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Whale dies in Thailand after swallowing 80 plastic bags
Channel NewsAsia 2 Jun 18;
BANGKOK: A whale has died in southern Thailand after swallowing more than 80 plastic bags, officials said, ending an attempted rescue that failed to nurse the mammal back to health.
Thailand is one of the world's largest consumers of plastic bags, which kill hundreds of marine creatures living near the country's popular beaches each year.
The small male pilot whale became the latest victim after it was found barely alive in a canal near the border with Malaysia, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources said on their Facebook page Saturday.
A veterinary team tried "to help stabilise its illness but finally the whale died" on Friday (Jun 1) afternoon, the post said.
An autopsy revealed 80 plastic bags weighing up to 8kg in the creature's stomach, the department added.
Photos accompanying the post showed a group of people using buoys to keep the whale afloat after it was first spotted on Monday and an umbrella to shield it from the scorching sun.
The whale vomited up five bags during the rescue attempt before it died, the department said.
Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at Kasetsart University, said the bags had made it impossible for the whale to eat any nutritional food.
"If you have 80 plastic bags in your stomach, you die," he said.
At least 300 marine animals including pilot whales, sea turtles and dolphins perish each year in Thai waters after ingesting plastic, Thon told AFP.
"It's a huge problem," he said. "We use a lot of plastic."
The pilot whale's plight generated sympathy and anger among Thai netizens.
"I feel sorry for the animal that didn't do anything wrong but has to bear the brunt of human actions," one Twitter user wrote in Thai.
Source: AFP/ng
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Malaysia: Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior docks in Port Klang to spread environmental awareness
Tharanya Arumugam Straits Times 2 Jun 18;
PORT KLANG: Greenpeace’s iconic ship the Rainbow Warrior made its maiden port-of-call here today on a goodwill mission to raise awareness on environmental issues, particularly on plastic pollution.
Greenpeace Malaysia spokesperson Jacqueline Yew said the Rainbow Warrior calls on Malaysians to take meaningful action against plastic pollution threatening ocean and sea life.
“The Rainbow Warrior’s first official visit to Malaysia serves as a platform to announce Greenpeace’s physical presence here as well as to create greater awareness on environmental protection.
“We want to engage with local partners and supporters to act against plastic pollution. More than 90 per cent of plastic waste in the world is never recycled because it is non-biodegradable.
“We are currently undertaking a plastic scoping research work and we will share our findings with the relevant agencies upon completion. Our focus is on tackling single use plastics such as straws and plastic bags,” she told reporters when met on the ship, here, today.
Yew, who is also Greenpeace Southeast Asia deputy fundraising director said the organisation would also focus on addressing deforestation in the region, including Malaysia.
In a recent study by Science Magazine, Malaysia was named the 8th worst country in the world for plastic waste, producing almost one million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste in 2010, but other Southeast Asian nations were no better, with Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam in the top five of the same list.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia executive director Yeb Saño said they hoped to work with the government to raise awareness and educate Malaysians on matters related to climate change, plastic pollution, deforestation, energy systems and systemic problems that reinforce these environmental issues, like corruption and short-sighted industry mindsets.
“There is much work to be done especially with regard to plastic pollution, one of Malaysia’s most pressing environmental problems.
“While we are encouraged by the recent plastic ban in Malaysian Federal territories like Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, we need to take more proactive steps toward curbing plastic waste.”
Meanwhile, Rainbow Warrior Captain Peter Willcox said people needed to take collective action through long-term solutions.
Problems like plastic pollution, deforestation, or climate change, he said, were not confined to national borders.
“It affects everyone and anyone on this planet. This is why the tour is happening and this is why we are in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. The Rainbow Warrior is a symbol of hope and solidarity for a better world, and it is our wish that in Malaysia we can help spread this message.”
The Rainbow Warrior is on a five-month tour in Southeast Asia. The ship, which had previously visited the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore will be anchored-at-sea in Port Klang (Kompleks Dato Shaari Jihin South Port) from June 2 to June 5, and is open to the public.
There are some 15 crew members from 10 countries aboard the ship, namely from the United States of America, Spain, Ukraine, Netherlands, Lebanon, France, Turkey, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Farhan Nasa, a 26-year-old medical graduate from Subang is the only Malaysian aboard.
Farhan, who had always been passionate about the environment was a Greenpeace volunteer for about three years before embarking on this journey.
“It is my first time aboard a ship and it is very exciting and certainly a new learning experience. I am lucky and grateful to Greenpeace for being selected to be part of the crew.
“I have worked on environmental causes in the past, but this time around I wanted to be in the field (or in the sea) to observe and learn from the knowledgeable and experienced crew.
“I am part of the medical team here so I do a lot of work on the deck and also help out the medical staff.”
Rainbow Warrior visits M’sia
mei mei chu The Star 3 Jun 18;
PORT KLANG: Farhan Nasa was yearning for new experiences in life after medical school. So, he decided to volunteer on board Greenpeace’s ship, the Rainbow Warrior, as a deckhand and as part of its medical team.
On his very first day at work, he attended to two cases of heat exhaustion.
“The most difficult thing about being onboard is that it involves very physically demanding work.
“I have never done this kind of hard work before,” said the Malaysian from Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Farhan, 26, is part of a 15-strong crew on Rainbow Warrior that is now docked in Malaysia for the first time in history.
He represents a generation of young activists who are joining established names such as Capt Peter Wilcox in its mission to expose global environmental abuses.
“When I first started sailing we used paper charts for navigation; now we have all these technology,” Wilcox said of the electronic chart display system on the vessel.
Wilcox, 65, has been sailing for 45 years. He has gone through much, his life threatened during a 1985 bombing in New Zealand and when he was arrested and detained for two months by Russian military in 2013.
Yet, Wilcox has never surrendered the fight for environmental protection.
“Climate change is not a distant problem our children have to deal with,” Wilcox said, highlighting that 80% of the reefs in Indonesia were facing coral bleaching.
He said three major practices that were severely hurting the planet – fossil fuels, overfishing and single use plastics.
“Soon, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Already fish are dying in the ocean, birds are dying eating plastic,” he said.
“We have got to change the way we are living on the planet, or our planet won’t support us.”
Wilcox said his activism felt like a losing battle and that he was disappointed to see the health degradation of the planet.
However, he chose to remain hopeful.
“In 20 years, when my grandchildren are saying ‘how do you mess up the planet so badly?’, I’ll be able to say ‘I tried, I wasn’t very successful, but I tried’. That’s why I don’t regret it,” he said.
The Rainbow Warrior, one of three Greenpeace ships aside from the Arctic Sunrise and the Esperanza, has successfully helped end nuclear testing in the Pacific, blocked coal ports and closed down destructive fishing operations.
It will be in Port Klang until Thursday to raise greater awareness on environmental protection and to engage with local partners and supporters for a meaningful action on plastic pollution.
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Malaysia: Logging is one of the causes of flash floods, says Shafie
Norasikin Daineh New Straits Times 2 Jun 18;
PENAMPANG: Logging is one of the contributing factors for flash floods which occur at several districts in the state, said Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
He said logging activities in the state should be looked into again to prevent the flood situation from getting worse.
“The effect of logging can be seen in this (flooding) situation and I have also received a report from Sabah Wildlife Department that elephants have become ‘wild’ (due to loss of habitat).This means a temporary halt of all logging activities so that we can see the true needs.
“Both here and in Tambunan, the water comes from the hills and there are logging activities that worry us.
“This is what we have to detect but it does not mean that I say logging is the main factor. But the issue should be looked at in depth,” he said when visiting flood victims at a temporary relief centre, here.
Earlier, he visited the district police station, here and Sepanggar areas which were flooded on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Mohd Shafie urged relevant authorities to visit affected areas and come up with action to address the flooding issue.
“I have asked Works minister (state Infrastructure Development minister Datuk Peter Anthony) to look into releasing water into the sea.”
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Indonesia: Two water-bombing helicopters deployed to Palembang for Asian Games
Genta Tenri Mawangi Antara 2 Jun 18;
Asian Games 2018 (INASGOC) Erick Thohir (right) introduces Asian Games 2018 License Holders at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (30/5/2018) .(ANTARA /Muhammad Adimaja)
Palembang, S Sumatra, (ANTARA News) - Two additional water-bombing helicopters have been sent to Palembang, South Sumatra Province, for anticipating wildfires during the 18th Asian Games that will be held from Aug 18 to Sep 2, an official said here on Saturday.
Iriansyah, head of the South Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), said that the two units of water-bombing helicopters are now being assembled in Palembang City.
Having capacity of 600 liters and 500 liters respectively, the helicopters will be operated to extinguish the wildfires and to conduct patrols at the fire-prone areas in South Sumatra.
These two units of water-bombing helicopters are part of 10 additional units that will be used during the Asian Games, he said.
Besides the two units, four other helicopters have completely been assembled so that they are ready for operation, he said adding that those choppers will play a critical role in extinguishing fires in isolated areas, mainly at peatland and forests.
According to Iriansyah, his office is committed to preventing the wildfires and hazes from occurring in accordance to the instruction ordered by South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin.
Besides South Sumatra, the authorities in Riau Province have also been committed to anticipating the wildfires by extending the emergency status last month.
Meanwhile, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has pledged to maintain coordination with all stakeholders to anticipate land and forest fires, the first secretary, Widada Sulistya said recently.
The agency has announced nine fire-prone provinces, namely
Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan.
The 18th Asian Games will take place in Jakarta and Palembang. However, the venues will not only be located in Jakarta, but also in its surrounding areas, including Tangerang (Banten Province) and Bogor (West Java).
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Food giants’ claims palm oil does not damage rainforests 'problematic', say researchers
Guaranteeing genuinely deforestation-free products from the resource is problematic, report says
Jane Dalton The Independent 3 Jun 18;
Food firms cannot claim the palm oil in their products does not destroy rainforests because supply chains are so complex, scientists say.
“No-deforestation” promises printed on packaging could be failing despite the good intentions of manufacturers, according to a report by researchers at Imperial College London.
Palm oil plantations in eastern Asia are blamed for pushing orangutans, Borneo elephants and Sumatran tigers to near-extinction as their rainforest habitats are being continually torn or burned down. The destruction also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, reduces biodiversity and drives indigenous people from their homelands.
The oil is used in manufacturing half of all products in supermarkets – from biscuits, snack bars, cereals and margarine to soaps and shampoos.
And almost half of the palm oil imported into the EU, mostly from Indonesia and Malaysia, is used as biofuel after blending it into vehicle fuel was made compulsory in 2009.
Under public pressure over the harm caused by its production, many food giants now claim to use “sustainable” or “no-deforestation” palm oil, printed on labels.
But the new study said it was “problematic” to guarantee genuinely deforestation-free palm oil products.
Barriers include the complexity of the supply chain; a lack of consensus on definitions of deforestation; inadequate government support and persisting markets in China and India for unsustainably produced palm oil.
And campaigns by environmental groups and non-governmental organisations are unlikely to be effective in preventing rainforest destruction, the research warns.
Lead author of the report, Joss Lyons-White, a conservation scientist at Imperial College, who interviewed 24 companies and environmental representatives for his report, told The Independent consumers should look at companies’ commitments and whether they were likely to meet them.
He said the issue was complex partly because views on how to define deforestation differed between eco activists, for example, and producers on the ground.
“There’s a feeling among some producers that ‘zero-deforestation’ is a Western imposition,” he said. “Some participants said it was a marketing term. Governments have different priorities such as economic growth and socio-economic development.”
Inconsistent government regulations and confusion over land ownership were also barriers to producing ethical oil, while high demand in India for unbranded cooking oil also played a role, said Mr Lyons-White.
Based on the amount of land used, palm plantations are more productive than other types of oil so have become increasingly popular in the food, toiletries and fuel industries.
The report said simply banning palm oil production or applying pressure to countries is not an answer.
“The existing model used to address palm oil-driven deforestation, based on NGO shaming campaigns and unilateral adoption of commitments by individual companies, is unlikely to achieve no deforestation in the current context of palm oil production and trade,” it said.
Instead, new ways should be found to ensure that green commitments can be implemented successfully, it concluded.
Mr Lyons-White said environmental awareness in Europe was creating huge demand for palm oil that was certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which reduces deforestation by a third so has a “positive impact”.
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NParks to focus on the birds and the bees as well as butterflies and bats in new conservation push
Lester Hio Straits Times 2 Jun 18;
SINGAPORE - The birds and the bees - along with butterflies and bats - are of special interest to the National Parks Board (NParks) this year.
It is targetting these native pollinators and seed dispersers for a new conservation approach over the next five years, as Singapore continues to ensure the diversity and resilience of ecosystems that are becoming more vulnerable to climate change.
Announcing this at the seventh Festival of Biodiversity held next to Tampines MRT on Saturday (June 2) morning, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin said these four groups of animals play important roles in Singapore's forest ecosystem, as they allow for healthier fauna and plant regeneration.
"Our efforts to conserve them will help ensure the regeneration of our forests as well as ensure the survival of the fauna species that depends on these habitats," said Mr Tan.
The festival concludes Biodiversity Week, a two-week long event organised annually by Nparks. The festival, which is open to the public, highlights community efforts to preserve Singapore's natural heritage.
As part of the latest push towards conservation, NParks will work on two species-specific studies on the movement patterns of the Green Imperial Pigeon and the Blue-rumped Parrot which disperse the seeds of native trees. Both are listed as nationally threatened species.
Research will also be conducted on the Cave Nectar Bat - one of two native bat species that consumes nectar and pollen - to study its foraging patterns, behaviour and feeding habits to better understand it.
NParks is relying on the community for the work on the birds and butterflies. Members of the public can log sightings of various species of both into a biodiversity database which will help provide information on what sort of plants certain species prefer thus making it easier for NParks to decide on where to plant them.
The two-day Festival of Biodiversity also celebrates 25 years of community involvement and stewardship in nature conservation, which falls in line with the global theme for 2018's International Day of Biological Diversity on May 22.
NParks will launch a new bee-themed trail at HortPark on Sept 15 to raise awareness of various species of solitary or stingless bees, and the role they play in pollination here.
It will also launch a set of design guidelines next year (2019) to ensure buildings are biophilic or nature-friendly. Building designers can use stickers to reduce the reflection of greenery on it, for instance, to reduce the rate of bird collisions against clear glass windows.
Birds, bees and the conservation push
Pollinators and seed dispersers - including bats and butterflies - are targets of NParks' latest effort
Lester Hio Straits Times 3 Jun 18;
The birds and the bees - along with butterflies and bats - are of special interest to the National Parks Board (NParks) this year.
It is targeting these native pollinators and seed dispersers for a new conservation approach over the next five years, as Singapore continues to ensure the diversity and resilience of ecosystems that are becoming more vulnerable to climate change.
Announcing this at the seventh Festival of Biodiversity held next to Tampines MRT station yesterday morning, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin said these four groups of animals play important roles in Singapore's forest ecosystem, as they allow for healthier fauna and plant regeneration.
"Our efforts to conserve them will help ensure the regeneration of our forests as well as ensure the survival of the fauna species that depend on these habitats," said Mr Tan.
The festival concludes Biodiversity Week, a two-week event organised annually by NParks. The festival, which is open to the public, highlights community efforts to preserve Singapore's natural heritage.
As part of the latest push towards conservation, NParks will work on two species-specific studies, sponsored by Ascendas-Singbridge, on the movement patterns of the Green Imperial Pigeon and the Blue-rumped Parrot which disperse the seeds of native trees. Both are listed as nationally threatened species.
Research will also be conducted on the cave nectar bat - one of two native bat species that consume nectar and pollen - to study its foraging patterns, behaviour and feeding habits to better understand it.
NParks is relying on the community for the work on birds and butterflies. The public can log sightings of various species of both into a biodiversity database which will help provide information on the sort of plants certain species prefer, thus making it easier for NParks to decide where to plant them.
The two-day Festival of Biodiversity also celebrates 25 years of community involvement and stewardship in nature conservation, which falls in line with the global theme for this year's International Day of Biological Diversity on May 22.
This includes work done by community volunteers, such as those in the Friends of the Parks initiative, who organise activities in local parks or pitch in to maintain them.
Mr Abdul Wahid Badron 53, a teacher at West Grove Primary School, often hikes in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. He would pick up litter he finds along the way and join tree-planting activities with his wife and friends. "We are park users ourselves, so we thought we should do something for the park, so we can continue seeing beautiful things in the park rather than just bald patches of ground," he said.
NParks is also broadening its community initiatives for education and outreach. It will launch a new bee-themed trail at HortPark on Sept 15 to raise awareness of various species of solitary or stingless bees here. Visitors will be able to learn about 20 different bee species found in urban gardens and the role they play in pollination.
It is also launching a set of design guidelines next year to ensure buildings are biophilic or nature-friendly. Building designers can use stickers to reduce the reflection of greenery on it, for instance, to reduce the rate of bird collisions against clear glass windows.
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Critically endangered Singapore freshwater crab lives in genetically isolated populations
National University of Singapore Phys.org 1 Jun 18;
Researchers from NUS and National Parks Board (NParks) have established that the critically endangered Singapore freshwater crab (Johora singaporensis) does not mix or breed between different populations, and has overall low genetic diversity.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the Singapore freshwater crab to be one of the 100 most endangered species worldwide. It is uniquely from Singapore and not found anywhere else in the world. Only a few hundred mature individuals of this pebble-sized freshwater crab are known to exist. They live in a few isolated populations in very small areas (less than 0.01 km2) within Singapore that are vital to the survival of the species. As part of the national conservation strategy formulated in 2015, one immediate concern was to establish if these crabs are experiencing inbreeding within their own isolated populations, which may cause them to lose genetic diversity.
A research team led by Prof Rudolf MEIER from the Department of Biological Sciences and Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, NUS, partnering the NParks has found that the Singapore freshwater crabs from the remaining populations are indeed physically isolated and unlikely to move and breed between populations.
Presently, levels of genetic diversity are low. Cutting-edge genomic tools were used to analyse the genetic variation of the crabs for this study. The genetic information, together with their migration patterns, were compared with a more widespread and common species, the lowland freshwater crab (Parathelphusa maculata) that often lives in the same places as the Singapore freshwater crab. The researchers used 2,617 and 2,470 genome-wide SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, a common type of genetic variation) from the two groups of about 90 individuals each, with each group belonging to either of the two crab species mentioned above. The study also showed that the dispersal of individuals between populations for both crab species has been hampered by urbanisation, with the amount of genetic diversity being similar in both species despite the Singapore freshwater crab being much rarer.
This study is among the recommended actions described in the Singapore freshwater crab Conservation Strategy that was published in 2015 by the Freshwater Crab Conservation Working Group (FCCWG). The FCCWG includes members from NUS, NParks, and Wildlife Reserves Singapore. The FCCWG continues to meet regularly to discuss the various conservation efforts, and the results of this genetic study will contribute to how the populations are managed.
"The low levels of genetic diversity may reduce the adaptive potential and resilience of the Singapore freshwater crab, and render the species more vulnerable to extinction in the event of disease outbreaks or environmental changes. Coupled with poor mobility and restricted habitat range, their risk of extinction in this era of rapid and erratic climatic changes is even higher, as they are not able to retreat from sites that have become inhospitable to them," explained Dr. TAY Ywee Chieh, who is the first author of the study.
Prof Meier said, "This study found that the crab populations for both species are strongly isolated with low genetic diversity. The most genetically isolated populations for both crab species are separated from other populations by the Upper Bukit Timah Road, one of the oldest roads in Singapore. This suggests that urbanisation may have impacted stream-dwelling crab species in the same manner, regardless of ubiquity, habitat preference or the way they move between streams. Fortunately, signs of inbreeding were not detected for the critically endangered species. However, the genetic distinctiveness and low diversity of the separate populations call for genetic rescue and connecting corridors between the remaining fragments of their natural habitat."
More information: Ywee Chieh Tay et al. Roads to isolation: Similar genomic history patterns in two species of freshwater crabs with contrasting environmental tolerances and range sizes, Ecology and Evolution (2018). DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4017
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JTC announces new climate action commitments amid 50th anniversary celebrations
Kimberly Yeo Straits Times 1 Jun 18;
SINGAPORE - JTC has pledged its support for Singapore's Year of Climate Action 2018 as part of the company's 50th anniversary celebrations.
The state-owned industrial property developer's pledge on Friday (June 1) encompassed commitments that aim to optimise energy and water use efficiencies, cut the carbon footprints of new estates and use more solar energy to reduce grid dependency and the burning of fossil fuels.
It will also partner with the National Parks Board and other businesses to increase green coverage and preserve marine biodiversity.
JTC is building on its existing environmentally-friendly practices by developing an Environmental Sustainability Framework.
This will be applied across its properties to further reduce energy and water usage, shrink its emissions footprint and increase clean energy use.
In addition, JTC will partner organisations and communities to improve Singapore's sustainability efforts. One new initiative is JTC's participation in the "Plant-a-Tree" scheme, which encourages community tree-planting to increase green coverage in JTC estates.
"As we look back, it is clear that sustainable development has always been part of the JTC and Singapore story," said chief executive officer Ng Lang.
"On our 50th anniversary, we pledge to build on this legacy by partnering enterprises and communities to make our industrial and business estates greener."
Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, planted a tree at Jurong Town Hall's Garden of Fame to symbolise JTC's pledge to support climate action.
He also installed a time capsule at Jurong Town Hall to mark JTC's 50th anniversary.
The capsule contained items such as a bottle of sand from JTC's Tuas Reclamation Project, samples of cross laminated timber and glulam (materials used in the construction of the JTC LaunchPad @ one-north), and JTC's Jurong Innovation District master plan. These items showcased JTC's past, present and future efforts.
Mr Chee stressed how JTC needs to continue its efforts to grow and develop the country.
"We are not done building Singapore," he said. "As JTC continues to develop Singapore's industrial landscape for the next 50 years, it needs to remain a world-leader in this area by making good use of technology and innovation to enhance Singapore's competitiveness."
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'See the number of cups thrown': Can the waste produced during marathons be reduced?
While some race organisers are trying to go green, observers say both runners and organisers can still do more.
Aqil Haziq Mahmud Channel NewsAsia 2 Jun 18;
SINGAPORE: When avid runner Anjali Sharma started taking part in major running events in Singapore six years ago, she was shocked by the sheer amount of waste they produce.
“You see the number of cups that are thrown and you just think, oh my god,” the 38-year-old, who runs a communications consulting firm, told Channel NewsAsia. “You open the race pack and you want to vomit, because there’s that much paper inside.”
Ms Anjali, who grew up in India and ran competitively before moving to Singapore, participates in an average of five runs a year. This includes the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) and Great Eastern Women’s Run.
And at each of her races, she tries to go waste-free by always carrying her own water bottle and giving up her race pack, medal and finisher’s tee.
“I repeat my tees,” she said. “What are you going to do with the medal? You finish the 21km in two hours, you get a medal; you finish it in four hours, you get a medal.”
“The amount of paper in the race packs – I get a vision of a factory line preparing these bags, and they’re literally picking up paper after paper and just dumping it inside the bag,” she added.
While there are no statistics on how much waste is produced by the annual marathons here, Singapore Environment Council (SEC) executive director Jen Teo told Channel NewsAsia it is a matter for concern.
“There’s a lot of litter found after these events, be it this type of race or National Day. It’s not just the litter, people dump their plastic bottles and it means a lot of waste out there to be cleared,” she explained.
According to organisers, last year's OSIM Sundown Marathon – which attracted some 27,000 runners – produced almost 22,000kg of waste, just slightly lesser than the weight of two buses. The waste came from 39,700 banana peels, 18,075 packs of energy gels, paper cups and water bottles.
Ms Teo said there’s “definitely an increase” in the amount of waste produced by such runs over the years, given how organisers try to offer more freebies to “get people excited or interested”.
“Seriously, how much of all these do you use? It’s another goodie bag, T-shirt or medal that you collect,” she said. “But people are much more aware now in terms of what they can do to generate less waste by taking less, consuming less.”
And these people, like Ms Anjali, are jumping at the opportunity to sign up for races with an eco-friendly slant.
ZERO WASTE RUNNERS
At this year’s Income Eco Run, which took place on Apr 29 and attracted 9,000 participants, a total of 1,974 runners participated as zero waste runners, which means they gave up their medal and finisher’s tee.
This figure, according to an SEC audit released in May, is a 30 per cent jump from last year. Some 2,000 runners also opted out of getting race packs.
This means organisers saved about 1,400kg of material including metal from medals, polyester from finisher’s tees and fabric from race packs, the audit showed. This figure is an 80 per cent increase from last year.
While the audit indicated that each runner generated 0.1kg of waste, 26 per cent more than last year, the overall recycling rate also went up from 63 per cent to 94 per cent.
This came as organisers used recyclable cups with 50 per cent less plastic lining as compared to standard paper cups, which cannot be recycled. On top of that, banana peels were composted and plastic bottles and cans recycled.
Runners were also encouraged to carpool, use public transport or take provided shuttles to the event, meaning the race produced 30 per cent less carbon emissions as compared to last year.
Ms Teo said the measures proved to be “significant”. “They have been very conscious about ensuring that at every step of the way, where they acquire the applicants, they also educate them on what they can do in terms of adopting an eco race,” she said.
Ms Anjali, who participated in the Income Eco Run, said organisers made it simple for runners to reduce waste. “A lot of people want to be good people and help the environment,” she said. “So if I can just tick a button to choose to be a zero waste runner, then it just becomes so much easier.”
To that end, she added, organisers made use of the thousands of runners, or “captive audiences”, to make an environmental difference on a larger scale. “Races should all do what Eco Run is doing,” she stated. “You’ve got those people, do something with it.”
WHAT ARE OTHER RACES DOING?
IRONMAN Asia, which organises the SCSM taking place on Dec 8 and 9, said it deploys ambassadors on its race route to encourage runners to recycle and sort trash into the correct bins. It did not say how much waste last year's race produced.
A clean-up team will also comb through the route post-event to ensure all waste, including recyclable materials and gel packets, are recycled and disposed properly, it said.
“The team has also increased the number of waste and recycle bins throughout the marathon route,” it added, pointing out that trash disposal was made fun by having basketball-themed bins to aim at.
HiVelocity, which organises the OSIM Sundown Marathon, said it encourages runners to bring their own bottles through pre-event announcements on social media, and places signs along the route to remind runners to dispose trash responsibly.
It also stretches water point areas by adding more but smaller disposal points, while placing larger disposal areas near the finish line.
For this year's race, which took place on May 19 and 20 and attracted 25,500 runners, more recycling bins and signs were set up, organisers added, while ambassadors spread the message on-site through signs and pledges.
Channel NewsAsia has contacted the organisers of the 2XU Compression Run, SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon, and Great Eastern Women’s Run for comment.
MORE CAN BE DONE
Nevertheless, Ms Teo feels that more organisers can follow suit. “There’s a lot more out there that can be done,” she said. “You’re talking about at least a hundred of these events in a year. And these are just sports events.”
However, she acknowledged that organisers face logistical challenges when planning ahead and providing an option to give up freebies.
Ms Rima Chai, an experienced runner who has since 2006 been lobbying race organisers to go green, said some are hesitant as they fear it might affect their brand.
“People like free things,” the 48-year-old said. “Have you noticed how runners put up pictures of their goodie bag on their blogs and compare them with other races?”
As for the runners, Ms Chai said some care more about their personal best timings. “It is another egotistical badge to have an excuse for not being mindful,” she said.
For Ms Anjali, reducing waste during runs has not affected her experience “in any way”. “I didn’t lose out on anything,” she said.
“What I do think is that you would always have a section of society who would not opt for it. But you have to go with the fact that there’s a certain section of society that opts for it, and that’s what I am going to work with.”
The pair also encouraged fellow runners to start by bringing their own bottle. “Learn to care,” Ms Chai said, highlighting how volunteers picked up 3.5kg of trash – including gel packs and shoe soles – along a 5km stretch of East Coast Park after last year’s SCSM.
Ms Anjali added: “Go with whatever is easy for you to do, but do something.”
Source: CNA/hz
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Grasshoppers with your lab-grown steak? Gross, but that’s food of the future
Desmond Ng and Chor Khieng Yuit Channel NewsAsia 2 Jun 18;
SINGAPORE: Betting that eating insects will become mainstream one day, a home-grown venture capital (VC) firm is going big on bugs – by investing in grasshoppers as a food source.
Managing director of Sirius Venture Capital Eugene Wong explained: “A piece of steak only gives you about 40 per cent in protein source. Grasshoppers, on the other hand, gives you about 70 per cent protein with no fats and is healthy.”
With global demand on the rise but resources thinning out, there’s been a revolutionary hunt for more sustainable food sources, as the programme Money Mind discovers (watch episode here).
Together with a Dutch investment fund, Sirius led a US$600,000 (S$803,000) round of seed funding in Hargol FoodTech, an Israeli start-up that farms grasshoppers on a commercially viable scale.
CREEPY CRAWLIES ARE THE FUTURE
With one able to potentially farm grasshoppers in large quantities, investing in this insect – not a typical investment vehicle for VCs - does make financial sense.
“Grasshopper has about 15 per cent more protein than cricket. So for the same amount of so-called food feed, you get better yield in terms of protein,” said Mr Wong.
The company is not missing out on the cricket trend either – it also has a strategic placement in Chapul, a US-based maker of cricket protein bars.
“There is a revolution going on to change the way we produce food, to change the traditional ingredients of food and make sure that the food supply is sustainable into the future,” he added.
The United Nations has warned that the Western taste for diets rich in meat and dairy products is unsustainable as the global population moves towards a predicted 9.1 billion people by 2050.
“General disposable income is growing. As people grow richer, they want to have protein, they want to have more food. And because of that, we are in need to feed the world,” said Mr Wong.
Eating insects may be a solution – in fact, about two billion people worldwide, mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America, eat insects, estimated the United Nations Food and Agriculture Office.
Professor William Chen, director of the Food Science & Technology Programme at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), pointed out that the nutrition profile of an insect is very similar to other animal sources in terms of protein content, lipid content, micronutrient and vitamins.
But not much is known about the long term impact of insect protein on consumers.
“Much more studies need to be done to establish whether there is any toxic effect on human health,” said Prof Chen.
GROW MEAT INSTEAD
An alternative protein source may lie in plants where 100 per cent plant-based meat products such as burgers are concocted in laboratories.
Some of these “beef” burgers are made of natural ingredients such as wheat protein, coconut oil, heme – and tastes like the real McCoy.
Beyond Meat, for example, successfully launched its Beyond Burger in 2016. Impossible Foods also introduced its plant-based meat burgers to restaurants in 2016.
However, not all plants are able to provide all the amino acids that one needs, said Mr Wong.
“For protein to be recognised as a good protein, you need nine amino acids. Only soya or chia seeds and certain plants give you that full range of ingredients,” he pointed out.
Another way is to grow meat in the laboratory where cells are painlessly extracted from an animal and grown to “edible” size in cell cultures. So, instead of slaughtering livestock for the meat, we may end up with “meat-making” factories.
Memphis Meats has already successfully produced beef, chicken and duck from animal cells, while Israeli clean-meat start-up SuperMeat hopes to replicate that success by growing real chicken meat in the lab.
The latter is confident it will have a product on the shelves in three years - it recently raised US$3 million in seed funding from investors which include Germany’s PHW, one of Europe’s largest poultry producers, and Sirius Venture Capital.
But, there are challenges such as costs and the issue of consumer acceptance.
A few years ago, the cost of a stem cell-based burger was US$30,000 a piece, recounted Prof Chen.
Although it’s promising, how (can one) scale it up while reducing the cost such that it will be something that consumer can afford?
Mr Wong acknowledged that for some, growing meat in a laboratory is pretty revolutionary.
“When you get a cut and your muscle gets injured, actually your muscle grows. So conceptually, growing meat in a lab may not be that scary,” he countered.
"We all remembered the time when we had bird flu. And this kind of alternative technology actually helps us in times of crisis."
BUILDING RESISTANCE
Research is also being done to produce food that is higher yielding, has better quality and is resistant to diseases and climate change.
Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) has come up with enhanced selective breeding techniques where genetic markers are used to identify young fish with desired traits that they want for cross-breeding.
This is done by taking samples from the fish skin, examining the molecular markers, and determining if these fish have the traits that they want for cross-breeding, said Dr Azlinda Anwar, assistant director (Grants & IP Admin) at TLL.
The process is entirely natural and different from genetic modification where one alters the genes of the organism or adds to it.
“So this is absolutely not a genetically modified organism because we do not alter the genome of the fish. We simply enhance selection of a natural process,” she explained.
Using this method, TLL has been able to grow a more hardy variety of rice, Temasek Rice, that is already commercially available.
It has also applied the same process to develop its own variant of the Asian sea bass which is commercially available at seafood retail boutiques and selected restaurants.
The laboratory has identified markers that they want for this sea bass - fast growth, good quality meat and resistance to diseases.
“We combine this molecular breeding with selective breeding. And from one hundred mass-crossing events, we come up with lead lines of fish that grows faster – with 30 to 50 per cent faster harvesting time compared to normal fish - and are resilient to diseases,” she added. “So they therefore they survive better and have more meat.”
Watch the episode here. Money Mind airs every Saturday at 10.30pm.
Source: CNA/yv
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