Nature's gift: The economic benefits of preserving the natural world

Richard Anderson BBC News 24 Oct 10;

Slowing down the destruction of the Earth's natural resources is essential if the global economy, and the businesses that drive it, are to prosper long term.

The current rate of destruction is estimated to cost the world trillions of dollars every year, and the damage will only get get worse unless wide-ranging measures are taken to stop it.

The reason is simple - population growth is the main driver behind those factors that are causing biodiversity loss.

There are currently about 6.7 billion people living on Earth, and this number is projected to grow to 9.2 billion by 2050 - that's roughly the population of the UK being added to the planet every year.

This means we'll need 70% more food, according to the United Nations (UN), just one of the many additional pressures on Earth's finite resources.

If left unchecked, these pressures will lead to the ever-faster destruction of nature, which could cost the world $28.6tn (£18.2tn), or 18% of global economic output, by 2050, according to the UN-backed Principles of Responsible Investment and corporate environmental research group Trucost.

That's about twice the current output of the US, the world's biggest economy.

Valuing nature

So what can be done?

A vital step has already been taken - for the first time in history, we now have at least a rough idea of the economic cost of depleting the earth's natural resources.

This not only means that governments, businesses and consumers can understand the gravity of the problem, but it also means the value of nature can be factored into business decisions.

As Will Evison, environmental economist at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), says: "No-one is saying we should just stop converting pristine land, just that the value of the environment is recognised".

For example, a study on the conversion of mangroves to commercial shrimp farms in southern Thailand estimated the net economic returns at $1,122 per hectare a year.

The conclusion, at least for the shrimp farmer, is clear - there is an economic benefit of converting the mangroves.

But once the wider costs of the conversion - what economists call externalities - are taken into account, a very different conclusion is reached.

The economic benefits from the mangroves of collecting wood, providing nurseries for offshore fisheries and protection against storms total $10,821 a hectare, far outweighing the benefits of converting them into a shrimp farm.

Damage limitation

There are a number of initiatives, some already introduced and some in the pipeline, that are specifically designed to ensure that the economic value of nature is recognised.

One example is reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, or REDD, under which forest owners are paid not to cut down trees. A number of governments across the world have committed hundreds of millions of dollars to these projects.

Another is habitat banking, the market for which currently stands at around $3bn in the US, where companies that degrade natural areas are forced to restore nature elsewhere.

Trade in forest conservation obligations in Brazil and ground-water salinity credits in Australia have also proved successful.

Alongside these schemes and those like them, there are various compensation arrangements that make those causing environmental damage pay for it, just like carbon credits that currently exist.

Exemptions from these various taxes, charges and fees, as well as subsidies, are also used to encourage environmentally responsible behaviour.

There is also growing pressure for companies to begin incorporating the costs of the damage that they do to the Earth's natural resources into their profit and loss accounts.

Only by incorporating these costs into their accounts, many argue, will companies be forced to reduce their impact on the natural world.

"Directors' bonuses don't have to be included [in company accounts] from a pure profit and loss point of view, but they are. Environmental externalities should be the same," says Pavan Sukhdev, a career banker and team leader of the United Nations' The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Teeb) study.

"This is not a straightforward process and needs standard methodologies accepted by everyone, but it could be achieved within 10 years."

The next step would be to incorporate environmental assets into national accounts.

Protecting assets

But many companies already do acknowledge the costs of biodiversity loss.

A survey conducted by PwC earlier this year found that 27% of chief executives were either "extremely" or "somewhat" concerned about biodiversity loss, but there was a large disparity between those operating in developed economies and those in emerging markets.



Indeed many multinational companies have made significant investments in protecting the natural resources upon which their success depends.

These include investments to mitigate the impact of tighter regulation, such as shipping giant Swire's decision to buy up swathes of rainforest to offset the possible introduction of pollution taxes in the shipping industry.

Indeed those companies that are well prepared for more stringent regulation, and have made the necessary investment in protecting the natural assets that serve them, will gain an important competitive advantage.

But it's not just a question of risk mitigation - there are also opportunities for companies that act in an environmentally responsible manner.

Brewing giant SABMiller has made considerable investments in reforestation in Columbia and South Africa, as well as setting stringent targets for reducing water consumption - commitments, it says, that helped the company secure licences to brew in Australia, "because the authorities trust that we will be water efficient", says Andy Wales, the brewer's global head of sustainable development.

Contrast this with mining group Vedanta, which has been denied permission both to expand its aluminium operations and to mine bauxite in India after campaigners claimed the company had ignored the needs of indigenous peoples.

Consumer attitudes

Companies also recognise that they need to react to increasing customer awareness of environmental issues.

For example, another survey conducted by PwC in May found that more than half of UK consumers were willing to pay between 10% and 25% more for goods up to £100 to account for their impact on the natural world.

Such changing consumer attitudes mean that more and more companies are investing in reducing their impact on nature.

For example, the world's biggest retailer Walmart has introduced sustainability criteria as part of its official product sourcing process.

Coffee giant Starbucks has also invested millions of dollars in protecting natural resources because "we know maintaining biodiversity makes a difference to our coffee drinkers" according to Tim McCoy, the company's head of communications.

Natura, the Brazilian cosmetics group with a turnover of $2.4bn, has committed to sourcing products sustainably from natural sources in order to appeal to consumers, while French energy group GDF Suez has invested in conserving biodiversity on its landfill sites purely as part of its "reputational risk management".

Google Maps has even launched a service that allows users to track changes in forest cover across the world.

Sub head

Not everything some companies say about their environmental commitments can be believed, but the fact that they are saying it at all is what's important, says Mr Sukhdev.

"Once you get away from denial, you pass through a phase of understanding and then one of empty rhetoric before you arrive at action. The stage of empty rhetoric is part of the process."

And those companies that do take action will win out in the long run.

The costs of failing to protect the Earth's natural resources and the services they provide, and the price of failing to grasp the opportunities that investing in nature present, are simply too great for those that do not.

This is the third in a series of three articles on the economic cost of human activity on the natural world.

For the earlier articles, see this link:
Nature's sting: The real cost of damaging Planet Earth
Nature's law: Business will pay the costs of depleting natural resources

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Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Cry Foul Over Bad Press, Plan PR Push

Antara Jakarta Globe 24 Oct 10;

Jakarta. Approaching the 100th anniversary of the palm oil industry in Indonesia, producers of the commodity find themselves wrestling with environmental campaigns accusing them of widespread deforestation, which has led to costly boycotts by major global buyers.

The palm oil industry provides direct employment for about 4.5 million people in the country, and last year generated $10.4 billion worth of exports, or 11 percent of Indonesia’s non-oil and gas exports.

But the industry has increasingly come under attack from environmental watchdogs that say crude palm oil producers are pillaging sensitive rain forests in the name of profit.

Now, after being repeatedly pummeled in the press by NGOs, the producers are preparing to fight back using a variety of tools, including a 100th anniversary celebration in Medan in March 2011, to come to the defense of the industry.

Derom Bangun, vice chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Board (DMSI), said efforts to combat the “negative campaign” targeting palm oil production needed to continue, and that even the government should be involved.

Derom said CPO would continue to be a major contributor of foreign exchange income for Indonesia, and that strategic diplomatic efforts could help respond to the “negative campaigns.”

Malaysia, the world’s biggest palm oil producer, has repeatedly invited Indonesia to set up a joint council based in Europe and the United States to fight “negative perceptions and unfounded allegations made against the palm oil industry,” according to Malaysian news agency Bernama.

Lim Keng Yaik, Malaysia’s former minister of energy, water and communications, said both countries should set aside funds for the council and appoint an articulate representative to attend all forums organized by NGOs campaigning against the palm oil industry.

“The person must be prepared to debate with [the NGOs] using well-researched facts and figures,” Lim said in a keynote address at the Second International Conference on the Future of Palm Oil Business, which was held in Kuala Lumpur this month.

“Malaysia and Indonesia, as the main palm oil producers, must come to the forefront to fight these threats,” he said.

“I am confident that we will win in the end because [the negative] campaigns are based on half-truths and sometimes outright lies.”

In March of this year, Indonesian and Malaysian CPO producers, which account for 85 percent of the world’s CPO production, signed a memorandum of understanding on responding to negative campaigns that could hinder the countries’ CPO industries.

“The cooperation is aimed at wiping out negative campaigns,” Indonesian Agriculture Minister Suswono said after the memorandum was signed by the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) and the Malaysian Palm Oil Association.


Antara

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Philippines, Norway vaults saving rice diversity

Cecil Morella Yahoo News 24 Oct 10;

LOS BANOS, Philippines (AFP) – In a greenhouse near the Philippine capital, botanists grow strange grasses that bear tiny seeds which are promptly flown to a doomsday vault under Norway's Arctic permafrost.

The Norway deliveries are just the newest facet of a decades-old effort by more than 100 countries to save the world's many varieties of rice which might otherwise be lost.

A fire-proof, quake-proof, typhoon-proof gene bank set up by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines in 1962 now holds 115,000 varieties of one of the world's most important grains.

"We've got genes stored which could potentially help us increase the yields of rice, improve pest tolerance and disease resistance, and help us address the effects of climate change," IRRI geneticist Fiona Hay said.

The rice varieties are grown at IRRI's sprawling complex at the university town of Los Banos, two hours' drive south of Manila, so that they can be provided -- free of charge -- to farmers or governments around the world.

Yet Hay said that rice varieties were constantly being lost forever, despite the preservation efforts of IRRI, a non-profit organisation funded by governments, multilateral banks and philanthropists.

Such losses are under a global spotlight this week as delegates from more than 190 countries meet at a UN summit in Nagoya, Japan, to map out a strategy to stop the world's rapid loss of biodiversity in all plants and animals.

A rice variety can easily vanish due to pests, disease, drought or other natural disasters like a cyclone, or if for some reason farmers simply stop planting it, Hay said.

Not just urbanisation, but even farming can push wild rice varieties into extinction.

And while some countries run their own gene banks, they are not always successful in preserving seeds. In the tropics, high humidity causes rice seeds to spoil after several years, Hay said.

At the IRRI gene bank in the Philippines, seeds are stored in dry and cool conditions and can remain usable for up to 40 years.

The institute keeps its base collection in tiny, sealed, bar-coded aluminium cans in a room kept at a temperature well below freezing.

They include a Malaysian variety that was collected soon after the gene bank opened in 1962, some reed-like Latin American ones that grow taller than a man, and Indian varieties that look more like crawling weeds.

Duplicates in small foil sachets of about 400 seeds each are stored in a separate vault kept at two degrees Celsius (35.6 Fahrenheit) and low humidity for passing on to those who need them for farming or research.

Given the importance of the collection, extra insurance is always desirable -- hence the rice gene bank being duplicated in Svalbard, Norway, Hay told AFP on a tour last week of the Philippine facility.

Since the Svalbard seed vault opened in February 2008, IRRI has reproduced 70,000 of its own grains and sent them in tiny freeze-dried aluminium cans to northern Norway, in a series of flights that take four days.

One final delivery of about 40,000 varieties is due to be flown out from Manila airport this week to complete the project.

The seeds include those no longer grown by farmers, plus 4,000-odd weeds with genes harnessed by scientists to make the rice plant more aromatic and more resistant to pests and disease, and tolerant of drought and saltwater.

Once completed, the Norway facility will act as a further backup to a US Department of Agriculture vault in Colorado that already holds duplicates of IRRI's seeds.

IRRI has in particular helped Cambodia's farmers to recover from the ravages of war. The Khmer Rouge regime killed millions of people -- many through starvation -- and forced farmers to grow only certain rice varieties in the 1970s.

Flora de Guzman, senior research manager of the gene bank, said she had once processed a request by Cambodia to send back seeds for about 500 of their native rice varieties.

"They lost the materials during the war. We had the collection here, so between 1981 and 1989 we repatriated the varieties that they lost," she said.

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Britain may sell off forests to raise cash

Yahoo News 24 Oct 10;

LONDON (AFP) – Ministers are planning a massive sell-off of Britain's state-owned forests as they seek to raise billions of pounds to help cut the deficit, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, is expected to announce plans within days to dispose of about half of the 748,000 hectares (1.85 million acres) of woodland overseen by the Forestry Commission by 2020, according to the newspaper.

The controversial decision will pave the way for a huge expansion in the number of Center Parcs-style holiday villages, golf courses, adventure sites and commercial logging operations throughout Britain as land is sold to private companies, the report added.

The forestry commissions lands were last valued in the 1990s at 2.5 million pounds, the Telegraph said.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed that the Government will be setting out its details of its "strategic approach" to forestry this autumn.

"We will ensure our forests continue to play a full role in our efforts to combat climate change, protect the environment and enhance biodiversity, provide green space for access and recreation, alongside seeking opportunities to support modernisation and growth in the forestry sector," a spokesman said.

Allan MacKenzie, the secretary of the Forestry Commission Trade Unions, warned that they would fight the sell-off.

"Once we've sold it, it never comes back. Once it is sold, restrictions are placed on the land which means the public don't get the same access to the land and facilities that are provided by the public forest estate," he told the Telegraph.

"The current system means a vast amount of people can enjoy forests and feel ownership of them. It is an integral part of society."

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Best of our wild blogs: 23-24 Oct 10

An evening with Cathy Henkel from The Burning Season
from Green Drinks Singapore

Maiden Flight - Butterflies of Singapore
from Butterflies of Singapore

Wallace Trail @ Dairy Farm Park
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Changi trip (II)
from PurpleMangrove

Foraging Pied Fantails
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Read more!

New-look science journal aims to draw Singapore public

Ben Nadarajan Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

THE scientific journal of the Singapore National Academy of Science has been given a facelift as scientists aim to make their work more understandable and appealing to the public.

The journal, known as Cosmos, will be published twice a year and include review articles, news and feature pieces, as well as photographs and other visuals to make it more palatable.

For the first time, it will also be sold to the public.

For now, it is available at bookstores in the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University at $9.90.

The theme for the first issue is ecology and features articles on diverse alien flora and fauna species in Singapore.

It also features the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, one of the earliest natural history museums in South-east Asia.

One of the editors of the new issue, Assistant Professor Darren Yeo from NUS' department of biological science, said: 'This volume represents one of the first concerted efforts to document non-native species in Singapore.

'Knowing what non-native species are present locally is an important step towards understanding the potential impact they might have.'

Subsequent issues will feature themes from other science disciplines such as chemistry and physics.

Cosmos editor-in-chief Andrew Wee, who is the dean of NUS' science faculty, said: 'The intention is not to dumb it down, but to make it more attractive and more appealing to a wider audience.'

It will have review articles that are more accessible to the public.

The journal, which previously had five issues since 2005, will also be sent to several government agencies to hopefully influence policies.

Professor Wee said it was a 'huge challenge' bridging the gulf between scientists and the public.

He said: 'We need to communicate what we do in order to get the support of the public or Government.'

Marine biologist Leo Tan, who is the president of the academy, said Cosmos used to be 'so erudite'.

'The joke among us was that the only people who read the articles were the person who wrote it, the reviewer and the editor.'

Prof Tan, who is also director of special projects at NUS, said many scientists still lack a background in social sciences.

'It is important to be able to express ourselves to the public... that is one of the main reasons why scientists always sound so mysterious, because no one outside of our community knows what they mean,' he said.

'Effective communication of anything is vital in this day and age.'

Prof Tan said the idea behind the revamp was to rally the scientific community in Singapore to push the relevance of science to the public.

'If you can't write, get someone else to do it for you,' Prof Tan quipped, adding that it was necessary to change the image of scientists being 'boffins in white coats creating havoc for the world'.

Science, he added, is becoming more complicated, so it is even more important for scientists to write in an understandable way.

He said: 'Scientists must do research, and unless it can go beyond the 20 to 30 people who read the article, it's useless.'

Read more!

Haze in Singapore: PSI back to moderate range after rain

sara grosse Today Online 23 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE - The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) moved back into the moderate range on Friday - thanks to the rain - after hovering at unhealthy levels the previous day.

The three-hour PSI reading on Friday at 6pm stood at 96.

But for many Singaporeans, life is not back to normal - with hazy conditions still expected this weekend, according to the National Environment Agency.

The NEA said the prevailing southwesterly to westerly winds were still bringing in smoke haze from the fires in Sumatra.

Childcare centres, for instance, have stepped up precautionary measures. Ms Catherine Chng, the principal of My First Skool, said: "If the PSI reaches above 100, we will stop all outdoor activities immediately. We will also contact the parents of children who have any discomfort after placing them in an isolation room."

The NEA said Singaporeans who are feeling unwell to see a doctor immediately. Dr Elly Sabrina Ismail, a general practitioner at Banyan Clinic, advised Singaporeans to "try to limit the amount of time you spend outside".

The haze has meant a spike in the number of people heading for the gym.

Fitness First recorded a three per cent rise in average traffic at its outlets in the past two days.

The centre's marketing manager, Ms Sharon See, said: "When the haze situation was very bad in 2006, we saw a lot of members coming more frequently in the gym ... for example, triathletes who usually do long runs outside have to come to the gym now due to the haze."

Meanwhile, organisers of Sunday's Nike City 10K run say it will go on unless the PSI level exceeds 200 or the NEA advises otherwise. Additional reporting by Ibrahim Sawifi and Lee Huey Shin

Haze: Indonesia willing to work with neighbours
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa on Friday said his government was willing to work with its neighbours to overcome the haze problem - while pointing out that the situation had been under control for the last four years.

Speaking to the media in Jakarta, Dr Marty said: "In other words, the efforts the Indonesian government had undertaken during the course of that period had actually worked."

Dr Matry reiterated that the haze problem "cannot be solved by simply one country".

Earlier, Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo had called Dr Marty to express the Republic's concern about the worsening haze situation.

Mr Yeo informed Mr Marty that the PSI went over 100 on Thursday and cases of respiratory problems had increased significantly.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mr Yeo reiterated Singapore's immediate readiness to help Indonesia put out some of the fires in Sumatra.

Beach clubs affected by the haze
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 23 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE: The PSI hovered in the moderate range on Saturday, hitting 78 at 12 noon, and the outlook for businesses along the beach has been similarly cloudy with the haze.

Observers say many regular beachgoers have stayed away from the beach, leaving the usually packed beach clubs empty.

Clubs like Bora Bora and Cafe Del Mar say business over the last three days has been bad, with the haze driving away more than half of their customers.

"Usually, business on weekdays, we can get at least [1,000 to 1,200 customers]. But these weekdays, we have only 300 to 400 like that," says Siti Asiah, a waitress at the Bora Bora Beach Bar.

Adrian Lee, Operations Manager at Cafe Del Mar, says that he has seen a drop in customers as well.

"We have a drop of maybe 10 to 20 per cent of people coming into Cafe Del Mar itself. Even like Saturday, like you can see right now, we are not having as much as what you have last Saturday."

However, Sentosa Leisure Group says the haze does not seem to have deterred guests from visiting Sentosa and adds that guest arrivals continued to be brisk this past week.

It is anticipating a good turnout at its annual Halloween event, Sentosa Spooktacular, which kicks off this weekend.

On Saturday afternoon, the haze did not stop beachgoers at Sentosa from enjoying their weekend by the sea.

"It's not that bad today. So it's all right you know coming here for a toss, for a drink with friends. Nevertheless, we still take note, if the haze gets worse, we'll definitely consider. But right now, it's perfect, the weather, the wind, the breeze," says beachgoer Joe Leong.

Another beachgoer, Grace Quek, agrees.

"Today haze [is not that bad]. Like [a] normal day...so I just come out here and suntan. [There is also no obvious] smell at all, like [a] normal day."

At East Coast Park, bicycle kiosk operator Mr Lee has suffered a 40 per cent drop in customers.

"There are more teenagers, but less children. There are less families coming here also."

As for the weather outlook, NEA says hazy conditions are still expected with winds forecast to remain southwesterly to westerly for the next two days.

-CNA/ac

Haze back in moderate range
But NEA warns it is not clearing yet and advises against outdoor activity
Jeremy Au Yong Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

RAIN brought some relief yesterday, but the National Environment Agency (NEA) has warned that the haze is not going away just yet.

The downpour in the late morning and early afternoon was not enough to mitigate the haze.

The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings, measured in three-hour intervals, hovered in the moderate range for most of yesterday, dropping as low as 66 at 3pm before climbing to 81 at 7pm.

And it will likely stay hazy throughout the weekend.

The NEA said prevailing winds were expected to remain south-westerly to westerly, blowing the smoke haze from the fires in Sumatra over to Singapore.

No heavy rain is expected in the affected Riau province in Indonesia.

The haze situation also eased in Malaysia yesterday, with schools in the badly affected town of Muar finally reopening.

Positive news came out of Indonesia as well, with the government taking more aggressive steps to deal with the fires.

Forestry officials there said hundreds more firefighters have been sent to Sumatra island to battle the flames.

Latest satellite images show that there are still at least 12 hot spots in southern Sumatra. Due to cloud cover, only one hot spot was detected in Riau province.

In its statement to the media, the NEA also repeated its advice for everyone to reduce vigorous outdoor activities, especially those with heart and respiratory ailments.

Organisers of public events at the weekend were similarly advised to obtain regular PSI updates and health advisories from the agency.

The NEA also noted the role of employers in protecting the safety and health of workers. It advised bosses to carry out proper risk assessment and to take appropriate measures.

The Ministry of Manpower's Guidelines for the Protection of Employees against the Effects of Haze at Workplaces were uploaded on its website.

Indeed, even though the gloomy skies brightened slightly yesterday, many employers and workers were still feeling the aftershocks of the intense haze a day earlier.

On Thursday, PSI readings hit a high of 108, putting air quality in the unhealthy range.

Goat farm Hay Dairies in Lim Chu Kang reported that two of its employees had developed throat irritations.

It is now encouraging all of its employees to wear face masks during working hours.

Over at the Katong Flower Shop, workers were also doing their best to minimise exposure to the hazy air.

Said a manager at the nursery in Bedok: 'We are taking personal precautions to stay indoors more. Luckily, many of our orders are made on the phone so we do not have to be exposed too much to the haze and business can still go on.'

For fast-food delivery rider Muhammad Ramli, 24, the haze has meant having to ride slower, and making fewer trips.

'Riding carefully has become a bit more tiring as visibility is low,' he said.

Organisers of events at the weekend were yesterday also busy coming up with ways to deal with the weather.

Mr Andrew Koh, director and general manager of Canon Singapore's consumer imaging and information division, told The Straits Times that it may be advising the 1,700 people who signed up for its photography contest to take their pictures indoors.

'It does not matter if the images are captured indoors or outdoors. Nonetheless, Canon is monitoring the haze situation and will advise the PhotoMarathon participants to stay indoors if necessary,' he said.

It was the same story for those behind two pre-Deepavali dance events.

A spokesman for the Tampines East Zone 4 Residents' Committee said it was advising those who had health problems to stay away from its Dandia Musical Night today.

Organisers of the Dassera 2010 event to be held at the open field next to Mountbatten Community Centre said they were discussing haze contingency plans.

'We are definitely looking into it tonight. It's a concern that we will address,' said a spokesman.

Unfazed by haze
People take to the beaches and Orchard Road as PSI falls
Amelia Tan and Jessica Lim Straits Times 24 Oct 10;

Singapore's Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) levels dropped to below 30 yesterday - the lowest in at least four days.

As at 11pm yesterday, the PSI reading, measured in three-hour intervals, was at 28.

It hovered mostly in the 70s in the morning and afternoon with a high of 80 at midnight the day before.

But heavy rain over many parts of the island in the late afternoon brought the index down, before it dipped to below 50 - which is in the good range - at 8pm.

Not surprisingly, families were out in force yesterday, taking advantage of the slight reprieve from the haze which has blanketed the island since Monday.

At East Coast Park, many beachgoers said they decided to venture out only after checking that the PSI level was within the moderate range of 51 to 100.

For mother of two Lee Ying Ying, keeping her children cooped up at home was just not an option.

'Keeping them at home doesn't change anything. It's not like they won't breathe in any polluted air when they are at home,' said the teacher, who declined to reveal her age.

Over at Orchard Road, Singapore's main shopping belt was packed with shoppers on the sidewalks, unfazed by the haze.

Bank director Ken Mazzio, 48, an American who has been living here for the past two years, said: 'The haze has not really affected my day-to-day life, although I have spent a bit more time indoors. I keep my three children inside more as well.'

Events across the island also went on as scheduled.

The Canon PhotoMarathon held at Suntec City, which enjoyed a full turnout of about 1,700 people, and S-League matches proceeded without a hitch.

But even though the haze did not keep people indoors, businesses have suffered.

A staff member at Cosmo the Bistro, an outdoor cafe outside Wisma Atria, said that business has been down by about 50 per cent over the past week.

Owners of beach-side businesses at East Coast Park said sales have fallen significantly since the haze hit. Worst hit was the owner of My3Wheels, which rents out the trikke - a three-wheeled cambering vehicle.

Its owner Andrew Kung, 39, said business was down 80 per cent yesterday compared to last Saturday before the haze descended. He rented out only 10 trikkes yesterday and closed his shop four hours earlier because of the poor business.

A National Environment Agency (NEA) spokesman said the hazy conditions will likely continue today. However, showers that are expected in the late morning and early afternoon today may bring more relief.

Still, organisers of today's Nike City 10K race are not taking any chances and have informed runners through SMS that they should not participate if they have heart or respiratory illnesses.

About 12,000 people have registered for the race. The race will proceed unless the PSI level exceeds 200 or if the NEA advises otherwise.

NEA's short and tweet haze updates
Informal tone on Twitter divides opinion, but info also available in more traditional formats
Elizabeth Soh Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

THE tone is friendly, conversational: 'Peeps, PSI still 94 as at 10am', read the tweet that almost 3,200 users of social networking site Twitter received this morning.

A hasty posting by a friend well-informed on the PSI or Pollutant Standards Index and the haze situation here?

No, this was actually an update from the Twitter account of the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Sounding quite unlike a stuffy government agency, it has been tweeting hourly PSI updates since the haze first made the air here look like gauze this week.

As unofficial as they may sound, these tweets have become one of the most reliable ways to receive up-to-date information on the PSI, given that the agency's website is frequently down or slow to load these days because of heavy traffic.

Student Jennifer Lim, 17, who subscribed to the feed yesterday, said: 'I like the updates, they sound friendly and are fun to read.'

A particular tweet that got netizens talking read: 'Three hour PSI at 1 pm was 72 and at 2 pm its 67. Fallen sumore.. :)'.

Not all netizens appreciate the light touch.

Teacher Adeline Kwah, 32, said: 'I appreciate the enthusiasm, but they need to take themselves a bit more seriously.'

In general though, Singaporeans appreciate the effort taken to keep them in the loop.

Office manager Yeo Way Loon, 35, said: 'It's really great they are doing this. We know when to stay in and when to step out.'

For those who prefer more official-sounding haze information, the NEA offers other information channels.

On top of its website and Twitter page twitter.com/NEAsg, it has two other websites - www.weather.gov.sg and weather.nea.gov.sg

Both give hourly updates on the PSI, with the second even offering a mobile edition for those who surf the web on their mobile phones.

Those who would rather hear the information may call either 1800-2255 632 or 6542-7788.

It's frustrating, but life goes on
Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

WORRIED COACH

'I really hope the haze blows over soon because it's becoming quite worrying. It's quite frustrating because there's really nothing anyone can do about it.'

Tennis coach Julian Wong, 26. One of his young students did not show up for class yesterday afternoon because of a respiratory ailment.

TOUGH TO DRIVE

'Visibility is worse in the early morning than during the day. I could barely see 30m in front of me compared with the usual 100m.'

Mr Ramdass Nathan, 41, who runs a minibus and coach company and does some of the driving himself, picking up tourists between 4am and 7am from Changi Airport daily

COME HAZE OR SHINE...

'Life goes on for me. Whether haze or no haze, I'll still come to work every day as it keeps me occupied and strong. If I am too concerned with the haze and stay indoors all the time, I'll be bored to death at home.'

Hotel Rendezvous doorman Chu Chee Ong, 85, who worked his usual 7am-to-3pm shift yesterday

CAN'T STAY AT HOME

'I've been a cobbler for seven years, and this is the first time the haze has been bad enough for me to notice. But I'm not staying home even if it gets worse. Business needs to be done, money needs to be earned.'

Cobbler Chia Ah Kuan, 71, has been drinking more water to keep throat irritation at bay

Haze: Time for Jakarta to act
As the linchpin of Asean, it should show it has political heft to act
Ben Nadarajan Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

MY REST days from work are usually spent lazing at the pool with a book in one hand and a cold drink in the other.

But on Wednesday, the air outside my apartment smelled worse than an incinerator. I stayed indoors.

As a child, I had a neighbour who burned incense outside a common staircase that we shared, forcing his neighbours to inhale smoky air. After suffering in silence for a long time, we eventually appealed to them to stop, but to no avail. We rang the condominium management. After repeated calls, our neighbours finally changed their habits, burning their incense at a more open area at the foot of the block.

The neighbour creating the smoky pall choking your lungs, reddening your eyes and irritating your nose now is much, much bigger. And with much more resources, although it seems unable to act decisively to curb the burning.

The haze has become an annual affair for Indonesia's immediate neighbours, Malaysia and Singapore, since 1997, when the south-westerly winds first brought the haze to Singapore. The thick smog is caused by the burning of forests and peat land in Indonesia to clear the way for crops.

There have been numerous calls over the years for Jakarta to stop or control plantation owners and farmers from applying slash-and-burn methods. In 2002, the Asean agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution was inked to tackle the haze, with a suggestion to set up a regional centre for speedy response to the haze.

Eight years on, Indonesia - a major air polluter in the region - remains the only Asean country not to sign the agreement, because its Parliament has not agreed to ratify the pact.

In return for signing the pact, Indonesia wants Asean neighbours to help fight illegal logging and the smuggling of such logs to nearby countries. It claims that logging is the root cause of forest burning, but its Asean neighbours do not want to curb that as it benefits them.

But Indonesia, as a heavyweight power in its own right, should rise above such tactics, and act responsibly. In any case, its neighbours have repeatedly offered firefighting planes and personnel to help curb the mass burning that causes the haze. Singapore this week repeated its offer to assist in firefighting efforts, as has Kuala Lumpur.

Indonesia is set to take over chairmanship of Asean in January. It is the only Asean country in the G-20 group of the world's top economies. Yet, on the haze issue, its response has been notable for the lack of leadership and the abdication of responsibility, denting its standing.

At United Nations-led climate talks in Copenhagen last year, Jakarta came under fire from environmental activists for not doing enough to protect its rainforests. It has barely taken note of the criticisms.

Indonesia's State Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta did not attend an Asean meeting on the haze pact in Brunei last week, though he was there to attend the environment ministers meeting.

Jakarta's response to complaints from Singapore and Malaysia about the haze - the worst since 2006 - has been so blase as to seem downright offensive.

Its government spokesman has even pointed the finger at alleged hot spots in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, at a press conference yesterday, called it a 'controlled problem'.

Mr Gusti too said that people in Indonesia were more accustomed to the haze, unlike in Singapore, though he did confirm that the haze had originated in Indonesia.

Adding insult to injury, one spokesman even said: 'It has been only a week of smoke but people are already making so much noise. What about all the oxygen that (Indonesia) supplies to them during the rest of the year?'

Indonesia is blessed with vast natural resources, including its rainforests. Being endowed with such resources requires Indonesians to behave as responsible stewards on behalf of all humanity. They must safeguard their rainforests, in particular, not burn them at will.

To be fair, Jakarta has taken some steps towards curbing the problem. There are fewer hot spots reported in recent years compared to a decade ago. Tougher laws were put in place last year against illegal fire-starters. Indonesia also leased two Russian firefighting planes to put out the forest fires a few years ago. It is a mammoth task monitoring plantations spread over vast tracts of land. The dense jungle makes accessibility, let alone enforcement, difficult.

Officials say they are leaving the local authorities to enforce the no-burn policy. But the local authorities lack the resources to deal with the problem.

The central government cannot be let off the hook. Not when its inaction is causing health problems and hardship to millions in the region.

Already, irate Singaporeans are wistfully wishing for a change in wind direction so as to blow the haze towards Jakarta, in the hope the Indonesian government will then take the problem more seriously.

But at the end of the day, things will change if, and when, Jakarta realises that it would benefit Indonesia more than it would cost it, to do something.

This is where Asean leaders need to put pressure on Jakarta. Calls for Indonesia to do more are repeated almost every year, to little effect. Some additional censure from the severely affected countries - Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand - is in order. It's difficult to think kindly of the wonders of Asean consensus when a grey pall blocks out the sun, the smell of soot is in the air and even a brisk walk sends you gasping, looking for shelter indoors.

The international community can also step in to apply pressure, since forest burning clearly contributes to climate change. When the haze issue was raised by Singapore at the UN General Assembly meeting in 2006, Indonesian officials took offence and said it was an attempt to embarrass Indonesia in front of the world. Its Industry Minister boycotted a joint economic development meeting with Singapore in protest.

Indonesia is the linchpin of Asean. Its neighbours, including Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, acknowledge that. But being primus inter pares also entails responsibility. If Jakarta values its ties with its neighbours, as much as they do with it, then it should show both Asean and the international community that it has the political heft to act on the haze.

That would provide the only glimmer of sunshine in this grey pall.

Read more!

Haze: Air quality in Johor still bad

Loh Foon Fong The Star 22 Oct 10;

PETALING JAYA: The air quality in areas around Pasir Gudang, Larkin and Kota Tinggi in Johor is still at unhealthy levels while Muar and Malacca recorded an improvement.

Department of Environment director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibarahim said that the Air Pollutant Index (API) in those unhealthy areas were above 100.

She said the situation in Malacca had improved to moderate level similar to the situation in Muar.

“Our Ministry (Natural Resources and the Environment) has written to the Environment Ministry in Indonesia to express our concern and has urged them to take the necessary action,” she told The Star Friday.

The AFP reported Friday that Indonesia had sent hundreds of fire fighters to Sumatra island to battle blazes that have enveloped Singapore and parts of Malaysia in a choking haze.

Many of the fires across Sumatra had been lit by small landholders to clear trees in peatland areas in order to grow oil palm or other crops, it said.

“We have been making efforts to contain the fires. It’s very difficult in the peatland areas,” Forestry Minister Zulkilfi Hasan told reporters.

On whether the Ministry could compel the Government there to stop smallholders’ burning practices, once and for all, since Malaysia and neighbouring countries have been suffering from the haze problem every year, Rosnani said the Malaysian Government could not compel another country to do that but could only request.

“However, we must also realise that Indonesia is big country and it is not easy to monitor,” she said.

Rosnani said the haze problem had not worsened but had improved slightly through the years.

It was not as bad as the 1997 haze that sharply reduced visibility, she said.


Hospitals on ‘haze standby’
The Star 23 Oct 10;

YONG PENG: Government hospitals and clinics have been told to be on standby to treat more people with haze related-illnesses if the air quality remains poor.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the haze, which appeared in the past few days, had caused some people especially in Muar to have cough, eye irritation, asthma and respiratory illnesses.

“We have been told that the dry spell is expected to continue until the end of the month. So, we may have to be ready to treat more people especially those seeking outpatient treatment,” he told reporters after attending a ground-breaking ceremony for a RM33mil health clinic here yesterday.

Liow said cloud seeding would have to be carried out if the dry spell persisted.

“At the moment, the areas where the Air Pollutant Index (API) was above 100 in Johor yesterday included Larkin, Pasir Gudang and Kota Tinggi,” he said, urging the public to take precautionary measures including wearing masks, washing their hands often, drinking more water and also bathing regularly.

“We are also distributing posters and leaflets to the public about the precautionary measures,” he said, adding that the haze was due to about 300 hotspots in Indonesia.

“We have offered our assistance. We are working with the Asean secretariat to resolve the problem.”

In Petaling Jaya, Department of Environment director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibarahim said the situation in Malacca had improved to moderate level, similar to the condition in Muar.

She said the haze problem had slightly improved through the years.

“It has not been as bad as the one in 1997 when visibility was so poor,” she told The Star yesterday.

She also said the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry had written to its counterpart in Indonesia to express concern over the matter.

“However, we must also realise that Indonesia is a big country and it is not easy to monitor,” she said.

Help prevent haze, Jakarta told
Sim Bak Heng and Desmond Davidson New Straits Times 22 Oct 10;

JOHOR BARU: The deteriorating air quality in southern Johor caused by indiscriminate slash and burn farming practice in Indonesia has irked politicians and the business community here and they want the Indonesian authorities to address the issue urgently.

The air quality here, in Pasir Gudang and Kota Tinggi breached unhealthy levels yesterday, with the air pollutant index (API) at 109, 113 and 107 respectively.

Pasir Gudang, the largest industrial zone in the south, had the highest API reading in the country on Thursday at 91

API reading in other parts of the country was either good or moderate yesterday.

BN Johor Baru youth division chairman Khalid Mohamad criticised the Indonesian authorities for failing to control the forest burning, which brought a huge mass of haze to the peninsula annually.

"This affects our health and economy as our people are getting sick and tourists cancel their holiday plans to come here.

"The most annoying thing is that the haze comes every year without fail. Enough is enough, we will submit a memorandum to the Indonesian consulate here next week," he said.

The annual haze usually occurs in either May, June or July, but it came as late as mid-October this year.

What brings the haze across the Straits of Malacca is the on-going south-west monsoon.

MCA Johor Baru division chairman Kua Song Tuck hoped the Indonesian authorities would understand that they were the main cause of the haze problem faced by Malaysians now.

"The slash and burn farming practice has become an unfailing norm every year because of the lack of preventive measures and enforcement carried out by the Indonesian authorities.

"I hope Indonesia will be sincere in addressing the problem quickly," he said.

Johor Tourist Guides Association chairman Jimmy Leong said the tourism sector was badly hit during the haze period every year, with tour cancellations or postponements of up to 50 per cent.

"The situation now is not alarming yet. But if the haze worsens, all tourism-related sectors will be badly affected as in the past," he said.

Johor Indian Businessmen Association chairman P. Sivakumar said Indian traders who operate stalls selling festive goods in conjunction with the coming Deepavali were severely affected as very few were willing to go out to shop, even at night.

Pasir Gudang MP Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin said he was monitoring the situation in his constituency with the Department of Environment daily.

He advised the people in his constituency to reduce all outdoor activities especially those with respiratory and heart problems.

"While the situation in the next few days could be unpredictable, what the people could do is to put on face masks for protection," he said.

In Kuching, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah said he and his officers were surprised at the haze which hit parts of Johor this week.

He said they were bracing for "heavier rain than usual" because that was the forecast for the coming season.

"Based on reports from the Meteorological Department and the ministerial steering committee on trans-boundary haze, heavier rain than usual was to be expected from this month until early next year.

"(So) we were preparing for a more wet season," he told reporters when inspecting a flood mitigation project at Sungai Lajim in Kampung Bandarshah that had fallen behind schedule.

However, Uggah does not believe the haze would get any worse.

He said cloud seeding operations in hard-hit areas of Johor had already been conducted and the latest report showed the number of hot spots in Sumatra had reduced.

"We hope the rain will come soon. If the situation in Sumatera is not very serious, then other states in the peninsula will not be affected."


Smuggling activities at sea thwarted by poor visibility
The Star 23 Oct 10;

JOHOR BARU: The current haze is expected to make it nearly impossible for smugglers to criss-cross the Malacca Straits if last year’s condition is an indication.

Smugglers find it hard to enter Malaysian waters as the visibility at sea is worse compared to that on land.

The haze poses more danger at sea as there are no structures or lights to aid navigation.

Marine Police Region 2 chief Asst Comm Mohd Khamsani Abdul Rahman said that although there were no smuggling of goods or illegal immigrants during last year’s haze, his personnel were not taking any chances.

“We will still be beefing up patrols,” he said.

ACP Mohd Khamsani said marine police would focus more on several hotspots located along Johor’s south east area of Kota Tinggi where most smuggling cases were reported.

“So far, we have yet to receive any reports on smuggling activities.”

ACP Mohd Khamsani said patrol boats were equipped with modern navigation systems to help officers patrol the sea.

“Our men have been told to take necessary precautions including putting on face masks when they are out there.

Anyone with information on smuggling activities has been urged to contact the authorities at 07-238 1953.

Fishermen stranded in thick haze rescued
New Straits Times 20 Oct 10;

TWELVE fishermen in five boats were rescued five nautical miles off the Sungai Balang coast in Muar on Tuesday.

They were stranded for more than two hours because of thick haze. Visibility was down to 300m.

Sungai Balang Fishermen's Search and Rescue committee chairman Jais Adnan said he received a distress call at 8am and immediately sent out three boats with eight fishermen to look for them.

"The rescue boats used powerful spotlights to cut through the haze, bring the stranded boats together and lead them back to the village," Jais added.

Since the hazy conditions set in last Saturday, he said the rescue team went to the aid of 36 fishermen in 15 boats.

He said traditional fishermen used mountains, the position of the sun and lighthouses to guide them home.

So, they can easily lose their way in hazy conditions.

Fisherman Omar Atan, who led one of the rescue boats, said hazy conditions were a grave danger to fishermen working in the busy Straits of Malacca.

He said fishermen could hear the honking of passing vessels but could not see the vessels until they came very close to their boats.

"I urge fishermen to light up their boats during the day to avoid mishaps."

Muar-Batu Pahat Fishermen's Association vice-president Tan Yong Hwee said fishermen and their boats were put on standby so that they could take part in rescue operation if they did not go out to sea. -- By Chong Chee Seong

Muar schools reopen as air quality improves
Hazlin Hassan, Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: Schools in Muar reopened yesterday as the air quality improved over the town and the haze shifted to other parts of Johor Baru.

Muar's air pollutant index (API) dropped to a moderate 69 at 5pm, a huge decline from the hazardous 437 recorded on Wednesday.

The air quality in Malacca, the town closest to Muar which was also hit by the haze on previous days, improved as well, with the API dropping from 111 on Wednesday to 54.

But readings taken in the coastal area of Pasir Gudang and the town of Larkin in Johor Baru yesterday climbed to unhealthy levels of 110, while Kota Tinggi recorded 98.

An API of over 301 is considered hazardous. A 0 to 50 reading is healthy; 51 to 100 moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; and 201 to 300, very unhealthy.

Muar-Batu Pahat Fishermen's Association vice-president Tan Yong Hwee said fishermen have not been able to go out to sea this week.

'The source of the haze has to be tackled quickly. Fishermen have lost their source of income,' he said.

While the haze has caused some unhappiness among those living in the affected towns and cities, a Muar resident who wanted to be known only as Ms Julia, said that not many realised that this year's haze had reached hazardous levels, as they were used to the annual haze.

'Muar is affected every year, but this is the worst I have experienced in 10 years,' she told The Straits Times. 'Some residents are angry because it is a yearly thing, but at the same time it has become a norm for us.'

Creative writer Amirul Patrick, 27, who works in Muar, noted: 'Malaysians are very patient. Indonesians are causing a lot of trouble for us and yet we have not taken to protesting on the streets.'

The Malaysian government has written to Indonesian ministers and officials expressing concern over the haze and also to offer its help.

But Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said that Kuala Lumpur will not issue a protest note to Jakarta. 'We hope Indonesia will take immediate action before the haze gets worse,' he said.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysia was in touch with the Asean Secretariat, which was helping to establish a response.

'We are getting the Asean Secretariat to coordinate a regional response to tackle the haze situation, which could worsen if the forest fires are not put out,' he told the French news agency, AFP.

Read more!

Indonesia Starts Fighting Fires

Armando Siahaan, Fidelis E Satriastanti & Budi Otmansyah Jakarta Globe 23 Oct 10;

Jakarta. After complaints from neighboring countries, Indonesia is finally acting to contain forest and ground fires widely blamed for a thick haze of smoke that has blanketed parts of the region this week.

However, the country is declining immediate offers of help from Singapore and Malaysia, two countries affected by the haze, saying provincial authorities are dealing with the fires.

Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said Forestry Ministry firefighters were already in Riau, in the central part of Sumatra, working with local communities to put out fires.

Riau is the province where most of the forest and ground fires are believed to be burning.

Gusti’s deputy for environmental damage control, Arief Yuwono, said that if local governments proved incapable of dealing with the fires, “then we will declare a national emergency.” 

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Finally Some Action to Contain It
Armando Siahaan, Fidelis E Satriastanti & Budi Otmansyah Jakarta Globe 22 Oct 10;

Jakarta. Indonesia is finally acting to contain a thick haze blanketing the region following complaints from its neighbors.

Officials from Malaysia and Singapore this week called on Jakarta to deal with the sources of the smoke and offered to help with the effort. The two countries have been affected by smoke drifting across from Sumatra.

“We have our own system, the BNPB [National Agency for Disaster Management], to deal with forest fires,” the deputy minister for environmental damage control, Arief Yuwono, said on Friday.

“It will be handled by the provincial government but if it’s too big then we will declare a national emergency.”

He spoke soon after Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said Forestry Ministry firefighters were already in Riau working with local communities to put out the fires.

“The fires have been occurring in Bengkalis district in Riau province and if we look at the map, it is close to Singapore,” Gusti said in answer to complaints from Singapore that smoke from Indonesia had covered the island republic in a thick haze.

Indonesian television showed a wall of gray smoke rising from plantations and forests in Sumatra, while the city of Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau, was choked with haze.

Arief claimed the sources of the fires had not yet been determined.

“We will conduct a thorough investigation into this because if it’s occurring outside forest areas then we will take legal moves,” he said.

However, it is generally believed most of the fires are the result of the outlawed practice of land clearing by burning.

Under the 2009 Law on Environmental Management and Protection, using fires to clear land is prohibited.

Despite of the law, weak enforcement in the face of a lack of funding and personnel has led to the continuing use of the practice by farmers preparing land for new crops or large plantations opening or clearing land.

The smoke could also come from burning or smoldering peat bogs, which abound in Sumatra and are hard to douse, or from burning subterranean coal seams.

Forest and ground fires are common during the dry season in Indonesia or toward the end of the season as farmers and planters begin to prepare new crops for the rainy season.

Marzuki, the chief analyst at the Pekanbaru meteorology office, said the hot spots, areas of high temperatures detected by satellite imaging, were centered in the Riau districts of Rokan Hilir, Bengkalis and Dumai.

It was smoke from these fires, he said, that was being swept by winds toward Malaysia and Singapore.

“The wind is moving at between 7 and 25 kilometers per hour from south to the north, causing smoke to fill Sumatra’s atmosphere,” he added.

Gusti said his Singaporean counterpart, Yaacob Ibrahim, had offered assistance in dealing with the fires during a phone conversation on Thursday.

Malaysia’s natural resources and environment minister, Douglas Uggah Embas, said he had also written to urge his Indonesian counterpart “to take appropriate action to mitigate the problem” and to offer help to put out the fires.

But the government has not always accepted the assistance.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said he had told his Singaporean counterpart, George Yeo, that haze was a “transboundary challenge” and that countries in the region “should be working hand in hand to address the particular challenge.”

Yeo said the haze was causing a significant increase in health problems.

“Minister Yeo informed Minister Marty that the PSI went over 100 yesterday and cases of respiratory problems including asthma had increased significantly,” the Foreign Ministry said.

A reading above 100 on Singapore’s PSI, or pollution standards index, is considered unhealthy.

Marty said Indonesia had not had a major haze problem in the past four years.

“The effort the Indonesian government has undertaken during that time has worked,” he said.

Noor Hidayat, director of forest control at the Forestry Ministry, said: “We have done our best to minimize the forest fires in those areas. But the law enforcement is weak.

“I think the law enforcement apparatus must work harder and tougher and crack down on the people who did this. Shock therapy is needed here.”

Massive forest and ground fires in Sumatra and Borneo, compounded by the El Nino weather phenomenon, cast a choking haze over the region in 1997-98, causing health and traffic hazards in several countries.

Government says haze from Indonesia,blames traditional farmers
Adianto P. Simamora and Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post 23 Oct 10;

In an about face, the government says that fires set by Indonesian farmers in Bengkalis, Riau province, are behind the haze new blanketing Singapore and Malaysia.

Most of the fires were set by farmers practicing slash and burn agriculture, Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said Friday at a press conference in Jakarta.

“Singapore tends to make noise quickly if pollution levels even slightly exceed tolerable standards, even though this is still common in Indonesia,” Gusti said.

Singaporean Environment and Water Resources Minister Yacoob Ibrahim asked Indonesia to intensify actions to tackle the fires, Gusti said.

The Malaysian government also sent a complaint by facsimile, demanding that Indonesia take action to stop the fires, Gusti added.

Singapore and Malaysia both offered Indonesia assistance.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa spoke with Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo over the telephone Friday morning.

Marty said that haze was not only a problem that affected Singapore, but affected other countries as well, including Indonesia.

“Haze is not a problem that can be solved by one country alone,” Marty told reporters during a press conference at the Foreign Ministry.

It was important for all countries in the region to overcome the transboundary problem together, he said, welcoming Singapore’s offer of assistance.

Gusti said that the Environment Ministry had recorded 61 hot spots in Bengkalis on Oct. 20 but only six hot spots on Friday.

On Thursday, the Forestry Ministry rejected claims by Singapore and Malaysia that the haze came from Indonesia.

Forestry Ministry spokesman Masyud said that there should be an assessment on the source of haze since fires had also been detected in other countries, including Malaysia, on the same day.

On Oct. 19, the Forestry Ministry recorded 37 hot spots in Riau province; 19 in Myanmar; 13 in Serawak, Malaysia; and 10 in the Philippines.

Masyud said that the wind direction should be determined when trying to identify the source of haze afflicting Singapore and Malaysia.

Environmental Ministry deputy minister for environmental damage control Arief Yuwono said that a team from Jakarta would leave for Bengkalis to verify the source of the fires.

“We want to ensure whether fires occurred inside or outside forests and to ascertain if [the fires] were due to local farmers or plantations operating in the area,” he told reporters after the press conference.

Gusti said his office would take legal action if the 2009 Environment Law had been violated.

The ministry, which is the country’s lead agency for forest fires, targeted a 20 percent reduction in fire hot spots this year as part of a climate change mitigation program.

Gusti said that the ministry had reduced the occurrence of hot spots by 80 percent this year when compared to 2009.

“With the fires in Riau, the reduction of fire hot spots will still be at least 50 percent this year,” he said.

The government previously named 10 fire-prone provinces, including Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, North Sumatra, Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan.

At the last meeting of ASEAN environment ministers to discuss regional fires — which was held in Kuching, Malaysia, in July — Gusti said that he received a warm welcome from other officials due to the decline in hot spots.

Indonesia is the only ASEAN member state not to endorse an ASEAN agreement on transboundary haze pollution aimed reducing forest fires and combating haze pollution.

Indonesia can't fight haze alone: Jakarta Minister
Lynn Lee Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

JAKARTA: Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa yesterday said that controlling the land fires on Sumatra was a priority for his country, but stressed that fighting the haze could not be done by Indonesia alone.

He emphasised that the haze was a transnational problem, requiring cooperation from countries in the region.

His comments came after Singapore and Malaysia pressed Indonesia to take action on the haze. Smoke caused by small landowners burning peatland in order to grow oil palm or other crops has in recent days shrouded parts of Malaysia and Singapore.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo had called Mr Marty at 9am yesterday to express concern over the haze, and reiterated that Singapore stood ready to help Indonesia put out some of the fires in Sumatra.

His phone call followed a similar one by Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim to his Indonesian counterpart Gusti Muhammad Hatta on Thursday night.

According to the Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr Marty thanked Mr Yeo for calling him, assured him that Indonesia would address the haze problem and added that many Indonesians in Sumatra were also affected.�

'Minister Yeo and Minister Marty agreed that bilateral cooperation had helped reduce the haze problem in the last three years and can ameliorate the current situation despite the dry weather,' the ministry said.

Meeting local and foreign reporters in the afternoon, Mr Marty said: 'What I want to emphasise is that the haze is a classic example of a challenge that is transboundary in nature and that cannot be solved simply by one country.

'Countries in the region should be working hand-in-hand in addressing this particular problem or challenge.'

However, he did not elaborate on the steps needed to be taken.

His ministry holds regular briefings for reporters on Fridays, though he does not always attend. Mr Marty turned up yesterday to talk about an Asean summit in Hanoi next week.

He also recounted his morning conversation with Mr Yeo, describing the talk as part of their regular communications.

'During the course of that general conversation, we exchanged views about developments with respect to the haze that is affecting some countries in the region. Naturally, Minister George Yeo expressed his government's concern,' he said.

He said that he had mentioned to Mr Yeo that the haze was affecting not just Singapore, but also Indonesians in Riau province.

Hundreds of hot spots had been detected throughout the province in recent weeks, although officials said the number had dropped to under 10 yesterday.

Mr Marty said this year's haze should be seen as an 'exception to the norm', noting that Indonesia had not had land fires of the current scale in the last three or four years.

This showed that the country's efforts to stamp out land clearance by burning - some of which were supported by foreign countries - had worked, he said.

'Now the fact that the haze has returned should be taken within the context of the success of the recent past,' he said. 'We must ensure that the... avoidance of such a situation becomes the norm, and the situation we have now becomes the exception to the rule.'

Mr Marty said he would also convey Singapore's offer of help to fight the fires to Professor Gusti.

He also said that in his conversation with Mr Yeo, he had compared the current haze problem to recent wildfires in Russia. In August, acrid smog engulfed the Russian capital, Moscow, after a heatwave sparked fires in forests and peat bogs outside the city which took weeks to put out.

Said Mr Marty: 'If we look at the case of Moscow, even in a metropolitan area like this it is difficult to control the fires, what more in such a vast place like Indonesia.'

More firefighters sent to battle blazes
Government officials say they will seek foreign help if necessary
Lynn Lee Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

Amid rising pressure to get the land and forest fires in Sumatra under control, Indonesian government officials yesterday stressed that they were doing the best they could, including sending more firefighters to battle the blazes.

They also said they would seek foreign help if necessary.

State Minister for the Environment Gusti Muhammad Hatta confirmed that the smoke had come from fires in Bengaklis regency in Riau province.

Officials from his ministry had on Thursday said that the haze enveloping the region could have been caused by fires elsewhere.

Deputy Minister for Environmental Communication and People's Empowerment Ilyas Asaad was reported by the Jakarta Post as saying that the ministry had not found any significant increase in hot spots in Riau or other provinces, while the Forestry Ministry had also rejected claims that the haze originated in Indonesia.

Yesterday, Prof Gusti said his ministry had already reached out to provincial and district authorities to get them to control the burning.

'The areas are so vast and some of our farmers are still using the traditional slash-and-burn method. We're trying to reduce the incidence of this, but it's not easy,' he told reporters.

Separately, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan noted that fires in peatland areas were especially difficult to extinguish.

Some 300 firefighters have been sent to the worst-affected areas in Sumatra, according to the Forestry Ministry's fire chief Noor Hidayat.

Many of the haze-causing fires have been started by landholders trying to clear peatland of trees, so that they can grow oil palm or other crops. The fires clear the land quickly and effectively reduce the acidity of peat soil, preparing it for agriculture, reports have noted.

But these fires not only release huge amounts of carbon into the air - contributing to greenhouse gases - but also produce a thick haze that gets blown over by prevailing winds to neighbouring countries Singapore and Malaysia.

As peat soil is made up of decomposed plant material, peat fires burn easily. They are also hard to extinguish, as they can smoulder underground and resurface.

Activists have said that while landholders could be clearing the land for their own farms, many were also paid by plantation owners to do so.

Reports have also noted that these owners could be palm oil developers looking to increase their plantation area before next year, when Indonesia intends to impose a two-year moratorium on new permits to clear natural forests.

The proposed ban is part of Indonesia's efforts to combat climate change by reducing its own emissions.

But officials and observers say that it will be hard to enforce. Even the current ban on clearing land by fire has not been thoroughly enforced in provinces far away from the capital.

'We have done our best to minimise the forest fires in those areas. But the law enforcement is weak,' Mr Noor, the forest fire chief was quoted as saying by Reuters Television.

'I think law enforcement apparatus must work harder and tougher towards people who did this. Shock therapy is needed here.'

Activists yesterday also complained that not enough information was being given to the public on the location and size of the fires.

Mr Arif Juwono, a deputy minister at the Environment Ministry, yesterday told reporters that investigations into the cause of the recent fires were still under way. A team had been sent to check and would be followed by more officials from Jakarta today, he said.

'These teams are the technical teams that will help prevent further fires and teams that will look at any possible breach of law. We will see what the results of this are, and we will find out whether the fires are in plantation areas or outside of it,' he added.

Prof Gusti, who had spoken to his Singapore counterpart, Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim on Thursday night, said Indonesia was grateful for Singapore's offer of help in controlling the fires.

But he felt Indonesia could handle the matter on its own for now, he added.

Elaborating on this point, Mr Arif said that the provinces that were prone to fires were aware that if they were unable to control the burning, they would have to ask the national body for disaster management for help.

At that point, this organisation would then assess if more resources or help from foreign countries was needed, he said.

Hotspots in Riau to blame
Straits Times 24 Oct 10;

JAKARTA - THE haze-causing hot spots in Indonesia were centred on the Rokan Hilir, Bengkalis and Dumai districts of Riau, not far across the Strait of Malacca from Singapore, an Indonesian official said.

It was the smoke from fires in these areas that was swept by winds towards Malaysia and Singapore, according to chief analyst Marzuki at the meteorology office in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province in Sumatra. Last week, that smoke caused the most choking haze in the region since 2006.

'The wind is moving at between 7kmh and 25kmh from the south to the north, causing smoke to fill Sumatra's atmosphere,' the Jakarta Globe yesterday reported him saying.

It added that Indonesian television showed Pekanbaru choked with haze and a wall of grey smoke rising from plantations and forests in Sumatra.

State Minister for the Environment Gusti Muhammad Hatta said that Forestry Ministry firefighters were already in Riau working with communities there to put out fires.

His deputy for environmental damage control, Mr Arief Yuwono, said that if local governments could not deal with the fires, 'we will declare a national emergency'. Yesterday, however, the haze that has hovered over parts of Johor and Malaccca for several days eased, Malaysian officials said, while sounding a note of caution as the burning persisted in Indonesia.

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Hundreds sent to battle Indonesian forest fires

AFP Google News 22 Oct 10;

JAKARTA — Indonesia has sent hundreds of firefighters to battle blazes on Sumatra island that have enveloped Singapore and Malaysia in a choking haze, senior officials said on Friday.

Dozens of fires were still burning across Sumatra on Thursday -- many lit by small landholders to clear trees from areas of peatland in order to grow oil palm or other crops.

Indonesia's forest fire chief Noor Hidayat said about 300 extra firefighters had been sent to the worst-affected area, Sumatra's Riau province, which lies opposite Singapore across the Malacca Strait.

"We have been making efforts to contain the fires. It's very difficult in the peatland areas," Forestry Minister Zulkilfi Hasan told reporters.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo telephoned his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa Friday to express the city state's concerns about severe air pollution, and offer help in controlling the fires.

Natalegawa "assured minister Yeo that Indonesia would address the haze problem, adding that many Indonesians in Sumatra are also affected," the Singapore foreign ministry statement said.

"This so-called haze situation is a classic case or example of a challenge that is trans-boundary in nature that cannot be solved simply by one country," Natalegawa said.

"It must be recalled that we have not had a similar case for more than three or four years," Natalegawa said, referring to previous success in the attempt to curb haze.

Malaysia has also been hit by the problem, which peaked on Sunday when 351 hotspots were recorded on Sumatra, but air travel has so far remained normal in all three countries.

The haze issue has resurfaced ahead of a summit meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders in Hanoi next week.

Malaysian Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysia was in touch with the secretariat of ASEAN, which was helping establish a response.

"We are getting the ASEAN secretariat to coordinate a regional response to tackle the haze situation, which could worsen if the forest fires are not put out," he told AFP.

The most severe outbreak of haze took place in 1997-1998, when widespread fires caused nine billion dollars in economic, social and environmental damage, according to ASEAN.

Jakarta has outlawed land-clearing by fire but weak law enforcement means the ban is largely ignored in Indonesian provinces.

"Their weakest points are enforcement of the laws and lack of transparency," Joko Arif, Southeast Asia forest team leader at environmental group Greenpeace told AFP.

He said not enough information was being given to the public on the location and size of forest fires.


Indonesian haze increases Singapore health problems
Nopporn Wong-Anan Reuters 22 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Smoky haze hanging over Singapore from fires set in Indonesia was causing a significant increase in health problems, Singapore said on Friday, as it offered its neighbour help to put the blazes out.

Malaysia has also blamed the worst air pollution in the region since 2006 on the fires which an Indonesian official said were set deliberately to clear land for farming.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo telephoned his Indonesian counterpart, Marty Natalegawa, to express concern about the haze and to reiterated Singapore's readiness to help.

"Minister Yeo informed Minister Marty that the PSI went over 100 yesterday and cases of respiratory problems including asthma had increased significantly," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

A reading above 100 on Singapore's PSI, or pollution standards index, is considered unhealthy.

The fires and smoke pollution are a regular occurence and can scare off tourists and disrupt transport, leading to strains in generally good ties in the region.

But Indonesia, the world's top palm oil producer which has a history of weak forestry law enforcement, appears unable to do anything about the problem.

Yeo's call came a day after Singapore's environment minister, Yaacob Ibrahim, spoke with his Indonesian counterpart, Gusti Hatta, urging Jakarta "to allocate the necessary resources, and implement timely and effective measures to solve the haze situation".

The haze, which started this week, is caused by fires lit to clear land for palm oil plantations on Sumatra.

"We have done our best to minimise the forest fires in those areas. But the law enforcement is weak," said Noor Hidayat, director of forest control at Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry.

"I think law enforcement apparatus must work harder and tougher towards people who did this. Shock therapy is needed here," Hidayat told Reuters Television.

"OPEN BURNING"

Indonesian television showed a wall of grey smoke rising from plantations and forest in Sumatra while the city of Pekanbaru was choked with haze.

Illegal land clearing by palm oil developers is common in Indonesia. Fires clear land quickly and reduce the acidity of peat soil, but release vast amounts of greenhouse gases.

The fires come ahead of an Indonesian plan to impose a two-year moratorium on new permits to clear natural forest from 2011 as planters are looking to expand plantations on the back of rising prices.

Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas told Reuters he had also written to urge his Indonesian counterpart "to take appropriate action to mitigate the problem" and to offer help to put out the fires.

Malaysian Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai added: "We know that there is open burning in Indonesia so we hope that Indonesia can take some measures to reduce open burning."

Air quality on Friday had improved with better visibility in both Singapore and Malaysia. In Singapore, the pollution level was judged "moderate," after an "unhealthy" level on Thursday while many schools in the Malysian town of Muar reopened.

The haze returned to the region less than a week after Southeast Asia's environment ministers met in Brunei to address the problem of fires.

The worst haze in the region was in 1997-98, when drought caused by the El Nino weather pattern led to major Indonesian fires. The smoke spread to Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand and cost more than $9 billion in damage to tourism, transport and farming.

(Additional reporting by Heru Asprihanto in Indonesia, Y-Sing Liau in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Q+A: Why has Southeast Asia's haze returned?
Nopporn Wong-Anan Reuters AsiaOne 22 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE - Fires set off to clear forest illegally on Indonesia's Sumatra island are sending clouds of haze across the Malacca Strait to neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, causing the worst air pollution since 2006.

Apart from being a health hazard, the haze can inflict economic costs by scaring off tourists and disrupting transport and farming.

WHY IS IT HAPPENING?

Forest fires are a regular occurrence during the dry season in areas such as the Indonesian island of Sumatra but the situation has been aggravated in recent decades as timber and plantation firms, as well as farmers, start fires to clear land.

Indonesia has a long history of weak forestry law enforcement and illegal land clearing by palm oil developers is common. Fires clear land quickly and reduce the acidity of peatland soil, but they release vast amounts of greenhouse gases into the air.

The fires come ahead of an Indonesian plan to impose a two-year moratorium on new permits to clear natural forest from 2011 as planters are looking to expand plantations on the back of rising prices.

The fires are expected to burn as planters rush to grab land ahead of the moratorium.

Another part of the problem is under ground.

Southeast Asia hosts 60 percent of the world's tropical peatlands, most of it in Indonesia.

Peat soil is made up of decomposed plant material that burns easily.

Peat fires are hard to put out as they can smoulder underground and resurface, and produce thick haze and a high amount of carbon.

Because of weather patterns, smoke from the fires often blows into nearby countries, although Indonesia's own most populous island of Java, where the country's capital, Jakarta, is located, is generally little affected.

HOW BAD IS IT THIS YEAR?

In Singapore, a pollution index rose to an "unhealthy" level on Thursday.

Malaysia's index rose to a "hazardous" level the previous day.

The haze has brought poor visibility for ships in the Malacca Strait, forced hundreds of schools in
Malaysia's southern Johor state to close and shrouded Singapore's regional financial district in mist and smoke.

The situation improved slightly on Friday.

WHEN WAS THE WORST?

The worst haze hit in 1997-98, when drought caused by the El Nino weather pattern led to big Indonesian fires.

The smoke spread to Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand and cost more than US$9 billion in damage to tourism, transport and farming. More than 9 million hectares (22 million acres) of land were burnt, 6.5 million of which were forested areas.

The fire produced an estimated 1 billion to 2 billion tonnes of carbon.

WHAT IS THE REGION TRYING TO DO?

Spurred on by the 1997-98 fires, Southeast Asian countries signed an Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2002, but it has been toothless since Indonesia, the source of most of the smoke, has yet to ratify it.

The pact calls for signatories to work closely in monitoring, mitigating and taking preventive measures in combating transboundary haze.

Government agencies in neighbouring countries have from time to time offered to help Indonesia fight the fires - for example by sending water-dumping aircraft and fire fighters or providing satellite technology to map fires - but Jakarta has not always accepted the help.

WHAT IS THE DIPLOMATIC FALLOUT?

The haze and its health and economic costs can strain the region's generally good ties.

The haze returned less than a week after Southeast Asian environment ministers met in Brunei to address the fires.

For now, Malaysian and Singaporean cabinet ministers have been measured in their response, telling Indonesian counterparts of their concern and offering to help. --REUTERS

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Recycling set to get easier for Singapore residents

More frequent waste collection and more bins
Grace Chua Straits Times 24 Oct 10;

The government will be stepping up the frequency of recyclable waste collection, a move which will hopefully improve the rate of recycling in Singapore.

From next July, landed homes in the Pasir Ris-Tampines area will have their recyclables collected weekly while Housing Board flats will have theirs collected daily, instead of fortnightly.

HDB blocks will also get a recycling bin each, putting to rest the concerns of residents worried about infrequent collection or not having enough bins.

These requirements were part of a National Environment Agency (NEA) tender exercise for waste collection in the Pasir Ris-Tampines sector, which opened in July and closed in August.

The seven-year contract, which industry players believe could set a precedent for future public waste collection contracts here, is expected to be awarded later this year or next year.

An NEA spokesman said in an e-mail message: 'NEA, in consultation with the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore, and taking public feedback into consideration, will be introducing improvements in the new contract, such as enhancing the National Recycling Programme and increasing the penalties for service lapses.'

The new requirements mean collection costs are likely to go up, but the NEA said tender submissions are being carefully assessed for affordability, quality and efficiency.

Singapore is getting serious on recycling in a bid to stop the offshore Semakau landfill, now about an eighth full, from filling up too fast.

Last year, the country generated more than six million tonnes of waste and recycled just 57 per cent of it.

By 2012, it aims to push the recycling rate to 60 per cent and by 2030, to 70 per cent.

Earlier this year, the NEA also asked for experts to study whether measures such as levies for waste disposal, container-refund schemes or mandating certain premises to separate recyclables like food waste and glass, can work to get people to change their habits.

Waste and recycling collection for households here is divided into nine geographical sectors and currently shared by four players - Veolia, Colex, SembWaste and 800 Super Waste Management.

Under the current requirements, household recyclables are collected only once a fortnight. Also, there are only two large, 660 litre bins for every five HDB blocks.

What's more, the current contracts do not stipulate exactly what is to be done with the recyclables.

In the new contract, the mixed recyclables must be sent to a material recovery facility, which is a stepping stone to more specialised recycling plants.

For example, Veolia Environmental Services collects up to 15 tonnes of mixed recyclables a day. Machines, magnets and workers separate these into paper, metals, plastics and glass, to be sent to plants like a glass recycling factory in Malaysia.

Veolia country manager Jerome Baco explained that collecting mixed recyclables does away with the need for residents to painstakingly separate the different types of recyclables from one another, though they still need to separate them from food or organic waste.

Such a system, Mr Baco said, could raise the recycling rate by making recycling more convenient, although he acknowledged that the biggest problem for recycling was contamination by food waste.

But even though more recycling bins are added and less separation of waste needs to be done, residents must also get into the recycling habit, commented National University of Singapore geography professor Victor Savage.

'Change will not come about just by physically or technically putting things in place,' he said.

And if not enough material is picked up, he added, refuse companies will find it hard to turn a profit by selling what they collect.

NUS sustainability researcher Kua Harn Wei agreed, adding that one way to cut food-waste contamination would be to encourage households to recycle their food waste as well, separating it from 'clean' or dry materials like paper and plastic containers.

Residents who will be affected by the new refuse-collection contract had mixed reactions.

Tanah Merah resident Law Xiangqing, 27, welcomed it, but doubted if residents would bother to separate waste from recyclables.

Others, such as Pasir Ris resident John Chua, 35, said more bins would not change their habits. Nor would a slightly higher waste-collection cost, 'as long as it doesn't rise too much'. The cost currently ranges from $4.31 to $7.35 a month for HDB residents and $17.12 to $24.08 for landed-home owners.

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It's a corn job: packing and tableware made from grain

'Green' packaging and tableware, such as plastic plates made from grain, are catching on
Grace Chua & Lester Kok Straits Times 23 Oct 10;

IN THE future, plastic tableware may not be made from oil but from grain, while food cartons and 'paper' plates may be made from agricultural waste, not purpose-grown trees.

Such 'green' packaging and tableware are gaining popularity worldwide. In Singapore, at least five companies have such products, from tableware maker Olive Green to new kid on the block EcoGreen Style which was started just last month.

Abroad, American yogurt maker Stonyfield Farms this month announced it would adopt the plant-based packaging for its cups, while Malaysia's SCGM will begin manufacturing plastic from barley, tapioca and corn for the United States market early next year.

But while production of such greenware does have lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional plastics, it is far from perfect - the energy that goes into growing the raw materials and shipping the products must be taken into account.

There are different types of the so-called greenware.

One type is oxo-biodegradable: It is mainly made of plastic, but contains additives so that it breaks down much faster than conventional plastics, which can take hundreds of years to degrade.

Cake maker Prima Deli uses oxo-biodegradable plastic bags and cake knives, which also contain wheat bran left over from its flour-milling process.

The plastic products, made in collaboration with local start-up Winrigo and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), emit 30 per cent less carbon dioxide in their manufacturing process than normal plastic.

They cost about 10 per cent more than ordinary bags and knives, but Prima is absorbing the cost as it is 'committed to being a socially responsible corporation', said executive director and general manager Lewis Cheng.

Another type is plastic made partly or entirely from plant material, such as Olive Green's 70 per cent-cornstarch plates and BioBag's range of plastic bags and tableware made from corn.

BioBag has been supplying its partyware products to FairPrice and Meidi-ya supermarkets since mid-2009, and recently to Cheers, a convenience store chain. And the National Parks Board (NParks) has been using such cornware along with non-disposable tableware at its events since 2008, said Mr Kong Yit San, chairman of NParks' environment sustainability committee.

A third type is packaging made wholly from agricultural waste, such as Greentree Packaging and EcoGreen Style's food boxes and meal trays, which are constructed of oil-palm fibre.

Compared to styrofoam or plastic, all three types of packaging have distinct advantages.

Besides being a substitute for petroleum, plants capture carbon as they grow, so they release less total carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Fully plant-based packaging can be turned into compost, and oil-palm boxes use agricultural waste that would otherwise have gone into landfill or been incinerated.

While organic waste is seldom composted in Singapore, even if it is incinerated, it does give off fewer toxic gases than styrofoam or plastic, pointed out Eco-Green Style manager Eugene Wong.

But green products come at a cost - an oil-palm box costs about 20 cents more than a plastic box, while oxo-biodegradable bags cost 10 per cent more than normal ones.

On the environmental front, there are several drawbacks.

Plant plastics are not recyclable as they are designed to break down fast. So they contaminate the conventional plastic recycling stream, explained Mr Edwin Khew, head of waste firm IUT Global, which turns food and organic waste into bio-gas for electricity production.

Conservation International Singapore managing director Landy Eng said bio-plastic bags are an innovative step in the right direction, but noted that the plastic bags - which take three years rather than hundreds of years to degrade - can still clog up waterways and float in the oceans, affecting marine life.

And the carbon footprint and sustainability of growing and shipping raw materials must be taken into account, said Mr Eugene Tay, who runs environmental sites under Green Future Solutions. For instance, turning corn into plastic competes with its use for food.

Mr Howard Shaw from the Singapore Environmental Council, which gave a Green Label to Prima's bio-degradable plastics, said: 'It has a smaller carbon footprint. A sizeable proportion of the raw material is non-fossil based. It reduces the use of fossil fuels as a feedstock.'

Wrong about that 'corn job' claim
Straits Times Forum 30 Nov 10;

AS A manufacturer of green disposable tableware, we would like to contribute our knowledge on how an item that is not made from 100 per cent corn can be 100 per cent biodegradable (Mr Randall Tan, "Going green or just a corn job"; Nov 19).

The definition of the term biodegradable is: Capable of being decomposed by biological agents, especially bacteria.

When micro-organisms break down the disposed product, they are not able to differentiate between the 70 per cent corn starch and the 30 per cent plastic, as both the corn and plastic are technologically assimilated together at the beginning of the production process before they are formed into their desired shapes. The entire product will be indiscriminately broken down.

To claim biodegradability, there are certain international standards that have to be fulfilled. These standards are leading benchmarks of this pioneering bioplastics industry.

To claim a distinction or demarcation between corn and plastic within a bioplastic product would be too simplistic a view. There is a wealth of science involved in the bioplastics technology and not just a simple mixing of corn starch and plastic material in a baking tub.

For bioplastic tableware, biodegradability is not one of the criteria for Singapore Environment Council (SEC) to award the Green Label. This label is given based on the fact that the products are primarily made from renewable materials.

Cheryl Leo (Ms)
Marketing & Communications for Olive Green

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