Best of our wild blogs: 1 Dec 18

Open for registration – Love MacRitchie Walk with NUS Toddycats! on 8 Dec 2018 (Sat)
Love our MacRitchie Forest

[Short Film] Seagrasses of Singapore
Psychedelic Nature

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Singapore to ban 'wash water' discharge in port from 2020

* Singapore to enforce ban on open-loop scrubbers from Jan 2020
* Ban part of preparations for IMO 2020 rules
* Move seen as setback for so-called open-loop scrubbers

Roslan Khasawneh Reuters 30 Nov 18;

SINGAPORE, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Singapore’s Maritime Port Authority (MPA) will ban the discharge of “wash water” used in ships to scrub engine exhaust from Jan. 1, 2020, the MPA said on Friday.

The ban of so-called open-loop scrubbers is part of an effort to prepare one of the world’s busiest ports for International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules that come into force in 2020 and oblige ships to use cleaner fuels.

“To protect the marine environment and ensure that the port waters are clean, the discharge of wash water from open-loop exhaust gas scrubbers in Singapore port waters will be prohibited,” said Andrew Tan, Chief Executive Officer of the MPA during an event in Singapore.

“Ships fitted with hybrid scrubbers will be required to switch to the closed-loop mode of operation,” Tan said.

Singapore is the world’s biggest hub for ship refuelling, also known as bunkering.

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Deer seen wandering around Lornie Road put down due to injuries, old age

Choo Yun Ting Straits Times 30 Nov 18;

SINGAPORE - The Sambar deer which was spotted wandering around on Lornie Road on Sunday evening (Nov 25) has been put down, the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) said in a joint statement on Friday.

The deer had looked confused as it wandered in the middle of traffic on Lornie Road, according to a video taken by a Stomp reader.

NParks was alerted to the deer on Lornie Road after 9pm on Sunday, and they conducted a joint operation alongside the WRS veterinary team.

The old male Sambar deer had to be darted for its safety, as well as that of motorists, as it was lost, the two organisations said.

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Sandbags among new measures to help cope with monsoon season: PUB

Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 18;

SINGAPORE: PUB will offer sandbags to about 600 residents and businesses in flood-prone areas during the upcoming monsoon season, the national water agency said in a media release on Friday (Nov 30).

“With more unpredictable weather due to climate change, PUB has upped its efforts to prepare our community for the coming monsoon," said director of Catchment and Waterways Yeo Keng Soon.

"This year, we are helping residents and shop owners in flood-prone areas to take additional flood protection measures by providing them with sandbags."

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Indonesia: Plastic waste education to be included in school curriculum

ANTARA 30 Nov 18;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has said plastic waste education will be included in the school curriculum.

"In cooperation with the Education and Culture Ministry, we will include it in the curriculum from kindergarten to senior high schools," Pandjaitan said at a press conference, here, Friday.

The public should understand the danger of plastic waste; therefore, children should learn about plastic waste from an early age.

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Vietnam: Greater Mekong Subregion biodiversity conservation corridors to operate from 2019

Vietnam Net 30 Nov 18;

The Greater Mekong Subregion biodiversity conservation corridors and project management plans will be put into operation from 2019, said Vice Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Environment Nguyen The Dong.

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