Oceans becoming acidic 'at fastest rate for 65 million years'

The oceans are becoming more acidic at a faster rate than for 65 million years as a result of climate change, a report warns.
The Telegraph 27 Apr 09;

The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) report card said the increasing acidity of the oceans caused by carbon dioxide could affect the climate further and hit wildlife.

The "ecosystem linkages" report, which looked at the links between different impacts of climate change, also said there had been large reductions in Arctic sea ice and declines in some seabirds as a result of changes to the seas around the UK.

It warned climate change could increase the likelihood of non-native species thriving in the UK's marine environment, while coastal communities faced threats such as flooding and opportunities including tourism in the future.

The different impacts of a changing climate on our seas are magnified because of their links to one another, the report said, and a "bigger picture" approach is needed to address the problems.

The oceans are a huge store of carbon dioxide, which dissolves in the water, and therefore play a significant role in maintaining stability in the climate.

The absorption of more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as a result of higher emissions makes the seas more acidic, and in the last 200 years ocean acidity has increased by 30%.

The increase is at a rate much faster than any time in the past 65 million years, the report warned.

The increase in CO2 in the ocean will lead to a slowdown in its ability to absorb the greenhouse gas, leaving more in the atmosphere.

Rising acidity will also hit marine creatures including plankton and shellfish, damaging their ability to grow and reproduce, and in the cases of organisms such as corals reduce their capacity to build shells.

The report said that in the UK, the growing acidity could hit multi-million pound fisheries and aquaculture, while the global value of corals - through food, tourism and shore protection - has been estimated at some 30 billion US dollars (£21 billion).

UK overseas territories are among those which could be affected by threats to corals.

In response to the threat, the Government today announced an £11 million, five-year project to investigate the effects of acidification on biodiversity, habitats, species and wider economic and social impacts in the north east Atlantic, Antarctic and Arctic oceans.

The report also warned that Arctic sea-ice was disappearing, with impacts on ecosystems, the climate, shipping routes and access to oil and gas under the Arctic.

In the last decade there has been a 35% decrease in summer sea ice, and a 15% reduction in winter ice cover, leading to changes in habitats and wildlife which could have knock-on effects in the UK.

The waters around the UK have also seen changes in the food chain in recent years, including shifts in plankton and fish distribution as a result of warming seas.

The changes have contributed to declines in species such as sandeels, which have hit seabirds including terns, black-legged kittiwakes and skuas - a trend which could continue as the seas warm.

But non-native species may find it easier to establish themselves in UK waters as a result of warming temperatures, leading to impacts on aquaculture such as poisoning of farmed animals and clogging of nets.

Coastal economies and communities face a whole range of challenges, including declines in traditional fisheries and increased flood and erosion risks, as well as opportunities including new fisheries and tourism, the study said.

The report was produced by five groups of experts for the MCCIP, a coalition of scientists, the Government and devolved administrations, agencies and charities.

Environment Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: "Climate change is happening now, and its impact on the marine environment affects all of us.

"The fight against climate change and protection of the natural environment are inextricably linked, and we are witnessing unprecedented effects on our seas."

And he said: "Ocean acidification will be one of the biggest environmental concerns of this century, with major and far-reaching impacts.

"We need to understand much more about the scale and nature of the effect CO2 is having on our oceans and marine life."

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Arctic CO2 levels growing at an 'unprecedented rate', say scientists

Figures from a measuring station in northern Norway show that CO2 levels are increasing by 2-3 parts per million every year
John Vidal, guardian.co.uk 27 Apr 09;

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to the latest figures released by an internationally regarded measuring station in the Arctic.

The measurements suggest that the main greenhouse gas is continuing to increase in the atmosphere at an alarming rate despite the downturn in dip in the rate of increase of the global economy.

Levels of the gas at the Zeppelin research station on Svalbard, northern Norway, last week peaked at over 397 parts per million (ppm), an increase of more than 2.5ppm on 2008. They have since begun to reduce and today stand at 393.7ppm. Prior to the industrial revolution, CO2 levels were around 280ppm.

CO2 levels recorded in Svalbard tend to be higher than the global average, but scientists said the CO2 level they had measured was unprecedented even for that location. "These are the highest figures collected in 50m years," said Johan Strom, professor of atmospheric physics at the government-funded Norwegian Polar Institute, which collected the data.

"It is not the level of CO2 that is the problem, because the earth will adapt. What is very worrying is the speed of change. Levels [here] are now increasing 2-3ppm a year.

"The rate of increase is much faster than only 10-20 years ago. You can almost see the changes taking place. Never before have CO2 levels increased so fast," he said.

The global annual mean growth rate for 2007 was 2.14ppm – the fourth year in the past six to see an annual rise greater than 2ppm. From 1970 to 2000, the concentration rose by about 1.5ppm each year, but since 2000 it has risen to an average 2.1ppm.

"There can be week-to-week or day-to-day variability," said Thomas Conway, research chemist at US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Earth Systems research lab in Boulder, Colorado. But he said a 2.5ppm annual increase was "on the high end".

"This is part of an overall pattern of CO2 increasing in the atmosphere. Unless the burning of fossil fuels decreases, then the CO2 will not decrease. And if the rate of fossil fuel burning increases, so will the rate of CO2 increases," he added.

"These are quite large numbers. It sounds like this is an Arctic phenomenon," said Dr Vicky Pope, head of climate change advice at the Met Office Hadley Centre in Exeter. "It fits with the general increase in emissions. You would expect the concentrations of CO2 to grow."

Last week, NOAA released preliminary figures for its annual greenhouse gas index, which incorporates data from 60 sites around the world – including Zeppelin. Total global CO2 concentration topped 386ppm. In 2008 the global average increased by 2.1ppm, slightly less than the 2.2ppm increase in 2007. NOAA's primary CO2 measurement station is Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

CO2 levels are typically higher in the Arctic than the global average because there is more landmass and human activity in the northern hemisphere. As a result, human emissions from factories and transport tend to lead to higher CO2 levels here.

The figures will concern policy-makers ahead of global talks on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol in December. Climate scientists advise that the world must prevent CO2 levels from rising higher than around 450ppm CO2 equivalent (a measure of global warming potential that incorporates other gasses such as methane and is higher than the measured CO2 levels) to avoid a 2C increase on preindustrial global average temperature.

The Zeppelin research station is situated on a mountain top approximately 1100km from the North Pole. The closest town, Ny Alesund, is the northernmost human settlement in the world, mainly inhabited by research scientists. Although the research station is far from major sources of human pollution, atmospheric circulation brings air from Europe and North America into the Arctic region.

"There is less human influence here and most of the pollution comes straight here at this time of the year. From now on levels will reduce until the end of August when they will pick back up," said Strom.

"It is clearly the effect of human activity. Even if we stopped emitting now, we would have to live with this ... we will have to live with it for thousands of years, but that does not mean we should do nothing."

The figures come as Al Gore hosts a conference in Tromso, northern Norway, on melting arctic ice. Last week he told the US senate committee on energy and commerce that the arctic is now melting at an "unprecedented" rate.

"The most recent 11 summers have all experienced melting greater than the average 35 year time series," he said.

He is expected to warn ministers in polar regions that the arctic ice cap may totally disappear in as little as five years if nothing is done to curb greenhouse emissions.

Earlier this month, US scientists reported that annually forming sea in the Arctic region covered roughly the same area as in previous years, but had significantly thinned.

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How Does Climate Change Hit GDP?

PlanetArk 28 Apr 09;

April 27 - Southeast Asia faces one of the world's highest climate change bills, the Asian Development Bank said on Monday, unless the region adapts to climate change and joins the rest of the world in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The destructive effects of higher temperatures, rising seas and fierce storms are likely to knock more off its gross domestic product (GDP) than the current financial crisis, the ADB said in a report.

The report, "The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia: A Regional Review", states that climate change could cost six percent of GDP in four countries, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam by the end of this century.

Here are some questions and answers about the climate change economics behind the region's first such report.

WHAT'S THE CLIMATE CHANGE-GDP CONNECTION?

The intense floods, droughts, landslides and storms that have lashed Southeast Asia in recent years have taken chunks out of its GDP earnings, by damaging property, assets, and human life.

With worsening climate change, the ADB expects rice production to dramatically decline, and rising sea levels to disrupt coastal economies by forcing millions to relocate from the seaside and islands.

Health services will also be stretched, and economic productivity lost, as more people die from thermal stress, malaria, dengue and other diseases.

Greenhouse gas emissions, the cocktail of gases including carbon dioxide (CO2) that are key contributors to climate change, tend to match GDP because many are produced through industrial activity.

A 3.5 percent fall in Britain's GDP, for example, leads to about a 3.15 percent fall in CO2 emissions, according to calculations by Cambridge Econometrics. The current recession would help to cut carbon emissions by around six percent over 2009-10, it estimates.

HOW IS FUTURE, CLIMATE-RELATED, GDP-LOSS CALCULATED?

Using data from the Third Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC), economists calculate the impact of expected temperature rises on key markets (such as agriculture and forestry in Southeast Asia's case) and the non-market impact on health and ecosystems.

Geographical factors and per-capita income are also fed into the models, as climate change is expected to hit certain low-lying areas, and the poor, first and hardest.

These factors helped push Southeast Asia's climate bill to the top. About 80 percent of its 563 million people live within 100 kilometres of the coast and more than 200 million people live on less than $2-a-day.

They also punch in the numbers for climate catastrophes, such as the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet, that would jolt more linear predictions out of whack, to give a range of best and worst-case scenarios.

HOW DOES THIS MAKE CLIMATE CHANGE A "MARKET FAILURE"?

Market success, in the form of GDP growth, is leading to a wide-range of environmental failures related to climate change which undermine future economic growth.

As private polluters who damage the public global climate by emitting greenhouse gases have generally not paid for the damage they cause, ex-World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern, author of the 2006 Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, suggested climate change may be the greatest, most wide-ranging market failure ever.

He warned that without an annual investment of one percent of global GDP a year to offset the worst climate effects, up to 20 percent of global GDP would be jeopardised. In 2008 he upped the figure to two percent of GDP, after sharper than expected emissions growth.

HOW MUCH MONEY IS NEEDED TO AVERT THE WORST?

Estimates vary. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has put adaptation costs in the agriculture, coastal, forestry, fisheries, health, infrastructure, and water supply sectors at between $44 billion to $166 billion per year by 2030 globally. For developing nations, it is $28 billion to $67 billion.

The United Nations Development Programme projects even higher adaptation costs for developing countries, between $86 billion to $109 billion per year by 2015.

The ADB says Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam need an average of $5 billion a year by 2020 to protect agriculture and coastal zones, through building sea walls and developing drought- and heat-resistant crops.

It says by 2060 the annual benefit of avoided damage from climate change is likely to exceed the annual cost.

(Writing by Gillian Murdoch; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Read more!

Greenhouse Gas Goals For Major Nations

PlanetArk 28 Apr 09;

April 27 - The major nations meeting for discussions on climate change in Washington on Monday and Tuesday each have different goals for curbs on greenhouse gas emissions.

China, the United States, the European Union, Russia and India are top world emitters. Targets they set will go a long way to decide the ambition of a new UN deal to fight global warming due to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.

Rich nations' plans cluster around cuts of roughly 15 percent below current levels by 2020. Many developing nations are trying to slow the rise of emissions, without caps that they say would stifle economic growth and their drive to end poverty.

DEVELOPED NATIONS

UNITED STATES - President Barack Obama favours cutting US emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 -- about 15 percent below recent levels -- and by 80 percent below 1990 by 2050.

EUROPEAN UNION - European Union leaders agreed in December to cut emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, a cut of about 14 percent from recent levels. EU leaders want rich countries to aim to reduce emissions by 60 to 80 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels.

-- Britain has committed to a legally binding target to cut greenhouse gases by 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

-- Germany plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

RUSSIA - Has not yet set a 2020 goal.

JAPAN - Plans to outline 2020 cuts by June. The opposition Democratic Party has promised to cut emissions by 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 if it wins an election due by October.

CANADA - Aims to cut emissions by 20 percent below 2006 levels by 2020 and envisages cuts of 60 to 70 percent below 2006 by 2050. Emissions are now more than 20 percent above 1990 levels.

AUSTRALIA - Aims to cut emissions by 5 percent below 2000 levels by 2020 and by 15 percent below 2000 if there is a strong UN pact.

DEVELOPING NATIONS

CHINA - A 2006-10 plan aims to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent, curbing the rise of greenhouse gas emissions. Beijing also plans to quadruple gross domestic product between 2001 and 2020 while only doubling energy use.

INDIA - New Delhi says priority must go to economic growth to end poverty while shifting to clean energies, led by solar power. A climate plan last June set no greenhouse caps but said per capita emissions will never exceed those of rich nations.

BRAZIL - Plans measures including halving Amazon deforestation over 10 years to avert 4.8 billion tonnes of emissions of carbon dioxide, energy conservation and sustaining the share of renewable energies. Hydropower alone accounts for 77 percent of electricity generation.

INTERNATIONAL TARGETS

THE KYOTO PROTOCOL - Binds industrialized nations except the United States to cut emissions on average by at least 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.

GROUP OF EIGHT - Leading industrial nations agreed at a G8 summit in Japan in July 2008 to a "vision" of cutting world emissions of greenhouse gases by 50 percent by 2050.

GLOBAL - About 190 nations agreed last year to work out a new treaty by the end of 2009 to succeed Kyoto, comprising deeper emissions cuts by rich nations and action by poor countries to slow their rising emissions.

(Compiled by Alister Doyle, Nina Chestney, Gerard Wynn and Risa Maeda; Editing by Ralph Boulton)

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Boris Johnson unveils blueprint for London's 'cycling revolution'

Plans would allow cyclists to pick up one of 6,000 bikes at the 400 docking stations planned for the capital by 2010

Alok Jha, guardian.co.uk 27 Apr 09;

Londoners will soon be able to hire bikes in the centre of town for short journeys, under plans announced today by the mayor, Boris Johnson.

From 2010, the capital's cycle hire scheme should be open with around 6,000 bikes in central locations. Today, Transport for London (TfL) began applying for planning permission for the 400 docking stations, where people will be able to pick up and drop off bikes around central London.

The docking stations will be built around 300m apart so that potential cyclists are never too far from being able to borrow and lock-up hired bikes.

"I pledged to deliver a cycling revolution across the city, and there is now a growing excitement about our cycle hire scheme, which will give all Londoners the opportunity to hop on a bike and experience the joys of cycling," said Johnson.

"Much like hailing a cab, people will be able to pick up one of 6,000 bikes, and zip around town to their heart's content – not only a quick, easy, and healthy option, but one that will also make London a more liveable city."

The first of the planning applications has been submitted to Camden council with further applications planned for later this year in Hackney, Lambeth, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Westminster and the City of London. When the scheme is up to full speed, officials expect it will create an additional 40,000 cycle journeys on the 500,000 already made every day in central London. A similar cycle scheme launched in Paris saw 1.6m hires in the first month alone. Pricing is yet to be announced for London's hire project, but Vélib' in Paris charges €1 ticket for half an hour's cycling – the cost is different if riders take out weekly or yearly subscriptions.

David Brown, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said the cycle hire scheme was meant to build on the growth in cycle journeys seen across London in recent years. "[It] will be the most sustainable, environmentally friendly form of public transport ever seen in London, and will provide people with an inexpensive and convenient way of making short trips around London."

Friends of the Earth's senior transport campaigner, Tony Bosworth, welcomed the cycle hire scheme. "Nearly a quarter of all car journeys in the UK are less than two miles long. Offering Londoners access to cheap bike hire would provide a greener and healthier alternative to driving – and help cut congestion, carbon emissions and air pollution in the capital."

Today's announcement is part of a fund of around £111m being invested by Johnson's office and TfL into cycling facilities around London. This money will go towards improving parking and road conditions for cyclists and also includes cash for on-going road safety campaigns and around £3m for training sessions for new cyclists.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 27 Apr 09

Pulau Sekudu
on the colourful clouds blog and wild shores of singapore blog and more fishy stuff

Bats at SBWR
on the Biodiversity Singapore blog

Oriental Pratincole crouching
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Red-legged Crake released after rescue
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Monday Morgue: 27th April 2009
on the Lazy Lizard's Tales blog

8 May (Fri): Workshop for Nature Guides - Pioneer Plants Last week to sign up for this workshop! on the wild shores of singapore blog

Read more!

Road Realignment Threatens Taman Negara - Main Range Ecological Linkage

WWF Malaysia 27 Apr 09;

Kuala Lumpur – The upgrading of Federal Route 8 from Kg. Relong, Pahang, to Gua Musang, Kelantan which includes realignment of the existing road at certain stretches, threatens the critical ecological link between Taman Negara National Park and the Main Range.

On the ground investigations reveal that parts of forests have been cleared for Phase 1-Segment 5 of the upgrading project. Information on how many more phases or segments there are in this project remains sketchy.

“We are greatly concerned that the upgrading and realignment of the existing road may not only impede wildlife movement between the Main Range and Taman Negara, but also accelerate forest conversion and fragmentation in surrounding areas. This in turn will disrupt ecological functions and lead to the loss of biodiversity,” said Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma, Executive Director/CEO of WWF-Malaysia.

Dato’ Sharma proposes that this project be extensively reviewed and urges the JKR to reconsider if the road realignment is necessary.

“WWF-Malaysia also calls for the Public Works Department (JKR) to share information on the technical aspects of the project with key government agencies and NGOs as they may be able to provide useful recommendations on how to minimise the environmental impacts of the project,” he added.

Should the realignment in certain stretches of the Kg. Relong – Gua Musang road be absolutely necessary, measures such as elevated roads and tunnels as well as wildlife crossings to maintain forest connectivity should be incorporated at the design stage of the project. WWF-Malaysia strongly feels that wildlife crossings should be constructed at crucial areas even on the existing road. Sufficient funds for these measures should also be allocated in the project cost from the very initial stages.

According to Dato’ Sharma, parts of the surrounding forests along the road are also vulnerable to conversion to other land uses as they are currently stateland forest with no protection status.

It is also feared that the upgrading and realignment of the road and the resulting land development would allow for easier access by trespassers and poachers into Taman Negara, as the closest distance between the new realigned road and Taman Negara is less than two kilometers. The Taman Negara is already facing threats from poaching, with the park management authority, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), recently revealing that nearly 500 snares were recovered and destroyed in a single operation in November last year.

“In line with the National Physical Plan, it is therefore absolutely crucial and urgent that a buffer zone is demarcated for Taman Negara to address a range of mounting concerns such as forest conversion and potential poaching pressures,“ stressed Dato’ Sharma. “No development activities should take place in this buffer zone.”

“We strongly urge the Pahang state government to gazette the remaining stateland forest in the area as Permanent Reserved Forest under the National Forestry Act 1984, to reduce the risk of forest conversion and maintain the connectivity between the Main Range and Taman Negara,” he added.


Notes to the editor:

* Taman Negara is the largest national park in Malaysia, covering 4,343 km² of forest in three states: Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. Rare and endangered species such as the elusive Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris) and seladang (Bos frontalis) can be found in the primary rainforest within this protected area.
* The Federal Department Town and Country Planning Department is currently spearheading a project to identify important forest linkages. This project, which involves various stakeholders, is in line with the National Physical Plan which states that forest connectivity shall be reestablished between major forest complexes. One of the linkages identified is between the Main Range and Taman Negara.

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Singapore will be pro-active in handling possible swine flu outbreak

Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia 26 Apr 09;

SINGAPORE: Singapore will take a pro-active stance should the threat of a flu pandemic surface following the swine flu outbreak in Mexico.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan also said the SARS epidemic has equipped Singapore with the skills to handle a similar outbreak.

Speaking to reporters at a community event on Sunday, Mr Khaw said the ability of the swine flu virus to spread from human to human makes it especially dangerous, and his ministry is monitoring the situation.

As for the virus spreading to the US, Mr Khaw said it could pose a global threat as the US is well-connected to the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in a statement it will implement precautionary measures at Changi Airport in light of the outbreak.

From 11pm Sunday, thermal scanners will be deployed to screen passengers on flights arriving from the US. And from 8am Monday, scanners will be deployed at all three arrival halls to screen all arriving passengers.

From Wednesday, scanners will also be deployed at the Budget Terminal and Seletar Airport.

CAAS added that flights in and out of Changi Airport are continuing as normal.

Separately, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said in a statement that there is no danger of people contracting swine flu from eating pork or pork products.

All pork imports are being tested for the new strain of swine flu virus as a precautionary measure, it added.

Singapore does not import pork from Mexico. But since the beginning of this year, 2,700 tons or 10 per cent of total imports of frozen pork and other pork products have been imported from the US.

No chilled pork has been imported from the US. Singapore only imports processed pork products from the affected US states of California, Texas and Kansas. But AVA said properly heated processed products do not pose a risk of swine flu virus.

Singapore only imports pigs from one AVA-accredited farm located on Pulau Bulan, Indonesia. There has been no introduction of pigs from external sources into the farm.

AVA also inspects the farm regularly to ensure biosecurity measures are implemented. On-farm disease situation as well as the health of the pigs imported from the farm into Singapore are also closely monitored.

Other high-level biosecurity measures include strict access of people into the farm, as well as rigorous hygiene and sanitation practices. Pigs in the farm are also regularly vaccinated against swine influenza.

As for pig lungs - the major target organ in an animal infected by swine flu - AVA said there have been no import of pig lungs into Singapore from any country in the last three years.- CNA/ir

Scanners at the airport
Neo Chai Chin, Today Online 27 Apr 09;

THERE are no known cases of swine flu in Singapore, but preventive measures have already kicked in at Changi Airport.

From 11pm yesterday, thermal scanners were deployed to screen passengers arriving from the United States. And from 8am today, all passengers arriving at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 will also have to undergo thermal scans just before their immigration checks. Those arriving at the Budget Terminal and Seletar Airport will have to do so from Wednesday, said the Health Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore in a joint statement last night.

Those with higher-than-normal temperatures will be put through further medical assessments.

Speaking to the media after a block visit in Woodlands yesterday, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said it is too early to close our borders as this will affect the economy and food supply.

However, given the US’ connectedness with the rest of the world, he warned it could be a matter of hours before swine flu reaches Singapore, hence the high level of alertness.

The Ministry has also advised Singaporeans to postpone or avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.

Those who develop flu-like symptoms including high fever, cough, and runny nose within seven days of travel to California, Texas or Kansas in the United States, or to Mexico, should seek medical attention.

So far, the World Health Organization does not consider a human swine flu pandemic to be imminent — the outbreak in Mexico and the US, however, constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

And although humans cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products, the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority will be testing incoming pork products for the flu virus.

It will also step up surveillance testing of pigs from Pulau Bulan in Indonesia — Singapore’s only source of live pigs — to ensure they are not infected with the virus behind the current outbreak.

Singapore does not import pork from Mexico, nor does it import pigs from the US.

Khaw: Play safe, assume the worst
Neo Chai Chin, Today Online 27 Apr 09;

His ministry is working “round the clock” to stay abreast of swine flu developments around the world. And Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday sounded a reassuring note, saying the nation is in a better position to deal with a global pandemic compared to six years ago when Sars hit.

Back then, 33 people here died from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Since then, progress has been made in laboratory capabilities and as well as alertness levels at hospitals and airports.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is also looking at restricting the number of visitors for hospital patients — if developments over the next two days warrants it.

“As a general principal, if you don’t have to visit hospitals, don’t visit because it’s not exactly a clean place. Why expose yourself unnecessarily?” said Mr Khaw.

Those who need to visit loved ones should maintain a high level of personal hygiene including frequent hand-washing.

Singapore also has a stockpile of Tamiflu — one of the antiviral drugs found to be effective against the swine flu virus — as well as personal protective equipment for hospital staff, he said.

MOH is likely to request hospital staff working in high-risk areas such as accident and emergency (A&E) wards and intensive care units to wear the personal protective equipment.

At least one hospital has already taken the initiative. Since Saturday, National University Hospital staff at the A&E temperature screening area have put on protective gowns in addition to the face mask routinely worn.

NUH and the Singapore General Hospital said patients are also asked about their travel histories. “Patients ... with travel history to Mexico, USA and Canada will be asked to alert our staff. Visitors with travel history and who are feeling unwell are advised not to visit patients, and to seek medical attention,” said SGH chief executive Prof Ang Chong Lye.

Indeed, disclosure of travel history becomes “very important”, said Mr Khaw, given how swine flu symptoms such as fever, cough and sore throat are similar to that of regular flu.

And while the swine flu outbreak could be “just a very localised” one that will “eventually burn itself out”, Mr Khaw said Singapore will “play safe and assume the worst.”

Read more!

Swine flu: what you need to know

Debora MacKenzie, New Scientist 26 Apr 09;

Several hundred people in Mexico and 20 people in the US have come down with a new kind of swine flu. People are concerned because some of those infected in Mexico have died, and because this is the kind of virus that could become a serious worldwide epidemic (see Deadly new flu virus in US and Mexico may go pandemic).

Should I worry about this flu?

That depends on two things: how severe the flu is, and how far it spreads. Its severity is still unknown. Those who died in Mexico were young adults who don't often die of flu, so we know this virus can be serious. But it isn't always bad: the cases picked up in the US were mild. Outbreak investigators are now trying to find out how many people have had the virus, and how many of those were seriously ill, to get an idea of how bad it is.

Will it spread to where I live?

That depends on two things: whether the virus is transported to where you live, and how efficiently it spreads between people. So many people travel globally now that, as long as this virus keeps infecting people, it is unlikely not to get to where you live. Some countries are already using infrared cameras to spot people with fevers on flights from affected areas. But that won't stop it entirely, since five days can pass before an infected person shows symptoms, and the virus can spread before symptoms start.

The question is how efficiently it spreads once it lands. From the number of cases in Mexico and the fact that those infected in the US had not contacted pigs or each other, we know that it can spread from human to human, and has done so for weeks at least. Investigators are testing whether people who contacted known cases were also infected to try to assess how easily it spreads.

Similar swine flu viruses have jumped from pigs to people before and have always petered out without causing a pandemic because they were not good enough at spreading in people. This virus may do the same thing.

Does this virus mean I shouldn't eat pork?

No. This virus is named swine flu because one of its surface proteins is most similar to viruses that usually infect pigs. But we've never seen this particular virus in pigs before. It is spreading in people; that's the problem.

Can I travel to other countries?

Yes. There are no official travel advisories against going to affected regions of Mexico, but cases of this virus are being discovered in other countries in people who recently visited there.

What if it causes a pandemic?

Most countries in the world have pandemic plans, on paper at least. They can respond with vaccines, drugs, and measures called "social distancing", aimed at limiting human contacts that spread flu. Mexico has already done this, by banning public gatherings and closing schools in affected areas. Modelling suggests this can be effective.

The Mexican swine flu virus is susceptible to the most widely stockpiled flu antiviral drugs, Tamiflu and its relatives. But viruses of the same family can readily develop resistance to these drugs, so no one knows how long the drugs will remain effective.

There are no stocks of vaccine to this flu. The US has already created a "seed strain" from it, a virus that can be grown to make vaccines. Because of fears that H5N1 bird flu would go pandemic, vaccine companies and regulators, especially in Europe, have developed procedures over the past few years for rapidly approving and manufacturing pandemic vaccines in factories that normally make regular human flu vaccines.

The question now is whether and when they will switch production to a pandemic vaccine. If they do, the question will be how many doses they can produce, and how fast. Researchers are trying to find ways to stretch vaccine stocks, but there is no commonly agreed approach yet.

They won't be able to make much vaccine for several months. But if there are several waves, each several months apart, as there have been in past pandemics, they might have time to make stocks of the vaccine before the next wave – if there is one.

Why are we worried this virus could go pandemic?

Because it is new. Flu constantly evolves, mostly with small changes to its surface proteins. There are usually enough differences between this year's flu and whatever you had last time to allow the new virus to evade your immune defenses and cause an infection, but its similarities to your last case mean you still have partial immunity to it.

But flu surface proteins come in 16 different families, and viruses interbreed and swap genes. Occasionally a new flu virus that has picked up completely new surface proteins from pig or bird flu viruses circulates in people. Since no humans have been exposed to it before, no one has any immunity. Those viruses cause pandemics.

The Mexican swine flu is like this. It is of the H1N1 family, named for its two main surface proteins. There are other, mild H1N1 viruses circulating in humans as ordinary flu. But pig H1's are somewhat different, and it is not yet clear whether having had human H1N1 gives you much immunity to this swine flu.

The bad 1918 pandemic was an H1N1 virus, and there is evidence that people exposed to earlier human H1 flu had some immunity to it. The 1918 virus was different from this one, however, because its H surface protein was from birds.

What should I do to prepare for a pandemic?

We don't know yet if this will be one – but quiet preparation can't hurt. Cover coughs and sneezes and wash your hands a lot. Don't run down your ability to fight infection – eat well and be sensible. Some scientists recommend going on statins as there is some evidence they reduce death rates from flu in people who tend to die from it in normal years.

Do all the things you might do to prepare for any disaster. Stockpile canned and dried food and water, a little cash, and your family's essential medicines, as disruptions in supply might happen in a bad pandemic, and make sure you have a crank- or battery-operated radio and lights and spare batteries.

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Study: SE Asia will be hit hard by climate change

Michael Casey, Associated Press Yahoo News 27 Apr 09;

BANGKOK – Southeast Asia will be hit particularly hard by climate change, causing the region's agriculture-dependent economies to contract by as much as 6.7 percent annually by the end of the century, according to a study released Monday.

The Asian Development Bank study identified four countries as especially vulnerable: Indonesia and the Philippines with large coastal populations facing rising sea levels, and Thailand and Vietnam where rice yields could drop 50 percent due to water shortages.

"You have to think about developing countries' capacity," ADB Senior Economist Tae Yong Jung said. "They are not really well prepared. Their capacity to handle extreme events is much lower than the developed world."

He said globally climate change would cost the equivalent of 2.6 percent of gross domestic product each year by the end of the century.

If nothing is done to combat global warming, the report said that by 2100 the four Asian countries would see temperatures rise an average of 8.6 Fahrenheit (4.8 Celsius) from the 1990 level. They would also likely suffer drops in rainfall leading to worsening droughts and more forest fires, more destructive tropical storms and flooding from rising seas that could displace millions of people and lead to the destruction of 965 square miles (2,500 square kilometers) of mangroves.

The economic cost, according to the report, would be 6.7 percent of gross domestic product by 2100.

The key for Southeast Asia would be protecting its remaining tropical forests which have fallen victim in recent years to widespread illegal logging and the expansion of palm oil plantations, the report found. Deforestation represents as much as 75 percent of the four country's emissions.

Global warming threatens economic chaos in SE Asia-ADB
Rosemarie Francisco, Reuters 27 Apr 09;

MANILA (Reuters) - Southeast Asia is one of the world's most vulnerable regions to climate change and could face conflict over failing rice yields, lack of water and high economic costs, a major Asian Development Bank report shows.

The region's economies could lose as much as 6.7 percent of combined gross domestic product yearly by 2100, more than twice the global average loss, according to the ADB's report on the economics of climate change in Southeast Asia.

"By the end of this century, the economy-wide cost each year on average could reach 2.2 percent of GDP, if only market impact is considered...(to) 6.7 percent of GDP when catastrophic risks are also taken into account," the British-government funded report said.

This compared with an estimated global loss of just under 1 percent of GDP in market impact terms, the Manila-based ADB said.

The global economic downturn could delay funding for climate change mitigation measures by regional governments.

Yet this was the time to offer incentives for green investment schemes in the energy and water sectors, said the study focusing on Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

These schemes could involve the shift to renewable and clean energy options for the power and transport sectors across Southeast Asia, home to nearly 600 million people.

In particular, cutting carbon emissions from forest fires and deforestation was crucial since these were major contributors to the region's total emissions, it said. Renewable energy such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal also offered great potential in slashing emissions.

VULNERABLE

But if nothing was done globally to fight climate change, Southeast Asia could suffer a decline in rice output potential of about 50 percent on average by 2100 against 1990 levels.

The yield drop ranged from 34 percent in Indonesia to 75 percent in the Philippines, with the fall forecast to start in 2020 for the four nations.

Southeast Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change because of the high economic activity along its long coastlines, and its heavy dependence on agriculture, forestry and other natural resources.

Unless the pace of climate change was checked, millions of people in the region would be left unable to produce or purchase sufficient food.

"More people will be at risk of hunger and malnutrition, which will cause more deaths. The possibility of local conflicts may increase," said the report.

Annual mean temperature in the four countries could also rise by an average 4.8 degrees Celsius by 2100 from 1990 levels if global emissions keep growing.

This would intensify water shortages in the dry season and raise flooding risks during wet periods.

The report says an increase in extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods and storms, and forest fires arising from climate change would also jeopardize export industries.

It said the region, which contributed 12 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions in 2000, had made significant efforts to counter climate change, but most steps were reactive and offered short-term benefits with implementation patchy.

Raising public awareness of climate change and its impact, increased funding and enhancing policy coordination, were crucial, it added.

Stepping up measures to adapt were also needed.

These included scaling up water conservation and management, developing heat-resistant crop varieties, more efficient irrigation systems and enhanced awareness-raising programs to prepare for more forest fires.

(Editing by David Fogarty and Sanjeev Miglani)

Climate change threat to SEAsia development
Yahoo News 27 Apr 09;

MANILA (AFP) – Climate change could "seriously hinder" Southeast Asia's development and efforts to reduce poverty, a new study released by the Asian Development Bank said Monday.

With its long coastlines and heavy dependence on agriculture and forestry, Southeast Asia is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) report said, warning: "The worst is yet to come."

"Combating climate change requires urgent action on both adaptation and mitigation -- there is no time to delay," the study said.

If the world continues with its "business-as-usual" approach, the average cost of climate change for Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam could be "equivalent to losing 6.7 percent of combined gross domestic product each year by 2100 -- more than twice the global average."

Already, climate change has led to extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, floods and tropical cyclones in recent decades in the region, the ADB said.

It noted also that the annual mean temperature in the region's four biggest countries was projected to rise by 4.8 degrees Celsius by 2100 from the 1990 level.

It said that during this period, the sea level in the region was expected to rise 70 centimetres (2.3 feet), while increasingly drier weather is likely in the next two to three decades.

"Southeast Asia is likely to suffer more from climate change than the global average," it said.

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Officials Crack Down on Turtle Trade

The Jakarta Globe 26 Apr 09;

Jember. The Natural Resources Conservation Agency of Jember district, East Java Province, will conduct field checks on the alleged circulation of protected turtle eggs in traditional markets, an agency spokesman said over the weekend.

“[Sea] turtles are rare and are protected because their population is facing extinction. People are not allowed to sell their eggs in free markets,” agency head for East Java’s Region III, Abdullah Effendi said.

Agency officials had frequently found and foiled poachers of turtle eggs in the nature reserve area of Nusa Barong Island, which is widely known to be a nesting area for the turtles.

Effendi did not know about the recent circulation of illegal turtle eggs in a number of traditional markets in Jember.

“We will carry out field checks in traditional markets where people are suspected to be selling turtle eggs illegally,” Effendi said.

A number of locals said they had found turtle eggs had been secretly sold to consumers.

Setiorini, a local resident, admitted she had been offered turtle eggs on the sly. She reported that she had been offered the eggs while buying fish at the Puger Fish Auction Market.

“Unexpectedly, a trader whispered to me, offering turtle eggs,” Setyorini said.

She said that merchants offered the eggs to consumers for between Rp 2,000 (18 cents) and Rp 3,000 each. Meanwhile, environmental group WWF has launched a campaign to stop Malaysians from eating turtle eggs, in a bid to help save the marine creatures from extinction.

Turtle eggs are openly sold in markets in some parts of Malaysia. Thousands of sea turtles once migrated to Malaysian beaches annually to lay their eggs, but are now increasingly rare due to poaching and extensive coastal development.

The five-month online campaign aims to collect 40,000 signatures from Malaysians pledging that they will stop consuming the eggs and halt all trade in turtles and their parts.

“Turtles play a critical role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy,” WWF Malaysia executive director Dionysius S.K. Sharma said.

“Marine turtles are threatened with extinction due to various factors, including the practice of consuming turtle eggs, becoming accidentally caught
in fishing gear, poorly planned coastal development, marine and nesting beach pollution as well as illegal trade of turtles and their parts,” he said.

Under Malaysian law, it is illegal to collect turtle eggs without a permit from the country’s fisheries department, but steady demand for turtle products and eggs in Southeast Asia continues to drive the illegal trade.

Antara, AFP

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Malaysia seizes smuggled cobras, tortoises: report

Yahoo News 26 Apr 09;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysian authorities seized 814 tortoises and 160 king cobras as they were being smuggled out of the country on its northern border, according to a report Sunday.

Customs officials told state news agency Bernama the wildlife was found in the back of a truck in northern Perlis state as it was clearing border formalities before entering Thailand.

State customs director Mohammad Isa Endot said the reptiles were found under 2,300 kilos of garlic used to help disguise the smell of the illicit cargo.

He said the truck driver, a Thai national, was detained after failing to produce any documents for the export of the wildlife, Bernama reported.

Mohammad Isa said the tortoises and snakes had been handed over to the Wildlife and National Parks Department.

Wildlife is often smuggled out of Malaysia and into kitchens abroad.

Last month, authorities seized the butchered remains of dozens of civet cats, long-tailed monkeys and wild boar destined for sale in neighbouring countries.

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