2007 marks fresh start for Singapore's transport sector

Channel NewsAsia 17 Dec 07;

SINGAPORE: 2007 is a year of fresh starts for Singapore's transport sector, with the new superjumbo A380, the new Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) and a new chapter for budget carriers which have finally been given access to the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route.

Singapore Airlines took delivery of the first A380 after an almost two-year delay.

Excitement built up further when over 400 passengers, who had to bid for their seats, took off on the first commercial A380 flight from Singapore to Sydney on 25 October.

Barely a month later, in another ground-breaking move, it was announced that the lucrative Singapore-Kuala Lumpur air route – long held in a near monopolistic grip by the national carriers for over 30 years – would be opened to budget carriers from February next year, on an initial limited basis.

On the home front, curious Singaporeans have been making a beeline to check out Changi Airport's S$1.75 billion Terminal 3, which will only officially open its doors in January next year.

There are also new beginnings for the road users.

The first phase of the KPE was opened to traffic on 26 October. When fully completed in end-2008, it will have the longest road tunnel in Southeast Asia - nine kilometres of the 12-kilometre expressway.

At the same time, another unexpected record was set for KPE – over 3,000 motorists were booked for speeding on the expressway just within the first week of operations.

There were, however, few surprises, when it came to fares and fees.

As the KPE opened, a whole slew of new ERP charges – from new gantries to extended operational hours – were announced. On the public transport front, bus fares also went up during the annual fare review.

The highest ERP charge now stands at S$5 for the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) slip road into the Central Expressway (CTE) – its third ERP rate increase this year.

From Members of Parliament to the man in the street, this has remained a bugbear.

MP Seng Han Thong said: "I hope it will make ERP more effective rather than make it more expensive."

"We don't mind, as vehicle owners, to pay increased ERP. But we are frustrated when we don't see any ease of traffic flow on the CTE," said a resident in the Thomson area.

One other area which made Singaporeans see red is errant cabbies who overcharge, refuse to pick up passengers or tout in nightspots like Clarke Quay.

After a series of complaints, the authorities finally acted by imposing higher penalties that range from increased fines and demerit points to possible suspension of licences.

Hopefully, all of that will lead to a better 2008.- CNA/so

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South Korea's worst oil spill threatens bird haven

Reuters 17 Dec 07;

TAEAN, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea's worst oil spill is threatening to enter a bay that is an important winter rest stop for migratory birds, the coastguard and a conservation group said on Monday.

Tens of thousands of volunteers, soldiers and others have battled for 10 days to clean up 10,500 tons of crude oil that spewed from a tanker. The spill then washed up on west coast beaches popular with tourists and blackened a nature reserve.

The coastguard has set up containment fences and dispatched vessels to break up or turn back the spill before it enters Cheonsu Bay, about 95 miles southwest of Seoul.

The bay is home for about 400,000 migratory birds, representing 300 different species that pass through during the South Korean winter, according to a statement by the Seosan Cheonsu Bay Bird Watching Fair Organisation Committee.

South Korea has declared the west coast Taean region a disaster area and said it would make available $322.7 million in loans to help residents who say they face ruin.

The spill has wiped out fish farms and oyster beds in the region and conservation groups said oil in the seabed will create problems for years to come.

The leak is about a third of the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill of crude oil onto Alaska shores, the costliest on record at $9.5 billion including settlement of claims.

(Reporting by Jessica Kim; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Oil still drifting south in South Korea's worst spill: Coast Guard
Yahoo News 17 Dec 07;

Slicks from South Korea's worst oil spill are still drifting south despite massive clean-up efforts since the accident 10 days ago, the Coast Guard said Monday.

Clumps of tar and slicks were spotted up to 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of the scene of the spill in the Yellow Sea, Coast Guard officials said.

A tanker spilled some 10,500 tons of crude oil off Taean county on the west coast on December 7 after being holed by a drifting barge carrying a crane.

Navy ships are battling to disperse the oil near four islands, while salvage workers and fishermen have begun work to protect sea farms from contamination, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The Coast Guard also said it had set up more booms at the mouth of Cheonsu Bay, south of Taean, to protect the habitat for migratory birds.

Much of the oil which coated beaches in Taean was being removed by tens of thousands of volunteers, police and troops.

On Monday, some 37,000 people, 828 ships and 18 aircraft were combating the spill.

Marine authorities said they had begun studying the potential impact of the oil on residents, fishermen and sea farms, and environmentalists have said it may take decades to recover fully from the disaster.

On Sunday, Seoul said it would provide 30 billion won (32 million dollars) in emergency aid to residents of the disaster-hit area by the end of next month.

Separately, the government has also offered up to 300 billion won (325 million dollars) in emergency funds to support small businesses and marine farmers.

The European Union, the United Nations and Japan have despatched environmental experts to assist the cleanup. Aid has also come from Singapore, China and the United States.

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Habitat loss forces India's tigers to high ground

Bappa Majumdar, Reuters 17 Dec 07;

KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - Habitat destruction is forcing India's endangered tigers to new grounds, including high mountains which have a sufficient prey base but are not known to be the natural home of the big cats.

With forests in the foothills being built over and cleared for farming, wildlife experts say tigers are being increasingly spotted in high altitudes in India's northeast and west.

But they say tigers could still be as endangered in their new environment and are not as adaptable as leopards.

"Tigers can feel the effect of villages on the bio-diversity from miles, and move away," said Belinda Wright of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.

"But they are not as adaptable as leopards in mountains."

India's wildlife crisis, highlighted best by the dwindling tiger and lion population, has caused huge national concern, pushing authorities to declare new measures to save the cats.

Experts say increasing human interference such as development, encroachment and destruction of habitat, as well as poaching, are the main threats to animals across India, from the Himalayas to Indian Ocean islands.

India is thought to be home to half the world's surviving tigers, but according to a census in 2001 and 2002, their numbers have dwindled to between 1,300 and 1,500 from 40,000 a century ago.

NEW HOME

In an example of the tiger adapting to the threat to their natural habitat, experts have found at least 20 of them in the high mountains of Neora, tucked between Bhutan and India's eastern state of West Bengal.

"Until 1998, we found one or two tigers straying into the Neora from the foothills, but now they live there," said Pranabes Sanyal of World Conservation Union, who conducted a study on tiger migration.

The tigers moved to the dense cover of bamboo and oak at Neora from the Gorumara reserve in the foothills, their original habitat.

In September, experts sighted up to 20 tigers in a hilly tropical rainforest in the western Maharashtra state, almost three decades after it was thought that poaching had wiped them out there.

Tigers have also moved into the lower Himalayan range in Bhutan from the Buxa and Manas tiger reserves on the plains of adjacent India which have a large human population.

Some conservationists have called for a proper study to find out how tigers were surviving in the unfamiliar terrain.

"There needs to be a special study done to find how they are doing and to learn about the extent of disturbance in the habitat below that forced them to move up," said Valmik Thapar, a leading tiger expert.

(Editing by Krittivas Mukherjee)

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Hong Kong public calls for air pollution fight

Reuters 17 Dec 07;

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Most Hong Kong people were willing to pay for a tougher crackdown on chronic air pollution through road pricing and other measures, a government-backed report said on Monday.

The head of the government advisory body that collaborated on the report with Hong Kong University also said the city should establish a "superfund" for cleaning up the environment.

Released during Hong Kong's traditionally smoggy winter months, the report is the most ambitious so far to gauge public attitudes about pollution, which frequently obscures the famous harbor.

"The public really wants something to be done even if certain costs are added to them...so it's really a good political capital that they (the government) have to drive on more initiatives," said environmentalist Alexis Lau.

Edgar Cheng, the Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, called for the government to establish the fund.

Cheng didn't specify the size of the fund, but said the government could afford it, with an expected surplus of HK$50 billion dollar ($6.4 billion) this fiscal year.

"We figured out that if we want to clear up everything, it will cost HK$20-30 billion," Cheng said.

Of the 81,000 people polled in the survey, 77 percent said they would be bear increases in transport costs in return for better air, through the use of cleaner vehicles and fuels.

Forty-two percent said they backed electronic road pricing, which would charge vehicle usage on roads during peak periods -- a contentious measure opposed by the motor trade for decades.

A consensus was also found for greater public transport usage on bad air days and certain mandatory measures like the use of green lightbulbs and turning off air-conditioners in empty rooms.

Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang said he would study the report.

"Improving air quality and the overall environmental quality is a long term battle, which must have the participation of everyone in society in order to realize results," he said.

Coal-fired power stations are blamed as the city's worst polluters, but increasing emissions also blow across the border from tens of thousands of factories in southern China.

(Reporting by James Pomfret; Editing by Grant McCool)

Hong Kong public willing to pay more for clean air
Straits Times 18 Dec 07;

HONG KONG - HONG Kong residents would be willing to pay higher transportation costs if it means breathing cleaner air, according to a survey published yesterday as the city's dazzling skyline was once again shrouded by a thick haze.

The survey was released to coincide with a summit called by the government to discuss the deteriorating air quality in the bustling financial hub and how to tackle it.

Hong Kong's skies are often heavily polluted by its two coal-burning power plants, marine and road traffic, and factories over the border in mainland China, fuelling concerns that tourists and investors may shift their attention to cleaner cities like Singapore.

Pollution monitoring stations in Hong Kong registered a 'high' pollution reading yesterday, meaning that regular exposure over months or years could cause long-term health effects.

A week earlier, downtown Hong Kong and some other areas recorded 'very high' levels, prompting the government to advise people with heart and respiratory illnesses to stay at home.

Dr Anthony Hedley, professor of community medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said cleaning up the city's air was a 'medical emergency'.

More than 75 per cent of 82,000 people surveyed said they would happily pay higher transportation costs if it meant that the thousands of buses, taxis and mini-buses used cleaner fuel.

It also revealed that 42 per cent backed electronic road pricing, which would charge vehicle usage on roads during peak periods - a contentious measure opposed strongly by the motor trade.

The money could be used to subsidise greener vehicles and public transportation, said the survey, which was commissioned by the government's Council for Sustainable Development and carried out by the University of Hong Kong in the past five months.

A consensus was also found for greater public transportation usage on bad air days and certain mandatory measures such as the use of environmentally friendly light bulbs and turning off air-conditioners in empty rooms.

Released during Hong Kong's traditionally smoggy winter months, the report is the most ambitious so far to gauge public attitudes about pollution.

Speaking at the summit, Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang vowed to consider the council's findings when formulating a long-term plan for cleaning up the air.

'We firmly believe if Hong Kong's economy is to maintain a sustainable growth, it is necessary to improve our air quality, provide a quality living environment to attract investors and talent to stay in Hong Kong,' Mr Tsang said.

But Professor Hedley said the government needed to act fast as residents were already paying a heavy price for poor quality air, citing an earlier study which found that pollution contributes to 1,600 deaths in the city each year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, REUTERS

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Malaysian Floods: Not the time for ’fiesta’

Nurul Halawati Azhari, Bernama New Straits Times 17 Dec 07;

The floods that have inundated the states of Kelantan, Johor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan have steadily worsened. The number of evacuees moved to relief centres has risen to 29,176 while as of dec 17, 22 people had drowned in the floods since it struck last Dec 8.

In the past week, news of people drowning in the flood waters made the headlines in the media but the irony of the situation was that the victims met their death while frolicking in the river or irrigation channels.

Such ’deadly excitement’ playing in the flood waters had drawn the attention of Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who called on people in flood-hit areas to abandon the thoughts of playing in the ’water carnival.’

The Kelantan Police Chief who is upset with the whole situation, expressed his anger and frustration against parents who allowed their children to play in the flood waters, making them victims to the fast flowing water currents.

However, some of the drowning cases could have been avoided by simply staying away from the flood waters as this not a ’wet theme park’ where people can have fun frolicking in the water.


LACKADAISICAL ATTITUDE

Water is just like fire. It is friendly when small but grows into a danger when it is big. And before we are engulfed by this danger, it is better to take precautions.

However in some areas, the floods which are seasonal, are welcomed with much delight. This is the time when children and adults alike, armed with nets, go out looking for freshwater fish that may have swim out of overflowing aquaculture ponds.

Others would have a gala time splashing in the flood waters. The print and electronic media had reported that parents blatantly showed their lackadaisical attitude by bringing out their small children to play in the rapidly rising flood waters.

Not to be left out are the ’mat rempit’ or speed fiends on motorbikes where their pictures doing ’wheelies’ on their machines in the floods were prominently displayed in the newspapers recently.

The police as well as the Fire and Rescue Department had, on countless of times reminded the public to be wary of the dangers posed by the rapidly flowing flood waters, but unfortunately this had fallen on deaf ears.



RED CRESCENT

A field officer of the National Red Crescent Association (PBSM), Nasir Khan Abd Rahman, said the fun felt while frolicking in the floods can make one to be unaware of the dangers lurking in the water.

They are not only in danger of drowning but there is a high risk that they may get bitten by poisonous snakes that are carried by the rapid currents as well as being exposed to water-borne diseases like cholera as well as skin allergies cased by contaminated or toxic substances.

People in flood-hit areas are advised against eating food that had been tainted by flood water as the food could have been contaminated by bacteria or other micro-organisms.

They are also advised to only drink boiled treated water or the mineral water supplied by relief agencies, said Nasir Khan.

He said:"If those in the flood-hit areas accidentally drink the flood water, they should immediately seek treatment at any clinic as the contaminated water may cause the victim to suffer from vomiting as well as diarrhea”.

Nasir Khan said the PBSM also assists the other relief agencies by supplying rescue boats and ambulances to the flood-hit areas.

“We have volunteers working round-the-clock to help those affected by the flood”, he said.

Nasir Khan said 30 PBSM volunteers had been dispatched to Johor while 80 are in Kelantan, 40 in Pahang and another 20 in Terengganu.

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Great Escape: Eastern Coastal Park Connectors

Sandra Leong, Straits Times 16 Dec 07;
Get away from the concrete jungle by heading to the new 42km Eastern Coastal Park Connectors Network on your bike

IF YOU'RE someone who spends most of your time shuttling between air-conditioned malls and cinemas, there's never been a better time to get on your bike.

That's because of a new network of trails on the east coast that makes cycling in the great outdoors a breeze.

You can wheel it from Siglap to Pasir Ris to Changi and back in as little as two hours, thanks to the completion of the 42km Eastern Coastal Park Connectors Network (PCN for short.)

The $22 million cycling network, which took the National Parks Board (NParks) a decade to complete, links six parks via trails taking riders through heartland estates and along picturesque canals.

The final piece in the grid - the 7km Coastal Park Connector - was unveiled on Dec 7.

So far, 100km of park connectors have been completed across the island, with NParks planning a further 100km by 2015 as part of a plan to transform Singapore into a 'City-in-a-Garden'.

On a rare fine day last week, LifeStyle took a joyride to check out the various routes. And don't worry about getting lost. NParks has placed PCN in bold letters on the track at strategic spots.

Suburban sights

THE start. Park at Carpark C4 along East Coast Park and take the overhead bridge - push your bike up a ramp - to get to the 4.5km Siglap Park Connector that takes you all the way from Marine Parade to Bedok Reservoir Park.

As you go alongside Siglap Canal, you find yourself smack in upper middle-class suburbia - the backyards of the Telok Kurau private estate. The route does get a little congested during mornings and evenings, so expect a slow ride.

Emerge at Kembangan MRT and continue towards the Pan Island Expressway where, once again, you have to push your bike up an overhead ramp (see story on facing page).

Cross over and go through the scenic Bedok Town Park, a length of greenery that eventually connects with Bedok Reservoir Park. You might even catch people wakeboarding there.

From here, you have two choices. Head back to East Coast Park using the 6km Bedok Park Connector, which takes you through a series of canals - one of them parallel to food factories complete with tantalising aromas wafting over to you. Or link up with the 5.4km Tampines Park Connector.

Heartland explorer

THIS route takes you up close and personal with the Tampines HDB estate, as the cycling paths are incorporated into the pedestrian walkways close to the void decks.

For a drink, stop at the several no-name sundry shops along the way.

After some distance, the track turns left towards Tampines Central where you can stop at neighbourhood shopping hubs Tampines Mall and Century Square

Look out for the S-11 kopitiam further down for a hawker fare fix. Past the Tampines Regional Library, you'll reach Sun Plaza Park which has a playground with slides shaped like elephants and crocodiles. From there, join the 2.3km Pasir Ris Park Connector.

The far East

THE pace of life is slower here and you'll encounter fewer motorists and pedestrians. Behind an HDB estate, cross a canal - people go fishing here - via a quaint wooden footbridge.

There's another overhead bridge to cross. Soon you end up at Pasir Ris Town Park, a hotspot for pond fishing. At the end, turn right and go down Pasir Ris Drive 3 towards Loyang and eventually the 3.4km Loyang Park Connector.

There's nothing much to see here except greenery and the odd industrial building. The route winds into some deserted places so it's not advisable to go alone.

Finally, you hit the renowned Changi Village where you can tuck into nasi lemak and sugarcane juice. Arrive after dusk and you may see 'ah kuas' (Hokkien for transvestites).

The ride through Changi Beach Park is pleasant, with lampposts and a footbridge over water where bumboats bob. The last and most daunting bit beckons: the 7.9km Coastal Park Connector.

Ride for your life

THIS flat, straight stretch is bliss. Ride alongside the runways of Changi Airport, with the roar of jet engines urging you to pedal harder and faster.

The only downer is the strong wind, which can slow you down if you're riding into it. But soldier on to reach the best part of the Eastern network.

The connector turns off into a picturesque spot beside a canal that spills over into the sea. The path is shrouded by a canopy of trees and, from the gaps in the greenery, you can view the bellies of planes coming in to land - so close you can see their unfurling wheels. From here, link back to East Coast Park and back to your start point.

Don't forget to reward yourself with a hard-earned drink on the way back by wheeling up to Sunset Bay, a new incarnation of the once-famous Sentosa beach bar institution.

After 42km of pedal power, it's bound to hit the spot.

RELATED ARTICLES

Cycle and carry: some disconnects in the park connectors
Straits Times 16 Dec 07;

Cycling wardens keep footpaths safe in Tampines
Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 17 Dec 07;
170 volunteers ensure that cyclists using footways do not pose danger to pedestrians

42km Eastern Coastal Park Connector Network launched
Channel NewsAsia 8 Dec 07;

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Two new mammals found in Indonesian 'lost world': Conservation International

Yahoo News 17 Dec 07;

Two mammals believed new to science have been found on the latest expedition to a virtual lost world found in Indonesia's Papua in 2005, Conservation International (CI) said Monday.

Scientists from CI and the Indonesia Institute of Science (LIPI) visited the Foja Mountains in June 2007, following a first trip in late 2005 that saw them discover dozens of new plants and animals, CI said in a statement.

"During the June expedition, the team documented two mammals, a Cercartetus pygmy possum, one of the worldÂ’s smallest marsupials, and a Mallomys giant rat, both currently under study and apparently new to science," CI said.

The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat and visited the scientists' camp several times, lacking any fear of humans.

The team also recorded the mating displays of several rare and little-known birds for the first time, CI said.

"It'’s comforting to know that there is a place on earth so isolated that it remains the absolute realm of wild nature," CI vice president Bruce Beehler, who led the expedition, said in the statement.

"We were pleased to see that this little piece of Eden remains as pristine and enchanting as it was when we first visited."

The Fojas are part of the Mamberamo Basin, the largest unroaded tropical forest in the Asia-Pacific, and the Indonesian government has declared the region a wildlife sanctuary, CI said.

CBS News sent a camera crew with the team on their second visit and aired an account of the expedition on Sunday, CI said.

The crew obtained the first film documentation of several spectacular birds found in Foja, capturing the courtship displays of the golden-fronted bowerbird and of the black sicklebill bird of paradise, the group said.

CI and LIPI plan a third expedition back in late 2008 or 2009 that will seek to survey the summit forests of the highest peak, and the little-studied lower elevations. They expect to find more new species of frogs, mammals, butterflies and plants, CI added.

Activists have already warned that the forests in the area are under threat from large-scale deforestation.

Indonesia is losing its forests at the world's fastest rate, with some two million hectares (4.9 million acres) disappearing each year, according to environmental watchdog Greenpeace.

Giant rat discovered in Indonesia jungle
Yahoo News 17 Dec 07;

Researchers in a remote jungle in Indonesia have discovered a giant rat and a tiny possum that are apparently new to science, underscoring the stunning biodiversity of the Southeast Asian nation, scientists said Monday.

Unearthing new species of mammals in the 21st century is considered very rare. The discoveries by a team of American and Indonesian scientists are being studied further to confirm their status.

The animals were found in the Foja mountains rainforest in eastern Papua province in a June expedition, said U.S.-based Conservation International, which organized the trip along with the Indonesian Institute of Science.

"The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. "With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip."

The possum was described as "one of the worlds smallest marsupials."

A 2006 expedition to the same stretch of jungle — dubbed by Conservation International as a "Lost World" because until then humans had rarely visited it — unearthed scores of exotic new species of palms, butterflies and palms.

Papua has some of the world's largest tracts of rainforest, but like elsewhere in Indonesia they are being ravaged by illegal logging. Scientists said last year that the Foja area was not under immediate threat, largely because it was so remote.

"It's comforting to know that there is a place on Earth so isolated that it remains the absolute realm of wild nature," said expedition leader Bruce Beehler. "We were pleased to see that this little piece of Eden remains as pristine and enchanting as it was when we first visited."

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Global warming may soon see Santa don shorts

Gael Branchereau, Yahoo News 17 Dec 07;

If the most dire climate forecasts come true the tourism industry in Europe's far north, already feeling the effects of global warming, may find itself promoting a Santa in shorts and a camel-drawn sleigh.

Each year at the end of autumn, residents, shopkeepers, travel agencies, reindeer herders and even politicians in the Finnish Arctic town of Rovaniemi -- home to Santa Claus' Village, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Finland -- look to the skies in the hopes of a snowy winter.

"Everyone working in tourism here is worried. The past three or four years have been difficult for us," says Jarmo Kariniemi, owner of the Santa Claus' Office in Rovaniemi which each year attracts 340,000 visitors eager to meet the "real" Father Christmas.

This December, with only a few weeks to go before Christmas, there are only 20 centimeters (seven-and-a-half inches) of snow on the ground, just enough for snowmobiles and dog- and reindeer sleighs.

But the rivers and lakes, which normally freeze over in winter and are used to take tourists on snowmobile or sleigh rides, have not turned to ice yet, and that's bad news.

Tourism generates some 235 million euros (345 million dollars) of direct and indirect revenue in Finnish Lapland, of which about 60 percent comes during winter.

It is an enormous amount of money for the region, hit hard by high unemployment and the rural exodus to bigger towns.

"The winter tourism period in the Nordic countries will be shorter and shorter, both at the beginning and towards the end, and it will go fast and it will be huge," climatologist Heikki Tuomenvirta told AFP.

Average temperatures in Finland will rise by three to six degrees Celsius in winter by 2050, and by four to eight degrees by 2080. The average winter temperature in Rovaniemi will rise from 15 degrees Celsius below zero (five degrees F) to eight below (18 F).

"Precipitation in winter will increase, with both rain and snow, and then there will be more rain," Tuomenvirta said.

More rain will melt the snow that normally covers the vast region from November to April, she added.

Towns further north of Rovaniemi are already making the most of the first effects of global warming to attract tourists.

"The amount of snow varies from year to year in Rovaniemi, while here the snow is guaranteed," said Carina Winnebaeck, a hotel manager in Enontekioe.

This village of 2,000 people, located a three-hour drive north of Rovaniemi, has already succeeded in persuading British tour operators to bring planefulls of holiday tourists seeking a winter wonderland to their town.

While global warming presents several short-term advantages -- lower energy bills, greater agricultural possibilities, a longer summer tourism season -- the long-term effects are dire for the region's fauna, flora and local population.

Reindeer herding, the traditional activity and main income for the 70,000 indigenous Sami people spread out across the Arctic, is also at risk.

"Last year we were in northern Russia following the reindeer migration, and it went from -28 degrees C to above zero (-18 to above 32 degrees F)," said Bruce Forbes, a biogeographist at Rovaniemi's Arctic Institute.

Then "it snowed and rained and went down to minus 40," he said, explaining that the temperature swings led to alternating layers of thick snow and ice which the reindeers could not break through to get to the lichen they eat to survive through the winter.

"The herders had to physically break the ice to help the animals," he said.

Sami Ruismaeki is one of Finland's 7,000 reindeer herders whose livelihood has become more and more precarious.

"When it doesn't rain, there are no mushrooms and the reindeer aren't able to build up their body fat before the long winter. Then the lichen disappears under the heavy layers of ice," he said.

The reindeer "have to be fed with grain or hay, and we have to bring water from home. It's not profitable anymore," he said.

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Mexico caps damaged Gulf oil well

Yahoo News 17 Dec 07;

Oil workers have capped a damaged oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico that spilled crude and natural gas for almost two months after a deadly high-seas collision, Mexico's state-owned oil company announced on Sunday.

At least 21 employees were killed in the Oct. 23 collision with a drilling rig during a storm.

Petroleos Mexicanos workers injected concrete into the well after installing a new valve assembly — blocking the well "definitively," the company said.

"The control of the well was carried out without any injury to the workers, despite risky conditions that prevailed throughout the entire process," Pemex said in a news release.

Roughly 420 barrels of oil per day spilled from the damaged platform since late October. Pemex said "the latest reports indicate that no oil has reached beaches in recent weeks."

The company faced a nightmarish combination of leaking crude, bad weather, a stubborn fire fueled by leaking natural gas, and the presence of other toxic gases emanating from the well.

Before the flames were controlled earlier this month, fireboats were stationed at the platform around the clock, pumping sea water to prevent further damage to the platform, much of it now dismantled.

External and internal company investigations are under way into the cause of the collision and the loss of life.

The company said it would continue to monitor and recover any spilled crude.

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Best of our wild blogs: 17 Dec 07

The one that got away
Video clip and thoughts about fishing at Tanjung Berlayar on the reddot blog

Daily Green Actions: 14 Dec
thoughts of transport and lomborg on the leafmonkey blog

More about Buloh
as shore guides get a sunny day out, on the discovery blog and manta blog

Thailand's hornbills
you can adopt one too on the bird ecology blog

Read more!

German ship fights climate change with high-tech kite

Erik Kirschbaum, Reuters 16 Dec 07;
HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Turning ocean winds into gold while cutting greenhouse emissions in the process might sound like some sort of alchemy for the 21st century.

But unlike futile earlier efforts to convert ordinary metals to gold, two fast-growing German companies have worked together developing a high-tech kite system to pull enormous ships across the oceans -- and save enormous amounts of money.

The 132 meter (433 ft) long MV "Beluga SkySails" will make its maiden voyage in January across the Atlantic to Venezuela, up to Boston and back to Europe. It will be pulled by a giant computer-guided 500,000-euro ($725,000) kite tethered to a 15-metre high mast.

It is a throwback to an earlier maritime age, harnessing the winds that fell out of favor over a century ago when sailing lost the battle for merchant shipping to modern steam power because it was seen then as primitive and unpredictable.

But now, in the age of climate change, wind power is making a remarkable comeback thanks to modern technology.

"This is the start of a revolution for the way ships are powered," Beluga chief executive Niels Stolberg said in an interview with Reuters on the windswept deck of his new ship MV Beluga SkySails. "It's a small but crucial step for the future."

To latch onto the powerful winds prevailing well above the surface, the kite attached to the high-tech steerage unit flies up to 300 meters high to tug the 10,000-tonne ship forward, supporting its diesel engines and cutting fuel consumption.

Under favorable wind conditions, the 160-square meter kite shaped like a paraglider is expected to reduce fuel costs by up to 20 percent or more ($1,600 per day) and cut, by a similarly significant amount, its carbon dioxide emissions.

Burning fossil fuels cause CO2 blamed for climate change.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

A driving force for Beluga -- and other shippers already lining up to buy the system if it delivers on its promise -- is the fuel price, which has tripled for shippers in recent years.

While it might seem almost too simple -- or too good -- to be true, SkySails inventor Stephan Wrage and German engineers have spent more than five years perfecting the system and they will tell you that it is anything but pie-in-the sky technology.

"At the heart of this all for me, the real motivating factor is to get to the crossroads of ecology and economics -- and to prove it pays to protect the environment," Wrage said in an interview on the ship so new it still smells of fresh paint.

While some political and industry leaders complain about the financial burdens of fighting climate change and cite costs in resisting CO2 reduction efforts, Wrage said SkySails is proof that the opposite can be true: there's money to be made.

"If our calculations are right, our clients will not only have considerably greater earnings but also substantially reduce their CO2 output as well," the 35-year-old added after a ceremony to christen the new ship in Hamburg port on Saturday.

"To be able to make a contribution to fighting climate change makes us all proud," the SkySails managing director said as the sail made of ultralight synthetic fibre and as big as a medium-sized passenger jet unfurled in a breeze above the deck.

MUCH BIGGER KITES COMING

SkySails developed the kite propulsion system that Beluga Shipping only just finished installing on the new cargo ship. Both firms aim to prove on a commercial scale what years of testing on smaller vessels showed: you can turn wind into cash.

Wrage, who got the idea as a 16-year-old while flying kites and wishing he could tap their power to make a small sail boat go faster, is optimistic even greater savings can be achieved. He said larger kites should cut fuel usage by 30 to 50 percent.

Two 320-square meter kites will pull two more Beluga ships by 2009 and after that 600-square meter kites will be added.

"That's where the savings get really interesting," he said.

But the immediate impact on cutting CO2 caused by ships will be limited. Shipping carries more than 90 percent of the world's traded goods. There are more than 50,000 merchant ships carrying everything from oil, gas, coal, and grains to electronic goods.

They emit 800 million tonnes of CO2 each year -- 5 percent of the world's total. They emit high levels of sulphur dioxide.

Yet Wrage is confident the demand will take off. There are three orders in hand and if the savings achieved on a smaller 55-metre long prototype are confirmed by the "Beluga SkySails", he said others were lined up to buy systems.

"We're planning to equip four to eight ships next year, provided the first voyage turns out as well as the trials did," he said. "In 2009 we expect to sell at least 35 systems. After that, we want to at least double every year."

The target is 1,500 vessels equipped by 2015.

"I've had a lot of meetings where shippers have said to me 'If it works out on the Beluga SkySails we're going to buy one, two, four or 10 systems'," Wrage said. "Believe me. If we're successful now, it won't be hard to find buyers."

(Editing by Stephen Weeks)

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The green businessman: getting Singaporeans to use bio-degradable disposable cutlery

Today Online 17 Dec 07;

Aloysius Cheong shunned the corporate world after graduating from university in 2000 with an arts degree. He set up his own businesses right away — first a tuition centre and later a marine organism export firm.

But he was hit by what he called a "green wave" and after trawling the Internet for ideas, Aloysius and his wife invested US$20,000 ($29,000) in a business that manufactured bio-degradable disposable cutlery using corn and yam.

He spoke to Chen Siya about the challenges he faced in getting Singaporeans and the authorities to use more environmentally-friendly products.

How is your product different from others that use materials such as plastics?

My cutlery starts to biodegrade 90 days after usage. After 102 days, it will have completely become dust, whereas styrofoam may take about 300 years.

My products can also withstand heat of up to 150°C. Plastics can, but styrofoam can't.

When you burn plastics and styrofoam, you release toxins as well as carbon dioxide. My products are made of corn and yam. When these crops grow, they take in 10 units of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, when they are burnt, they also release 10 units of carbon dioxide. So, they are carbon-neutral.

Why did you start this business?

I was thinking of the waste generated by Singaporeans every day at hawker centres.

I thought it would be great if we had a biodegradable product that could replace petroleum-based plastics.

I know there are companies already doing this in Italy. But the costs were high, so I went to China to source for this particular product.

Do you see yourself as a greenie, environmental advocate or businessman first?

To be an honest, I am a business man first, then an environmentalist.

This is my chance to introduce a product to Singaporeans that can actually boost the image of Singapore.

Can you imagine tourists coming to Singapore and seeing styrofoam being so wantonly used at Newton Food Centre? Wouldn't it be great if we could switch to something made from such common materials instead? That's how I see it.

When you first tried marketing your products to hawkers, what was their initial response?

Terrible. They gave me a lot of negative feedback.

Firstly, it's not the usual transparent take-away pack, it's beige.

It's almost double the cost. So, their first reaction was: "This is so expensive, don't bother me."

They are aware of what's going on with the environment, but ultimately it's their costs that matter to them. But there were a few angels who were really nice. They have switched to using these boxes at their own expense, without charging the extra costs to consumers.

I also work with distributors who target schools and caterers.

What's your business strategy to survive?

I target catering companies — they use a blend of plastics and styrofoam.

Nobody else can replace disposable plastic forks and spoons, but I can.

Are you a very environmentally-conscious person?

I am still guilty of certain things. I drive — that's the part I feel most guilty about.

But I do recycle paper, plastics and metals. I try not to switch on the air-conditioner as far as I can help it. I also work closely with the National Youth Council, sponsoring their activities.

Have you tried lobbying the Government to do more for the environment?

In July, I sent reports about styrofoam usage and the environment, as well as legislation introduced by other countries, to our Ministers and Members of Parliament.

One of them is MP Ellen Lee of Sembawang GRC and she raised this topic in Parliament in October.

In my letter to the Ministers, I suggested that the Government follow in the footsteps of countries — such as the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and the United Kingdom — that support biodegradable cutlery. In fact, New York is considering a ban on the use of styrofoam.

I believe that one of these days, the Government could make the switch here. It is a matter of time.

Do you have any regrets in taking the entrepreneurial path, instead of working for a large corporation?

One per cent of the time, when times are bad, when I'm alone in this. It's not like working in an office where you have colleagues to go out with for lunch.

When I was in junior college, I was convinced that I wanted to work in a multinational corporation, but when I entered National Service, my mindset changed.

All my family members and many of my relatives run their own businesses and I realised that I could get support and contacts from them.

I wouldn't say which path is the right one. It all depends on whether you are comfortable with your path.

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