Best of our wild blogs: 13 Aug 10

First trip to Terumbu Pempang Laut
from wild shores of singapore and into the wild

Who would have thought ...
from Life's Indulgences

Oriental Magpie Robin: Vocalisation
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Severe Floods in Singapore Trigger Insured Losses of S$22.9 Million

Insurance News Net 12 Aug 10;

Singapore's nonlife insurance industry paid S$22.9 million (US$16.8 million) in claims related to three severe floods in the central business district caused by heavy rains in June and July, according to the General Insurance Association of Singapore.

The large amount of insured loss and risk exposure to floods may lead to a rise in nonlife premium rates. "If these floods persist, and there is a corresponding damage to properties and vehicles, we are likely to see an impact on premiums, especially for those places and localities frequently affected," said a GIA spokesperson.

Of the S$22.9 million in claims paid by about 20 insurers, motor insurance claims amounted S$11.6 million and S$11.3 million was paid for property damage and business interruption.

There were 428 claims for motor insurance and 440 for property and business losses from both commercial and individual segments which were affected by the two floods in June and one in July.

Singapore's nonlife insurance penetration [premiums as a percentage of gross domestic product] was 1.7% in 2009, compared to the global average of 3%, according to Swiss Re's sigma report.

Heavy rain, which was more than 60% of the average monthly rainfall amount, led to flooding in many buildings, shops and basement car parks. Singapore's central Orchard Road and Scotts Road areas were worst hit by the floods, making roads impassable to cars. The type of flash flood seen in these storms was unusual in Singapore, according GIA's spokesperson.

Singapore's nonlife insurance industry reported total net premiums of S$2.24 billion in 2009, down from S$2.32 billion a year earlier. The incurred loss ratio stood at 56% in 2009, down from 58% in 2008, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Motor insurance had a loss ratio of 75% in 2009, which was highest among nonlife lines.

(By Iris Lai, Hong Kong bureau manager: Iris.Lai@ambest.com)

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Liat Towers gets pop-up flood gate

60cm barrier will rise from pavement only when there is a threat of flood
Victoria Vaughan & Amresh Gunasingham Straits Times 13 Aug 10;

THE flood defence method of choice at Liat Towers in Orchard Road will be a pop-up barrier.

The first of its kind here, the $100,000 mechanism will make an appearance only when floods threaten, rising out of the pavement when activated to fit into a stainless steel frame.

In drier times, it will lie flush against the pavement in front of the mall.

The 60cm barrier - low enough for most people to stride over when raised - will stretch from the Orange Julius food and drink outlet near the Paterson Road side of the building to the Hermes boutique on the Angullia Park side.

The technology for it was adapted from a similar system installed in the Marina Bay Sands casino. If a fire breaks out there, a glass panel in the skylight will rise to let the smoke out.

Designer Jwee Quek of design and construction company Parafoil said: 'We've modified the design to act as a flood defence for Liat Towers. It is unique as it operates without the use of electricity.'

He explained that the panels will be held down by an electromagnetic lock. When the lock is switched off, the panels will rise to fit into the steel frame, which will be decorated to blend in with the look of the building and its surroundings.

The Liat Towers system will be activated by a key switch and an alarm. Yellow beacons will flash to warn pedestrians to steer clear of the rising panels.

Mr Chik Hai Lam, a supervisor at Goldvein which owns Liat Towers, expects work to begin by the end of the month and to be completed in three months. He said during the works, the pavement will need to be excavated about 0.33m deep.

Goldvein will bear the cost of the barrier.

Unusually heavy rain triggered floods on June 16 and 25 and on July 17 this year. The shops in Liat Towers, particularly those below street level, lost business from having to be shut for repairs; their loss of stocks ruined by rainwater also ran into millions of dollars.

Since July 17, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has issued 13 heavy-rain warnings, although this is not considered unusual.

The latest went out on Wednesday at about 1pm, when Little India, MacPherson and Seletar were flooded.

In Veerasamy Road in Little India, the water was about ankle-deep, although it subsided in 30 minutes.

National water agency PUB said the areas where flash floods struck that day - Little India, Kampong Ampat and Seletar - were known flooding hot spots because they were low-lying areas.

Drains in these areas will be widened by the end of the year, it added.

The floods of June and last month were unusual, given that wetter weather normally comes in the last three months of the year.

The NEA said that rainfall in the first two weeks of this month, at 176mm, was around the average for the month.

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Heat and rain take their toll on crops

Weather woes hurt crops, push up prices
Esther Teo Straits Times 13 Aug 10;

A PERFECT storm of bad weather, drought and fires has devastated key crops and harvests across the world and sent the prices of basic food products soaring in recent weeks.

Coffee, wheat, sugar, corn, garlic and soya beans have all been affected although consumers have yet to feel the effects here with suppliers and middlemen willing to take the hit so far.

But if the supply squeeze worsens, prices will stay high or go higher and the flow-on effect will eventually reach coffee shops, hawker centres and supermarkets.

The pressure points are being felt across most of the key food groups and in many agricultural producers.

Wheat prices have more than doubled since the end of June, mainly because severe drought and wildfires in Russia - the world's third-largest producer - have destroyed up to a fifth of the country's crop. Rain has also cut Canadian output while dry weather in Kazakhstan and Ukraine has brought poorer harvests.

Sugar prices have surged about 30 per cent in three months, due to heavy rain in Brazil and India, while corn is up 7.8 per cent over the same period and soya beans are 8.3 per cent more expensive.

There is speculation that Russia - the world's third-biggest sugar importer - will boost purchases as the worst drought in at least half a century damages sugar beet crops.

Floods in China and rising seed costs have also limited the supply of garlic. China is the world's top producer, accounting for 77 per cent of global production.

Coffee hit a 13-year high last month with prices shooting up by 21 per cent since the beginning of this year, according to London-based International Coffee Organisation. Its average price last month of US$1.53 per pound was the highest monthly average since June 1997.

Unusually heavy rainfall in Brazil and Indonesia has damaged coffee bean quality. Indonesia's main harvest is being brought in only now after a delay of three months as rain made it tough for coffee cherries to ripen. Farmers have also struggled to dry beans because of a lack of sunshine.

The high prices are bringing some pain to suppliers and other middlemen but they have not fully trickled down to consumers here yet - though that could just be a matter of time.

Singapore Food Manufacturers' Association deputy president Wong Mong Hong said the drastic rise in wheat prices would probably impact Singaporeans the most as the commodity is used in a wide variety of items, including noodles and bread.

But price rises in other goods will be felt only 'marginally' as middlemen might temporarily absorb any increased cost. Suppliers also usually keep up to four months of stock, he added.

'Some firms might already be gradually passing the cost down to consumers... It depends on each firm and it's hard to say when exactly increases in prices might happen,' Mr Wong added.

Last week, Prima, the largest wheat importer here, said it plans to raise flour prices gradually and in phases as the price surge has had a 'definite impact'.

Mr Hong Poh Hin, chairman of the Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association, said that most coffee shops were still holding prices steady.

Suppliers usually buy on future prices for about six months to a year. It will be only in the next three months when some start buying new batches of coffee that they might be faced with higher costs and in turn pass them on to consumers, he said.

Sheng Siong Supermarket said it 'tries as much as possible not to pass any increment in costs to our customers', said a spokesman. 'Any retail price increase would be a last resort.'

NTUC FairPrice also said that its supply and prices of essential items remain relatively stable due to its policy of forward buying and diversified sourcing from all over the world.

Mr Tng Ah Yiam, managing director (purchasing, merchandising and international trading) at NTUC FairPrice, said: 'In the event that our suppliers choose to increase their prices, FairPrice will check to ensure that the increase is reasonable.'

Nestle Singapore said it does not plan to raise the prices of its wheat- and corn-based breakfast cereals while Jollibean Foods said that it would keep prices unchanged despite the increased cost of its ingredients like soya beans and wheat flour.

Mr Thomas Pek, managing director of Tai Hua Food Industries which manufactures soya sauce, said that despite a 10 per cent increase in soya bean prices, he would be keeping the cost of his product unchanged.

'If we can survive, we won't increase the price... unless it is really very tough for us. We are making a widely-used consumer product and it is our responsibility to society to maintain prices if possible,' he said.

Mr Irvin Seah, an economist with DBS Bank, said many suppliers were reluctant to increase prices given the highly competitive food industry here.

However, with the convergence of higher wages, rent and raw material costs, suppliers or manufacturers would be hard-pressed not to raise their prices, he said.

'All factors point towards higher food prices, it's just a matter of time... The recent surge in commodity prices might result in an added squeeze, providing the impetus for suppliers to raise prices.'

Mr Abah Ofon, StanChart commodities research analyst for global markets, added that as a rule of thumb, it would take three to six months of sustained high prices before these feed through into higher retail prices.

However, he said the wheat market had reacted in knee-jerk fashion despite ample supplies. Global corn and soya bean stocks are sufficient as a large harvest in the Americas should dampen upside momentum, he said, adding sugar and coffee prices should also moderate as the season progresses due to significant improvement in global production.

The Government said on Tuesday that surging wheat prices have yet to make a significant impact on prices here as the Russian wheat crisis was only a temporary hit to supply and that Singapore's sources of food imports are extremely diversified.

Wheat: Prices have surged 50% since June

PRICES have shot up around 50 per cent since June, the most dramatic rise in more than 30 years, and bread, pasta and breakfast cereal all look likely to become more expensive.

Drought and fires in Russia and heavy rain elsewhere have devastated harvests, sending the price of a bushel from about US$4 two months ago to US$6.34.

In Singapore, major flour supplier Prima has already warned that it will increase prices gradually, although it imports wheat mainly from Australia, the United States and Canada.

However, a recent HSBC report said that global stocks of wheat are far higher today than during the last food price scare of 2007 and 2008, with about 528 million tonnes in reserve, compared with 427 million tonnes when the price of the grain soared above US$12 a bushel.

Coffee: Prices jump 20%

PRICES have surged about 20 per cent to around US$1.53 per pound in three months, due largely to unusually heavy rain affecting harvests in Brazil and Indonesia.

Vietnam - the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil - has also had poorer harvests.

Indonesia's main harvest has been delayed to June-August from March-May as rain affected ripening while farmers have had trouble drying beans because of a lack of sunshine.

The International Coffee Organisation (ICO) said world exports between October and April dropped by 8.1 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier.

Industry players say higher prices are unlikely to feed through to supermarket shelves immediately as retailers and cafes wait to see if the situation improves.

Mr Melvin Seah, general manager of Hui Yee Coffee Manufacturer, said that although the cost of coffee beans has risen by about 10 per cent, his firm is absorbing the increase. 'Prices now are very volatile. If there is another 10 to 20 per cent hike in coffee prices, then we'll definitely have to consider increasing our prices.'

Soya: Prices up 8%

PRICES are up 8.3 per cent in three months due to wet conditions in Iowa that have put key crops at risk.

The mid-west American state produces nearly 20 per cent of the total US corn crop and 15 per cent of its soya beans.

In India, a lack of rain in vast parts of the growing area of Madhya Pradesh has also hit harvests.

Mr Thomas Pek, managing director of Tai Hua Food Industries, which manufactures soya sauce, said he will keep the cost of his product unchanged.

Jollibean Foods will also keep prices of its soya-based products like soya milk unchanged for now.

Sugar: Prices rise 26% in 3 months

SUGAR is not looking as sweet after prices surged more than 26 per cent over the last three months.

Heavy rain has disrupted shipments from top producers Brazil and India, leaving ships waiting outside the ports.

There was a record number of ships lined up outside Brazil's ports as they were forced to stop sugar loading because humidity ruins the product.

Meanwhile, devastating floods in Pakistan and the severe heatwave in Russia have disrupted sugar beet harvests and are likely to send imports up, putting a further squeeze on sugar supplies.

Prices on the sugar spot index have risen from 19.12 US cents a pound in May to 24.16 US cents.

Most of Singapore's sugar comes from Australia and Thailand, while about a fifth comes from Malaysia.

Sheng Siong Supermarket said that despite higher global sugar prices, it has kept retail prices the same.

REPORTS: ROBIN CHAN, ESTHER TEO

Chinese herb prices soar following China natural disasters
Ng Lian Cheong and Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 12 Aug 10;

SINGAPORE: Natural disasters in China have disrupted the supply of Chinese herbs, causing prices to go up.

Changbai Mountain Ginseng, Pseudostellaria (Tai Zi Shen), Herba Lophatheri (Qi Zhu Ye) and dried Prunella (Xia Ku Cao) are some of the popular Chinese herbs among consumers here.

But their supply has been disrupted lately with farms wreaked by natural disasters in China.

A supplier said prices for the majority of herbs have gone up by 10 to 80 per cent.

Given the current situation, some farmers are also reluctant to sell what they have.

Suppliers said they would try to absorb the increased cost as much as they can, before passing it on to consumers.

-CNA/wk

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Tiger habitat in Bukit Betabuh, Riau threatened

Antara 12 Aug 10;

Kuangtang Singingi, Riau (ANTARA News) - From day to day, habitat of Sumatran tiger or Panthera Tigris Sumatrae in Betabuh Bukit forest state, Kuantan Singingi, Riau, become more endangered since the forest encroachment.

According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Riau office`s spokesperson, Syamsidar, 25 thousand acres of forest is set as the state forest in 1997. WWF research found that the water absorbing forest territory is used by the Singingi sub-district and also as the potential area for Sumatran Tiger habitat

"According to intensive WWF`s research since last year, we can say that at least 10 Sumatran tiger live in the area. There are hundreds of photo and video to support this result.", said Syamsidar in Kuantan Singingi on Wednesday.

In addition, he said, the number of tiger in this area is bigger that tiger that was found in Tigapuluh Hill National Forest (TNBT). Based on WWF research, there are just 8 sumatran tiger in TNBT.

"The research in TNBT needs three years to detect 8 Sumatran tigers, while the research on Bukit Betabuh just begun from last year," he added.

WWF predict that there are more number of tigers that live in the area because the tigers` footprints that found in road path in Bukit Betabuh.

The footprints are bigger than footprints from other tigers from other region. Besides, the video that WWF put since last year also record the parent and its child went outside in the same time.

But unfortunately, the expanding of palm plantation to this region threatened the live hood of this protected animals, he said

The area of palm plantations in Bukit Betabuh forest state is spreading until 100 acres. According to Darno (42), one of the worker, the owner of the palm plantation is Akim and Cipto. Both are businessman from Baserah who lived in Pekanbaru.

"There was Forestry Office in this area. They said that the palm plantation against the rule, but now there?s no continuity action." Darno said while laughing.

According to plantation supervisor, Sigit, he doesn`t know that the palm plantation is part of the forest state. His job is just to supervise the plantation area with his 14 co-workers.

Based on ANTARA monitoring from the entry gate to the Bukit Betabuh area, there is no signpost showing that the area is a forest state. Local people said that the signpost has been pull out by strangers few years ago.

60,000 trees for critical Sumatran tiger’s habitat
WWF 13 Aug 10;

Jakarta, Indonesia – A three-month old initiative by WWF in Indonesia and Germany has led to the planting of almost 60,000 new trees as part of efforts to reforest critical tiger habitat on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Known as “Forest Friends”, the initiative is targeted at 18 to 25 year-old youths using social networking tools. Under the initiative, three youths each from Indonesia and Germany were selected, after an intense month-long selection, to compete for fans and raise support for forest conservation through blogging. Through Forest Friends, which is also accessible on Facebook, the youths communicate and share their views via articles, video and photo uploads.

“WWF sees social networking media as an opportunity to extend its conservation messages to younger audiences,” said Dr. Efransjah, WWF Indonesia’s Chief Executive. “Internet and social networking sites enable real-time, fast and fun communication around the world, and offer a very efficient and effective way to share WWF’s message. The online initiative also allows our youths to communicate and engage in dialogues across national borders.”

Working in pairs – one youth from each of the two countries – the six youths have, since May, been sharing their views and practical tips on forest and biodiversity conservation, and asking fellow youths to show real commitment and contribution to save the Earth. For each fan they receive, WWF and its partners will pledge to plant 10 trees in Tesso Nilo National Park, a critical tiger habitat on Sumatra.

“The competition has enabled the six finalists to form friendships and bond through sharing information on forest conservation, environmentally-friendly lifestyles and other conservation related activities,” said Desmarita Murni, Forest, Species and Fresh Water Program Communication Coordinator at WWF-Indonesia. “Only a month after the initiative started, each team had raised more than 10,000 trees through attracting a wide fan base. The number is increasing daily.”

The winning team will be determined in September by the number of fans it attracts and its actual contribution towards forest rehabilitation. Winners get to visit the Tesso Nilo National Park and Germany’s Schaalsee Nature Park.

“We are pleased with the enthusiastic support the Forest Friends initiative is receiving,” said Desmarita. “We believe that Forest Friends is an innovative platform to engage with today’s internet-savvy youths who care about what is happening to the natural world, and want to be heard and contribute.”

Forest Friends is an integral part of WWF’s Year of the Tiger Campaign, which is aimed at doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. The Sumatran tiger is the only tiger sub-species left in Indonesia and one of the world’s six remaining tiger sub-species. It is threatened by habitat destruction, illegal poaching and trading, as well as insufficient prey. One of the most important Sumatran tiger habitats is Tesso Nilo National Park. Camera and video traps installed by WWF-Indonesia’s Tiger Research Team have shown the existence of a wild tiger population here.

Despite harbouring several endangered species – the tiger, elephant, orang utan and rhino – and diverse forest types including carbon-rich peatlands, Sumatra has one of the world’s highest rates of natural forest loss, due to transmigration, large-scale pulp and paper and palm oil production, and other development. Between 1985 and 2007, the island lost 12 million hectares of natural forest, a 48 percent loss in 22 years. By 2007, the island had only 30 percent of its forest cover left.

WWF-Indonesia will also send two youths to the Youth Tiger Summit, where delegates from all 13 tiger range countries and countries supporting tiger conservation will gather. The summit will be held concurrently with the Heads of Government Tiger Summit in Russia later this year.

Following are profiles of the three Indonesian Forest Friends:

Rima Putri Agustina
Rima Putri Agustina, 24, is passionate about environmental issues. Her passion grew from when she joined Bumi Satu, an environmental student organization in her high school. Rima lives in the outskirts of Bandung, where the natural environment is still relatively intact. She studied at the Bandung Institute of Technology, majoring in Biology. There she joined KMPA Ganesha, another environmental organization. After her studies, she became a regular contributor to the “Greeners Magazine”, and was research assistant in Siberut Island (Sumatra). She currently works in YPBB, a NGO focusing on environmentally friendly lifestyle for urbanites. Though she is not directly working in the field like she was in Siberut, she believes her current work is just as important. “Urban consumption and lifestyle will have a direct impact on forest conversion, because more clearing will have to be made to meet more demand for forest products,” said Rima. Rima pairs up with Lena Gottschalk Follow them at: http://www.wwf-jugend.de/community/channel.php?channel_id=1

Mia Amelinda
For Mia Amelinda, 20, environmental awareness started after she took an environmental crime class in Criminology major in the Indonesian University. The subject opened her mind to the importance of natural resources such as clean water for humans. She believes that nature is created for people and therefore we have to protect it in return. The Forest Friends competition is her way for meeting fellow environmentalists. With team partner Gerrit Koechling, she shares ideas on environmental protection with all their supporters. Mia is a member of her university’s softball team and a WWF-Indonesia volunteer. Share ideas on environmental protection with Mia and Gerrit at:
http://www.wwf-jugend.de/community/channel.php?channel_id=2

Yangki Imade Suara
Yangki Imade Suara, 21, grew up with nature as his father is a farmer in Lima Puluh Kota district, West Sumatra. His bond with nature motivated him to enrol in an Environmental Economy major course at Padjajaran University. This active student was a member of the Indonesian delegation to the Harvard National Model United Nations in Boston, Bliss Point in Delhi, and the International Youth Climate Movement in Copenhagen. Climate change is a special subject for Yangki, because its impact is devastating for farmers like his father. This also motivates him to join the Forest Friends competition where he and team partner Hanna Stanke, exchange thoughts and information on how to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and forest destruction. Join Yangki and Hanna’s discussion on environmental issues at: http://www.wwf-jugend.de/community/channel.php?channel_id=3


Wild tigers threaten local people in Riau province
Antara 12 Aug 10;

Rengat, Riau Province (ANTARA News) - Wild tigers have threatened local people living in Sungai Arang village, Indragiri Hulu district, since the past three weeks, Suhendri, a local farmer, said here on Thursday.

"Those tigers usually show up in people`s plantation or even around the housing complex in the afternoon or at night causing panic among the local residents," Suhendri said adding that he had reported this situation to the local authorities but has gotten no response so far.

Another village disturbed by the presence of wild tigers is Tanjung Sari where not only wild tigers are found but also honey bears which sometimes also enter the housing complex.

"People are now afraid to get out of their houses or have activities outside," Tohbassir, a prominent figure in the village, said.

Meanwhile, Chief of Riau province`s Conservation and Natural Resources Board Trisnu Danisworo said the two villages also hosting plantation areas owned by several companies, were located next to the Kerumutan animal preservation area for among others wild tigers and honey bears.

"The plantations` daily operational activities may disturb the wild animals in the preservation area," he said suggesting the government to review the licenses given to the companies operating in the two villages.

Previously on Monday (August 10), a rubber plantation worker, Rafi (18), was attacked and killed by a Sumatran tiger in Rokan Hilir, Riau province.

"His parents became suspicious after they found traces of blood on the ground. They followed the blood and found him knocked to the ground with a tiger next to him," Hutomo, a government official in Riau province, said.

He said the parents had managed to scare the tiger away but it was too late to save their son.
(Uu.A051/F001/P003)

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Malaysian sea turtles born with deformities

Lee Yen Mun, The Star 12 Aug 10;

PETALING JAYA: Two to three turtles are born with deformities each month at a hatchery and conservation centre in Pulau Tioman. Most fail to survive beyond three days due to the deformities.

TAT Turtle Sanctuary co-founder Datin Seri Rowena Baker attributed the physical defects to sea pollution.

“We need to push for greater awareness for the preservation of turtles and of their natural habitat,” she said.

Last week, a blind green turtle from the centre went missing for three days, allegedly released into the ocean by irresponsible intruders. She was found by passing kayakers about 500m south of where she was released.

Affectionately named Jo, the turtle was born without eyes and had been rehabilitated at TAT and under the care of volunteers since young.

“She would have suffered a quick death in the wild due to her lack of sight,” Baker said of four-year-old Jo, which is the only turtle to have been successfully raised at the centre.

The 20kg green turtle has since become the mascot for turtle conservation at Pulau Tioman and attracts about 10,000 visitors every year.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, another turtle – this time a Hawksbill – was badly injured in the throat after it swallowed a fishing hook at sea.

Baker, who was part of the rescue team, said the turtle has been unable to swallow food since.

“The turtle is obviously under tremendous stress,” she said of its ordeal, and added that it would usually swim alongside divers at the east coast island.

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New Amazon monkey species discovered in Colombia

Nancy Lopez Google News 13 Aug 10;

BOGOTA, Colombia — A new Amazon monkey species has been discovered in Colombia, and researchers said Thursday they believe the small, isolated population is at risk due to the cutting of forests that are its home.

AP Photo/Javier Garcia

The find was announced by Conservation International, a group that helped finance the research in remote rain forests that until recently were considered too dangerous for scientific work due to the presence of leftist rebels.

A team of researchers from the National University of Colombia observed 13 groups of the new species — dubbed the Caqueta titi monkey because it was found in the southern state of Caqueta, near Peru.

The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Primate Conservation, believe the species may be critically endangered. They estimate less than 250 of the monkeys exist and say the felling of forest for agriculture threatens their habitat.

The new variety of titi monkey, which has the scientific name Callicebus caquetensis, is the size of a cat and has grayish-brown hair. What sets it apart from other types of titi monkey species is its lack of a white bar on the forehead.

"It's a spectacular finding," said Jeffrey French, a biology and psychology professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who works with primates in the Amazon in Brazil.

Some formerly rebel-held regions of Colombia have become safer in recent years due to the government's gains against guerrilla bands, facilitating efforts to search for oil and precious metals as well as flora and fauna.

The research team, including professors Thomas Defler and Marta Bueno and student Javier Garcia, visited Caqueta in 2008 — three decades after Martin Moynihan, an animal behavior expert, first caught sight of the species in the area. Insecurity in the area prevented research to confirm his sighting until the team arrived.

The researchers say the monkeys are monogamous — unlike most primates but common among titi monkeys — and often have one baby a year. They have complex calls and were spotted often moving around in groups of four.

Juan Mayer, a former Colombian environment minister, said that due to deforestation, "huge efforts will have to be made to protect the creature's habitat."

Paul Garber, a primate researcher and anthropology professor at the University of Illinois, said titi monkeys play important roles in the forest, dispersing seeds, pollinating plants and helping the forest regenerate.

He said the new variety of monkey is important because it shows there are probably other undiscovered primate species in the world's tropical forests.

"We need to provide resources to aid scientists so that these species can be identified, studied and protected," Garber said.

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Indonesia Forest Moratorium To Stymie Palm Oil Firms

Janeman Latul and Neil Chatterjee PlanetArk 13 Aug 10;

Indonesia's plans to halt forest clearing will slow the aggressive expansion of plantation firms in the world's top palm oil producer, leading to higher costs as firms will need acquisitions or improved yields to boost growth.

The two-year moratorium on new permits to clear natural forest from 2011 will increase land prices, pushing some to consider following industry leader Wilmar in expanding overseas to Africa or to diversify into food crops.

Indonesia is regarded as a key player in the fight to slow climate change because its tropical forests and carbon-rich peatlands trap huge amounts of carbon dioxide but its rapid deforestation rate has sparked concern among environmentalists.

Analysts said firms with a lack of land reserves such as Jakarta's biggest listed planter PT Astra Agro Lestari risk slower profit growth and reduced market share, while smaller players such as Gozco Plantation may be forced to merge or become takeover targets.

"In the short term, the moratorium will be bad for plantation firms as plans to grow landbank will be limited, and firms with small landbanks will find it especially hard to expand," said Kenny Suyatman, fund manager at PT Mandiri Manejemen Investasi.

The fund manages $1.9 billion in assets including stakes in London Sumatra and Sampoerna Agro.

Firms with the smallest unplanted landbanks include BW Plantations and Bakrie Sumatra, while Wilmar and Indofood Agri have the biggest Indonesian landbank.

The ban by Southeast Asia's biggest economy follows a $1 billion climate aid deal Indonesia signed with Norway aimed at avoiding greenhouse emissions from deforestation.

Palm oil buyers Unilever and Nestle have halted supply contracts with Indonesian palm oil giant PT SMART Tbk and agribusiness giant Cargill is conducting a review following reports from Greenpeace alleging SMART destroyed carbon-rich rainforests.

Regional planters rapidly expanded in recent years as a rally in crude palm oil prices (CPO) was driven by growing demand from Asia and Europe for an oil used to make products from biscuits to biodiesel. But easy land expansion may be over.

"NGO pressures may become too intense for big cap planters to expand through new planting. The big cap planters may prefer to buy existing estates or firms," said Ivy Ng Lee Fang, a plantation analyst at CIMB Investment Bank Berhad in Kualu Lumpur, pointing to BW and Sampoerna Agro as possible targets.

Consolidation in the industry may be beginning. Sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Wilmar plans to buy a 20 percent stake in Indonesian firm Kencana Agri, which also has a relatively high unplanted landbank.

Gozco, which has among the largest land reserves among small caps, said that firms from Europe, Singapore, India, China plus U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill had expressed interest in taking a stake or partnering it.

The moratorium is creating a perception of land scarcity in Indonesia, said an industry source that does land acquisition deals for Southeast Asian planters.

"Planters are talking to us about either expanding west to Africa or going east to Papua New Guinea," said the source, who declined to be identified. "The moratorium, if put in place, will see land prices rise by 30-50 percent from current levels."

ACQUISITIONS OR RESEARCH

This is not good for Astra Agro, whose trees are aging -- at an average of 15 years old versus an optimum fruit-bearing age of 7-18 years -- meaning it needs to plant soon. Suyatman sees it losing out from the moratorium and has cut his holding.

Astra Agro expects its expansion to be restricted by the forest moratorium, with output flat this year.

Its stock has slipped 10 percent this year, underperforming a 19 percent rally in the Jakarta index, and with a price to earnings ratio of 19.4 is still seen as overvalued by many.

Land surveys that used to take a few days now take weeks, leading to higher fees, given more stringent environmental criteria, the firm said. It is now looking at expanding in neighboring Papua New Guinea instead.

If environmental concerns do restrict future supply of palm oil, investors say higher CPO prices could be a comfort for strong players, given a healthy demand outlook. Analysts in a Reuters poll saw steady CPO prices next year.

Those firms able to tap that demand through better yields may be winners.

Alfi Fadhliyah, a plantation analyst at PT Bahana Securities, picked out London Sumatra and Sampoerna Agro because of high quality seeds as a result of research and a young tree age -- a combination that should boost future yields.

London Sumatra, whose CEO told Reuters the moratorium will be a "temporary shock" for the industry, has an average tree age of 11 years.

"We like London Sumatra because it could have higher yields among its peers as its trees are at a prime age for palm oil, which could help the company benefit during the moratorium period," said Winston Sual, fund manager at the $108 million top performing Indonesian fund Panin Dana Maxima.

(Additional reporting by Niluksi Koswanage; Editing by Anshuman Daga)

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Extreme Weather Plagues Farming, Talks Flounder

Timothy Gardner PlanetArk 13 Aug 10;

Global wheat markets reeling from Russian droughts, thousands of cattle killed by heat in Kansas, and countless crop acres wiped out by floods in Pakistan are glimpses of what can be expected as the world struggles to battle climate change.

But as concerns mount over extreme weather hitting global food systems this year, governments are no closer to forging a pact to fight climate change.

When temperatures rise as a result of smokestack and tailpipe emissions, droughts, heat waves, and floods become more frequent and more intense. The temperatures create "more and more hot extremes and worse unprecedented extremes and that's what we're seeing," said Neville Nicholls, a climate scientist at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

As the number of extreme weather events mount, they will likely create havoc in agricultural markets and could lead to food riots in poor countries like those in 2007 and 2008 when prices hit records on rabid market speculation.

Yet global talks to battle emissions are grinding to a near halt after the U.S. Senate failed to pass a climate bill and the administration of President Barack Obama also failed to push for one.

As the United States, the top major emitter per capita, fails to forge a plan, the divide grows between rich and poor countries on sharing the burden of acting on climate change.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this week "we may not be able to have that comprehensive binding agreement in Cancun," referring to global talks set for November in Mexico.

Climate change skepticism rose after last year's U.N. talks in Copenhagen fell short. It was also stoked by a dispute over e-mails at a British University climate center in which leading scientists were accused, and later cleared, of exaggerating the effects of global warming, and doubts about a U.N. climate science panel report after it had included an exaggerated prediction of Himalayan glacier melts.

Meanwhile world temperatures continue to rise unchecked. The U.S. National Climatic Data Center said last month the first half of this year was the hottest on record globally.

Until the risks are understood by U.S. farmers, who have mostly lobbied hard against climate legislation because of fuel price concerns, an important base of voters will push American senators to oppose legislation for years to come.

RIPPLES

Wheat prices have risen by nearly 70 percent since June after Russia was hit with its worst drought in 130 years. It pushed Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to ban exports of the grain, setting off alarm bells in Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer, and other hungry nations.

Agriculture is projected to be just one victim of extreme weather events related to climate change. But the fact that the world's billions depend on reliable, affordable access to agricultural products increases the chances that extreme weather could rapidly become a source of strife.

Already the Russian wheat crisis risks stirring unrest in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

"Over the whole globe all of these changes in climate ... are going to cause some real ripples in our capabilities of producing food," Jerry Hatfield, a laboratory director at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Research Service. He said the heat and humidity in the Midwest, where more than 2,000 cattle died in Kansas this month, may hurt yields in corn and other crops.

Nick Robins, an analyst at London-based HSBC, said in a note this week that climate change could reduce grain production in the G20 countries by up to 8.7 percent by 2020 if no significant action is taken to adapt to extreme weather and high temperatures.

When combined with population growth, per capita grain production in the G20 could fall between 11.9 and 16.1 percent by 2020, he wrote.

ALL BETS ARE OFF

In India and other countries that rely more on rice there's concern high temperatures will lead to yield losses. "That could start showing up in the next decade or so, because we're getting these heating peaks already," said Peter Timmer, nonresident fellow at the Center for Global Development, a nonprofit research group based in Washington.

In the near term, droughts and heat waves induced by climate change require farmers to improve management practices.

"In the longer term, all bets are off which crops can and can't grow," said Jay Gulledge, the senior scientist at the Pew Center for Global Climate Change in Washington.

The effects of extreme weather on crops are only beginning to be understood. Many scientists had projected that climate change's rising global temperatures would help countries in the North produce more food.

For decades scientists studied the effect of global warming on crops by simply raising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels in greenhouses. They did not take into account the effects of floods and droughts, or reduced yields that result from higher temperatures.

"There's been a severe failing of the scientific community. on that," said Gulledge. "Climate science proceeded amazingly over that period, but this topic was handled poorly."

(Additional reporting by Emma Ashburn, Alister Doyle in Oslo, Gerard Wynn in London, David Fogarty in Singapore; editing by Russell Blinch and Mohammad Zargham)

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REDD project design method gets boost from auditors

* U.S. firm says technique passes carbon accounting hurdle
* Step could boost development of REDD
* Australian firm signs large REDD deal in Indonesia

David Fogarty, Reuters 13 Aug 10;

SINGAPORE, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A carbon accounting technique aimed at saving tropical forests has passed a key hurdle, strengthening chances it could underpin development of a potential multi-billion dollar market for forest carbon offsets.

U.S. firm Terra Global Capital said the method had passed the first of two formal audits the benchmark Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) requires. When fully verified, it could be used in a U.N.-backed carbon-cutting scheme known as reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).

"The methodology is expected to be broadly applicable where mosaic patterns of deforestation occur throughout Southeast Asia and Africa," Leslie Durschinger, founder and managing director of Terra Global Capital, said in a statement. Her firm offers finance and advisory services for REDD projects.

REDD aims to give developing countries funds to preserve remaining tracts of forest that soak up huge amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide, but it is still in its infancy.

Its success will rely on rigorous carbon accounting and monitoring to ensure forests remain intact, are rehabilitated and lock away CO2.

Such accounting steps underpin the value of the carbon offsets that will be the currency of REDD projects, with rich governments and companies buying the credits to the benefit of local communities in poorer nations.

Mosaic REDD covers projects to save forests from threats such as logging, fuel wood collection, fires and conversion to farmland.

To succeed, these projects need to be designed to work with local communities and allow carbon reductions to be measured and reported so as to reassure investors.

CAMBODIA PROJECT

Terra Global Capital said the process was designed for its Cambodia REDD project in northwestern Oddar Meanchey province, which involves 13 community forest groups and 58 villages.

The government-backed project aims to protect nearly 70,000 hectares of forest and generate 7.1 million carbon offsets over 30 years. Community forest members in return get legal tenure to the land and at least half the net income from the sale of the credits as well as employment.

Dozens of REDD projects have been started in developing nations, with more than a dozen in Indonesia, where the Australian government has committed at least A$70 million to spread REDD in its northern neighbour.

But to issue valuable offsets, the projects need to meet rigorous standards under the VCS and none have yet issued REDD credits after double VCS validation or approval under the other standard from the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance.

The Washington-based VCS sets tough global standards to make carbon offset programmes credible and transparent to investors.

Wealthy nations, including Norway, the United States and Japan have earmarked billions of dollars to help develop REDD, key among them Norway's recent $1-billion forest deal with Indonesia. The aim is for REDD to become part of a broader global climate pact from 2013.

An Australian carbon services firm has also signed a deal to certify REDD offsets from a group of tribal leaders on the Indonesian island of Halmahera in the Moluccas.

Shift2Neutral, which last week announced a similar deal with tribal leaders in Sarawak, Malaysia, said it covered certification of credits from 159,000 hectares of forest land owned by a group of 10 villages and involving 163,000 people.

The deal provides for half the proceeds from future carbon offset sales to go to improving livelihoods.

"The logging issue is paramount as the area is under threat and the villages need to have an alternative, plus a major mining group is there and will be held to account to ensure the environment is not jeopardized," Shift2Neutral Chairman Brett Goldsworthy told Reuters. (Editing by Manash Goswami)

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Australia Can Easily Cut CO2 And Keep Growing

Bruce Hextall PlanetArk 13 Aug 10;

Australia, one of the world's top carbon polluters, can cut carbon emissions by at least 15 percent by 2020 without hurting its economy, business leaders at a climate conference said on Thursday.

By espousing the right policies, the country could cut its emissions by 25 percent by 2020, the conference heard. A price on carbon was a key component, but by no means the only one.

"Australia has very large scope for reducing emissions through energy efficiency," said Jonathan Jutsen, executive director of energy and climate change consultancy Energetics.

"The Australian economy is only about 10 percent efficient -- this means that 90 percent of the energy in the fuel we dig up is lost in the supply chain and end uses," Jutsen told business leaders in a message just nine days from a national election.

Climate change has been a major issue and the government has been pressed by power generators to put a price on carbon to give certainty to long-term investment plans.

Wealthy inner-city voters have also urged tougher climate policies in a nation that faces major costs from rising seas, the impacts of more extreme weather on crops and hotter bushfires.

Heavily reliant on cheap coal for power generation, the country ranks among the developed world's top per-capita emitters of carbon.

Energy efficiency programs, wind, solar and other green power, as well as greener buildings and cars can all cut emissions with the right policy incentives, the delegates heard.

The government has pledged to trim carbon emissions by at least 5 percent by 2020 from 2000 levels. The opposition has said it would match the 5 percent cut but remains deeply opposed to a carbon emissions trading scheme.

SURVEY

A survey of 82 conference participants, from mining to manufacturing representatives from Australia and New Zealand, showed 20 percent favored government incentives as the way to cut emissions, while 19 percent chose regulations. Seventeen percent backed a price on carbon via a cap-and-trade scheme.

Jutsen said a number of firms were already on track to achieve reductions of up to half, such as retail giant Woolworths Ltd, with energy efficiency programs being the primary source as well as switching to renewable energy sources. "What they (Woolworths) are saying is they will have a zero increase in their emissions footprint while they will double the physical footprint of their organization," said Jutsen.

"The carbon price is seen by the supply-side as essential to make rational investment choices but from the demand side it is quite clear that a much more complex set of measures is needed to achieve reduction," he added.

Climate change organization ClimateWorks Australia analyzed 54 emission reduction opportunities across 10 sectors in a report on www.climateworksaustralia.org.

"With the right policy mix Australia could achieve a 25 percent reduction in emissions from 2000," John Thwaites, chairman of ClimateWorks Australia told the conference.

He said each industry sector had different opportunities and barriers to lowering emissions which meant federal, state and local governments needed to tailor policies to sectors to best attain meaningful cuts.

(Editing by David Fogarty)

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Mexico wants Copenhagen outsiders in Cancun talks: envoy

Yahoo News 12 Aug 10;

STOCKHOLM (AFP) – Mexico is striving to bring countries which felt excluded from the Copenhagen climate talks into the negotiations at this year's UN climate summit in Cancun, its climate ambassador said on Thursday.

"Some developing countries felt excluded" from the Copenhagen negotiations last December, including a number of Asian and Latin American nations, Luis Alfonso de Alba told reporters in Stockholm.

"That explains why we have started since the beginning of the year to address those concerns," he said. "We are paying particular attention to those countries that felt their views were not significantly taken into account."

Cancun will host UN climate talks from November 29 to December 10 that will seek to achieve a binding agreement on carbon dioxide emissions to replace the Kyoto Protocol which expires in December 2012.

"We have a very clear understanding that this is a process that needs to have everybody involved, not only the major (greenhouse gas) emitters," De Alba said.

"That is the way the United Nations works, to build a general level of agreement," added the veteran diplomat, who is a former Mexican ambassador to the United Nations and first president of the UN Human Rights Council.

Copenhagen produced an agreement to limit global temperature rise to two degrees, but it was reached at the last minute by a handful of rich and major developing countries.

Many small countries, frustrated at being left out, refused to sign it.

Da Alba said nations that felt excluded in Copenhagen included Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Pakistan, the Gulf states, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chili, Peru and Colombia.

In the run-up to Cancun, he said, Mexico hopes to enter into a partnership with African countries by organising meetings on the continent.

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