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Sorry hikers, this trail is for bikers only
Tan Tam Mei, The New Paper AsiaOne 10 Mar 16;
Last year NParks proposed to create a hikers trail adjacent to an existing Mountain Bike trail at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. However NParks realised that this was not feasible, as hikers and bikers kept getting into accidents.
Installations for a separate hiking trail alongside the Bukit Timah Mountain Biking Trail will be removed this week.
This is after several accidents along the trail where cyclists would crash while avoiding stray hikers or collide into the concrete bollards that demarcate the separate trails.
The decision is a U-turn on the National Parks' (NParks) plans - announced in July last year - to create an adjacent hiking trail to separate hikers and cyclists.
In a statement to The New Paper on Monday, Mr Wong Tuan Wah, NParks' director of conservation, said that based on feedback and "observations on the ground", initial plans for an adjacent hiking trail were not feasible, and the trail would remain for mountain biking only.
He said that an adjacent hiking trail would require several intersections where cyclists and hikers would meet, and explained that the bollards had been placed to demarcate the trails.
Said Mr Wong: "These intersections and bollards pose safety concerns. We are aware that there have already been a few accidents at these junctions resulting from bikers trying to avoid hikers who have trespassed on the trail."
The hiking trail was created because NParks noticed more hikers using the biking trail. This was after the closure of several hiking trails in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in 2014 for repair works.
Mr Wong also clarified that while the hiking trail was never officially opened, an initial section of the trail had been put in place to gather feedback.
The removal of the bollards and hiking trail installations will start this week.
NParks will also put up more signs and station staff to remind the public not to hike along the biking trail.
Hikers who trespass on the trail could face a warning or a fine of up to $2,000.
Mr Wong said that existing hiking trails at the reserve will reopen later this year.
Avid cyclist Ivan Tan estimates he has witnessed at least nine accidents happen because of the bollards and stray hikers.
FRACTURED ARM
One accident over two weeks ago where a biker crashed into the bollards left the rider with a fractured arm, said Mr Tan, a 42-year-old who works in sales and rides along the trail thrice a week.
"It was one of the more serious cases. He looked like a novice but if the bollards weren't there, the injury might have been less severe," he said.
According to mountain bikers TNP spoke to, another cyclist broke his arm on Saturday morning after allegedly trying to avoid a hiker on the biking trail.
Mountain bike skills instructor Wilson Low, 33, said: "It's good that the decision was reversed by NParks before anything more serious happened."
Mountain Bike Association Singapore secretary Jason Lim, 41, said that removing the bollards and the hiking trail "will reduce the safety hazards".
He added that "injuries could have been avoided" if NParks had consulted the mountain biking community before introducing the hiking trail.
Mr Lim also noted that the incident highlighted the need for improved communication between government agencies and community stakeholders.
"Despite this misstep, we're glad NParks corrected it," he said.
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UN body on Tesla: Singapore likely to be only nation factoring carbon emission from grid for EVs
That said, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) appears to have applied the R101 standard correctly, says the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Kevin Kwang Channel NewsAsia 10 Mar 16;
SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) appears to have applied the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) R101 correctly when assessing the carbon emission of a used Tesla Model S recently, said Mr Jean Rodriguez, Chief of the Information Unit at UNECE.
However, LTA also appears to be the only national regulator to have included power grid emission into the evaluation of electric vehicles’ (EVs) carbon footprint, he added.
In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, Mr Rodriguez said in an email that R101 only specifies the way to measure the energy consumption of the vehicle, or “tank-to-wheel”.
The LTA had stated that the electric energy consumption of the imported used Tesla car was 444Wh/km. In a statement on Thursday, LTA confirmed that if the car was brand new, it would have enjoyed a rebate with the energy consumption rating of 181Wh/km.
However, Mr Joe Nguyen, the owner of the Tesla Model S in Singapore, had to pay a S$15,000 tax for having a non-fuel-efficient car instead.
Mr Nguyen had earlier questioned if LTA had applied R101 correctly. He said that R101 has nothing to do with CO2 emissions, and was why European countries “do not penalise EVs for CO2 as Singapore does”.
“CO2 testing is only for vehicles that actually emit gases; EVs have no engine and no tailpipe. Even trying to conduct an emissions test is a pure waste of time and money,” he said in an email.
As for the 0.5g CO2/Wh grid emission factor applied by the regulator, Mr Rodriguez said this refers to “well-to-wheel” and the rate depends on the means of electricity generation: “As far as we can read in follow-up stories, electricity in Singapore seems to be mostly generated by gas-powered plants, hence this rate looks to be within the range of accepted estimates.”
LTA had earlier clarified that the grid emission factor was to account for CO2 emissions during the electricity generation process, even if there are no tail-pipe emissions.
Mr Nguyen, an IT executive, had argued that this rationale from LTA appeared to be “logical at first”. However, when the regulator told him to declare that he will only charge his car at home and not at a public charging infrastructure, there appeared to be a double taxation issue at play. “I am already paying for any electrical distribution CO2 surcharge when I pay my electricity bill every month,” he said. “You would not charge someone CO2 emissions for owning an iPhone that they charge at home, would you?”
"LOGICAL"TO APPLY TO ALL VEHICLES
Mr Rodriguez said Singapore appears to be the only national regulator to have included power grid emission into its evaluation process. “We are not aware that this is currently applied in other countries,” he said, adding that such criterion is up to the national authorities to decide.
He did note that Singapore is not one of the contracting parties to the 1958 Agreement ratifying the harmonisation of vehicle regulations. Of the 62 countries, only six are from Asia Pacific: Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. “Various countries in the world use our UN regulations as reference in national legislation,” he said.
The UNECE executive added that since Singapore has applied grid emission in its evaluation process, “it would seem logical to use this approach across the board for all vehicles”.
The carbon dioxide emitted from transforming oil into petrol or gasoline is limited, said Mr Rodriguez, and is estimated at approximately 10 per cent of the CO2 generated by the engine when the car runs.
MORE TRANSPARENCY NEEDED: TESLA OWNER
Mr Nguyen said he did not take issue with UNECE standard LTA had adopted, but the lack of transparency on both its application and method of testing EVs.
“There is no documentation to be found on the process for electric vehicles. The UNECE Regulation is not mentioned and how it is applied. The correlation chart between power consumption and CO2 is not published anywhere. The equipment VICOM (which tested the Tesla) uses to measure is not documented anywhere. There is little to no transparency,” the IT executive said.
Tesla founder Elon Musk said that he had contacted Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after Channel NewsAsia first reported on LTA’s clarification regarding how EVs are evaluated. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office had also confirmed that the conversation took place and that various agencies were looking into the matter, while the LTA on Thursday also confirmed that it and the VICOM Emission Test Laboratory are working with Tesla engineers to look further into this case.
In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, Tesla confirmed that it was having "cooperative discussions with the LTA to ensure a proper understanding of these issues and to make sure that they are correctly testing our customer’s Model S".
"Based on the positive nature of those discussions, we are confident that this situation will be resolved soon," they added.
Mr Musk’s Tesla factory had been one of the places Mr Lee visited in his trip to the United States’ Silicon Valley in February, sparking hopes that the carmaker would return to these shores. The company had pulled out from Singapore in 2011, six months into its entry, due to poor sales and not getting the tax breaks it was hoping to for. It currently has stores in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and China, according to its website.
Mr Nguyen also called on LTA to rethink its stance towards EVs. “LTA can take this as a criticism, or it can take this as an opportunity to really think about the future of EV and/or fuel cell transport, and how it should play a leading role rather than devolving into a bureaucratic swamp.
“They need to clearly document their standards and their processes and work with other governments to see how things are done elsewhere,” he said.
- CNA/av
Tesla car hit with S$15k surcharge ‘as it was used, not emissions-free’
Today Online 11 Mar 16;
SINGAPORE — Stressing that electric cars are not “carbon emissions-free”, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has explained why a second-hand Tesla purchased by a man here was hit with a hefty emissions surcharge, pointing out that had it been brand new, it would have earned a rebate.
Noting that the car in question — a Tesla Model S — was first registered in Hong Kong in 2014, the LTA said that the emissions and fuel efficiency of a used car can “vary significantly” depending on how it was previously driven and maintained.
Nonetheless, the LTA, together with VICOM Emission Test Laboratory (VeTL), will be working with Tesla engineers to look into testing processes for electric cars.
Last week, Mr Joe Nguyen made headlines when he recounted his journey of importing a used Tesla Model S into Singapore. He questioned why the car, touted as more environmentally friendly, instead left him with a S$15,000 charge for its being a non-fuel-efficient car.
The incident caught the eye of Tesla founder Elon Musk, who reached out to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the matter. In turn, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said various agencies were looking into the issue.
In a statement on Thursday (March 10), the LTA said that while electric cars may not produce emissions from the tailpipe like conventional cars, they take electrical power from the national power grid which produces the electricity by burning fuel. This produces carbon emissions in the process.
The Tesla in question would have had an energy consumption rating of 181 watt-hour per km when it left the Tesla factory on June 28, 2014, putting it in the A1 band of the Carbon Emissions Vehicle Scheme (CEVS), and qualifying it for a rebate. A car in the A1 band qualifies for a rebate of S$30,000.
But when the LTA put the used car to the test at the VeTL, it was found to have an electrical energy consumption of 444 watt-hour per km.
Using an emissions factor commonly applied to electric and plug-in electric hybrid cars, the car showed a carbon emissions level that placed it in the CEVS C3 band — racking up a surcharge of S$15,000.
A used car, said the LTA, must be subjected to emissions and fuel efficiency tests as the authority would not know how much its condition might have deteriorated over time.
“We cannot make exceptions as it would not be fair to other car owners, and would have an impact on our environment-related policies,” said the LTA.
When contacted, Mr Nguyen, 44, who works at an Internet research firm, maintained that he welcomed a re-test of his car under “proper supervision”.
Noting that the car had an energy consumption rating of 181 watt-hour per km when it left the Tesla factory in 2014, he said: “It is very unlikely that a 1.5 year-old car with 1,000km will lose that kind of efficiency.”
Mr Jean Rodriguez, chief of the Information Unit at United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) — whose R101 standards the LTA adopted to test Mr Nguyen’s car — told Channel NewsAsia that the LTA appears to be the only national regulator to have included power grid emission when evaluating the carbon footprint of electric vehicles.
As for the LTA’s application of the R101 standard, Mr Rodriguez said it appeared correct, but noted that it only specifies how to measure the energy consumption of the vehicle.
On the other hand, the emissions factor used by the LTA, which is 0.5g CO2 per watt-hour, depends on the means of electricity generation. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AMANDA LEE
LTA explains test results of imported Tesla car, says to relook case
AsiaOne 10 Mar 16;
SINGAPORE - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is in discussion with car maker Tesla after the owner of an imported used Tesla Model S said he was charged $15,000 in carbon surcharge.
In a statement on Thursday, LTA said that emissions and fuel efficiency of used cars can vary significantly depending on their prevailing condition.
The Model S imported by IT professional Joe Nguyen was first registered in Hong Kong in 2014.
Based on tests run by VICOM Emission Test Laboratory (VeTL), Mr Nguyen's used Model S had an electrical energy consumption of 444 Wh/km, LTA said.
An emissions factor of 0.5g CO2/Wh was then applied. This emissions factor, which is based on data provided by the Energy Market Authority, is consistently applied to electric and plug-in electric hybrid cars to account for the carbon emissions produced when the car is being charged.
The outcome showed a carbon emissions level which placed Mr Nguyen's car in the C3 surcharge band under the Carbon Emissions Vehicle Scheme (CEVS).
The authority also clarified that electric cars are not carbon emissions free. "They may not produce emissions from the tailpipe like conventional cars, but they take electrical power from the national power grid which has to burn fuel to produce the electricity, and in the process produces carbon emissions," a spokesperson said.
According to Tesla, the energy consumption rating for Mr Nguyen's Model S was 181 Wh/km when it left the Tesla factory on June 28, 2014.
While a brand new Tesla Model S would have fallen into the CEVS A1 band, and enjoyed a rebate, Mr Nguyen's car is not brand new and was thus subject to emissions and fuel efficiency tests.
"We cannot make exceptions as it would not be fair to other car owners, and would have an impact on our environment-related policies," LTA said.
However, LTA said it will be working with Tesla engineers to re-examine the case.
Singapore's first Tesla Model S is now a mini-celebrity
Olivia Chang AsiaOne 10 Mar 16;
Joe Nguyen, the owner of the only Tesla Model S in Singapore had to wait 7 months and paid close to $400,000 to get the fully-electric luxury sedan registered for roads.
He was also hit with a $15,000 carbon tax surcharge, which created outrage in social media circles because the car usually attracts tax breaks in other countries.
He spoke to SPH Razor journalist Olivia Chang about his ordeal undergoing carbon emissions testing when his car produces no direct emissions, and how it was collecting dust in a Viacom workshop because they did not know what to do with it.
Joe shared that the car is now a mini-celebrity and he often sees people whipping out their phones to snap pictures of his car while driving.
The RazorTV team had a chance to experience the to experience the torque of the Tesla S and its awesome acceleration. Watch to find out how Olivia reacts to the rollercoaster ride.
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Indonesia: Firms tell Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) to stay out of plantations
Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post 11 Mar 16;
Efforts to repair the environmental damage to peatland areas are under threat as the government’s plan to restore over the next five years 2 million hectares of peatland damaged by forest fires is being challenged by the private sector that is in control of concession areas.
The newly established Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) said on Thursday it expected the private sector to restore the peatland that had been damaged in its areas.
“From the 600,000 hectares of peatland [targeted to be restored this year], I targeted half of it to be carried out by companies with their own money in their concessions,” BRG head Nazir Foead said at his office in Menteng, Central Jakarta.
He argued that the private sector, i.e. concession holders, was responsible for making sure that concessions were free from fires.
“It’s not that the government is begging for companies [to help us], but what we’re talking about is the notion that concessions and companies are fully responsible for protecting their areas,” said Nazir.
Speaking about the other half of the targeted areas, the agency chief said the restoration projects would be carried out by the government. It will cover protected forest areas, conservation zones and peatland areas that are managed by small farmers.
“For the other half, we will do the restoration work by using the state budget, funding from donors and financial aid from companies,” Nazir said. “But if companies wanted to provide financial aid, I will ask them whether they have restored peatland in their concessions first. If not, then don’t help us. Work on [restoring] your concessions first.”
In pursuit of the restoration target, the agency had met and discussed with the related private sector, including the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) and members of the Indonesian Palm Oil Pledge (IPOP), a partnership of palm oil companies, regarding the matter.
“We’ve agreed that peatland that is still in good condition must be protected. But in terms of peatland that have been cultivated, we still have to discuss that,” Nazir said. “But in general, all [companies that I’ve talked to] said that they were ready to support this restoration agenda.”
Gapki chairman Joko Supriyono, however, asked the government to focus on restoring peatland still owned by the government, such as peatland in conservation areas, instead of pursuing the private sector’s commitment.
“The areas that need to be restored are those in protected areas. So if peatland is in a protected area, but damaged, that should be the priority [of the government]. If peatland has been converted to plantation, don’t meddle with it,” he told The Jakarta Post.
Joko said that if a concession had been granted by the government to the private sector, then the concession should be cultivated.
“If the peatland is in a concession, why restore it? It’s for cultivation anyway. Restoration is not our concern,” he said.
Joko added that the government had no right to force companies to restore damaged peatland in their concessions.
“If peatland is in a concession, then it must have been taken care of by the company. So [the full authority over] the peatland should be given to the company because it is the one that has the resources [to manage and cultivate it],” he said.
The IPOP, which is an agreement among leading palm oil producers Asian Agri, Astra Agro Lestari, Cargill, Golden Agri-Resources, Musim Mas, Wilmar and Musim Mas, as part of their commitment to sustainability practices, said members of the partnership would support the BRG in its work.
“We will support the BRG to the extent of our capabilities,” IPOP executive director Nurdiana Darus told the Post.
However, IPOP members have not decided on what kind of support that they could give, according to Nurdiana.
“We want to work with the BRG to find solutions that are most fitting for businesses, as well as people surrounding the businesses. So we can’t say yet what we want to do. We are still waiting for another dialogue with Pak Nazir,” Nurdiana said.
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CO2 data is 'wake-up call' for Paris climate deal
Matt McGrath BBC 11 Mar 16;
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere grew more in past 12 months than at any time in the past 56 years.
Measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii went up by more than three parts per million(ppm) in 2015.
Scientists say the spike is due to a combination of human activities and the El Niño weather pattern.
They argue that the data increases the pressure on global leaders to sign and ratify the Paris Climate Agreement.
Mauna Loa is the world's oldest continuous atmospheric measurement station, with records dating back to the later 1950s.
It is regarded as the most important site in the global monitoring network, recording the see-saw, rise and fall of carbon in the atmosphere over a year.
Plants and trees tend to absorb more CO2 during the spring and lose it as autumn approaches and leaves die off.
Forest fires
For the past decade the average increase in carbon dioxide at the station has been 2ppm. But in 2015 the level grew by 3.05ppm - In the year to February 2016, the level went up by 3.76ppm.
The global climate phenomenon, El Niño, is believed to have played a role in the rise.
Scientists at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) say that the previous biggest increase was in 1998, also an El Niño year.
The weather event drives drought in many parts of the tropics and in 2015 this led to forest fires in Indonesia and other locations which pumped large amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere.
"The impact of El Niño on CO2 concentrations is a natural and relatively short-lived phenomenon," said Petteri Taalas from the WMO.
"But the main long-term driver is greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. We have the power and responsibility to cut these," he added.
Pressure to sign
The latest figures show that in January and February this year the levels of CO2 at Mauna Loa went through the symbolic 400ppm level.
Prior to 1800, say the US National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), atmospheric levels were 280ppm.
"Carbon dioxide levels are increasing faster than they have in hundreds of thousands of years," said Pieter Tans, lead scientist of Noaa's Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network.
"It's explosive compared to natural processes."
The scientists say the latest figures should encourage global leaders to make progress on the Paris Climate Agreement.
The UN is hoping that prime ministers and presidents will turn up in large numbers at a signing ceremony in New York in April, and that the treaty will become operational this year.
"This should serve as a wake-up call to governments about the need to sign the Paris Climate Agreement and to take urgent action to make the cuts in CO2 emissions necessary to keep global temperature rises to well below 2C," said the WMO's Petteri Taalas.
Scientists will be closely monitoring atmospheric levels this year to see if there is any decrease as El Niño fades over the next few months.
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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Mar 16
Ailanthus integrifolia: Born to Fly
Flying Fish Friends
How green is your coastal cleanup?
Otterman speaks
Fri 11 Mar 2016: 4.00pm – Dan Friess – “What’s driving mangrove deforestation in Southeast Asia?”
Otterman speak
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Fighting of fires must continue under blue skies
SIMON TAY Today Online 10 Mar 16;
Blue skies breed amnesia. With the clear skies, many may now struggle to recall the urgency and anger over the smoke haze pollution in the region. Last year was one of the worst on historical record for fires and it was barely six months ago that the haze reached its peak, hitting a Pollutants Standards Index (PSI) of 2,300 in Central Kalimantan.
It is critical that governments, corporations in the relevant industries and concerned citizens continue to work on the issue. Predictions are that 2016 may not be as dry as last year. Smaller fires began breaking out in East Kalimantan in December, and the situation has worsened recently, with Riau declaring a state of emergency over forest and land fires in Sumatra on Tuesday, indicating that there is no place for complacency.
There are fears that fires will flare up again in earnest once the rainy season ends in March.
The coming weeks will see a number of notable gatherings that can gauge commitment and progress. This week, the General Assembly of the Tropical Forest Alliance will be held in Jakarta — a meeting to promote deforestation-free supply chains. In April, the Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources will review commitments among key plantation sectors such as palm oil and pulp and paper, as well as discuss the responsibilities of consumers, governments, and financial institutions.
While companies and civil society must do their part, the government of Indonesia must lead, as most of the fires stem from their provinces and affect their own people first and foremost. There are positive signs that the administration of President Joko Widodo is stepping up efforts.
Mr Widodo personally attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris at end-2015 and reiterated Indonesia’s pledge to reduce emissions by 29 per cent by 2030. A large part of this reduction must come from stopping the fires and haze, as this was the major source of Indonesian emissions in 2015.
The President also emphasised the problem of peatlands, which, once dried, have been the major source of fires. A nationwide moratorium on draining and developing peatland has been announced, and a Peatland Restoration Agency established. Its chief, Nazir Foead, has been appointed with a ministerial rank and will report directly to the President’s office.
In mid-January, at a closed door meeting, the President told officials in the provinces that they must prevent fires or face consequences. Sources say the President was focused and forthright at the meeting and will apply a reward-or-punish approach even to local police and army chiefs. The Jokowi administration has also revoked the licences of almost 20 companies with concessions where fires were started. These measures are steps in the right direction to minimise the costs of fires and haze in future. A recent estimate by the World Bank values the economic losses in Indonesia at US$16 billion (S$22 billion) — equivalent to 1.9 per cent of Indonesia’s gross domestic product and more than twice the reconstruction cost after the 2004 tsunami.
Having toured the worst-affected provinces during the fire spell, Mr Widodo knows full well the human misery suffered by Indonesian communities nearest to the fires. More than half a million people were treated for acute lung infections, with children living in affected provinces being the main casualties.
At the regional level, the Indonesian Minister for Environment and Forestry, Dr Siti Nurbaya, is reported to have given assurances to her regional counterparts that every effort will be made to prevent a repeat of last year’s problems.
Even as the Jokowi administration and other governments push ahead, corporations in the supply chain of the palm oil, and pulp and paper industries can and should respond to make their operations sustainable and fire-free.
A shift from fire suppression to fire prevention is seen in the efforts of some corporations, with the creation of fire-free villages involving collaboration between communities, enforcement agencies and local NGOs. Regulatory bodies and financial institutions, likewise, must tighten their environmental, social and governance guidelines to avoid financing actions that cause or contribute to the fires.
When the Singapore Institute of International Affairs met the Peatlands Restoration Agency recently, there was a frank recognition of the challenges ahead.
The problem cuts across physical and jurisdictional lines, requiring coordination between environment and agriculture, and also with economic agencies and provincial authorities.
The challenge to control major companies is compounded by the need to assist many more small plantations to avoid the use of fire for land clearance.
It remains to be seen whether what is promised can be delivered and will be enough. But it is clear that to avoid another ill season of fire and haze, the work must continue to push ahead even under the blue skies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Simon Tay is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA). The SIIA will host the Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources on April 15 to strengthen commitments to sustainable resource development in the region.
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Breaking the habit of pigeon feeding
With a doubling in the number of people being fined for feeding pigeons, what can be done to reverse the trend?
Lim Jia Qi, 938LIVE Channel NewsAsia 9 Mar 16;
SINGAPORE: At around 7pm every evening, dozens of pigeons congregate between blocks 34 and 36 of Circuit Road in MacPherson. Some perch on the railings, others just hop around on the pavement – waiting for their dinner.
Residents said it is the same person who gives them an evening meal. An elderly woman, who appears to be in her 80s, usually comes by at that time with a red trolley loaded with food and water.
On this occasion, she dumped a large bowl of cooked rice on the grass patch to feed her feathered friends.
When asked why she is doing this, the woman, who also feeds cats from her trolley, said in Mandarin: "(The pigeons) want to snatch the cats' food. Actually I don't want to feed them. I'm already in my 80s, I'm not working, I don't have money to buy food for them to eat."
She declined to be named or answer further questions.
But her generosity to the pigeons is well known to people in the area, and some of them are annoyed. A resident, who only wanted to be known as Ms Nur, said she has complained to the authorities many times but the problem persists.
"We have been complaining for eight years, not only us but other neighbours around here have been complaining...sometimes it's very smelly," she said.
Mr Koh, a resident who has been living in MacPherson for seven years, added that there should be greater enforcement.
"(The town council) should fine that person who's feeding the pigeons. But they don't dare to give the fine to them. Because there's no enforcement, that's why the person keeps repeating the habits."
The elderly woman is also not a stranger to the town council. MP for MacPherson SMC, Ms Tin Pei Ling, said her team has been engaging the elderly woman on "a very regular basis".
Ms Tin added that the woman, who lives alone, has also been fined four times since 2008. She still has three outstanding fines amounting to S$700.
"She's just unable to pay because she's single, she's alone, and she's very low-income. She's on social welfare essentially. So given this history, this track record, I don't think continuing issuing fines on her will have a very big impact," said Ms Tin.
Nonetheless, Ms Tin said her team will step up efforts to persuade the woman to stop feeding the pigeons.
"She'll stop for a while and then it'll happen again. Even with the fines, she continues. Because she's low-income and she's so old, I think any harsher action beyond the fine may be too harsh on her. But for the town council and the grassroots, we'll continue to engage her, try to dissuade her, and hopefully we'll be able to convince her to stop feeding the pigeons."
Ms Tin added that the town council conducts a weekly pigeon culling exercise to help control the problem and she seeks her residents' understanding on the matter.
FINES BEING HANDED OUT MORE OFTEN
Those found guilty of feeding pigeons can be fined up to S$500. But the possibility of a financial penalty does not discourage everyone. About 130 fines were handed out by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore in 2015, double the number in 2014.
About 4,000 complaints about pigeon-related problems were received in 2015, 60 per cent more than 2014. The complaints included hygiene issues arising from the spread of pigeon droppings.
Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases specialist from Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said pigeons can spread several diseases such as cryptococcosis, a fungal infection that affects the lungs.
"The droppings of the pigeons are poisonous. They can drop and land in the environment where we live in. They get dried and thereafter become airborne. The germs will float into the air and into the environment and you can breathe in, causing infection in human beings."
To control the pigeon population, AVA piloted a new "birth control" method at Palmer Road last year. The programme involves feeding the pigeons a corn-based feed containing nicarbazin, a drug that functions as an oral contraceptive for birds.
A trial was also started at Choa Chu Kang last year, which involves the use of a gel substance to prevent birds from roosting on ledges.
But while awareness of the risks has grown and more people are being fined, other approaches are being used to manage the problem.
EDUCATION A USEFUL WEAPON TO STOP PIGEON FEEDING
At Jalan Besar GRC, the town council does not issue any fines to residents who are caught feeding pigeons. Instead, the council uses a multi-pronged approach to educate people, said MP for Jalan Besar GRC Lily Neo.
"I think fines may not work as well. I think we should have various methods together or various initiatives to put together to try to solve this more holistically. By combining the circulars, notice board messages, and of course we also try to see whether we can prevent the pigeons from resting at certain areas or concentrating at certain areas," said Dr Neo who is also chairman of the town council.
The approach has resulted in a change in the behaviour of 83-year-old Low Yip Cheong, who has been feeding pigeons for the past two months. He had been throwing rice out of the window of his second-floor apartment.
"I see the pigeons have nothing to eat. They are starving. It's the same when humans are hungry, they also hope that other people can spare them some food. If the government doesn't want us to feed the pigeons, I'll cooperate, I'll see whether there will be fewer pigeons," said Mr Low, who lives with his wife.
Dr Neo said the town council will also install bird netting at certain blocks in April to prevent pigeons from roosting on air-con ledges.
With fines not working in all cases, it is this kind of approach which may see the pigeon problem fly away for good.
- 938LIVE/cy
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Malaysia: Wind on our side, so don't worry about Indonesian haze for now
NICHOLAS CHENG The Star 9 Mar 16;
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians need not worry about the return of the haze after Indonesia declared a state of emergency in the Riau province in Sumatra over forest and land fires.
Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail said the country should be safe from transboundary haze, at least for now, due to the northeast monsoon.
“The wind is blowing in the northeast direction, meaning that whatever smoke that is coming from Indonesia won’t be blown to Malaysia.
“That will last until March and in April it will be the inter-monsoon, when the wind will be light and variable and we will have more rainfall, especially in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
"It's in May or June when the southwest monsoon comes when we have to worry,” Che Gayah said.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the Riau provincial government declared an emergency due to the fires but said it was a precautionary measure to prevent a repeat of the 2015 haze.
The air pollutant index (API) readings across the country showed moderate to good air quality as of 2pm Wednesday.
However, firemen nationwide are battling to control as many as eight hotspots in the country.
The Fire and Rescue Department said, while the fires, mostly Pahang and Kelantan, were still manageable, the situation could get out of hand due to the prolonged dry season.
According to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution website, one hotspot was detected in Sumatra, while Pahang has three.
Kelantan and Negri Sembilan recorded two forest fires while Sabah recorded one.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the fires in Malaysia were still manageable, expressing more concern over the fires in Riau.
“We have more hotspots but they are smaller than in Indonesia. We have our enforcement officers on the ground to extinguish them and we are moving fast.
"Indonesia is struggling at the moment. If Indonesia were to ask for help, we can still assist them," he said.
No need to worry about haze, yet
NICHOLAS CHENG The Star 10 Mar 16;
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians need not worry about the haze returning despite fires burning in Riau, Sumatra, and in parts of Malaysia – at least until May.
Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail said Malaysia was safe from the choking smog from Sumatra because of the north-east monsoon.
“The wind is blowing from the north-east direction, meaning whatever haze that is coming from Indonesia won’t be blown to Malaysia.
“That will last until March and April will see the inter monsoon, where the wind will be light and variable and we will have more rainfall, especially in the west coast of peninsular Malaysia.
“It’s in May or June when the south-west monsoon comes that we have to worry,” she said.
Air pollutant index readings across the country were moderate to good as of 2pm yesterday.
Indonesia is also on guard over the forest and land fires , having declared a state of emergency in Riau, which the provincial government said was a precautionary measure to prevent a repeat of the 2015 haze.
Che Gayah said, for the time being, Malaysia’s only worry about haze was those produced from within its borders, as firemen nationwide work to battle as many as 11 raging hotspots in the country.
The Fire and Rescue Department said that the Malaysian fires – mostly in Pahang, Kelantan and Sabah – were still manageable but the situation could get out of hand fast if the prolonged dry season continued.
“Just yesterday, we had 34 bush fires reported by 2pm. If the hot weather continues, there will definitely be more. But these are small fires that we can contain and put out fast,” said the department’s deputy director-general (operations) Datuk Soiman Jahid.
He said the biggest fire raging now was in Sepang near the 27.4km mark of the Elite Highway, where 1.62ha of peat soil was still burning.
Officers have been battling the fires there for a week now.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said fires in Malaysia were still manageable and expressed more concern over the fires in Riau.
“We have more hotspots but they are smaller than in Indonesia. We have our enforcement officers on the ground to extinguish them and we are moving fast. Indonesia is struggling at the moment. If they were to ask for help, we can assist their mission if the need arises,” he said.
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Malaysia: No details yet on Indonesia's haze -- Environment Minister
NURADZIMMAH DAIM New Straits Times 9 Mar 16;
KUALA LUMPUR: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has yet to get details on the recent forest fires in Riau which had prompted the authorities there to declare a state of emergency.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said he had given instructions to his officers to get details on the haze in Riau and Kalimantan, if any.
“So far, Malaysia is not affected by the fire as we were saved by the wind cycle, according to the Meteorological Department.
We have yet to receive specific information whether it (the fires) will cause us harm.
“We will nevertheless contact our counterparts in Indonesia for further details before we can offer our assistance in putting out the fires,” he said.
Wan Junaidi added that the government had also not yet received feedback from the Indonesia government on the memorandum of understanding to address the problem of trans-boundary haze, which has been delayed several times.
“The ministry had sent nine letters to the Indonesian government since the idea to sign the MoU was suggested in July last year.
Unfortunately, we have yet to receive any response from the Indonesian Environment Ministry.
I even sent a letter on Feb 18 to my counterpart but have yet to receive anything,” he said in the lobby of Parliament.
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Malaysia: Negri Sembilan dams nearing critical levels, water rationing may start
The Star 10 Mar 16;
SEREMBAN: Consumers in Negri Sembilan have been told to be prudent with water usage as the dry spell has left water levels worryingly low.
Five dams in the state have fallen dangerously close to critical while the level at the dam in Gemencheh, which supplies raw water to treatment plants and for consumers in Tampin and parts of Rembau, has been below the critical level for months now.
The five dams close to critical are Sg Terip, Kelinchi, Talang, Teriang and Sg Berinigin.
Only the Ulu Sepri dam remains unaffected by the dry weather.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the absence of rainfall in all water catchment areas in the state over the past two weeks had compounded matters.
He said that if the unusually dry conditions persisted, these dams would only be able to supply raw water to the respective treatment plants for another three to four weeks.
“Please be frugal when consuming water as the prolonged dry weather has caused water levels at almost all rivers to fall drastically.
“We will consider if there is a need to ration water once we get a report from Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan in the next few days,” he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting.
He said the water level along the Ulu Sg Muar river had also fallen drastically.
“We have five pump houses along the river and some of these are unable to function due to the drop in water level,” he said.
Mohamad added that as a remedial measure, his administration would encourage more
Negri Sembilan may consider water rationing in two weeks, if dry spell continues: MB
NUR AQIDAH AZIZI New Straits Times 9 Mar 16;
SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan will consider imposing water rationing in two weeks, if the dry spell continues.
Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the incessant hot weather had resulted in the decline of the water level at various dams in the state.
“Several dams in the state will be able to last between 20 to 35 days, before the water level decreases to critical levels.
We are observing the condition and water rationing is likely to be imposed if there is no rainfall in the next two weeks or if the water level hits the critical level,” said Mohamad. “We have no intention to cause trouble to the public.
But this move is needed to ensure that the state’s water supply can last longer,” he said at a press conference after chairing the EXCO meeting at Wisma Negeri today.
He said all mosques in the state were required to perform ‘Solat Hajat’ this Friday, to end the long drought.
He also urged the public to use water wisely to avoid water wastage.
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Malaysia: Rare agarwood species is back
The Star 10 Mar 16;
PETALING JAYA: A critically endangered species of agarwood, which has been elusive for more than 100 years, has resurfaced.
The Aquilaria rostrata was first discovered in 1911 and was thought to be native only to Wray’s Camp in Taman Negara, Pahang.
Since then, nobody had spotted the species.
However, two Forestry Department rangers found what they suspected to be the elusive species in April last year in Besut, Terengganu, some 100km away from where it was first discovered.
Their suspicion was soon confirmed by a research team in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) led by associate professor Dr Rozi Mohamed.
“At first, we thought that it was a new species but after making comparisons with a 100-year-old specimen at Herbarium Botanic Gardens in Singapore, we discovered that it was the Aquilaria rostrata,” she said in a statement.
Dr Rozi, who published her findings in Blumen, an international journal on plant taxonomy, said the tree was found among felled timber in an area of about 700m above sea level.
“It is not available anywhere else but only in peninsular Malaysia and is in danger of extinction,” she said.
Some 50 of the same species were found in the same area, ranging between 2m and 5m in height. The trees were flowering and bore fruits. They were not cut down when found.
UPM Forestry Management Department head associate professor Dr Mohd Nazre Saleh said the rediscovery of Aquilaria rostrata was significant to floristic records everywhere.
“More so now because the species was discovered somewhere else from where it was originally found,” he told The Star.
Dr Mohd Nazre said this particular tree was “extremely rare” and was one of the species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
He called for more conservation efforts to “protect and preserve” the tree from being exploited.
Dr Rozi, whose study was funded by the Higher Education Ministry’s Fundamental Research Grant, also agreed that the species should be safeguarded from “unscrupulous quarters out to get hold of agarwood”.
Aquilaria rostrata was first discovered in 1911 by H.N. Ridley, with the findings published in 1924.
The species is listed as critically endangered under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List and is believed to have declined due to the high demand for agarwood.
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