Malaysia: Chopping forests to plant durians like killing goose that lays golden eggs

mei mei chu The Star 25 Oct 18;

PETALING JAYA: Durian farmers are "shooting themselves in the foot" if they continue to clear the forest for durian plantations, conservation groups said.

A total of 36 conservationists co-signed a statement on Thursday (Oct 25) said destroying wildlife habitats will reduce the number of durian fruit pollinators, which will directly influence the quantity and quality of durian fruit yields.

They are raising concerns over durians as the new monoculture crop driving further deforestation and biodiversity loss in Malaysia.

Rimba president Dr Sheema Abdul Aziz said the durian tree cannot self-pollinate, and is thus dependent on wild animal pollinators to cross-pollinate with other plants of the same species.

These bats are essential to the sustainability of the durian industry.

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EU parliament approves ban on single-use plastics

Clément ZAMPA AFP Yahoo News 25 Oct 18;

Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for an EU-wide ban on single-use plastics such as straws, cutlery, cotton buds and balloon sticks.

The European Commission, the 28-nation EU's executive arm, proposed banning such items that it said account for 70 percent of the waste in the oceans and beaches.

"Today we are one step closer to eliminating the most problematic single-use plastic products in Europe," the EU's environment commissioner Karmenu Vella said.

The European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, voted for the ban on single-use plastic by 571 votes for, 53 against and 34 abstentions.

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Climate change: Five cheap ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere

Matt McGrath BBC 25 Oct 18;

As well as rapidly reducing the carbon dioxide that we humans are pumping into the atmosphere in huge amounts, recent scientific assessments of climate change have all suggested that cutting emissions alone will not be enough to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 or 2 degrees C.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others have all stated that extracting CO2 from the air will be needed if we are to bend the rising temperature curve before the end of this century.

These ideas are controversial with some seeing them as a distraction from the pressing business of limiting emissions of CO2.

But a new assessment from the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says that some of these "negative emissions technologies" are ready to be deployed, on a large scale, right now.

The authors point to the fact that the US Congress has recently passed the 45Q tax rule, which gives a $50 tax credit for every tonne of CO2 that's captured and stored. So their study highlights some technologies that are available at between $20 and $100 per tonne.

1- Coastal blue carbon

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Best of our wild blogs: 25 Oct 18

Our Crazy Rich Shores: St Jonh's Island
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Singapore Raptor Report, Early Autumn Migration, July-September 2018
Singapore Bird Group

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Electric buses to serve Singapore commuters from 2020

Channel NewsAsia 24 Oct 18;

SINGAPORE: Electric public buses will hit the roads from 2020, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Wednesday (Oct 24) as it announced the award of S$50 million worth of contracts to three suppliers.

Sixty buses, of which 10 are double-deck, will provide commuters with quieter and smoother rides, said LTA.

It added that the buses will progressively arrive in Singapore from next year, with the final batch due in 2020.

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More than 303,300 people and groups sign climate action pledge to reduce carbon footprint

Cheryl Teh Straits Times 24 Oct 18;

SINGAPORE - Over 300 individuals attending an environment-themed event made a pledge on Wednesday (Oct 24) to make a difference in the fight against climate change.

More than 303,300 individuals, schools and organisations so far have committed to the climate action pledge, which includes making a commitment to recycle, use energy efficient devices and conserve water, so as to reduce one's carbon footprint.

Among those who signed the pledge on Wednesday was Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, who delivered the keynote address at the RHT Asean Summit 2018 at Suntec City Convention Centre.

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Philippines to re-open 'cesspool' Boracay after clean up

AFP Yahoo News 24 Oct 18;

The Philippines re-opens its crown jewel resort island Boracay to holidaymakers on Friday, after a six-month clean up aimed at repairing the damage inflicted by years of unrestrained mass tourism.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the island shuttered in April for a major effort to fortify weak infrastructure and crack down on the rampant overdevelopment that had left it, what he termed, a "cesspool".

When the government throws open the doors, Boracay will have fewer hotels and restaurants, a cap on the number of visitors and anti-beach boozing rules aimed at taming its party-hard reputation.

All of this is intended to protect the bruised beauty of the island's turquoise waters and expanses of white sand beaches which were being loved to death by two million tourists per year.

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Plastics have entered human food chain, study shows

Marlowe HOOD AFP Yahoo News 23 Oct 18;

Paris (AFP) - Bits of plastic have been detected in the faeces of people in Europe, Russia and Japan, according to research claiming to show for the first time the widespread presence of plastics in the human food chain.

All eight volunteers in a small pilot study were found to have passed several types of plastic, with an average of 20 micro-particles per 10 grams of stool, researchers reported Tuesday at a gastroenterology congress in Vienna.

The scientists speculated that the tiny specks -- ranging in size from 50 to 500 micrometres -- may been ingested via seafood, food wrapping, dust or plastic bottles.

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Hawaiian island erased by powerful hurricane: ‘The loss is a huge blow’

East Island has vanished after coming into contact with Hurricane Walaka, an intense storm that hit Hawaii earlier this month
Oliver Milman The Guardian 24 Oct 18;

A piece of the United States has been dramatically wiped off the map after an island in Hawaii was washed away by a powerful hurricane.

East Island, a remote spit of gravel and sand that sat atop a coral reef, has vanished after having this misfortune to come into contact with Hurricane Walaka, an intense storm that surged past Hawaii earlier this month.

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 Oct 18

Our Crazy Rich Shores: Pulau Jong
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Will Bidadari still be a haven for the birds?
Singapore Bird Group

Singapore’s Plastics Story: Part 1
EnVoice

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British technology company Dyson to build electric car in Singapore

Channel NewsAsia 23 Oct 18

LONDON: British technology company Dyson said on Tuesday (Oct 23) it would build its electric car in Singapore, with a new automotive manufacturing facility set for completion in 2020 ahead of the first vehicle launch a year later.

The electric car plant is part of Dyson's £2.5 billion (US$3.3 billion) global investment drive in new technology.

Dyson, founded by the billionaire British inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner James Dyson, announced its plans to build an electric car a little over a year ago - a sector in which the company will face stiff competition from established players.

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Gardening plots in Ang Mo Kio and Jurong open for registration on Nov 9

Derek Wong Straits Times 23 Oct 18;

SINGAPORE - Wish to have your own gardening space? Public registration for gardening plots at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West and Jurong Lake Gardens West will begin on Nov 9, with applications available online for the first time.

Previously, those interested had to register at the parks for the popular community gardening scheme.

There will be 50 plots available in Ang Mo Kio and 300 plots in Jurong for this round of applications, said the National Parks Board (NParks) in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 23).

In the previous exercise in February this year, all 220 plots at Bedok Town Park, Choa Chu Kang Park, Pasir Ris Park, Sengkang Riverside Park and Yishun Park were snapped up in about three hours.

Under the Edible Horticulture Masterplan announced in November last year, more than 1,000 allotment gardening plots in total will be available by next year in 11 parks. The existing 620 plots at nine parks have been fully subscribed, said NParks.

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