$19m waterfront oasis to be built in Woodlands

Channel NewsAsia 26 Jan 08;

SINGAPORE: Come 2010, Woodlands residents can enjoy seafront recreational amenities right at their doorstops.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has unveiled a S$19m design plan to build a coastal promenade and park in their neighbourhood.

Woodlands will certainly live up to its name with URA's "Woodlands Waterfront" proposal, where more lush greenery, trees and woods will be planted.

A nine-hectare park will be created from vacant land along the coastline, featuring playgrounds, picnic areas and nature trails to cater to different recreational needs.

Right next to the park is a 1.5-kilometre long promenade that will offer unobstructed views of the Johor Straits.

To allow visitors to be closer to the water, an old jetty connected to the park will be refurbished as well.

On why the waterfront idea was mooted, head of the project at URA, Wan Khin Wai, said: "In Woodlands today, you'll find that this is one of the towns that are located along the coastline. However if you're inside of it, you can't appreciate the coastline. So, this project offers residents (the chance) to get to the coastline and have recreational activities there."

The Woodlands Waterfront proposal is part of URA's overall vision to raise the standard of living here, said its director for conservation & urban design, Ler Seng Ann.

"Singapore is an island, surrounded by water on all sides. The waterfront is an important asset. So, in the planning of parks and waterbodies plan, we have capitalised on all these so that we can generate recreation space for Singaporeans to enjoy."

A Woodlands resident, Mrs Chow, is looking forward to the new amenities. "The plan's very good because so far, we don't have any of these things around our area. If you want to have this kind of places, we have to travel all the way to the east side."

Construction of the Woodlands Waterfront will begin by the middle of this year and is expected to be completed by the middle of 2010.

The Woodlands Waterfront is also something Dr Tony Tan, ex-MP of the area, will definitely look forward to as it was his dream to have it.

"He shared his dream of using the waterfront....bring in water sports, water activities, and let the residents enjoy the waterfront and have a good view of Johor Baru, our closest neighbour. It has been one of his (Dr Tony Tan's) dreams for Sembawang," revealed Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan. - CNA/938LIVE/ir


URA unveils another new waterfront proposal
URA press release 26 Jan 08;

Residents in Woodlands New Town get to enjoy more recreation spaces at their doorsteps

The Urban Redevelopment Authority today unveiled the design proposals for the Woodlands Waterfront, comprising a coastal promenade and a park in Woodlands. The new facilities are part of URA's plans to enhance our living environment by capitalising on our natural assets.

Exciting plans in store for residents in the northern region

Residents of Woodlands and those living in nearby residential estates can look forward to a new waterfront recreational playground, right at their doorsteps.

To improve accessibility to the northern coast and to open up the scenic waterfront, URA will be building a 1.5-km long promenade and a nine hectare park along a tranquil stretch of coastline in Woodlands.

The new promenade is conceived as a linear recreational and fitness trail offering unobstructed, expansive views of the Johor Straits. The landscaped promenade will offer beautiful lush greenery and will be interspersed with rest points and fitness stations. The promenade in the form of boardwalk will be built over the seawall, bringing visitors closer to the water’s edge. Whether you are an avid runner, exercise enthusiast or simply enjoy a relaxing stroll with your family, the promenade makes an attractive recreational facility.

To further capitalise on the sea frontage, a park will be created right next to the coastal promenade. The design of the park leverages on the existing terrain and contours to create interesting spaces and views within the park.

The park is designed to cater to different recreational needs with a variety of amenities. For example, there will be jogging and fitness trail and cycling tracks for fitness enthusiasts; playgrounds for young children; event spaces to hold outdoor community functions; picnic areas for families; and nature trails as a haven for nature lovers. To bring visitors closer to the water, an old jetty connected to the park will also be refurbished to allow for recreational activities.

Realising Plans in Partnership with the Community

The Woodlands Waterfront will form part of the comprehensive network of parks and park connectors in the area. When it is completed in 2010, residents will be able to access and enjoy a large part of the northern waterfront. It will be linked to the new Admiralty Park, which opened last October. In future, it will also be linked to the Woodlands Town Garden via a park connector along Woodlands Centre Road and through the HDB estate.

The idea to enhance the Woodlands Waterfront was first mooted and exhibited as part of the Woodlands Improvement Plan in February 2002. It was then incorporated into the Parks and Waterbodies Plan as part of Master Plan 2003 review.

URA’s CEO, Mrs Cheong Koon Hean, said, “This is another example that shows that our plans do not remain on the drawing board. The new facilities are part of URA’s plans to continually enhance the quality of our living environment and to strengthen Singaporeans’ sense of belonging and identity. We will continue to work in partnership with the community to provide an attractive living environment for all to enjoy.”

Members of Parliament for the Sembawang GRC welcome the plans to activate the coastline to provide an additional recreational destination close to the residents. “This will be one project highly anticipated by the residents. With the new facilities, they can indulge in a greater variety of leisure activities without having to travel very far,” said Mr Hawazi Daipi, MP for Sembawang GRC and Chairman of the Facilities Co-ordinating Committee for Sembawang, Woodlands and Yishun.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health and MP for Sembawang GRC, will officiate the launch of the “Woodlands Waterfront and the Discovery Map” at Woodlands Civic Centre on Saturday, 26 January 2008. The design proposals for Woodlands Waterfront will be exhibited from 26 to 29 January 2008. Members of the public, including the residents are welcome to give their feedback on the proposals.

JY Huang Associates has been appointed to design and build the coastal promenade and park. Construction will begin in the middle of this year.

In November 2007, the URA also announced the plans for a new waterfront promenade and a park at Punggol Point.

Links

Upping the Wow Factor in Woodlands
in Skyline the URA e-newsletter Jan/Feb 08 issue

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Congestion will have long-term impact on productivity and health

Channel NewsAsia 26 Jan 08;

SINGAPORE: Congestion is a problem that affects most big cities.

If not resolved, it will have a long-term effect on the economy, loss in productivity as people get stuck in traffic, and even health.

Associate Professor Eustan Quah, an economist, said: "Congestion may mean that people would be more stressed up - they may return from work later than is normal and this in turn may leave little time for whatever time there is for relaxation and leisure and this in turn also affects health and family unity.”

He added: "Congestion is like stationary pollution and if it's big enough, it is going to release more emissions of carbon dioxide and various car pollutants and this is going to have an impact on people living around certain roads."

In Singapore, the solution has been two-pronged.

Get people to use more public transport while controlling vehicle growth and pricing busy roads - where rates have mostly gone up.

But with the benefits of an effective public transport system still some years away, is a never-ending spiral of higher road use costs then inevitable?

"We don't expect this to remain stagnant because people are more affluent, people change jobs, people change neighbourhoods and this is all going to have an impact on traffic volume and whether road pricing works or not at that price. So I don't think there is any one magic formula," said Quah.

An announcement on the review of managing road use - the last of three major policy changes - is expected soon. -CNA/vm

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Singapore's 'Just Bin It' campaign aims for cleaner parks

Channel NewsAsia 26 Dec 08;

SINGAPORE: 20 per cent of park users have no qualms about littering in parks.

15 per cent also feel that throwing small items, like cigarette butts and tissue paper, does not constitute littering.

NEA's Littering Behaviour Study over the past two years also found that drink containers are the most common litter found in parks.

This is followed by cigarette butts, plastic wrappers, tissue and strips of paper.

So NEA and National Parks has launched the "Just Bin It" campaign at the East Coast Park, West Coast Park, Changi Beach and the Pasir Ris Park.

160 student ambassadors will also help spread the anti-littering message during the year's school holidays.

And to kick off the campaign, students from 20 schools competed in the Paint-A-Bin competition.

Their works will be displayed at the four parks. -CNA/vm

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Another Singaporean hit with Chikungunya fever, bringing the total to 11

Channel NewsAsia 26 Jan 08;

SINGAPORE: The Chikungunya virus has hit another person in Singapore - bringing to 11 the total number of cases so far.

The Health Ministry said the latest case detected on 25 January is a Singaporean with no recent travel history and who spent some time daily in the Little India area.

The first 10 cases of the mosquito-borne disease have all been linked to the Clive Street area in Little India.

And since 14 January, the authorities have screened 1,795 people within a 150-metre radius of the affected section.

Checks were later expanded to cover a larger area and the latest case had spent time within the extended screening area.

More than 3,200 inspections have been conducted so far.

NEA has stepped up its operations to Rochor Road, Race Course Road, Lavender Road and Jalan Besar.

A total of 63 breeding sites have also been found and destroyed.

Of the 11 cases, nine were admitted at the Communicable Disease Centre for isolation and management.

All have been discharged, except for two who are still under observation, including the latest case.

Residents and owners of premises have been advised to check their area daily to remove any stagnant water that may breed mosquitoes.

Persons infected with Chikungunya fever should stay indoors to reduce the risk of further transmission of the virus.

Those who have been in the Clive Street area recently and have developed a fever are advised to consult their doctors. -CNA/vm

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Environmentalists out on a limb: problems with 'collaboration'

Erica Rosenberg, The Los Angeles Times 24 Jan 08;

For a seat at the negotiating table, they are jeopardizing their true role.

There's nothing wrong with a group of people historically at odds sitting down to find common ground. Or is there?

For decades, our public lands have been a battleground: Timber, wildlife, recreation, wilderness -- which interests and uses should dominate? But now, "collaboration" is all the rage. In collaboration, diverse stakeholders (as they invariably tag themselves) -- environmentalists, developers, off-roaders, timber companies, county officials -- hash out an agreement on how to manage their local public lands and then submit it to Congress for approval.

A few deals already have been enacted, and another half a dozen are in the works across the U.S. Collaboration has been touted as the solution to "gridlock" on our national forests. Timber companies and their allies gripe that the normal process -- extensive analysis, citizen involvement and the right to challenge agency decisions -- has ground all "management activity" (read: logging) to a halt. Western counties surrounded by public land argue that they need room to expand. Others believe lands worthy of protection are still threatened. The new paradigm means everyone sits down with their adversaries.

But these collaborations are troublesome, particularly for environmentalists, who risk undermining their mission as well as the very laws that are the basis of their power, effectiveness and legitimacy.

For example, a bill poised for introduction in Congress would turn into law an agreement reached by one collaborative group on how to manage Montana's 3.3-million-acre Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The stakeholders -- Montana Wilderness Assn., National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited and timber companies -- had one thing in common: They hated the management plan proposed by the Forest Service. So they came up with their own plan specifying which areas can be logged, which can be opened up to off-roaders and which should be recommended to Congress for wilderness designation.

Sounds reasonable enough. So what's wrong? To start, as owners of the public lands, all Americans have a stake in their management, and they have not designated these representatives. Even the most inclusive collaboration can go bad: Outliers who pose a threat to consensus are either not invited or made to feel unwelcome. And ultimately, decisions are being made behind closed doors. But Congress loves a done deal. With a local sponsor, Congress is inclined to rubber-stamp these initiatives, overlooking the fact that they are an end-run around the suite of laws that safeguard public lands and keep land-management decisions an open process.

The Beaverhead bill, for example, triples the acreage where logging can take place from what was in the Forest Service's plan. It requires an environmental analysis only for individual logging projects rather than the plan as a whole, thereby waiving the bedrock U.S. environmental law, the National Environmental Policy Act. It also allows logging in roadless areas -- a radical departure from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule that environmentalists championed during the Clinton era. Other deals have sold off vast acreage of public lands in exchange for wilderness designations.

The collaboration prototype -- the 1998 Quincy Library Group legislation -- illustrates the problem. That group, named for the California town library where it met, came up with a plan for three national forests in the Sierra affected by endangered-species listings. The proposal increased logging while protecting pristine areas. When it landed in Congress, California Rep. George Miller insisted on adding one provision: All environmental laws would apply. That meant the Quincy Library logging plan had to go through the same environmental analysis a Forest Service plan would.

The Quincy Library proposal, held up at the time as a model of local, consensus-based decision-making, has never been fully implemented. Why? Primarily because it didn't jibe with Endangered Species Act guidelines protecting the California spotted owl. In other words, it did not pass scientific or legal muster.

That environmentalist "stakeholders" signed on to the Quincy Library agreement in the first place highlights the danger of the collaboration fad. After years of being tarred as obstructionist ideologues, some environmental groups now have a seat at the negotiating table -- indeed, are seen as crucial to legitimizing any deal. Enjoying their newfound popularity, these self-appointed decision-makers become heavily invested in reaching an accord, regardless of the science, the law or the long-term effect on the land.

For decades, environmentalists fought to get a more level playing field and establish transparency and accountability in public-lands policy; they continue to fight the Bush administration's relentless efforts to dismantle these policies. How ironic it would be, then, if in their eagerness to embrace the new paradigm, they craft and push through Congress deals that undercut the very laws that got them to the table in the first place.

Erica Rosenberg directs the program on public policy at Arizona State University's law school and served as counsel to the House Resources Committee from 1999-2004.

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Bitter harvest: UK honey supplies run short after wet summer upsets bees' routine

Michael McCarthy, The Independent 26 Jan 08;

If the washout summer was bad for us, for honey bees it was much worse. The record rains frequently prevented bees from foraging, stopped hive expansion and meant that honey production levels were often sharply down across the country, according to the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA). "The summer of 2007 was an awful one for British honey bees," said the BBKA president, Tim Lovett.

"Some of the flowering, such as the flowering of the lime trees, which is important for the bees, coincided with periods of heavy rain, so in some places the bees will have missed it entirely." Bees do not forage when it rains, he explained, because in the wet weather they lose body temperature, grow sluggish, cannot get back to the hive and eventually die.

The soggy conditions also meant that it was difficult for beekeepers who had lost bees during the winter – to disease, for example – to rebuild their stocks in the summer months. And when autumn arrived and some beekeepers took their hives up onto moorland for heather honey, the situation was also found to be bad.

Although the picture varied across the country, the general trend was down, according to Mr Lovett, by a minimum of 10 per cent compared with the supply in previous years.

Mr Lovett suffered significant losses himself. He would normally expect to get about 160lbs of honey from his four hives at his home in Esher, Surrey, but last year only harvested about 100lbs, he said. "I think British and local honey will certainly be in shorter supply than normal in outlets such as health food shops," he added.

Mike Brown, head of the National Bee Unit, which is run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said that honey yields were definitely down. "Although strangely, some people had a very good year, others produced absolutely nothing," he said. "We estimate that in 2006, beekeepers produced a total of about 6,500 to 7,000 tonnes. Last year it was more like 4,000."

Beekeepers in Wales have been particularly hard hit. John Tayler, secretary of the Welsh Beekeepers' Association said that 2007 was one of the worst harvests he could remember. Worker bees which foraged for nectar had a strong dislike for inclement weather, he said, and he blamed a lack of sunshine for the failure of plants to produce enough nectar for the bees to forage anyway.

There was a shortage right across Wales. Mr Tayler said: "Generally across Wales it was a poor honey harvest last year for the vast majority of beekeepers,". He added that he had 16 hives near Llandovery in Carmarthenshire which, in a good year, would normally produce up as much as 600lbs of honey, but last year the harvest plummeted to just 40lbs. "There's bound to be a shortage of what I call gourmet honey – privately produced – in the shops," he explained. "Last summer's bad weather certainly had an affect on production."

Read more!

Warning over salmon parasite that can be fatal

Charles Clover, Telegraph 25 Jan 08;

Wild salmon caught in Britain are carrying increased amounts of a parasite dangerous to humans, the Food Standards Agency has warned.

The Agency has issued safety guidelines to people who eat their own catch or sell it locally after increased levels of the parasite, anisakis simplex, known in the United States as herring worm, were found.

The parasite can cause severe anaphylactic reactions in some people, with symptoms including erratic heartbeat and respiratory failure. These can, in some cases, be fatal.

The Agency says cases are rare but there were two last year and one the year before.

The salmon pick up the parasite when feeding on krill at sea. It causes the fish's vents to swell and bleed, which it is feared could lead to a collapse in the numbers of salmon spawning successfully.

The Agency says that people must freeze wild salmon for at least 24 hours to kill the parasite at a temperatue of - 20°C or colder if it is to be eaten raw or almost raw.
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This advice applies to salmon that are to be smoked cold or eaten after marinating or salting, as in Gravadlax.

If it is to be cooked, the salmon should reach 70°C for at least two minutes.

As the larvae of the parasite cannot be identified and removed, this advice is particularly important for elderly people and pregnant women.

Fish which are obviously contaminated should not be consumed, according to the Agency.

The Environment Agency has said that record numbers of salmon were found to be carrying the parasite last year. On the Itchen in Hampshire, as many as 30 per cent of salmon had the disease.

It was also found in the rivers Exe, Dee, Taff, Camel, Tamar, Eden Tyne, Ribble, Wye and Lune and in a number of Scottish rivers.

Officials from the agency say that the evidence is at present inconclusive whether the parasite could bring about the collapse of salmon populations.

David Browse, head of the Hampshire Salmon Trust, said: "I hope we're wrong but we have already found dead salmon that haven't spawned."

Luckily, the parasite has struck the Itchen when it has three times the usual number of salmon coming into the river. Anglers think this is due to the winding-down of drift netting for salmon in the Irish Sea.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 26 Jan 08

Seashore blogging workshop for young people
another International Year of the Reef event on the singapore celebrates our reefs blog and nie green club blog

Price tagging of nature? Outrageous!
comments on Euston Quah's views on the flying fish friends blog, see also more comments on the nature scorned blog

Chek Jawa survived the monsoon this year!
on the cj project blog

Changi Beach after dark
more marvels on the manta blog

Caterpillar in a cocoon
to avoid scaring the heartlanders, cocoon rescue conducted on the budak blog

The Simple Life
looking back on the postcards from seletar blog

Daily Green Action
500% electricity bill reduction from lights out! on the leafmonkey blog

Common tailorbird
a failed nesting on the bird ecology blog

Pholcid in my parlour
a spinner found on the budak blog

Read more!

More energy efficient air-conditioners, refrigerators now available

Channel NewsAsia 25 Jan 08;

SINGAPORE : Consumers looking to buy new air-conditioners and refrigerators now have more options to choose those that are more energy efficient.

Such models are available in the market, thanks to the "Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme" which came into effect on 1 January this year.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said that so far, 312 air-conditioner and 235 refrigerator models have been registered and labelled under this scheme.

These models carry labels that contain information on energy efficiency. And to make it simple for consumers, the more ticks a label has, the more energy efficient the appliance is.

For example, a three-tick refrigerator can help consumers save about S$80 in a year, compared to one-tick model.

A three-tick air-conditioner saves consumers about S$400 over a one-tick model.

Air-conditioners and refrigerators are the first two appliances covered under the scheme.

NEA said this is because using these items can account for about 50 percent of the total electricity bill of a typical household.

It added that manufacturers, such as Daikin and Mitsubishi, have shown strong support for the scheme.

These two brands alone have more than 20 air-conditioner models, which have earned four-tick labels. - CNA/ms

Read more!

Asia: Green, growth or maybe both?

Christie Loh, Today Online 26 Jan 08;

BETWEEN immediately providing a better life for the people and tackling environmental issues that could take centuries to unfold, it is obvious which route a country would take. Therefore, no government or person should expect Asia, at a high point in its development, to crimp economic growth by reducing production.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong articulated this approach by Asian nations towards climate change, during a discussion at the World Economic Forum on Friday.

Mr Lee, justifying why Asia needs to pursue growth now, said the region's economic dynamism has contributed to stability and world prosperity. Furthermore, Asia is reluctant to limit energy usage since current greenhouse gas woes arose from past emissions by developed nations, he said.

Still, he sees three ways for Asia to strike a balance between immediate needs and longer-term environmental concerns.

One, countries should start helping themselves regardless of climate agreements — China and India would fare better economically if they removed energy subsidies that lead to waste.

Two, pursue eco-friendly measures that are economically viable.

Lastly, the world should put into practice the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" laid out in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

This, said Mr Lee, means developed nations should take the lead in cutting emissions while helping developing countries, which should make commitments appropriate to their situation. It is also crucial to get major emitters, such as China and India, to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Otherwise, America will not join in.

On the sidelines of the forum, when asked by Reuters if sovereign wealth funds should reveal more of their intentions, Mr Lee said Singapore's were already "quite open". Each year, Temasek Holdings publishes a report on its financial performance.

While the Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) has been "much more circumspect about its disclosure", it will likely "do more", he said.

GIC, however, will not reveal its investments in particular sectors or its financial performance, GIC chairman and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had said earlier this week. He also said Singapore, Norway and Abu Dhabi had been invited to help the International Monetary Fund draw up disclosure guidelines.

Asia's dilemma: Go green or pursue growth
PM Lee moots ways to help countries balance current growth needs and longer-term concerns about the environment
Warren Fernandez, Straits Times 26 Jan 08;

DAVOS (SWITZERLAND) - ASIAN countries are pressing ahead with the urgent task of growing their economies to raise living standards and reduce poverty and cannot be expected to forgo this to curb global warming, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

Instead, practical steps to help them grow in an environmentally friendly way should be pursued, such as pricing energy correctly and pursuing sustainable development, he suggested.

PM Lee was giving an Asian perspective on the challenge of climate change at an informal leaders' meeting on the subject. Others on the panel were United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and Latin American, African and European leaders.

Climate change and the environment have been major topics at this year's meeting, with several panel discussions on how best to fashion a new agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol runs out in 2010, as well as others on water shortages and poverty alleviation.

As the only Asian leader speaking at yesterday's high-level, closed-door discussion, Mr Lee sought to put the region's economic challenges and environmental concerns in proper context.

Economic growth, he said, had helped Asian countries to grow and raise living standards for billions of their people. It had contributed to the stability in the region, as well as prosperity in the global economy.

Should Asian economies falter, there would be political and security implications for the rest of the world, he noted.

'Domestically, the drive among Asian peoples to improve their lives is tremendous,' he said, pointing to the rise in car ownership in China and India as symptoms of the push for a better life. Some 7 million cars are sold in China a year, he noted.

The same applies to South-east Asia, with pressures to exploit fully the region's natural resources, from minerals to timber and forest land.

'It is impossible for anyone or any government to stop this.

'Between providing for the welfare of billions today and addressing a problem that will happen gradually over a century or more, it is obvious which people will choose,' he said.

This push for rapid economic growth would mean more pollution, he said, adding that 'realistically, emissions are bound to increase...this is a human and economic reality'.

PM Lee said Asian countries were reluctant to constrain energy usage when the current greenhouse gas problem was the result of past emissions by the developed countries and, as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh noted recently, they could not be expected to do more than their richer counterparts to tackle the problem.

'This is the only morally correct position to take,' PM Lee argued.

So how to balance Asia's immediate growth needs and longer- term concerns about the environment?

Mr Lee threw up three suggestions. Firstly, take practical steps which are in countries' own interest. One of these would be to price energy properly. Subsidising energy in China, India and South-east Asia has led to over-consumption and waste, he noted.

'If they phase out these subsidies, their economies will perform much better, and greener,' he said.

Secondly, countries should pursue sustainable development. China, he noted, has set targets to make more efficient use of energy and cut down carbon emissions by 2010, while Asean was also taking steps to make wider use of clean and renewable energy technology, and protect its forests.

Singapore, for its part, was also making sustainable development a national effort, he said. On Thursday, he had announced the setting up of an inter-ministry committee to develop a comprehensive strategy to enable Singapore to continue to grow economically in an environmentally sound way.

Thirdly, add substance to the mantra of 'common but differentiated responsibilities', he said.

This means developed countries should take the lead in cutting emissions, while helping developing ones to do so too through technology transfer or financial incentives.

Noting that the Kyoto Protocol agreement was 'flawed' as it did not include all major emitters, he said it was imperative to get China and India on board. Otherwise, the global warming problem would not be solved, and the US would not join the effort to do so.

Concluding, he said: 'We must each contribute our fair share towards a realistic, workable global solution.'

PM Lee says Asia should sustain growth, address environmental concerns
Channel NewsAsia 25 Jan 08;

DAVOS, Switzerland: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said Asia needs to sustain its growth, but at the same time address environmental concerns, for the long-term.

Mr Lee was speaking at a session on Climate Change during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Pollution, if left unchecked, is set to worsen with higher growth.

However, Mr Lee noted that Asian countries are reluctant to use less energy as they feel the current greenhouse gas problem is caused by developed countries in the past.

So Mr Lee suggested three ways Asian governments can strike a balance between tackling immediate development needs and protecting the environment.

Firstly, countries should take steps that will benefit them directly, regardless of any climate agreement.

One major initiative is to price energy properly.

Mr Lee noted that many countries like China and India are subsidising energy, and this leads to waste and over-consumption.

Mr Lee said "their economies will perform much better and greener" if they phase out these subsidies.

Secondly, the Prime Minister encouraged Asian nations to pursue sustainable development.

For example, he said that China has set definite targets to reduce major pollutant emissions by 2010.

Mr Lee added that ASEAN too is "working to reduce energy intensity, deploy clean and renewable energy, and protect the region's forests and biodiversity.

Singapore is also making a national effort.

Mr Lee had announced on Thursday that a new inter-ministerial committee will be formed to study sustainable development strategies for the country.

The third strategy is for developed countries to "take the lead in reducing emissions, while helping developing nations to do likewise".

This can be done by offering financial incentives or technology transfer.

On their part, Mr Lee said developing countries should make use of the help and commit to resolve their specific needs.

On the Kyoto Protocol, Mr Lee said it is flawed.

The treaty does not include all major emitters. So Mr Lee said some developed countries want to scrap it and start from scratch.

However, Mr Lee said that won't be done.

Instead of starting from a blank slate, Mr Lee said countries have to start from Kyoto and move forward from there.

Mr Lee noted that it is also "crucial to get China and India on board. Otherwise, the problem will not be resolved."

Mr Lee acknowledged that the US too refused to participate in the Kyoto Protocol.

He said that is something that "has to be discussed and negotiated."

The Kyoto Protocol requires developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions below levels specified for each of them.

These targets must be met within a five-year time frame between 2008 and 2012.

Mr Lee pointed out that effective steps must be taken now to achieve environmental sustainability.

So he called on every nation to do their part in coming up with a realistic and workable global solution.

Mr Lee said that with better knowledge and technology today, countries must revise their strategies to tackle this long-term climate change problem for the sake of the future. - CNA/ms

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Integrated project with casino on Bintan

Bintan's game
Landmarks to open integrated project with casino on Bintan
Tan Hui Leng, Today Online 26 Jan 08;

Soon there will be more options for gaming in the region, with Malaysia-based Landmarks developing an integrated project with casino on the Indonesian island of Bintan, less than an hour's ferry ride from Singapore.

Landmarks is 30.3-per-cent owned by Genting, which is also developing the integrated resort with casino on Sentosa, expected to open for business in 2010, a year after the Marina Bay Sands. Genting officials declined to comment on the Landmarks development.

In its statement to the Malaysian stock exchange, Landmarks said that its subsidiary, Bintan Treasure Bay, had signed an agreement for the zoning of its site for gaming, medical tourism and technology hosting. Buoyed by the news of the agreement, Landmark shares rose 22 sen ($0.10), or 7.4 per cent, to RM3.18 on Bursa Malaysia yesterday, valuing the property group at slightly over RM1.5 billion.

Landmarks said the zoning and collaboration with a company incorporated in Indonesia "will greatly enhance the development potential of Treasure Bay, Bintan, as a leading tourism destination in the region." Landmarks had been in talks with the island's authorities to legalise gambling. It is estimated that the gaming industry could raise the island's annual income tenfold to US$132 million ($187.7 million).

Located in the Lagoi area of the island, the Bintan Treasure Bay site occupies 342 hectares. The project, which should be fully developed in eight years, will comprise 13 lots of estate island villas; 745 units of luxury island and deluxe villas with berthing facilities; 1,700 units of marina and hillside condominiums; commercial shop lots; and a six-star resort and wellness centre.

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Species in Singapore

Straits Times 26 Jan 08;

Scientists estimate that millions of plant and animal species remain unknown, especially those in this region - with a vast number constantly being discovered. The National Parks Board and the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research reveal what they have uncovered here.

AN INCOMPLETE specimen of a Paraleonnates, a very large class of segmented worms whose segments have fleshy protrusions with bristles, was found on Pulau Tekong during a survey of Singapore's mangroves.

Its graphite black body and sheer size - 1cm in body width, which is about double the size of most members of its family - make it very distinctive in the family Nereididae.

When viewed under a microscope, it is almost alien- like, with red eyes, massive jaws and an armoured tubular sucking organ, or proboscis.

There are two known species in the genus Paraleonnates - the Paraleonnates uschakovi, which is endemic to the coast of China and the Paraleonnates bolus, which is found in Australia. But this particular specimen does not fit the description of either and could be a completely new species awaiting description.

Alternatively, because sexually mature nereids do develop changes to their looks, this may be the case for the specimen from Pulau Tekong.

The discovery of Paraleonnates represents a new record for the genus occurrence in Singapore waters.

Coupled with the finding of several other new records of worm species, these highlight the immense biodiversity that remains in Singapore despite our urbanisation.

PROJECT OFFICER WILSON CHAN, BIODIVERSITY CENTRE, NPARKS

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