Coral reefs of Singapore
a video clip of Terumbu Raya by Brandon
Students understanding cats – territorial behaviour and home range of community cats from The Biodiversity crew @ NUS
Black-naped Oriole’s coarse call
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Butterfly of the Month - March 2011
from Butterflies of Singapore
shark egg capsules @ cyrene 25Mar2011
from sgbeachbum and anemone shrimp
All-girl net removal at Pulau Semakau
from wild shores of singapore
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Channel NewsAsia 26 Mar 11;
SINGAPORE: Thousands in Singapore on Saturday marked the global climate change campaign - "Earth Hour" - across the island. The organiser - World Wildlife Fund - said support for the movement has been overwhelming this year.
It was lights out at the Marina Bay Area exactly at 8.30pm.
Even as revellers were kept in the dark for an hour, festivities continued.
More than 2,000 people took part in a 3.5 kilometre walk around Marina Bay to show solidarity in the push for a more sustainable future.
This is the third time Singapore is marking the climate change campaign.
The message this time round is 'make a commitment beyond the hour'.
Organisers said the campaign has gained more ground over the years.
Earth Hour campaign manager Karine Serror said: "Last year I think we had between 400 and 500 businesses (involved).
"I think you can add just about 20 per cent to this number. And also very interestingly, we have religious institutions pledging their support this year".
Some Singaporeans, it seems, are rising up to the challenge to reduce their carbon footprint.
One lady said: "We will switch off the fans and lights when we don't use them, and my parents, when using the air-conditioner, will set it at 24 degrees".
Another said: "I'd take more public transport instead of taking the cab or drive".
"I'd discard items into correct recycle bins by checking which ones are plastic. I'll make a conscious effort even though it may take up some time," said another.
Going beyond the hour were shopping malls at Orchard Road, which switched off their facade lights for 90 minutes.
The shopping district was instead transformed into a sea of candles as thousands pledged their commitment to the environment.
And in the effort to raise environmental awareness, the plight of the Japanese quake and tsunami victims was not forgotten.
Donations too were collected for the relief efforts in Japan.
-CNA/wk
Lights off as 'Earth Hour' circles the globe
Yahoo News 27 Mar 11;
PARIS (AFP) – Lights went off around the world Saturday as landmark buildings and http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifordinary homes flipped their switches while the annual "Earth Hour" circled the planet in what was dubbed the world's largest voluntary action for the environment.
In Paris a minute's silence was observed for Japan as the city of light went dark, with illuminations switched off at the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, City Hall, opera houses and many bridges, fountains and public places.
Sydney's Opera House was the first of many global landmarks to go dark as the event got under way, as hundreds of millions of people prepared to follow suit to enhance awareness of energy use and climate change.
Others in their turn included Beijing's "Bird's Nest" stadium that hosted the 2008 Olympics, the London Eye ferris wheel, Times Square in New York and Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue.
Many were switching off their floodlighting, advertising signs and other illuminations for an hour from 8:30 pm local time.
"The amount of power that's saved during that time is not really what it's about," Earth Hour co-founder and executive director Andy Ridley told AFP in Sydney, where the movement began in 2007.
"What it is meant to be about is showing what can happen when people come together."
Ridley said a record 134 countries or territories were on board for this year's event.
Organisers also asked people to commit to an action, large or small, that they will carry through the year to help the planet.
Ridley said Earth Hour, organised by global environment group the WWF, this year would also focus on connecting people online so they could inspire each other to make commitments to help protect the environment.
In Australia, organisers said an estimated 10 million people, nearly half the population, took part, with Sydney Harbour Bridge another of the landmarks to go dark.
Hong Kong's neon waterfront dimmed, while in Singapore all decorative lights were switched off and non-critical operational lights lowered at Changi Airport for an hour.
In Japan, which is reeling from a huge earthquake and tsunami that struck this month, several thousand people and a hotel-turned-evacuation centre in the northeast marked Earth Hour.
"People in Japan will have a special feeling this year when they turn the switches off," WWF spokeswoman Hideko Arai told AFP ahead of the switch-off.
In Russia some 30 cities were joining in, from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the most easterly city on the Kamchatka peninsula, through Moscow to Murmansk in the far north.
Moscow was to turn off floodlighting on more than 70 buildings and bridges, including the 540-metre (1,780-foot) television tower and the 32-storey Moscow State University building.
In Athens monuments being darkened included the Acropolis, the parliament building, the presidential palace and the temple of Poseidon near the city.
Lights went out in 52 Romanian cities, where concerts and candle-light marches were organised. In Bucharest, dozens of people cycled through the city centre before gathering in George Enescu square.
In South Africa the Grammy award winning group Soweto Gospel choir along with other local musicians treated hundreds of people to a free candelight concert in the township of Soweto. Music fans waved lit candles while others used their cellphones to light up the stage.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon backed Earth Hour, urging people to celebrate the shared quest to "protect the planet and ensure human well-being".
"Let us use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light," he said.
Ridley said he never expected the Earth Hour movement to become so large.
"We didn't imagine right at the beginning... it would be on the scale that it is now. And the fact that it is so cross cultural, beyond borders and race and religion," he said.
Government decision to balance drainage with roads and other land uses makes sense
Lee Wei Ling Straits Times 27 Mar 11;
This is already the end of March. The north-east monsoon should have ended. Yet I was awakened by torrential rain at 6am on a recent morning.
After a few minutes, I decided to go back to sleep and chase my dream. This was a technique I had developed myself. I found that if I could get back into the dream that I had woken up from, I could fall asleep again.
So I mentally went over my dream and indeed fell asleep, and the dream continued.
In my dream - which consisted more of recollection of my actual past rather than dreams - my bro-ther Hsien Yang and I were still pupils at Nanyang Primary School. To get to school, we were driven along Bukit Timah Road, which of course was next to the Bukit Timah canal.
In those days, the canal was much narrower than it is now, so whenever there was heavy rain, Bukit Timah Road tended to get flooded. If the heavy rain occurred at the same time as a high tide, flooding was certain.
Near Nanyang Primary in the 1960s were attap houses. The boys from the kampung would wade through the dirty flood water and offer to push stalled cars for a fee.
Readers under 30 years old would probably have never seen these attap houses for they stood on what is now prime land. Property prices near Nanyang Primary have gone up stupendously since the 1960s. Many ambitious parents move to be within 1km of Nanyang Primary to ensure that their children have a good chance of getting into the school.
Yang and I were in a car along Bukit Timah Road trapped in the flood. Our older brother Hsien Loong was attending Catholic High School and so was not around to chastise us.
Our car stalled because water had got into its engine. The canal had overflowed and one could not tell where the canal ended and where the road began.
It is amazing how daring one was before fear robbed us of the fun of childhood. Yang and I got out of the car, ignoring our driver's protests and tried to push the car. But we were too small and did not have enough strength to move the car. So, bashfully, we got back into the car, wet and muddy. Then three big boys came along to push our car in exchange for a fee.
Then I woke up and peered out of my window. It was too dark to see the rain, but the sound of heavy rain confirmed I hadn't just dreamt about it.
Now awake, I recalled clearly those days when Singapore flooded often. After the car was pushed to where the road was dry, the driver would open the bonnet, and remove the five cables attached to the distributor cap and dry them all with emery paper. I can remember this technical detail because the five cables attached to the cap were nicknamed sotong, which means cuttlefish in Malay.
We would eventually get to school, but less than half the pupils would have made it. So we would be told to go home.
Going home promised more fun. We would fold paper boats and place them in the drain which flowed away from our house. Now much older and a little wiser, I wonder whether the paper boats would have added to the obstructions in the drain further on.
Last year, we had exceptionally heavy rainfall over a very short period of time. Many roads which had never flooded before flooded. Some houses and shops were damaged. There was much complaining among those who were concerned about the losses they incurred.
My father Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew explained recently the Government's thinking on flood control:
To guard against a super-heavy rainfall that would occur once every 20 to 30 years, we would have to build more and bigger drains. But no amount of engineering can prevent floods. Also more and bigger drains would mean less space for roads. As it is, even the high cost of cars has not dissuaded people from wanting cars.
I don't always agree with the Government, but in this case, I do: It is better to have drains capable of coping with the usual rainfall, rather than invest in a system that can cope with the giant floods that occur only once every 20 to 30 years.
According to the PUB, there are currently 32 rivers and more than 7,000km of drains and canals in Singapore. They are part of PUB's flood management approach, which also involves:
Providing adequate drainage ahead of new developments;
Raising road and building levels, and getting building owners to implement flood protection measures; and
Making continual drainage improvement in areas affected by floods.
As a result of investing some $2 billion over the past 30 years in an extensive drainage system, our flood-prone areas have been significantly reduced by 98 per cent - from over 3,000ha in the 1970s to 56ha today. Singapore has achieved this despite increased urbanisation, which would usually have resulted in more floods. The flash floods that still occur tend to be localised affairs that subside within an hour.
Every decision comes with an opportunity cost. The wisest decision is one that minimises this cost. The public needs to understand the Government's logic. Unfortunately, grumbling is our favourite pastime.
The writer is director of the National Neuroscience Institute.
The Star 27 Mar 11;
KUALA TERENGGANU: Five foreign poachers allegedly hunting pangolins at the Marang Tembat Forest Reserve were detained following a raid by the Wildlife Department rangers.
The rangers also seized a bottle filled with pangolin meat and scales as well as 2kg of Gaharu wood.
The suspects, a Cambodian and four Vietnamese in their 30s, were spotted by two rangers when they were exiting the forest reserve in a car on Wednesday.
Department state director Yusoff Shariff said: “They discovered pangolin scales, pieces of timber as well as an axe and parang.
“The suspects' passports were also seized,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
The Star 26 Mar 11;
PADANG BESAR: The Perlis Anti-Smuggling Unit (UPP) seized eight tonnes of wild boar meat processed at an illegal premises in Kampung Kolam on Friday.
Padang Besar UPP Commander ASP Noor Janihan Nanyan said the meat was seized when UPP officers stumbled upon a lorry unloading goods, while patrolling the area at about 3pm.
Upon inspection, it was found that the premises was used as a store for the meat but the 57-year-old owner of the premises did not have any permit or licence for such activities.
“When requested, the owner produced a licence that belonged to another premises at a different location,” he told reporters here Saturday.
Noor Janihan said the seized meat was worth RM40,000 while a lorry that was also detained was worth about RM60,000.
“We believe the meat was transported from Perak and meant for local market and also smuggled to Thailand.
Noor Janihan urged the public with information of such activities in and around Padang Besar to contact 04-9490624 or 04-9490625. -- Bernama
8,000kg of gory load inside lorry
New Straits Times 27 Mar 11;
PADANG BESAR: Some 8,000kg of frozen wild boar carcasses, unskinned and cut in half with their heads lopped off, were found stacked at the back of a lorry parked inside an illegal store in Kampung Kolam here on Friday.
The Anti-Smuggling Unit (UPP) was checking the store during a patrol at 3pm and stumbled across the store owner, a 57-year-old man, unloading the wild boar carcasses.
Padang Besar UPP chief Assistant Superintendent Noor Janihan Nanyan said the owner of the store had obtained his supply from Lenggong, Ipoh, which he would process and sell it to customers in Malaysia and Thailand.
He added that the man had a licence to store wildlife carcasses but failed to keep the wild boars at the address stated on the licence.
"The meat recovered could have fetched up to RM40,000."
The case has been handed over to the state Wildlife and National Parks Department.
Yahoo News 27 Mar 11;
NEW DELHI (AFP) – India's tiger population has increased for the first time in decades, a newspaper said on Saturday, citing a national tiger census report slated to be released next week.
According to the 2009-10 tiger census report, the number roaming India has jumped to 1,510-1,550 from 1,411 in 2004-05, The Indian Express newspaper said.
The newspaper report came ahead of an international tiger conservation conference due to open on Monday in the Indian capital New Delhi.
India is home to more than half of the world's rapidly dwindling wild tiger population, but its conservation programme, said by the government to be the world's most comprehensive, has been struggling to halt the big cat's decline.
Tiger conservationists welcomed the news and said that the population increase was due to the authorities surveying more areas to conduct the census and creating more tiger reserves.
Tito Joseph, programme director at the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said "the latest census included some of the areas they left out last time because of problems accessing the terrain, like the Sunderbans" which is home to hundreds of tigers.
The Sunderbans mangrove forest straddles the borders of India's West Bengal state and Bangladesh and lies on the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta.
"They have also set up more tiger reserves. In 2004 there were only 28-33 tiger reserves, now there are 39 reserves, so that's obviously helped," Joseph told AFP.
"It's a good strategy, because tigers need space above all, and if you can create inviolate space their numbers will naturally go up," he said.
The current tiger population still remains a long way off the numbers registered in 2002 when some 3,700 tigers were estimated to be alive in the country.
There were estimated to be around 40,000 tigers in India at the time of independence from Britain in 1947.
Authorities across Asia are waging a major battle against poachers and other man-made problems such as destruction of the tigers' habitat due to industrial expansion.
A major poacher trafficking route begins in India and ends in China where tiger parts are highly prized as purported cures for a range of ailments and as aphrodisiacs.
"Tiger skins fetch anywhere around 11,000-21,000 US dollars and bones are sold for about 1,000 US dollars in China," said Rajesh Gopal, chairman of National Tiger Conservation Authority in New Delhi.
India releases tiger numbers as experts convene
WWF 28 Mar 11;
New Delhi, India – The Indian Government today released new tiger population numbers for the first time since 2007, indicating that numbers have increased in the country that has half of the world’s remaining wild tigers.
The government estimated current tiger numbers in India at 1,706, up from 1,411 during the last count in 2007. However, the 1,706 figure includes an additional tiger reserve in the count, the Sundarbans, that contained 70 tigers. This area was not counted in 2007.
Therefore, when comparing the previous survey with the current one, the official estimate stands at 1,636 when leaving out the Sundarbans, or an increase of 225.
Figures were broken down by site with some populations showing increases, and others falling.
“As seen from the results, recovery requires strong protection of core tiger areas and areas that link them, as well as effective management in the surrounding areas,” said Mike Baltzer, Head of WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative. “With these two vital conservation ingredients, we can not only halt their decline, but ensure tigers make a strong and lasting comeback.”
The figures marked the opening of the International Tiger Conservation Conference, a three day meeting following on the heels of the groundbreaking Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP), a worldwide plan to bring the species back from the brink of extinction which was forged in November 2010 at an international tiger conservation meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia organized by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The count was conducted by India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority with key partners, including WWF, in the largest tiger population survey ever undertaken.
“These numbers give us hope for the future of tigers in the wild, and that India continues to play an integral role in the tiger’s recovery,” said WWF International Director General Jim Leape, who is chairing a conference session on the role of international and national partners in the GTRP's implementation.
In its detail, this tiger estimation exercise shows the importance India attaches to this prime conservation issue,” said WWF India CEO Ravi Singh. “The results indicate the need to intensify field based management and intervention to go beyond the present benchmark, bringing more people and partners into the process.”
Several areas in India, including those that are not Tiger Reserves and outside national parks, were intensively surveyed for the first time. The Moyar Valley and Sigur Plateau in Southwest India’s Western Ghats Complex, that has been a focus of recent WWF conservation efforts, was found to contain more than 50 tigers. Similarly, the Ramnagar Forest Reserve outside Corbett National Park showed a good number of tigers.
In addition to high-level officials from the 13 countries that still have tigers, the conference is expected to hear from key NGOs and global partners in the GTRP, including the World Bank’s Global Tiger Initiative, the Global Tiger Forum, WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), the Smithsonian Institute, the wildlife trade network TRAFFIC, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Numbering more than 100,000 at the turn of the last century, tigers have lost more than 97 percent of their population and 94 percent of their home range in just 100 years. They live in increasingly isolated pockets of land in Asia and the Russian Far East in Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, China and Russia. The Global Tiger Recovery Programme marks the first formalized international initiative to save the species from extinction.
India's tiger census shows numbers on the rise
Nirmala George Associated Press Yahoo News 28 Mar 11;
NEW DELHI – India's latest tiger census shows an increase in the numbers of the endangered big cat, but threats to their roaming territory could reverse those gains, officials said Monday.
The census counted at least 1,706 tigers in forests across the country, about 300 more than four years ago, a government official said Monday.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh called the increase good news but cautioned against any complacency in efforts to save the iconic animal from extinction.
"The rise in numbers is the result of sustained efforts, but the shrinking of tiger corridors is alarming," Ramesh said.
Wildlife experts who conducted the census said tiger corridors, which are the routes frequently used by the big cats to move from one reserve to another, had declined sharply as huge power projects, mining and roads cut into their habitats.
"Securing these corridors should be taken up as a priority," said Rajesh Gopal, director, National Tiger Conservation Authority.
But with India pushing ahead with its economic agenda, the threat to the tiger increases as the government tries to juggle the competing claims of development and wildlife conservation, Ramesh said.
Unlike earlier tiger estimates, when pugmarks of individual tigers were counted, this time round conservationists used hidden cameras and DNA tests to count the cats in 17 Indian states where tigers live in the wild.
"The count is more scientific this time and therefore more accurate," Gopal said.
The census included 70 tigers in the eastern Indian Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, which had not been counted in the last census in 2007. Not counting the Sunderbans population, the latest count reflects an increase of about 16 percent.
The 2007 census had shown 1,411 tigers, a sharp fall in the population from about 3,600 five years earlier.
A century ago, about 100,000 tigers roamed India's forests.
Shrinking habitats have brought the wild cats into conflict with farmers who live near tiger reserves and poachers who kill them for pelts and body parts, highly prized in traditional Chinese medicine.
The release of the latest tiger census results coincided with the start of a three-day international conference to follow up on progress made at the 2010 St. Petersburg summit of 13 countries that are home to wild tigers.
At the New Delhi meeting, countries will present strategies to implement the Global Tiger Recovery Program adopted in St. Petersburg which includes plans to double the tiger population by 2022, crack down on poaching and on trading in illicit tiger pelts and body parts.
(This version corrects number of tiger states in India in paragraph 8.)
India's tiger numbers up in new count
Rupam Jain Nair Yahoo News 28 Mar 11;
NEW DELHI (AFP) – India, home to most of the world's wild tigers, on Monday reported a rise in the animal's numbers for the first time in years in a rare piece of good news for conservationists.
The census found 1,706 tigers in India last year, compared with 1,411 in 2006, officials in New Delhi announced -- though they said much of the increase was due to more thorough counting.
"We have expanded the survey to cover the entirety of India and our estimate is now more accurate," said Rajesh Gopal of Project Tiger, the government's tiger conservation body.
Increased surveying included coverage of difficult terrain such as the Sunderbans mangrove forest, which straddles the borders of India's West Bengal state and Bangladesh.
The count -- using hidden cameras and DNA samples from droppings -- found 70 tigers in the Sunderbans, which was not included in the last census.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh welcomed the figures as "a very encouraging sign" but warned the upturn should not lead to complacency as the tigers' habitat was being seriously reduced.
"The threat from poachers, international smuggling networks and powerful mining companies continue to pose threat to the endangered animal," Ramesh said.
"Four years ago, tigers occupied 93,600 square kilometres (36,000 square miles) but now the area has shrunk to 72,800 square kilometers," he said, adding that this was "a worrying" development.
More than half of the world's rapidly dwindling wild tiger population live in India, but the country's conservation programme has been struggling to halt the big cat's decline.
The current tiger population still remains a long way off the numbers registered in 2002 when some 3,700 tigers were estimated to be alive in the country.
There were thought to be around 40,000 tigers in India at the time of independence from Britain in 1947.
Conservationists said the increase in numbers indicates a general growth trend but that the decline in the total area occupied by the tiger needed urgent attention.
"Shrinking area is an added threat, we need to expand this to create a fresh base to be able to increase the tiger population in India," Belinda Wright, director of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), told AFP.
Authorities across Asia are waging a major battle against poachers, who often sell body parts to the lucrative traditional Chinese medicine market, and other man-made problems such as development leading to habitat loss.
In the last year, the Indian government has relocated nearly 3,000 families living in tiger reserves and plans to move another 50,000 families in the next five years.
Baby sharks at Cyrene!
from wild shores of singapore
Cyrene Reef (25 Mar 2011)
from teamseagrass
Uncowed
from The annotated budak
Call and behaviour of the Collared Kingfisher
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Andie Ang regales TEDxNUS with tales of the Banded Leaf Monkey in Singapore from The Biodiversity Crew @ NUS
Why We Should Have The Green Corridor
from EcoWalkthetalk
Straits Times Life Mailbag 26 Mar 11;
I am writing in to express my views about Kampong Lorong Buangkok.
As we know, it is the last kampung on the main island of Singapore. I believe that urbanisation and modernisation are inevitable for Singapore.
However, we should not urbanise our country to the point that only Pulau Ubin is left unscathed for future generations.
Perhaps, even Pulau Ubin will be urbanised, leaving us to recreate the old kampung lifestyle in our museums.
I am a resident of Hougang and have been living in the north-eastern part of Singapore for more than a decade. I believe there is still plenty of empty land in this part of Singapore, particularly in Sengkang and Punggol.
I urge the relevant authorities to consider the utilisation of currently empty plots of land in Sengkang and Punggol first before thinking about urbanisation plans for Kampong Lorong Buangkok.
We have heritage places such as Katong, Joo Chiat, Tiong Bahru, Chinatown, Little India, Geylang, Kampong Glam and Holland Village. Why not preserve Kampong Lorong Buangkok as well?
Quek Peh Jia
Play with water and take in the sights of nature ecosystems at the Alexandra Canal
tay suan chiang Straits Times 26 Mar 11;
Housewife Marie Tan used to look out of her four- room HDB flat in Tanglin Road onto a canal. But since the beginning of the year, that view has changed.
Instead of the utilitarian, dull-looking Alexandra Canal, she now sees a waterway decked out with lush planting. 'The view is much prettier now,' says Mrs Tan, 36.
The new Alexandra Canal was officially opened by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew last Saturday. Its transformation is the latest project to be completed under PUB's Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters programme, which was introduced in 2007.
PUB is the authority in charge of Singapore's waterways. Under the scheme, utilitarian drains, canals and reservoirs are turned into beautiful and clean streams and lakes.
So far, 14 such projects have been completed. Five are underway and will be completed by 2013 (see other story below). PUB will implement more than 100 such projects islandwide in the next 15 to 20 years.
Mr Yap Kheng Guan, a senior director with PUB, says the programme encourages people to 'think about water sustainability and the importance of keeping water clean'.
By bringing people closer to the water, he hopes that they will better appreciate this resource.
Completed projects include improvement works at Bedok Reservoir, where new facilities such as floating decks at the reservoir bank were added.
In the Kolam Ayer housing estate, a 250m stretch of Kallang River was transformed with improved landscaping along the river banks and the addition of a floating deck and a water wheel.
It took PUB 23 months and $34 million to transform the 1.2km stretch of Alexandra Canal, which stretches from Tanglin Road to Delta Road.
A 200m-long portion of the canal near Tanglin Road has been decked over to create a water cascade and water play area. The area also has a bird's-eye view of the revitalised waterway.
'We chose to leave parts of the canal undecked so that visitors can still see the water, which has a calming effect,' says Mr Yap.
The play area lets families dip their toes in the shallow water. 'The water here is constantly kept clean,' says Mr Yap.
In addition, a series of wetlands has been built on the deck area where the public can learn about different wetland systems and plants.
Special plants such as the papyrus reed, cattail and the water lily are grown in the wetlands. These help purify the water that is pumped from the canal - by filtering out sediment and taking in nitrogen and phosphorus - before it is returned to the canal.
Sharp-eyed visitors may even spot dragonflies and damselflies flitting among the plants. 'Their appearance indicates that the water is clean,' says Mr Yap.
Other additions include lookout decks to bring visitors closer to the water. Old metal railings which used to run along the canal's banks have been replaced by more aesthetically pleasing wooden ones.
Near the Delta Road end, a new plaza provides space for gatherings and shelter from the weather.
Barely a week after its official opening, the spruced-up canal looks to be a hit with visitors.
Despite an impending shower on Tuesday evening when Life! visited, joggers were out and about and families were walking their dogs or pushing strollers.
'The waterway is so beautiful, it is hard to believe that it is just a canal,' says retiree Ang Meng Seng, 70, who was there for a jog.
Three Waters projects to enjoy
Three ABC Waters projects were completed in the last nine months.
Lorong Halus Wetland
It is hard to imagine that the Lorong Halus Wetland, with its reed beds and ponds, used to be a landfill.
Part of the landfill, which has not been in use since 1999, was turned into a $45-million wetland that took three years to complete. It opened earlier this month.
The wetland collects and treats water passing through the former landfill, preventing it from flowing into Serangoon Reservoir which is adjacent to it.
Visitors can get close to the reed beds, which help purify the water, along a specially constructed rustic trail.
Sengkang Floating Wetland
Opened last November, the $7.5-million Sengkang Floating Wetland consists of 2,400 sq m of wetland in Punggol Reservoir, near Anchorvale Community Club.
Special plants such as rushes and sedges are grown on the floating structure, and their roots penetrate deep into the water to absorb nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates.
A bridge connecting the community club with Sengkang Riverside Park lets visitors get close to the floating wetland.
Lower Seletar Reservoir
Before its $10-million transformation, which was completed last June, the Lower Seletar Reservoir along Yishun Avenue 1 was off- limits to visitors.
Now, they can walk over the water on a 200m-long bridge that extends over the reservoir.
A new play area was also built along the reservoir banks. There is a fountain and a wading stream for kids to play in. The water for these comes from treated rainwater.
Two to come
Two more projects under the ABC Waters programme will be completed by the end of the year.
Kallang River-Bishan Park
The ugly concrete canal that runs through Bishan Park will be a thing of the past when this project is completed by end of the year.
A $76-million transformation will see a beautiful, meandering river that is seamlessly integrated with the park.
During dry weather, water flow will be confined to a narrow stream in the middle of the river. Park users will be able to walk along the water's edge, bringing people closer to water.
Other additions include a river promenade that can be used for events. There will be three playgrounds, each with a distinctive theme.
The park will also be home to diverse wildlife with habitats created to encourage certain species to settle and thrive. For example, reed beds will promote dragonfly communities and seasonal nectar-producing flowers will entice butterflies, providing a site of rich biodiversity.
PhaseTwo of MacRitchie Reservoir Makeover
Visitors will soon be able to walk on water, when the second phase of a makeover at MacRitchie Reservoir is completed.
Under the $4.5-million phase, a 40m-long submerged boardwalk will connect one bank of the reservoir to another. Visitors can walk through shallow waters, see plants growing alongside the boardwalk and be in close contact with tadpoles, fish, snails and other aquatic life.
Other new features include a hilltop F&B outlet with a view of lush greenery.
A new building is also being constructed at the current Paddle Lodge to cater to those who want to canoe and kayak.
The first phase, completed in 2009, saw the addition of a multi-storey carpark, an amenities centre and an improved floating pontoon.
Ronnie Lim Business Times 26 Mar 11;
AS Asian markets brace themselves for increased coal demand, Tuas Power (TP) said yesterday that it has no supply issues, having already secured all the coal it needs from Indonesian mines under 15-year long-term deals.
'We have no supply concerns,' TP president and CEO Lim Kong Puay said yesterday. Once China Huaneng-owned TP's new Jurong Island facility starts up in the middle of next year, it will be Singapore's only coal-fired utilities plant.
But other power plants in the region, especially those in Japan following the Fukushima nuclear accident, are expected to increase their demand for coal.
Japanese utilities are expected this week to resume their annual negotiations with Australian coal producers for thermal coal contracts starting April 1, after this was delayed by the earthquake there.
Reports said that the two sides are likely to settle on annual prices higher than the record US$125 a tonne agreed in 2008-2009, with some traders and analysts citing a figure of around US$130 a tonne.
London's Financial Times quoted a coal analyst at Macquarie as saying that 'lower nuclear plant utilisation in Japan has proven to be bullish for thermal coal . . . which is likely to have to take up the slack from nuclear'. He estimates that the country could buy an additional 20-30 million tonnes this year, on top of the expected 110-120 million tonnes. 'This provides upside to the ongoing thermal contract negotiations,' he added.
The price negotiations are based on the globalCOAL Newcastle index, which is the same index which TP's Indonesian coal supply deals are pegged to. This means that if the index goes up, the Singapore generating company will also have to pay more for its coal.
'But just like other fuel costs here, if there is a price increase for coal, this will be passed through (to users),' TP's Mr Lim said. 'In the short term, we do see higher (coal) prices.'
Fitch Ratings said this week that 'while electricity capacity shortfalls at Japan's nuclear plants will be met in the short term by coal and fuel oil-fired generation . . . in the medium term, additional gas-fired capacity is the natural substitute for nuclear power'.
Just last month, TP announced that it had struck long-term supply deals, including with Jakarta-listed PT Bayan Resources and South Korea's Samtam Co Ltd for low-sulphur, low-ash coal from Kalimantan.
It said that PT Bayan Resources would supply TP's S$2 billion Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex with 13.36 million tonnes for 15 years starting next year, but did not give details of its deal with Samtan.
When fully operational, TMUC will produce about 1,000 tonnes of steam per hour and 160 megawatts of electricity. It will also provide chilled water and treat industrial waste for petrochemical customers.
Mr Lim told BT yesterday that TP has also concluded its negotiations with a barge operator in Kalimantan to transport the Indonesia coal via covered, self-propelled barges to Jurong Island.
'We also expect to conclude a deal soon for our palm kernel,' he said, referring to the 20 per cent biomass portion of TMUC's feedstock, with the remainder comprising coal.
Like the other gencos here, TP - which currently operates the 2,670 MW Tuas Power station - relies mainly on piped natural gas from Indonesia and Malaysia to power its plant. To diversify supplies, Singapore gencos have also contracted to buy an initial two million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas feedstock, with the first LNG expected here in early-2013.
Just one hour, don't make it your last
Shutting down your electronics during Earth Hour may not be enough to save the world, but it's a start
Peter Yeo Today Online 26 Mar 11;
At 8.30pm this Saturday, there will be a blackout - a voluntary one. Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative which wants individuals, businesses, governments and communities to do their part for the environment by powering down all energy, including shutting down at power points, turning off personal devices and leaving the car at home.
Last year, the event, held annually in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), saw its largest voluntary action, with 2 million people participating globally over 128 countries. Besides corporations and individuals, tourist attractions, natural wonders and man-made marvels such as the Eiffel Tower shut off their lights for 60 minutes. For that one hour, much of the world lived by candlelight.
The mission for this year goes beyond the hour-long observance; WWF is encouraging followers of this movement to share their pledge to cut down their carbon footprint online. Individuals as well as corporations can share their pledges on www.earthhour.org/beyondthehour.
Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley - who helped co-found the event which kicked off in Sydney in 2007 - said: "The Beyond the Hour platform has been built with social media at its core. Social media will play a crucial role for Earth Hour 2011, allowing us to connect with millions of people who are committed to taking lasting action for the planet."
The online platform is translated into 11 languages and integrated with most major social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Mi xi, RenRen, Maktoob, Skyrock, Xing, Zing and more. To date, more than 1,000 actions have been shared on this dynamic platform.
But can events such as Earth Hour really change attitudes? Ms Carine Seror, director of corporate engagement and Earth Hour campaign manager for WWF Singapore, gave an illustration to suggest that such initiatives could have long-term repercussions.
"The first Coral Triangle Business Summit in Manila that was organised by WWF in conjunction with the Philippines government, was held early last year. It was attended by more than 160 participants, with more than half representing the region's business and industry," she said.
"At the summit, Ms Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Philippines, announced the signing of four private-public partnerships with the tuna sector and the national adoption of circle hooks to reduce turtle by-catch. It is estimated that the use of circle hooks could prevent the deaths of between 800 to 1,500 turtles annually."
Other laudable achievements held early this year included a gala dinner where more than 600 Indonesian government officials and business leaders joined former American Vice-President and Nobel laureate Al Gore and WWF Indonesia's CEO, Dr Efransiah, in celebrating the United Nation's International Year of the Forest. A discussion to realise how businesses can find forest solutions to combat climate change also took place at this forum.
On March 3, fisheries ministers from Denmark, France, Germany and the United Kingdom signed a declaration in which they committed to an ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This four-country declaration promises a sustainable use of fisheries resources based on the best available scientific knowledge and an ambitious reform of the CFP with integrated conservation objectives.
Mr Tony Long from the WWF European Policy Office said of the declaration: "The choice is clear: It is either smart fishing or no fishing. If we go on overfishing, there will simply be no commercially viable stocks left."
Ms Seror added: "It is not about stopping the production of commodities and other resources but, rather, on producing them sustainably to ensure that we can feed the needs of a growing population without depleting our planet's resources.
"Overfishing is the single biggest threat to ocean life. As the number, size and power of fishing boats grow, an increasing number of commercial fisheries are pushed to the point of collapse. Destructive fishing methods, such as bottom trawling, are damaging and destroying sensitive marine habitats. And millions of non-target fish are caught and killed daily.
"This has pushed the largest living space on Earth to its limits, threatening not just marine habitats and species but the livelihoods of coastal communities, human health and food security.
"An average of 100,000 tons of seafood is consumed annually in Singapore. Besides being one of the biggest seafood consumers in the Asia-Pacific, we are also an important seafood hub. Almost all of our seafood is imported from the Coral Triangle. In the past, most of us have been unaware of where our fish stocks come from or how they are caught. Much of the seafood in Singapore may be from areas that have been overfished for years."
Ms Seror also said humanity is already using nearly 30 per cent more natural resources than the Earth can replenish. Singapore uses the equivalent of the resources of three planets. She added: "Under a business-as-usual scenario, it is predicted that people will use twice as much of the natural resources than the Earth can replenish. If this happens, a large-scale ecosystem collapse becomes increasingly likely, as does severe climate change.
"We need to find ways to maintain a high standard of living while using far fewer natural resources if we are to prevent this from happening."
According to Ms Seror, it will take the collective efforts of every individual to save our planet, starting with the food we eat, the clothes we buy, the way we travel. To lighten the load on the planet, first understand the impact you place on the earth. By cutting down waste, using renewable energy and supporting sustainable agriculture and fishing practices, we can stave off the execution of our planet, she said.
Peter Yeo is deputy digital media editor at Today.
Keeping the lights out past 60 minutes
Firms heed the call to extend green initiatives beyond today's Earth Hour
Jermain Ng and Hoon Yi Shyuan Business Times 26 Mar 11;
AT 8.30 PM today, do not be alarmed if you find yourself in the dark, as lights around the world will be switched off for 60 minutes in a global display of climate action known as Earth Hour.
Earth Hour kicked off in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, before becoming a global sustainability movement the next year. Singapore, along with more than 80 other countries, joined the green initiative in 2009.
This year's event sees a 15 to 20 per cent increase in business supporters, up from 500 last year. Those that participated previously are also stepping up their efforts this year.
One such place is Changi Airport. Not only will passengers departing from Changi Airport's Terminal 3 find lights at the Departure Hall and Transit Mall dimmed by 80 per cent, those arriving and departing from the Budget Terminal will also see lights at the Arrival and Departure corridors dimmed by as much as 50 per cent.
Singapore's newly established integrated resorts will also be playing a part. At Marina Bay Sands, non-essential lights such as the aesthetic lighting on the roof of the Sands Expo and Convention Centre will be turned off. Furthermore, outdoor lighting across the property would also be dimmed by 20 per cent.
'With the Marina Bay Sands towers so prominent in the Singapore skyline, we hope switching off our facade lighting will help to rally further support,' said George Tanasijevich, interim chief executive officer of Marina Bay Sands and managing director of global development for Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Across hotels in Singapore, many will also follow suit. At the newly opened Park Regis Singapore, lights of the facade logo lighting, driveway and running lights will be turned off while bars will have their lights dimmed. Over at Pan Pacific Orchard, the team is going a step further with Happy Earth Hour to 'encourage hotel guests to leave their rooms to join us in the candle-lit Lobby Lounge to celebrate Earth Hour with everyone'.
Interesting spin
Keppel Group, one of Singapore's largest conglomerates, is also moving towards green initiatives. Through Keppel Land, over 32 commercial and residential properties, as well as hotel developments across Asia in Singapore, China, Indonesia and Vietnam, will switch off non-essential lights during Earth Hour.
Even schools have followed suit with ten in the North West District pledging to turn off their lights for 15 to 30 minutes every day during school hours for the month of March, in support of North West Community Development Council's commitment to Earth Hour 2011. These schools include Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School, St Margaret's Secondary School and Hwa Chong Institution.
The logo for the yearly event has taken on a plus sign this year to become '60+', to encourage people to go 'beyond the hour' - that is, continuing their green initiatives even after the effort to raise awareness is over.
It seems that companies are latching on to the wave. Earlier this year, a call for air-conditioning temperatures to be set at 24 deg C or higher to maximise energy efficiency and cost savings was answered by Resorts World Sentosa, and more than 50 malls, hotels and retailers under the Orchard Road Business Association.
Some have taken this concept and put an interesting spin on it. At CapitaLand properties, not only were non-essential lights turned off, the company also organised a 'Wear Less Day' yesterday, where staff and participating office tenants were encouraged to dress down while the air-conditioning temperatures at their workplaces were turned up.
Of course, cost savings are a positive by-product of being environmentally friendly. 'Achieving energy efficiency makes good business sense as it lowers operating costs for our businesses,' said a Keppel Group spokesman.
At Royal Plaza on Scotts, the 2 deg C increase in temperature can save the hotel between $35,000 and $45,000 per year in energy costs.
'It is gratifying to see the awareness spreading across all pockets of Singapore and people actively seeking to reduce their energy consumption in one way or another,' said Amy Ho, managing director of World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore.
Millions of Indonesians Ready To Switch Off for Earth Hour
Jakarta Globe 26 Mar 11;
From regular citizens who are conscious of environmental issues to tourist spots and malls, more and more Indonesians are participating in Earth Hour celebrations.
Governor Fauzi Bowo, in his role as the country’s Earth Hour ambassador, will kick off the campaign at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday at City Hall, alongside representatives from around 700 community and civil society groups.
Among the state structures expected to be plunged into darkness for an hour for the event are the iconic National Monument, or Monas, City Hall, the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle and several government buildings.
Verena Puspawardani, from Earth Hour organizer WWF Indonesia, said in addition to the gathering at City Hall, there would also be a bicycle convoy around the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle during the lights out.
“We’re also organizing candlelight dinners at several warung [roadside food stalls] in certain areas of the city,” she said.
“So if you’re not doing anything at home, come on out to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle or City Hall and join us.”
However, Verena said anyone considering coming to any of the events should bike it or take public transportation. Driving a motor vehicle, she pointed out, would be counterproductive.
With other cities also getting in on the act, Earth Hour activities will not just be limited to Jakarta this year.
Daniel Giovani, 22, a Jakarta parkour practitioner, said he was switching off at his cousin’s home in Bandung.
“I went to Bandung the past two years [for Earth Hour] and each time I asked my cousin to switch off everything, including mobile phones, and just hang out and talk,” he said.
In that city, the lights will go out at the iconic provincial legislature, popularly known as Gedung Sate, and at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
In Yogyakarta, one of the key participating venues will be Prambanan Temple complex.
Felix Krisnugraha, a member of the Earth Hour Yogyakarta committee, said lights at other landmarks such as the Tugu Monument, Jalan Mangkubumi and Adipura Fountain would also be switched off.
“Three hotels — Santika, Hyatt and Sheraton — will also turn off their lights for an hour,” he said.
Earth Hour celebrations there will be focused around the Tugu Monument and will feature art performances by community and student groups.
“And when the lights go out, we’re going to light up candles to create the Earth Hour 60+ logo,” Felix said.
Lia Damayanti, another committee member, said the event was not just about turning off lights for an hour, but about educating the public on the importance of using electricity sparingly.
“We hope that during Earth Hour, people will turn off not only their lights, but also other electrical appliances,” she said.
“We hope people can adopt the habit of conserving energy to save the earth.”
She added the theme of Earth Hour 2011 was “After an Hour, Make This a Lifestyle.”
In Makassar, all municipal agencies and bureaus have been ordered to participate by turning off their lights and electrical appliances, according to city spokesman Mukhtar Tahir.
“It’s an effort to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and hence try to slow global climate change,” he said.
“All the lights around City Hall will be switched off, along with half of all streetlights.”
One of the city’s main malls, GTC Makassar, is also getting into the spirit by turning off half of its lights. Widya Syadzwina, the mall’s marketing and communications manager, said they were already carrying out an Earth Week campaign under the theme of “Go Green & Save Our Earth.”
The campaign includes acoustic musical and dance performances, illuminated not by electrical lamps but by candlelight.
The East Nusa Tenggara office of state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara said the campaign there could save up to Rp 300 million [$34,500] worth of electricity.
Andre Koreh, head of the provincial public works office, said it would be “an amazing saving” if households and malls across the region participated in the hour-long event.
“Obviously we’ll have to keep the streetlights on because of the high crime rate,” he added.
But in neighboring West Nusa Tenggara, the provincial administration said it had no plans to mark Earth Hour.
“We get rolling blackouts every day, so why should we have a special day to celebrate something that won’t be any different?” said M. Faozal, the provincial spokesman.
Reporting by Ulma Haryanto, Dofa Fasila, Rahmat, Yuli Krisna, Fitri, Amir Tejo, Eras Poke, Putri Fitria and Aidi Yursal
Malaysia: The hour has raised awareness
Evangeline Majawat New Straits Times 26 Mar 11;
KUALA LUMPUR: Earth Hour has been accused of being a "green token" or worse, a publicity stunt. Four years after World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) started the Earth Hour initiative, activists are divided over the effectiveness of this effort.
So called "true-blue greenies" have rubbished Earth Hour as useless because of how insignificant energy consumption is reduced. Some go as far as claiming that energy consumption actually spikes during that one hour.
There are even anti-Earth Hour blogs which encourages the people to keep their lights on.
One anonymous blogger wrote: "Earth Hour celebrates ignorance, poverty and backwardness. By repudiating the greatest engine of liberation, it is nothing more than an hour devoted to anti-humanism."
A commentator said it was "symbolism at its worst... a gimmick".
It all started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change.
A year later, cities and different countries emulated Sydney, making Earth Hour a global movement.
In the face of mounting criticism, WWF stressed that Earth Hour is not just about that one hour.
"Many are critical that Earth Hour is a public relations stunt. Indeed, it is a PR exercise," said an unapologetic WWF (Malaysia) executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma.
"Through this, we arrest the public's attention to form a global collective voice to strongly call for action for our governments to act with regards to climate change."
Sharma acknowledged that Earth Hour should move away from the one hour concept.
"Now we've got people's attention, how do we move on from here?"
Climate change activist Adrian Yeo said Earth Hour as a symbolism was crucial because it was a first step into behavioural changes.
"It is something simple that everyone can do. Let's face it. Overnight changes (to energy consumption) aren't going to happen overnight ... it's impossible.
"Earth Hour is simple but important for that societal shift," he said.
Yeo rebutted criticism that the event was futile, quoting the Selangor government's No Plastic Bag campaign as an example.
He said the campaign which urged the people and businesses to avoid using plastic bag for one day of the week -- on Saturday -- had been key to make people aware of waste management issues.
"Not using plastic bag on that one day won't solve our current waste management issue. But what we see now is that there are more conversations about the environment," he said.
But fellow environmentalist Andrew Sebastian strongly felt that Earth Day, which is celebrated worldwide on April 22, should take precedence.
"Earth Hour would have greater value if (WWF) was to develop it. That one hour of switching our lights off is a harsh reminder of how dependent we are. We should now think how we can go beyond to honour Mother Earth. Ironically, there is already Earth Day which is more significant."
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