Singapore's S$150m observatory aims to study natural disasters better

Channel NewsAsia 28 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE: A research centre called the Earth Observatory of Singapore will be set up to study more about natural disasters in the region.

The observatory, located at Nanyang Technological University, has received funding of S$217 million over the next ten years.

It will focus its research on natural disasters such as tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and climate change.

NTU President, Dr Su Guaning said initial research programmes include refining tsunami forecasts for western Sumatra and analysing the impact of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on the Southeast Asia region.

A database of earthquake faults in Southeast Asia is also planned.

Dr Su Guaning said the benefits of the observatory in the coming years are the modelling and forecasting of possible damage from natural disasters.

While Singapore has been free of such natural disasters, it is surrounded by neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, which lies in the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ – an area where such calamities happen frequently.

Professor Kerry Sieh who heads the observatory believes that this facility will bring the scientific community closer to society.

Professor Sieh hopes that more scientific work can be turned into workable ideas to help mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

The centre is expected to be ready in the first quarter of next year but research will begin later this year. - CNA/vm

$150m to better understand natural disasters
Sheralyn Tay, Today Online 29 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE may not be disaster-prone, but that does not mean we are spared when a natural calamity hits our neighbours.

The occasional tremors that have sent Shenton Way workers scurrying down the stairs from their high-rise offices in recent years, have not been forgotten.

Plus the fact that Singapore is located in a region of tumultuous volcanic activities and geological fault lines; it is not surprising that the National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Education have granted $150 million for a Research Centre of Excellence dedicated to earth sciences.

This makes the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS), based at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), one of the most well-funded research facilities of its kind in the world.

Led by a "dream team" of three world-renowned scientists, Professors Kerry Sieh, Paul Tapponier and Chris Newhall, the EOS will propel Singapore to the forefront of earth sciences, said NTU president Su Guaning.

Headed by Prof Sieh, who hails from the prestigious California Institute of Technology, the centre will focus on the big four of the region's natural disasters: Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and climate change.

And with the greatest "earthquake experiment" happening right now in Sumatra, the present offers an "unparalleled" chance for its study, said Prof Sieh.

While earthquake occurrences tend to be uncommon, we are in the middle of a "flurry" of them as we witness a cycle that occurs about once every 200 years, he said.

"There is no better place to be right now to study earthquakes than Singapore because it is happening in our own backyard."

And while Singapore is relatively safe from volcanic and tectonic activity, it will still be affected by regional disasters, said Prof Sieh, pointing to the 2004 Boxing Day tremblor that unleashed devastating tsunamis.

"We do not usually worry about things that happen once every 200 years, but it is these things that can kill a quarter of a million people in Aceh, so we have to understand these things as we emerge from 10,000 years of stable climate and head into unstable climate."

The EOS will not only be critical in understanding these geographical changes but also predicting them with more lead time, so that, most importantly, this knowledge and data can be translated into political, economic and social action that saves lives and livelihoods.

So far, warnings for earthquake and volcano eruptions have been ad hoc, but better long-term predictions will pave the way for much better responses, said Prof Sieh, as policy-makers can factor these issues into urban planning and formulating emergency systems.

A few projects have been identified in the pipeline. One seeks to refine tsunami forecasting in Western Sumatra and the South China Sea, and another will evaluate the impact of the future Sumatran earthquakes on Singapore and the region.

The data EOS collects will also be useful in studying the impact of earthquakes on our buildings in a more integrated way and help narrow the gaps in current prediction models, explained Prof Pan Tso-Chien, dean of NTU's college of Engineering.

With the "powerful faculty", Prof Pan is optimistic that the EOS would, in time, draw "like a magnet" more junior faculty and bright students, to build a stellar research hub for earth sciences.

According to Dr Su, the EOS may start a graduate programme from late-2009, and possibly an undergraduate programme in two to three years.

New earth sciences lab to study natural disasters
Located at NTU, it will research earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and climate change
Tania Tan, Straits Times 29 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE is an island of tranquillity in the middle of one of the most volatile earthquake zones in the world: South-east Asia.

Now, researchers are hoping to use the country's prime location to study the effects of tremors and other natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and climate change at the new Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS).

The centre, set to begin operations in August, will focus its research on 'serious environmental challenges', said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

'These are issues which affect Singapore,' said Mr Lee. 'We are in South-east Asia - far away from the earthquake zone but, at the same time, in the middle of an earthquake zone which surrounds us and with volcanoes also along the rim of the plate.

'It is important for us to understand what can happen, and how it can affect us.'

He was speaking at the Pan Pacific Hotel yesterday at the third Research Innovation and Enterprise Council meeting.

Located at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the observatory will cost about $287 million over 10 years. Construction of the EOS laboratories will begin later this year.

Half of the funds will come from the National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Education, making EOS the first 'well-funded' research institute of its kind, said founding director Professor Kerry Sieh.

As one of the world's leading geologists, Prof Sieh has spent the last five years studying earthquakes in Indonesia. He also successfully predicted the 2005 earthquake in Sumatra.

'South-east Asia is the best place in the world for an earthquake experiment,' said Prof Sieh. 'There is no other place in the world with such a high frequency of earthquakes.'

The 57-year-old professor will make a permanent move here from the California Institute of Technology in August.

Joining him are Professor Paul Tapponnier and Professor Chris Newhall, experts in the fields of earthquakes and vulcanism respectively.

A Frenchman, Prof Tapponnier discovered the great active geological faults of Tibet early in his career and their effect on India and Asia.

Currently based in the Philippines, Prof Newhall invented a scale for volcanic eruptions, similar to the Richter scale used to measure earthquakes.

'We've got ourselves a dream team of scientists,' said NTU president Su Guaning.

It is a team which Prof Sieh hopes to expand; at full strength, the centre will have about 20 faculty staff, including climate change specialists.

Among the centre's early projects are studies on the impact of earthquakes on places in the region, including Hong Kong and Singapore.

'We hope to do good research, and from there help our neighbours be better equipped,' said Prof Sieh.

And though the centre is a step away from the usual research drives - namely medicine, green technology and information technology - it represents an invaluable addition to Singapore's, said Dr Su.

'The economic benefits of this centre are not immediately obvious,' conceded Dr Su. 'But it'll be a boost to our reputation, which is something money cannot buy.'

Read more!

Philippine government introduces conservation programme to deal with shortage of rice

Channel NewsAsia 28 Mar 08;

MANILA : As the Philippines scrambles to boost its rice supply, the government has come up with a conservation programme that will discourage wastage of the country's staple.

Filipinos waste 50 kilogrammes of rice a day, according to official statistics.

That translates into wastage amounting to US$715,000 daily.

According to the National Food Authority, around 25,000 bags of rice are wasted everyday.

The study shows that customers at restaurants and fast food chains waste the most rice.

The Department of Agriculture has appealed to these establishments to offer smaller portions of rice, in view of the current national shortfall.

It is part of a new rice conservation programme launched by the government.

Rex Estoperez, Spokesperson, National Food Authority, said, "You are required to eat only half a cup of rice...we are encouraging the food chains or restaurants to give options to consumers because if they cannot consume a whole cup of rice, it will go to waste. We have been doing random sampling on restaurants and food chains, and the wastage is so much. It's something that we cannot recover."

One fast food chain that has started offering half servings of rice is Chowking, which sells Chinese cuisine.

Many of its patrons support the move.

One person said, "It's fine with me as I usually just eat half a cup of rice. Previously, I forced myself to finish all the rice even though I was full."

Another commented, "Sometimes we order a lot of food but we can't finish all of it. If everyone only eats half a cup of rice each, especially those who are on a diet, there'll be more savings for the National Budget."

A third said, "It's a good idea. We share one cup of rice as we can't finish the whole cup in one sitting."

The Department of Agriculture is in now in discussions with hotel chains and other food outlets to see how they can help conserve rice.

The message to Filipinos is that if they waste less rice, imports could go down from the current 83 percent of the amount consumed to as low as 37 percent.

The Philippines is currently the world's biggest rice importer, as the government buys close to 2 million metric tons from the international market every year. - CNA/ms

Read more!

'Earth Hour' to plunge millions into darkness

Madeleine Coorey Yahoo News 28 Mar 08;

Twenty-six major cities around the world are expected to turn off the lights on major landmarks, plunging millions of people into darkness to raise awareness about global warming, organisers said.

'Earth Hour' founder Andy Ridley said 371 cities, towns or local governments from Australia to Canada and even Fiji had signed up for the 60-minute shutdown at 0900 GMT on March 29.

"There are definitely 26 (cities) that we think, if it all goes to plan, we are going to see a major event of lights going off," he told AFP.

Cities officially signed on include Chicago and San Francisco, Dublin, Manila, Bangkok, Copenhagen and Toronto, all of which will switch off lights on major landmarks and encourage businesses and homeowners to follow suit.

Ridley said it was also likely that other major European cities such as Rome and London, and the South Korean capital Seoul, although not officially taking part, would turn off lights on some attractions or landmarks.

The initiative began in Sydney last year and has become a global event, sweeping across 35 countries this year.

From 8:00 pm local time in Sydney, the energy-saving campaign will see harbourside icons such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House bathed only in moonlight, restaurant diners eat by candlelight and city skyscrapers turn off their neon signs.

Organisers hope the initiative will encourage people to be more aware of their energy usage, knowing that producing electricity pollutes the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels which are contributing to global warming.

But they are also aware that it will be just a small step in solving the problem of rising temperatures around the globe.

"Switching the lights off for an hour is not going to make a dent in global emissions," organiser Charles Stevens, of the environmental group WWF, told AFP.

"But what it does do is it is a great catalyst for much bigger changes. It engages people in the processes of becoming more energy efficient."

Stevens said the initiative encouraged businesses to be more careful with their electricity use while at the same time sending "a fairly powerful message to governments that people are demanding action."

Some 2.2 million people participated in last year's 'Earth Hour' in Sydney, cutting the central business district's energy usage by more than 10 percent.

While no cities from China or India are involved this year, Stevens said it was hoped that the movement would expand in 2009, which he said would be a particularly significant year given that it is the deadline for United Nations talks to determine future action on climate change after the Kyoto Protocol.

Ridley, who began 'Earth Hour' last year while working with WWF Australia, said the initiative was about individuals and global companies joining together to own a shared problem -- climate change.

"Governments and businesses are joining individuals, religious groups, schools and communities in this terrific movement that's all about making a change for the better," he said.

"It's staggering to see so much support from across the globe in just our second year and we're hoping that this will continue to grow year after year."

Cities officially involved in 'Earth Hour' include Aalborg, Aarhus, Adelaide, Atlanta, Bangkok, Brisbane, Canberra, Chicago, Christchurch, Copenhagen, Darwin, Dublin, Hobart, Manila, Melbourne, Montreal, Odense, Ottawa, Perth, Phoenix, San Francisco, Suva, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Toronto and Vancouver.

Related link

Earth Hour Singapore for efforts at home and what you CAN do to support this.

Read more!

Climate change now a UN human rights issue

Yahoo News 28 Mar 08;

Climate change is now officially a human rights issue, as the UN Human Rights Council on Friday passed a resolution on the subject, recognising that the world's poor are particularly vulnerable.

The council also gave the green light for a study into the impact of climate change on human rights, describing climate change as a "global problem .. that requires a global solution".

The resolution, submitted by the Maldives and passed without a vote, also noted that the poor tend to have limited resources to cope with the impact of global warming.

The country's Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid told AFP that climate change "violates all human rights" -- from the basic to the fundamental.

"In the case of Maldives, the right to life itself," he said.

The island state is among the world's most vulnerable states to global warming, as it risks being submerged by rising sea waters.

Shahid said Maldives appreciated various forums which have already been discussing the climate change issue.

"But the very important aspect of the human dimension is sometimes lost. Scientific and economic issues have all been taken into account," he said, adding that the country wanted to use the resolution to highlight the human dimension of the problem.

When introducing the resolution in Geneva, Maldives' representative told delegates that the debate on the subject had so far tended to focus on physical effects, while the "phenomenon on human beings" had been largely overlooked.

"It is time to highlight the human face of climate change," he said.

Supporting the resolution, Sri Lanka's representative called it "timely" and said because of climate change, even "the right to life is under threat".

The council's resolution acknowledged findings by the landmark report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which said the evidence of a human role in the warming of the planet was now "unequivocal", and that the situation could be irreversible.

It also cited those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change: low-lying and small island states; countries with low-lying coastal, arid and semi-arid areas or areas prone to floods, drought, and desertification; and developing countries with fragile mountainous ecosystems.

Greenpeace political adviser Daniel Mittler welcomed the resolution, saying that it "points to the right direction".

"We have always maintained that climate change is way more than an environment issue, it is a security issue, an economic issue - in fact it is the most important economic issue of our time, and indeed a human rights issue.

"It has a direct impact on people's lives, the ability of people to lead decent livelihoods. For example, Africans who can't farm as they used to or Alaskans who can no longer maintain their traditional lifestyle due to climate change effects."

However, he pointed out that the study proposed by the council is to be conducted "within existing resources", and said that more should be done to ensure that a thorough study be done.

"It's so ironical, if climate change is such a key issue, then countries should put more resources behind it," said Mittler.

U.N. human rights body turns to climate change
Reuters 28 Mar 08;

GENEVA (Reuters) - Climate change could erode the human rights of people living in small island states, coastal areas and parts of the world subjected to drought and floods, the U.N. Human Rights Council said on Friday.

In its first consideration of the issue, the United Nations forum's 47 member states endorsed by consensus a resolution stressing that global warming could threaten the livelihoods and welfare of many of the world's most vulnerable people.

They backed the proposal from the Maldives, Comoros, Tuvalu, Micronesia and other countries for "a detained analytical study of the relationship between climate change and human rights," to be conducted by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"Until now, the global discourse on climate change has tended to focus on the physical or natural impacts of climate change," Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, the Maldives' ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, told the session.

"The immediate and far-reaching impact of the phenomenon on human beings around the world has been largely neglected," he said. "It is time to redress this imbalance by highlighting the human face of climate change."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made the fight against climate change one of his top priorities, and encouraged all United Nations agencies to incorporate it into their work.

International experts have warned that the expected impacts of climate change -- including rising sea levels and intense storms, droughts and floods -- could strip millions of people from access to housing, food and clean water.

But diplomats at the United Nations have not yet sought to enshrine the right to protection from the effects of climate change in an international treaty, as has been done for other social and economic rights.

Louise Arbour, a former Canadian Supreme Court justice, has announced she will not seek another term as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights when her tenure ends on June 30. Her successor has not yet been named.

(Reporting by Laura MacInnis)

Read more!

Markets Nervous: Will US Plant Enough Corn?

Carey Gillam, PlanetArk 28 Mar 08;

WHITE CLOUD, Kan. - Kansas farmer Ken McCauley wants to help keep the world from going hungry next year, so he's planting corn: lots and lots of corn.

The third-generation farmer said he'll begin seeding about 3,000 acres of corn on his north-eastern Kansas farm within the next two weeks, compared to only about 1,000 acres of soybeans he'll plant this spring, a change from his traditional 50/50 mix of the two key crops.

Indeed, with food prices racing higher around the world, and strong demand for corn from food companies, livestock producers and ethanol makers, US corn production is considered a critical component of keeping people fed.

Higher prices for corn have fattened farmer wallets even as stocks from last year's bumper crop remain sufficient for the short term.

But as spring planting season draws near, now market analysts fear that many US farmers will not follow McCauley's example but will instead plant soybeans, which are commanding historic high prices at more than $13 a bushel (compared with $5.50 a bushel for corn) and are much cheaper to produce than corn.

Market experts say all signs point to a sharp decline in overall US corn seeding this spring, which could spell a significant tightening of supplies that would resonate at home and abroad, impacting everyone from consumers to cattle feeders.

"We have tight stocks worldwide and strong demand, so when there is an acreage or production shortfall you end up with more extreme and violent moves in prices. This is the risk that we face," said agricultural economist Bill Lapp.

On Monday, the US Department of Agriculture will issue a report laying out its latest estimates for this year's seeding of key corn, soybean and wheat crops.

Analysts on average were predicting this year's corn acreage at 87.387 million acres, down 6.2 million acres from 2007's 93.6 million, which was the biggest corn area in over 60 years.

Soybean plantings are estimated by analysts on average at 71.721 million acres, up from 63.6 million last year.

Because soybeans are typically planted later than corn, which goes into the ground in early to mid-April in many areas, those numbers could shift even further in favour of beans if current unfavourable wet and cool weather in the US corn belt persists.

North America Risk Management Inc analyst Jerry Gidel said that 2008 corn plantings need to be at least in the 88 million-89 million acre range to generate even minimally adequate supplies for 2008/09. The fact that planting estimates are already below that and there is the potential for even more declines is causing anxiety across the marketplace, according to Gidel.

"People are getting nervous," he said.

A shortfall in corn this year would follow last year's short supplies of quality world wheat and soy crops, which caused prices to spike to record levels and contributed to rampant inflation in food prices domestically and abroad.

Fears are further compounded by the fact that farmers in Argentina, one of the world's leading suppliers of soy, corn, wheat and beef, have gone on strike in a protest against new taxes, essentially shutting down the country's grain export business.

"There are a number of the larger food companies that understand not only the tightness in stocks for corn, soybeans and wheat in the US but also globally, and those food companies are preparing for it," said Joe Victor vice president at Allendale, a commodity research advisory firm. He called the situation "unnerving."

"What does it mean for the consumer? More than likely higher prices yet to come," Victor said. "With higher grain costs, whether that grain is being fed for milk production, meat or egg production ... it's very likely we're getting ourselves into a bind."

For McCauley, who is chairman of the National Corn Growers Association, the market issues translate to higher profit potential. Indeed, McCauley is holding tight to about 50,000 bushels of old corn, anticipating what analysts say could be another 10 percent or greater price jump.

"Corn was too cheap before," said McCauley, taking a break from clearing winter debris from his still-barren fields. "We're making the most of this."

(Reporting by Carey Gillam; editing by Jim Marshall)

Read more!

The real recession is declining quality of life in the US

Robert Costanza, Business Times 28 Mar 08;

THE news media and the government are fixated on the fact that the US economy may be headed into a recession - defined as two or more successive quarters of declining gross domestic product (GDP).

The situation is actually much worse. By some measures of economic performance, the US has been in a recession since 1975 - a recession in the quality of life, or well-being.

How can this be? One first needs to understand what GDP measures to see why it is not an appropriate gauge of our national well-being.

GDP measures the total market value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given period. But it includes only those goods and services traded for money.

It also adds everything together, without discerning desirable, well-being-enhancing economic activity from undesirable, well- being-reducing activity. An oil spill, for example, increases GDP because someone has to clean it up, but it obviously detracts from well-being. More crime, more sickness, more war, more pollution, more fires, storms and pestilence are all potentially positives for the GDP because they can spur an increase in economic activity.

GDP also ignores activity that may enhance well-being but is outside the market. The unpaid work of parents caring for their children at home doesn't show up in GDP, but if they decide to work outside the home and pay for child care, GDP suddenly increases. And even though US$1 in income means a lot more to the poor than to the rich, GDP takes no account of income distribution.

In short, GDP was never intended to be a measure of citizens' welfare - and it functions poorly as such. Yet it is used as a surrogate appraisal of national well-being in far too many circumstances.

The shortcomings of GDP are well known and several researchers have proposed alternatives that address them, including William Nordhaus' and James Tobin's Measure of Economic Welfare, developed in 1972; Herman Daly's and John Cobb's Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare, developed in 1989; and the Redefining Progress think-tank's more recent variation, the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI).

Although these alternatives - which, like GDP, are measured in monetary terms - are not perfect and need more research and refinement, they are much better approximations to a measure of true national well-being.

The formula for calculating GPI, for instance, starts with personal consumption expenditures, a major component of GDP, but makes several crucial adjustments. First, it accounts for income distribution. It then adds positive contributions that GDP ignores, such as the value of household and volunteer work. Finally, it subtracts things that are well-being-reducing, such as the loss of leisure time and the costs of crime, commuting and pollution.

While the US GDP has steadily increased since 1950 (with the occasional recession), GPI peaked about 1975 and has been relatively flat or declining ever since. That's consistent with life- satisfaction surveys, which also show flat or dropping scores over the last several decades.

This is a very different picture of the economy from the one we normally read about, and it requires different policy responses. We are now in a period of what Mr Daly - a former World Bank economist now at the University of Maryland - has called 'uneconomic growth', in which further growth in economic activity (that is, GDP) is actually reducing national well-being. How can we get out of this 33-year downturn in quality of life? Several policies have been suggested that might be thought of as a national quality-of-life stimulus package.

To start, the US needs to make national well-being - not increased GDP - its primary policy goal, funding efforts to better measure and report it. There's already been some movement in this direction around the world. Bhutan, for example, recently made 'gross national happiness' its explicit policy goal. Canada is developing an Index of Well- being, and the Australian Treasury considers increasing 'real well-being', rather than mere GDP, its primary goal.

Once Americans' well-being becomes the basis for measuring our success, other reforms should follow. We should tax 'bads' (carbon emissions, depletion of natural resources) rather than 'goods' (labour, savings, investment). We should recognise the negative effects of growing income disparities and take steps to address them.

International trade also will have to be reformed so that environmental protection, labour rights and democratic self- determination are not subjugated to the blind pursuit of increased GDP.

But the most important step may be the first one: Recognising that the US is mired in a 33-year-old quality-of-life recession and that our continued national focus on growing GDP is blinding us to the way out.

Robert Costanza is the director of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont

Read more!

Happiness in all shapes and sizes

Jaime Ee, Business Times 28 Mar 08;

DEAR judges searching for Singapore's Happiest Person:

I understand that you believe such a person exists. I could not agree with you more, hence, I would like to submit my application for this esteemed honour.

I feel that I have the necessary prerequisites you are looking for, namely:

I am happy.

I am not sad.

My favourite colour is not blue.

I have a sunny disposition.

My favourite song is Tomorrow from the musical Annie. I believe the sun will always come out tomorrow, more so when the weather forecaster predicts rain.

Yes, I do understand that the above may give you reason to believe that my happiness is chemically induced rather than a natural tendency to look on the bright side. In anticipation of that, I will have you know that my happiness is a scientific conclusion based on my credentials as a keen, albeit uncertified, anthropologist and part-time primatologist.

In fact, my research could be useful to you as you sort through the many nominations to find a winner - thanks to my careful scientific studies, I am able to determine the difference between one who is genuinely happy and the guy in my office who walks by with a perpetual grin on his face.

Thanks to my research, I have identified several strains of happiness:

# The look of everlasting happiness: These people are always smiling, regardless of how you test their patience, say, by tossing paper clips at them when they are not looking. You never see them frown and they're always ready with a cheerful greeting. But don't get all jealous and wonder what their happiness secret is. That smile is actually a 'fear grin' - similar to that of long-tailed macaques when they bare their teeth and look like they're going to take your eye out but actually they're being submissive. So be careful of such overt displays of joy as you never know when they will go for your jugular.

# The overcoming all odds happiness: This is usually more short-term happiness, and occurs at times of great stress which is finally overcome. Say, when you're stuck at the Woodlands checkpoint with a bursting bladder - the sheer joy you feel when you finally find a portable loo. Or, if you're a fugitive hiding in the forest and foraging for food - the sheer happiness you feel when you try some strange berries and realise, 'Hey, I'm not dead!'. Of course, this may cause unhappiness in some other quarters, thereby leading to our next category.

# The theory of equilibrium happiness This yin and yang theory rests on the notion that one's happiness comes usually from depriving another person of his. Like when the person in front of you in the queue gets the last custard-filled chocolate glazed doughnut and you have to settle for the hard krullers instead. Or when plastic surgeons see an exodus of patients from aesthetic doctors.

# The happy kind of happiness: yes, the warm, feel-good, roll with the punches kind of level-headed contentment that we all wish we had but can't give up our full-HD TV sets for.

However, if you succeed in finding such a person, I would suggest that you let me administer some of my stringent proven methods that involve just a token amount of violence to ensure that the winner is genuine. Please let me. It would make me happy.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 28 Mar 08

A Big Thank You
from Kok Sheng to all who contributed on his cj project blog

Look, watch and listen to birds
a call to share info on bird calls on the bird ecology blog

Happy birthday plastic bag
from New Scientist Environment Blog

Blue digs
busy seashore wasp on the budak blog

Power packed Easter at Hantu Blog anniversary!
more photos on the ashira blog

Eco-Guide#3
YouTube and other links to environmental issues on eco-singapore facebook

Is lights off campaign a turn-off?
is it just a gimmick? on the reuters environment blog

Read more!

NEA confirms it was raining hailstones in Singapore

Channel NewsAsia 27 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE: The sudden downpour on Thursday afternoon brought more than just heavy rain.

Hailstones were raining down in some parts of Singapore, according to callers to Channel NewsAsia’s hotline.

The National Environment Agency later confirmed that hailstones were reported in central Singapore between 3.15pm and 3.45pm.

Callers said the hailstones were the size of 5 cent coins.

They were seen mainly in Bishan, Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio.

Rosie Hoe, a witness to the hailstones in Bishan, said: "We tried to take photographs but it doesn't show on our cameras. So, they were calling their friends and all to come and see. So, there were actually quite a lot of people here."

It's believed the hailstones fell for about 20 minutes before subsiding.

The last hailstone incident was reported in July 2007.

Hailstones form in intense thunderstorm clouds. Such clouds develop when there is strong convection, which occur all year round in the tropics.

Generally, the hailstones would have been melted before they reach the ground.

However, in the presence of a strong downdraft in an intense thunderstorm, the hailstones can be brought to the ground rapidly without melting. - CNA/vm

Central Singapore hit by hailstone shower
Icy pellets get residents in Toa Payoh, Bishan and Braddell excited
Diana Othman & Sumathi V. Selvaretnam, Straits Times 28 Mar 08;

PARTS of Singapore were pelted with hailstones during yesterday afternoon's heavy downpour.

The weatherman confirmed that these pellets of ice were reported in central Singapore between 3.15pm and 3.45pm.

Roughly three-quarters the size of a five-cent coin, they caused a stir among those living or working in Bishan and Toa Payoh.

Hailstones, formed in thunderstorm clouds, usually melt before they hit the ground, but strong downward gusts of wind sometimes send them to the ground before they melt.

A managing director, who wanted to be known only as Mr Goh, was in his office in a flatted factory in Braddell Road when the hail started falling. He said he thought at first it was just raining heavily.

'But the sound of the rain was different - it sounded more like solid things were falling,' he said.

Going out to the corridor in front of his office, he and his staff saw tiny bead-like objects bouncing about on the ground as the rain poured down.

They became excited when they realised the beads were solid pieces of ice which melted as soon as they picked them up.

Mr Goh, who said it was the first time he had seen this weather phenomenon, added that at first, there was 'quite a lot of ice' but, as the minutes went by, they petered out and only rain fell.

He reckoned the hailstones fell for about 10 minutes.

Another witness, IT consultant Stuyvesant Lim, 35, was observing a quiet game of chess at a Residents' Committee Centre in Bishan East when he heard a commotion outside.

He said: 'I thought it was kids throwing ice from the block. Then we realised it was falling from the sky.'

He realised another thing - that had the hailstones been bigger, the windscreens of cars could have been damaged.

Mrs Evelyn Chan, 53, who runs a machine tools business with her husband but was home yesterday, said the strangely 'hazy' atmosphere made her step out of her kitchen into the backyard of her house in Carmichael Road, off Braddell Road.

She said: 'When I looked at the ground, I saw crystals. I thought it was snow. But when I picked up a piece, I realised it was ice.'

The last time hail fell here was in July last year.

It's raining ice ... in Singapore
Today Online 28 Mar 08;

WITH the overcast sky and heavy rains reducing his vision, Mr Norman Tan switched on his windscreen wiper as he was driving along the Central Expressway yesterday afternoon.

"Suddenly, I see something jumping and bouncing on my windscreen. It doesn't look like rain. It's definitely not water," said Mr Tan, who added that he was afraid, not knowing what was "dropping from the sky".

He recounted his unusual encounter to 938Live: "The moment it drops, it bounces, then it melts."

Mr Tan was among several callers to the 938Live hotline who said they had spotted ice pieces — later confirmed as hailstones — in areas such as Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio and Bishan.

Cabbie Mr Ng knew that it was not just normal rain because "there was banging on the roof of my taxi".

"The ice pieces were the size of green or red beans," Mr Ng said.

The National Environmental Agency Meteorological Services confirmed that hailstones were reported in central Singapore between 3.15pm and 3.45pm yesterday. The last such incident here occurred on July 27 last year.

According to the agency, hailstones form in intense thunderstorm clouds, which occur all year round in the tropics.

"Generally, the hailstones would have been melted before they reach the ground. However, in the presence of a strong downdraft in an intense thunderstorm, the hailstones can be brought to the ground rapidly without melting," it said in a statement.

Read more!

Swiss adventurer arrives in Singapore in Solar Taxi

Channel NewsAsia 27 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE: Swiss Adventurer Louis Palmer is in Singapore on a worldwide tour to promote his solar car.

His tour, which covers 50,000km, 400 cities, 40 countries over one-and-a-half years, aims to drive home the message of global warming and alternative fuel sources.

A long trailer, carrying solar panels, is attached to the car. Designed in Switzerland, the 500kg car is made of aluminium and fibre glass.

The 36-year-old school teacher started his ambitious expedition in Europe in July 2007 and has since travelled across the Middle East, India and Australia.

"I cannot produce solar cars and I cannot open a factory tomorrow. But I can inspire hundreds of millions of people by driving the Solar Taxi around the world. I take two minutes of their time and make them think about the purpose behind it," said Mr Palmer.

He claims this is the first time a solar car is being driven around the world, fuelled by solar power only.

During his tour, Mr Palmer gives talks to students, politicians and celebrities to spread the message about how alternative fuels like solar energy are cheap and are able to prevent pollution.

He calls his car 'Solar Taxi' because it is used to give free rides. It was also showcased at the recent United Nations World Climate Conference in Bali.

While solar cars are not new, the Solar Taxi can travel a much longer distance. Mr Palmer said he hopes to approach big manufacturers to produce the car after completing his expedition later this year.

"All solar cars may be able to travel 80km or 100km on one battery charge, but the Solar Taxi can do up to 400km on one charge. The battery technology is improving a lot these days," he said.

The Solar Taxi has a top speed of 90km per hour and Mr Palmer, on average, travels 400km a day.

After Singapore, the Solar Taxi will continue the Asian leg, and then travel to America and Africa before ending in Europe.- CNA/so

Around the world in Solartaxi
Melissa Sim, Straits Times 28 Mar 08;

After nine months of travelling around the world in a solar-powered vehicle, Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer has made it to Singapore - the half-way mark.

Mr Palmer hopes to become the first person to circle the globe in a vehicle that uses solar power.

So far, the ride has been smooth. He has had just two mishaps: minor accidents in Syria and India.

Today, he leaves in his Solartaxi for Malaysia via the Causeway and will carry on through China, Japan, the United States and finally back to Lucerne in Switzerland, where he started his journey on July 3 last year.

He hopes to be back home by early December.

Half of the vehicle's energy is produced by solar panels on top of a 5m-long trailer rigged to the Solartaxi.

The other half comes from electrical energy taken from various power sockets worldwide.

To compensate for the energy taken, electricity is generated by solar panels back in Switzerland and fed back into the power grid.

Mr Palmer spent his three days here visiting Singapore Polytechnic and Nanyang Technological University, where he spoke about his efforts to promote the use of solar energy and prevent global warming.

Mr Palmer is not letting up on his cause once he returns home. 'I'll go around the world again and again, until more people are convinced to use solar energy,' he said.'

Related links

Meet the solar cabby
Ng Jing Yng, Today Online 26 Mar 08;

Solar-powered taxi seeks to go around world
Alister Doyle, Reuters 5 Dec 07;

Read more!

New electronic playgrounds may be introduced in Singapore's heartlands

Channel NewsAsia 27 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE: Imagine a playground that's fully electronic.

That's what one entrepreneur is hoping to introduce to children with its unique and innovative system.

Town Councils said they need time to assess the new innovation and if they implement them, it would most likely be at some of the larger neighbourhood parks. The playground system costs between S$40,000 to S$60,000.

One of the most important elements’ of the playground will be the racer bike which when pedalled, gets the rest of the game systems powered up and activated.

Allan Ang, Managing Director of RetroMax, said: "They have to peddle to generate the electricity and it's stored within a capacitor. All this is done in a very safe way, it's very low voltage. So, once the electrical energy is stored, they can proceed to play various games within the play area itself." - CNA/vm

Dream playground now a reality here

KidPower is all about high tech – and safety, too
Ng Jing Yng, Today Online 28 Mar 08;

IMAGINE going to your neighbourhood playground and hopping onto a bicycle with a speedometer so you know how fast you are going, plus engine sounds to double the thrill.

And after three to four minutes of pedalling, you will be able to play "catching" with beaming light sensors that challenge you to tap them before the lights go out.

This is no dream playground but a reality that will hit Singapore later this year. Unveiled yesterday by local playground supplier Retromax in collaboration with United States manufacturer Landscape Structures, the new electronic playground — known as KidPower (picture) — is set to replace traditional playgrounds at local estates.

And with one other big plus — safety.

Spring Singapore is rolling out new specifications today, and Retromax is set to comply with the safety standards.

With its low-rise structures and wide-space zones, KidPower is designed to reduce the risk of falls and accidents, said Mr Allan Ang, managing director of Retromax.

High structures, especially those monkey bars often found in older playgrounds, have been blamed for causing many playground accidents here.

Dr Peter Wong from the children's emergency department at KK Women's and Children's Hospital said he "sees several children each day with playground-sustained injuries".

The majority of his young patients suffer from elbow fractures as a result of falling from monkey bars, he added. Some of the injuries are serious enough that the children have to be hospitalised.

Mr Ang said that KidPower is designed to challenge children both mentally and physically. At the core of its system is the bike, Gener-Racer, which generates electricity to power the entire playground.

Children can go to seven different zones such as the Vertzone, where they will be able to tap lit touchpads placed at various heights, or the Lightpacer, where they tap light sensors in an order they must first memorise.

When the prototype of KidPower was built on a trial site in the United States earlier this year, it received positive responses from children, parents and disabled groups, which regarded the playground as disabled-friendly.

Mr Jason Sim, managing director of Playpoint, a company dealing with playground structures here, agreed that innovative playgrounds such as KidPower are needed for a generation raised on a diet of Nintendo and Xbox and known for their short attention span.

Apart from new safety guidelines, future playgrounds must also incorporate electronic and artificial intelligence into playground equipment, Mr Sim added.

Electronic playgrounds like KidPower will cost between $40,000 and $60,000 to install and its promoters hope that these playgrounds will also yield some health benefits — by helping children to lose weight.

Read more!

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: Deadly strain infections up

Judith Tan, Straits Times 28 Mar 08;

Health Ministry tells parents and family doctors to be alert; may close pre-schools if situation worsens

HEALTH officials are warning parents about a rise in the number of cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) caused by a potentially deadly strain of virus.

The strain, called Enterovirus 71 (EV71), was found in a 'higher' number of patients between mid-February and last Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health.

Officials, though, did not say how many people have come down with EV71, which can lead to infections in the brain, heart, and lungs.

A total of 3,721 people have contracted HFMD since the start of the year. A Health Ministry spokesman said a sample study had revealed that about 20 per cent of patients with the ailment tested positive for EV71.

During an outbreak in 2000-2001, the same strain killed more than 70 children in Asia, including seven in Singapore.

While none have died this year, health officials are still on the alert. Family physicians have been told to check for the virus and schools are keeping close tabs on young children, especially those under five who are most susceptible to the disease.

HFMD is a common childhood ailment and actually comes from over 60 different strains of viruses. These include Coxsackie A16, the milder strain that is more common in Singapore.

It causes ulcers, rashes and blisters and can infect adults.

The Health Ministry spokesman said that the spread of EV71 is 'above the normal range' compared with past years and that the ministry would consider closing pre-schools if the situation got worse.

The increase in infections coincides with the reopening of schools after the week-long March break.

During the 2001 outbreak, all kindergartens and childcare centres were closed for 12 days, affecting about 140,000 children.

A check by The Straits Times found that 10 people went to the National University Hospital between mid-February and Wednesday with HFMD.

A hospital spokesman said that out of the 10, only one patient was warded.

There were 14 cases treated at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital this month and the last - 10 of which were caused by the EV71 strain.

But the hospital would not disclose how many of the patients were warded.

Symptoms of infection include a fever lasting two or three days; sore throat; blister-like rashes on the hands, feet and bottom; mouth ulcers, vomiting and diarrhoea.

The virus is spread through contact with blister fluid, saliva, faeces, items used by an infected person and occasionally through the air.

EV71 strain responsible for recent spike in Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease
Tan Hui Leng, Today Online 28 Mar 08;

THE dreaded Enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain has been identified as that responsible for the recent spike in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases.

Up until last Saturday, a total of 3,721 HFMD cases have been reported to the Ministry of Health (MOH) this year — up from 2,480 in the same period last year. The last two weeks, in particular, saw a sharp spike, with last week's figures hitting 585 — crossing the warning level of 565 cases.

Of the cases in the first 12 weeks of the year, 21 per cent of virus isolates tested positive for EV71.

This strain has on occasion been associated with "serious complications", noted the MOH. During the 2000 and 2001 HFMD outbreak, it killed seven children.

However, it is also important to grasp that most EV71 infections are mild in nature, said the MOH. "Many EV71 infections also pass unnoticed as they do not cause any symptoms to appear."

HFMD is a common childhood disease. Symptoms include fever, upper respiratory symptoms, rash with blisters on the palms and soles, and mouth ulcers.

Parents should consult a doctor early if their children exhibit symptoms.

Patients should remain at home and have limited contact with other children until all blisters have dried up.

There has not been any HFMD case involving serious complications this year.

Still, the MOH has asked all doctors to be on high alert. Pre-schools and schools have also been asked to step up hygiene measures. Pre-schools may be closed if necessary.

More HFMD cases reported this year
Channel NewsAsia 27 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE: There has been an increase in the number of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases this year.

The Health Ministry (MOH) has received 3,721 reports so far. It is alerting doctors to be vigilant and to detect new cases early for treatment.

It is also working with the Education Ministry and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports to alert schools to step up measures against HFMD.

If necessary, the Health Ministry may require the closure of pre-schools under the Infectious Diseases Act.

HFMD is spread through direct contact with respiratory droplets. This includes saliva, faeces and blister fluid of an infected person.

Symptoms include fever, mouth ulcers and rashes with blisters on the palms and soles.

Children five years old and younger are the most vulnerable.

MOH has discovered high circulation of the Enterovirus 71 among infected persons since mid-February.

The re-emergence of the virus is of concern as there could be serious health complications.- CNA/so

Read more!