Melissa Lin, The Straits Times AsiaOne 2 Oct 15;
Supermarket chains here that carry products from Indonesia's largest pulp and paper firm said they are checking with suppliers whether the firm is involved in the haze-causing forest fires in Indonesia.
This comes after the firm, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), was named by Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) last week as one of the possible culprits behind the burning, which has in recent weeks shrouded the region in haze.
APP products sold in stores here include toilet rolls, facial tissue paper, kitchen towels and wet wipes under the brands Nice, Jolly, Paseo and Livi. Its stationery products sold here include Inspira notebooks, Enlivo writing pads, Sinar Spectra photocopy paper and Sinarline receipt books.
Some consumers have called for a boycott of APP's products. An online petition urging companies to adopt sustainable practices has garnered more than 7,000 signatures.
A FairPrice spokesman said: "We share our customers' concern over this matter and are in contact with our suppliers to seek clarification from them while also awaiting the investigation results from the authorities."
Another supermarket chain, Sheng Siong, has planned a meeting with APP's Singapore office "to understand more about this matter".
Online grocer Redmart said it is "very concerned" about the situation in Indonesia. It has created a filter on its site that allows customers to search for paper and tissue products certified as sustainably produced by Forest Stewardship Council, a non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting responsible forest management.
A week ago, APP was ordered by NEA to supply information on its subsidiaries in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires in their concessions.
The firm may also lose its green label status - which endorses a product as being environmentally friendly - for its paper products, if it is found to be getting its raw materials from unsustainable sources, the Singapore Environment Council said on Tuesday.
Mr Jeremias Kuay, 24, a fresh graduate, said he will try not to buy products from APP for now.
But a boycott is not a long-term solution, given the range of its products, he said. "The Government needs to intervene and check the source of the products that are brought in. Consumers also have to be taught how to identify sustainable products."
But Mr Francis Divyanathan, 59, who runs his own cleaning business, said he will continue to buy the products unless the Government tells him not to. "If I need the products, I will still buy. I don't worry about who sells it," he said.
S’pore volunteers to fly to Indonesia to help give out N95 masks
TOH EE MING Today Online 2 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE — About a week after they launched a campaign to collect N95 masks to help those in Indonesia suffering from the choking haze, the organisers have collected more than 26,000 masks and will be flying to Kalimantan this weekend to distribute them with the help of an Indonesian non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Unlike Singaporeans who can escape to a shopping mall when the haze reaches 200 or 300 on the PSI, Indonesians living in haze of over 2,000 have nowhere to go, said the organisers, who felt they had to act when reading news reports of the people’s plight there.
On Sunday (Oct 4), Ms Cheryl Lie, founder of the campaign “Let’s Help Kalimantan”, and three members of local NGO Relief.sg, including its CEO Jonathan How, will be flying to Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan region, which has seen PSI levels hitting over 1,900.
The Singaporeans will be teaming up with two Indonesian NGOs — WALHI, and Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation.
The group, who will be in Palangkaraya until Tuesday, will help to distribute masks and educate the residents on how to use them. They will also be speaking to affected communities to better understand their needs.
Ms Lie, 31, said she and her 26-year-old sister, who does events, felt compelled to help after seeing a news report on the severity of the situation in Kalimantan.
“We’re suffering, but the people in Kalimantan suffer 10 times more ... and social media has been heightening the response. Some people can just choose to be sympathetic, but I chose to act,” said Ms Cheryl Lie, a programmes manager at the Singapore Management University.
She had previously contributed to the relief efforts in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake.
Together with their friend, secondary school teacher Hafizhah Jamel, 32, they launched the Facebook page called “Let’s Help Kalimantan”, calling for donations of N95 masks. Relief.sg’s Mr How subsequently joined their campaign.
The response to their campaign has been overwhelming, and the three women, together with Mr How, have collected more than 26,000 masks so far — far surpassing their original target of 10,000.
A group of private donors even had 10,000 masks delivered in boxes to Ms Hafizhah’s house.
Some donors would travel all the way to Ms Cheryl Lie’s workplace during rush-hour to pass boxes of masks, or drop off boxes at the team’s homes, recalled Ms Lie.
Others offered help in the form of free lorry services, and staff from NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage even asked if they needed assistance in sponsorship of boxes.
The women also raised more than US$2,200 (S$3,160) from an Indiegogo campaign, and more than S$4,600 in cash donations. They will be using the money to order more masks in the coming week.
For the Kalimantan trip itself, Lion Air has agreed to waive the Singapore team’s excess luggage fees, while Relief.sg will be providing a small stipend for their meals.
“The response has been very heartening. I didn’t expect it to grow beyond our own circle… it’s a bit more than I can handle actually,” said Ms Lie, adding that the last few days have been a hectic rush of handling the logistics and juggling their day jobs.
Currently, the team is waiting to hear if SilkAir and DHL can provide free shipping for the second batch of masks.
Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, Ms Lie said more education and awareness of the issue is needed. She added: “We Singaporeans are very (lucky), we have knowledge of the PSI levels at our fingertips, knowledge about the health hazards… But this hasn’t translated to Kalimantan just yet.”
Haze harms not just humans
Tan Tam Mei, The New Paper AsiaOne 2 Oct 15;
With the haze set to remain until November, it's not just people who are affected for another month.
More pets are also suffering from haze-induced ailments and pet owners like Mr Steven Chew, 32, are worried.
Mr Chew, an IT entrepreneur, took his dog Tofu to the vet last Friday after noticing that it was more inactive and had red and teary eyes.
Tofu was also coughing and sneezing more than usual.
Said Mr Chew: "For dogs, they can't complain (about the haze), but as her owner, of course, I can tell when something is wrong.
"Her condition wasn't serious, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
Mr Chew is one of many pet owners who have taken their pets to the vet for haze-induced conditions like eye irritation and breathing difficulties.
Six vet clinics that TNP spoke to confirmed that there has been a rise in cases believed to be related to the haze.
Dr Rachel Tong, 29, of Spring Veterinary Care, said that some days, she sees up to five new animals with conditions that could be caused by the polluted air.
Said Dr Tong: "It's usually eye and respiratory related, teary or swollen eyes, sneezing, coughing and difficulties breathing. It's always like that during the haze period every year.
"It's especially bad for animals with a history of respiratory or heart problems."
Owners should pay extra attention to "pocket pets" such as rabbits, chinchillas, hamsters and even terrapins as they can be more severely affected by the haze, said Dr Tong.
Dr Jason Teo, 39, vet and owner of Point Veterinary Surgery, which treats mostly puppies, said: "Medium to small-sized animals are more badly affected because they are smaller and more fragile.
"It's also the younger ones, like puppies, that are also more prone to the haze."
He said that he has seen an increase of five to six cases a week with breathing problems which he believes is due to the haze.
Dr Teo, a vet for 14 years, said: "The cases range from minor to severe. Most of them are not life-or-death situations and most puppies are able to get over it."
Vets advise pet owners to keep their pets indoors with good ventilation, to replace food and water bowls more often so that haze particles do not settle and to minimise outdoor activities.
Dr Wang Ping-Yin, 34, of P.A.W. (People Animal Wellness) Veterinary Centre, said that while not all breathing and eye conditions are because of the haze, owners should take extra precautions during this period because "you never know when it might be something serious".
"Treat your pets just like how you would treat the elderly or young kids.
"It's not like we can put a mask on our pets, so it's good to take relevant precautions."
