22 Apr: Earth Day in Singapore for kids!
from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!
leopard-spotted puffer fish @ Sg. Buloh
from sgbeachbum and oriental magpie robin and fishy sungei buloh
Always bring your camera along
from Lazy Lizard's Tales
Massive Tuas reclamation continues
from wild shores of singapore
Mangroves, seagrasses 'lock up' carbon: IUCN report
from wild shores of singapore
Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 12 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has pledged up to S$100 million to encourage more environmentally friendly shipping in Singapore for the next five years.
The Maritime Singapore Green Initiative focuses on three areas.
Singapore-flagged ships that adopt energy efficient ship designs will get to enjoy savings on the Initial Registration Fees and a rebate on the Annual Tonnage Tax.
Under the Green Port Programme, ships calling at the Port of Singapore that use approved technologies or burn clean fuel, can qualify for lower port dues.
These two programmes are expected to cost the MPA some S$50 million.
MPA has also set aside S$50 million to encourage local maritime companies to develop and adopt green technologies.
Companies can apply for a fund of up to S$2 million per project.
Transport Minister Raymond Lim said these programmes underscore Singapore's commitment to clean and green shipping.
"Today, shipping remains by far the most efficient form of cargo transport. It carries more than 90 per cent of world trade but contributes only about three per cent to global carbon dioxide emission. Nevertheless, as a responsible international player, the shipping industry must play its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Mr Lim.
- CNA/cc
Goodies, discounts for ships flying green flag
$100m incentive for cleaner fuels, more efficient design
Joyce Hooi Business Times 13 Apr 11;
(SINGAPORE) Singapore is throwing its weight behind green shipping to the tune of $100 million.
This means ships will find that it pays to go with the green flow. Singapore- registered ships that surpass certain energy-efficient design standards will get their initial registration fees halved, while ships that use qualifying low-sulphur fuel will get a 15 per cent discount on their port dues bill, among various things.
These and an assortment of goodies for shipping firms that toe the green line are part of the $100 million Maritime Singapore Green Initiative by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
Launched yesterday by Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, the $100 million initiative will be funnelled through three programmes - the Green Ship Programme, Green Port Programme and Green Technology Programme - over the next five years.
The programmes offer a mix of rebates and reductions on various shipping charges now levied. 'This initiative underscores Singapore's commitment as a responsible flag and port state to clean and green shipping,' said Mr Lim.
Under the Green Ship Programme, for example, Singapore-flagged ships that exceed the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will see a 50 per cent reduction in initial registration fees and a 20 per cent rebate on the annual tonnage tax payable.
The EEDI stipulates a minimum energy efficiency level for new ships, among several things.
The Green Port Programme, on the other hand, will gun for pollutants like sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides. Ships that call at Singapore using low-sulphur fuels that qualify or approved emission abatement or scrubber technologies will see their port dues bill slashed 15 per cent.
Both the Green Ship Programme and the Green Port Programme are expected to cost MPA $50 million of the total $100 million set aside.
Of the remaining $50 million, $25 million from the Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund will be earmarked for the Green Technology Programme. This programme will co-fund up to half of the qualifying costs that a local maritime firm incurs in developing and using green technology. If the response to it is good, MPA is prepared to pump in another $25 million from the $100 million kitty.
'The three Green Programmes will enhance shipping's environmental image, and raise the social awareness of Singapore's shipping community, as we take on an even more active role in further reducing greenhouse gas emission from shipping,' said SS Teo, president of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA).
A significant chunk of the industry pledged its support yesterday, with both the maritime and offshore sectors represented at the Maritime Singapore Green Pledge signing ceremony, along with MPA and SSA.
'Environmental challenges are some of the most critical challenges facing the maritime industry today. These challenges are multi-faceted and require joint efforts from governments and the industry,' said MPA chief executive Lam Yi Young.
From the container and tanker side, Maersk Line Asia Pacific, Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), Pacific International Lines and Ocean Tankers took part in the signing yesterday, while the port front was represented by Jurong Port and PSA Corporation. NOL also announced its plans to switch to low-sulphur gas oil for all 80 of its vessels calling at Singapore, and other liners might soon follow suit.
Where ports are concerned, Jurong Port is looking at introducing cold ironing - using a land-based source of power for vessels that are in port - in its operations. It will explore supplying vessels with cleaner energy generated by Singapore's grid.
PSA Corporation's regional chief executive officer for Southeast Asia, Tan Puay Hin, said that his firm would not rule out the option of cold ironing and had been exploring the possibility of using it in future or existing ports, as well. 'The adoption part is a concern at this time,' said Mr Tan.
BP Singapore, Keppel Offshore & Marine, Sembcorp Marine and Shell Marine Products signed the pledge as well. This was witnessed by Mr Lim; Lim Hwee Hua, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and Transport; Choi Shing Kwok, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport; and Lucien Wong, chairman of MPA.
The signing took place during the Singapore International Maritime Awards 2011 at the Shangri-La Hotel. AP Moller-Maersk Group took home the International Maritime Centre Award while its liner peer, Pacific International Lines, was named SRS Ship Owner of the Year.
Ezra Holdings clinched the Special Mention Award while the Maritime Service Provider Award was given to Clarkson Asia Pte Ltd. The yards - Sembawang Shipyard Pte Ltd and Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd - were given the Offshore & Marine Engineering Award and the Excellence in Training Development Award, respectively.
Mobile satellite communications firm THISS Technologies Pte Ltd was given the Outstanding Maritime R&D and Technology Award and Sentek Marine & Trading Pte Ltd received the Bunker Award.
In keeping with the drive towards green shipping, for the next round of awards, there will be an additional category open for contention: the SRS Green Ship of the Year award.
$100m to help shipping go green
Incentive scheme to target different players
Jonathan Kwok Straits Times 13 Apr 11;
SHIPPING giant Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) will start using a new kind of fuel today that heralds a cleaner, greener future for the shipping industry.
Marine gas oil, as it is known, produces far less sulphur oxides, which cause acid rain, than traditional heavy fuel oil.
NOL will convert to marine gas oil when berthing at Singapore's port from today.
'As Singapore's largest carrier, we feel a responsibility to manage the environmental impact of global trade,' said Mr Eng Aik Meng, president of APL, which is NOL's shipping line.
The fuel conversion is just one of a range of steps Singapore's maritime players - including government and industry bodies, shipping lines, port operators and rig-builders - will take to make the industry cleaner and greener.
The key initiative comes in the form of a $100 million incentive scheme announced by Transport Minister Raymond Lim at the Singapore International Maritime Awards at Shangri-La Hotel.
The Maritime Singapore Green Initiative, which will be administered by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), will have three separate portions targeting different players.
The Green Port Programme will allow ships that burn cleaner fuels at Singapore's port to pay less in port dues. NOL may qualify for incentives thanks to its move to switch to cleaner fuels at the port, although regulatory inspections will be needed first.
The Green Ship Programme will allow Singapore-flagged ships to pay less in fees and taxes if they adopt ship designs that reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Local maritime companies that develop and adopt green technologies can get co-funding under the Green Technology scheme.
The three schemes will cost an estimated $100 million over five years.
While ports around the world sometimes offer incentives to encourage green shipping, it is rare for a regulator to unveil such a comprehensive set of schemes to target different aspects.
The maritime sector contributes about 7 per cent of Singapore's economic output and employs more than 170,000 people, noted Mr Lim.
He added that while shipping is the most efficient form of cargo transport - it carries more than 90 per cent of world trade but contributes only 3 per cent to carbon dioxide emissions - the industry must play its part to reduce emissions.
The move to a cleaner future had another boost yesterday when 12 industry organisations signed a pledge to support and promote clean shipping here.
The signatories include port operators Jurong Port and PSA, rig-builders Keppel Offshore & Marine and Sembcorp Marine, shipping lines Maersk, NOL and Pacific International Lines (PIL), BP Singapore and Shell Marine Products.
Mr Teo Choo Wee, executive director of the fleet division at PIL, and Maersk Line's chief executive for Asia Pacific, Mr Thomas Knudsen, both said their companies will look more at using low sulphur fuels for vessels coming here.
Maersk, Ezra Holdings, Keppel Offshore & Marine and Sembawang Shipyard were among the winners of the awards announced last night.
Additional reporting by Melissa Ho
APL switches to low-sulphur fuel in Singapore
It's the first container line here to convert; Maersk and PIL to follow
Joyce Hooi Business Times 13 Apr 11;
NEPTUNE Orient Lines Group (NOL) is turning a welcome shade of green. From today, its shipping line - APL - will be the first line to make the switch to low-sulphur fuel in Singapore.
All 80 of its vessels calling at Singapore will begin using low-sulphur marine gas oil instead of regular marine fuel. NOL announced this move at the launch of the Maritime Singapore Green Initiative yesterday.
The marine gas oil it is using has an average sulphur content of 0.25 per cent, a concession to a green shipping mandate that is nine years ahead of deadline.
Singapore has adopted the International Maritime Organisation's deadline that calls for reducing the sulphur content of marine fuel to 3.5 per cent by 2012 and to 0.5 per cent in 2020.
'We are proud to be the first container shipping line to convert to cleaner-burning fuel here,' said Eng Aik Meng, president of APL. 'As Singapore's largest carrier, we feel a responsibility to manage the environmental impact of global trade.'
The switch will cut sulphur oxides emissions by 90 per cent and nitrogen oxides emissions by about 12 per cent, NOL said. Ash and particulate matter emissions could be cut by 80-90 per cent.
This low-sulphur path comes at a price. Marine gas oil is almost double the price of regular marine fuel. According to Mr Eng, APL's fleet burns 11,000 tonnes of fuel per year while in Singapore's port. 'There is a cost, but it is worth it,' he said yesterday.
There are no immediate plans to pass on the additional cost to its customers, the group said.
At the launch of the initiative, both Maersk Line and Pacific International Lines (PIL) indicated that they too would switch to low-sulphur fuel for ships calling here soon.
When asked if Singapore is on the list of at least 10 locations in the world where Maersk had committed to making the switch to low-sulphur fuel by 2015, Thomas Knudsen, Maersk Line's chief executive for the region said: 'You can expect that, yes.'
'We definitely will be looking more at using low-sulphur fuel for ships calling at Singapore,' said Teo Choo Wee, PIL's executive director for the fleet division.
Singapore is the seventh city in which APL has switched to the cleaner-burning alternative. It began four years ago in Los Angeles and Seattle, before moving on the cities like Hong Kong and New York.
'We greatly welcome APL's decision to switch to using low sulphur fuel in Singapore and hope that more shipping companies will follow APL's lead in doing so,' said Lam Yi Young, chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
Chemical plants and utilities such as steam and power will benefit from it
Ronnie Lim Business Times 13 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE is literally leaving no stone unturned in its search for additional strategic feedstocks for the oil refining/petrochemicals industry on Jurong Island.
It is now looking at coal-to-chemicals as another option, and wants to evaluate having a coal gasification plant there to provide syngas feedstocks for chemical plants and utilities such as steam and power.
This latest study by the Economic Development Board - in cooperation with the Energy Market Authority and JTC Corporation - adds to two ongoing feedstock studies looking into the import of LPG or liquefied petroleum gas, and also the use of 'green' feedstock, such as palm oil, sugarcane and plant biomass.
So far, the petrochemical crackers here - operated by Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore, Shell and ExxonMobil - use mainly naphtha, and more recently heavy 'bottoms' such as hydrowax from the refineries to produce the feedstock needed by downstream chemical plants. It is understood that more optimal use of such 'bottoms' is also being looked into.
The studies come under the government's Jurong Island version 2.0 initiative - set to be unveiled mid-year - which focuses on feedstock options and infrastructure developments to create new competitive advantages for the Singapore chemicals sector.
'The latest study will look into coal gasification to produce competitive supply of hydrogen and carbon monoxide feedstock for the chemical plants and also for utilities,' an EDB spokesperson told BT last Friday.
Wikipedia explains that 'coal gasification is the process of producing coal gas, a type of synthetic gas - a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) gas - from coal.' Coal gas (also known as town gas) can be converted into transportation fuels such as gasoline and diesel through additional treatment.
EDB said that while the main disadvantage of coal is its environmental impact, coal gasification technology provides the potential for a 'clean coal' plant and development of new technologies in carbon capture and use to further diminish the carbon footprint in future.
EDB's tender for a consultant states that 'as there have been prior indications that companies may wish to supplement the feedstock business of a coal gasification plant with power generation, we wish to understand the possible business models that industry may propose given different specifications of feedstock, both feedstock and utilities, as well as what a model that optimises price competitiveness and minimises carbon footprint may entail'.
This suggests that the coal gasification plant project could also interest generating companies here, especially Tuas Power which is already building a $2 billion, coal/biomass-firing multi-utilities complex on Jurong Island.
But environmental sustainability is clearly a top concern in the study.
'The evaluation should also take into account a carbon tax in view of a possible international agreement on carbon mitigation, which could lower the profitability of the plant,' the EDB tender said.
'The study should also make explicit the assumptions that are being used, particularly to achieve the carbon footprint,' it added, specifying that the plant must also meet current NEA standards and cover areas right down to disposal of pollutants.
UPI 12 Apr 11;
JAKARTA, April 12 (UPI) -- Because of their potential for storing carbon, Indonesia's wetlands -- which include mangroves and freshwater peat forests -- are integral in the fight against climate change, experts say.
Unless Indonesia preserves its 7.41 million acres of mangrove forests -- representing 23 percent of the world's total -- the country's climate change mitigation programs would be pointless, said Daniel Murdiyarso, a senior researcher from the Center for International Forestry Research at the organization's conference Monday in Sanur, Bali, the Jakarta Post reports.
Mangroves should have adequate protection, Murdiyarso said, calling for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to keep his pledge for Indonesia to change its status from "a net emitter" to "a net sink" for carbon by 2030. The rate of deforestation for Indonesia's mangrove forests now stands at approximately 7 percent a year.
Jakarta has pledged to reduce the country's emissions by 26 percent on its own and by 42 percent with international climate aid.
But Indonesia now ranks as the fifth largest carbon emitter in the world, with deforestation and forest degradation accounting for more than 80 percent of its emissions.
"It is a fact that wetlands store a lot of carbon that has the potential to be lost to the atmosphere more rapidly than any other tropical forest type" when cleared by typical burning procedures, said Matthew Warren, a researcher from the U.S. Forest Service
"Do not allow them to be drained and burnt because that will release carbon," Warren said.
A report released by Greenpeace last week said management consultancy McKinsey & Co has suggested strategies to Indonesia and other nations that could help them proceed with logging practices while still generating revenue from the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, or REDD, and REDD+ schemes.
The Greenpeace report said McKinsey's approach offers an incentive to governments to artificially increase predicted deforestation rates so that later reductions could secure more compensation.
Also, in its "REDD Alert: Protection Money" report released last November, Greenpeace said that because of vague definitions, continued clearance of forest could be allowed in Indonesia under the guise of rehabilitation of degraded forest areas.
Greenpeace said documents from the forestry, agriculture and energy departments in Jakarta reveal plans for expansion in the pulp, palm, agriculture, biofuel and coal sectors that could bring an additional 156 million acres of land into use by 2030.
After Brazil, Indonesia has the second-highest deforestation rate in the world.
Made Arya Kencana Jakarta Globe 12 Apr 11;
After invading homes and destroying plantations in East Java, swarms of caterpillars have descended on at least three districts in Bali.
Made Putra Suryawan, head of Bali's agricultural office, said on Monday that he had received reports that caterpillar outbreaks had been found in Denpasar, Tabanan and Buleleng.
“We have asked people who find caterpillars to immediately report the finding to us so the insects don’t spread to other areas,” he said.
Caterpillars have been found in several villages in Denpasar. While the insects typically only attack plants, they have begun creeping into people’s homes.
The most extensive outbreak was reportedly in Buleleng, where the local agriculture office said caterpillars had invaded three subdistricts: Gerokgak, Buleleng and Sawan.
“We’re afraid that if we don’t exterminate the caterpillars soon, they will invade the plantations,” Suryawan said, referring to the many mango crops in the area.
Nyoman Madra, a resident of Tukadmungga village in Buleleng, said caterpillars had been attacking mango trees since last week.
“The caterpillars are grayish [in color], and because of their numbers, the mango leaves have started to fall off,” he said.
Suryawan said the caterpillars attacking Bali appeared similar to those wreaking havoc in East Java, although it was important to wait for a definitive answer from Bali’s Udayana University, which is completing laboratory tests on the insects.
Suryawan said the office had mobilized more than 71 agricultural experts to observe and study the caterpillars.
The agricultural office has also started spraying the affected regions with pesticides.
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika said on Monday that caterpillars were a serious problem because they could affect the tourism industry.
Since early this month, plagues of caterpillars have attacked five subdistricts in Probolinggo, East Java, with the insects crawling into homes and fields and causing skin rashes among residents.
The herbivorous insects have also destroyed more than 8,800 mango trees — the district’s main agricultural product.
Caterpillars swarm Indonesia's Bali
Yahoo News 13 Apr 11;
DENPASAR, Indonesia (AFP) – Swarms of caterpillars which can cause skin rashes have invaded the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, an official said Wednesday, but tourist areas have not been affected so far.
The dark, wriggly insects were first sighted in a village on Friday and the swarms have since spread to six districts, including the provincial capital of Denpasar, Bali agricultural chief Made Putra Suryawan told AFP.
"The situation is under control. Since Friday, workers have been spraying insecticide and burning garbage in affected areas to stop the spread," he said.
"Tourists need not be alarmed. The caterpillars have not spread to tourist areas yet. The threat to tourists is minimal," he added.
Thousands of caterpillars have reportedly descended on parts of neighbouring Java island in the last two weeks, attacking fruit farms and invading residential areas.
Suryawan said officials were trying to identify the species, adding that the rise in the caterpillar population could be attributed to a "disturbed ecosystem".
"There's a reduction in the number of birds and ants that feed on these caterpillars. People catch the birds to sell them and catch the ants to feed their pet birds," he added.
Coming into contact with the caterpillars could cause itchy rashes, Suryawan said.
Bali tourism agency head Ida Bagus Subhiksu said there had been no reports of caterpillar problems from tourist operators so far.
The island is increasing popular with foreign visitors, with 2.5 million overseas tourists expected this year, up from 2.3 million last year.
Weather Blamed for Caterpillar Plague
Fidelis E. Satriastanti & Elisabeth Oktofani Jakarta Globe 14 Apr 11;
Unpredictable weather coupled with a decline in natural predators is responsible for a recent plague of caterpillars in parts of the country.
Though the phenomenon is centered largely in Probolinggo, East Java, smaller reported outbreaks in Central Java, West Java, Bali and, most recently, Jakarta have prompted fears of a widespread infestation.
But Aunu Rauf, an entomologist at the Bogor Institute of Agricultural (IPB), says there is no connection between the outbreaks in Probolinggo and those in the other areas.
“There are at least 120,000 types of caterpillars in the world, so those found in Bekasi [West Java] and Probolinggo would be different from each other,” he told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.
“I’m sure the ones in Tanjung Duren [West Jakarta], where people have claimed to have been ‘attacked’ by caterpillars, are also a different type.”
Since March, millions of hairy caterpillars have cropped up in at least five subdistricts in Probolinggo, invading fields and homes. They have also caused itchy rashes among residents.
The caterpillars have also destroyed more than 8,800 mango trees — the district’s main agricultural produce. However, the caterpillars in Bekasi were found largely in bushes, while those in Tanjung Duren were found on pine trees.
“Basically, in the life cycles of pests, it’s normal for them to increase in number at the start of the dry season — especially caterpillars,” Aunu said, adding that the country was currently in the transition period to the dry season.
“In the current case, however, their numbers exploded because of the prolonged rainy season last year that disrupted [the population growth of] natural predators, particularly birds and other insects.
“In addition, parasitoids, insects similar to wasps whose larvae live within caterpillars as parasites, are for some reason on the decline. Their role as the caterpillars’ natural enemy is very important because they lay their eggs inside the caterpillar, and when those hatch, the larvae eat up the caterpillar from the inside.”
Aunu said the outbreak in Probolinggo, coming 70 years after the last similar outbreak there, was remarkable only for the extent of the damage being caused to mango trees.
“These caterpillars have had a tremendous effect — not only economic, from eating all the mango leaves, but also social,” he said. “Because now the villagers are afraid to carry out their regular activities due to all these insects coming into their houses.”
Aunu said while it was good for people to be aware of the caterpillar phenomena, including in Tanjung Duren and Bekasi, he stressed it was normal for the caterpillar population to increase at this time of year and should not cause too much concern.
“If these caterpillars were the type that run around fields or enter homes instead of clinging to tree branches, then we would have to take action,” he said.
Hari Sutrisno, an entomologist from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said that as long as the caterpillars were not harming people, they should be left alone.
“There’s been quite a frenzy over these caterpillars, and it’s all a bit too much,” he said, adding that the reports from Bekasi were particularly exaggerated. “Caterpillars don’t claim lives.”
Hari said the best way to deal with the insects was to collect them for incineration rather than use pesticides on them.
“Another method is to blend dead caterpillars with water and spray it on the live ones,” he said. “The spray acts as a natural insecticide because caterpillars that die naturally usually contain a virus that’s deadly for the species. It’s a lot better than using pesticides, which can have a long-term impact.”
Aunu also cautioned against using pesticides. “Just pick them off the tree branches and get rid of them,” he said.
“Don’t use pesticides because you don’t know what other kinds of insects you’ll be killing that serve a function for the tree.”
In the Probolinggo case, Aunu said the caterpillar numbers were already declining because most of the insects had already turned into butterflies.
“The only way to deal with them is still through their natural enemies,” he said.
“To do this, put caterpillar pupae into a jar and see whether they become butterflies or wasps. If they turn into butterflies, then we need to kill them. But if you get a wasp, that means they need to be released because parasitoids are present and functioning.”
Darmuna, a resident of Tanjung Duren, said the problem was that the hairs of the dead caterpillars were being blown around by the wind and making people itchy.
He added that the outbreak was not a new problem, with a similar event taking place in 2007.
Sholeh, deputy head of a neighborhood unit in Tanjung Duren, suggested the best way to get rid of the pests would be to chop down the 29 pine trees along Jalan Sekretaris on which they were gathered. He also said the trees needed replacing because they were old and several had been uprooted during rainstorms.
“We expected the city administration to take our opinion seriously and take action on this case by chopping down the trees and replacing them with new ones,” he said. “Instead, they just sprayed the lower parts of the trees [with pesticide].
“Every day we have to deal with the hairs that make us itchy. We could chop the trees down ourselves, but it’d cost Rp 300,000 [$35] per tree and there are 29 of them. Besides, the administration already has a budget to chop down trees.”
Yahoo News 12 Apr 11;
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – An Indonesian clean water activist was among six environmentalists from around the world to be given the prestigious Goldman Prize, the San Francisco foundation that administers the award announced Monday.
The honor is given out each year to leading grassroots environmental activists from each of the world's six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America.
The prize includes a $150,000 cash award for each recipient.
Among the recipients this year was Prigi Arisandi, a biologist in Indonesia's second city Surabaya who initiated a movement to stop industrial pollution from flowing into a local river that provides drinking water to three million people.
Other recipients of the 2011 award were:
- Raoul du Toit in Zimbabwe, who spearheaded efforts to preserve his country's dwindling black rhino population.
- Dmitry Lisitsyn of Russia, who fought to protect Sakhalin Island's endangered ecosystems from the petrochemical industry.
- Ursula Sladek of Germany, who helped create the country's first cooperatively-owned renewable power company to reduce its reliance on nuclear energy.
- Hilton Kelley of the United States, who is leading efforts for environmental justice for those hurt by last year's BP oil spill along the Texas Gulf Coast.
- Francisco Pineda of El Salvador, who led a grassroots movement that stopped a gold mine from destroying the country's already limited water resources.
The coveted prize was created in 1990 by civic leaders and philanthropists Richard Goldman, an insurance industry entrepreneur and his wife, Rhoda.
Winners are selected by an international jury after a confidential nomination process, from among candidates submitted by a worldwide network of environmental organizations and individuals.
Impacts of climate change for biodiversity: Planning for adaptation – Dr James Watson from Raffles Museum News
Spot the horse
from The annotated budak
Pulau Semakau (9 Apr 2011)
from Project Driftnet
Black-and-white Mannikin spotted
from Bird Ecology Study Group
The Shy Tortoise... Beetle!
from Macro Photography in Singapore
Answering a simple question - what is water quality?
from Water Quality in Singapore
Esther Ng Today Online 12 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE - Singapore will go ahead with its pre-feasibility study on nuclear energy, even as the tsunami in Japan knocking out the Fukushima power plant shows the shortcomings of such technology.
But even with the completion of the study, Singapore will still be a long way from making any decisions on nuclear energy for Singapore, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran told Parliament yesterday, responding to members of parliament who wanted to know if the Government would still proceed with a pre-feasibility study for nuclear power in Singapore.
Water pumps at the Fukushima power plant had failed when a tsunami last month knocked out its emergency generators, causing its nuclear reactors to overheat.
The Fukushima crisis made it all the more important Singapore conduct such a study, said Mr Iswaran, especially when Singapore's neighbours - Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand - have announced plans for nuclear energy.
Even if Singapore did not proceed with nuclear energy, the Republic must understand how nuclear technology works and its safety risks, so that Singapore could work with its neighbours to ensure the safe deployment of nuclear energy, he said.
Meanwhile, the Government is also exploring alternative energy options such as electricity imports, renewable energy and clean coal, and investing in research to improve energy efficiency and develop new energy technologies, said Mr Iswaran.
The completion of a liquefied natural gas terminal will also expand Singapore's geographical sources of energy beyond 2013.
Preliminary nuclear study will go ahead
Jessica Lim Straits Times 12 Apr 11;
NO STONE will be left unturned and critical issues will be studied assiduously before the Government makes any decision on nuclear energy for Singapore.
Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran yesterday took pains to assure Singaporeans after MPs, such as Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) and Mr Michael Palmer (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC), asked about the Government's pre-feasibility study on nuclear energy and wanted to know if it would be shelved in the light of the nuclear plant crisis in Japan.
He said the study - a preliminary step to better understand nuclear energy - will go on and, even on its completion, Singapore will be a long way from making any decision on nuclear energy.
He added that 'what happened in Fukushima makes it all the more important that we conduct such a study, and build our knowledge and understanding of nuclear energy'.
Mr Iswaran listed a series of issues that would be studied, including essential elements for the safe operation of a nuclear plant, protection against terrorist attacks, radiation protection and emergency planning.
He also pointed out that several countries in the region, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, have announced plans for nuclear energy.'Therefore, even if we do not proceed with nuclear energy for Singapore, we need to understand its implications for the region, and for us in Singapore,' he said.
Emphasising the need for Singapore scientists and engineers to know how nuclear technology works, he added: 'Only then can we work constructively with our Asean partners and other partners to ensure that nuclear energy, whenever and wherever it is deployed in this region, is done so in a safe and secure manner.'
At an energy conference last November, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong identified nuclear power as 'an important part of the solution to mankind's energy problems'.
He said Singapore was building up its capabilities now as the nuclear option was one that it 'cannot afford to miss'.
He also said the MTI was carrying out a pre-feasibility study on nuclear power in Singapore, but it would be a long time before any decision was made.
Experts in the nuclear and energy field agree with the Government's position.
'Nuclear energy is a new science as far as Singapore is concerned. It is important to conduct a feasibility study from a domestic standpoint and to assess the impact of other nuclear plants that may be built in the region,' said Mr Ravi Krishnaswamy, vice-president of consultancy Frost & Sullivan's Asia-Pacific energy and power systems practice.
He said that conducting a feasibility study did not mean Singapore had chosen nuclear energy.
'Singapore does not sit on any fault lines and is insulated from natural disasters. But other things need to be looked at, for instance, the lack of space in the need of evacuation. The Government will look at all the risks, then decide.'
Others like energy specialist Stefan Adams, an associate professor of material science at the National University of Singapore, said it would take at least a year for the study to be completed and up to a decade before anything could be built.
'We are in the very initial stages. If a decision is made, you still need to find a suitable place, negotiate with countries to deliver nuclear fuel and construct the plant,' he said.
Imelda Saad Channel NewsAsia 11 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE: Singapore authorities have stressed that the country's food and water supply remains free from harmful radioactive material.
Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor gave the update in Parliament, a month after a massive quake hit Japan triggering a tsunami which damaged its Fukushima nuclear plant.
Authorities in Singapore say the current situation at Fukushima remains serious but they also stress that the likelihood of any radioactive plume reaching Singapore is very low.
Even though sea waters around Fukushima have been found to be radioactive, Singapore's coastal waters remain safe. Because Singapore is more than 5,000 kilometres away from Japan, even if any radioactive plume or sea water reaches the country, the impact is "inconsequential". That is because by then, any radioactive material would have been diluted to "insignificant levels"
Authorities continue to monitor drinking supply and food imports from Japan.
Singapore's water authority, the PUB, has found the country's inland and drinking water to be well within the safety level stipulated by the World Heath Organisation.
Meanwhile, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is stepping up its food surveillance. Radiation was detected in a few shipments of vegetable from Japan, but these were disposed of. Fresh produce and milk from affected regions have been banned.
Still MPs point out that concerns among Singaporeans remain.
MP for West Coast GRC Ho Geok Choo asked: "The public has indeed been expressing reservations about eating seafood and I think we are also seeing Singaporeans shunning Japanese restaurants for fear of contaminated seafood. How safe is seafood imported from elsewhere?"
Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State with the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, answered: "All shipments of fruits and vegetables, seafood, milk, meat, and milk products from Japan are subject to what we call hold and test policy. That means sample from each shipment are taken for testing and the shipment is only released when it is found to be safe for consumption. As such food imported from Japan, including seafood that is available from the market is safe for consumption".
The government has also stressed that at this point, it has only embarked on a "pre-feasibility" study on nuclear energy and what happened in Fukushima, it said, makes it all the more important that authorities conduct such a study.
Senior Minister of State with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, S Iswaran, said: "The aim is to gain a deeper insight into critical issues like the different technologies that are available and being developed; the international regulatory regime; the essential elements for the safe operation of a nuclear plant; the management of spent nuclear fuel; protection against terrorist attacks; radiation protection; and emergency planning."
Mr Iswaran added that even with the completion of the pre-feasibility study, it will be many years before Singapore makes any decision on nuclear energy. He explained that the study is important because even if Singapore does not proceed with nuclear energy, authorities need to understand its implications for the region and the country.
-CNA/ac
Singapore safe from radiation contamination
Straits Times 12 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE is safe from any effects of the nuclear fallout in Japan, and airtight plans are in place to prevent any contamination.
These were the reassurances Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor gave the House yesterday, in response to a question from Madam Ho Geok Choo (West Coast GRC).
Madam Ho said residents were concerned about the possibility of radiation contamination, and asked what steps the Government was taking to ensure that Singapore remained radiation-free.
Modelling simulations carried out by the National Environment Agency and the World Meteorological Organisation show the likelihood of any radioactive plume reaching Singapore is 'very low', said Dr Khor.
Even if such a plume did reach the Republic, its impact would be 'inconsequential', as the concentration of radioactive substances in the plume would be diluted to insignificant levels, she said, adding that the same could be said of the possibility of radioactive seawater affecting the waters and coast of Singapore.
Radiation leaks from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, which are seeping directly into the sea and affecting produce grown in its vicinity, have triggered global fears of radioactive contamination of food and water sources.
Singapore is more than 5,000km from the Japanese nuclear plant.
As a precaution, the Government is monitoring the radiation in coastal waters here, and in drinking water. No abnormal changes have been measured in water sources so far.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, however, has suspended food imports from 11 Japanese prefectures to date, after samples taken from shipments from those areas were found to contain higher- than-usual levels of radiation.
However, all food here is safe to eat, stressed Dr Khor, as imports from Japan are subject to a 'hold-and-test process'.
This means the products will be released for sale only after test results show them to be free of contamination.
'I'd like to assure the House that contingency plans are in place to deal with any deterioration of the situation in Japan,' she said.
More information on the Government's response to the crisis can be found at one-stop information portal www.gov.sg/japanquake
JESSICA LIM
No risk of radiation contamination in Singapore
Imelda Saad Aziz Today Online 13 Apr 11;
The authorities say there is no change in the assessment risk to the country, despite Japan's revised rating of the situation at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant.
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency raised its provisional rating of the situation at the plant to Level 7 -putting it on the same scale as the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, after an estimate of the total amount of radioactivity released from the plant.
Singapore's Information, Communications and the Arts Ministry and the National Environment Agency said although the situation in Japan remains serious, it does not indicate it has worsened.
Radiation levels in various prefectures reported by the Japanese authorities and the International Atomic Energy Agency did not show any significant changes over the past few days.
Singapore is also located more than 5,000km away from the plant.
Even in the unlikely event that any radioactive plume reaches the country, the concentration of radioactive substances would be diluted to insignificant levels over the long distance.
The Government will continue with existing measures to safeguard against radioactive contamination being imported into Singapore, and stand ready to step up measures if necessary. IMELDA SAAD
Major seafood suppliers report drop in business amid radiation fears
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 12 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE: Major seafood suppliers to Japanese restaurants in Singapore have said they are experiencing up to 40 per cent drop in businesses.
Addressing concerns over possible radiation contamination in seafood, they told MediaCorp that there is no need to fear.
Most seafood at Japanese restaurants here is sourced from outside Japan.
The assurance that Japanese seafood here is safe to eat was also given in Parliament on Monday.
Only three to five per cent of seafood served at Japanese restaurants in Singapore comes from Japan, according to seafood suppliers.
The rest is imported from elsewhere.
Mr Thomas Woo, sales manager at Huan Trading, which supplies seafood to 80 per cent of the over 1,000 Japanese restaurants in Singapore, said: "Salmon is from Norway, the tuna is from Indonesia, the Hiramasa (kingfish) is from Australia. The items that do come from Japan (are) like all the sea urchin, the Hamachi (yellowfin)...the flounder fish..."
But seafood suppliers said that with recent stepped-up checks by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), freshness of seafood has been affected.
Mr Woo said: "The difficulty is because all these have to be consumed within three days, fresh items. But they take one, two days to check, then you release it to the customer, then I think it is very difficult because it is not so fresh anymore."
And as Japanese restaurants turn to safer, alternative sources, seafood suppliers feel that it is the freshness that Japanese seafood lovers are going to miss.
Thomas Ng, sales director of Indoguna, said: "The Japanese way of killing the fish is to immediately kill. So it is not like the Europeans or the Western countries that leave the fish to die naturally. So it causes rigor mortis on the fish, the sweetness of the fish is all there, and the fishy smell of the fish is gone..."
Some suppliers said they will give discounts of up to 10 per cent, even though their business costs have been driven up by almost 10 per cent due to the shortage of seafood from Japan.
Jack Park, president of Todai Singapore, said: "Public education is necessary to reassure our customers about the origin of the food they eat. As fresh seafood is served at our restaurant, it is of utmost importance for us to take that step in telling our customers the source of origin of our seafood, so that our customers are aware that Todai does not serve any seafood from Japan."
The AVA said its ongoing surveillance programme ensures that food in Singapore is safe for consumption.
"As part of this programme, we routinely sample and test seafood for preservatives, drug residues and contaminants such as heavy metals (for example, mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic)," an AVA statement said.
But it added that it tests for radioactive contamination in seafood imported from Japan only.
"We do not carry out such tests for other countries as the risk of radioactive contamination of seafood is negligible," it said.
- CNA/ms
Bernama 11 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE, April 11 (Bernama) -- The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, or MPA, will soon launch a new Port Operations Control Centre at Changi that will be equipped with a new Vessel Traffic Information System to enhance vessel traffic management in and around Singapore's waters.
Announcing this, the Minister in Prime Minister's Office, and second Minister for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua, said as a premier hub at the very heart of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, "we have placed a strong emphasis on navigational safety to prevent accidents that could lead to an oil or chemical spill."
As oil and chemical spills are often transboundary in nature, regional cooperation is vital.
Singapore works closely with the other littoral states to keep the Straits of Malacca and Singapore safe for international shipping," she said at the opening of International Chemical and Oil Pollution Conference and Exhibition 2011, at Resorts World Sentosa Monday.
She said through the Cooperative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection, the three littoral states regularly engage user states and industry players in dialogue and joint projects to enhance navigational safety and prevent pollution.
We have also established standard operating procedures under the Revolving Fund Committee to jointly combat oil spills in the Straits. These procedures proved useful when they were activated during last year's oil spill.
-- BERNAMA
Nisha Ramchandani Business Times 12 Apr 11;
THE brakes, it seems, are still in place. Piling work at the Changi Motorsports Hub site has not started back up as foundation specialist CSC Holdings has yet to receive the balance of the outstanding progress payment owed by consortium SG Changi.
Mainboard-listed CSC would only say yesterday that there were 'no new developments' and that CSC is 'still talking to (SG Changi) about a resolution'.
This is despite a media report in late March which said that SG Changi is in talks with a potential investor.
The report also quoted SG Changi's head of people innovations, Andrew Ujiie, as saying that it is 'confident in meeting (its) commitments to build the track'.
In its last update on the motorsports hub to the Singapore Exchange (SGX) dated Feb 23, CSC's wholly owned subsidiary, CS Construction & Geotechnic (CSCG), was still owed an outstanding amount of $5 million after receiving a partial payment from SG Changi.
The partial payment received had reduced the outstanding amount from $10 million (as at Feb 16) to $5 million.
CSCG was first awarded the $50 million piling contract by SG Changi in October last year but in mid-January, the foundation specialist ceased work on the 41-hectare site along Aviation Park Road after SG Changi failed to make payments that were due.
There is also talk that SG Changi is facing demands from other parties that have yet to be paid. Mr Ujiie did not return calls from BT yesterday.
SG Changi reportedly ran into funding difficulties after news broke in January that the $380 million project was being investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
Sources had told BT previously that the probe relates to the award of the tender for the Changi Motorsports Hub to SG Changi and whether there was any information leakage during the tender process.
With piling works on hold for nearly three months now, the question remains whether the Changi Motorsports Hub will be ready by the end of this year as initially planned, and whether the first race will flag off in March 2012 as previously targeted.
The Singapore Sports Council - which called the tender for the motorsports hub - did not respond to queries by press time.
Mr Ujiie was quoted some weeks ago as saying that it has signed Japan's Formula Nippon to race here next year and that it is still in talks with MotoGP, Australia's V8 Supercars, and the Superleague Formula Series.
The Changi Motorsports Hub, seen as a key thrust in Singapore's bid to develop its motorsports industry, is expected to have features such as a 3.7km racetrack, a 1.2km karting track, food and beverage and retail outlets, as well as a hotel.
Cheong Suk-Wai Straits Times 12 Apr 11;
AS A boy, Mr James Leape would walk through America's Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks with his grandfather, who was a naturalist and would point this and that bird out to him.
Mr Leape, 55, recalls: 'I grew up wanting to be a park ranger - and then I discovered that I really liked arguing about conservation, so I went to law school!'
Harvard Law School, to be precise, after which he practised as an environmental lawyer for some years, counting among his many clients the United Nations Environment Programme.
Then, in 1989, he made good on his childhood dream by joining the United States office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The WWF, which celebrates its 50th anniversary later this month, is one of the world's largest environmental organisations. Mr Leape directed WWF US' global conservation programmes for more than 10 years. In 2005, he was appointed director-general of WWF International, which is the WWF's global secretariat, coordinating the efforts of its more than 90 offices in 40 countries - including Singapore, where it is known as the World Wide Fund For Nature. It works with non-governmental bodies on 1,300 conservation projects, including the sustainable harvesting of palm oil and the protection of coral reefs.
In town for work last month, he told me why the WWF isn't just about saving endangered pandas any more:
What are some of your most pressing challenges in Asia today?
A big-time issue is reducing carbon emissions in Indonesia, whose burning forests are a major source of air pollution and climate change. We are also looking at making the region's fisheries sustainable and trying to transform markets, which means looking at the commodities that drive biodiversity in a big way, such as palm oil. We've amazing traction with that.
How so?
Well, eight years ago, we helped create the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. It now has more than 370 members, among which are 40 per cent of the world's palm oil producers. But the roundtable's members are also buyers and civil society groups like us.
This roundtable has developed standards for sustainable palm oil, which means eliminating deforestation from our supply chain. Oil palms should be grown only on land that is already set aside for agriculture. In the last two years, it's become possible for producers to get certified under those standards, sending sustainable palm oil production from 0 per cent to 6.5 per cent.
But isn't partnering such businesses like sleeping with the Devil?
What is sleeping with the Devil?
Partnering people with vested interests in staying alive.
This isn't about shutting down industries. This is about how we move industries on to a sustainable future.
But isn't there a fine line between that and encouraging industrialists to continue overproducing?
Well, yeah, but you've got a growing global population and growing demands, right? So yes, we have to reduce consumption, but the world needs to produce vegetable oil and palm oil production is a pretty efficient way to do that. So let's do it off lands that are already available for agriculture.
We also have a consumer goods forum made up of 400 companies and consumer groups, whose total revenues are US$2.8 trillion (S$3.5 trillion). So that's quite a lot of them, and they announced at the 2010 climate talks in Cancun, Mexico that they were committing themselves to zero nett deforestation by 2020. And a group of 20 companies within that, led by Mr Paul Polman of (Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant) Unilever, said they were committed to sourcing only for palm oil, soya beans, beef, timber and so on that have been certified as sustainable either by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, the Marine Stewardship Council or the Forest Stewardship Council (all of which WWF International co-founded).
But won't producers pass their certification costs on to consumers?
First, let's not accept the premise that this needs to be a lot more expensive than it is. Second, we need to make sure that buyers are willing to pay what it takes for palm oil to be sustainable. There is in fact demand for this product that is produced to set standards. And third, it's important that we work from all sides (to move sustainability along); we're working with investors to support this shift.
You're also trying to shift consumers towards saving energy with your yearly Earth Hour campaign. But isn't it just a fad?
The fad concern is a concern that I had in 2007 when we started Earth Hour, and again in 2008, 2009 and 2010. But now it's 2011, and Earth Hour gets bigger every year. Last year, we had 128 countries taking part; the words 'Earth Hour' were entered into Google 800 times every second for the whole Earth Hour day. So now, the question is: How does this translate into their lives? Of course, there's no silver bullet. But if you put Earth Hour next to what some companies are doing, then people can see that, okay, bigger changes are happening. And when they go to a store, they have choices that they didn't have. They can actually be part of a solution that simply wasn't possible just five years ago. Then when you see them moving, that changes the politics.
All well and good, but aren't these efforts being roundly cancelled out by our excessive consumption?
The level of carbon in the atmosphere continues to go up. You have increasing water scarcity. We continue to lose forests at an astonishing rate. Several leading marine scientists in the US have predicted that all of the world's commercial fisheries would be gone by the middle of the century if the rate of current consumption continues. So the trend lines are going badly in the wrong direction. What I've now been talking about are efforts that actually have the promise of beginning to turn those around. The challenge for all of us is to deliver on that promise, by eating less meat so our diet is more easily sustained; by finding myriad ways to get more out of the land that we use; by reducing waste; and, fundamentally, by shifting the world to renewable energy.
suk@sph.com.sg
Wasteful living: One Earth isn't enough
SOFT-SPOKEN, down-to-earth and droll, lawyer James Leape says that saving the planet is simply about living mindfully:
The future of humanity
'Someone said to me, 'People talk about saving the planet but the planet's going to be just fine, thank you.' But humanity will not do so well and there are many species we will take with us if we don't get onto a better track.'
Singapore
'It's a natural place for us to have an office because it's such an important hub in a region of great and growing importance. We gather once a year in the Asia-Pacific and we gather here.'
His favourite factoid
'We have to produce as much food in the next 40 years as we produced in the last 8,000 years.'
How wasteful people are today
'If everyone on Earth lived as the average American does, we would need five planets. And the average European and average Singaporean live in a way that would require three planets to support.'
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