Thirty false killer whales beached in Thailand; most saved

Yahoo News 27 Jun 08;

Thirty false killer whales swam ashore on a beach near the Thai resort isle of Phuket, but local residents and hotel staff saved all but one of them, a marine official said Friday.

The whales, which were up to 4.2 metres (nearly 14 feet) long, beached Thursday on Racha Island in the Andaman Sea, said Wannakiat Thubthimsang, director of the Phuket Marine Biological Center.

Residents and hotel staff rushed out to carry them back into the rough seas, he told AFP.

Ten whales had to be loaded onto trucks and carried to another beach less than a kilometre (mile) away, where calmer waters made it easier to return them to sea, he added.

"One of them died from shock," Wannakiat said.

Scientists weren't sure why the whales swam themselves ashore.

"They may have run aground because of the strong wave, or they could have been misled by their leader's sonar signal," he said. "It's not the first time this has happened, but this is a very large number."

False killer whales are not a threatened species. They are much smaller and less aggressive than their distant relatives, the Orca, or killer whale.

Like Orcas, scientists classify them as dolphins rather than whales. They are social creatures and are known for stranding themselves.

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Whales lose, Japan wins as whaling meet ends

Simon Gardner, Reuters 27 Jun 08;

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Whales emerged the big losers as a weeklong International Whaling Commission meeting wrapped up in Chile on Friday, conservation groups said after anti-whaling nations failed to halt No. 1 hunter Japan.

Anti-whale hunting nations led by Australia have voiced deep concern at Japan's skirting a nonbinding 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling by killing hundreds of whales each year in the name of scientific research.

Japan says it is unhappy with the moratorium and wants to resume commercial whaling, though detractors say it is already doing so in all but name.

The issue has generated so much tension that IWC Chairman Bill Hogarth, seeking to avoid confrontation, set up a working group to try to build consensus over the next year.

But that step, with nations urged not to vote against each other on Japanese whaling or calls for a South Atlantic whale sanctuary, means little was achieved at the meeting, environmentalists said.

"I think it was a disappointing week for whales," said Ralf Sonntag of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

"Japan goes home without any votes or resolutions against it. Iceland started a new round of commercial whaling just prior to this conference. So they are not taking it very seriously. Nothing has been achieved for the whales."

Japan gives itself a special permit to catch 1,000 whales each year despite the moratorium, while Norway and Iceland continue to hunt whales in defiance of the ban.

Aboriginals in Greenland, Russia and Alaska are granted special concessions for subsistence hunting.

NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN STATES

Japan said it would not bow to pressure from the anti-whaling lobby and had not ruled out leaving the IWC altogether, but wanted to give dialogue a chance.

"Conservation groups might be disappointed at the meeting's outcome, but the real negotiation has to take place between the states," said Ryotaro Suzuki, senior coordinator of the ocean division of Japan's Foreign Ministry.

"I'm not telling you that we're going to stop the scientific research. All sorts of resolutions and talk about Japan-bashing in the past ... didn't stop us," he added. "That's a reality, and conservation groups need to face that."

Asked if Japan would ever consider halting whaling altogether, Suzuki said: "Yes and no."

"We are not happy with the commercial whaling moratorium and we want the resumption of commercial whaling in a limited and sustainable way," he said.

Australia, which strongly opposes whaling and has proposed reforms like joint nonlethal whale research with Japan and conservation management, put a brave face on the outcome.

"We would count it as having been in the main a constructive and positive engagement," said Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett.

"We're opposed to commercial whaling, we think the moratorium should stay in place and we're opposed to so-called scientific whaling in the way it is being conducted by Japan," he said.

"There are significant potential activities that countries can engage in in terms of cetacean research and whale use which doesn't require whales to be killed," he added, referring to a burgeoning global whale-watching industry.

Conservation groups said they were heartened that anti-whaling nations blocked Greenland's bid to raise its hunt quota by 10 humpback whales this year, amid claims some whale meat is being sold in Greenland supermarkets.

"The real risk of this week was that it would be business as usual at the end of the meeting, and to a certain extent that is true," said Mick McIntyre, director of conservation group Whales Alive.

(Editing by Xavier Briand)

Whale meet ends with peace agenda
Richard Black, BBC News 27 Jun 08;

Environment correspondent, BBC News website, Santiago

The annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has ended with member governments agreeing to try and resolve their differences.

The next year will see intensive dialogue between pro- and anti-whaling countries, and could lead to a package deal next year.

But there is still significant water between the camps on key issues.

The meeting also decided to embark on a research programme into the impact of climate change on whales.

The only vote of the meeting saw Greenland's bid to add humpback whales to the annual hunt by its indigenous Inuit communities defeated.

IWC chairman William Hogarth, the US commissioner, was cautiously optimistic that the peace talks might bear fruit.

"I was basically very happy with the meeting, although I don't think it's going to be easy, there are definitely some big issues such as the lethal take of whales and scientific research whaling," he told BBC News.

"The number of whales being killed is increasing; and I think the way we ought to be looking at this, from the point of view of countries that are anti-whaling, is how can we reduce that number?"

All members of the commission, ranging from the strongest whaling nations including Japan to the most vociferous opponents such as the UK and Australia, have endorsed the idea of seeking compromise, although some were pessimistic about its prospects when talking on the meeting's fringes.

The most fundamental demand of anti-whaling nations would be that Japan halts its scientific whaling programme in the Antarctic, and perhaps agrees to close the provision for scientific hunting completely.

"I don't think we can give (it) up, and we have a very basic position that we have to guard," said Japan's alternate (deputy) IWC commissioner Joji Morishita.

"But I keep saying that we can still talk to each other; we have differences of opinion, differences of position, but that does not mean we cannot talk to each other."

For their part, Japan and the other active hunting nations - Norway and Iceland - would probably have as their most fundamental demand that the global moratorium on commercial whaling is at least partially lifted to allow hunting in coastal waters.

Stuck fast

Environmental and animal welfare groups are divided on the merits of the peace plan.

Some agree with Dr Hogarth's view that it might lead to a fall in the number of whales killed, while others say there should be no compromise, and are angry with anti-whaling governments including the US for pursuing the initiative.

"It's not just the interests of the American people that are being abandoned, but also the future of the world's whales," said DJ Schubert of the Animal Welfare Institute.

But Wendy Elliott of WWF's global species programme said a dialogue was worthwhile.

"We cannot continue in the scenario that we have at the moment; we need to see a resolution to this impasse," she said.

Conservation groups were also pleased with the decision to set up an initiative on climate change and cetaceans. Changes to sea ice in the polar regions has the potential to impact some species severely.

Several groups also presented studies concluding that the argument that whales need to be hunted in order to increase the availability of fish for human consumption - which circulates among some of the pro-whaling bloc - is simply wrong.

"We've shown that even in those areas where whales do eat commercial fish species, the whales are a minor factor in rises and falls of fish stocks, and the dynamics of those systems can be much better explained by looking at interactions between fish species themselves," said Ms Elliott.

Officials from IWC member governments will now embark on a series of discussions leading to the next full meeting in Portugal in a year's time.

Whaling Foes Vilify Japan Despite Norway, Iceland Hunts
James Owen, National Geographic News 27 Jun 08;

For the anti-whaling lobby, Japan appears to be its Moby Dick, a foe to be singled out and endlessly pursued.

For example, activists chased Japanese whalers across the Southern Ocean under a full media glare this past winter.

But are the attacks fair, when other nations also engage in substantial amounts of whaling—and unlike Japan, in open defiance of international conventions?

Hunting opponents seeking to influence the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the world regulatory body, at its annual meeting in Santiago, Chile, this week were unequivocal.

Japan is the "head of the zombie and needs to be cut off," said Willie Mackenzie, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace U.K. "It's very, very clear that, internationally, Japan is behind the drive towards commercial whaling."

Japan not only kills the most whales, Mackenzie said, but it is also trying to "undermine" the international moratorium on commercial whaling and challenge the endangered status of some species.

Yet Norway and Iceland also have substantial whaling programs—and do so not under the auspices of research but commercially, flouting IWC rules that have banned such activities since 1986.

"Japanese people feel that, yes, maybe there is a little bit of racism in the way in which we are considered in comparison with the way Norway or other whaling nations are treated," said Noriko Hama, a professor of economics at Doshisha University in Kyoto.

"If Japan continues whaling, we're 'barbarians.' But at the same time, I think Japan is giving its critics the excuse to level those accusations, because the government is simply not coming clean on its whaling policy," she said.

According to IWC figures, Japanese ships killed 866 whales in the 2006-2007 season, a haul that included minke, fin, sei, and sperm whales—the most of any nation. Norway placed second with a total catch of 545 whales.

Scientific Loophole

Whereas Norway and Iceland are both hunting commercially, Japan has at least kept to the letter, if not the spirit, of the IWC moratorium by killing whales under the aegis of scientific research.

Activists counter, however, that this is just a cynical ruse in Japan's efforts to lead a pro-whaling bloc to change IWC policy.

Environmentalists and some anti-whaling governments accuse Japan, for instance, of trying to reverse the commercial hunting ban by buying the voting support of poorer nations.

"Smaller countries in places like the Caribbean, West Africa, and the Pacific that have had no historic interest in the IWC or whaling, and for whom whaling certainly is not a priority, turn up at the behest of Japan with money that has come from Japanese taxpayers," Mackenzie said.

Conservation groups also take issue with where Japan hunts for whales.

Whaling countries such as Norway and Iceland confine whaling to coastal regions inside their own waters, but Japan is the only nation that still exploits Antarctic seas, now an internationally recognized sanctuary for whales.

Greenpeace still supports subsistence whale hunts by native peoples in Arctic waters. In 2006, Greenland inhabitants alone accounted for almost 200 whale kills, including 11 fin whales, which are listed as an endangered species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

"Greenpeace doesn't campaign against aboriginal subsistence whaling, because it's not the problem," Mackenzie said.

That view isn't shared by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), one of the few groups to campaign against subsistence whaling.

WSPA recently released findings suggesting that at least 25 percent of meat from the Greenland whale harvest is sold through commercial companies to supermarkets.

Taking Flak

Claire Bass, marine mammals program manager with the WSPA, says other whaling nations do appear to get off lightly compared with Japan.

"I think it's part of the strategy of countries like Norway to stand behind Japan and use them to take most of the flak," Bass said from Santiago.

The Japanese, Bass said, "are the most aggressively pro-whaling" nation. She noted, for example, that Japan has tried for many years to have discussions about animal welfare and small cetaceans removed from the IWC's agenda.

"They stand in the way of all the positive conservation work that the IWC could be doing," she added. "They believe the IWC should be focusing all of its efforts on resuming whaling."

Allowing the IWC to concentrate on threats such as climate change, ship strikes, marine noise, overfishing, and net entanglement would only undermine Japan's case for resuming commercial whaling, Bass said.

Food Security

Shigeko Misaki, a former spokeswoman for the Japan Whaling Association, said the anti-whaling campaign has gone too far.

"It has almost become a religion, that whales are the only symbol of the marine ecosystem," she said. "People who believe this religion think all Japanese people are evil, because we kill whales.

"Food security is a serious problem for Japan, particularly with rising fuel prices around the world. And the government and Japanese people should stand up and say that whale meat is a good food resource that should be used to provide protein," Misaki said.

Hama, the economics professor, said it is a "farce" for the Japanese government to call its annual whale haul "research whaling."

"We should be more like the Norwegians and be quite open about what we are doing. If Japan is going to hunt whales, then it should just come out and say that is what it is going to do."

Bass, of the WSPA, conceded that cultural differences do color the debate.

"Japan manages whales under their fisheries agency. They basically see them as big fish," she said. "We see them as intelligent, charismatic, captivating creatures. So I wouldn't deny there's a difference in the starting point at which we view whales."

Julian Ryall in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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Winners and losers in Australian climate change

Michael Perry, Reuters 27 Jun 08;

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Climate change could alter the farming map of Australia, with some agricultural operations moving into the wetter north of the island continent as the major food-producing belt in the south dries up.

But shifting large-scale farming north to a wetter, hotter climate would be risky as animals and crops would face a higher frequency of heat stress, said a new report by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).

Australia's outback, home to large scale cattle and sheep farms battling the worst drought in 100 years, would become more marginal with climate change, but the country's sugar, wine and horticulture farms could benefit from the warmer temperatures.

CSIRO examined the impact of climate change on 10 agricultural sectors in Australia worth A$40 billion (US$38 billion) a year and found negative and positive effects.

The report looked at climate change forecasts out to 2070.

"We've applied the latest climate change projections to build a picture of the challenges that will affect all types of agriculture in all corners of the nation," CSIRO scientist Mark Howden said in a statement.

"For many agricultural businesses incremental changes may be enough, but some regions and industries will need to be open to more transformative changes," said Howden.

The CSIRO examined the impact of a temperature rise of two to 2.5 degrees Celsius on Australian agriculture.

Significant reductions in rainfall and higher temperatures across Australia's wheat-growing lands would see reductions in yields and quality, said the report, but added that a possible reduction in frosts may increase crop options.

But it said that farmers who introduced new crop management practices, new crop varieties, altered rotations and improved water management, could turn a negative into a positive.

"In the wheat industry alone, relatively simple adaptations may be worth between A$100 million to A$500 million p.a. at the farm gate," it said.

Australia is the second-largest wheat, canola and beef exporter in the world and the largest barley exporter.

"Australian rangelands have often been associated with drought, that land can be degraded very rapidly, and that recovery of degraded lands is very difficult," said the report.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

Cattle and sheep farmers face not only less rain and hotter temperatures, but soil erosion and acidification, salinization, weed invasion and deteriorating animal nutrition and health.

The report said cattle and sheep farmers could combat climate change by adopting a conservative, but constant stocking rate from year to year and by owning multiple farms in different locations to offset climate changes.

"At a national industry level, there are likely to be winners and losers, with some rangelands becoming more productive while others become less suitable for grazing," said the report.

The Australian wine industry is the country's third-largest agricultural exporter, behind wheat and beef products, with exports for the year 2007 valued at A$3 billion.

Climate change will force winemakers to plant different grape varieties to overcome a decline in grape quality, but may open up new lands for vineyards.

"Some varieties that would not ripen in the present climate may be successfully planted in the future warmer climate," said the report.

But some agricultural industries look set to benefit from climate change, said the CSIRO report.

Sugar cane yields may rise with less rain and more sunshine creating a longer growing season, while a reduction in frost and less severe winters may see an expansion in horticulture.

($1=A$1.05)

(Editing by Valerie Lee)

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U.S. biofuel plants go bankrupt on feedstock costs

Timothy Gardner, Reuters 27 Jun 08;

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Soaring corn and soy prices on top of rising construction costs and tight credit markets have pushed about a dozen U.S. biofuel plants to file for bankruptcy protection, experts said.

Prices for corn, the feedstock for most U.S. ethanol plants, hit fresh records above $8 per bushel this week as floods this month in the Midwest have caused billions of dollars of crop damage.

"Corn prices are making the feasibility of ethanol plants every day more and more questionable," said Alex Moglia, president of Moglia Advisors in suburban Chicago, which helps biofuel companies restructure.

Meanwhile prices for soy oil, the feedstock for most biodiesel plants, have been high on rising global demand for months, making life miserable for most producers. The miserable profit margins have pushed many makers of the alternative motor fuel to run plants at only about half of their capacity.

Moglia said about 12 small to midsize biodiesel and ethanol plants have declared bankruptcy in recent months. Renova Energy LLC, a company that owns a partially built 20 million-gallons-per year ethanol plant in Idaho, was the latest to declare bankruptcy last week. Kansas-based Ethanex Energy Inc

declared bankruptcy in March.

"There will be more to follow," said Moglia. Some plants are restructuring their debt and taking steps to manage risks, but many others are not, he said.

U.S. ethanol plants are still opening but plans for the opening of plants through 2009 are being increasingly delayed or scrapped. Please click

HIGH-STAKES GAMBLE

Besides the high feedstock prices, the fact that prices for the alternative fuel have not kept up with surging gasoline prices also hurts distillers.

The giant oil industry, which is required by renewable- and clean-fuel mandates to mix the blendstock into gasoline, has done its best to buy ethanol at low prices. Ethanol supplies have been glutted in the Midwest as the industry works to ease transportation to the coasts, another factor keeping a lid on ethanol prices.

The discount to gasoline, construction costs and tight credit markets mean "we are likely to see more plant delays and more ethanol producers filing for bankruptcy protection soon," Credit Suisse said in a research note this week.

Large ethanol players such as private company Poet Energy, food and grain company Archer Daniels Midland and VeraSun Energy Corp are somewhat protected because of their diversification, efficient plants, and access to cheap train transportation for distributing ethanol.

"It's those single purpose-type legal entities that gambled everything into a single plant" that are feeling the squeeze the most, said Moglia.

But high corn prices have challenged even the big players, with VeraSun saying this month it will delay the opening of three ethanol plants with a total capacity of 330 million gpy on the high corn costs.

Poet canceled a 65 million to 70 million gpy Minnesota plant in May, but said it would look at other projects.

The outlook was not entirely bad, said Todd Alexander, a partner at Chadbourne & Park LLP in New York specializing in energy finance. Biofuel output from plants that survive the current high feedstock prices should continue to be in demand because the U.S. mandates that require the blending of biofuels into gasoline are set to rise in volume year after year.

Still, "the majority of ethanol plants are not as happy as they once were," he said. The full effect of high corn prices has not been felt yet because most distilleries buy corn on contract, not in the spot market, he added.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner, editing by Matthew Lewis)

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Australian PM rejects nuclear power as climate change response

Yahoo News 27 Jun 08;

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Friday that the country did not need to adopt nuclear energy to address climate change.

The centre-left leader's stance reverses the policy of his conservative predecessor John Howard, who announced plans to embrace the next generation of power plans before he was voted out of office last November.

Rudd said his government would pursue other options to combat climate change.

"On the question of nuclear, we believe that we have a huge range of energy options available to Australia beyond nuclear with which and through which we can respond to the climate change challenge," he told ABC Radio.

Australia currently has only one nuclear reactor, which is used to produce isotopes for medical research.

But it has plentiful uranium deposits and exports about 600 million dollars (570 million US) of the radioactive element a year.

Rudd was responding to comments from a high-profile member of his Labor Party, former New South Wales state premier Bob Carr, urging Australia to use nuclear power until technological advances allow the bulk of the country's energy to come from renewable resources.

"There is no other bridging technology to get us from this catastrophic booming of coal and oil into the era of cheap and infinite renewable power," Carr told The Australian newspaper.

"We all want to get there, but it's decades off and we need a bridge."

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GM will not solve current food crisis, says industry boss

David Adam, guardian.co.uk 27 Jun 08;

Genetically modified crops will not solve the current food crisis, according to the head of one of the world's largest agricultural biotechnology companies.

Martin Taylor, chairman of Syngenta, said the current industry focus on farmers in rich countries meant it would take 20 years to launch crop varieties designed to address the problems of the developing world. He told the Guardian: "GM won't solve the food crisis, at least not in the short term."

His words appear to contradict statements from UK politicians, industry bodies and the European Commission that GM technology should be considered as a way to address chronic shortages and soaring prices of basic staples across the world.

Recently, the environment minister, Phil Woolas, said Britain was rethinking its position on GM for that reason. He told the Independent newspaper: "There is a growing question of whether GM crops can help the developing world out of the current food crisis. It is a question that we as a nation need to ask ourselves. Many people concerned about poverty in the developing world and the environment are wrestling with this issue."

A European Commission briefing documents says that GM crops can "play an important role in mitigating the effects of the food 'crisis'".

Syngenta is a member of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, along with other GM companies such as Monsanto and BASF. The council has said the technology "has to be seen as part of the solution" to combat rising food prices.

Supporters say that GM technology can boost crop yields and reduce losses caused by pests. Groups opposed to GM technology argue that companies are exploiting the current food crisis to win approval for their products.

Taylor told an agricultural conference in London this week that, because it was so expensive to win regulatory approval for a GM crop, the industry has been forced to focus on a few lucrative "blockbuster" varieties, which could be sold to western farmers but had "hardly any environmental benefits".

He called for looser, cheaper regulations that would allow companies to develop thousands of GM crops for smaller, more diverse markets, including those in poorer countries. But he said it would take up to 20 years for them to be developed and tested. Existing varieties, largely designed for the climate, chemicals and pests of the northern hemisphere, would be unsuitable.

Most GM crops grown commercially are soya bean, maize, cotton and oilseed rape. Most goes into animal feed. None are grown commercially in Britain, though significant amounts are planted across Europe. The EU has an unofficial moratorium on approving new varieties – no new GM crop has been approved for commercial production since 1998 – but is coming under increasing pressure to review its stance. Taylor said its opposition was based on a "superstitious fear among supposedly educated people about new technology".

Earlier this year, a major report from UN experts said there was little role for GM, as it is currently practised, in feeding the poor on a large scale. The report from the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) said: "Assessment of the [GM] technology lags behind its development, information is anecdotal and contradictory, and uncertainty about possible benefits and damage is unavoidable." The GM industry, which helped to fund the report, pulled out before it was published.

Bob Watson, director of the assessment, and chief scientist to the UK environment department Defra, said on the report's publication: "The short answer to whether transgenic crops can feed the world is 'no'. But they could contribute. We must understand their costs and benefits."

A leading British plant scientist told the London conference that the UK needed to set up a dedicated site to test GM crops under secure conditions. Howard Atkinson, of the University of Leeds, said Europe should establish "secure vandal-proof national testing centres".

Atkinson's field scale trial of GM potatoes near Tadcaster was destroyed this month, though nobody has claimed responsibility. The crops were designed to test technology that could make important African crops resistant to a nematode pest. Atkinson compared the trial's destruction to "burning university books 75 years ago".

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Best of our wild blogs: 27 Jun 08

Nemo no more?
the threat of the aquarium trade on the wildfilms blog

File Clam and Phyllid Nudibranch at St John's
on the tidechaser blog

Anatomy of a nest: Yellow-vented Bulbul
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

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Leatherback turtles return to Rantau Abang, Terengganu after two years

Bernama New Straits Times 26 Jun 08;

After a two-year absence, the leatherback turtles finally returned to Rantau Abang, Dungun twice recently and this has renewed the hope of saving the reptiles from extinction. Terengganu Fisheries Department director Munir Mohd Nawi said the endangered species landed at the beach on June 12 and 23 after their last appearance almost two years ago.

“It is a positive sign as it can help us rehabilitate the species. We are expecting between five to seven more landings of the species beginning early next month,” he told reporters at the Media with the Fisheries Department programme at the Ma`Daerah Turtle Sanctuary here today.

He said 167 turtle eggs retrieved from the landings were being kept in the incubator for hatching at the Rantau Abang Turtle Sanctuary.

It will take almost two months for the eggs to hatch depending on the weather and temperature, he said, adding that, the landing of the species dropped sharply in the last 16 years.

Munir said the results of the cloning of leatherback turtles at the Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) in Dungun - as part of efforts to prevent extinction of the species - would materialise soon.

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Keeping it fresh Water will flow from Marina Barrage to Upper Peirce Reservoir – and vice versa

Lin Yanqin, Today Online 27 Jun 08;

TO MAKE the Marina Reservoir created by the Marina Barrage more than just a stagnant body of water, underground drains are going to be built so that water can circulate throughout Singapore’s water channels, keeping the lake fresh.

This project — called the Marina Reservoir Recirculation Scheme :— was one of several tender announcements made by PUB yesterday, at the Singapore International Water Week Water Expo.

When completed in 2010, water from Upper Peirce Reservoir will be released into the new drainage channels leading to various tributaries, which then lead to Marina Reservoir. This will complement the pipe that will pump water from Marina Reservoir, already under construction, into Upper Peirce Reservoir, allowing water to circulate between the two reservoirs.

“It will create flowing water, which will help to improve water quality,” saidMr Devaray Sanmuganathan, PUB’s deputy director of best sourcing. Four tenders for various phases of the scheme will be called later this year.

Also announced yesterday were tenders for PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters programme to develop Jurong Lake in the Western catchment area, and Bishan Park, Sungei Kallang and Alexandra Park in the Central catchment area.

Bishan Park, for instance, will see a stream created within the park, with water from the Kallang River drawn and filtered through an existing canal. This will result in a clean body of water for recreation activities.

Other ideas PUB have in mind to transform these water channels and bodies include additional landscaping, fishing platforms and a geyser in the middle of Jurong Lake.

A tender will also be called for the Eastern catchment this year, though details are still unavailable.

PUB will also call for bids to build additional membrane bioreactor plants to meet additional demand at two of its water reclamation plants, Jurong and Ulu Pandan, to meet increasing demand, said Mr Devaray.

Since making such advance tender announcements before the actual calling of tenders, PUB has been able to reach out to a bigger pool of partners, contractors and suppliers for its various projects. “Anecdotally, we have seen more price competitive rates,” said Mr Devaray.

Altogether, PUB will be announcing 120 tenders over the next 12 months, with the projects estimated to cost about$1.1 billion in all.

Last year, about $995 million worth of projects were tendered.

PUB plans to award tenders worth $1.1b
Projects include Marina scheme, Seletar waterworks, two membrane bioreactor plants
Emilyn Yap, Business Times 27 Jun 08;

(SINGAPORE) Singapore's national water agency PUB plans to award about 120 tenders worth $1.1 billion from July this year to June 2009.

Major projects include the Marina Reservoir Recirculation Scheme (MRRS), ABC Waters Programme, Lower Seletar Waterworks and two membrane bioreactor plants.

PUB announced the plans yesterday on the sidelines of the Singapore International Water Week. The agency has awarded contracts worth about $995 million since last July.

The MRRS aims to create a water recirculation system through Marina reservoir and six major rivers and canals to help improve water quality.

The construction of pipelines and other infrastructure will take place around areas such as Geylang river, Whampoa Canal, and MacRitchie Reservoir.

The scheme is in the detailed design stage and PUB expects to call four separate tenders from July to October.

Under the ABC Waters Programme, landscaping, drain improvement and other works will help enhance waterways for recreational uses.

The programme will yield four projects around Jurong Lake, Alexandra Canal, Sungei Kallang and Bishan Park, with tenders coming up in Q4 this year.

PUB also has plans for two membrane bioreactor plants at the Ulu Pandan and Jurong water reclamation plants. Both projects are still under study and tenders are scheduled for July and late Q3 respectively.

And for works at Lower Seletar Waterworks, PUB has already called a tender on June 13, which will close on September 11.

PUB hopes that the briefing will help contractors, suppliers and other industry partners plan ahead for the bids.

'At the same time, PUB will benefit from getting competitive bids,' said the agency's deputy director of best sourcing, Devaraj Sanmuganathan.

'As a whole, this will help Singapore develop our infrastructure in the most optimal way.'

Businesses in the water sector have responded positively to the news.

'United Engineers Limited has previously worked with PUB on numerous water-related projects and will look forward to participating in the bidding for these upcoming tenders,' said a spokesperson for the firm.

'The bumper crop of water project tenders will not only be a welcome boost to the economy, but also a catalytic force to further develop the water industry of Singapore,' he said.

'Keppel is interested in evaluating all opportunities that are presented on their own merits,' said CEO of Keppel Integrated Engineering Chua Chee Wui.

Regional sales manager for GE Water and Process Technologies, Wilson Tan, also said that the company will offer its ultra-filtration membrane technology to local contractors participating in the bids.

PUB to award tenders worth S$1.1b to transform Spore's water bodies
By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia 26 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE : Singapore's national water agency PUB plans to award some 120 tenders worth about S$$1.1 billion between July this year and June 2009.

One of the bigger projects to be rolled out over the next 12 months is the Marina Reservoir Recirculation Scheme.

It will bring flowing water from surrounding tributaries such as the Alexandra and Rochor canals, and Kallang River into the Marina Reservoir - which will be created once the Marina Barrage is ready early next year.

The Marina Reservoir Recirculation Scheme, to be completed by 2011, is expected to improve water quality at reservoir and open up the area for recreational purposes.

"The Marina Reservoir (serves) three (purposes) - flood control, water supply and of course, recreational use," said Devaraj Sanmuganathan, Deputy Director of Best Sourcing Department at PUB.

Tenders for the Marina Reservoir Recirculation Scheme will be carried out in 4 phases, from July to October this year.

"Flowing water creates an ideal environment for aquatic life, and the Marina Reservoir Recirculation Scheme does that. So with this flow, water will be clean and pristine, and anyone can enjoy sailing and canoeing activities there," said Sanmuganathan.

Other projects announced include the development of the Lower Seletar potable water treatment plant.

There is also the Active Beautiful Clean (ABC) Waters Programme, which seeks to transform concrete drains and canals into flowing streams and rivers. This project is divided into three catchment areas - in the western, central and eastern parts of Singapore. Tenders will be called in the last quarter of the year. - CNA /ls

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Safety lapses found in MOM checks on Singapore shipyards

One ordered to stop work as inspection blitz continues on 89 shipyards
Jermyn Chow, Jason Hau, Daryl Tan, Straits Times 27 Jun 08;

OFFICERS from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) have uncovered a litany of shortfalls in safety standards in an ongoing inspection of the 89 shipyards here.

Exposed electrical boards, live wires in wet areas and scaffolds with missing toeboards and handrails were among the lapses.

Since the blitz started on Monday, 40 shipyards have been spot-checked by the team of about 50 officers.

So far, one shipyard, found lacking in proper safety procedures, has had to 'down tools', an MOM spokesman told The Straits Times. She declined to name it.

The safety checks come in the wake of a string of shipyard accidents that have left five people dead and 18 others hurt in a space of three weeks.

The 23rd person injured or killed this month was a 54-year-old New Zealander, believed to be a ship's engineer. He suffered second-degree burns on Wednesday, when a flash fire broke out in the engine room of a ship berthed in Drydocks World Singapore. The mishap was the second in that shipyard in nine days.

The tragedies have cast a pall over the boom in the ship- repair and offshore sectors.

Last year, the marine and offshore industry rang in $13.05 billion in total output, a 33 per cent jump over the previous year.

Besides clamping down on errant shipyards, the industry-led Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council and the Association of Singapore Marine Industries (Asmi) will launch a safety education drive here. It will focus in particular on raising safety standards in small and medium-sized shipyards.

A safety seminar has already been lined up next month, with a focus on safety while working in confined spaces.

A 400-page guide for shipyard managers and safety professionals will also be disseminated during the seminar.

Asmi president Michael Chia hopes those attending the event will not just 'pay lip service', but will get the safety message out 'to the last man on the ground'.

That would include reaching the estimated 300 workers hired by the shipyards' sub-contractors.

Most of these are Bangladeshi or Myanmar nationals who have left their homelands to come here for jobs paying between $300 and $1,500.

An ST check with shipyard workers in Tuas seemed to indicate that the 'safety first' message had sunk in. Most said their safety supervisors were starting off every morning with safety briefings.

Mr Murugean Ramesh, 39, an electrician with Damen Shipyards Singapore, said: 'As long as we don't take shortcuts, we follow the rules, we will be safe.'

But safety analysts warn that this mentality may breed complacency.

Mr Andrew H. S. Tan, vice-president of the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers, said: 'As time passes, safe work procedures have to be constantly reviewed and tightened to stay relevant to the fast-paced shipbuilding and repair industry.'

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Why Singaporeans say 'yuck' to babies but not to Newater

Chee Hean: Considering people's attitudes and behaviours is key to good policymaking
Sue-Ann Chia, Straits Times 27 Jun 08;

GETTING people to drink reclaimed water - Newater - worked. But getting people to marry and have babies is still stuck in infancy.

The tale of two government policies - one that took off, and the other, still unproductive - is reason for the Government to pay greater attention to how attitudes affect decisions when forming policies.

Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service Teo Chee Hean said this yesterday when addressing an inaugural global behavioural economics forum organised by Gallup, the international polling organisation.

About 250 people, half of whom were civil servants, turned up to listen to speakers, including Nobel laureate and psychology professor Daniel Kahneman, speak on how behavioural economics impacts society.

Mr Teo, who is also Defence Minister, launched the forum by noting that behavioural economics applies insights from psychology to the study of economics.

'It is a field that holds promise for advancing policymakers' understanding of the likely impact and result of their policies,' he said.

The Civil Service College has begun to introduce these ideas to the public sector. The college, he noted, aims to make behavioural economics a key part of the skills set for policymakers here.

Explaining behavioural economics, he noted it differs from conventional economic theory, which starts with the assumption that people aim to maximise individual self-interest.

'Blindly applying this assumption to policy problems can sometimes lead to unrealistic analysis or even inappropriate solutions,' he said.

Behavioural economics, on the other hand, believes that people do not always act in completely rational ways. They can be influenced by social norms and by people around them.

This means that policymakers should consider how they can shape social norms to achieve intended outcomes, he noted.

He cited the way Singaporeans were persuaded that Newater is acceptable for drinking as an example.

'At one level, gaining acceptance was about appealing to the rational mind of Singaporeans by quoting the facts and the figures, and the science,' he said.

'But the key to overcoming the 'yuck' factor was building trust and social acceptability.'

But he conceded that urging Singaporeans to marry and procreate has 'not yet been successful', in spite of various financial incentives and campaigns since 1987.

Clearly, this is an area where behavioural economics can help, he said, adding that he hopes to report progress in the coming years.

Mr Teo also pointed out that policymakers here have already been using the concepts of behavioural economics in policies such as the national annuity programme CPF Life.

One insight of behavioural economics is that people are strongly influenced by the 'default' options they face. Applying it to voluntary pension schemes, this means they have a higher chance of success when the default is for people to be included unless they opt out.

Hence, for CPF Life, policymakers decided that the 'default' would be a standard plan which would be appropriate for most Singaporeans. But they also get a choice of other plans.

Speaking at the same forum, Mr Lim Siong Guan, the former head of the civil service, also emphasised the importance of understanding people's psychology and behaviour when formulating government policies.

'It does not matter what the policy intent is in the memorandum to the Cabinet: what the public sees and feels and experiences is...what the policy is about,' he noted.

Policymakers changing the way they deliver messages, says Minister Teo
Channel NewsAsia 26 Jun 08;

SINGAPORE: Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said policymakers are changing the way they deliver their messages - instead of the usual carrot-and-stick approach, they are favouring a softer method to help shape public attitudes.

Mr Teo, who is also minister-in-charge of the civil service, was speaking at the Global Behavioral Economics Forum, organised by polling company Gallup on Thursday.

He used NEWater as an example to explain how policymakers persuaded Singaporeans that recycled waste water was safe to drink.

"At one level, gaining acceptance was about appealing to the rational mind of Singaporeans by quoting the facts and the figures, and the science. But the key to overcoming the 'yuk' factor was building trust and social acceptability."

Another example is CPF Life, where Singaporeans were offered options - which made it easier for them to accept the annuity scheme.

However, sociologist Dr Paulin Straughan pointed out the danger of this approach is that in the long-term, it could lead to over-reliance on the government and loss of creativity.

She said: "On one hand, there'll be your usual complaints about too much regulation... On the other hand, when something goes wrong they'll say, 'Fine, raise the fine! Have some more rules! Where are the policemen when you need them?'"

To encourage people to get married and have children is one area where the government has yet to be successful.

Dr Straughan said society is at a point where expectations of women's roles and parenthood are constantly changing, so the type of message and the way it is sent out are important. - CNA/ac

It’s normal to be irrational
Policies should make room for such behaviour,say psychologist
Neo Chai Chin, Today Online 27 Jun 08;

HUMANS do not always behave rationally, but much as their irrationality complicates policies, governments and decision makers must sit up and pay attention, said psychologists — including a Nobel laureate — at the first-ever Global Behavioural Economics Forum yesterday.

Behavioural economics (BE) is the discipline that merges Psychology and Economics, and it could help explain some uniquely Singaporean case studies, such as the success of Newater and the structure of the upcoming CPF Life annuity scheme.

That is because the authorities here already practise BE, for example, by favouring soft approaches instead of just a carrot-and-stick policy, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said in the forum’s opening address yesterday.

“Policymakers in Singapore may not have used the termsbehavioural economics or cognitive biases, but they were certainly putting these concepts to good use,” said Mr Teo.

To get more people recycling and fewer people to litter, jaywalk or drink-drive, “policy makers cannot only look at incentives or disincentives, but must also look at shifting preferences and norms over the longer term”, he said at the forum held at Meritus Mandarin hotel.

Another example: People are often unable to make complex cost-benefit calculations that conventional economics thinks us capable of. So, even though the CPF Life Scheme offers a dozen plans for people to choose from, the Government decided that “the default would be a standard plan which we think would be appropriate for most Singaporeans”, said Mr Teo, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service.

Moving forward, BE could help in the Government’s push to promote marriage and parenthood, he said. In spite of financial incentives and campaigns, our fertility rate remains below 1.3 — a sign that the campaign “has not yet been successful”.

Offering some reasons for people’s irrational behaviour, Nobel laureate Dr Daniel Kahneman of Princeton University said humans tend to take a narrow view, failing to consider all factors before making our decisions.

We also tend to practise “loss aversion”, where the pain of giving something up is greater than the pleasure of gaining something; it could explain why Singapore successfully reduced its birth rate in the ’70s (through penalties), but has less success now in getting people to have more babies (through campaigns and incentives).

Gallup’s chairman and chief executive Jim Clifton also asked Mr Peter Ong — Gallup’s managing partner in Singapore, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia — why Singapore seemed to be one of the few nations currently practising BE.

One reason could be “political longevity”, said Mr Ong. Political stability allows the Government to plan “20 to 30 years ahead” and to be more willing to “experiment in a small way” — in areas like car ownership and road usage, for instance — before implementing policy on a larger scale.

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Singapore International Water Week: Solid gains made at water summit

Opportunity to meet clients, network with govt and industry elite cited as plus points
Tania Tan, Straits Times 27 Jun 08;

THE talk may all have been about the precious liquid that is water, but the inaugural Singapore International Water Week was full of solid outcomes.

Beyond trying to find solutions for a world where over one billion people lack access to safe drinking water, business deals worth millions were also struck.

The four-day event came to a close yesterday with a dinner reception at Keppel Bay.

Over 5,000 delegates and 390 companies from more than 70 countries 'flooded' the Suntec City, many looking for answers to pressing issues such as managing water resources and dealing with waste water.

Most were the industry's elite - including environment ministers, chief executive officers and research stalwarts.

The international nature of the event meant that those from developing countries had contact with and gained insights into practical and cost-effective solutions to problems their countries had.

Delegates at Singapore's first Water Week event also gave it the thumbs up as proceedings mostly went on without a hitch.

'This has to be one of my favourites,' said Dow Water Solutions general manager Ian Barbour, who has been to six water shows this year.

The Singapore show also impressed with its stellar turnout.

The presence of government and industry elite was a 'big compliment' to Singapore, said Mr William Dee, president and chief executive of New York-based engineering company Malcolm Pirnie.

With parallel summits - including the World Cities Summit and East Asia Summit Conference on Liveable Cities - government officials and industry bigwigs spent nearly 100 hours tackling water issues, with some progress made in tie-ups and deals.

'It's the perfect opportunity to meet clients, both old and new,' said Mr Thomas Searle, president of international business at CH2MHill.

'This is our 'night job',' he said. 'Our day job continues - we're still replying to clients around the world and making sure projects are ongoing.'

Industry experts acknowledged the tide may not yet be turning on global water woes, but said it would be unrealistic to expect one meeting to solve all problems.

'There's not going to be a tidal wave of change,' said Mr Dee. 'These take time.'

Added Dow's Ian Barbour: 'Let's not kid ourselves; this ship isn't going to turn.'

Only with concerted cooperation between public and private sectors can water challenges be tackled, he said.

'We can't give up.'

US giant to build $24m plant here
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 26 Jun 08;

UNITED States giant Marmon Water is building a $24 million water filter manufacturing plant here - a first by a foreign firm.

Marmon's 3,500 sq m leased facility in Serangoon is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of next year and will employ 100 workers.

The announcement of the plant was made yesterday - the last day of the four-day inaugural Singapore International Water Week at the Suntec convention centre.

Mr Angelo Pantaleo, president of Marmon Water Drinking Water Group, said the facility will focus on manufacturing residential water treatment products for export to the United States, China and South-east Asia.

The potential of this segment of the global water business is huge.

'The growth rate in Asia is north of 15 per cent annually, compared to about 5 to 8 per cent in the US,' said Mr Pantaleo.

The decision to locate here was due to Singapore's strong industry focus on water, 'the presence of a high talent pool and its connectivity to other markets within Asia', he said.

The Economic Development Board's assistant managing director, Mr Kenneth Tan, said yesterday that Marmon's plant 'marks another key milestone' for Singapore's water industry.

This is not Marmon's first foray into Singapore. In January last year, the company, which has an annual revenue of about US$7 billion (S$9.6 billion), joined local firm Hyflux to set up a $50 million joint water research and development centre.

Marmon and Hyflux said some projects incubated from the centre will soon be brought to the market, including one on a carbon-fibre membrane for residential water treatment.

The two companies will also develop products to be manufactured by the new plant and exported to the region, said Hyflux group deputy chief executive Sam Ong.

This partnership will help Hyflux, which has made headway in the industrial water treatment business, to develop its consumer segment.

'This will help us become an integrated water solutions provider. Consumer products can give us an added value and we want to give it the best shot,' said Mr Ong.

PUB in tie-ups with India, Japan partners
Sembcorp signs accord with Qinzhou municipal govt
Emilyn Yap, Business Times 27 Jun 08;

THE deals keep rolling in at the Singapore International Water Week, as more tie-ups involving PUB, Sembcorp and other international organisations were unveiled yesterday.

Singapore's national water agency PUB signed two memorandums of understanding (MOU) yesterday. The one with the Maharashtra Water Supply and Sanitation Board (MJP) calls for both parties to team up on projects that minimise water wastage and improve infrastructure in Indian cities and towns.

The collaboration will also promote participation by Singapore-based companies in urban water management in Maharashtra, the second most populous state in India.

Pipeline rehabilitation specialist Teacly (S) Pte Ltd, for instance, will work with MJP and Indian partner companies on projects under the MOU.

One project will have PUB helping to introduce a round-the-clock water supply in Ambernath, a town near Mumbai. The town's population currently has water for only three to four hours a day.

'I am confident Ambernath will be the 'beachhead' project that will pave the way for similar collaborations between Singaporean companies and the various Indian states,' said PUB's chief executive Khoo Teng Chye.

PUB inked another MOU with Japanese firm Teijin Ltd to conduct joint research and development in used water treatment.

Teijin will be able to carry out test-bedding of the ozone disinfection treatment process at the final stage of Newater purification. It will also work with a local university on a joint research programme in material technology for used water purification.

Sembcorp also announced a tie-up for its centralised utilities business in Guangxi, China.

The company signed a heads of agreement with the Qinzhou municipal government to jointly develop wastewater treatment, water recycling, and other projects to serve industrial customers in the Qinzhou Port Economic Development Zone (QEDZ).

QEDZ will become Sembcorp's first beachhead in southern China.

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