Indonesia: Floods Leave Two Dead, Three Missing in Bandung, West Java

Antara 13 Mar 16;

Jakarta (Antara News)- Floods have left two dead and three others missing in Bandung District, West Java Province, as Citarum River overflowed following incessant heavy rains since Tuesday (March 8).

The downpours caused flooding in 15 regions in Bandung District, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said in a statement, here, on Sunday.

The flood-affected regions are Cicalengka, Rancaekek, Cileunyi, Solokan Jeruk, Majalaya, Ciparay, Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot, Bojongsoang, Pameungpeuk, Banjaran, Arjasri, Cangkuang, Katapang and Kutawaringin.

The flooding forced more than three thousand people to evacuate themselves to higher grounds, and affected some 5,900 families comprising 24 thousand people.

The floodwaters reached a height of between 80 cm to three meters, particularly in villages near the river bank.

The dead victims were Risa, 13, and Ela, 40, who lived in Sawahluhur, Sukasari village, Pameungpeuk Sub-district.

Elas husband and two daughters were missing as the building where they were staying and is located near the river bank, collapsed after being swept away by flash floods.

A joint team of the Bandung Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD) and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) are currently looking for the three missing victims.

The downpours also triggered a landslide in Lemburkebon area, Padasuka village, Kutawaringin Sub-district, Bandung.

The landslide seriously damaged one house, but did not claim any lives.

BNPB Chief Willem Rampangilei has instructed evacuation of the natural disasters victims. They are currently being accommodated in local governments offices, schools and mosques.

The Bandung district head is expected to declare a flood emergency status soon to accelerate the rescue efforts.

On March 2, the BNPB chief told the press that his office recorded floods and landslides in 260 cities and regencies since the beginning of the year and until February 26.

"Forty-six people died in the disasters and 16 sustained injuries, while as many as 1,083,104 people were displaced," Willem Rampangilei stated.

Potatoes cause landslides in Wonosobo, research finds
Arientha Primanita, thejakartapost.com 10 Mar 16;

Potatoes are partly to blame for a recent landslide in Wonosobo, Central Java, as farmers engage in unsafe planting practices that harm the environment to try to reap high prices amid the area's status as Indonesia's largest potato producer, the results of a study revealed on Thursday.

The short potato roots are a major factor in soil erosion leading to landslides in Wonosobo, a study by the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) entitled “Forest Ownership and Management in Indonesia” revealed.

"Domestic potato prices rose an average of 35 percent between 2010 to 2014. Because of this farmers are driven to plant crops that put themselves and surrounding communities at risk," CIPS Trade and Livelihood researcher Hizkia Respatiadi said in a statement sent to thejakartapost.com on Thursday.

Part of the study took part in Wonosobo regency, where Kejajar subdistrict, Dieng Plateau, is the biggest potato producer in the country.

As reported earlier, heavy rain triggered a landslides on Tuesday evening that covered the road connecting Wonosobo to Dieng Plateau.

Dieng Plateau, spanning Wonosobo and Banjarnegara regencies in Central Java, is a popular tourist destination in Central Java that has highlands, beautiful scenery and sacred temples.

The area is the country's biggest producer of potatoes, with most residents working as potato farmers. Potato takes less time to grow -- three months compared to six months for tobacco.

The study found that protectionist trade policies, such as the 2012 Food Law that bans food imports, are driving up domestic food prices.

“We need better incentives through informed trade policies that encourage farmers to grow crops more suited to their environment so that they can earn a decent living without putting their and others' lives at risk,” Hizkia said.

Landslides could be prevented if local communities had rights over their forest resources, the study suggested.

Residents of Buntu village in Wonosobo acknowledged the likelihood of a landslide occurring if state-owned forestry firm Perhutani were to cut down trees located uphill from their homes. Thus, residents must be involved in forest management as they are directly affected by forestry activities.

“Local communities must have secure property rights over forests, because they are the ones who know what will affect their living environments," Hizkia added.

The study shows that local community involvement and ownership of forest resources can improve sustainable forest management. (rin)

Floods submerge 35 thousand houses in Bandung district
Antara 13 Mar 16;

Flood in Baleendah, Bandung District, West Java. (ANTARA FOTO/Fahrul Jayadiputra)
Bandung, W Java (ANTARA News) - Floods triggered by incessant heavy rains and the overflowing of Citarum River, have submerged some 35 thousand houses in the districts of Dayeuhkolot, Baleendah and Bojongsoang in Bandung District, West Java Province.

"This flooding is the worst over the past 10 years. The floodwaters have reached a height of up to 3.3 meters," Coordinator of Bandungs Disaster-Alert Youth, said on the phone, Sunday.

The office of Dayeuhkolot Sub-district administration, which had never been flooded since 20 years ago, is now inundated at a height of 35 cm, he said.

In the meantime, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), said in a statement in Jakarta, on Sunday that the floods left two dead and three others missing in Bandung District.

The dead victims were Risa, 13, and Ela, 40, who lived in Sawahluhur, Sukasari village, Pameungpeuk Sub-district.

Elas husband and two daughters were missing as the building where they were staying and is located near the river bank, collapsed after being swept away by flash floods.

The floods affected 15 regions, namely Cicalengka, Rancaekek, Cileunyi, Solokan Jeruk, Majalaya, Ciparay, Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot, Bojongsoang, Pameungpeuk, Banjaran, Arjasri, Cangkuang, Katapang and Kutawaringin.

The flooding forced more than three thousand people to evacuate themselves to higher grounds, and affected some 5,900 families comprising 24 thousand people.

(F001)

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Indonesia: Yellow-crested cockatoo population shrinks

Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post 11 Mar 16;

Damage to habitats and rampant illegal hunting of the yellow-crested cockatoo in East Nusa Tenggara have been blamed for the decreasing population of the protected birds in the province over past decades.

Bird-watching guide Samuel Rabenak, who is also on the staff of the local branch of non-governmental organization Burung Indonesia, said research conducted in the Mbeliling forest, Komodo National Park, showed that the yellow-crested cockatoo population had continued to decrease.

He said the birds could now only be found in Golo Mori village, Komodo district, West Manggarai regency, Flores. “And there are not many,” Samuel told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

He blamed the condition on damage to their natural habitat, insufficient supply of food in the woods in Flores and uncontrolled illegal hunting of the birds.

He said two days earlier he had guided seven birdwatchers from New Zealand from Labuan Bajo to Kelimutu National Park and they were shocked at locals carrying air guns to shoot the birds around Gorontalo Labuan Bajo.

“The bird has been declared to be on the brink of extinction or critically endangered,” Samuel said.

He suggested that to preserve the protected birds in their natural habitat, the government should promote the replanting of trees that produce food for the birds and ban hunting the birds.

The province was once renowned for its yellow-crested cockatoos, or Keka as the bird is locally known. Before 1985, the birds could be easily found in the region.

Rampant hunting, however, has drastically decreased its population. Local farmers consider the birds enemies because they eat their corn and buckwheat.

Meanwhile, the head of the technical division of the province’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Maman Surahman, said the population of yellow-crested cockatoos in Manipo Recreational Park in Kupang regency was between 25 and 30 while in Harlu Wildlife Reserve in Rote regency there were 30 to 45
of them.

Efforts to protect the birds from illegal hunting, he said, included conducting a periodical inventory and studies on the components of their habitats, such as their hiding, nesting and foraging places.

Rampant hunting, however, has drastically decreased its population. Local farmers consider the birds enemies because they eat their corn and buckwheat.

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Indonesia: Javan hawk-eagles return to Mt. Merapi, population on the rise

Bambang Muryanto, The Jakarta Post 12 Mar 16;

In contrast to the decreasing populations of many rare species across Indonesia, the population of Javan hawk-eagles is increasing in Mount Merapi National Park (TNGM), where they can frequently be spotted circling the volcano.

TNGM forest ecosystem control official Arif Sulfiantoro said that his team had identified three more birds, meaning the park is home to a total of six Javan hawk-eagles.

“In 2014, we recorded only three Javan hawk-eagles in the mountain’s forest conservation area. Now that number has doubled,” Arif The Jakarta Post. “This is incredible news.”

He said that the birds, which are endemic to Java, had been identified by the TNGM research team in two regions. Two were spotted in Plawangan forest in Turgo, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta; the third was located in Kemalang, Klaten regency, Central Java.

Of the six, one is the baby of a couple that nested in Plawangan forest, the only primary forest left on the slopes of Mt. Merapi, near the Kaliurang tourist resort.

Arif said it was possible that the two hawks found in Plawangan forest had come from another forest within TNGM.

“We’re not yet entirely sure where they came from,” he said.

Established in 2004, TNGM covers an area of some 6,410 hectares, straddling four regencies: Sleman in Yogyakarta and Magelang, Klaten and Boyolali in Central Java.

Following the 2010 Mt. Merapi eruptions, the protected species disappeared from TNGM, and no individuals were spotted by the TNGM team until 2011.

In 2012, the team spotted four Javan hawk-eagles, but one went off radar in 2014.

Arif said that identifying the whereabouts of Javan hawk-eagles was difficult because the birds preferred to live in dense primary forest.

They are also shy and often hide behind trees when competitors — black hawks or crested serpent eagles — appear nearby. Other enemies include long-tailed monkeys, who like to steal the hawk’s eggs.

According to Arif, Javan hawk-eagles are easily stressed and reluctant breeders — a female Javan hawk-eagle lays only one egg per year.

In 2013, Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono released a female Javan hawk-eagle in TNGM, but the park’s team have not come across the bird since.

Yogyakarta-based birdwatcher Lim Wen Sin welcomed the news that TNGM now had six Javan hawk-eagles, noting that the national park could ideally only accommodate between eight and 12 individuals.

“Javan hawk-eagles can cover a territory of 1,500 hectares. The birds still have to share space with other predators within a fairly cramped forest,” Lim said.

The main threat to the continued existence of the Javan hawk-eagle is illegal hunting. Four years ago, some 80 were traded online every year. In 2015, with the species in decline, the number traded had fallen to 60.

The IUCN Red List has listed the Javan hawk-eagle as an endangered status since 1994. Ornithologist Bas Van Balen stated in 2012 that the population of the bird across Java stood between 600 and 900.

During the massive eruptions of Mt. Merapi in 2010, hundreds of wild animals that had lived on the slopes of the volcano left the area, their habitats razed by the activity of the world’s most active volcano

Hundreds of long-tailed monkeys from the scorched Plawangan forest were seen moving out of the area, entering residential areas some 15 kilometers down the slopes.

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Indonesia: More reclamation projects challenged in court

Indra Budiari, The Jakarta Post 11 Mar 16;

A lawsuit challenging a Jakarta gubernatorial permit for the construction of artificial islets F, I and K off the city’s northern coast kicked off at the Jakarta State Administrative Court on Thursday with a panel of judges reading out the petition.

In the 38-page petition, a copy of which was made available to The Jakarta Post, fishermen, rights activists and environmentalists claim that the Jakarta governor violated various regulations in issuing the permits and demanded that the court revoke them immediately.

The petitioners believe that the reclamation was carried out without obtaining a preliminary environmental permit as regulated by Law No. 32/2009 on environmental management and protection.

The Jakarta administration is also accused of violating the basic rights of coastal fishermen — as the most affected parties in the artificial islet development projects — to access and manage natural resources in the area. The petitioners said the fishermen’s needs were not being taken into account during the construction.

“Based on Constitutional Court decision No. 3/PUU-VIII/2010, fishermen have a constitutional right to coastal and small island areas,” the petition claims.

On Oct. 22 last year, the city administration issued construction licenses to city-owned PT Jakarta Propertindo for Islet F and to PT Jaladri Eka Paksi for Islet I, and on Nov. 17 to PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol for Islet K. The three islets are part of the 17 man-made islets planned to be built off the city’s northern coast.

Recently, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama announced that he was considering evicting fishermen from the shoreline of North Jakarta and relocating them to the Thousands Islands, saying that they would get better catches in the regency.

The idea, however, has been strongly opposed by the fishermen, who believe that moving to the Thousands Islands would pose problems for them as the deeper sea would make it harder for them to catch fish or clams with tools as basic as those used by many Muara Angke fishermen, let alone the tougher competition with the islands’ fisherfolk.

The reclamation projects are also being conducted while the bylaw regulating the islets has yet to be passed by the city council.

During Thursday’s hearing, the petitioners also claimed that the city administration lacked the authority to issue the permits as the Jakarta coast was a strategic national area and any permit should be issued by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry as a representative of central government.

“Furthermore, in 2003 the ministry issued Ministerial Decree No. 14/2003 on the environment and impropriety of the northern Jakarta coast reclamation project because it had the potential to harm the area’s maritime ecosystem,” Martin Hadiwinata, one of the petitioners, told the court.

The petition says that more fish would die as a result of environmental degradation, including the occurrence of harmful algal blooms.

“With so many violations committed in the project and damage that it could bring to the fishermen and the ecosystem, the judges should revoke or postpone the implementation of the islet construction permits,” Tigor Hutapea, a lawyer from the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation representing the fishermen, told the Post after the hearing.

Separately, Haratua Purba from the Jakarta administration’s legal bureau, said he would refute all of the arguments in the next hearing slated for March 17.

“I can’t share the details of our response. Every argument will be countered next week,” he said.

Aside from the petition against the permits for three islets, a hearing on a petition also filed by fishermen against Islet G and the trial is ongoing. In last week’s hearing, a law expert witness said it was the central government that had the authority to issue such permits.

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Thailand: Trang fishermen told to look out for slow-moving male dugong

KANITA SEETONG THE NATION 12 Mar 16;

A SENIOR marine official has urged Trang fishermen to help a seine-entangled male dugong spotted in the area if it gets caught in a dragnet.

Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, the head of Phuket Marine Biological Centre's Rare Sea Animal Division, said the animal was spotted during the division's latest annual survey of the seagrass zone off the province.

"We have been monitoring him and found that this teenage male dugong swims slower than usual," Kongkiat said.

"Although it can still find food by itself, there is a risk that a seine [dragnet] might one day get caught on a big undersea rock and trap this animal under the sea.

"It will die if it can't swim to the surface and get some oxygen."

He told fishermen to alert officials if the animal was injured.

According to an annual aerial survey that concluded on Wednesday, Thailand's dugong population is growing, with at least 15 more sea cows counted in the Trang Sea. Twelve pairs of dugong mothers and calves were found - a positive sign that efforts to conserve the last and largest dugong herd in Thailand has made progress.

Fishermen's groups in the area have cooperated by not using dangerous fishing gear. Still, at least one dugong was found entangled in seine fishing net near Koh Libong.

This year's survey started on March 3 and was made up of 10 gyroplane trips - which count rare marine life including sea turtles, plus dolphins, whales and dugongs.

Kongkiat led the survey with support from other Thai and Japanese researchers.

"This latest survey was very successful. We found at least 150 dugongs in total, an increase from the previous year's 135 sea cows. We also found baby dugongs in the area, which indicated the dugongs' better reproduction condition. The oldest dugong is believed to be about 70 years old," Kongkiat said. Plus Trang's 35,000 rai (5,600 hectares) of seagrass appeared to be healthy, he said.

The survey were first conducted in 2010 and reported a peak of dugong deaths - 13 cases - in 2012.

Last year, six dugong deaths were reported killed, mostly because of hazardous fishing gear, Kongkiat said, adding that the centre aimed to keep the death rate under five a year.

The centre must boost local people's awareness about hazardous fishing gear and rubbish in the ocean to minimise threats to marine life and invite the public to participate in conservation efforts, he said.

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Best of our wild blogs: 11 Mar 16

Job opening to do outreach about the Marine Park!
Sisters' Island Marine Park

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Sorry hikers, this trail is for bikers only

Tan Tam Mei, The New Paper AsiaOne 10 Mar 16;

Last year NParks proposed to create a hikers trail adjacent to an existing Mountain Bike trail at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. However NParks realised that this was not feasible, as hikers and bikers kept getting into accidents.

Installations for a separate hiking trail alongside the Bukit Timah Mountain Biking Trail will be removed this week.

This is after several accidents along the trail where cyclists would crash while avoiding stray hikers or collide into the concrete bollards that demarcate the separate trails.

The decision is a U-turn on the National Parks' (NParks) plans - announced in July last year - to create an adjacent hiking trail to separate hikers and cyclists.

In a statement to The New Paper on Monday, Mr Wong Tuan Wah, NParks' director of conservation, said that based on feedback and "observations on the ground", initial plans for an adjacent hiking trail were not feasible, and the trail would remain for mountain biking only.

He said that an adjacent hiking trail would require several intersections where cyclists and hikers would meet, and explained that the bollards had been placed to demarcate the trails.

Said Mr Wong: "These intersections and bollards pose safety concerns. We are aware that there have already been a few accidents at these junctions resulting from bikers trying to avoid hikers who have trespassed on the trail."

The hiking trail was created because NParks noticed more hikers using the biking trail. This was after the closure of several hiking trails in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in 2014 for repair works.

Mr Wong also clarified that while the hiking trail was never officially opened, an initial section of the trail had been put in place to gather feedback.

The removal of the bollards and hiking trail installations will start this week.

NParks will also put up more signs and station staff to remind the public not to hike along the biking trail.

Hikers who trespass on the trail could face a warning or a fine of up to $2,000.

Mr Wong said that existing hiking trails at the reserve will reopen later this year.

Avid cyclist Ivan Tan estimates he has witnessed at least nine accidents happen because of the bollards and stray hikers.


FRACTURED ARM

One accident over two weeks ago where a biker crashed into the bollards left the rider with a fractured arm, said Mr Tan, a 42-year-old who works in sales and rides along the trail thrice a week.

"It was one of the more serious cases. He looked like a novice but if the bollards weren't there, the injury might have been less severe," he said.

According to mountain bikers TNP spoke to, another cyclist broke his arm on Saturday morning after allegedly trying to avoid a hiker on the biking trail.

Mountain bike skills instructor Wilson Low, 33, said: "It's good that the decision was reversed by NParks before anything more serious happened."

Mountain Bike Association Singapore secretary Jason Lim, 41, said that removing the bollards and the hiking trail "will reduce the safety hazards".

He added that "injuries could have been avoided" if NParks had consulted the mountain biking community before introducing the hiking trail.

Mr Lim also noted that the incident highlighted the need for improved communication between government agencies and community stakeholders.

"Despite this misstep, we're glad NParks corrected it," he said.

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UN body on Tesla: Singapore likely to be only nation factoring carbon emission from grid for EVs

That said, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) appears to have applied the R101 standard correctly, says the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Kevin Kwang Channel NewsAsia 10 Mar 16;

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) appears to have applied the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) R101 correctly when assessing the carbon emission of a used Tesla Model S recently, said Mr Jean Rodriguez, Chief of the Information Unit at UNECE.

However, LTA also appears to be the only national regulator to have included power grid emission into the evaluation of electric vehicles’ (EVs) carbon footprint, he added.

In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, Mr Rodriguez said in an email that R101 only specifies the way to measure the energy consumption of the vehicle, or “tank-to-wheel”.

The LTA had stated that the electric energy consumption of the imported used Tesla car was 444Wh/km. In a statement on Thursday, LTA confirmed that if the car was brand new, it would have enjoyed a rebate with the energy consumption rating of 181Wh/km.

However, Mr Joe Nguyen, the owner of the Tesla Model S in Singapore, had to pay a S$15,000 tax for having a non-fuel-efficient car instead.

Mr Nguyen had earlier questioned if LTA had applied R101 correctly. He said that R101 has nothing to do with CO2 emissions, and was why European countries “do not penalise EVs for CO2 as Singapore does”.

“CO2 testing is only for vehicles that actually emit gases; EVs have no engine and no tailpipe. Even trying to conduct an emissions test is a pure waste of time and money,” he said in an email.

As for the 0.5g CO2/Wh grid emission factor applied by the regulator, Mr Rodriguez said this refers to “well-to-wheel” and the rate depends on the means of electricity generation: “As far as we can read in follow-up stories, electricity in Singapore seems to be mostly generated by gas-powered plants, hence this rate looks to be within the range of accepted estimates.”

LTA had earlier clarified that the grid emission factor was to account for CO2 emissions during the electricity generation process, even if there are no tail-pipe emissions.

Mr Nguyen, an IT executive, had argued that this rationale from LTA appeared to be “logical at first”. However, when the regulator told him to declare that he will only charge his car at home and not at a public charging infrastructure, there appeared to be a double taxation issue at play. “I am already paying for any electrical distribution CO2 surcharge when I pay my electricity bill every month,” he said. “You would not charge someone CO2 emissions for owning an iPhone that they charge at home, would you?”

"LOGICAL"TO APPLY TO ALL VEHICLES

Mr Rodriguez said Singapore appears to be the only national regulator to have included power grid emission into its evaluation process. “We are not aware that this is currently applied in other countries,” he said, adding that such criterion is up to the national authorities to decide.

He did note that Singapore is not one of the contracting parties to the 1958 Agreement ratifying the harmonisation of vehicle regulations. Of the 62 countries, only six are from Asia Pacific: Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. “Various countries in the world use our UN regulations as reference in national legislation,” he said.

The UNECE executive added that since Singapore has applied grid emission in its evaluation process, “it would seem logical to use this approach across the board for all vehicles”.

The carbon dioxide emitted from transforming oil into petrol or gasoline is limited, said Mr Rodriguez, and is estimated at approximately 10 per cent of the CO2 generated by the engine when the car runs.

MORE TRANSPARENCY NEEDED: TESLA OWNER

Mr Nguyen said he did not take issue with UNECE standard LTA had adopted, but the lack of transparency on both its application and method of testing EVs.

“There is no documentation to be found on the process for electric vehicles. The UNECE Regulation is not mentioned and how it is applied. The correlation chart between power consumption and CO2 is not published anywhere. The equipment VICOM (which tested the Tesla) uses to measure is not documented anywhere. There is little to no transparency,” the IT executive said.

Tesla founder Elon Musk said that he had contacted Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after Channel NewsAsia first reported on LTA’s clarification regarding how EVs are evaluated. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office had also confirmed that the conversation took place and that various agencies were looking into the matter, while the LTA on Thursday also confirmed that it and the VICOM Emission Test Laboratory are working with Tesla engineers to look further into this case.

In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, Tesla confirmed that it was having "cooperative discussions with the LTA to ensure a proper understanding of these issues and to make sure that they are correctly testing our customer’s Model S".

"Based on the positive nature of those discussions, we are confident that this situation will be resolved soon," they added.

Mr Musk’s Tesla factory had been one of the places Mr Lee visited in his trip to the United States’ Silicon Valley in February, sparking hopes that the carmaker would return to these shores. The company had pulled out from Singapore in 2011, six months into its entry, due to poor sales and not getting the tax breaks it was hoping to for. It currently has stores in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and China, according to its website.

Mr Nguyen also called on LTA to rethink its stance towards EVs. “LTA can take this as a criticism, or it can take this as an opportunity to really think about the future of EV and/or fuel cell transport, and how it should play a leading role rather than devolving into a bureaucratic swamp.

“They need to clearly document their standards and their processes and work with other governments to see how things are done elsewhere,” he said.

- CNA/av


Tesla car hit with S$15k surcharge ‘as it was used, not emissions-free’
Today Online 11 Mar 16;

SINGAPORE — Stressing that electric cars are not “carbon emissions-free”, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has explained why a second-hand Tesla purchased by a man here was hit with a hefty emissions surcharge, pointing out that had it been brand new, it would have earned a rebate.

Noting that the car in question — a Tesla Model S — was first registered in Hong Kong in 2014, the LTA said that the emissions and fuel efficiency of a used car can “vary significantly” depending on how it was previously driven and maintained.

Nonetheless, the LTA, together with VICOM Emission Test Laboratory (VeTL), will be working with Tesla engineers to look into testing processes for electric cars.

Last week, Mr Joe Nguyen made headlines when he recounted his journey of importing a used Tesla Model S into Singapore. He questioned why the car, touted as more environmentally friendly, instead left him with a S$15,000 charge for its being a non-fuel-efficient car.

The incident caught the eye of Tesla founder Elon Musk, who reached out to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the matter. In turn, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said various agencies were looking into the issue.

In a statement on Thursday (March 10), the LTA said that while electric cars may not produce emissions from the tailpipe like conventional cars, they take electrical power from the national power grid which produces the electricity by burning fuel. This produces carbon emissions in the process.

The Tesla in question would have had an energy consumption rating of 181 watt-hour per km when it left the Tesla factory on June 28, 2014, putting it in the A1 band of the Carbon Emissions Vehicle Scheme (CEVS), and qualifying it for a rebate. A car in the A1 band qualifies for a rebate of S$30,000.

But when the LTA put the used car to the test at the VeTL, it was found to have an electrical energy consumption of 444 watt-hour per km.

Using an emissions factor commonly applied to electric and plug-in electric hybrid cars, the car showed a carbon emissions level that placed it in the CEVS C3 band — racking up a surcharge of S$15,000.

A used car, said the LTA, must be subjected to emissions and fuel efficiency tests as the authority would not know how much its condition might have deteriorated over time.

“We cannot make exceptions as it would not be fair to other car owners, and would have an impact on our environment-related policies,” said the LTA.

When contacted, Mr Nguyen, 44, who works at an Internet research firm, maintained that he welcomed a re-test of his car under “proper supervision”.

Noting that the car had an energy consumption rating of 181 watt-hour per km when it left the Tesla factory in 2014, he said: “It is very unlikely that a 1.5 year-old car with 1,000km will lose that kind of efficiency.”

Mr Jean Rodriguez, chief of the Information Unit at United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) — whose R101 standards the LTA adopted to test Mr Nguyen’s car — told Channel NewsAsia that the LTA appears to be the only national regulator to have included power grid emission when evaluating the carbon footprint of electric vehicles.

As for the LTA’s application of the R101 standard, Mr Rodriguez said it appeared correct, but noted that it only specifies how to measure the energy consumption of the vehicle.

On the other hand, the emissions factor used by the LTA, which is 0.5g CO2 per watt-hour, depends on the means of electricity generation. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AMANDA LEE


LTA explains test results of imported Tesla car, says to relook case
AsiaOne 10 Mar 16;

SINGAPORE - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is in discussion with car maker Tesla after the owner of an imported used Tesla Model S said he was charged $15,000 in carbon surcharge.

In a statement on Thursday, LTA said that emissions and fuel efficiency of used cars can vary significantly depending on their prevailing condition.

The Model S imported by IT professional Joe Nguyen was first registered in Hong Kong in 2014.

Based on tests run by VICOM Emission Test Laboratory (VeTL), Mr Nguyen's used Model S had an electrical energy consumption of 444 Wh/km, LTA said.

An emissions factor of 0.5g CO2/Wh was then applied. This emissions factor, which is based on data provided by the Energy Market Authority, is consistently applied to electric and plug-in electric hybrid cars to account for the carbon emissions produced when the car is being charged.

The outcome showed a carbon emissions level which placed Mr Nguyen's car in the C3 surcharge band under the Carbon Emissions Vehicle Scheme (CEVS).

The authority also clarified that electric cars are not carbon emissions free. "They may not produce emissions from the tailpipe like conventional cars, but they take electrical power from the national power grid which has to burn fuel to produce the electricity, and in the process produces carbon emissions," a spokesperson said.

According to Tesla, the energy consumption rating for Mr Nguyen's Model S was 181 Wh/km when it left the Tesla factory on June 28, 2014.

While a brand new Tesla Model S would have fallen into the CEVS A1 band, and enjoyed a rebate, Mr Nguyen's car is not brand new and was thus subject to emissions and fuel efficiency tests.

"We cannot make exceptions as it would not be fair to other car owners, and would have an impact on our environment-related policies," LTA said.

However, LTA said it will be working with Tesla engineers to re-examine the case.


Singapore's first Tesla Model S is now a mini-celebrity
Olivia Chang AsiaOne 10 Mar 16;

Joe Nguyen, the owner of the only Tesla Model S in Singapore had to wait 7 months and paid close to $400,000 to get the fully-electric luxury sedan registered for roads.

He was also hit with a $15,000 carbon tax surcharge, which created outrage in social media circles because the car usually attracts tax breaks in other countries.

He spoke to SPH Razor journalist Olivia Chang about his ordeal undergoing carbon emissions testing when his car produces no direct emissions, and how it was collecting dust in a Viacom workshop because they did not know what to do with it.

Joe shared that the car is now a mini-celebrity and he often sees people whipping out their phones to snap pictures of his car while driving.

The RazorTV team had a chance to experience the to experience the torque of the Tesla S and its awesome acceleration. Watch to find out how Olivia reacts to the rollercoaster ride.

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Indonesia: Firms tell Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) to stay out of plantations

Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post 11 Mar 16;

Efforts to repair the environmental damage to peatland areas are under threat as the government’s plan to restore over the next five years 2 million hectares of peatland damaged by forest fires is being challenged by the private sector that is in control of concession areas.

The newly established Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) said on Thursday it expected the private sector to restore the peatland that had been damaged in its areas.

“From the 600,000 hectares of peatland [targeted to be restored this year], I targeted half of it to be carried out by companies with their own money in their concessions,” BRG head Nazir Foead said at his office in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

He argued that the private sector, i.e. concession holders, was responsible for making sure that concessions were free from fires.

“It’s not that the government is begging for companies [to help us], but what we’re talking about is the notion that concessions and companies are fully responsible for protecting their areas,” said Nazir.

Speaking about the other half of the targeted areas, the agency chief said the restoration projects would be carried out by the government. It will cover protected forest areas, conservation zones and peatland areas that are managed by small farmers.

“For the other half, we will do the restoration work by using the state budget, funding from donors and financial aid from companies,” Nazir said. “But if companies wanted to provide financial aid, I will ask them whether they have restored peatland in their concessions first. If not, then don’t help us. Work on [restoring] your concessions first.”

In pursuit of the restoration target, the agency had met and discussed with the related private sector, including the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) and members of the Indonesian Palm Oil Pledge (IPOP), a partnership of palm oil companies, regarding the matter.

“We’ve agreed that peatland that is still in good condition must be protected. But in terms of peatland that have been cultivated, we still have to discuss that,” Nazir said. “But in general, all [companies that I’ve talked to] said that they were ready to support this restoration agenda.”

Gapki chairman Joko Supriyono, however, asked the government to focus on restoring peatland still owned by the government, such as peatland in conservation areas, instead of pursuing the private sector’s commitment.

“The areas that need to be restored are those in protected areas. So if peatland is in a protected area, but damaged, that should be the priority [of the government]. If peatland has been converted to plantation, don’t meddle with it,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Joko said that if a concession had been granted by the government to the private sector, then the concession should be cultivated.

“If the peatland is in a concession, why restore it? It’s for cultivation anyway. Restoration is not our concern,” he said.

Joko added that the government had no right to force companies to restore damaged peatland in their concessions.

“If peatland is in a concession, then it must have been taken care of by the company. So [the full authority over] the peatland should be given to the company because it is the one that has the resources [to manage and cultivate it],” he said.

The IPOP, which is an agreement among leading palm oil producers Asian Agri, Astra Agro Lestari, Cargill, Golden Agri-Resources, Musim Mas, Wilmar and Musim Mas, as part of their commitment to sustainability practices, said members of the partnership would support the BRG in its work.

“We will support the BRG to the extent of our capabilities,” IPOP executive director Nurdiana Darus told the Post.

However, IPOP members have not decided on what kind of support that they could give, according to Nurdiana.

“We want to work with the BRG to find solutions that are most fitting for businesses, as well as people surrounding the businesses. So we can’t say yet what we want to do. We are still waiting for another dialogue with Pak Nazir,” Nurdiana said.

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CO2 data is 'wake-up call' for Paris climate deal

Matt McGrath BBC 11 Mar 16;

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere grew more in past 12 months than at any time in the past 56 years.

Measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii went up by more than three parts per million(ppm) in 2015.

Scientists say the spike is due to a combination of human activities and the El Niño weather pattern.

They argue that the data increases the pressure on global leaders to sign and ratify the Paris Climate Agreement.

Mauna Loa is the world's oldest continuous atmospheric measurement station, with records dating back to the later 1950s.

It is regarded as the most important site in the global monitoring network, recording the see-saw, rise and fall of carbon in the atmosphere over a year.

Plants and trees tend to absorb more CO2 during the spring and lose it as autumn approaches and leaves die off.

Forest fires

For the past decade the average increase in carbon dioxide at the station has been 2ppm. But in 2015 the level grew by 3.05ppm - In the year to February 2016, the level went up by 3.76ppm.

The global climate phenomenon, El Niño, is believed to have played a role in the rise.

Scientists at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) say that the previous biggest increase was in 1998, also an El Niño year.

The weather event drives drought in many parts of the tropics and in 2015 this led to forest fires in Indonesia and other locations which pumped large amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere.

"The impact of El Niño on CO2 concentrations is a natural and relatively short-lived phenomenon," said Petteri Taalas from the WMO.

"But the main long-term driver is greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. We have the power and responsibility to cut these," he added.

Pressure to sign

The latest figures show that in January and February this year the levels of CO2 at Mauna Loa went through the symbolic 400ppm level.

Prior to 1800, say the US National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), atmospheric levels were 280ppm.

"Carbon dioxide levels are increasing faster than they have in hundreds of thousands of years," said Pieter Tans, lead scientist of Noaa's Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network.

"It's explosive compared to natural processes."

The scientists say the latest figures should encourage global leaders to make progress on the Paris Climate Agreement.

The UN is hoping that prime ministers and presidents will turn up in large numbers at a signing ceremony in New York in April, and that the treaty will become operational this year.

"This should serve as a wake-up call to governments about the need to sign the Paris Climate Agreement and to take urgent action to make the cuts in CO2 emissions necessary to keep global temperature rises to well below 2C," said the WMO's Petteri Taalas.

Scientists will be closely monitoring atmospheric levels this year to see if there is any decrease as El Niño fades over the next few months.

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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Mar 16

Ailanthus integrifolia: Born to Fly
Flying Fish Friends

How green is your coastal cleanup?
Otterman speaks

Fri 11 Mar 2016: 4.00pm – Dan Friess – “What’s driving mangrove deforestation in Southeast Asia?”
Otterman speak

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Fighting of fires must continue under blue skies

SIMON TAY Today Online 10 Mar 16;

Blue skies breed amnesia. With the clear skies, many may now struggle to recall the urgency and anger over the smoke haze pollution in the region. Last year was one of the worst on historical record for fires and it was barely six months ago that the haze reached its peak, hitting a Pollutants Standards Index (PSI) of 2,300 in Central Kalimantan.

It is critical that governments, corporations in the relevant industries and concerned citizens continue to work on the issue. Predictions are that 2016 may not be as dry as last year. Smaller fires began breaking out in East Kalimantan in December, and the situation has worsened recently, with Riau declaring a state of emergency over forest and land fires in Sumatra on Tuesday, indicating that there is no place for complacency.

There are fears that fires will flare up again in earnest once the rainy season ends in March.

The coming weeks will see a number of notable gatherings that can gauge commitment and progress. This week, the General Assembly of the Tropical Forest Alliance will be held in Jakarta — a meeting to promote deforestation-free supply chains. In April, the Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources will review commitments among key plantation sectors such as palm oil and pulp and paper, as well as discuss the responsibilities of consumers, governments, and financial institutions.

While companies and civil society must do their part, the government of Indonesia must lead, as most of the fires stem from their provinces and affect their own people first and foremost. There are positive signs that the administration of President Joko Widodo is stepping up efforts.

Mr Widodo personally attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris at end-2015 and reiterated Indonesia’s pledge to reduce emissions by 29 per cent by 2030. A large part of this reduction must come from stopping the fires and haze, as this was the major source of Indonesian emissions in 2015.

The President also emphasised the problem of peatlands, which, once dried, have been the major source of fires. A nationwide moratorium on draining and developing peatland has been announced, and a Peatland Restoration Agency established. Its chief, Nazir Foead, has been appointed with a ministerial rank and will report directly to the President’s office.

In mid-January, at a closed door meeting, the President told officials in the provinces that they must prevent fires or face consequences. Sources say the President was focused and forthright at the meeting and will apply a reward-or-punish approach even to local police and army chiefs. The Jokowi administration has also revoked the licences of almost 20 companies with concessions where fires were started. These measures are steps in the right direction to minimise the costs of fires and haze in future. A recent estimate by the World Bank values the economic losses in Indonesia at US$16 billion (S$22 billion) — equivalent to 1.9 per cent of Indonesia’s gross domestic product and more than twice the reconstruction cost after the 2004 tsunami.

Having toured the worst-affected provinces during the fire spell, Mr Widodo knows full well the human misery suffered by Indonesian communities nearest to the fires. More than half a million people were treated for acute lung infections, with children living in affected provinces being the main casualties.

At the regional level, the Indonesian Minister for Environment and Forestry, Dr Siti Nurbaya, is reported to have given assurances to her regional counterparts that every effort will be made to prevent a repeat of last year’s problems.

Even as the Jokowi administration and other governments push ahead, corporations in the supply chain of the palm oil, and pulp and paper industries can and should respond to make their operations sustainable and fire-free.

A shift from fire suppression to fire prevention is seen in the efforts of some corporations, with the creation of fire-free villages involving collaboration between communities, enforcement agencies and local NGOs. Regulatory bodies and financial institutions, likewise, must tighten their environmental, social and governance guidelines to avoid financing actions that cause or contribute to the fires.

When the Singapore Institute of International Affairs met the Peatlands Restoration Agency recently, there was a frank recognition of the challenges ahead.

The problem cuts across physical and jurisdictional lines, requiring coordination between environment and agriculture, and also with economic agencies and provincial authorities.

The challenge to control major companies is compounded by the need to assist many more small plantations to avoid the use of fire for land clearance.

It remains to be seen whether what is promised can be delivered and will be enough. But it is clear that to avoid another ill season of fire and haze, the work must continue to push ahead even under the blue skies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simon Tay is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA). The SIIA will host the Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources on April 15 to strengthen commitments to sustainable resource development in the region.

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