Best of our wild blogs: 16 May 19

1 June (Sat): Want to learn how to be a nature guide? Come join the Chek Jawa Familiarisation Tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs!
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Read more!

Waterspout off Singapore coast sparks climate debate

Experts say unusual and extreme weather events occur due to climate change and also by chance
CHERYL TEH The New Paper 16 May 19;

A waterspout developed off the southern coast of Singapore on Saturday.

The phenomenon, as well as unseasonably cold or warm spells around the world, have people asking yet again: Are more unusual and extreme weather incidents here and around the world because of climate change, or an unexpected confluence of factors?

It is a bit of both, climate experts say.

Read more!

Schools, Education Ministry can do more for the environment

ANG ZYN YEE Today Online 15 May 19;

It is heartening to see the attention that the Government is giving to tackling excessive waste production and raising awareness of proper recycling habits.

Designating 2019 as the Year Towards Zero Waste, the authorities are sending a strong message that combating climate change and environmental destruction is a key priority.

More can be done, however, especially in schools and educational institutions.

Schools are integral to shaping the character and outlook of our youth and there is no better place to begin instilling environmental awareness in our people.

Climate change is a pressing problem and how schools are run should reflect that urgency.

I have several suggestions for the Ministry of Education and schools on the larger role they can play in Singapore’s efforts to preserve our planet.

Read more!

Indonesia: East Nusa Tenggara to conduct research on Komodo dragons

The Jakarta Post 15 May 19;

As Komodo Island will be closed to the public as of January 2020, the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) administration in cooperation with Nusa Cendana University (Undana) in Kupang will conduct research on the habitat of Komodo dragons in the Komodo National Park, West Manggarai.

"Our cooperation with Undana's research team will be an important part of the NTT administration's efforts to preserve the animals," the administration's secretary, Benediktus Polo Maing, said in Kupang on Wednesday as quoted by Antara.

Benediktus said his office had met with representatives of relevant agencies, including Undana's research team.

Read more!

Single-use plastics a serious climate change hazard, study warns

Production must end now, says first ever estimate of plastic’s cradle-to-grave impact
Sandra Laville The Guardian 15 May 19;

The proliferation of single-use plastic around the world is accelerating climate change and should be urgently halted, a report warns.

Plastic production is expanding worldwide, fuelled in part by the fracking boom in the US. The report says plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle, from its production to its refining and the way it is managed as a waste product.

This plastic binge threatens attempts to meet the Paris climate agreement. It means that by 2050 plastic will be responsible for up to 13% of the total “carbon budget” – equivalent to 615 coal-fired power plants – says the research published on Thursday.

The contribution of plastic production and disposal to climate change has been largely hidden, say the authors of the report by the Center for International Environmental Law, which estimates the greenhouse gas footprint of plastic from the cradle to the grave for the first time.

While plastic pollution in the oceans has become a high-profile concern, the effect on climate change of the ubiquitous use of plastic has not been a focus.

Read more!