Best of our wild blogs: 19 Jul 10

"Our HOME" - a nature education programme for children by Cicada Tree Eco Place from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

Cyrene's Gems
from the brand new blog Urchin's World

first trip to cyrene reef
from another brand new blog into the wild

What can we see at Berlayar shore?
from wild shores of singapore

Is something up with the water quality at kranji mudflats?
from isn't it a wonder, how life came to be

Asian Glossy Starlings catching alate termites
from Bird Ecology Study Group

World Atlas of Mangroves: all is not lost, yet
from wild shores of singapore

Ecological science-based environmental conservation outcomes
from The Pimm Group

Read more!

Singapore oil spill: Rethinking the Measure of Growth

Wayne Arnold The New York Times 18 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE — Almost overlooked amid BP’s debacle in the Gulf of Mexico was an oil spill in the Singapore Strait, where in late May two tankers collided and disgorged the equivalent of 18,000 barrels of oil into one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

The Singapore incident was small compared with the 87-day catastrophe bubbling away in the gulf, and the Singapore authorities, responding with characteristic efficiency, mopped up the mess with booms and chemical dispersants in just six days.

But the accident served as a reminder that Asia is not invulnerable to an environmental disaster on the scale of the BP spill.

Singapore is a major refining center and transshipment point for crude oil shipments between markets in East Asia and the other oil-rich Gulf region. The quest for more plentiful and less expensive oil for fast-growing Asian economies has also brought a wave of offshore drilling from India and the Gulf of Thailand, to Vietnam and Bohai Bay, on the northeast coast of China.

In considering this risk and the increasing evidence of the toll that rapid economic development is already taking on Asia’s environment, economists and other experts in Asia have taken up the call to re-examine the prominence of economic growth as a measure of policy success, particularly the use of gross domestic product.

Asian governments have become particularly enthralled with gross domestic product statistics for validation, becoming what Vishakha Desai, the president and chief executive of the Asia Society in New York, has called “G.D.P. junkies.”

For local officials in China, gross domestic product was, until recently, more than just a barometer for gauging policies, it was the measuring stick against which their futures in the ruling Communist Party were determined. Economic growth still ranks as one of the chief criteria for determining party promotions, according to Tan Kong Yam, an economics professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore who offers a course for mayors from China.

For such officials, “there is an enormous incentive to promote investments and industrial production,” he said. “This explains why there’s enormous pollution.”

Gross domestic product has come in for some particularly hard knocks since the global financial crisis, notably after a report last year whose co-author was Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate in economics, that said reliance on gross domestic product had blinded governments to the increasing risks in the world economy since 2004.

Overlooking that risk has possibly cost future economic growth, the report said, and has contributed to a looming environmental crisis.

“Market prices are distorted by the fact that there is no charge imposed on carbon emissions,” the report said. “Clearly, measures of economic performance that reflected these environmental costs might look markedly different from standard measures.”

Economists in Asia say the debate about gross domestic product misses the point. Gross domestic product as a statistic is sound, they say; what is wrong is the fascination in government with what it measures — the sum total of a nation’s annual production.

“The problem is not G.D.P.,” said Bhanoji Rao, a visiting economics professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. “The problem is the culture of consumption.”

Mr. Rao is part of a growing body of economists, largely in academia, who question whether rapid economic growth rates in Asia — from the 10.3 percent expansion in giant-but-poor China to an expected 15 percent growth this year in tiny-but-rich Singapore — are necessarily producing a happier, healthier Asia.

Some Asian governments, China’s included, have been trying to recalibrate gross domestic product to include the cost of growth to the environment, creating a green gross domestic product. Such efforts, said Mr. Tan, the Nanyang professor, have been frustrated by the difficulty in determining the future cost of environmental destruction.

What is needed instead, some economists say, is a wholesale re-examination of development’s goals. “There needs to be an internal debate within the developing countries about what is the path of development we want to have,” Mr. Rao said.

Andy Xie, a private economist in Shanghai, has long argued that the 1.3 billion people in China cannot realistically hope to live like Americans.

“That statement is truer than ever,” he said.

Beijing, at least, appears to have gotten the message, if its investments in green technology and public transportation are anything to go by. The Communist Party has also revised the promotion criteria for officials so that environmental conditions are included along with gross domestic product.

But economists like Mr. Xie and Mr. Rao warn that even with greener development, the result may still be the same if the goal remains an American-style standard of living. Asia may instead need to carve out a vastly different vision of prosperity that does not rely on ever-increasing levels of material consumption.

And in what represents a bit of strange casting, some economists say the answer may lie in drawing on Asia’s religious traditions — Shinto, Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism — with their emphasis on harmony with nature and self-denial.

“Is there any commandment from the heavens that one must have one’s own swimming pool?” Mr. Rao said. “That one must have 10 bedrooms?”

To illustrate, he cited Mahatma Gandhi’s comment about the Earth’s providing enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.

“If G.D.P. goes down,” Mr. Rao said, “so what?”

Read more!

220kg grouper: 'The fish is listed as a vulnerable species'

Straits Times Forum 19 Jul 10;

MR HARVEY NEO: 'I find it disconcerting that the sale of a 220kg Queensland grouper (Epinephelus Lanceolatus) to a local restaurant was reported with such relish last Saturday ('Eatery dishing up 220kg monster fish'), to the point of detailing the various prized parts of the fish and how they can be cooked.

The fish is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a vulnerable species. The situation could very well be more serious because actual population data for the fish cannot be ascertained due to its rarity.

Most states in Australia have placed a partial or total ban on the fishing of the Queensland grouper as early as the 1970s. The Andaman Islands have also banned its commercial exploitation.

Such conservation efforts would come to nought if the popular press continues to glamorise the consumption of vulnerable or endangered fish species. The Queensland grouper is the world's largest reef-dwelling fish and a majestic and beautiful creature. It is a pity some can appreciate it only when it is steamed, stewed or stir-fried.'

Read more!

Flash floods stain Singapore's reputation as urban paradise

Philip Lim Yahoo News 19 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE (AFP) – Singaporeans were salvaging cars, soaked belongings and damaged goods on Sunday after a third flash flood in two months submerged low-lying areas of the city-state.

Shops and houses along posh Orchard Road were again hit by floods on Saturday after heavy rain overwhelmed the drainage system of the wealthy metropolis, which is often lauded for its excellent urban management.

The flooding took place just before parliament was to debate the issue on Monday following public clamour for explanations for earlier floods, which are normally associated with neighbouring capitals like Manila and Jakarta.

Residents in affected houses hauled out sodden furniture and opened windows and doors on Sunday after muddy water from overflowing canals receded.

"We never had floods like that," said Peter Wong, 49, a long-time resident in a row of houses in eastern Singapore invaded by calf-high floodwaters on Saturday.

"Everything was gone, the carpets as you can see are damaged, the bottom of all the sofa seats are still soaking wet now, after 24 hours. We had to replace a new fridge, the fridge is totally damaged," Wong told AFP.

"I'm trying to keep a cool head over this but it is frustrating. My life is disrupted," added the hotelier, who failed to take out insurance against "acts of God" like floods.

The Straits Times said some restaurants lost live fish stored in tanks.

A major highway was also closed for two and a half hours, while motorists and commuters had to be rescued from stranded vehicles, but there were no reports of major injuries.

Saturday's flash floods were the third since June 16.

Flash floods were a rare occurrence in Singapore until recently, with a climate expert interviewed by the Straits Times attributing the problem to regional weather phenomena such as Typhoon Conson and Indonesian squalls.

Critics had blasted the Public Utilities Board (PUB) for not being prepared to handle the first two floods, while the department defending itself by saying abnormal weather conditions and clogged drains were to blame.

The flooding issue has become so serious that the Singapore parliament is scheduled to address the problem when it convenes on Monday amid forecasts of more rain.

Read more!

Life returning to normal for those affected by Saturday's flash floods

Satish Cheney Channel NewsAsia 18 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE : Life is slowly returning to normal for some of those affected by Saturday's downpour which caused flash floods in several parts of Singapore.

But for some others, it has been a loss of revenue.

Workers were still busy clearing up water from the basement car park at Cluny Court along Bukit Timah Road on Sunday afternoon.

Cluny Court also experienced an electrical outage, and tenants were told power would be restored by Sunday evening.

Shoppers who turned up were disappointed to find many outlets closed.

"(I) just have to go to another place to get a cake. Today's my mom's birthday," said one shopper.

A wine outlet that's open at Cluny Court said business has been affected by up to 70 per cent.

A staff member explained why it was able to continue without electricity.

He said: "A situation like this, the temperature will not affect the wine drastically. So one day or half day with a temperature like this, the wine can survive."

Over at the Tessarina condominium, also in Bukit Timah, residents said everything is almost back to normal.

The basement car park was re-opened after clean-up operations were completed. - CNA /ls

Recent heavy rainfalls force rats out of rat holes
By Evelyn Choo Channel NewsAsia 18 Jul 10;

SNGAPORE : The recent heavy rainfalls are suspected to have forced rats out of their homes.

In fact, in the past year, some pest control companies said business has increased 10 to 50 per cent.

And more than half of their assignments are rat exterminations.

Although it's a rare occurrence, they believe the infestation could be linked to heavy downpours.

For instance, close to 20 rat holes can be found in a 100-metre grass patch.

When water seeps into these holes, rats are forced out into the open air.

Some pest control companies suspect the environment also plays a part, since the grass patch is juxtaposed between a food court and a canal.

They are advising stallholders to maintain cleanliness of their food and the public to bag their refuse. - CNA /ls


Flash flood frustration
Mica's Lui to speak with Mewr privately
Satish Cheney Today Online 19 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE - Like many Singaporeans on Saturday morning, Acting Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew had his morning plans thwarted by rain and flood water.

Leaving his Telok Kurau home with his wife, he had driven 30m along the street outside his home to join the main road when he saw a car stalled in the flood. He then reversed to use the exit at the other end of the street, only to encounter deep floodwaters. With both exits blocked, Mr Lui and his wife returned home.

Mr Lui, speaking on the sidelines of a community event, said he will speak to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources privately about conducting dialogues.

Affected residents would want to know how the PUB can alleviate the situation, he said, amid public clamour for explanation as to how such floods can occur in Singapore.

PUB has advised the public to exercise caution as flash floods may occur in the event of heavy storms, adding that the Marina Barrage gates were opened to maintain the water level at Marina Reservoir within the normal range.

But some exasperated residents wondered about the frequency of floods since the Marina Barrage became operational.

PUB will hold a media briefing today shortly before Parliament is scheduled to debate the problem.

Life slowly returned to normal yesterday for some of those affected by Saturday's downpour. Some suffered a loss of revenue as deep waters ruined goods in shops.

Yesterday morning, workers were still busy clearing water from the basement car park at Cluny Court along Bukit Timah Road.

There was intermittent rain late afternoon yesterday, but no flooding was reported.

On Saturday, close to 180mm of rain fell in the central and eastern areas of Singapore in just two hours. This is more than the average total monthly rainfall of 158.3mm for July.

Areas hit by floods included Telok Kurau and Opera Estate. Lucky Plaza was hit again, only a month after the Orchard Road flood, soaking the mall's basement outlets.

Ms Christina Lim, who owns the Singapore Gift Centre, said: "This is very bad. I feel that the management should do something about it because it has been happening too often."

It was a similar story nearby at Liat Towers.

Wendy's restaurant, whose interior was damaged by last month's flood, was swamped again even before it had reopened.

Over at Newton Circus, police were busy directing traffic while the Singapore Civil Defence Force rescued those trapped in stalled vehicles.

There was also drama of another kind when a Lianhe Wanbao photographer, taking pictures of the flood in Bukit Timah on Saturday, was handcuffed by a policeman for an hour.

A police statement later said he had not heeded the policeman's advice to move to a safer area, and was handcuffed as he endangered his and others' safety.

The photographer, Mr Goh Keng Soon, said he had asked the officer to let him take photos and denied what the statement said of him. Additional reporting by Alicia Wong and Dylan Loh

SMS warning system could Save Much Suffering
Leong Wee Keat Today Online 19 Jul 10;

They have hit parts of Singapore pretty much unannounced over the past month, the latest of these striking on Saturday at around 4am, entering homes, shops and buildings like a thief in the night.

This, however, is no petty thief. Insurers and businesses are still counting the costs of the weekend's flash floods.

The third in a month, they have made some Singaporeans even more insistent on answers from the authorities - particularly about the effectiveness of the national water agency's efforts, since preventive steps failed to save Orchard Road businesses from being flooded out again on Saturday.

After the first two flash floods on June 16 and June 25, the PUB's responses to the public have focused largely on engineering measures the Government has taken and will take in reducing flood-prone areas, apart from the frequency of maintenance checks on drains.

But such answers have been less than satisfactory to some people. Understandably so, in the case of someone like Mr Kazem Fadakar: The owner of a carpet shop in Changi Road suffered an estimated loss of $300,000 to floodwaters the first time, but even after he moved some of his prized hand-made Iranian stock to higher ground, he lost another $50,000 on Saturday.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, will hopefully shed more light on the issue today in Parliament, with no less than seven members having tabled questions on Singapore's ability to cope with heavy rainfall.

One measure the Government might want to consider, is how to better alert Singaporeans to impending floods, once rising water levels are detected in major canals and drains around the island.

While the preferred choice now seems to be through the traditional media - such as updates on the radio - could SMS alerts help spread the word?

This need not take time to set up. The Ministry of Defence has a notification system by which it alerts NSmen of any mobilisation exercises via their mobile and home phones. If a flashflood is imminent, PUB could leverage on the system to send out alerts to NS men, who can relay the message to family members.

This would surely result in better reaction time for businesses and homes (the flash floods on June 16 and 25 occurred before businesses opened for the day, and Saturday's occurred after people had turned in for the night).

While we receive regular SMS advertisements on our handsets, SMS warnings have not been fully utilised as a means of disseminating public information.

Surely, a simple SMS warning system makes sense as a form of civil defence preparedness. To widen the net further, alerts could go out on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

The PUB could also take a leaf from another public agency that deals regularly with the public's gripes - the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The latter has lately introduced community relations officers who meet with grassroots leaders and citizens to discuss transport issues in the constituency.

Now that the maintenance of drains has been outsourced to private contractors, the PUB needs a face in the community - and boots on the ground - to work on identifying potential problems before they become the next clogged culvert in the drainage network.

Some experts say climate change may be transforming rainfall patterns and unleashing floods. As the PUB reviews whether Singapore's drainage system is structurally adequate, it must also look at how it can better communicate with residents. If no tropical island can ever be flood-free, then Singaporeans should at least be given the information as quickly as possible, to decide on the action to take to protect their property.

Lui wants PUB to explain floods to residents
Tessa Wong Straits Times 19 Jul 10;

A DAY after floods hit Singapore for the third time within five weeks, Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew would like national water agency PUB to meet affected residents to explain the situation.

Mr Lui, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said that he would speak privately with the environment ministry about conducting on-the-ground dialogues.

'I think the most important thing is for people to have an explanation and better understanding of what the situation is, as well as to know what plans PUB has in place to alleviate the situation,' said Mr Lui, speaking on the sidelines of a community event yesterday.

He added: 'I know the PUB must be also very concerned about the situation. They are doing the best that they can. Some of the plans they have to improve the drainage will, of course, take time.

'But nonetheless I think being able to touch base with people on the ground is important at this point of time.'

He said that a few parts of his constituency, such as Cambridge Road and Dorset Road, were affected, 'worse than the two previous occasions in June'.

Mr Lui himself, together with his wife, had difficulty leaving their Telok Kurau home on Saturday morning.

'When we got out of the house, within 30m we could see a car stalled, so we quickly reversed and went the other way. We went along Lorong L, and halfway through, we said 'the water is too high', we reversed and got out as well.'

Meanwhile, one Lorong L resident plans to quit the area soon.

Pub owner Adrian Houghton, 38, who has been living in a rented house on the street with his wife and 15-year-old daughter for more than a year, wants to end his lease as soon as possible.

It was the second time his home had been flooded in the past three weeks.

Questions about the recent floods are set to dominate today's Parliament sitting.

Photographer taking flood pictures handcuffed
Straits Times 19 Jul 10;

THE flood last Saturday morning dampened the mood not just of residents afflicted by it but also that of photojournalist Shafie Goh.

The 57-year-old veteran Lianhe Wanbao photojournalist was snapping shots of the flood in the Bukit Timah area when he was told by a policeman to move away. Minutes later, he was handcuffed.

He was not wearing any media identification and police did not know he was from the Chinese press.

Mr Goh said he was asked to go only once and was about to leave when the police handcuffed him. The police, however, said that they had repeatedly asked Mr Goh to leave before they resorted to the handcuffs.

Speaking to The Straits Times yesterday, Mr Goh said he was standing on a manhole trying to get a picture of some partially submerged cars when he was told by an officer to leave.

'I told him to allow me to take one more frame and was about to walk away, when he came from behind and handcuffed me,' he said.

The police said in a statement yesterday that officers had repeatedly asked Mr Goh to move to a safe place as he was taking photographs in a dangerous position. But the man refused to comply with the request and later continued walking along the road divider, snapping pictures.

A spokesman said: 'As he was causing obstruction to the police officer in the discharge of his duties and causing danger to himself and others, the officers decided to restrain him and move him to safe ground. But the man resisted and put up a struggle.'

The officers then had to handcuff him.

Mr Goh said that although he was handcuffed for only five minutes, he had to wait an hour to have his statement taken.

Police have classified the case under Section 186 of the Penal Code, about obstructing a public servant in discharge of his public functions.

Investigations are ongoing.

MAVIS TOH

Read more!

HDB gardens cultivate public spirit

Residents' efforts in tending, harvesting produce bear fruit
Hoe Pei Shan Straits Times 19 Jul 10;

MORNINGS for most people are usually a whirlwind of alarms, hurried showers and skipped breakfasts before work, but not so for avid gardener Alice Tan.

The 49-year-old banking officer can be found in her Pasir Ris neighbourhood's community garden every morning, tending to its variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs before going to work.

'There's something fulfilling about starting my day here and being close to nature,' she told The Straits Times.

About half the size of a basketball court, the garden at Block 565, Pasir Ris Street 51, was started by some residents eight years ago.

Madam Tan is among some 50 residents who devote their mornings to the chilli padi, bittergourds and papayas, among many other fruit and vegetables, being grown for communal use.

Each family is in charge of a small plot, measuring about 1m by 2m - from buying the seeds to deciding what should be planted. Duties such as watering and making compost are rostered, and those who want produce need only ask the plot owners. No money is charged, based on the understanding that the garden is shared.

Once a month, some of the greens are harvested to be sold at 'very cheap rates' at a flea market just two blocks away.

All the profits are channelled back into the maintenance of the garden.

Said Madam Tan: 'Rather than buy food that has been coated with chemical pesticides, residents can enjoy our pesticide-free greens. Selling our produce is another way to get more people aware that we have a garden right outside our homes, and hopefully encourage them to join us in this community effort.'

Madam Tan is not alone in her effort to spread the idea of urban gardens. From zero established community gardens five years ago, there are now 390 - in public and private residential areas, corporate estates and schools.

In Ang Mo Kio, gardening enthusiasts have turned a once-bare slope of grass near Block 633 into a lush plot of spices and herbs.

Both gardens won Platinum Awards in the recent Community in Bloom Awards - a biennial competition organised by the National Parks Board to recognise and reward excellence in community gardening - and are participating in the ongoing Singapore Garden Festival at the Suntec International Convention Centre.

The Yio Chu Kang Zone 8 Residents' Committee, which oversees the Ang Mo Kio garden, can recommend herbs from the garden to cure a host of ailments.

'There is even one plant we feed to sick cats to stop them from vomiting,' said RC chairman Lim Hai Hoy, pointing to one of the 100 or so species.

Mostly senior citizens, the gardeners jot down daily reports on the plants' growth, and consult books on botany and herbal medicine to find remedies.

But growing a communal garden can bring out the worst in people, too, as the gardeners have discovered.

Retiree Soh Hong Huat said: 'People come to us for help, and we are more than willing to let them take what they need from the garden, but some just abuse this goodwill and pluck what they want at random, killing some plants.'

Vandalism has also struck the Pasir Ris garden - plots were trampled on, vegetables ripped up, and flowers plucked.

The abuse forced the Pasir Ris Zone 5 RC to erect a fence around the garden six years ago. But even now, there are passers-by who grab fruit and break off parts of plants growing close to the perimeter.

However, the community gardeners believe the situation is improving, as people gradually come to appreciate having such bounty in their midst.

Said Mr Soh: 'These are gardens for everybody, and we have seen an improvement in attitudes as more realise they can benefit from what is grown here.'

Read more!

Found: Sri Lankan primate thought to be extinct for 60 years

Researchers photograph and measure the Horton Plains slender loris, but fear there could be fewer than 100 left alive
Lewis Smith The Guardian 19 Jul 10;

A mysterious primate driven to the brink of extinction by Britain's taste for tea has been photographed for the first time. The Horton Plains slender loris, found only in Sri Lanka, was for more than 60 years believed to be extinct.
Then one was spotted fleetingly in 2002 when a light shone in its eyes and was reflected. Researchers have now managed to get the world's first pictures of the animal.

More than 1,000 night surveys were carried out in 120 forested regions by Sri Lankan researchers working in partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The loris was found in half a dozen regions and researchers managed to capture three live specimens long enough to measure them.

The prime reason for the animal's rarity is the loss of its natural forest habitat, which has been largely destroyed by the drive to create tea plantations. The loss of land to other crops also contributed.

Estimates suggest there are just 100 left, putting it among the world's top five most threatened primates. But so little is known about the animal that numbers could be below 60 – which would make it the rarest species.

Dr Craig Turner of ZSL said: "There's been a lot of loss of habitat historically. Forest covered much of the south-west area of Sri Lanka, but it's been cleared for agriculture and tea estates.

"More recently they've been cleared for firewood collection. We are now left with a very few islands of forest that aren't connected.

"Because they [lorises] are so rare and because for many years they were thought to be extinct, virtually nothing is known about them."

Rare Sri Lankan primate gets 1st wide-eyed closeup
Krishan Francis, Associated Press Yahoo News 19 Jul 10;

GALLE, Sri Lanka – A nocturnal, forest-dwelling primate with orb-like eyes and short limbs was photographed in central Sri Lanka late last year after being feared extinct, researchers said Monday.

A Horton Plains slender loris was caught on camera after lengthy surveys of the forest by researchers from the Zoological Society of London, the University of Colombo and the Open University of Sri Lanka.

Team leader Saman Gamage said the mammal was not sighted for more than 60 years until in 2002 a researcher reported spotting its eyes during a search - inspiring the effort to view it fully and photograph it to prove the primate existed.

"We are thrilled to have captured the first ever photographs and prove its continued existence," said Craig Turner, a conservation biologist with the Zoological Society.

The primate's population is thought to have begun dwindling in the mountain forest habitat after British colonial rulers from the 19th century cleared large tracts of forest for coffee and tea plantations, Gamage said.

Logging, agriculture and development made it hard for the lorises to find food, escape threats or meet mates.

Turner, a conservation biologist at the Zoological Society of London, said only one or two sightings occurred between 1937 and 2002. Despite repeated attempts to find it, there were no sightings between 2002 and 2009.

"People, including ourselves, had begun to think: 'Yeah, maybe it has disappeared'," he said.

Given its size and nocturnal habits, the eight-inch (20-centimer) beast was tough to find. But the giveaway was in its eerily large, night-vision eyes. Scientists combed the forest canopy with red-filtered flashlights - eventually catching sight of the loris.

"You get a very distinct red eyeshine reflecting from the loris," Turner told The Associated Press. "That's how we picked up on the initial presence of the species."

Turner said scientists were then able to briefly capture the primate, taking measurements and genetic material before releasing it back into the wild. He said the critter's orb-like peepers and gangly limbs made it an easy sell to the general population.

"It's a very appealing species," he said.

Gamage said more of the lorises are thought to live in small patches of forest in Sri Lanka's hill country.

___

Associated Press Writer Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

Wide-eyed primate caught on camera for first time
Yahoo News 19 Jul 10;

LONDON (AFP) – A "cute" primate so rare it was thought to be extinct has been caught on camera in the forests of Sri Lanka for the first time, scientists said Monday.

The Horton Plains slender loris is a small, nocturnal animal which can grow up to 17 centimetres (six inches) long with big, bulging eyes.

Endemic to Sri Lanka, it was first discovered in 1937 but had only been seen four times since then.

Scientists last caught a glimpse of the primate in 2002, and believed the elusive animal had since died out.

But field researchers, working with the Zoological Society of London, managed to track down the mysterious creature in the forests of central Sri Lanka.

In a world first, they were able to take pictures of an adult male slender loris sitting on a tree branch.

The field team was able to capture one of the creatures and give it a physical examination, the first time that has ever been done, before releasing it back into the wild.

But experts warned that deforestation in Sri Lanka -- largely blamed on the drive to create tea plantations in the region -- was now the biggest threat to the loris.

Craig Turner, a conservation biologist at the ZSL, said their natural forest habitat had been divided up for farming and logging use, cutting off the "very cute" animals from their partners.

"The forest has now been fragmented into a series of small islands," Turner told BBC radio.

"They can't move to one another, they can't mate, breed, so it has real implications for the future persistence of the species."

Read more!

Coral reefs suffer mass bleaching

Coral reefs are suffering widespread damage in what is set to be one of the worst years ever for the delicate and beautiful habitats.
Richard Gray, The Telegraph 18 Jul 10;

The phenomenon, known as coral bleaching because the reefs turn bone white when the colourful algae that give the coral its colour and food is lost, has been reported throughout south east Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

Divers and scientists have described huge areas of previously pristine reef being turned into barren white undersea landscapes off the coast of Thailand and Indonesia.

The popular island tourist destination the Maldives have also suffered severe bleaching. Reefs in the Caribbean could also be under threat.

High ocean temperatures this year are being blamed for the bleaching, which experts fear could be worse than a similar event in 1998 which saw an estimated 16 per cent of the world's reefs being destroyed.

Dr Mark Eakin, coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Reef Watch, said: "The bleaching is very strong throughout south east Asia and the central Indian Ocean.

"The reports are that it is the worst since 1997/1998. This is a really huge event and we are going to see a lot of corals dying."

Coral reefs provide refuge and food to nearly a quarter of all marine species, making them among the most biologically diverse habitats on the planet. Bleaching can also rob fish and other species of important shelter and food sources.

Although reefs can often recover from bleaching, it leaves the coral vulnerable to damage from storms, infections and other environmental stress, increasing the risk of deaths.

Coral reef monitoring teams have reported mass bleaching of coral reefs off the coast of Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia while the Maldives, Sri Lanka and reefs off the coast of east Africa have also been hit.

With ocean temperatures reaching record levels and combined with the end of an El Nino episode, scientists fear there could be even more damage to corals as the year continues.

Scientists in Thailand have reported reefs suffering 90% of their corals being bleached and up to 20% of the corals dead.

Olivia Durkin, who is leading the bleaching monitoring at the Centre for Biodiversity in Peninsular Thailand, said: "This year's severe coral bleaching has the potential to be the worst on record.

"Extensive bleaching, death and disease are reported not only in corals, but giant clams, sea anemones and soft corals are also losing their symbiotic algae."

Corals are a delicate combination of animal, algae and rock that form intricate undersea structures, providing shelter for thousands of brightly coloured fish and also acting as nurseries for the young of many larger open sea fish.

Coral colonies are made up of polyps, which secrete a stony skeleton that forms the intricate and delicate looking structures. A microscopic algae known as zooxanthellae live within the coral where they convert energy from the sun into food for the coral animals.

Bleaching usually occurs when ocean temperatures exceed a threshold that is around one degree higher than the average seen during the warmest summer months.

Although scientists do not fully understand why it happens, bleaching is thought to occur when these prolonged periods of these high temperatures combine with excessive sunlight levels.

This causes the symbiotic algae in the coral to become over active, causing it to poison the coral host and leading to the coral expelling the algae into the surrounding water to defend itself.

Without the algae to provide food and nutrition, the corals grow weak and leaves them vulnerable to disease and damage from storms.

In many cases the coral dies, leaving an undersea wasteland that quickly becomes infested with weedlike algae which covers every surface.

It can take corals between 10 and 70 years to recover from such bleaching events. Climate scientists have also warned that bleaching will become more common as global temperatures continue to rise.

Research published on Friday in the journal Science showed that coral growth in the Red Sea has declined by a third over the past 12 years due to rising temperatures and warned that coral there would cease growing entirely by 2070 if warming continues.

Volunteers in Cambodia say this year they have seen bleaching of 90% to 100% of the shallow water reefs around the country's coast Koh Rong and Koh rong Semleon Islands after water temperatures rose by 3 degrees.

Half of the reefs off Weh, in Indonesia have seen 80% of their corals bleached.

Stuart Campbell, director of marines programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society in Indonesia, said: "This is an unfortunate situation, as coral reefs of northern Aceh have shown remarkable resilience in the aftermath of the tsunami which hit the area in December 2004.

"In May 4% of colonies were recorded dead. The level of coral mortality that will occur in all is still unknown."

Many of the reefs in the Pacific that have been hit had survived previous bleaching events with little impact.

The reefs at Lord Howe Island about 370 miles off the east coast of Australia. which are a World Heritage Site for their unique beauty and biodiversity, have also been hit by its largest ever recorded bleaching event.

Reefs in the Maldives have been slowly recovering since high ocean temperatures in 1998 caused widespread bleaching of corals around the world. Biologists fear this new bleaching will damage the already vulnerable reef further.

Mayotte, which is off the coast of northern Madagascar, has suffered high levels of mortality in the wake of the bleaching.

There are also concerns that the bleaching could spread to popular tourist reefs in the Caribbean after temperatures there have been high since the start of the year.

Dr Eakin added: "This year may be a tough year in the Caribbean. It all depends on what the tropical storms do.

"When I visited Thailand a couple of weeks ago, it was an eerie experience to look around to see white in places that should have been full of bright colours and life. It was almost worse than looking at a dead reef, because what we were looking at was a reef that was right on the verge of dying."

"It doesn't just effect the corals themselves but the fish that live there. There were anemone fish sitting in the middle of bleached anemone behaving strangely and not defending their territory. It was like they were a little stunned.

"For species that feed on coral, this is even worse for them."

There are also concerns for the health of native UK corals growing off the coast after species such as the pink sea fan have been devastated by disease.

Read more!

Nations to seek clean energy cooperation

Shaun Tandon Yahoo News 19 Jul 10;

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The world's top economies will look next week at ways to work together on clean energy, striking a rare note of cooperation amid an impasse in drafting a new climate change treaty.

Energy ministers or senior officials from 21 nations will gather Monday and Tuesday in Washington in an initiative by President Barack Obama's administration, which has made the creation of green jobs a top priority.

The US Energy Department said the two-day meeting will feature announcements of joint initiatives among the major economies, who together account for 80 percent of the world's gross domestic product.

Major economies have been at loggerheads over the shape of the next climate treaty, with developed nations seeking binding commitments from emerging economies such as China to cut carbon emissions blamed for global warming.

Clean energy has been considered one area of common interest. Obama signed a five-year, 150 million-dollar plan during a trip to China last year for the world's two biggest polluters to collaborate on developing electric cars and clean coal.

"The development of clean energy and energy-efficient technologies could spur the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century," US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said at the White House on Friday.

"The race is wide open for which country will become the epicenter of clean energy innovation, and the destination for the capital, businesses and jobs that come with it."

The Obama administration has often bemoaned that the United States is behind many European and Asian nations in developing green technology. But it said the meeting will look at ways in which nations can work together.

Areas for discussion include energy-efficiency standards, solar and wind power, and ways to provide energy to those without, said David Sandalow, the US assistant secretary of energy for international affairs.

Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, doubted the meeting would sort out thorny issues in the talks to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, whose obligations run out in 2012.

"But if this is the low-hanging fruit that can show that countries can cooperate to get something done together, that could improve the mood," he said.

Terje Riis-Johansen, Norway's minister for petroleum and energy, praised the United States for convening the meeting and hoped it would "establish a global partnership to raise production of and access to clean energy."

"A greater reliance on clean energy is needed to solve climate change," he said. The minister also plans to visit New Orleans to learn lessons of the BP spill for Norway, whose oil and gas industry is almost entirely offshore.

The countries taking part in the talks are Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger will also participate. Indonesia was invited but its minister had a scheduling conflict, Sandalow said.

The meeting in Washington comes as Obama presses Congress to approve the first-ever US plan to require carbon emission cuts. The House of Representatives approved a plan more than a year ago, but legislation has faced dogged opposition in the Senate.

Read more!