Malaysia: Second dead finless porpoise washes up at beach in a month

Borneo Post 1 Aug 2017;


The carcass of the finless porpoise at Tanjong Lobang beach.

MIRI: A dead finless porpoise was found washed ashore at Tanjong Lobang beach around 5pm on Sunday.

The discovery of the mammal was made by a member of the public.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) branch chairperson Iqbal Abdollah rushed to the scene after he was informed of the matter.

Iqbal, in a statement yesterday, said the female mammal, measuring about 110cm, was believed to have had its tail cut off by fishermen.

“Its tail was cut when it was entangled in the fishermen’s fishing nets. Its side fins also suggests that the mammal was trapped in a net.

“The carcass of the porpoise looked fresh, therefore I believe that the cause of death was drowning during the entanglement and cutting of the tail,” he said.

Earlier this month, a dead finless porpoise was also found washed ashore near Beach Republic.

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Bangladesh: Sundarbans wildlife sanctuary doubles in size

Hedait Hossain Molla Dhaka Tribune 30 Jul 17;

The government protection now extends to 52% of the Sundarbans

The government issued a gazette stating that the protected zones in the Sundarbans have been increased from 23% to 52%.

On Sunday, Environment and Forest Secretary Ishtiaque Ahmed issued a gazette declaring the government decree.

The expansion will add 12 forest compartments spanning over 1,78,250.584 hectares to the existing 1,39,699.496 hectares in 10 compartments. In total, the protected zone now covers 3,17,950 hectares out of 6,01,700 hectares of the Sundarbans.

Khulna Forest Conservator Amir Hossain Chowdhury, who is also the director of the Tiger Monitoring Survey project, said: “This new expansion will help the tiger population grow. It will also protect the biodiversity of the forest.”

Sundarbans (West) Forest officer Md Bashirul Al Mamun said the administration will take steps to ensure animals can roam freely in the sanctuary.
“We are going to strictly restrict all natural resource collecting activity in the area. Local residents and those who depend on the forest resources will be notified immediately,” the forest officer said.


Bangladesh doubles wildlife sanctuary to save its tigers
The Star 1 Aug 17;

DHAKA: Bangladesh has more than doubled the size of the wildlife sanctuary in the world’s largest mangrove forest to try to protect endangered Bengal tigers whose numbers have fallen sharply, officials said Tuesday.

More than half, or 52 percent, of the 6,017 square kilometre (2,325 square mile) Sundarbans -- one of the largest habitats of the tigers -- has been declared a sanctuary this week, said the government’s chief forest conservator Shafiul Alam.

The Sundarbans, which also straddles parts of eastern India, is home to some rare animals including the Irrawaddy dolphins and the Bengal tigers, both declared endangered because of poaching and a loss of their habitat.

Previously the wildlife sanctuary was limited to 23 percent of the forest cover, and villagers and tourists had unrestricted access to the rest of the mangrove forest.

A 2015 survey found a dramatic decline in the numbers of the Bengal tiger -- 106 tigers, down from 440 during a 2004 count.

Monirul Khan, a tiger expert and zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University, said the decision would “surely help” increase the number of wild cats.

“This is a law. We appreciate it. If it’s enforced effectively, I’m hopeful it will help the animals, especially the tigers, to grow in numbers,” Khan said.

Amir Hossain, head of the government’s Tiger Monitoring Project, said the expanded sanctuary “will be a safe roaming and breeding haven for the tigers”.

“People’s movement in the extended sanctuary will be restricted,” he said. The nearly 350,000 locals who depend on the Sundarbans to collect fish, honey and logs will not be allowed to enter it, he said.

Despite this expansion, the wildlife and the delicate ecosystem of the Sundarbans still face an existential crisis from a controversial power plant at the edge of the forest which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is moving ahead with, experts said.

A UN agency last October asked the government to halt construction of the 1,320-megawatt power plant, saying there was a high chance that pollution from it would “irreversibly damage” the Sundarbans.

“The government should rethink about the power plant as the extension of the sanctuary alone won’t make much difference for the tigers and other Sundarbans animals,” Khan said. -AFP

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Meat industry blamed for largest-ever 'dead zone' in Gulf of Mexico

A new report shows toxins from suppliers to companies like Tyson Foods are pouring into waterways, causing marine life to leave or die
Oliver Milman The Guardian 1 Aug 17;

The global meat industry, already implicated in driving global warming and deforestation, has now been blamed for fueling what is expected to be the worst “dead zone” on record in the Gulf of Mexico.

Toxins from manure and fertiliser pouring into waterways are exacerbating huge, harmful algal blooms that create oxygen-deprived stretches of the gulf, the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay, according to a new report by Mighty, an environmental group chaired by former congressman Henry Waxman.

It is expected that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) will this week announce the largest ever recorded dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to be larger than the nearly 8,200 square-mile area that was forecast for July – an expanse of water roughly the size of New Jersey.

Nutrients flowing into streams, rivers and the ocean from agriculture and wastewater stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which then decomposes. This results in hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, in the water, causing marine life either to flee or to die.

Some creatures, such as shrimp, suffer stunted growth. Algal blooms themselves can cause problems, as in Florida last summer when several beaches were closed after they became coated in foul-smelling green slime.

America’s vast appetite for meat is driving much of this harmful pollution, according to Mighty, which blamed a small number of businesses for practices that are “contaminating our water and destroying our landscape” in the heart of the country.

“This problem is worsening and worsening and regulation isn’t reducing the scope of this pollution,” said Lucia von Reusner, campaign director at Mighty. “These companies’ practices need to be far more sustainable. And a reduction in meat consumption is absolutely necessary to reduce the environmental burden.”

The Mighty report analyzed supply chains of agribusiness and pollution trends and found that a “highly industrialized and centralized factory farm system” was resulting in vast tracts of native grassland in the midwest being converted into soy and corn to feed livestock. Stripped soils can wash away in the rain, bringing fertilisers into waterways.

Arkansas-based Tyson Foods is identified by the report as a “dominant” influence in the pollution, due to its market strength in chicken, beef and pork. Tyson, which supplies the likes of McDonald’s and Walmart, slaughters 35m chickens and 125,000 head of cattle every week, requiring five million acres of corn a year for feed, according to the report.

This consumption resulted in Tyson generating 55m tons of manure last year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with 104m tons of pollutants dumped into waterways over the past decade. The Mighty research found that the highest levels of nitrate contamination correlate with clusters of facilities operated by Tyson and Smithfield, another meat supplier.

This pollution has also been linked to drinking water contamination. Last week, a report by Environmental Working Group found that in 2015 water systems serving seven million Americans in 48 states contained high levels of nitrates. Consuming nitrates has been linked to an increased risk of contracting certain cancers.

“Large parts of America are being plowed up for corn and soy to raise meat,” said von Reusner. “There is very little regulation so we can’t wait for that.

“The corporate agriculture sector has shown it is responsive to consumer concerns about meat production so we hope that the largest meat companies will meet expectations on this.”

The report urges Tyson and other firms to use their clout in the supply chain to ensure that grain producers such as Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland employ practices that reduce pollution flowing into waterways. These practices include not leaving soil uncovered by crops and being more efficient with fertilizers so plants are not doused in too many chemicals.

The US is an enormous consumer of meat, with the average American chewing through 211lbs in 2015. A study released earlier this year found that US beef consumption fell by nearly one fifth from 2005 to 2014, possibly due to concerns over health or the environment. A new increase is now expected.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, beef and pork production is forecast to grow significantly over the next decade, driven by lower feed costs and healthy demand. By 2025, the average American is expected to eat 219lbs of meat a year. Just 3% of Americans follow a vegetarian or vegan diet.

This voracious appetite for meat has driven the loss of native forests and grasslands in the US and abroad, releasing heat-trapping gases through deforestation and agricultural practices. Agriculture produced 9% of US greenhouse gas emissions in 2015, according to the EPA.

A spokesman for Cargill said the company was an “industry leader” for sustainable practices, pointing to its efforts with environment groups to address air, water and soil quality in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska.

“Protein consumption is growing globally and we are working to meet increased consumer demand with sustainably and responsibly produced foods and supply chains,” said the spokesman. “We are dedicated to protecting animal welfare, reducing environmental impact, increasing transparency and keeping workers and consumers safe.

“We also continue to improve livestock feed efficiency. Over the last 15 years we have seen an overall trend in reducing the volume of feed for each pound of beef produced.”

A Tyson spokeswoman said “we don’t agree with the group’s characterization of our company but share its interest in protecting the environment.”

“It’s true the livestock and poultry industry is a major buyer of grain for feed, however, the report fails to note that a large percentage of corn raised in the US is used for biofuel and that a significant portion is used for human consumption,” she added.

“Tyson Foods is focused on continuous improvement. We are constantly looking to improve and lead the industry, so that we can deliver sustainable food to people every day at a scale that matters to the world.”

Archer Daniels Midland were also contacted for comment prior to publication.

This article was amended on 1 August 2017 to clarify a previous version of the standfirst that incorrectly identified the source of the toxins.

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Best of our wild blogs: 1 Aug 17

Internships for our shores (Aug 2017 to Mar 2019)
Singapore Celebrates our Reefs 2018

13th August 2017 (Sunday): FREE Guided Herp Walk @ Treetop Walk
Herpetological Society of Singapore

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Solar power capacity soars in Singapore

It has nearly quadrupled in past three years as solar panels have mushroomed all over island
Yuen Sin Straits Times 1 Aug 17;

The capacity for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to generate electricity here has nearly quadrupled in the past three years as solar panels have mushroomed all over Singapore.

The total installed capacity of such systems has swelled from 33.1MW peak (MWp) in 2014 to 129.8MWp in the first quarter of this year, according to data released by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) yesterday.

In 2010, the Economic Strategies Committee set a target of having renewable energy sources like solar energy contribute to 5 per cent of Singapore's peak electricity demand or 350MWp by 2020.

Dr Thomas Reindl, deputy chief executive of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, said Singapore is on track to exceed the 350MWp target.

Under the SolarNova scheme, which aggregates solar demand, agencies such as the Housing Board provide rooftop space for firms to install panels. In return, town councils enjoy discounted electricity rates.

The private sector, town councils and grassroots units were major contributors to the expanded solar capacity from 2014. The newly upgraded Bukit Panjang Community Club, for example, has about 150 solar panels installed on its roof.

Non-residential installations of solar panels in the private sector accounted for 45.9 per cent of the total installed capacity, while town councils and grassroots units such as the HDB contributed 44.7 per cent towards the figure.

A spokesman for the EMA said it has made it easier for consumers to be paid for supplying the excess energy they generate to the grid.

Residential users account for less than 5 per cent of total installed capacity. As of the end of the first quarter of this year, there were 589 installations by the residential sector, which comprises primarily of private homes.

Cost remains one of the obstacles, experts have said, since larger rooftop systems tend to be more economical compared with smaller systems. But residential use may increase as the cost of solar panels is expected to drop further.

Research is being done to see how Singapore can overcome its space constraints to have more solar panels installed. This includes the setting up of the world's largest floating solar PV cell test bed at Tengeh Reservoir last year, which will test and evaluate the performance of 10 different systems.

Singapore's total electricity consumption rose by 2.3 per cent from 47.5TWh (terawatt hours) in 2015 to 48.6TWh last year, according to the EMA report.

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Government mulls trial to give more choice in buying electricity, green energy audit planned

This is the latest development since EMA announced in 2015 that it will fully open up the electricity retail market to competition in the second half of 2018.
Audrey Tan Straits Times 31 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE - All households in Singapore will, in the second half of next year, be able to shop for electricity the way they do for a mobile phone plan. However, a select group of consumers may be able to start shopping around for the best electricity deals earlier.

The Straits Times has learnt that the Energy Market Authority (EMA) is mulling over running a trial before the market is fully open.

EMA said, in response to queries from The Straits Times, that it is studying this possibility, and that more details will be released at a later date if it decides to do so.

News of the trial comes after people expressed concern on whether their electricity supply will be affected by opting for a retailer other than SP Services.

However, EMA assured consumers that the reliability and quality of electricity supply to consumers will not be affected by their choice of retailers, as consumers will receive their electricity supply through the nationwide power grid owned and operated by SP Group regardless of the type of electricity package.

This is the latest development since EMA announced in 2015 that it will fully open up the electricity retail market to competition in the second half of 2018.

Currently, only some 33,000 commercial and industrial consumers with an average monthly electricity consumption of at least 2MWh - which amounts to a monthly electricity bill of about $450 - benefit from this flexibility.

This threshold was last lowered from 4MWh to 2MWh in July 2015. The remaining 1.3 million consumers, mainly households, are on the regulated tariff with SP Services. But that is set to change.

With the liberalisation, customers can shop around for the best deals based on their usage patterns or preferences.

The Straits Times reported in October last year that the more than 20 registered electricity retailers are already cooking up a buffet of options for consumers.

Those who work in the day could, for example, sign up for options that allow them to take advantage of lower electricity tariffs at night. For the eco-conscious, there will also be plans that guarantee a portion of energy consumed will be linked to renewable energy, such as solar power.

However, there are currently no mandatory requirements for a supplier of green electricity to have their generation sources audited. This means that while a retailer could claim that electricity sold comes from a green source, there is no way for consumers to verify this for certain.

Homegrown electricity retailer Sunseap has an audit system in place, although this is done voluntarily.

But the National University of Singapore's Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (Seris) is involved in an inter-agency initiative led by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to address this issue, said Dr Thomas Reindl, Seris' deputy chief executive.

Having an independent verification process in place is very critical for consumer confidence, especially with the growing number of transactions expected when the energy market fully opens in the second half of 2018, said Dr Reindl.

"This will ensure two things: that customers truly receive green electricity, and that there is no 'double-counting' of the same electricity, by selling it to two different parties at the same time," said Dr Reindl.

EMA said retailers are prohibited from misrepresentations to consumers under the Code of Conduct for Retail Electricity Licensees.


Possible trial of upcoming electricity retail market
Audrey Tan Straits Times 1 Aug 17;

When the electricity market is fully open to competition in the second half of next year, all households will be able to shop for it the way people do for a mobile phone plan.

But some households may be able to do so earlier, as the Energy Market Authority (EMA) is considering running a trial to ease the transition, The Straits Times has learnt. A system to audit sources of green energy is also in the works.

In response to ST queries, the EMA said it will "fully open the electricity retail market in the second half of next year. We are studying the possibility of running a trial before full opening".

EMA had in 2015 said it will fully open up the electricity retail market to competition. In the wake of this, people expressed concern about the reliability of electricity supply, and whether it will be affected if they choose to opt for a retailer other than SP Services.

But EMA said reliability and quality of electricity supply will not be affected by choice of retailers, as consumers receive supply through the nationwide power grid owned and operated by SP Group.

With the liberalisation, customers can shop around for the best deals based on their usage patterns or preferences. ST reported last October that registered electricity retailers - numbering more than 20 - were already cooking up a buffet of options for consumers.

Those who work in the day could, for example, sign up for options that allow them to take advantage of lower electricity tariffs at night. For the eco-conscious, there will be plans that guarantee a portion of energy consumed will be linked to renewable energy, such as solar.

It is not mandatory for a supplier of green electricity to have its generation sources audited. Those that have, like home-grown electricity retailer Sunseap, do so voluntarily.

The National University of Singapore's Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore is part of an inter- agency initiative led by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to address this issue, Dr Thomas Reindl, its deputy chief executive, told ST.

An independent verification process is critical for consumer confidence, especially with the rising number of transactions when the electricity retail market fully opens to competition, said Dr Reindl.

"An independent verification process will ensure two things: that customers truly receive green electricity, and that there is no 'double- counting' of the same electricity, by selling it to two different parties at the same time," he said.

EMA said retailers are prohibited from misrepresentations to consumers under the Code of Conduct for Retail Electricity Licensees.

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Sustainable Business Awards honour local companies working at doing the right thing

Rachael Boon Straits Times 31 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE - Several local firms have clinched honours at the Sustainable Business Awards on July 31.

Companies were singled out for their practices in several categories such as energy and water management, biodiversity and environment, among others.

The awards, organised by event producer Global Initiatives, aim to raise the awareness of sustainable business and show how good practices benefit companies, the environment and society.

Global Initiatives chief executive Tony Gourlay said in a statement: "Singapore's sustainability leadership is evident in this year's awards, both in terms of business engagement as well as a country, leading by example in the region.

"Business can and must strengthen this momentum even further to progress on the Singapore sustainable movement and reach the 2020 United Nation goals in time."

Property firm City Developments Limited (CDL) was named the overall winner, having "integrated sustainability into its business" since 1995, said Global Initiatives.

In March, CDL also released a new blueprint called CDL Future Value 2030, which shows a "their longstanding commitment and best practices of over 20 years and sets clear directions for contributing towards a sustainable future".

Other Singapore winners include Keppel Corp and Singtel.

Ms Fang Eu-Lin, sustainability and climate change leader at PwC Singapore, which is one of Global Initiatives partners for the awards, said: "Recognising sustainability as a risk is only the first step towards understanding its impact on the business- risks need to be quantified, monitored and managed. The latter activity is happening with varying degrees of success.

"It's heartening to see more companies in Singapore, including small and medium-sized enterprises, taking active steps towards managing this risk and we expect to see more businesses embedding sustainability their into core business strategy."

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Indonesia: Fewer hot spots as Indonesia ramps up water-bombing missions

Francis Chan Straits Times 31 Jul 17;

JAKARTA - The number of hot spots picked up across Indonesia by satellites fell slightly to 214 on Monday (July 31), according to latest figures from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

This after forest fires, most of which were located in the western regions of Aceh and Kalimantan, led to 239 hot spots the day before, said to be the highest so far this year.

While the haze from fires in West Aceh, which had forced some schools in its capital Meulaboh to close, had largely abated, more hot spots were detected in West Kalimantan and Riau - now the two worst-hit provinces.

Figures The Straits Times received from BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho on Monday, showed 59 hot spots in Riau, followed by West Kalimantan with 46.

Dr Sutopo had attributed the rise in the number of hot spots to the seasonal dry spell, which is forecast to last until September.

Forest and peatland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan that led to the transboundary haze have been kept at bay since 2015.

The haze caused record air pollution levels in the region for months that year, pushing Indonesia to the verge of a national emergency.

Since then, the central government has been working with local authorities and plantation companies to ramp up efforts to prevent and fight fires.

But as the dry season kicked in, all eyes were again on Indonesia, following reports that smoke from fires in Meulaboh caused dozens of people, including children to suffer from lung infections from the haze.

Aceh police chief Teguh Priyambodo Nugroho, said 14 people have been called in for questioning in connection to the fires in the regency.

He told Kompas news on Monday that these include both land-owners and workers who were present at the time of the fires, but they remain witnesses until the police has evidence to prove otherwise.

The schools in Meulaboh reopened on Monday morning as conditions improved throughout most of the country, with air pollution at between "good" and "moderate" levels, according to Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG).

Meanwhile, aerial fire-fighters in Riau have dropped more than 21 billion litres of water over fires raging across the Indonesian province in Sumatra since January, as efforts to prevent a repeat of the haze crisis continues across the country.

The amount, delivered by helicopters over 549ha of land affected by fires in the province thus far, is enough to fill more than 8,800 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or supply Singapore's total water demand for 11 days.

Similar water-bombing missions are also being carried out over West Kalimantan in recent days, where the highest number of hot spots were recorded since Thursday.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said on Monday that these air sorties are focused on fires in areas where there is no road access. "If land access is difficult or shut down for a long time, then we will use water-bombings," she added.

Neighbours Malaysia and Singapore, which were also badly affected by the haze crisis in 2015, have reiterated their offers to assist Indonesia in its fire-fighting efforts.

According to a Bernama report on Monday, Malaysian Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said Putrajaya was concerned about the fires in Indonesia, but is ready to provide help at any time.

"I have discussed it with Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who is in charge of the Fire Department and the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, and he has given an assurance that they are ready," he told reporters at a community event on Sunday.

Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, also reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to work together with Indonesia to tackle the haze issue during his visit to Pekanbaru and Jambi last week.

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Malaysia ready to assist Indonesia battle its forest fires: Wan Junaidi

Bernama New Straits Times 31 Jul 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is ready to send firefighters to Indonesia to help put out forest fires in the republic.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the government is seriously concerned about the problem which could cause haze, and is poised to provide assistance at any time.

“I have discussed (the matter) with Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who is in charge of the Fire Department and the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) and he has given the assurance that they are ready at any time,” he told reporters when met at the Smart Tunnel Run 2017 here yesterday.

Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recently warned of an increase in forest fire threats due to the ongoing drought in the country that is expected to worsen, but some hots pots have already been detected in Aceh, causing the area to experience haze.

However, the Indonesian Peat Soil Recovery Agency has reportedly given its assurance that neighbours like Malaysia and Singapore would not be experiencing haze, as it has already taken steps to halt forest fires.

Following his meeting with the governors of Riau and Jambi, Wan Junaidi said he is planning to meet with the governor of Aceh next, to discuss the matter. — BERNAMA


Wan Junaidi: Malaysia ready to assist Indonesia to tackle haze problem
RAHIMY RAHIM The Star 2 Aug 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is seeking to meet its counterpart to raise the issue of cross-border haze affecting Indonesia.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the Malaysian government has a contingency plan in the event of a haze crisis and is prepared to give official help to put out forest fires in the republic.

"I have instructed the deputy secretary-general of the Department of Environment to make contact with the necessary ministries from Indonesia for a visit there," he told reporters during a press conference after the 12th National Water Resources Council meeting in Parliament on Wednesday.

Recently, Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency warned of an increase in forest fire threats owing to the ongoing drought in the country that was expected to worsen.

It was reported some 72 hotspots have been detected in Aceh, resulting in haze there.

Wan Junaidi said based on the annual south-west monsoon wind, peninsular Malaysia and Singapore is expected to be affected by the haze if there is open burning in Riau or Jambi.

"If there is fire in the west, east and middle of Kalimantan, parts of Sabah and Sarawak will be affected. If it happens in Aceh, the haze could possibly occur in the northern parts of our country such as Penang, Perlis, Kedah and northern Perak," he said.

Wan Junaidi added that the Government will monitor the situation on a daily basis and said that Indonesia had taken quick measures to stop the open burning and kept to their promise of managing the problem.

"Their efforts to control the fire with the cooperation of their military police and local councils have been effective. We just want to officially inform them that we are concern and we have our team to assist them if they need any help," added Wan Junaidi.

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Malaysia: Milk for baby jumbos pours in

The Star 1 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: The care of five orphaned elephant calves at a wildlife centre in Sandakan is now more assured with a one-tonne contribution of milk powder for them.

The milk powder was flown in from New Zealand to Kota Kinabalu, courtesy of dairy giant Fonterra and NGO Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species (Rages).

The milk can feed the five elephant calves at the Sepilok centre for up to six months, saving some RM100,000 in costs, said Sabah Wildlife Department Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) acting manager Dr Diana Ramirez.

The calves, aged between one and two and a half years, consume up to 8kg of milk per day, she said, adding that pachyderms were given milk until they were about four- or five years old.

Dr Diana said the calves were rescued from around Sabah and brought to Sepilok where they were cared for by the department’s elephant care unit.

Last year, WRU in association with Rages started its search for the best milk powder option for the endangered orphaned Bornean elephants, said Dr Diana.

A few products were tested during the trials. It was decided that Fonterra milk was the best choice for the baby elephants, she added.

Dr Ramirez said an inaugural shipment took place last year with an initial donation by Borneo Conservation Trust-Japan to buy 1.2 tonnes of milk powder from Fonterra.

The second shipment of milk powder arrived at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport on July 25 and was immediately collected by WRU and sent to Sepilok.

Rages South-East Asia Project Director Debbie Mair said they were committed to preserving and investing in conservation.

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Indonesia: Untapped biomass potential can drive growth of RI industry

Theresia Sufa The Jakarta Post 31 Jul 16;

Indonesia has vast biomass potential, large enough to meet Indonesia’s renewable energy demand and boost its economy, a researcher has said.

Energy expert Erliza Hambali said that with the aid of various technologies, Indonesia’s biomass sources, such as palm oil waste, could be converted into high-value products. The energy potential of biomass could be used in various industries as a substitute for conventional petroleum-based products, he added.

“We can create a new market of derivative products from palm oil waste,” said Erliza, director of the Bogor Agricultural University’s (IPB) Surfaktan and Bioenergy Research Center (SBRC).

Erliza said several technologies and conversion processes had been developed for biomass use so that in the future biomass could hopefully become a viable option for various industry because it was renewable, environmentally friendly and could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Erliza spoke during the 2017 International Conference on Biomass held in Bogor, West Java, from July 24 to 25. Around 200 researchers, practitioners and business players from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the US attended the conference.

The potential of only a few biomass sources in Indonesia have been tapped so far either as energy sources or as raw materials in the country’s industries, the conference said. Meanwhile, many countries have used biomass as energy sources in the form of pellets. In Indonesia, the greatest source of biomass potential comes from palm oil waste.

Justinus Satrio, a researcher from Villanova University, USA, said biomass was not only an opportunity but also a challenge. “Biomass can damage the environment if its use is not compliant with environmental conservation principles,” he said. (ebf)

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Earth likely to warm more than two degrees by 2100: experts

Zoe Tabary Reuters 1 Aug 17;

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - World temperatures are likely to rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius this century, surpassing a "tipping point" that a global climate deal aims to avert, scientists said on Monday.

A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change shows a 90 percent chance that temperatures will increase this century by 2 to 4.9 degrees Celsius.

Researchers at the University of Washington found only a 5 percent chance that warming could be at or below 2 degrees Celsius – one of the targets set by the 2015 Paris climate deal on limiting emissions of greenhouse gases that warm the planet.

Missing that target would have dramatic consequences on people's livelihoods – such as prolonged periods of drought and rising sea levels – said Adrian Raftery, the lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Washington.

The study uses statistical projections based on total world population, GDP per capita and the amount of carbon emitted for each dollar of economic activity, known as carbon intensity.

"Our analysis shows that the goal of 2 degrees is very much a best-case scenario," said Raftery. "It is achievable, but only with major, sustained effort on all fronts over the next 80 years."

According to the U.N. Environment Programme, world greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, are now about 54 billion tonnes a year and should be cut to 42 billion by 2030 to get on track to stay below 2 Celsius.

Ramping up efforts to improve carbon efficiency are key to limit future warming, Raftery told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview.

"Countries need to change the economic incentives for producing carbon – for example by introducing a carbon tax – and encourage innovation that would improve energy efficiency," he said.

"We should be learning more from countries that are particularly carbon-efficient, like France, which has a very low-carbon transport infrastructure."

Reporting by Zoe Tabary @zoetabary, Editing by Ros Russell. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit news.trust.org/climate

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