Best of our wild blogs: 29 Oct 10

A Blue-tailed Bee-eater lost its way due to the thick haze
from Bird Ecology Study Group

20 and 27 Nov (Sat): A Walk with Your Neighbours: The Macaques of Bukit Timah from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

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Nuclear energy inevitable for Singapore

Joyce Hooi Business Times 29 Oct 10;

THE use of nuclear energy is going to be a matter of time for Singapore, industry players said yesterday at the Singapore Electricity Roundtable during Singapore International Energy Week.

While the specifics of how this will happen for Singapore remain unclear, the roundtable members pointed out its growing adoption in this region and the fact that nuclear energy is currently the most carbon-friendly option.

'Nuclear is inevitable. Malaysia is going to build a nuclear plant . . . there is no point putting our head in the sand,' Ng Meng Poh, executive vice-president and head of the Singapore and Asean utilities division for Sembcorp Industries.

Earlier this year, the Malaysian government approved the construction of a nuclear power plant which is expected to start operation by 2021.

'Where nuclear power is concerned, all of us must confront it. Cost and waste disposal is always a challenge,' said John Ng, chief executive officer of PowerSeraya Ltd.

It is early days yet for Singapore and Asean, he noted, and plenty of details will have to be grappled with.

Panellists noted that while the standard plant size for the rest of Asean was 1,000 megawatts (MW), that sort of scale would be too large for a country like Singapore.

What was clear, however, was how much nuclear energy would have to figure in future discussions on the energy front.

'Nuclear is something that just must enter into consideration. The one country in Asia that I would not mind developing a nuclear plant is Singapore,' quipped panel member Frank Wolak, a professor from Stanford University's department of economics.

Until then, Singapore's move towards cutting its carbon emission growth by 16 per cent below 'business as usual' levels by 2020 might move at a less-than torrid pace.

'For the next 10 years until nuclear comes in, I don't think the carbon footprint is going to go very much lower than what it has in the past,' said PowerSeraya's Mr Ng.

He estimated that currently, 15 per cent of the world's power generation is from nuclear energy.

As of last year, natural gas accounted for 81 per cent of electricity generation in Singapore.

And as Singapore mulls over the use of coal and electricity imports to diversify its sources of energy, roundtable members said that the price of carbon needs to be factored in for the former, while there should be a cap on the latter.

'(The import of electricity) has to be capped. The industry is structured in Singapore such that we have high-tech industries like semiconductor-manufacturing that are sensitive to power quality. If we import without safeguards in place, it can be quite detrimental,' said Sembcorp's Mr Ng.

On Wednesday, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) had released a report saying that the power generation industry could consider electricity imports and coal after liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports reach three million tonnes or by 2018, whichever comes first. Currently, there are import controls on non-LNG fuels.

'The import of electricity will be good for Singapore, as it frees up land and can reduce capital expenditure without sacrificing national security,' said PowerSeraya's Mr Ng.

Peak energy demand in Singapore is expected to hit 9,000 MW in 2020, according to the EMA.

Nuclear energy an option for Singapore, say experts
But standard plant will be too large for country, says one power company CEO
Ong Dai Lin Today Online 29 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE - Nuclear energy will most likely be one of Singapore's future means of power generation, said industry leaders yesterday at a roundtable discussion at the Singapore International Energy Week.

Noting that Malaysia has decided to build it's first nuclear power plant by 2021, Sembcorp Industries executive vice-president Ng Meng Poh said nuclear energy "is inevitable". The question, he said, is how to create a robust system for Singapore.

PowerSeraya chief executive John Ng said a standard nuclear plant will be too large - and produces too little energy - for Singapore and the country has to adopt different nuclear technology from that of its neighbours.

A standard nuclear plant produces 1,000 megawatts of electricity but Singapore's peak demand is 6,000, he said. He added that the nuclear options in South-east Asia are at an early stage and it is unclear if the countries will pursue the power option of nuclear energy as a region or individually.

The Economic Strategies Committee recommended in its February report that, in the medium term, the Government should consider coal and electricity imports to diversify energy sources. It also recommended the Government study the feasibility of nuclear energy.

Safety, though, is an issue. In April 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine exploded, killing two workers. Another 28 people died weeks later due to acute radiation poisoning. Many others living in the area were also affected.

Singapore had assembled a team of experts in April to study the option of using nuclear energy here eventually.

Currently, 15 per cent of the world's power comes from nuclear energy and this number is expected to go up, said the PowerSeraya CEO.

"There are not many new sources of energy. Renewable energy will be big but extremely unlikely to take over power generation," he added.

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Gearing up for a brighter automotive future

A*STAR pumping $17.5 million into research projects for the industry
Neo Chai Chin Today Online 29 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE - Drive a lighter car and save on fuel, or recharge the batteries of your electric vehicle using wireless technology when you park it.

To make these and other ideas a reality, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is pumping $17.5 million into 10 research projects tackling challenges in the automotive industry.

With electric vehicles to hit Singapore's roads as early as next year, the project to charge such vehicles wirelessly will cut hassle for drivers by eliminating the need to drive to charging stations.

Using near-field radio frequency communications, cars would be fitted with a receiving coil and parking lots would feature a transmitting coil. The signals transmitted and received generate an electromagnetic field, enabling the cars to be charged.

Another project aims to make future cars lighter and stronger, using a higher strength plastic material made of nanofiller to replace glass fibres used widely in cars today. Plans are also afoot to develop an all-round sensor system for cars, which would help drivers avoid collisions as well as park their vehicles.

The projects are part of A*STAR's Capabilities for Automotive Research consortium, which saw eight new members including ST Kinetics and GP Batteries joining its three founding members, Bosch, Infineon Technologies and Dou Yee. Neo Chai Chin

Drive to develop 'next gen' vehicles gets a booster
Straits Times 29 Oct 10;

A GOVERNMENT initiative to develop technology for 'next-generation' vehicles received a boost yesterday, with eight new companies coming on board its international consortium.

The move scales up the Government's effort to turn Singapore into a research and development (R&D) centre for new technologies in the automotive sector.

The Capabilities for Automotive Research (A*CAR) consortium was formed in 2008 with three members working on two projects. Backed by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), the expanded consortium will now work on eight new projects.

Firms that joined yesterday include Japanese automaker Toyota; GP Batteries, China's largest consumer battery maker; and ST Kinetics, a home-grown defence and speciality vehicles manufacturer.

These firms have agreed to offer their expertise and some financial resources. However, A*Star will still provide the bulk of financial support for research. To date, the agency and its private partners have committed $17.5 million to the initiative to develop advanced automotive technologies.

The car of the future has to be increasingly intelligent and connected, A*Star chairman Lim Chuan Poh told reporters yesterday. The consortium's work aims to 'solve these increasingly complex and multi-disciplinary problems as well as to testbed some of these solutions', he said.

His view was shared by new members of the consortium. 'By working with others, we can build these systems better and faster,' said Mr Yasuhiro Kakihara, president of Toyota Tsucho, the Japanese firm's new-business development arm.

One of the projects is a collaboration with Toyota to develop a wireless method to charge electric cars.

Another project aims to develop a 360-degree sensory and steering system that helps drivers avoid collisions, change lanes, and park in tight spots.

LIN YANG

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Singapore 'likely to be free of haze till year end'

NEA projection based on weather conditions and sharp drop in number of hot spots
Jeremy Au Yong Straits Times 29 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE looks set to be rid of the haze for the rest of the year.

Favourable weather conditions, and a sharp drop in the number of hot spots, bode well for clear skies ahead, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) yesterday.

The NEA, which had issued only short-term projections since the haze worsened last week, gave the assessment for the rest of the year in response to queries from The Straits Times.

The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings yesterday stayed in the good range, with the 24-hour measurements hitting a high of only 39.

The PSI hit 108 last Thursday, breaching the unhealthy threshold of 100 for the first time since 2006.

Latest satellite images detected no hot spots or smoke haze in Sumatra's Riau province, which had caused the recent bout of haze, said NEA.

But the agency pointed out that it was difficult to say if all the fires had been put out as many parts of Sumatra were covered by clouds.

Still, weather conditions were turning in Singapore's favour.

The region is expected to get progressively wetter. Already, the region has experienced an increasing number of showers in recent weeks.

On Saturday, heavy showers affected many parts of Singapore in the afternoon and early evening. It rained again on Monday.

Rain also fell over Sumatra and the Strait of Malacca.

The wet weather helps to put out fires in the hot spots and wash existing smoke particles out of the air.

'The showers have helped to improve the haze situation in the region,' said NEA.

The winds are also changing direction.

With the onset of the north-east monsoon in November, winds will blow predominantly from the north-east.

Even if fires do flare up again in Sumatra, the winds would not be pushing the smoke haze this way.

'Singapore is thus unlikely to be affected by transboundary haze for the rest of the year,' said the agency.

Still, NEA said that Singapore continued to urge the Asean ministerial steering committee on transboundary haze to remain vigilant.

The impact of the smoke haze here is dependent on a confluence of factors including the proximity and extent of the fires, the strength and direction of the prevailing winds and the incidence and amount of rain.

This year's haze episode came later than usual because the start of the traditional dry season in Sumatra was delayed by the influence of La Nina conditions.

La Nina refers to cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and it brings wetter weather to the region.

The dry season - which typically runs from June to October - started only in mid-August this year. From mid-October, the Riau province experienced a period of dry weather conditions and many hot spots were detected.

Burning can occur throughout the year but it tends to be more pronounced during the dry season.

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Simon Tay on the haze: Hardest path is only way forward

Cash incentives, consumer pressure and working with Indonesia can clear the haze
Simon Tay Today Online 29 Oct 10;

After rain has dampened fires and the haze has lifted, Singapore and the region are at something of a crossroads.

We can choose to treat the haze as a nuisance that recurs once in a while but is not serious enough to command attention. Singaporeans have coughed, wheezed and whined during the latest bout of the haze. But now: Out of sight, out of mind.

A second path is to point fingers at Indonesia and demand they take responsibility. This is tempting since the fires are man-made, and large companies can be blamed.

The third choice is a harder path that has costs and complexities. This is to engage the problem and work with Indonesians towards a solution that will benefit all. Such an engagement will depend not on allocating blame but on cooperation and new incentives. Trends are emerging that make the third path more possible now than in the past.

What are the elements of such an approach? There are three pillars that should be combined for progress: Emphasise ground-level projects, international treaties and changes in consumer behaviour.

Singapore can play a significant role in these even if the problem is firmly and deeply rooted in Indonesia.

Ground-level cooperation has already begun with Singapore and Malaysia working alongside district and provincial level authorities in Jambi and Riau, respectively. Initial reports have been positive and these efforts should be fully evaluated.

If the results are positive, then these projects should be replicated in other fire-prone districts. In these ground-level projects, Singapore must work in partnership with the local community and district officials. Companies with land holdings, especially those based in Singapore, should also be drawn in as part of their corporate social responsibility.

There are often conflicting reports whether it is large plantation companies or small landholders and landless farmers who cause the fires. A ground-level strategy to bring them together to align their interests is, therefore, key.

These ground level efforts must be linked to the second pillar of national government and international treaties. It is not credible for Indonesia to say it is making real effort unless it ratifies the Asean Haze Agreement. When pressed, Indonesian lawmakers often explain and complain there are many treaty burdens but few benefits for Indonesia.

While some use this argument merely to delay and obfuscate the issue, there is substance in saying that Indonesia does need assistance and incentives. There are costs in managing land and forests to avoid degradation and deforestation, and to forgo the cheap solution of rampant and unsustainable land clearing.



CARROT AND STICK

This case has been increasingly accepted in the climate change negotiations. Although there is much debate on the different aspects of a post-Kyoto agreement, there is considerable agreement on REDD, which links financial assistance to efforts in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation.

Norway, an early leader, has recently pledged US$1 billion ($1.3 billion) to an REDD partnership with Indonesia that the latter can tap. This should be linked the fires and haze, which are a major source of climate change emissions for Indonesia.

Other countries, especially from the developed world, are looking to similar commitments to lock in carbon and offset their own emissions. Singapore could potentially play a role helping move this new financial incentive scheme forward.

Another effort Singapore can make arises from our role as the major regional hub trade and finance, and a significant centre for production and consumption. Consumer and investor pressure could influence the behaviour of companies involved in the land-clearing industries of palm oil, pulp and paper and other resources.

This type of pressure can be influential, especially as Singapore is following similar concerns in Europe and elsewhere. Moves have already been taken in Europe to name, blame and boycott companies shown to be acting unsustainably. Companies have responded positively with greater transparency about their practices, with some developing eco-labels to distinguish their products.

Closer to home, some have developed credible certification for their company practices through industry groups, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

Singaporeans should take up similar practices in dealing with the producers and products in suspect sectors. This is not only the best practice for environmental sustainability but also congruent with the emerging expectations of consumers and investors. A sign of this emerging trend is the new guideline for SGX-listed companies to issue sustainability statements.

After more than a decade of this recurrent problem, a sense of resignation and fatalism is easy. Resentment, too, is another common response. Cooperation is complex work and will require consistent and focused work to develop a mix of incentives and pressures.

It is the hardest path forward but perhaps the only one that can produce an enduring clear light at the end of the haze.



Simon Tay and Lim May-Ann are respectively the Chairman and Manager of Policy Research at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. The SIIA recently held a dialogue on the haze, which was attended by environmental groups and NGOs, academics and think-tanks based in Singapore.

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Where there's smoke

Among the many things hard to see in South-East Asia’s haze is the real progress made in combating it

The Economist 28 Oct 10;

“HAZE” is a weasel word for the eye-stinging, throat-rasping smog that periodically engulfs parts of South-East Asia. The resort to euphemism points to why the pollution, which smothered much of the region in 1997, has been a nearly annual torment since the early 1990s: a reluctance to get tough with the country responsible, Indonesia, whose forest fires cause the scourge. Unlike the earthquake, tsunami and volcanic eruption that ravaged Indonesia this week, the fires are man-made.

The haze has returned this year. Air-pollution indices in Singapore and the south of the Malaysian peninsula had reached their highest levels since 2006 until rainfall on October 23rd brought relief. In parts of Sumatra, the neighbouring Indonesian island spewing out the smog, it had been getting hard to breathe.

This was trivial compared with 1997, when huge tracts of Borneo as well as Sumatra smouldered and the haze covered an area more than 3,000km (1,900 miles) wide. It affected six countries and perhaps 70m people and closed airports. That year was one of El Niño conditions and extended drought. Fires set to clear land for plantations spread into forests. Apparently extinguished, many smouldered in underground peat, then inflamed again.

This year much more limited fires have raged, mainly in Riau, a province in central Sumatra of 6m people and about 90,000 sq km—roughly the size of Portugal. But some schools in Malaysia had to shut. In Singapore, where the air quality helps attract expatriates fleeing pollution in Hong Kong, the environment agency advised people with heart and respiratory conditions to avoid outdoor activities.

The timing of the haze’s reappearance was cruel for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a ten-member regional block whose impotence the smog mocks. The group’s environment ministers had just met to discuss their 2002 agreement on “Transboundary Haze Pollution” and note that their efforts had helped reduce haze. The galling truth is that Indonesia—the prime source of the problem—has not ratified the agreement. A club that works by consensus and abhors sanctions has only moral suasion. And Indonesia is the regional giant.

It would be wrong, however, to think that regional diplomacy is as pusillanimous and Indonesian environmental hooliganism as unchecked as in 1997. ASEAN does, albeit ineffectually, now set some standards of behaviour for its members, as opposed to tiptoeing fastidiously away from their “internal affairs”. And, unlike in 1997, Indonesia has been quick to acknowledge its responsibility for this year’s smog, and to ask for help.

Using fire to clear land has been illegal in Indonesia since 1995. But everywhere corruption and inefficiency undermine implementation of the law. And fire remains for many smallholders and big plantations the cheapest, quickest way of clearing logged land of rejected or overlooked trees and the undergrowth, thereby making it available for other uses—often, these days, to serve the booming palm-oil industry. In Riau, even beside main roads there are bleak, blackened landscapes, shrouded in white smoke, where the peat soil still smoulders under charred tree-stumps. Between them, infant oil palms are already growing.

The haze is an acute and chronic symptom of a disease even more serious for Indonesia and the world: Indonesia’s deforestation. In 1982 more than three-quarters of Riau was forested. Only about a quarter is now. But here too there are signs of hope. Stung by the criticism Indonesia receives as one of the world’s biggest emitters of carbon—a consequence of its destruction of so much carbon-rich forest and peatland—its government is cleaning up its act. It plans to cut carbon emissions by 41% by 2020, so long as it receives the compensation from an inchoate scheme, known as REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation), whereby rich countries pay poorer ones to conserve trees.

As a signal of good intent, Indonesia’s president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in May announced a two-year moratorium in 2011-12 on commercial deforestation. The reward was a promise of $1 billion in REDD funds from Norway. Many greens are cheering this. Joko Arif of Greenpeace calls it “a really good step”. But he laments that it does not cover existing logging concessions, so felling will continue. He also cautions that much must be done to make the moratorium work—starting with a proper mapping of forests. Otherwise, enforcing the ban will be arbitrary.

Norway’s environment minister, Erik Solheim, was in Jakarta this week to thrash out some thorny disputes, such as one over who will monitor the Norwegian money—an international institution or an Indonesian one? This was not resolved, though the United Nations Development Programme is to be the conduit for an initial $30m for a “preparation phase”.


The colour REDD

That dispute is based on doubts about Indonesia that colour both regional anger over the haze and worries about whether REDD is feasible there. Cynics see the country as irredeemably corrupt. It will continue, they say, to light bonfires that shorten its neighbours’ lives, having its cake of REDD money, even as its chainsaws eat the rainforest. But there is a more optimistic interpretation: it is beginning to assume a role of regional leadership and enjoys its seat on the G20. It badly wants the respectability that comes with a reputation for environmental responsibility.

Moreover, there are two reasons for taking the moratorium seriously. Indonesia’s palm-oil, pulp-and-paper and coal-mining industries are trying furiously to scupper it. And one theory as to why so many fires have been set this year is that those lighting them fear they may not be able to clear land as easily once the moratorium is in force. If you try hard, you can see light through the haze. Just don’t breathe too deeply.

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Hopes for treaty rise at UN biodiversity summit

Karl Malakunas Yahoo News 28 Oct 10;

NAGOYA, Japan (AFP) – Hopes rose that rich and poor nations would be able to forge a historic treaty to protect the world's ecosystems after grinding progress was made at a UN summit on Thursday, delegates said.

Representatives of more than 190 countries have been meeting in the central Japanese city of Nagoya for nearly two weeks in an effort to set goals on saving habitats which would help to end the mass extinction of species.

With talks due to wind up Friday, delegates said last-minute negotiations among environment ministers had helped bridge key differences between developed and developing countries that had threatened to derail the event.

"Things are unlocking, but there is very little time left," France's state secretary for the environment, Chantal Jouanno, told AFP.

The European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potocnik, also emerged from talks in the afternoon to post an optimistic message on microblogging website Twitter: "Can we do it? Yes we can. But do the others agree?"

The key dispute has been over fairly sharing the benefits of genetic resources such as wild plants.

Brazil and other developing countries argue rich nations and companies should not be allowed to freely take genetic resources to make medicines, cosmetics and other products for huge profits.

Brazil has maintained throughout that it would not agree to a 20-point plan on protecting nature unless there was first a deal on genetic resources with a legally binding "Access and Benefits Sharing Protocol".

The planned protocol would ban so-called "biopiracy" and outline how countries with genetic resources would share in the benefits of the assets' commercial development.

Brazil's Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira told reporters that a deal on genetic resources had not yet been reached, but she believed a full pact on all the environment issues could still be reached by Friday night.

"I'm maintaining our optimism about all this. We believe that we have political momentum. We are working hard and we are optimistic about the results," she said.

However other delegates said they were concerned that time was running out to strike a deal, particularly as some contentious issues would still have to be approved by their home governments.

One of the other key planks of the planned treaty delegates are hoping to sign on Friday is a strategic plan that commits countries to 20 targets for protecting ecosystems over the next decade.

These targets would aim to conserve large areas of coral reefs, waterways and forests, cut pollution and restore degraded ecosystems.

However, environment groups are worried that some of the targets that are likely to be agreed upon will not be ambitious enough, particularly ones that aim to protect waterways.

While Greenpeace and other groups want 20 percent of coastal and marine areas protected, they say China and India are lobbying for six percent or lower.

"People are hopeful that something is going to come out of this event but there's a concern over whether it is going to be strong as some countries would like," Greenpeace delegation leader Nathalie Ray said.

The overarching goal of the Nagoya summit is to end the destruction of ecosystems that scientists say is causing the world's plant and animal species to vanish at up to 1,000 times the natural rate.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature warned last year that the world was experiencing its sixth mass extinction in history, with the last one 65 million years ago wiping out dinosaurs.

The treaty to be signed in Nagoya would come under the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity, which has 193 member nations. However the United States is not a party to the convention.

Pathogen row blocking biodiversity deal
Nagoya talks close to agreement but countries remain split over access to microscopic germs and the sharing of benefits from research and medicines
Jonathan Watts guardian.co.uk 28 Oct 10;

A row over microscopic germs and monitoring mechanisms is holding back a global deal to protect nature as time runs out for negotiators at this week's UN biodiversity conference in Nagoya.

A final spurt of progress has taken the talks close to an agreement, but with only one day remaining and several key issues still to be resolved, there are fears that the time could run out before a protocol can be signed.

Among the most obstinate sticking points of the conference is how to treat pathogens, the germs responsible for virus pandemics such as bird flu and Sars, that are also essential for the development of lucrative vaccines.

Developing nations say they are willing to provide access to such organisms during medical emergencies as long as wealthy countries share the benefits from researching and patenting medicines.

But with billions of dollars at stake, pharmaceutical lobbies in Europe, Canada, Australia and South Korea are pressing for greater access and reduced benefit-sharing.

Despite the obstacle, the UK environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, said she was optimistic that the Nagoya talks would have a positive outcome – not just for biodiversity but also for the UN climate talks in Cancún, Mexico next month. "We are probably doing better than people anticipated. If we get an agreement here, it can help negotiations in Cancún," said Spelman. "I am cautiously optimistic that what we have done so far is good for relations between states."

European Union delegates say they are willing to provide extra funds for biodiversity, but first it was necessary to identify a clear strategy for achieving ambitious conservation objectives. Substantial progress has been made towards an agreement on those objectives, including a likely commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2020 and the expansion of protected areas to cover 20% of the world's land.

The long-standing dispute over access to microscopic organisms has flared up on several occasions, most notably during the bird flu crisis, when Indonesia alleged that it had provided pathogens to help find a vaccine but was then denied a fair share of the benefit when the drugs were patented overseas.

International disagreements over how best to handle this subject have been compounded by internal differences between the health, trade and environment ministries in some EU member states. Delegates at Nagoya have said they have to refer back to political masters in their home countries before making a decision, which has slowed down the process and, in some cases, held it up completely.

"They say they have no flexibility, but they expect developing nations to compromise. That isn't negotiation, that is bullying," said Yoke-Ling Chee, director of the Third World Network, a development NGO. To thrash out an agreement, the Japanese chair has set up a series of small working groups, which have helped to close differences.

However, the discussions did not adequately cover the thorny issue of compliance – how to check that countries and companies are using only approved genetic material – from other nations. This threatens to scupper negotiations because India, Cuba and other nations say this subject has not been properly dealt with.

Spelman said a basic political agreement had been reached regarding access and benefit sharing from pathogens and derivative products from genetic resources.

Brazil's environment minister Izabella Teixeira said she held out hope that protocol could still be agreed by the end of the conference.

"I'm maintaining our optimism about all this. We believe that we have political momentum. We are working hard and we are optimistic about the results," she said. "A deal here can help Cancún. If we get a good result, it will show the world that multilateral negotiations can make strong progress and new perspectives are possible."

Delegates estimated that 90% of nations were in agreement on most of the core issues, but it was still possible that a single party could sink the process before the scheduled close on Friday afternoon.

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World Bank calls for ecosystems to be valued

Yahoo News 28 Oct 10;

NAGOYA, Japan (AFP) – The World Bank on Thursday called for a radical shift in countries' economic models to include the values of forests, mangroves, coral reefs and other ecosystems.

India and Colombia will be among the first countries to take part in a five-year pilot programme with the World Bank to start the economic revolution.

World Bank president Robert Zoellick announced the programme on the sidelines of a UN biodiversity summit in the Japanese city of Nagoya.

"The natural wealth of nations should be a capital asset valued in combination with its financial capital, manufactured capital and human capital," Zoellick said.

"National accounts need to reflect the vital carbon storage services that forests provide and the coastal protection values that come from coral reefs and mangroves."

Zoellick said including the trillions of dollars worth of value from ecosystems in national accounts would help to protect the world's rapidly diminishing biodiversity.

He gave an example of coastal mangroves being cleared for shrimp farming.

Under the proposed economic model, the value that mangroves have in protecting coastal areas from flooding and the loss of fish would also be factored in.

People would then be in a better position to determine the economic consequences of clearing the mangroves, rather than look at the short-term benefit of shrimp farming.

The World Bank move comes after a UN-backed report was released at the Nagoya summit saying degradation of the world's ecosystems was costing the global economy between two and five trillion dollars a year.

That report raised alarm about the need for the global economy to put a value on ecosystems, and Zoellick said the World Bank wanted to work out a way to implement its recommendations.

"Through this new partnership, we plan to pilot ways to integrate ecosystem valuation into national accounts and then scale up what works to countries around the world," he said.

The UN summit is due to end on Friday with more than 190 countries aiming to agree on a 20-point plan to protect the world's ecosystems over the next decade.

Scientists say that ecosystem degradation is causing the world's plant and animal species to vanish at up to 1,000 times the natural rate, threatening human existence.

World Bank launches scheme to green govt accounts
* Bank partnership to help poorer nations save nature
* Tools to help place ecosystems into national accounts
* Will help better assess infrastructure projects -India
David Fogarty and Chisa Fujioka Reuters AlertNet 28 Oct 10;

The World Bank on Thursday launched a program to help nations put a value on nature just like GDP in a bid to stop the destruction of forests, wetlands and reefs that underpin businesses and economies.

The five-year pilot project backed by India, Mexico and other nations aims to embed nature into national accounts to draw in the full benefits of services such as coastal protection from mangroves or watersheds for rivers that feed cities and crops.

"We're here today to create something that no one has tried before: a global partnership that can fundamentally change the way governments value their ecosystems," World Bank President Robert Zoellick told reporters in the Japanese city of Nagoya.

More than 100 ministers are in Nagoya for a U.N. meeting that aims to seal a historic deal to set new 2020 targets to combat the rapid loss of plant and animal species from deforestation, pollution, over-hunting and climate change.

One of the targets before the ministers is to agree to include the values of biological diversity into national development plans, or possibly national accounts.

"For economic ministries in particular, it's important to have an accounting measure that they can use to evaluate not only the economic value but the natural wealth of nations," Zoellick told Reuters in an interview.

"It's not a silver bullet. It's a way of trying to help people understand better in economic terms the value of natural wealth."

While economists try to get a handle on the value of nature, scientists are struggling to get a full picture of the variety of wildlife species around the globe as climate change, exploitation and pollution threaten "mass extinctions," a series of studies published on Wednesday showed.

BENEFITS

Envoys at the Japan meeting, the product of years of negotiations, are trying to win agreement on a 20-point plan that aims to protect fish stocks, fight the loss and degradation of natural habitats and conserve larger land and marine areas.

Greater financing from rich nations, possibly through redirecting subsidies from the fossil fuel, fishing and other industries is key.

Envoys are also aiming to clinch by Friday a new pact that sets laws for the sharing of genetic resources between governments and companies, such as drug and agri-resources firms.

Poorer nations want greater controls to protect their environment and to potentially earn billions of dollars in extra revenue from the benefits of trees to fungi, insects to frogs.

Delegates and greens say the talks are making progress ahead of Friday's deadline but were still deadlocked on some issues and negotiations were expected to continue deep into the night.

"There is definitely a positive atmosphere," Norwegian Environment Minister Erik Solheim told Reuters. "Everyone wants to reach a consensus here."

The World Bank program will give developing countries tools to help them measure the value and benefits of their ecosystems. India's Environment Secretary Vijai Sharma said at the launch the tools would make impact assessments more objective when looking at bids by miners or steelmakers to set up operations in India.

India recently scrapped London-listed Vedanta Resources' plans to mine bauxite and expand its alumina refinery in Orissa over environmental concerns, worrying investors.

The government has also expressed concerns over a $12 billion steel mill planned by South Korean firm Posco.

The Bank and other groups also launched a "save our species" initiative in Nagoya aimed at getting businesses to contribute to new conservation fund.

"It's nice that you may have a tiger as a logo but what does it do for your logo if the tiger goes extinct?" Zoellick told Reuters.

(Editing by Sugita Katyal)

World Bank to lead economic push on nature protection
Richard Black BBC News 28 Oct 10;

The World Bank has launched a global partnership aimed at helping countries include the costs of destroying nature into their national accounts.

Ten nations will take part in the pilot phase, including India and Colombia.

The bank's president Robert Zoellick said environmental destruction happens partly because governments do not account for the value of nature.

The partnership was launched at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting in Nagoya, Japan.

"We know that human well-being depends on ecosystems and biodiversity," said Mr Zoellick.

"We also know they're degrading at an alarming rate.

"One of the causes is our failure to properly value ecosystems and all they do for us - and the solution therefore lies in taking full account of our ecosystem services when countries make policies."

Norway's Environment Minister Erik Solheim said re-valuing nature in this way would force business practices to change.

"We need to move from a situation where the benefits of ecosystem services are privatised whereas the coasts are socialised," he said.

"The full costs of negative impacts on ecosystems must be covered by those who receive a benefit from destroying it."
Trillion-dollar question

The new project aims to pick up conclusions of a recent UN-backed project on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Teeb), and help governments turn them into policy.

Teeb's headline conclusion was that degradation of the natural world is costing the global economy $2-5 trillion (£1.3-3.2bn) per year.

In the report, it also commented that the natural world's economic value, in terms of its provision of clean water, good-quality soil, pollination and other services, was largely neglected by policymakers because it was "invisible".

"The groundbreaking report... has helped define the importance of biodiversity in a new way," said UK Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman.

"What's absolutely clear is that we need to bring about a real change in the way we value natural capital and ecosystem services and integrate them into the mainstream of our decision-making processes."

Ms Spelman and Mr Solheim both indicated their governments would support the new project's rollout.

Growing threat

In response to questions about whether businesses would resist this kind of natural capital accounting because it could affect their bottom lines, Ms Spelman suggested they would not object once they understood the reasoning behind it.

"Bees, for example, are worth about £440m to the UK economy," she said.

"When you think of having to substitute what nature provides for free, I think there won't be a backlash once people understand what ecosystem services provide."

Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), added that a recent analysis showed that companies viewed biodiversity loss as a bigger threat than international terrorism.

The finding came originally from a World Economic Forum report, , which indicated businesses saw about an 8% likelihood that biodiversity loss would affect them - largely by damaging their reputation - while about 4% saw international terrorism as a threat.

"Some businesses are 'free riders' and take advantage of lax legislation to do things they won't be able to do in future," said Mr Steiner.

"But a lot of businesses are looking for ways to minimise their risk."

The draft agreement ministers are considering in the main negotiations here calls for "the values of biodiversity" to be integrated into countries' development and poverty reduction strategies.

But delegates are still arguing over whether to call for integration into national accounts.

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Cities Under Pressure To Balance Trees And Skyscrapers

Chisa Fujioka PlanetArk 29 Oct 10;

The fight against the destruction of nature can start in cities, even as urban centers around the world face the challenge of accommodating more people, skyscrapers and transport systems.

While green groups at a U.N. environment meeting in Japan focused on the need to save rainforests and oceans, mayors at the talks said conserving nature in cities was equally vital.

"We must work on two levels. First, the preservation of ecosystems but also the integration of biodiversity in the city and in all policies," Evelyne Huytebroeck, the Brussels' region minister for environment, told a news conference.

"Biodiversity must be seen as part of the solution for the city, for sustainable urban planning, not as a problem."

Half of world's population is now squeezed into cities and the urban population is expected to grow to 70 percent by 2030.

Urban development should not have to clash with the need to restore ecosystems and biological diversity in cities, whether it be trees, plants or insects, delegates from 230 local authorities meeting on the sidelines of the Oct 18-29 U.N. talks said.

U.N. studies during the talks in Nagoya have highlighted the value of ecosystems to livelihoods, such as insects that pollinate crops, trees that clean the air and plants that are the source of food.

But waste, industrial emissions and pollution from transport have all led to ecosystems being destroyed in cities. Such changes were already posing risks to health, said David Cadman, a Vancouver city councilor.

"Mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus, Dengue fever and malaria are coming into places where they have never come before," said Cadman. "If you think preserving climate change, biodiversity is expensive, look at the coming costs to health care."

Cadman said cities were already working to preserve wetlands, save rivers and deal with waste responsibly. Brussels juggles the need to preserve trees and build homes and offices by requiring flat roofs bigger than a certain size to plant rooftop gardens.

"Maybe you say it's nothing, but it's a lot for a city when you see how many flat roofs you can have in the city," Huytebroeck said.

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Conservation, religion join to save Ganges dolphin

Henry Foy Reuters AlertNet 28 Oct 10;

NARORA, India, Oct 28 (Reuters Life!) - As the sun sets over a serene stretch of the mighty Ganges, a pair of smooth, grey dolphins arch gracefully out of the water, bringing hope that wildlife can again call India's great river home.

Millions of Indians along the banks of the 2,500 km (1,550 mile)-long Ganges depend on the river, but unchecked levels of agricultural, industrial and domestic waste have poured in over the past decades, threatening the wildlife.

Five kilometres upstream from Narora, a five-hour drive west of New Delhi, the 350 megawatt nuclear power station that put this sleepy town on the map looms as a reminder of India's unrelenting drive for industrialisation.

In Karnabas, a small village just upstream from Narora, a local drama troupe performs for more than 150 villagers.

"Humans are polluting our river!" an actor playing a Hindu god declared, a WWF banner celebrating World Dolphin Day hanging over the makeshift stage.

"The life of our Mother Ganga is endangered! Please do something!"

Distinguishable from its ocean-going cousin by a long, pointed snout, the Ganges dolphin is one of only four freshwater species in the world. The total population across India, Nepal and Bangladesh is estimated at 2,000, down from 4,500 in 1982.

But along a northern stretch of the holy river, a Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) project is leveraging the religious importance of the Ganges for Hindus to teach villagers the virtues of conservation and protection of its sacred water. The upper stretch of the Ganges, from Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalayas to Ram Ghat in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, holds great religious significance for Hindus.

Locations along the river figure heavily in the Hindu holy text, the Ramayana. A bathe in the river is a rite of passage.

"The religious sensibilities of the people are interlinked with the conservation of the river," said WWF-India project leader Sandeep Behera as he stood on the river bank in the shadow of a Hindu temple, while young boys chanted hymns on a nearby pier.

"If I ask a local farmer to give up just one afternoon to learn about conservation, he will ask 'What will I eat in the evening?'," Behera said.

"Therefore, we found that religious leaders were the way to get the message across."

PROTECTING THE HOLY RIVER

Vivek Kumar Mishra, a Hindu priest at the riverside Vedic school just outside Karnabas, stresses the importance of protecting the holy river in his lessons.

Local fishermen no longer hunt the dolphins for fear of reprisal from village leaders who have signed up to the WWF project, while a WWF campaign promoting natural fertilisers has dramatically reduced chemical pollution into the river.

"What they (WWF) are doing is working. It's become very clear that we need to clean the river," said Ritesh Sharma, a 26 year-old shopkeeper in Karnabas.

Dolphin numbers in the 165 km stretch upstream from Narora have almost trebled over the past 15 years, to an estimated 56 today, according to WWF-India.

There are other encouraging signs.

India's government recently recognised the Ganges River Dolphin as the country's national aquatic animal. And last week, the Ministry of Environment and Forests promised to rid the river of untreated sewage and industrial pollution by 2020.

Behera, who began conservation work in Narora as part of his PhD, understands that changing peoples' attitudes takes time.

"This is not one or two years' work," he said. "What you see happening is the result of 15 years of engagement."

(Editing by Elaine Lies)

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Seized log book reveal enormous extent of pangolin trade in Malaysia

22,000 pangolins killed in 14 months
Joey Catanzaro and Evangeline Majawat New Straits Times 29 Oct 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: The shocking full scope of Malaysia's illegal pangolin trade has been revealed for the first time, after a new study found that more than 22,000 of the endangered reptiles were killed in the 14 months prior to January last year.

Released by Southeast Asia wildlife trade monitoring network (Traffic) yesterday, the report was based on log books seized from a syndicate during a Sabah Wildlife Department raid in Kota Kinabalu last year.

Entries in the log books showed that 22,000 pangolins were killed and 834.4kg of their scales were supplied to the syndicate between May 2007 and January last year.


Senior Traffic programme officer Noorainie Awang Anak said yesterday the log books had lifted the shadowy veil hanging over the illegal trade of the endangered reptiles, which are hunted and sold for their alleged medicinal properties.

"The detailed record-taking by this criminal syndicate has given us a unique insight into the volumes of endangered pangolins being illegally traded in the region."

But Noorainie said the number of pangolins taken could be higher because six months worth of records were not recovered by the authorities during the raid.


The Sunda pangolin, which is found in much of Southeast Asia, is protected under Malaysian law.

It is so critically endangered that new legislation, the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, will introduce tougher penalties and offer more protection for the pangolins in Peninsular Malaysia when it comes into effect later this year.

Under the new law, a blanket ban on hunting, killing, breeding and possession of the animal, or any part of its anatomy, will be extended to cover the Orang Asli.


Despite the deterrent, Malaysian wildlife authorities made 19 pangolin-related seizures between 2002 and 2008, all of which resulted in successful prosecutions.

The most staggering haul was when authorities intercepted a lorry carrying 530 frozen pangolins bound for sale in the international black market.

The study also included a survey of 13 pangolin hunters, all but one of whom said they believed the pangolin was on the brink of extinction.

They claimed the black market value of the pangolin had soared in recent years, because diminishing numbers meant it was increasingly difficult to meet the voracious demand.

Plight of scaly anteaters disclosed
An enormous illegal trade in pangolins, an endangered scaly anteater from south east Asia, has been laid bare after the seizure of log books belonging to a smuggling ring in Malaysia.

Malcolm Moore The Telegraph 28 Oct 10;

The authorities in Malaysia, one of the last homes of the pangolin, opened up the log books to Traffic, an environmental NGO, after raiding a smuggling syndicate in Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah.

The books revealed that between May 2007 and January 2009 a total of 22,200 pangolins were bought by the smugglers in order to ship them onwards, probably to China. Another 834 tonnes of pangolin scales were also purchased by the syndicate.

"The detailed record-taking by this criminal syndicate has given us a unique insight into the volumes of endangered pangolins being illegally traded in the region," said Noorainie Awang Anak, at Traffic.

Pangolins are nocturnal anteaters and are the only mammals to be covered in large scaly armour. During the day, they tend to sleep curled up in a ball. They are found in tropical parts of Africa and Asia, but have been wiped out in most of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam because of huge demand from China.

Although the trade in pangolin is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), it is very commonly available in traditional Chinese medicine shops, which grind the scales into treatments.

In 2008, customs officials in Vietnam seized 23 tons of frozen pangolins in a single week.

"Pangolin is pretty common," said an assistant at the Tong Han Chun apothecary in Shanghai. "We use their scales to promote good blood circulation, to make breast milk flow and to reduce swelling. We charge around four to six yuan (40p to 60p) a gram."

The animal is also commonly eaten in restaurants in southern China. A chef from Guangdong province interviewed in the Beijing Science and Technology Daily said the animals were kept alive until ordered. "Then we hammer them unconscious, cut their throats and drain the blood. We have to boil them to remove the scales and then cut the meat into small pieces. Usually the customers take the blood home with them afterwards."

Traffic also surveyed 13 pangolin hunters in Sabah, with all but one saying they believed the pangolin was headed towards extinction.

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, numbers of wild Sunda Pangolins in Malaysia have halved in the past 15 years. However, because the creatures are nocturnal, and therefore difficult to track, a full estimate of their numbers has not been made.

Seized notebooks give unique insight into scale of illicit pangolin trade
WWF 28 Oct 10;

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 28th October 2010 - Stunning figures in traffickers’ logbooks indicate massive illegal capture and trade in endangered pangolins or scaly anteaters, finds a new TRAFFIC study.

A Preliminary Assessment of Pangolin Trade in Sabah analyses logbooks seized following a raid by Sabah Wildlife Department in 2009 on a syndicate’s pangolin trafficking premises in Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of the Malaysian State of Sabah in north Borneo.

The logbooks reveal that 22 200 pangolins were killed and 834.4 kg of pangolin scales were supplied to the syndicate between May 2007 and January 2009.

The Sabah Wildlife Department granted TRAFFIC access to the logbooks, which detail the volume, weight, source and prices of pangolins purchased by the syndicate during the 14 month period.

“TRAFFIC is grateful to the Wildlife Department for allowing us access to this information,” said Noorainie Awang Anak, Senior Programme Officer with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and an author of the report.

“The detailed record-taking by this criminal syndicate has given us a unique insight into the volumes of endangered pangolins being illegally traded in the region.”

However, as Awang points out, the numbers could be even higher: no logbooks were recovered for the period August 2007 to February 2008 or for June 2008. Whether this is because the books were missing or because there was no smuggling during the period is not known.

The Sabah Wildlife Department and other enforcement agencies in the State have focused enforcement efforts on weeding out pangolin smugglers, resulting in successful prosecutions in all 19 pangolin-related seizures carried out between 2002 and 2008.

The biggest case involved the seizure of a container lorry carrying a hundred polystyrene boxes filled with 530 frozen pangolins meant for export. The two men arrested in this case were each sentenced to a fine of RM9,000 and six months jail.

The Sunda Pangolin, found in much of South-East Asia, is considered Endangered and the species is protected under Malaysian law. No international trade in any Asian pangolin species is permitted under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Despite this, pangolins are widely hunted and trafficked for their alleged medicinal properties. They are among the most commonly encountered mammals in Asia’s wildlife trade and alarming numbers have been seized throughout East and Southeast Asia in recent years. In 2008, Customs in Viet Nam seized a staggering 23 tonnes of frozen pangolins in a single week. Most trade is believed to be destined for China.

The report also presents the results of a survey of pangolin hunters interviewed on the west coast of Sabah. Hunters reported that high prices offered by middlemen was the main driver for the collection of pangolins, and this in turn was caused by the increasing difficulty in finding pangolins in the wild.

All but one of the 13 hunters interviewed said they believed the pangolin was headed towards extinction. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, numbers of wild Sunda Pangolins have halved in the past 15 years.

“The pangolin smuggling crisis can only be addressed through improved law enforcement and better information on the criminal syndicates behind the trade,” said Awang.

“Anyone with information on those behind these crimes against Malayasia’s natural heritage should pass it on to the relevant authorities for action.

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Malaysia: Food Policies Ensure Food Security in Era of Climate Change

Sakina Mohamed Bernama 28 Oct 10;

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Being self-sufficient is imperative in an era of climate changes. Countries scramble to ensure food security for their population by any means necessary. This can mean finding ways to grow food in their own backyards, even if it means resorting to the use of expensive technology.

One can assume that countries thriving on agriculture would not have much of a problem. But the same cannot be said for Malaysia, which has been importing more food products than it exports.

Chief executive officer of the Malaysian Agrifood Corporation Berhad (MAFC) Azizi Meor Ngah says food security needs to be examined from the standpoint of trade.

"I think the government should look at agriculture in a more commercial way with a higher balance of trade," says Azizi who was also the chairman of the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) for four years.

However, growing food for trade is not as simple as it sounds. There are just so many aspects to it that need to be looked into.

GROWING DOES NOT MEAN SELLING

Balance of trade can be seen as a strategy to ensure better food security, but growing more crops is not a sure-fire way to offset trade deficit, says Azizi.

"We must first ask ourselves the question, what is it that we can grow that the world wants, so that we can export it?"

He says there is no proper brand of agriculture produce from Malaysia that is developed for export, such as New Zealand which are known for their kiwis and Philippine for their bananas.

Although Malaysia is known for its palm oil, he says, Malaysia can only rely on its oil palm exports for so long, as nutrients in land do need to be replenished. A back-up plan is always wise.

The MAFC, an accredited integrated food supply chain management company in Malaysia, has been also accredited to ensure sustainable agriculture practices at every level of the food supply chain. The company partners with government agencies and industry players to supply safe and top quality fresh produce for healthier living.

MAFC has been growing vegetables and fruits under the concept of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) which includes proper usage of farming methods, appropriate planting and harvesting methods and minimal usage of non-organic fertilisers and pesticides.

Its produce are transported through MAFC's Cold Chain Network, which means they are transported from the farm to the supermarket shelves in cold trucks at the right temperature to maintain freshness and shelf life. It is marketed under the brand "Lushious" and distributed to several local hypermarkets.

Azizi says one of MAFC's biggest role is to go for the export markets, but doing so is easier said than done.

Before any food products can be exported overseas, it has to obtain several certifications that attest not only to its quality, but its safety as well.

FOOD SAFETY ISSUES

"Food safety issues are always the hardest as countries are very stringent about it," says Azizi.

"It's understandable, as everybody wants to protect their country and industry. When you export a food product, you are also exporting potential diseases."

However, getting certifications for Malaysian products for safety can be a costly process for small producers, as many of the internationally-recognised certification programmes such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) require rigorous testing and rigid compliance to its standards.

This has also caused much reluctance among industry players to get their products or farms certified.

If they choose to do so, the cost would ultimately have to be passed on to retailers and consumers, so many local buyers and retailers were willing to overlook food safety for cheaper goods, he said.

"They prefer to source cheaply," Azizi laments." They refuse my products when it is offered to them as they claim it to be too expensive. But what they must understand is that it comes with an assurance of food safety."

The situation has also been aggravated with consumers who know little about the importance of food safety and the need to demand for it.

He says the Food Act in the United Kingdom puts in on the retailers to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring food safety.

"If, for example, somebody dies from consuming something bought at a hypermarket, the family can sue the hypermarket over it because there is provision in the Food Act for them to do so."

Countries in the European Union also employ a similar concept, where in the bid to ensure food safety, major retailers choose a farm to "adopt" for their produce supply.

"They will place an expert on food safety on the farms to advise farmers how to plant, which pesticides to use, and everything comes with a buy back scheme, so farmers go through the whole process with peace of mind.

"It is a different case over here. Even if I offer them products with certified food safety, they refuse it on the grounds that it's costlier. Costs seem to take precedence over safety," he says.

GO ABROAD FOR LOCAL BENEFIT

Sometimes, importing can be a necessity rather than a choice. For example, a country with high demand for a food that is not suitable for growing or breeding locally, such as meat, would have no choice but to import to ensure food security.

"When this happens," says Azizi, "the government should go in big way to encourage companies to buy a big farm or ranch in Australia and New Zealand, where the conditions are more suitable to breed livestock and produce for the Malaysian market," he suggested.

The practice has been employed in a number of countries around the world such as Brunei and those in the Arab region, where premium meat and dairy products are sourced from their own farms overseas and produced exclusively for local consumption.

It is a good practice in food security, Azizi says.

Moreover, he says, it could also play a role in balancing trade.

He says middle-income economies like China and India has around 900 million middle income earners in total.

"These are my target customers. If I were breeding livestock overseas, I would look at exporting to these countries where purchasing power is on the rise.

"As incomes increase, so do diet trends. They now go for more meat, which was previously unaffordable.

If we go into the livestock industry in a big way by owning a farm in Australia or New Zealand, we could also export to India and China when the demand for it starts rising."

When asked if it is a good idea to breed livestock locally, he says the tricky part was growing good crop feed, which requires nutrient-rich flat lands.

"Most of the good lands we have have gone towards developing housing projects or planting oil palm. Unless the government changes its policy towards such projects and relocate oil palm plantation overseas, it is not feasible to grow crops for livestock in Malaysia," he says.

Azizi says Malaysia needs to quickly take the reins on the macro planning of the country's food policy. Further procrastination will automatically make Malaysia less competitive and place the country in a vulnerable position.

"Point in case, China has made a very positive decision in agriculture and now they are successfully exporting many of their produce despite their big population and growth.

"It's something we need to take stock of immediately," he says.

Azizi will be moderating a session at the two-day International Conference and Exhibition on Climate Change, Agriculture and Related Trade Standards, which takes place on Nov 1 at Hotel Istana.

This two day conference is co-organised by UNCTAD and ENSEARCH, one of Malaysia's largest environmental NGOs. For more information, please go to www.ensearch.org

-- BERNAMA

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'Vertical Farm' envisions tall future for farming

David Runk, Associated Press Yahoo News 28 Oct 10;

DETROIT – A new book by an urban agriculture visionary aims to change the way people think about farming, offering a look into a future where city skyscrapers — not rural fields — produce the world's food.

In "The Vertical Farm," Dickson Despommier challenges the notion that plants should be grown in soil, advocating for developing and investing in big projects using hydroponic greenhouses and other indoor growing technology in cities.

The goal is to provide safe, fresh food around the globe in a way Despommier says is impossible with modern farming. He acknowledges that getting to that future might be expensive, but he considers it a challenge akin to the space race.

"There is nothing stopping us from doing that any more than there was nothing stopping us from going to the moon," the 70-year-old Despommier said in a recent interview about the book, his third, released this month by Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press.

Despommier (pronounced 'DAY-palm-YAY) developed his ideas as a professor of public health in environmental health sciences at Columbia University. He and his students spent the past decade studying ways to incorporate agriculture into urban areas and developing plans for high-rise farms.

Despommier, who retired in January, has been a leading voice promoting the possibility that urban agriculture could be more than community plots on vacant lots in cities like New York and Detroit. His ideas tend to be grander in scale — and more enmeshed in new technology — than those of others in the field.

He envisions growing crops in indoor areas more concentrated than farm fields, and herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers wouldn't be used. Towers could be built just for growing, or empty buildings could be converted.

In its ultimate form, Despommier envisions a system for farming that would use energy from burning human waste, for example, and biofuels from the vertical farm itself to help power extremely energy efficient grow lights. Fish and poultry could be raised in the buildings, along with fruits and vegetables.

Some of those steps are taking place already on a smaller, lower-tech scale. In Milwaukee, for example, former pro basketball player and urban farmer Will Allen has created a self-sustaining system of fish and vegetable farming.

And companies such as Cornwall, England-based Valcent Products Ltd. make systems to grow indoors in warehouses or other buildings. Valcent's CEO Chris Bradford credits Despommier for pushing the boundaries of what might be possible.

"The concept grasps people's imagination and they start thinking about whether urban farming is a practical solution," said Bradford, who expects his company's VertiCrop system to begin being used in the U.S. in early 2011.

Despommier acknowledges that the vision presented in the book is far off. Or as environmental justice activist Majora Carter writes in the book's foreword: "If the skyscraper farm is like a 747 jetliner, we are now at the stage of the Wright Brothers."

But, Despommier notes, that's still a point from which to start.

The book includes an overview of how the farming developed, as well as laying out ideas for what vertical farms could become. Despommier advocates investing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money in research at urban agricultural centers around the country where prototypes could be built and ideas hashed out.

"What could be more worth spending money on, in my view, than to try to get everybody safe food and water?" Despommier asked.

Vertical Farm Project: http://www.verticalfarm.com

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More firms starting to issue sustainability reports

Rachel Kelly Channel NewsAsia 28 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE : With increasing global attention being paid to issues of environmental protection and social responsibility, companies are beginning to issue sustainability reports.

According to estimates, the number is picking up and will involve some 3,000 companies worldwide this year.

Such reports allow investors to look beyond a company's standard financial reporting to their management of environmental and social matters.

In Europe, some analysts estimate that 17 per cent of investments are in sustainable-related funds, and in the US, they make up around 11 per cent.

Comparatively, the numbers in Asia are small. But experts say there are signs of growing investor interest in such funds.

Sharad Somani, executive director, Global Infrastructure & Projects, KPMG, said: "There are a lot of funds now which are socially responsible investors ...

"So for companies that want to tap into these kind of funds, and which will grow in volume going forward and which will be more important in Asia, we believe that if you are to tap these funds, you will have to be seen to be doing concrete actions to be sustainable.

"The second big thing we are seeing is that most of the Asian companies are exporting to a lot of European and American companies.

"And a whole lot of American and European companies are looking at their entire value chain - which essentially means - where they source the products from, are they following the best practices, or are they sustainable.

If the companies do not start changing the way they function in order to be more sustainable, it may directly impact their ability to do business with these companies, and also being competitive."

Stock exchanges in the region have been making efforts to encourage their listed companies to boost transparency through sustainability reporting.

The Singapore Exchange recently issued a "Policy Statement on Sustainability Reporting", while Bursa Malaysia mandated sustainability reporting in 2006.

Devanesan Evanson, chief market operations officer, Bursa Malaysia, said: "One of the challenges faced by public-listed companies is guidance. The listed companies wanted guidance about the process of disclosure.

"And to that extent as an exchange, what we have done is publish a framework, a framework to guide listed companies in making the CSR statement.

"Basically, this framework looks at four areas. First and foremost, it looks at the community - how they can have CSR activities in relation to the community, and the market place, and your workplace among your employees."

Others added that sustainability is not only becoming a regulatory requirement but also a business imperative.

Graham Owens, director, PAIA, said: "When you are supplying to companies, they have got their own set of sustainability criteria that they have to meet themselves.

"So if you help them with that, then you could become a preferred supplier in that sense. So by producing a report and allowing people to access what you are doing along your supply chain, then you are making it easy for them.

"You are also making it easy for investors to make an informed decision as to whether they should look at your company as good future potential in terms of development."

Currently within Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, only about 130 companies produce sustainability reports.

- CNA/al

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Tiny Pacific island in world-first personal pollution scheme

Amy Coopes Yahoo News 28 Oct 10;

SYDNEY (AFP) – An obscure Pacific island is set to trial a world-first scheme where residents are offered cash incentives to follow a healthy, low-pollution lifestyle, researchers said.

Australia's isolated Norfolk Island, once a tough British prison colony, is an ideal test-bed for the novel project as the world grasps for solutions to the twin problems of global warming and obesity, they said.

The island's 2,000 residents will be given a "carbon credit card" to present when they pay for power, petrol and food. Frugal users can trade leftover credits for cash, while those who over-consume will have to buy extra units.

"We have an island that it is 1,700 kilometres off the (Australian) mainland, it is fully self-contained and you can measure everything that goes in and out," said lead researcher Garry Egger.

He said residents of self-governing Norfolk, east of Brisbane and north of New Zealand, lived a similar lifestyle to other Australians, who are the world's biggest per capita polluters and among its most obese.

Use of electricity and petrol would be penalised along with imports of processed foods from Australia, encouraging people to walk and cycle more, use less power and eat local produce, said Egger.

The voluntary scheme is funded by a grant from the Australian Research Council. Egger, from Southern Cross University (SCU) near Brisbane, said he was confident most residents would take part in the three-year study.

"If they're frugal and don't buy a lot of petrol or power or fatty foods, then they can actually have units to spare at the end of a set time period so that they can cash those in at the bank and make money from them," he said.

Those who weren't careful with their energy and diet would have to buy extra units. The island's 30,000 annual tourists would also receive a carbon card on arrival with the number of credits tailored to the length of their stay.

"They will be able to recover the money that is left on their cards if they are frugal with it, or they will have to pay extra if they go over," Egger said, in a statement released Wednesday.

"It's quite fun because they can actually make a bit of money while they are out there if they do the right thing."

Islanders had responded with enthusiasm, said Norfolk's tourism and development minister Andre Nobbs. The local government was a partner in the funding bid.

"The good thing that Norfolk Island has going for it is the population has strong ideals and beliefs about the environment," Nobbs said, adding it would be a "welcome experience" for visitors.

"Most tourists already know we are pretty genuine about our quality of life here," he said.

"To arrive and be given a card that is going to map their carbon usage while they are on holiday, I think will be seen as a very proactive step."

Egger said the number of credits would be reduced over time to meet lower emissions targets and more ambitious health goals, increasing the cost of "sustaining that lifestyle they are not prepared to forego."

One of the biggest questions to be tested was how receptive the public would be, he added. At the end of the three years his team would present its findings to the Australian government.

"If (Norfolk residents) are in favour of it then it would justify scaling it up to a country level and ultimately to a world level."

Two-thirds of Australian men and half of women are estimated to be overweight or obese, costing the economy at least 21 billion dollars (20.4 billion US) a year in healthcare alone, according to a Sydney University study.

Australia, named last year as the world's biggest per capita polluter by risk consultancy Maplecroft, is also grappling with ways to cut greenhouse gases after failing to get emissions trading laws through parliament.

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Need to move Indonesia's capital growing urgent in face of climate change, experts say

Veby Mega Reuters AlertNet 28 Oct 10;

JAKARTA (AlertNet) - Sea level rise, worsening flooding and land subsidence in and around Jakarta have prompted Indonesian officials to resurrect plans to move the country's capital - but local residents and experts say Jakarta itself will not survive unless it adapts to cope with climate change.

Plans to relocate Indonesia's central government, parliament and public offices to another province on the island of Java or to another island in the Indonesian archipelago have been proposed on and off since the 1930s because of problems in Jakarta including overcrowding and rising sea level, which has led to worsening flooding.

But environmental experts now say a move is urgent to allow officials to soften the impact of climate change on the congested city of 9.6 million people.

"Moving the capital will reduce the city's burden to provide infrastructure and services to its people so that authorities can start re-planning city development," said Sonny Keraf, Indonesia's environment minister between 1999 and 2001, and now a university professor and environmental expert.

Still, "in terms of climate change adaptation, it won't be easy," he added.

While a number of locations for a new capital have been considered over the years, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, parliamentarians and other officials now believe the island of Kalimantan, formerly known as Borneo, is the best choice.

Kalimantan is the world's third-largest island and its land structure makes it more resilient to earthquakes and rising sea level. A new capital would most likely be located inland at Palangkaraya.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, is highly vulnerable to climate change, with 24 of the country's 33 provinces at risk from rising sea level, according to the national Fisheries and Maritime Department. One of these most vulnerable areas is the north coast of Jakarta.

From late 2009 to the end of 2010, flooding problems associated with sea level rise have cost Jakarta $1 billion, a figure that could rise to $16 billion a year by 2050, according to government statistics.

The costs rise from lengthy traffic jams, factories halting work because of floods and damage to livelihoods.

DAILY FLOODS

Residents of the fishing village of Muara Angke on Jakarta's north coast - an area rich in mangrove swamps - say they now live with the effects of flooding on a daily basis.

Flood waters of 30 centimetres to 1 metre fill the village most evenings, often leaving unpleasant smells as the water floods the local fish market and sewerage systems.

"It's always flooding like this every day. We've got used to it," said May Mariana, 43, who has lived in Jakarta all her life.

But Mariana and other locals, who would stay in Jakarta if the capital were relocated, are concerned plans to move the country's administration could leave them without protection and support when severe flooding occurs.

Floodwaters up to two metres deep covered Muara Angke in 2007, due to sea level rise, overflowing sewers and blocked drainage channels. During the crisis, the government responded quickly because the area was part of the capital and received a lot of media attention, residents said.

"I worry if Jakarta is no longer the capital, the government will care less and less about us," Mariana said.

POOR URBAN PLANNING

Poor urban planning is exacerbating the problem of flooding in Muara Angke, said Keraf, who is a member of the opposition party to Yudhoyono's government.

In previous years, developers have built high-rise apartment blocks and buildings in the area and tried to offset boosts in sea level by independently pumping water out of the area and building local dams, which worsened flooding elsewhere.

To ease the problem, the Jakarta city government drew up a development plan for the city's north coast in 1993. The idea of the Waterfront City plan, as it was called, was to create new coastal land by filling it waterfront areas and raising their level, as Singapore has done on a large-scale.

The new land was intended to become an exclusive business and investment zone by 2020.

The Environment Ministry rejected the plan in 2003, however, in part because of rising sea level. After also losing a high court case, the city government modified the project. Last year, the city began the process of creating a 27,000-hectare filled area, 30 kilometers long by 1.5 kilometers wide.

Local fisherman say the project is damaging their livelihoods.

Before the Waterfront City plan, developers had already destroyed some of the area's mangrove swamps that are home to fish and other sea creatures and provide protection from tidal surges. But the situation has worsened since the city government began the landfilling work, locals say.

"It's hard to catch fish now," said Ibnu, 63, a local fisherman. "We're working in a smaller area and there is more waste from those fancy buildings."

Ibnu said he now earns less than 2 dollars a day on average, compared to 5 dollars a day in the 1990s.

The land development has also affected the water supply. Jakarta's high-rise buildings have overused ground water and Jakarta has sunk 12 centimetres a year since 2007, worsening the city's flooding problems.

Sea level rise and flooding mean seawater has inundated the city's ground water, turning it increasingly saline. Ibnu and other locals must now buy fresh water from a local water trader, pushing up their cost of living.

COST OF MOVING

Faced with rising costs to the environment and livelihoods, Indonesia now needs to move urgently to transfer its administrative capital, Keraf believes, so the Jakarta city government can have space to start fixing the city's problems and begin focusing on climate adaptation.

"Climate change is happening and they can't think only about economic benefit," Keraf said. "There has to be an academic study into what is the best kind of adaptation after we move the capital."

The cost of moving the capital to Kalimantan is estimated at 50 to 100 trillion Indonesian rupiahs ($50 to $100 billion), according to Jehan Siregar, a lecturer in urban planning at Indonesia's Institute of Technology of Bandung.

He is part of a group of independent experts - called "Indonesian Vision 2033 Team" - who are analysing the capital's proposed relocation.

The group draws its name from the year that Indonesia will emerge as a developed nation if the government continues its current development plan for the country, according to the group.

The group believes moving the administrative capital could happen in stages over the next 10 years, financed by the national budget. Siregar estimates 400,000 government employees and staff would move, or up to a million people if their families are included.

"It will be great investment," he predicted.

Veby Mega Indah is a freelance journalist in Jakarta, Indonesia, who specializes in environmental and climate change issues.

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2010 'exceptional year' for weather disasters: reinsurers

Yahoo News 28 Oct 10;

BERLIN (AFP) – Catastrophic floods in Pakistan, wildfires in Russia, hurricanes in Mexico: 2010 has so far been an "exceptional" year for weather disasters, German reinsurance giant Munich Re said Thursday.

"This year really has been a year of weather records," Peter Hoeppe, an expert from Munich Re's Geo Risks Research department, told journalists.

"The first nine months of the year have seen the highest number of weather-related events since Munich Re started keeping records," he added.

Hoeppe added that a clear pattern of continuing global warming was contributing to the natural disasters.

2010 has so far been the warmest since measurements began 130 years ago. New temperature records were set in Russia (37.8 degrees centigrade) and in Asia (53.5 degrees in Pakistan).

Only last month, a new temperature record was set in Los Angeles, with the mercury hitting 45 degrees. "It is clear that global warming is getting worse," said Hoeppe.

And he added that he did not expect much from the forthcoming climate meeting in Cancun, following what he termed the "genuine catastrophe" of the last such summit in Copenhagen.

That meeting, in December, broke up acrimoniously amid bickering between developed and developing nations over who bore the main burden to stop global warming.

"Our expectations are lower than they were one year ago in Copenhagen. In Copenhagen, there had been a commitment to success and there were over 100 heads of state. That simply won't be the case in Cancun," he said.

On the key issue of CO2 reduction, "there is no movement in the United States and as long as the United States doesn't move, then China will not be prepared to move and these are the two main players," he said.

The Cancun meeting, from November 29 to December 10, is meant to firm up a basic agenda for continuing talks on a new protocol to replace the Kyoto accord which expires in 2012.

Earlier Thursday, France's Academy of Science published a report written by 120 scientists from France and abroad stating that global warming was unquestionably due to human activity.

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Climate change report paints grim picture for Queensland

Jennifer Eliot The Cairns Post 29 Oct 10;

A HOTTER Far North Queensland faces more severe cyclones, mass extinctions in its rainforests, extreme damage to its reefs and a spike in disease, according to a climate change report.

Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones yesterday released the report, Climate Change in Queensland: What the science is telling us, and it paints a grim picture.

It found the past decade was the hottest on record and it’s going to get hotter by up to 2.2C by 2050 and sea levels could rise by as much as 8cm by 2100.

The number of days over 35C in Cairns is expected to triple and the Gulf and Cape can expect longer drier spells interrupted by more intense rainfall. "Average global temperatures have already increased by about 0.75C since 1900," she said.

"The land-ocean temperature record indicates that 14 of the past 15 years have been the warmest since 1880.

"The predicted changes in average rainfall and temperatures and increased frequency of severe weather events, including droughts, floods and severe cyclones, could reduce Queensland's primary and agricultural production, as well as having a significant impact on the well-being of affected communities."

The Great Barrier Reef is also in serious trouble. Ms Jones said the report highlights that the Reef will be hit by increasing acidification of the ocean and warming of the ocean because of more carbon in the atmosphere.

"This means greater threats to the unique corals of the Reef, because as the water gets more acid, coral growth is reduced and as it warms it encourages the kind of algae which block essential light to coral," she said.

James Cook University Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change Prof Steve Williams said rising sea levels would cause significant problems and impact on the World Heritage rainforest would be devastating.

He said a rise of 3.5C, which was possible, would leave a third of rainforest species extinct and a third endangered.

"Unless people start changing what they are doing, we are going to be up a creek without a paddle," he said.

"Any temperatures rises above 2C is starting to become serious and anything beyond that is getting scary.

"But there is time and we can deal with this."

Queensland getting hotter: report
David Barbeler Sydney Morning Herald 28 Oct 10;

AAP

Queensland is getting hotter, sea levels will continue to rise and the impact of extreme weather will increase, according to a new state government report on climate change.

Minister for Climate Change Kate Jones tabled the report - called Climate Change in Queensland: What the science is telling us - in state parliament on Thursday.

It's the second report in a series from the Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence and includes more detail on the impacts of climate change in Queensland. The first report was published in 2008.
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Ms Jones told parliament that the report drew on advice from more than 220 peer-reviewed climate change reports.

"The report provides a uniquely Queensland perspective," she said.

"Queensland is getting hotter, sea levels are expected to continue to rise, and the impacts of extreme weather events will increase.

"Of particular concern is that our iconic Great Barrier Reef will be impacted by increasing acidification and warming of the ocean due to more carbon in the atmosphere."

As a result of climate change, the report says Queensland can expect more flooding, erosion and an increase in tropical cyclones, including more further south.

The report states that a two-degree increase in the average sea surface temperature will cause mass coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef and associated large-scale mortality.

"It is our job to help Queenslanders prepare and understand these changes in temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events," Ms Jones said.

The report states the last decade was the hottest on record, with temperatures 0.58 degrees higher than the 1961-1990 average.

"Queensland regions can expect increased temperatures of between one degree and 2.2 degrees by 2050," the report states.

The report also warns rainfall will decrease by seven per cent in central Queensland and by five per cent in south-east Queensland by 2050.

Sea levels will also rise, with the report saying that estimates of a 0.26 to 0.79 metre rise by 2100 "may be a significant underestimate".

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