with fangs – Danionella dracula – found in a stream at Sha Du Zup between Mogaung and Tanai in Kachin State, Myanmar. The males of the species have canine-like fangs for sparring with other males. This is the first record of oral teeth-like structures being found in the Cyprinidae, the largest family of freshwater fishes.

A top 10 choice in the animal kingdom is a golden orb spider – Nephila komaci – the first species of Nephila to be described since 1879 and the largest to date. Nephila has the distinction of spinning the largest webs known, often greater than a meter in diameter.

In the category of "killer sponge" is a carnivorous deep-sea sponge – Chondrocladia (Meliiderma) turbiformis – that displays a special type of spicule for which the new term "trochirhabd" has been coined.

Another deep-sea selection for this year's list is a worm discovered off the central coast of California – Swima bombiviridis – that when threatened releases "bombs" that illuminate for several seconds with green bioluminescence.

From Pak Phanang Bay in the Gulf of Thailand is a sea slug – Aiteng ater – that eats bugs, which is unusual since nearly all sacoglossans eat algae and a few specialize in gastropod eggs. Its discovery has resulted in a new family, Aitengidae.

Several fish made this year's top 10 new species list, including a frogfish – Histiophryne psychedelica – that has an unusual psychedelic pattern and is unique among frogfishes for its flat face.

A two-inch mushroom – Phallus drewesii – was named, with permission, in honor of Robert C. Drewes at the California Academy of Sciences. Drewes, who initiated extensive multi-organism biodiversity studies on the island of São Tomé, Africa, where this news species of stinkhorn fungus was found, dedicated more than 30 years of his life to research in Africa, according to the scientists who made the discovery.

An electric fish – Gymnotus omarorum – goes by the common name Omars' banded knifefish. The species was named to honor Omar Macadar and Omar Trujillo-Cenoz, pioneers in the anatomical and physiological study of electrogenesis in Gymnotus.

From the plant kingdom is a charismatic plant species – Nepenthes attenboroughii – that produces one of the largest pitchers known, each the size of an American football. It also is carnivorous, feeding on insects trapped by the fluid contained in the pitchers.

Rounding out the top 10 picks is another from the plant kingdom, an "udderly weird yam" – Dioscorea orangeana – that was found in Madagascar. Its tuber morphology is uncharacteristic of edible Malagasy yams exhibiting several digitate lobes, instead of just one.

It's about diversity

"Annually, an international committee of taxon experts, helps us draw attention to biodiversity, the field of taxonomy, and the importance of natural history museums and botanical gardens, in a fun-filled way by making the selection of the top 10 new species from the thousands described in the previous calendar year," says Quentin Wheeler, director of the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an entomologist in the School of Life Sciences.

"Charting the species of the world and their unique attributes are essential parts of understanding the history of life," says Wheeler. "It is in our own self-interest as we face the challenges of living on a rapidly changing planet."

Wheeler advocates a new generation of cyber-tools and Web accessible resources that will vastly accelerate the rate at which humans are able to discover and describe species.

"Most people do not realize just how incomplete our knowledge of Earth's species is or the steady rate at which taxonomists are exploring that diversity. We are surrounded by such an exuberance of species diversity that we too often take it for granted," says Wheeler, who also is an ASU vice president and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Commemorating May 23 birth of Linnaeus

The annual top 10 new species announcement and issuance of the SOS report commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus, who initiated the modern system of plant and animal names and classifications. The 300th anniversary of his birth on May 23 was celebrated worldwide in 2007. The 250th anniversary of the beginning of animal naming was marked in 2008.

Since Linnaeus initiated the modern systems for naming plants and animals in the 18th century, an estimated 1.8 million species have been named, described and classified. Scientists estimate there are between 2 million and 100 million species on Earth, though most set the number closer to 10 million.

The SOS report summarizes the number of major plant and animal species newly described for the most recent year of complete data, which is 2008. The majority of the 18,225 species described (named) in 2008 were insects (48.25 percent), vascular plants (11.41 percent) and fungi (7.37 percent) with arachnids coming in a close fourth (7.24 percent). The SOS report also includes data for prokaryotes (bacteria and Archaea) in addition to protists.

The State of Observed Species report and list of top 10 new species issued annually by ASU's International Institute for Species Exploration is part of its public awareness campaign to shine attention on biodiversity and the field of taxonomy. Previous top 10 lists and SOS reports are online at http://species.asu.edu.

Taxon experts pick top 10

An international committee of experts, chaired by Janine N. Caira of the University of Connecticut, selected the top 10 new species for the 2010 list. Mary Liz Jameson of Wichita State University served as vice chair. Nominations were invited through the species.asu.edu website and also generated by institute staff and committee members.

"Committee members had complete freedom in making their choices and developing their own criteria, from unique attributes or surprising facts about the species to peculiar names," Wheeler notes.

###

Other members on this year's committee included Philippe Bouchet, French National Museum of Natural History; Daphne G. Fautin, Biodiversity Research Center, University of Kansas; Peter Kämpfer, Institut für Angewandte Mikrobiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen; Niels Peder Kristensen, Zoologisk Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; James Macklin, Harvard University; Ellinor Michel, Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, London; John Noyes, Department of Entomology, Natural History Museum, London; Alan Paton, International Plant Names Index and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK; Andrew Polaszek, Department of Entomology, Natural History Museum, London; Gideon F. Smith, South African National Biodiversity Institute; Antonio Valdecasas, Museo National Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain; and Zhi-Qiang Zhang, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, New Zealand.

Nominations for the 2011 list – for species described in 2010 – may be made online at http://species.asu.edu/species-nomination.

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Will the turtles return?

Nicole Tan The Star 22 May 10;

IT WAS a momentous event. We were all lined up along the coastline, ready to perform a tiny deed, each of our own, back to nature. A box was laid out in front, and I was handed this little creature, so weak and fragile, flapping its flippers as though ready to take on the world as its own.

A week ago, I spent my weekdays in Club Med Cherating, enjoying the sea breeze and eating away like royalty, when I was handed this small little note that said: “We are the baby turtles born on this beach. Now we have grown up and would need your help to come to release us into the ocean.”

By evening, I was holding a seven-day-old baby green turtle gently between my fingers, afraid of breaking the petite living thing.

My first mental image of the turtles began as a child, no more than seven.

It was this huge poster in an airport, of a leatherback turtle laying its eggs on a beach at night, promoting the wonders of Terrenganu and Malaysia’s beauty to the passengers going in and out of the airport.

For some reason, I was enchanted by it.

The close-up photo of the leatherback turtle print left a profound impression, something about nature performing its miracles was deeply moving.

I was hooked onto the image of that poster, wanting and wishing that one day, my dream of getting up close with a turtle, particularly a leatherback, would come true one day. Even though I didn’t know it was a leatherback turtle back then.

In 2008, I went underwater (with a tank) for the first time in Sipadan. During the dive, I got up close and swam alongside a 1.5 meter green turtle!

I found out there are four species of turtles: Leatherback, Green, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles. They are critically endangered.

So you could imagine my joy of actually swimming with such a rare species.

It’s considered a luxury for countless people in other parts of the world, which many Malaysians take for granted.

I thought I was coming close to realising my dream of encountering the big leatherback — a turtle that could grow up to a length taller than an NBA football player.

Some scientists see it as a modern-day dinosaur.

Leatherback turtles are the world’s largest living sea turtles (longest recorded was three meters), deepest diving reptiles (recorded deeper than 1,200 meters) as well as fastest-moving reptiles (35 km/hr in water) on the planet.

They’re also the only living turtle species of its kind (without a bony hard shell).

Many time I have visualised this image of swimming next to a larger than life century-old turtle.

It’s really difficult not to get excited when you think about it.

However, the latest news was that the leatherback, that Terrenganu was once famous for was extinct.

According to one of the personnel from WWF Malaysia, two years ago two remaining leatherbacks swam off the east coast peninsular towards the South and disappeared.

I actually witnessed a magnificent species disappear during my time in my own country.

And every time I see poachers hunting down these beautiful creatures and illegal egg collectors cutting off their reproductive cycle by making a profit selling turtle eggs, my heart aches.

On the count of three, I released my little baby turtle on the sand, together with 50 of its siblings, they scattered hurriedly to the sea, pushing their flippers and flopping vigorously towards the waves.

I know that out of a hundred eggs each turtle lays, only less than 10% of the hatchlings would survive after returning to the ocean, At any rate, I know I have lent a helping hand, albeit a small one, to nature.

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6,700 turtle eggs seized in Malaysian village

The Star 22 May 10;

SANDAKAN: Police have seized 6,700 turtle eggs in two separate Kampung Sim Sim water villages here.

Two Filipinos, aged 17 and 19, were detained while they were pushing a wheelbarrow laden with 2,200 turtle eggs in four plastic sacks at about 6.15am yesterday.The 17-year-old did not have any identification documents while the second suspect had a passport.

Both the teenagers and the eggs were taken back to the Marine Operations Force (MOF) base, acting Sandakan MOF chief Asst Supt Awang Mat Yassin Ahmad said.

“We found 23 plastic bags containing 4,500 turtle eggs upon searching the house,” he added.

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Peatland management crucial for reforestation, Indonesian government told

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post 21 May 10;

The government has been advised to pay extra attention to the management of peatland as a major amount of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions is believed to originate from the destruction of the land.

Herwint Simbolon, researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)’s Biology Research Center, said here Friday that peatland fires conducted in Indonesia from 1997 to 2006 released between 1.4 and 4.3 gigatons of CO2 emission annually.

“The figures account for between 19 and 60 percent of annual global carbon emissions produced by fossil fuel burning,” Herwint said in a speech that marked his inauguration as LIPI research professor in ecology and evolution.

The critical function of peatlands as CO2 storage has been undermined for many years, resulting in among others, the government’s thoughtless policy of massive peatland conversion for agricultural purposes, called the One Million Hectare Peatland Project (PLG) in Kalimantan back in the 1990s.

The implementation of the policy led to an alarming rate of peatland deforestation, the new professor said.

“The deforestation rate of peatlands during the 1985-2000 period nearly doubled that of mineral land, which reached 1.3 percent and 0.7 percent respectively. After, the 2000 [peatland deforestation rate] increased to 1.5 percent,” he added.

The deforestation of peatland in Indonesia in 2005 constituted 25 percent of total deforestation in Southeast Asia, he noted.

The reckless construction of 4,470 kilometer-long canals through the converted Kalimantan peatland, meanwhile, led to severe drainage, massive fire and, finally, the release of a huge amount of CO2 into the air in the late 1990s, he added.

Herwint asked the government to pay special attention to the management of peatland in the country, which he said would contribute significantly to the government’s effort to cut carbon emissions by 26 percent by 2020.

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Brunei Mangrove Clearing To Prevent Flooding

Amir Moor brudirect.com 22 May 10;

Bandar Seri Begawan - The clearing of the Mangrove forests along the riverside near the Bengkurong village did not drive away the endangered proboscis monkeys but return them to their original habitat along the Brunei River.

Speaking to The Brunei Times , Hj Ibrahim Hj Mohd Salleh said the government informed them about the project, which was to expand the river to prevent flooding.

Flooding is a big problem for the kampongs and mukims close in the Bengkurong area, especially further up the river.

Hj Ibrahim said the authorities in charge of clearing the mangrove forests were aiming to fix and reinforce the coasts of the river that were initially unstable due to broken branches, mud and clutter.

Now that the mangrove forests has been cleared, Hj Ibrahim believed that the proboscis monkeys have moved back to their natural habitat near the capital along the Brunei River.

"The clearing of the mangrove forests in that area does not really involve us because Bengkurong only stretches after the bridge in that area, however, we were informed by the government about the project," he said.

Previously, the proboscis monkeys that were located on the other side of the river would occasionally migrate to the human populated side to obtain their main source of food, the api-api leaves.

"Having to migrate to another source of food, the proboscis monkeys are more driven to gain their api-api leaves and ignore their shy and timid nature towards humans," Hj Ibrahim said.

"The worst part is that they often mingle with the more common monkeys that are mischievous and disturb human environments. Being desperate for food, the proboscis would even join them which would double the problem altogether," he said. In Brunei, proboscis monkeys co-exist with human settlements.

Another relief that Hj Ibrahim expressed due to the clearing of the mangroves was the desertion of crocodiles that used to stay along the riverside near the Bengkurong. "When the water in the river begins to get too hot, the crocodiles would surface seeking shade to cool down and wait until the sun goes down," he said. "With the forests clear, they are forced to swim further upstream which is also near the capital to find their shade from the sun."

The clearing of the mangrove forests has been ongoing for about 20 days since early May and he said that despite his or anyone else's opinion, the government's decision was final and reasonable for the public ease and safety.

Workers are currently stationed there to monitor and work on the coastline.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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Questions Malaysia Must Answer Before Going Nuclear

Sakina Mohamed, Bernama 21 May 10;

Bernama is releasing two articles on nuclear energy today following the announcement that Malaysia plans to build its first nuclear power plant by 2021.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Nuclear energy. The term undeniably evokes a feeling of unrest in people, no matter how minute it may be. This may have to do with the bad rap it has gained since the infamous Chernobyl and Three Mile Island incidents.

But are the fears unfounded? Technology, after all, evolves through time. People learn from mistakes, albeit costly ones when it comes to nuclear power. There is definitely no room for trial and error in employing the usage of nuclear energy to power up a country. One must get it right the first time.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has given the green light to the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water to start working on the nation's intention to go nuclear by 2021. Its minister, Datuk Seri Peter Chin says going nuclear it is the only viable option, given that energy demand keeps increasing and Malaysia's existing energy mix of gas, coal and hydropower is "unhealthy".

Bernama interviews the Water and Energy Consumer Association of Malaysia (WECAM) Secretary-General S. Piarapakaran on basic questions Malaysia must answer before it goes nuclear.

ARE WE READY FOR IT?

Piarapakaran says many aspects need to be looked into in gauging Malaysia's preparedness to go nuclear.

"We need to do stock taking on this. We need to know how many Malaysian experts have been working in this field with real life experience."

He says Malaysia has a very small-scale nuclear plant in Bangi which operates at 1 MegaWatt (MW).

Comparatively, he says, running a 200 MW or 1000 MW plant needs a totally different set of experience, especially in terms of safety and leakage prevention.

"We must also note that although the country has embarked in introducing nuclear in 1970s, it pulled out due to the discovery of new oil fields in Malaysia.

"We do not have fully experienced home grown experts. We cannot keep borrowing foreign experts, as this will put Malaysia into an uncomfortable situation when it comes to 'energy security'," says Piarapakaran.

"Furthermore, there should be a Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) before we make a decision. Any country can plant up a nuclear plant but managing and operating it comes with huge responsibility altogether," he says. Malaysia have yet to develop nuclear related laws and legislations. This takes time, we cannot just adopt.

Advocates may argue that one of the plus points of nuclear energy is that it is "green". On a global scale, nuclear power currently reduces carbon dioxide emissions by some 2.5 billion tonnes per year (relative to the main alternative of coal-fired generation, about two billion tonnes relative to the present fuel mix).

But Piarapakaran says a clear point Malaysians need to understand is that nuclear energy is low-carbon technology, not green technology.

"It still has huge impacts to the environment via the waste generated."

WHAT RISKS ARE INVOLVED?

It is the question playing on everybody's minds: what are the risks involved in building and living with a nuclear power plant?

Piarapakaran says there are three immediate risks that we need to look at.

The first one is the leakage of radioactive rays.

"These rays can cause severe health complication not only through direct exposure to humans but indirect exposure through water, flora and fauna that we may consume," he says.

But those who may suffer the worst of the ill effects of radioactive leaks are employees working in the reactor, who face the close proximity exposure risk. These leaks may sometimes go undetected for decades, as was the case with the Vermont Yankee nuclear facility in US, earlier this year .

The second risk, which may be on everybody's minds, is explosion. This may be caused by instability in the reactor.

Such explosion will always remind us of Chernobyl, says Piarapakaran.

He says: "Based on our screening of nuclear accidents, almost all of it is related to human error factor. This places huge responsibilities for nuclear reactor employees."

This means that employees hired should have excellent hands-on experience and are skilled and professional in discharging duties, as there is zero room for error. Containment of such incidents should also be placed as a priority.

Since nuclear incidents have direct correlation to human error, the country must look into its prevention, lest we end up with many issues of leakages and nuclear accidents.

Even in countries like France, which has vast technology and expertise in handling nuclear power, more than 100 small leakages takes place in a year.

"Such leakages sometimes lead to shut down of water treatment plants and quarantine for weeks in small towns," says Piarapakaran.

But although both the first and second risks rarely take place, the relevant industry and government must view proper mitigation as a critical aspect to take care of.

Nuclear waste management is the third risk, and it is as grave a risk as the rest.

"It takes only 15 kg of a nuclear waste to produce a nuclear weapon," says Piarapakaran.

"When we produce a resource that can be used as weapon for war, we need to ensure there is enough security. Malaysia needs secured locations for storage and transfer. We will also need to beef up of national security," he adds.

Beefing up security for nuclear energy will also incur additional costs for the nation.

WHAT ARE THE COSTS INVOLVED?

Speaking of costs, what is the cost involved in the building and maintenance of a nuclear power plant?

Piarapakaran says there are three basic costs to building any power plant: the cost of construction, cost of operation and finally, cost of maintenance.

"The construction and maintenance costs are slightly static compared to the cost of operation. The cost of operation tends to fluctuate with the availability of raw materials as well as waste management," he says. "Just like fossil fuel, uranium and plutonium resources of nuclear energy are limited resource. They will deplete one day," he added.

But an additional cost that a nuclear plant has to bear is the cost of decommissioning. After a period of operation, many parts of the nuclear plants will be radioactive.

"These parts need to be disposed safely. In the United Kingdom, the cost of decommissioning is ever increasing from estimated costs," says Piarapakaran.

He says that this is because older plants cause huge increases in decommissioning cost compared to the new plants.

"The cost of managing the nuclear waste or 'spent fuel' is still high. This will increase with the increasing support for green energy resources," he says.

Piarapakaran adds that even in Germany, the government has pledged to reduce nuclear dependency and increase solar utilisation as well as improve energy efficiency across all sectors.

This can be seen through its move to shut down more of its reactors in recent years, and its announcement to phase out the use of nuclear power by 2020.

"In such a shift, we may be losing out and may need to pay international "penalty" for using nuclear as a fuel. Tables can be turned anytime," he says.

WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT?

Many are confident to say that technology has come far since the days of Chernobyl. While that may be true, radioactive leaks from plants are still happening, to this day.

Piarapakaran asks: "If such leakages takes place, who will be willing to take responsibility? Damage control is beyond Emergency Response Plan (ERP).

"ERP can be easily obtained as Standard Operating Procedure from any textbooks. Actual situation cannot be defined in a textbook."

He hopes that through the DEIA and a through policy review, there will be a strong legislation to ensure that responsibility lies within the framework.

"We do not want everyone to wash hands if things go awry," he says.

When asked about suitable and practical alternatives, Piarapakaran says energy efficiency is a step that can be taken immediately.

Besides being the cheapest of all alternatives, it also ensures that all generated energy is utilised in optimum level.

He says WECAM is still conducting studies on nuclear energy and suitable alternatives.

"So far, we have not come to a clear defined conclusion. We would not like to jump into conclusion without thorough studies.

"We really need to plot the macro picture and identify all the micro issues to get the overall scenario. Doing this will make us more careful in making a decision," he says.

-- BERNAMA

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Latin America wants to end 'lethal research' on whales

Yahoo News 22 May 10;

SAN JOSE (AFP) – Latin American members of the International Whaling Commission said they will propose eliminating a legal loophole that allows whale hunting under the guise of "lethal research" at the next IWC meeting in Morocco in June.

The Buenos Aires Group, in its final declaration after meeting here Thursday, said the compromise solution IWC chairman Cristian Maquieira proposed last month to lower whale catches from 2,000 to 400 a year over 10 years "must be significantly reduced."

The compromise comes amid a feud between Australia and Japan, which kills hundreds of whales in the Pacific and Antarctic oceans yearly, using a loophole in the IWC's 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research" on the animals.

Japan argues that whaling is part of its culture and makes no secret that the whale meat winds up on dinner plates.

Norway and Iceland defy the moratorium entirely by informing the IWC that they object to the 1986 decision.

Environmentalists have been scathing over the IWC compromise proposal, saying it would effectively undo the 1986 moratorium that is credited with restoring stocks of the giant mammals.

The Buenos Aires Group said that beside the lethal research loophole, they would also bring up at the June meeting of the 88-nation IWC other dangers to whale populations around the world, including "climate change, marine pollution and incidental capture."

Marquieira, a Chilean, told the Latin American group on Wednesday that whale hunting has not stopped despite the 1986 moratorium and that his plan would save 4,000-5,000 whales over the next ten years.

The Buenos Aires Group in its final declaration issued late Thursday said "over a period of 10 years... there must be a significant and increasing reduction of quotas (catch limits)... until lethal research is completely eliminated.

"This issue is considered indispensable to bring the (Agadir, Morocco) negotiation to a good end."

The Buenos Aires Group comprises Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

The meeting in Santo Domingo de Heredia, near San Jose, was also attended by non-IWC members Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela.

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Homecoming for Tanzania rhino species kept alive in South Africa

Yahoo News 22 May 10;

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, Tanzania (AFP) – A group of Tanzanian rhinos, extinct in their natural habitat, was airlifted home Friday from South Africa where some of the species were taken two decades ago.

The Tanzanian government asked South Africa to return some of the black rhinos, of the east African Diceros bicornis michaeli species, after they went extinct in their original home range, South Africa's government news agency said.

South Africa had imported five of the michaeli rhinos more than 20 years ago, BuaNews agency said. While the species is not native to South Africa, the rhinos thrived there, multiplying to 61.

"I thank very profoundly all those who have supported Tanzania's wildlife conservation efforts over the many years," Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said when the five rhinos arrived at an airstrip in Serengeti National Park.

"This event is a stark reminder of what went wrong in the past and a lesson about what needs to be done to prevent it from happening again.

"My government is fully committed to the conservation of wildlife in general and rhinos in particular."

The animals were loaded onto trucks and released into a small enclosure where they will be closely monitored over the next few weeks, an AFP correspondent reported.

They will then be released into a 40-square kilometre (16-square mile) sanctuary protected by an electric fence and monitored for up to a year and then released to roam the Serengeti plains.

A further 27 will arrive over the next two years, bringing the total to 32 in what is billed as the biggest move of this kind.

Only 700 eastern black rhino remain in the world, with less than 70 in Tanzania.

The rhinos were transported in a Lockheed Hercules C-130 cargo plane.

"This initiative is in line with the African Renaissance, as these animals contribute to economic development through tourism and protection of our national capital," South Africa's Environment Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said.

David Mabunda, the head of South Africa's national parks, called the relocation of the animals a "fairy tale" ending.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, poaching almost wiped out the rhinos from east Africa. By 1991 there were only two rhinos left in the Serengeti. That number has now risen to 33.

"We have done all the necessary preparations to make sure these animals will be safe. They will survive," Simon Mbuma, director of the Tanzanian Wildlife Research Institute, told AFP.

Rare Black Rhinos Relocated To Africa's Serengeti
Tom Kirkwood, PlanetArk 24 May 10;

Conservationists flew the first five of 32 critically endangered East African black rhinos from South Africa back to their habitat in Tanzania's Serengeti park Friday.

The rhinos had been bred from a group that was rescued from the Serengeti in the 1960s and relocated to South Africa to prevent the total extinction of their sub-species at the hands of poachers.

Rampant poaching in the Serengeti -- famed for its sweeping planes and Africa's most spectacular wildebeest migration -- in the 1960s and 70s saw the population of east African black rhinos in Tanzania plummet from over 1,000 to just 70.

Seven were relocated to South Africa in the early 60s.

"This event is a stark warning of what went wrong in the past," Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said at a ceremony for the arrival of the A C-130 Hercules aircraft at the remote Seronera airstrip, deep in the Serengeti.

"The government is fully committed to the protection of wildlife in general and rhinos in particular," he added, as the huge beasts were disembarked.

Organizers said the relocation was part of a new drive by African governments to protect the "big five" mammals -- lions, rhinos, elephants, leopard and buffalo -- that make up one of the continent's main tourist attractions.

The 32 being reintroduced to Tanzania are part of a 50-strong herd bred from the original seven.

"We have trained a special force that will take care of the animals. They are now operating. They are out there in the field cleaning the area (of poachers)," said Dr Simon Nduma, director of the Tanzanian Research Institute.

Conservation experts say the extra protection for the rhinos will also help other species in the park.

Both Tanzania and Kenya have suffered a spike in poaching, particularly of elephants and rhino, in the past few years. Kenya lost at least six rhinos last year, according to experts at Friday's ceremony.

However, officials say conservation efforts in Africa are getting more sophisticated and cross-border.

"Conservation is without boundaries, animals don't carry passports and we believe we are almost in unison in ... what we want to achieve in Africa," said South African National Parks Chief Operating Officer David Mabunda.

(Editing by Tim Cocks)

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Million Dollars Worth of Illegal Ivory Seized in Africa, 41 Arrested

Environment News Service 20 May 10;

LYONS, France, May 20, 2010 (ENS) - A six-nation wildlife crime crackdown across southern Africa has resulted in the seizure of nearly 400 kilos (882 pounds) of elephant ivory and rhino horn with a market value of more than US$1 million, the location and closure of an illegal ivory factory, and the arrests of 41 people.

Co-ordinated by INTERPOL and codenamed Mogatle, the two-day operation on May 13 and 14 involved agencies across six countries � Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Nearly 200 officers from police, national wildlife, customs and national intelligence agencies carried out inspections and raids on markets and shops.

Checks were made on suspect vehicles at border crossing points. For the first time in a wildlife crime operation, sniffer dogs provided by South African and Swaziland police were used at check points at the Mozambique-Swaziland border.

"The success of Operation Mogatle is not only in relation to the seizures and arrests which have been made, but is a demonstration of the commitment of national and international law enforcement and other involved agencies to working together to combat wildlife crime," said Peter Younger, manager of INTERPOL's Africa wildlife crime program known as OASIS, for Operational Assistance, Services and Infrastructure Support.

"Taking these illegal items off the market is just the first step," said Younger. "Information gathered as part of this operation will also enable law enforcement, both in Africa and abroad, to identify smuggling routes and eventually to further arrests of other individuals involved in these crimes."

"The impact of wildlife crime is wide ranging. People are threatened with violence, law enforcement officers have been killed while carrying out their duties, and there is the wider economic impact on a country and therefore the livelihoods of ordinary people," Younger said.

Supported by INTERPOL's national central bureaus and the regional bureau in Harare, Zimbabwe, Operation Mogatle was co-ordinated by INTERPOL's OASIS Africa initiative, which is funded by the German federal government.

Additional support and funding was provided for the operation by the Humane Society of Canada and the Born Free Foundation.

INTERPOL is the world's largest international police organization, with 187 member nations. Created in 1923, and headquartered in Lyons, France, the agency facilitates cross-border police cooperation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime.

INTERPOL's OASIS program helps countries in Africa develop a global and integrated approach to fighting wildlife crime by building operational capacities for policing in the region and enhancing the ability of INTERPOL member countries to tackle crime threats nationally, regionally and globally.

Operation Mogatle is named in honor of the late Professor Keitirangi Mogatle, assistant director of the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks and principal motivator behind effective wildlife law enforcement in Botswana. It was the third multi-agency wildlife operation coordinated by INTERPOL.

The first, Operation Baba in November 2008, was named to honor the memory of Gilbert Baba, a Ghana Wildlife Department ranger who was murdered by illegal wildlife dealers a decade ago. It resulted in the arrests of nearly 60 people and the seizure of one ton of illegal elephant ivory following coordinated actions in Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.

The second, Operation Costa in November 2009, was named in honor of Constantius 'Costa' Aloysius Mlay, the former director of the Wildlife Division of the Tanzania Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. The operation took place across Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, and led to the arrest of more than 100 people and the recovery of 1.5 tons of ivory and hundreds of other illegal wildlife items.

Japanese vision – the New Strategic Plan, a decade of biodiversity and raising awareness with origami
IUCN 21 May 10;

After the scientific and technical discussions in Nairobi, the eyes of the conservation world will be moving towards Nagoya, Japan, where Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will meet in October this year to make binding decisions on the future of the world’s biodiversity. The Japan Committee for IUCN has been working to make every effort to ensure that this event, which is crucial for the future of our planet, has a high profile in Japan. Professor Masahito Yoshida is the Chair of the Japan Committee for IUCN. Here he answers questions about the Committee’s work, its role in the CBD conference and how the Japan Committee for IUCN uses origami to raise awareness of the need to conserve biodiversity, all life on earth.

During this International Year of Biodiversity, what are the most pressing issues for the Japan Committee for IUCN?

The New Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity is the most pressing issue of the International Year of Biodiversity, as it includes the post-2010 biodiversity targets. The Japan Committee for IUCN has held a series of discussions among relevant sectors including national and local governments, business sectors, overseas development aid agencies, scientists and NGOs, focusing on this issue. Together with the Japan Civil Network for CBD, the Japan Committee for IUCN is proposing the adoption of the United Nations Decade of Biodiversity for 2011 – 2020, in order to implement the New Strategic Plan with full participation of relevant sectors.

The eyes of the world will be on Japan in the run-up to the Nagoya conference – does this put added pressure on the Japan Committee?

The Japan Committee for IUCN, together with the Japan Civil Network for CBD, are working together to ensure that there’s a warm welcome for participants at the conference in Nagoya, as they make important decisions on the future of the planet. We expect biodiversity issues to be given a high priority in Japan during this International Year of Biodiversity and leading up to the October conference.

How important is it for the Japan Committee for IUCN to raise general awareness about biodiversity during this International Year of Biodiversity?

A year ago, only 40% of people knew the word "Biodiversity" and there was an urgent need to raise general awareness about conservation. A growing number of newspaper and magazine articles and extensive media coverage of biodiversity issues in the lead up to the conference in Nagoya, have helped to address this alarming problem. The Japan Committee for IUCN has also seen this as an important objective. One of its awareness-raising campaigns has been the "Origami Project", inviting people of all ages and nationalities to recreate the official logo of the CBD conference in Japan - a ‘cartoon’ set of origami animals - using the ‘origami’ paper folding technique, and to write their own 2020 target on it.

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Climate change is 'distraction' on malaria spread

Richard Black BBC News 20 May 10;

Climate change will have a tiny impact on malaria compared with our capacity to control the disease, a study finds.

Noting that malaria incidence fell over the last century, researchers calculate that control measures have at least 10 times more impact than climate factors.

Research leader Peter Gething from Oxford University described the climate link as an "unwelcome distraction" from the main issues of tackling malaria.

The paper, by scientists in the UK, US and Kenya, is published in Nature.

"We were looking to quantify something that perhaps we already knew with regard to the interaction of climate and malaria," Dr Gething told BBC News.

"A lot of the studies proposing there would be a dramatic increase in a warmer world have been met with guarded criticism, and often what's been said about them surpasses what the actual science indicates.

"So this redresses the balance a bit."
Reducing misery

The starting points for the research are other projects that mapped the range and endemicity of malaria across the world in 1900 and in 2007.

"Endemicity" is a measure of how far a disease penetrates through a population.
The last century saw deployment of anti-malarial drugs and a range of control measures, from marsh drainage to insecticides to bednets, across the tropical regions that are the disease's hinterlands.

Over the 107 years spanning these two studies, these measures were highly effective in curbing malaria.

They reduced its impact across virtually all of its range, and eliminated it in huge swathes of Asia, North America and Europe.

Yet all this happened during a century when the Earth's average temperature rose by abut 0.7C - raising the question of whether warmer temperatures and wetter conditions in some regions really would influence malaria transmission.

Plugging these figures into computer models of disease spread showed that control measures as deployed in the real world had an impact at least an order of magnitude greater than any climatic influence.

When deployed at optimum efficiency, they were about two orders of magnitude more influential.

"I'd say what we've shown is that if we can provide people with existing technologies such as drugs and bednets, we have the capacity as a global community to reduce the misery this disease causes," said Dr Gething.

"Climate change is, in our view, an unwelcome distraction from the main issues."
Uncertainty rains

Chris Drakeley, director of the Malaria Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropcial Medicine, suggested the group's conclusions were broadly correct.

"I am slightly sceptical of the furore surrounding (malaria and) climate change in the sense that we have to bear in mind there are other factors that are moving much faster than climate change," he said.

"I don't doubt climate change is happening, but we have also seen an increase in the coverage of treatment, and in the last 20 years there has been a huge amount of information and education on malaria made available in Africa; and that's all changed much faster than the climate."

Although individual studies and reports down the years have flagged up climate change as likely to increase the spread of malaria markedly, the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report did not.

It concluded that although climatic change would alter the prospects for malaria, science could not yet predict where, when and how.

Climate change was very likely to "have mixed effects on malaria; in some places the geographical range will contract, elsewhere the geographical range will expand and the transmission season may be changed," it concluded.

While correlations had been observed between disease transmission and local climate changes in some regions, "there is still much uncertainty about the potential impact of climate change on malaria at local and global scales," it said.

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