Best of our wild blogs: 5 Jan 19

Open for registration – Love MacRitchie Walk with NUS Toddycats! on 13 Jan 2019 (Sun)
Love our MacRitchie Forest

Read more!

Look Ahead 2019: Environment — New policies may spur companies to up their game

LOW YOUJIN Today Online 4 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE — The Year of Climate Action wrapped up with the public now more aware of the need to fight global warming, going by more than 300,000 pledges from individuals and organisations garnered in 2018.

In the next few years, the focus will shift towards corporates and their role in tackling climate change, which is resulting in rising sea levels and more weather extremes. All eyes will be on several key policies to be rolled out, beginning with the carbon tax from this year.

Read more!

Red Dot Power halts electricity retail services amid 'financial challenges'

Cheryl Teh Straits Times 4 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE - Red Dot Power has pulled out of the electricity market, saying on Friday (Jan 4) that it had been a "financially challenging period".

The company was part of the initial soft launch for the open electricity market (OEM) in Jurong, signing up around 3,000 customers, including 120 households.

When the open market roll-out to other parts of the island began on Nov 1, Red Dot Power decided to not sign up new customers as it evaluated its business.

Read more!

Singapore suspends raw pork imports from parts of China with African swine fever

Channel NewsAsia 4 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE: Singapore has suspended the import of pork and pork products from parts of China with outbreaks of African swine fever, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) on Friday (Jan 4).

These areas include Anhui, Fujian, Henan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Sichuan, Zhejiang and Shanghai.

Only processed pork products from approved establishments in the affected areas that have been heat-treated to inactivate the virus are allowed to be imported, AVA said.

China has confirmed about 100 cases of African swine fever across 23 provinces since August last year, but experts believe it is worse than reported, Reuters said. The disease is deadly for pigs but does not harm people.

Read more!

Malaysia: Man nabbed for selling pangolin on social media

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 4 Jan 19;

The 20-year-old man from Kota Belud was caught red-handed by the personnel for possessing a live pangolin at the back bonnet of a car at 11am yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: A man who had used social media to sell a protected animal was arrested by Sabah Wildlife Department.

The 20-year-old man from Kota Belud was caught red-handed by the personnel for possessing a live pangolin at the back bonnet of a car at 11am yesterday.

“Acting on a tip-off from public, a team of four enforcement personnel was despatched to track and inspect a grey Proton Persona near a petrol station in Kota Belud town.

Read more!