German town get sinking feeling over energy plan

Bojan Pancevski, The Telegraph 31 mar 08;

A German town is subsiding after authorities drilled underground to harness "green" energy.

Staufen, in the Black Forest, was proud of its innovative geothermal power plan that was supposed to provide environmentally-friendly heating.

But only two weeks after contractors drilled down 460ft to extract heat, large cracks have appeared in buildings as the town centre has subsided about a third of an inch (8mm).

The baroque town hall, the main church, two schools and more than 64 other buildings in the historic centre were severely affected. Experts said buildings in the outer part of the town had risen by a similar amount.

According to Robert Breder, an engineer, the problems began when geothermal probes penetrated an underground reservoir. As the water seeped out and the pressure fell, upper layers of earth started to collapse, causing the surface - and the town - to sink.

Staufen's 8,000 residents are increasingly worried because repairs cannot start until the town stops sinking.

Michael Benitz, the mayor, said: "Will the earth continue to sink? If it stops now, then we will have got away lightly. But if it continues, it could turn out to be quite bad."

Read more!

Predicting the Next Major Virus

Anthony Ramos, Wildlife Trust New York,
LiveScience.com Yahoo News 31 Mar 08;

This Behind the Scenes article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation.

In a paper published in February by the leading scientific journal Nature, scientists at the Consortium for Conservation Medicine (CCM) Wildlife Trust New York, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Columbia University (New York) and the University of Georgia announced a major breakthrough in the understanding of what causes diseases like HIV/AIDS and SARS to emerge, and how to further predict and prevent future devastating pandemics by plotting a global map of "Disease Hotspots."

Collaborating author Peter Daszak, Executive Director of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine at Wildlife Trust, tells us why this research is so important. Here is part of his interview. To read the full interview, go to the Wildlife Trust website at http://www.wildlifetrust.org.

Q: Peter, tell me about this breakthrough research.
A: Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are diseases that have recently appeared in our populations, and they're considered a major threat to global health. Yet, despite over 30 years of work on them, scientists have not been able to predict when or where the next disease will come from. We set out to do this, by analyzing the patterns of previous disease emergence.

We found that, first, emerging diseases are definitely increasing over time, something that has been proposed, but not proven until now. Second, we showed that the factors that cause these diseases to emerge are directly related to us - humans - that is, population growth, and the way we change the environment. We found that the most common EIDs are caused by drug-resistant microbes, and by microbes that come from other animals (especially wildlife). This latter group includes most of the really significant EIDs, or zoonoses, like HIV/AIDS, influenza and Ebola.

One of the big findings of our work is that these diseases are on the rise also, and that they are most likely to emerge in the future from developing countries in the tropics, a region where our surveillance programs are poorest. So our work shows us that we need to change the way we allocate global funds and scientific expertise to really beat this problem.

Q: So, emerging diseases are on the rise but in particular zoonoses. What are zoonoses and why do you think they're on the rise?
A: Zoonoses are infectious diseases caused by microbes that come from other animals, for example, mad cow disease, monkeypox, Ebola virus, HIV/AIDS. They're on the rise because there is increasing contact with wildlife in regions where we're encroaching on their habitat. Hunting wildlife for food, bringing livestock into contact with them and the wildlife trade are some of the most important ways zoonoses emerge. Also, don't forget we live in a globalized planet, where new pathogens can rapidly spread through our population.

Q: What sparked your interest in this line of research? Were you always interested in the spread of pandemic diseases?
A: I first got interested in emerging diseases when I was part of a team that discovered a new disease of frogs that was wiping out populations in the tropics. I worked at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta at the time, and I noticed the similarities between this wildlife disease and the emerging diseases affecting people (HIV, hantavirus, Lyme disease). It was amazing to me that these diseases seem to emerge out of nowhere, and despite all the research, no one seemed to have analyzed the processes through which they emerge.

Q: What was the most unexpected or exciting result from the research, what surprised you?
A: That we've managed to identify a major gap in the way we deal with emerging diseases on a global scale. That is, while most of our research effort is focused on the richer, developed countries (the ones that can afford it most), the most significant EIDs will be emerging in the developing countries of the tropics. Our work means we can now target these EID 'hotspots' for what I call "Smart Surveillance", and try to identify the next HIV or SARS before it even emerges.

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Swedish town prides itself as environmental role model

Sophie Mongalvy, Yahoo News 30 Mar 08;

The Swedish town of Vaexjoe will be "green" or will not be at all. That's the slogan in this town that has become a world leader in environmental protection and has even loftier goals.

While the European Union (EU) aims to raise its share of renewable energy consumption to 20 percent by 2020, Vaexjoe, a town of 80,000 people nestled between lakes and forests in Sweden's south, can boast of already exceeding 50 percent -- and 90 percent when it comes to heating.

Carbon dioxide emissions per inhabitant dropped by 30 percent between 1993 and 2006.

"It's a lot but we're not satisfied, we want to reduce them further," says Henrik Johansson, an environmental expert at city hall.

In fact, Vaexjoe, which in 1996 set the ambitious goal of ultimately reducing its consumption of fossil fuels to zero, wants to halve its CO2 emissions by 2010 and reduce them by 70 percent by 2050.

Those goals exceed by far the EU's objectives, which call for a reduction of 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.

Vaexjoe's efforts have been lauded by the European Commission, which in 2007 awarded it the Sustainable Energy for Europe award.

"We try to influence people's behaviour. It's not easy, in fact it's actually quite hard," says Johansson.

But their efforts are paying off, with people adapting to a new way of life thanks to bicycle lanes, tax breaks and free parking for "green" cars, and calendars that provide useful tips on how to protect the environment.

-- 'Today we can swim, fish and eat the fish' --

Since winning the European Commission prize, Vaexjoe has played host to numerous foreign delegations, led by China, who have come to tour the area and seek inspiration from the local initiatives.

According to the town's conservative mayor Bo Frank, Vaexjoe owes its "green" success to a longstanding commitment to the environment as well as to a tradition of political consensus on the issue.

It all began in the early 1970s, when the town agreed to clean up its heavily polluted lakes.

"Today we can swim, fish and eat the fish" from the local waters, Johansson triumphs.

Then, in 1980, following the second international oil crisis, the local heating plant which had been running on oil introduced a new fuel based on wood -- an abundant raw material in Vaexjoe's surroundings and able to provide the town with an independent source of energy.

Today, the wood fuel accounts for 98.7 percent of the fuel used at the plant, which heats the homes of 50,000 habitants in Vaexjoe and whose network continues to grow, explains Lars Ehrlen of the plant's energy unit.

In order to convince residents to change their living habits in the fight against climate change Mayor Frank believes in using both "the carrot and the stick."

He recalls that some of the measures that have been introduced have been unwelcome, but adds: "Nothing is ever popular in the beginning but people get used to everything."

For example, when the town announced some six months ago that it would only hold its conferences in cafes or restaurants that had obtained a special environmental certificate, Mats Pettersson, the co-owner of a small chain of restaurants, was disgruntled.

"I found that pretty bothersome at the beginning ... but now I think it's a good idea. The problem ... was that it was hard to find organic products," he says.

"But suppliers increasingly have what we need," he adds.

Despite the criticism, Mayor Frank remains philosophical and confident of the path he has chosen for the town.

"No one is a prophet in his own country," he says.

"It's up to Vaexjoe to lead by example," he insists, noting that he walks to work, owns a "green" car and uses low energy consumption lightbulbs in his own home.

Read more!

UN climate chief critical of changing base year for emissions cuts

Yahoo News 31 Mar 08;

The UN climate chief was critical Monday of Japanese-led calls to change the 1990 base year for cuts in gas emissions, saying the real issue was how much nations would do to fight global warming.

Japan, whose economy is steadily recovering from recession, is far behind in its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol to slash gas emissions blamed for global warming by six percent by 2012 from 1990 levels.

Ahead of global negotiations that opened Monday in Bangkok on setting post-Kyoto obligations, Japan proposed shifting the base year for future emissions cuts from 1990 to 2005.

But Yvo de Boer, head of UN climate body leading the Bangkok talks, said that changing the base year only made sense if it came with "much more ambitious" measures to curb global warming.

"To me it's like talking about a starting line of a marathon but not knowing how long the marathon is going to be," de Boer told a news conference.

"If the countries were to decide to change the base from the current base year, 1990, it means that we would be ... measuring the length of a marathon from a different starting point," he said.

"Yes, it's very interesting what base year will be chosen," he said. "But the toughest question -- the most important question, at least to me -- is by how much are rich countries willing to reduce their emissions by 2020."

The week-long talks in Bangkok are meant to sort out practicalities of meeting a UN-backed goal of finishing by the end of next year a new climate change treaty that covers obligations up to 2020.

Japan argues that the 1990 base year is biased towards the European Union, which has been pushing for further steep binding cuts from 1990 levels.

In 1990, some European Union countries were then heavily polluting members of the Soviet bloc. The base year also comes before the full privatisation of Britain's coal industry.

Chief US negotiator Harlan Watson called the Japanese proposal "an interesting idea."

"We're looking into it. There are some people to think that 1990 was advantageous to some parties," Watson told AFP.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 31 Mar 08

Getting Naked on national TV!
the crabs are interviewed on Rouge, a talk show hosted by Eunice Olsen on the adventures with the naked hermit crabs blog

Story of Stuff inspired clips
and responses on You Tube on the story of stuff blog

Singapore F1 tests mega-watt lights during Earth Hour
on the f1 underground blog

Chek Jawa extravaganza
Double trip to the boardwalk on the wildfilms blog and more about sightings during the trip on the naked hermit crab blog with fabulous guestbook entries by Outward Bound Singapore and by participants in the public walk.

Malayan Whistling Thrush: Nesting observations
on the bird ecology blog

Read more!

Singapore to consider returning cash for scrapped cars

Policy change may help people switch to public transport, says Transport Minister
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 31 Mar 08;

FOR years, the answer has been no.

Now Transport Minister Raymond Lim wants to know if it can be yes.

He has asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to see if motorists can get back cash when they scrap their cars.

By scrutinising this sacred cow, he is showing how serious he is about finding ways to persuade people to give up their cars.

He hopes that some who get their money back - and the amount could run to thousands of dollars per motorist - would choose not to buy a new car and switch to public transport instead.

Since 2003, around 80,000 passenger cars have been scrapped each year before turning 10 years old, with the Government refunding the so-called unused portions of the Additional Registration Fee and Certificate of Entitlement.

People have been known to scrap cars as new as two years old, though most do so only after the vehicles turn five years old.

At present, the refunds come as paper rebates which can be used only to buy another vehicle.

Given the number of vehicles scrapped and the youthfulness of many of the vehicles, a change in policy could see the Government refunding $2 billion each year.

Mr Lim said that the LTA would work with the Finance Ministry to see if the change could be made.

'You have to look at our overall objective - to have a decisive shift towards public transport,' he said. 'So we should look at whether we can have any incentive to help people make the shift.'

He was speaking at the launch of the Land Transport Masterplan, a 101-page paper outlining the Land Transport Review which he announced in January. It called for an overhaul of the bus and train systems as well as major changes aimed at car owners.

'As I said when we launched the Land Transport Review, we will leave no stone unturned,' he said. 'So this is one more stone that I'm turning up to have a look at, to see if it can be done.'

Motorists have long asked for rebates to be paid in cash, but the answer always been no. The reason usually given: The rebate is a discount on taxes paid upfront and not meant as a cash refund.

Mr Lim expects a decision on the change within six months.

Among motorists who welcomed the possible change was engineer Shreejit Changaroth, 51, who said: 'I know people with old cars who are not scrapping them simply because they can't use the rebates for anything else but to buy another car.'

Motor traders however, may lose a source of income, because they rake in a significant amount from trading the rebates between those who scrap and those who buy cars.

Mr Raymond Tang, managing director of used car trader Yong Lee Seng, said that this has been a 'business opportunity' for traders for years.

Singapore Vehicle Traders Association president Neo Nam Heng said that cash rebates would be 'fair to car owners', but the impact on traders would be clear only when details are out.

Cash incentive to give up your car?
Lin Yanqin, Today Online 31 Mar 08;

APART from increasing the number of Electronic Road Pricing gantries and reducing Certificate Of Entitlement (COE) quotas, a cash incentive could soon be introduced to encourage motorists to give up their cars.

The Ministry of Transport is studying the possibility of offering COE and Preferential Additional Registration Fee (PARF) rebates in cash instead of credit, to encourage greater use of public transport and manage vehicle population growth.

The idea of giving cash rebates was first raised during the recent Budget debate by MP Inderjit Singh. Over the next four to six months, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will work with the Ministry of Finance to see if this is feasible, said Transport Minister Raymond Lim at the launch of the Land Transport Masterplan report yesterday.

Pointing out that COE and PARF rebates were currently paid in credits that could only be used when buying another car, Mr Lim said: "The principle motivation behind this review is to provide incentives for someone who says 'I want to give up my car and I'm switching to public transport'".

In spite of past efforts to curb the vehicle population, the rate of increase has outstripped road development. The total vehicle population currently stands at 850,000.

When asked what would stop a person from using the cash rebate to buy another car, Mr Lim responded: "That can happen, I agree. That's why we need to study this carefully to see how best to do this."

Currently, PARF and COE rebates can be used to offset upfront vehicle taxes and fees when one registers a car, such as the PARF, the COE quota premium, the registration fee, and the $10,000 used-car surcharge.

A driver who deregisters his car before the COE expires will get a rebate on the quota premium paid, pegged to the number of months and day remaining on the COE, while PARF is computed based on the age of the car.

For example, a car deregistered nine years before the COE expires will receive $15,221, based on a paid premium of $16,897.

Most motorists opt to buy another car so they don't lose out on these credits.

LTA chief executive Yam Ah Mee said that the suggestion of cash rebates came up frequently during the LTA's feedback sessions with some 4,500 motorists over the past few months.

"If the rebate only used for buying another car, in terms of the number of cars on the road, it may still be the same or even more," he said.

Also launched yesterday was LTA's Community Outreach Programme, which will involve 14 dialogue sessions with grassroots leaders from all constituencies over the next six months to discuss land transport policies and plans that could affect their communities.

Other outreach efforts include site visits and roadshows, as well as a community guide that will outline the initiatives detailed in the Masterplan.

LTA may give cash rebates to persuade more to switch to public transport
Channel NewsAsia 30 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is considering giving cash instead of credits when one gives up his or her car to persuade more people to opt for public transport.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim said he has asked LTA to work with the Finance Ministry to see if Certificate of Entitlement (COE) and Additional Registration Fee (ARF) rebates can be given in cash when motorists decide to give up their cars.

This study should take about four to six months.

A whole slew of measures was announced from late January on improving bus and rail services to get more people to use public transport. A more extensive ERP system was also set up as part of the deal to keep traffic smooth.

But what kind of push do people actually need to give up their cars?

One idea that has been tossed about and was recently brought up by MP Inderjit Singh during the Budget debate is to give cash incentives.

The current situation is that when a motorist gives up his or her car, ARF and COE rebates are given in terms of credits. In order not to lose out, motorists usually end up using these credits to purchase another car.

Many people have given the feedback that if these rebates are given to them in cash, it would be more of an incentive for them not to buy another car.

But by that same token, motorists could – just as easily – take the cash rebate and purchase another vehicle.

Mr Lim said: "That can happen – I agree. That is why I said we have to study this very carefully. If we are going to do this, how best are we going to do it?"

The transport minister was speaking at the release of the detailed Masterplan report on Sunday, which marks out in detail the announcements made recently and the plans on the road map for the next 15 years, with a simpler illustrated version for the community at large.

The Community Outreach Programme to solve day-to-day problems like parking was also launched on the same day.

Over the next six months, LTA will hold 14 dialogue sessions with grassroots leaders from all constituencies. Efforts like site visits and road shows will also be stepped up at locations where there are major projects like the construction of the Downtown Line.- CNA/so

Read more!

Think hard before going green: investors told

Business Times 31 Mar 08;

Investors must consider the theme's risks and weigh a firm's impact on the environment before taking the plunge, says SERENE CHEONG

THE spiralling costs of food and raw materials today may be more than just a passing phase, particularly with the concerns over erratic environmental impact in China, rise in global temperatures and decreasing agricultural crop output.

But amidst the gloom and doom, there is a silver lining.

It comes in the form of 'green investments', and it promises to allow the pursuit of economic progress against the backdrop of sustainability: by consciously aligning investment choices with concern for the environment.

Green investment, as its name implies, can be loosely defined as investments in products or services that help companies cope with their negative environmental impact.

While the media limelight has been focused on green assets for some time now, the increasingly mainstream concept is often mistaken for environmentally responsible investing (ERI). In reality, while the two investment approaches may overlap, ERI mainly focuses on sifting out companies with poor practices while green investments concentrate on companies that improve the environment.

So what exactly qualifies as a green investment?

The answer is not clear-cut. Though much controversy surrounds the debate as to what can be considered truly green, a green firm is widely accepted as one that does good for the environment, within its financial goals, and focuses on the bottom line. Some examples include companies that practise water purification and anti-pollution activities, or produce clean energy and biofuels.

Now, going green seems to be a good way forward with the European Union and China's increased emphasis on greener and cleaner practices. Opportunities to cash in on green assets abound locally, with easily accessible products that cater to investors of differing sophistication and risk-return appetites.

Still, as attractive as the sector might be, investors should tread cautiously and familiarise himself with the relatively new investment theme to avoid pitfalls.

Green equity
To some, investing in green equities enables the shareholders to support a firm's financial pursuits while being conscious of their carbon footprint.

Many green companies are listed on the Singapore Exchange. One such example is Wilmar International, an Asian palmoil firm providing the oil used in food products and for biodiesel feedstock. The company recently posted a fourth-quarter profit of $394.2 million, a nearly four-fold increase from $98.8 million a year ago.

Investors should also pay attention to concern that high demand for crude palm oil could push plantation owners to carry out illegal clearance of rainforests to make way for new agricultural land.

In addition, global activists are rallying against the use of food crops as biofuel feedstock for fear of skyrocketing food prices and possibly widespread starvation among the poor.

A firm's overall positive and negative impact on the environment must be weighed before coming to a conclusion.

Investors who wish to jump onto the green bandwagon should consider the theme's inherent risks, especially since green firms tend to be in the early stages of development with high outlays for technology and infrastructure.

Green funds

A fund is a convenient vehicle as it offers exposure to a basket of stocks across a number of industries, locations and market capitalisation.

In the case of funds that focus on climate change, the underlying investments may comprise companies in sustainable energy (solar, wind or hydro), energy efficiency, waste management or greenhouse gas emission reduction.

In theory, climate change funds are supposed to provide a more stable investment approach than individual equity as they invest in companies from all over the world, thus reducing unique sectoral and geographical risks.

So far, investor response, however, is understood to be lukewarm.

Two climate change funds are currently offered locally - the DWS Global Climate Change Fund by Deutsche Bank and Schroder Global Climate Change Fund.

Feedback from several personal financial consultants is that climate change funds are unpopular with local investors as the funds are too thinly traded and lack fluctuations in fund value during market boom or bust periods.

'Despite all the hype about green investments, investors ultimately park their assets in a product with the goal of reaping the highest profits possible, regardless of its social and environmental impact,' said a personal wealth manager with a local bank.

To make matters worse, green funds have been providing comparatively lower returns for the high level of risk compared to other funds that focus on China, India or small and mid-cap firms, he added.

Both DWS Global Climate Change Fund and Schroder Global Climate Change Fund are currently rated nine out of 10 for level of risk on fundsupermart.com.

'Domestic investors are treading very carefully as equity markets took a beating in recent months, so the last thing they would do is to plunge straight into an unfamiliar green sector,' said a private wealth associate with a German bank.

He added: 'Investors will naturally zoom in on the profit-making funds, and from historical prices you can see that green funds do not fulfil that. They are investing to make the most money, not do an act of charity.'

Read more!

Thai farmers keep vigil over rice stocks

Reports of thieves have growers alarmed as grain price soars in world markets
Nirmal Ghosh, Straits Times 31 Mar 08;

BANGKOK - FOR the first time ever in memory, some Thai farmers are staying up at night to watch their fields - worried that thieves will raid their standing crops or loot their stored rice.

Since the middle of the month, rumours of rice being stolen have spread across the fields in provinces from Lop Buri to Sing Buri and Ang Thong.

Although the rumours have yet to be confirmed, there is one reported case of a farmer in Ayutthaya province, near the capital Bangkok, who was robbed of 20 sacks of rice seeds worth 8,000 baht (S$350), which he had stocked ready for planting.

In response, the province's police chief has recommended that farmers work in shifts to guard their fields at night.

'I'm so scared now that thieves will steal my rice. If they really do that, it is like they are killing me because everything in my life - my money, my efforts and my hopes - have been put into it,' said farmer Somnuek Meechana, whose rice fields are almost ready for harvest, the Bangkok Post reported.

The rumours are as unprecedented as the soaring price of rice in the world markets.

The grain's price has risen to record-high levels across the world - including in rice bowl countries such as Thailand, where premium Thai rice has spiralled in price from about 9,600 baht a tonne last December to 10,500 baht a tonne today.

In January in the Philippines, a standard sack of rice was selling for 720 pesos (S$24). By this month, it had risen to 1,100 pesos.

Several rice producers and exporters in Asia have already curbed or halted exports to safeguard domestic supplies, mindful that rice is a politically sensitive commodity.

In recent weeks Cambodia and China have suspended their rice exports while India has stopped exporting its non-basmati varieties.

Meanwhile, importers, worried about shortages, have cut tariffs on rice.

Indonesia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and South Korea have already dropped or reduced import tariffs on the grain.

The Philippines has signed a deal with Vietnam to import 1.5 million tonnes of rice.

Manila is trying to crack down on hoarders who are making the crisis worse by stockpiling rice until prices climb even further.

At the weekend, the Philippines' National Food Authority in Central Visayas suspended the operations of at least six retailers in Cebu for violations ranging from unreasonable depletion of stocks to non-display and refusal to sell rice even though they had enough stocks.

Asia is not the only region affected by a rise in food prices spawned not just by a shortage of rice, but of wheat as well.

From Africa to the United States, the cost of food has been rising. Egypt - the world's highest consumer of bread - has banned rice exports for six months on the back of worries over wheat.

The drivers of the price rises are a complex range of local and global factors including adverse weather; yields reaching a plateau; the higher cost of fertiliser; the high price of fuel; the policy neglect and decline of the agricultural sector in general; and the conversion of vast areas of farmland into areas for livestock industry and biofuels production.

Read more!

Gray wolf hunts planned after de-listing

Jessie Bonner, Associated Press Yahoo News 29 Mar 08;

Good news for gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains: They no longer need federal protection. The bad news for the animals? Plans are already in the works to hunt them.

Federal Endangered Species Act protection of the wolves was lifted Friday in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, giving those states management of the estimated 1,500 gray wolves in the region.

Even though environmentalists plan to sue the federal government next month to restore wolf protections, hunts are already being scheduled by state wildlife agencies to reduce the wolf population to between 900 and 1,250.

Idaho hunters will be allowed to kill between 100-300 of the animals this fall under a plan approved by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. The hunts are partly in response to increasing numbers of livestock being killed as the predators' population has grown.

"We manage big game for a living, we're good at it," said Steve Nadeau, who oversees large carnivores for the Idaho Fish and Game Department. "The world is watching and we know it."

Fish and Game estimates Idaho now has 800 gray wolves. Should the number of breeding pairs in Idaho fall below a target number, the animals could be brought back under federal protection.

After a series of public shouting matches between wolf advocates and opponents, comments from Idaho Department Fish and Game officials on Friday seemed largely designed to reassure both ends of the debate.

Cal Groen, director of the department, told reporters that his agency has already proven its ability to recover and maintain Idaho wolf populations. "We've exceeded all the goals the federal government set," Groen said.

But Doug Honnold, a managing attorney for the nonprofit environmental law firm Earthjustice, disagrees. Honnold said the wolf populations won't be fully recovered in Idaho and the northern Rockies until the animals number between 2,000 and 3,000.

Earthjustice, which represents 12 local and national environmental groups, plans to sue the federal government next month to continue wolf protections.

All three state plans to manage the wolves call for a reduction in their numbers, which will eventually lead to weaker breeding, Honnold said in a telephone interview from Bozeman, Mont.

"We think that would be a disaster," he said. "We've spent a lot of time, money and effort to promote wolf recovery."

Gray wolves were listed as endangered in 1973 after being hunted into near extinction, but the population has rebounded dramatically after restoration efforts began in 1995. The wolves were recently de-listed in the western Great Lakes, while the wolf population in the Southwest remains endangered.

Wildlife biologists estimate there are now 41 breeding pairs in Idaho, in 72 packs. If that number falls below 10 breeding pairs, or 15 during a three-year period, the wolves could be brought back under federal protection.

On Friday, Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a bill to allow ranchers, outfitters and pet owners to kill wolves harassing livestock. The law gives owners up to 72 hours to report wolves they've killed after catching them annoying, disturbing or stalking animals or livestock.

Read more!

Antelope in Mongolia under threat

Michael Casey, Associated Press Yahoo News 29 Mar 08;

A rare antelope species already under threat from poaching in Mongolia is facing a new danger — worsening traffic.

As affluent residents acquire motorbikes and cars in parts of western Mongolia, they are clogging roads that run along a key migration route for the saiga which, if not addressed, could reduce their already low numbers, Kim Murray Berger, an ecologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, said Saturday.

"As we get more and more traffic through the corridor, it would potentially discourage the saiga from using it," she said, adding that could lead to the reproductive isolation of the species, reducing its genetic diversity.

The saiga — an odd animal which has a deer's body, a camel's head and a bulbous nose — has seen its numbers drop from 1 million in the 1980s to as low as 50,000 in its range, which includes Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and the Russian Republic of Kalmykia.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the saiga in Mongolia have come under threat from poachers who were encouraged to substitute rhino horns with those of the saiga for medicinal purposes, said Berger. The animals, which number around 5,000 in the country, have also faced competition from herders for good grazing areas and seen their numbers decimated by as much as 70 percent since the 1980s by droughts.

Berger set out in 2005 with her WCS colleagues and researchers from the Mongolian Academy of Sciences to better understand the movements of the saiga. Using radio collars equipped with global positioning system on adult females, the researchers were able to determine that the animals frequently traveled along a 3-mile-wide corridor through a narrow valley. The route is also the location for a dirt road that serves as the only link villagers in the valley have with the outside world.

Berger said she hoped the study, which has been accepted for publication by the peer-reviewed publication The Open Conservation Biology Journal, would spur authorities to consider incorporating the saiga into any development plans for the area.

L. Undes, the deputy chairman of the Sustainable Development and Strategic Planning department in Mongolia's Ministry of Natural Environment, said authorities planned to expand a nature reserve for saiga, limit herders use of the corridor and step up efforts to ban hunting of the saiga.

Berger previously helped identify a key migration route for the antelope-like pronghorn in and out of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

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Bromeliads for Gardens at Marina South arrive in Singapore

Channel NewsAsia 31 Mar 08;

Anton van der Schans, Assistant Director of Horticulture, Gardens by the Bay, said: "One of the things we are trying to do is to introduce more colour. Not just because it looks more attractive, it also helps to capture people's attention and imagination, and hopefully that will encourage them to learn more about the environmental messages which are behind the collection as well." These messages include how some bromeliads are endangered species because of deforestation and climate change.

SINGAPORE: Some 50,000 bromeliads have arrived in Singapore all the way from Florida to be part of the Gardens at Marina South.

Similar to the pineapple plant, about 35 percent of more than 3,475 species of bromeliads are rare. These plants can remove water pollutants and play an important role in energy conservation.

One of the species of bromeliads is the Tillandsia. It does not need soil or water because it takes what it needs from the air by converting nitrogen into nitrates.

Another bromeliad species is the Billbergia Strawberry which blooms for just one week every year.

These species are native to North and South America and they are known for their unique features.

Anton van der Schans, Assistant Director of Horticulture, Gardens by the Bay, said: "One of the things we are trying to do is to introduce more colour. Not just because it looks more attractive, it also helps to capture people's attention and imagination, and hopefully that will encourage them to learn more about the environmental messages which are behind the collection as well."

These messages include how some bromeliads are endangered species because of deforestation and climate change.

To help these plants, the experts have erected artificial trees known as 'super trees'. These trees, some of which are up to 50 metres tall, not only support the plants but are also ecologically friendly.

Kenneth Er, General Manager, Gardens by the Bay, said: "The super trees, like real trees, would also photosynthesise using photovoltaic cells - converting solar energy into electricity to run some of the functions within the trees such as lighting. We are also exploring the possibility of the trees collecting rain water."

Another environmentally friendly feature is a conservatory which will use cooling technologies that can save up to 40 percent of the amount of energy used.

"Typically, some of these species require cooler temperatures for best foliage colour and flowering, so that's where our cool glass houses come in, to help provide the conditions to really display them at their best," said Mr van der Schans.

These plants will also absorb pollutants by cleaning the water that flows into three freshwater lakes – Kallang Basin, Marina Bay and Marina Channel.

When combined, the three lakes will be Singapore's 15th reservoir which will supply 10 percent of drinking water.

Another 150,000 bromeliads will be coming to Singapore over the next two years. In all, the plants cost S$2 million.

When they have all arrived, they will be available for public viewing by 2011.

The Gardens at Marina South – situated right beside the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort – will open 24 hours daily.

Together with Gardens at Marina East and Gardens at Marina Central, they form Gardens by the Bay, spanning over 155 football fields.- CNA/so

A $2 milion start to a $900 million garden
Hong Xinyi, Straits Times 1 Apr 08;

IT HAS been described as a visual feast in the making, and the $893 million Gardens By The Bay project just got the first shipment of one of its main courses.

When it opens in 2011, visitors to the 54ha Marina South garden will be able to view a $2 million anchor plant collection of bromeliads, which are plants native to the tropical and subtropical regions of North and South America.

Bromeliads are resilient plants, often visually striking due to the patterned foliage and colourful blooms of some species.

More than 3,000 varieties comprising 210,000 bromeliads will be supplied by Florida nursery Tropiflora. About three shipments - 50,500 plants - have already arrived at the Gardens By The Bay site office in Marina Way. The rest will arrive over the next 18 months.

'It will be the first time that these plants are being used in such a large-scale way in a landscaped garden in South-east Asia,' said Mr Anton van Der Schans, assistant director of horticulture for Gardens By The Bay.

The plant was chosen, he said, because it was relatively low-maintenance and also provided a wide range of attractive textures, foliage and flowers.

Being built by the National Parks Board, the Gardens By The Bay - which also includes a 32ha Marina East garden and a 15ha Marina Centre garden - is expected to attract 2.7 million people every year.

Non-native flora and fauna like roses and tulips will make up much of the gardens' greenery and will be part of the main attractions.

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Thai temple fights off encroaching tide as world sea levels rise

Charlie McDonald-Gibson Yahoo News 30 Mar 08;

Crabs scuttle across the wet floor of the near-deserted Khun Samut temple, the only building left in a Thai village that has disappeared beneath the rising and advancing sea.

Waging a battle against an encroaching tide that has sent all the villagers fleeing inland, a monk in orange robes and faded tattoos meant to ward off evil spirits stalks the newly-built sea wall, planting mangrove shoots.

Somnuek Atipanya points 20 metres (65 feet) out to sea, where electricity pylons poke out of the water, now useful only for resting marine birds.

"The waves attacked here and they will destroy everything," says Somnuek, chief abbot of this Buddhist temple south of Bangkok which is surrounded by water and accessible only by a concrete walkway.

"I don't know what happened, but when the experts came they told me it was global warning and melting ice in the North Pole."

Over 30 years, the sea around Khun Samut Chin village has engulfed more than one kilometre (0.6 miles) of land, World Bank figures show, mostly because fishermen have cut down mangrove forests -- the Earth's natural sea barrier.

Tourism development, sand mining and damming rivers upstream have also taken their toll in an area naturally prone to coastal erosion.

The community have realised their errors and are trying to replant the mangroves, but the situation may soon be out of their hands as global warming sends sea levels rising and powerful storms lashing the coast.

"The process has been occurring over some time and accelerating with land use changes and local human activity," says Jitendra Shah, the World Bank's environmental coordinator in Thailand.

"Climate change impacts are likely to accelerate the pace and make things worse in the future."

Coastal erosion of varying degrees affects 21 percent of Thailand's coastline, says Greenpeace climate campaigner Tara Buakamsri, citing figures from Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

Along the Gulf of Thailand, seaside areas seriously affected by erosion are receding at a rate of five to 20 metres per year.

Climate scientists say that as global warming heats the Earth up, glaciers and polar ice caps will melt and sea waters will expand, sending oceans rising by at least 18 centimetres (7.2 inches), or possibly a great deal more by 2100.

World sea levels rose 3.1 millimetres per year from 1993 to 2003, the Nobel-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says.

This is not good news for the five monks who remain at Khun Samut temple. Despite their best efforts, they may not be able to save the site from the same fate that befell Khun Samut Chin's sunken school and homes.

Visanu Kengsamut, 26, has already moved three times in his life, while his mother -- the village chief -- has fled the crumbling coast and rebuilt her home eight times, and each time the village has paid for its own relocation.

Khun Samut Chin now sits about one kilometre inland from the temple.

"We know that the cause of this is the effects of global warming," says Visanu.

"This problem, everybody should take responsibility and the government should help. If possible, the international community should come to help because they started the problem."

As the world tries to work out a new pact to battle the threat posed by global warming, poorer countries -- who the IPCC says will suffer the most from climate change -- are battling to have their voices heard.

They argue that because the industrialised world was historically most responsible for global warming, they should contribute generously to a fund to help poor countries adapt to the changing world.

The so-called adaptation and mitigation fund will likely be discussed at key United Nations climate change talks in Bangkok from March 31 to April 4.

"Whether or not it is a small contribution or major contribution related to climate change in the past, this community needs to be taken into account when they discuss about the mitigation measure or adaptation fund," says Greenpeace's Tara.

"Because they are facing the impact -- they are one of the first groups in Thailand that is facing the impact."

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