Otters, octopus and more on Northern Expedition Day 2
from Mega Marine Survey of Singapore
Tanimbar Corellas fighting over Passiflora laurifolia fruit
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Random Gallery - Black Veined Tiger
from Butterflies of Singapore
Dragonfly (11) – Orthetrum luzonicum [呂宋蜻蜓]
from Dragonflies & Damselflies of Singapore
Straits Times Forum 17 Oct 12;
I RAN the North Face 100 race last Saturday at MacRitchie Reservoir/Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
While I thoroughly enjoyed my 25km run, I was disappointed to see some runners throwing their empty power-gel sachets or water cups on the ground along the trails.
I also saw monkeys at the nature reserve tearing up these pieces of rubbish to scavenge for leftover food.
Unlike conventional races in the city, I do not think there were cleaners to pick up rubbish along the running trails for this race. Although we paid to take part in the race, we are not entitled to litter.
The race organisers should consider placing more disposal bins along the trails.
As for the runners, they should either keep their rubbish temporarily in their hydration bags, or simply hold on to it until they see a bin.
Let's help to preserve our beautiful nature reserves by being more conscious of our actions and not littering. As the slogan goes: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."
Tan Poh Long
Today Online 16 Oct 12;
SINGAPORE - As Punggol moves into the next chapter of its development, it could potentially become Singapore's biggest housing town - twice that of Ang Mo Kio today - and feature the Republic's newest seafront public housing estate.
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan today outlined several new ideas characterising Punggol Phase II, which will cover developments over the next 15 years and beyond.
"Punggol Town will be big," said Mr Khaw, speaking at the HDB Awards 2012. The number of apartments will increase from the current 26,000 to nearly 100,000.
There will be "distinctive districts, each with a unique character and identity" to give residents a strong sense of attachment to their neighbourhoods, he said. For instance, there will be seven different waterfront housing districts.
Waterway East and Waterway West Districts are currently already under development, while the Northshore and Matilda districts are likely to start development first within the next five years, subject to demand.
The Northshore District, to the north of Punggol Town, will feature Singapore's newest seafront public housing and Punggol's tallest residential buildings. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will explore new building forms for the district.
The Matilda District will be developed along Punggol's western waterfront, as its landscape and architecture draws inspiration from the rich history of the area.
There will also be "attractive public spaces to encourage community activities", said Mr Khaw, citing a new Punggol Downtown with a new town hub and town square.
And even as Punggol urbanises, there will be "abundant greenery" to soften its high density, assured Mr Khaw.
More green parks and green corridors will be integrated with the waterfront promenades, according to the HDB in a news release. The existing My Waterway@Punggol and the Punggol Waterway Park will be enhanced, with green spaces expanding towards the north.
There will also be green linear corridoors for recreational activities such as jogging, cycling and brisk walking. An example is the Old Punggol Road, which will be kept as a linear 1.5km heritage trail.
The HDB said: "Residents can look forward to more recreational spaces and commercial amenities such as a new sports complex, a Horse Riding Centre, and a hawker centre.
"Community interaction will also be enhanced with the upcoming Punggol Town Square and a Community Club where residents can gather and organise local community events."
"These ideas for Punggol underpin the planning philosophy that we are adopting for all HDB towns: make space for greenery, support an active citizenry, create opportunities for residents to mingle and bond, retain social memories and sharpen the character of each HDB town," said Mr Khaw.
"If we execute it well, we can create gems out of our HDB towns," he continued. "Execute it well, we can live very comfortably, despite a higher population density."
Punggol to have 7 new waterfront districts
Abundant flora will soften density; waterfront market for town centre
Daryl Chin Straits Times 17 Oct 12
THE Housing Board has unveiled the next phase of development for Singapore's hottest new estate, Punggol, which is also known for being the first eco-town.
Estimated to be twice the size of Ang Mo Kio when it is complete, the eco-precinct is expected to boast seven new districts for waterfront housing, as well as abundant greenery to soften its projected high density.
Last night at the HDB Awards gala at Marina Bay Sands, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan painted the next phase of Punggol as part of the Government's plan to progressively raise the standard of HDB living while catering to a growing population.
"(New HDB towns) enable us to try out new planning concepts and ideas. Proven ideas can then be replicated in other new towns, as well as in old towns when we redevelop them," he said.
There are 26,400 completed HDB flats in the area, and about 6,400 private homes which are in the works.
The total number of HDB flats and private homes is projected to be 96,000 when development ends, which could happen in the next 15 years or so, depending on demand and economic conditions.
These will be spread out over seven new waterfront housing districts aside from Punggol Central, where most of the current developments are.
The first two to be developed within the next five years will be the Northshore and Matilda districts. The former will boast the tallest residential buildings in the area - at 29 storeys, and overlooking the Strait of Johor - while the latter will draw inspiration from the rich history of the area such as the iconic Matilda House.
Other districts which will come on stream later include Crescent, Punggol Point and Canal. Work at Waterway East and Waterway West has already begun.
The town centre will be expanded into a new "Punggol Downtown", which will have a waterfront market village, a learning corridor which will house educational institutions, and a creative cluster for commercial use relating to lifestyle needs.
Flora will also play a bigger role in the nation's first eco-town. The existing waterway will be enhanced with green spaces extending northwards. Coupled with the town centre, a new sports complex and the learning corridor, this area will form the "green heart" of the town.
"Green fingers" - or paths lined with greenery - will extend from the "green heart" to reach the coastal promenade and Coney Island, where a park is expected to be completed by 2014.
The 1.5km Old Punggol Road will be one such "finger". It will be closed to traffic and converted to a heritage trail for pedestrians.
Cycling tracks will also be built in tandem with new roads to encourage a clean commute, while the Western LRT loop is expected to start operations in tandem with development in the area.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA), with other agencies, is studying the feasibility of a road link between KPE/TPE and Punggol Central and expects to complete the study by mid-2013. The construction timeline will be determined after the technical feasibility study is completed.
Analysts The Straits Times spoke to said Punggol's development also echoes HDB's move towards concept living.
"HDB first started by just providing housing. They then moved to starting up self-sufficient satellite towns like Tampines and Woodlands. Now, they are going into addressing lifestyle needs," said Mr Chris Koh from property consultancy Chris International.
An exhibition on the proposed plans has been put up for public consultation at HDB Hub, starting today and continuing until Oct 28.
A new cyclists' haven
Cycling lanes to be built in tandem with new roads for clean commuting
Goh Shi Ting Straits Times 16 Oct 12;
MOVE over Tampines. Punggol may soon be the first housing estate with cycling lanes built in tandem with new roads.
The Housing Board has proposed the move as part of the estate's next phase of development in order to encourage clean commuting and improve connectivity.
At the moment, Tampines is Singapore's only cycling town. Unlike the plans for Punggol, its bike lanes were not built along with the road but were retrofitted.
Currently, Punggol MRT station and the LRT rail system serve residents in the young estate, which sees many adult and child cyclists hitting the pavements.
The proposals, along with other eco-friendly efforts, such as more green spaces, will be on display at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh, in an exhibition which aims to gather public feedback from today until Oct28.
Cyclists who spoke to The Straits Times said this was a good chance for Punggol to be a cycling blueprint for other new towns.
"If you have a blank canvas, then do it right from the start," said Dr Paul Barter, cyclist and urban transport policy scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He advised following international standards, such as having one continuous cycling track that does not require riders to dismount.
"It is easier to do a good job if you are starting from scratch," he said, "so you don't have to deal with strange situations such as bus stops or stairwells along the way. And it's also cheaper than having to redo it later."
Other avid cyclists living in Punggol hope new cycling lanes will solve the problems they currently face.
"Sometimes, pedestrians can't seem to hear the bell on my bicycle," said teacher Dawn Ling, 32, who cycles once a week to her school in Pasir Ris. "I have to come to a complete stop on the pavement, posing some danger to other cyclists and to pedestrians.
"Right now, the traffic is not that heavy but given the numerous housing developments in Punggol, traffic will definitely be expected to increase sharply."
Said Mr Dean Tan, 45, founder of cycling group Punggol Night Riders, which meets every Friday: "There is still a long way to go to improve the situation.
"There was a driver who told me to get off the road because I don't pay road tax," he said. He hopes cycling tracks will help drivers realise that cyclists have shared ownership of the roads.
Eco-town sweeps design awards
Daryl Chin Straits Times 17 Oct 12;
PUNGGOL may have some grand plans in the pipeline, but the area's existing developments are already pulling in the awards.
The eco-district bagged top honours at a Housing Board gala last night, taking nine prizes for building and design.
They included an award for the Punggol Waterway, plus others for developments such as Punggol Spring and Damai Grove.
A total of seven prizes for design and 14 for construction were presented at the sixth Housing and Development Board Awards ceremony at Marina Bay Sands.
As well as being Singapore's largest housing developer, with more than a million flats under its belt, the HDB also has a role in planning estates.
The award winners are projects that have produced outstanding work within its guidelines.
For example, Punggol Spring stood out for its innovation and productive construction process. It has 494 units in five 17-storey blocks, and boasts sustainable features such as decks made of recycled timber, which is more durable than its newer counterparts.
Instead of concrete drains, the project has a bioswale filtration system that incorporates soil and plants to promote greenery.
Mr Tony Ng, the precinct's project director, said: "Punggol is shaping up very well, and it's the way forward in terms of including sustainability and greenery in housing developments."
Town planner Surbana won an award for the design of the 4.2km Punggol Waterway. It was also honoured for its work on Clementi interchange, the first development to include HDB flats, a commercial mall and a bus interchange. Other winners included projects in Bukit Batok, Telok Blangah and Ghim Moh.
From pungent pig farms to hot new eco-town
Melissa Lin Straits Times 18 Oct 12;
RETIRED air force officer Y.C. Teo still remembers the days when his house used to stink.
The 78-year-old has lived in a bungalow just off Old Punggol Road since the 1970s, when the area was populated by pig, chicken and fish farms.
"It was a horrible place," he said. "On rainy days, there would be a great stench. Nobody wanted to take a second look at the place."
These days, the farms are gone and Punggol is Singapore's hottest new estate. High-rise buildings have taken over the land that used to house the farms and their neighbouring attap- and zinc-roofed shophouses.
Phase two of plans to transform Punggol into a waterfront town was unveiled by the Housing Board on Tuesday. Public consultation began yesterday at the HDB Hub and will end on Oct 28.
As part of the plans, a 1.5km stretch of Old Punggol Road will be closed to traffic and converted to a heritage trail for pedestrians.
It is a road on which the history of Punggol has been written. It leads to the old Punggol Point, where long-time residents fondly recall tucking into seafood dishes amid the exhaust from buses turning around at the end of the road. Three seafood restaurants used to do thriving business there, said residents.
"Eating there was not just a treat, it was an experience," said naval architect Jerome Lim, 48, who was a regular visitor to the area as a child.
"It was alfresco dining," he added. "Tables would be laid out with plastic basins of hot water with tea cups and utensils inside."
Water sports centres and fishing villages also used to dot the shoreline.
Madam Alice Chu, a 56-year- old housewife who has lived in Punggol for nearly three decades, recalled how her husband used to take a speedboat he owned with some friends out fishing at night.
His catch often ended on the dinner table as dishes such as steamed crabs with belachan (shrimp paste).
They would also go out for rides to Marina Bay, where Marina Bay Sands now stands.
The demographic at the old Punggol Point has changed, said Madam Chu.
Crowds of rowdy seafood lovers have given way to young parents and their children in strollers, making their way around the Punggol Point Park.
The park boasts lotus ponds, a playground, kite-flying spots, boardwalks and a rustic park connector.
Amid the structural changes, Madam Chu laments the loss of the kampung spirit. Her daughter would, as a child, cycle around the estate, enter their neighbours' houses and open the refrigerator to grab a drink. No one would bat an eyelid because everyone knewone another, she said.
Mr Lim also hoped that further plans would keep some things the same.
"Change always happens, but it's nice if Punggol can retain some of its old charm and bring back the eateries and sea sports centres," he said.
He recalled seeing chickens running around with their heads chopped off at a farm and hearing the squeal of pigs in the evenings before they were fed.
He said: "I was raised an urban kid. Punggol was somewhere I didn't like visiting.
"But I'm glad now that I got to be in an environment that doesn't exist here any more."
LiveScience.com Yahoo News 16 Oct 12;
Sumatran orangutans are in trouble: Only about 6,600 of the animals are left, scattered throughout the northern tip of the Indonesian island where they once flourished.
A new genetic study of the animals has found that deforestation on Sumatra has isolated different groups of the primates, which could lead to inbreeding and further decline. But the research also identified a critical corridor of forested hills that orangutans still travel though, which, if protected, could help the species rebound, according to a release describing the study.
The investigators took DNA from wild orangutan's hair and fecal samples, as well as blood samples from orangutans from known areas that were kept as pets before being confiscated by authorities.
Their study, published recently in the Journal of Heredity, found that there was recent genetic exchange between several of the groups by breeding males. "Our study revealed that some males can range widely over large distances and across natural barriers in search of females," said co-author Alexander Nater, a researcher at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, in a statement.
Male apes use the passageway the study found to get around the headwaters of rivers high in the mountains. It's critical that these areas remained forested, the researchers say, since the critically endangered orangutan spends nearly all of its time in the canopies of trees.
"This result highlights the need to conserve these important dispersal corridors to uphold genetic exchange," Nater said in the statement. "And it also gives hope that it is not yet too late to preserve these unique Asian great apes."
WWF 16 Oct 12;
Cape Town – Rhino poaching statistics released today by South African authorities show that a record 455 rhinos have been lost to poaching already in 2012. The number exceeds the 448 rhinos killed for their horns during the whole of 2011.
“The most recent figure is disappointing as last year’s total has already been exceeded by mid-October. World-famous safari destination Kruger National Park continues to be the hardest hit by poachers with 272 rhinos killed to-date,” said Dr Jo Shaw, WWF-South Africa’s Rhino Co-ordinator.
Rhino poaching rates have increased rapidly since 2007 as new markets for rhino horn have emerged in Asia, primarily in Viet Nam. Rhino horn has recently been touted as a hangover cure and treatment for terminal illnesses, according to a report by WWF’s partner TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.
“It is critical for the South African government to engage with consumer countries and to fight against international syndicates involved in illegal rhino horn trade. WWF is concerned that the Memorandum of Understanding with Viet Nam for collaborative action against illegal rhino horn trade remains unsigned. There is also an urgent need for law enforcement actions by neighbouring countries which are implicated as transit routes for illegal trade in rhino horn, specifically Mozambique,” Shaw said.
The number of arrests for rhino crimes has increased this year in South Africa, with 207 poachers, middlemen and couriers taken into police custody. WWF commends the South African government and law enforcement authorities for their continued efforts to help curb illegal wildlife trade, but believes there is no room for complacency.
A major alleged rhino poaching syndicate, the so-called ‘Groenewald Gang’, is due to appear in a South African court Friday. The group, consisting of a safari tour operator, veterinarians, professional hunters and a helicopter pilot, is facing charges related to the killing of 20 rhinos who were found without their horns.
“The world is watching to see that South Africa is prepared to prosecute rhino crimes to the fullest extent of the law and take these crimes seriously as an affront to South Africa’s national heritage,” Shaw said.
WWF is calling on governments implicated in the illegal trade of wildlife products such as rhino horn to increase law enforcement, impose strong deterrents and conduct widespread demand reduction campaigns to discourage the consumption of endangered species products.
WWF is also helping to ensure that existing rhino populations grow as quickly as possible. Earlier this month, WWF flew 13 rhinos to new homes as part of a range expansion project that has established eight new black rhino populations in South Africa. There are fewer than 5,000 of the critically endangered animals remaining.
“To-date, rhino numbers continue to grow in South Africa as more rhinos are being born than are dying, even when poaching mortalities are taken into account,” Shaw said. “However, we are approaching the critical tipping point where rhino numbers go into decline and would undermine conservation efforts.”
Mariette le Roux (AFP) Google News 17 Oct 12;
HYDERABAD, India — Should European farmers pay for pollination provided by bees? Should city dwellers in Brazil pay for the abundant rain generated over the Amazonian forest? And if mangroves are a shield against tsunamis, shouldn't seaside resorts in Thailand be paying for them?
These are the kinds of questions being asked at the world's top biodiversity conference in India, where policymakers are desperately seeking ways to preserve the world's dwindling plant and animal resources.
A strong consensus is emerging that putting a price on nature may be the only way to get people to prevent Earth's bounty being squandered, sometimes to extinction.
Less clear, though, is how this can be achieved.
"The benefits have no price tag associated with them, which mean they are not accounted for ... when other decisions are made," said Neville Ash, chief of the UN Environmental Programme's biodiversity unit.
According to the IUCN, human expansion has lead to the destruction of six million hectares of primary forest every year since 2006.
Thirty-five percent of mangroves -- which are vital sources of food, fuel, fibre and pharmaceutical molecules -- have also been lost in just 20 years.
The idea of putting a price on some hitherto "free" resources has gained traction in recent years as pressure to halt the decline forces policy makers to think innovatively.
Nearly half of amphibian species, a third of corals, a quarter of mammals, a fifth of all plants and 13 percent of the world's birds are at risk of extinction, according to the "Red List" compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
So academics and economists attempt to calculate the value of nature in dollars and cents, hoping that governments will include the estimates in their long-term planning and short-term awarding of exploitation contracts.
"Economics has become the currency of policy," environmental economist Pavan Sukhdev told AFP.
"In order to make politicians see how important biodiversity is, you need to tell them the dollar value of ecosystem services their economy is losing because of their mismanagement and loss of ecosystems and biodiversity."
Researchers made a first stab at putting a value on Earth's biosphere in 1997, submitting that ecosystems made an unseen annual contribution of $33 trillion (25 trillion euros in today's terms).
The number amounted to double the annual global GDP at the time and was slammed by some for being grossly overinflated. Others scoffed at the "dollarisation" of Earth's natural treasure.
Since then, smaller studies have tried to value everything from bee pollination (about $190 billion or 150 billion euros, based on one estimate) to mangrove storm protection (up to about $1,000 or 780 euros per hectare per year).
Both resources are at risk -- mangroves make way for shrimp farms that make their owners rich but rob local communities of fuel wood and fish, while bee numbers are slumping in some parts of the world along with a drop in the diversity of plants they feed on.
"There is no market for many things, the environment is a good example, and so we essentially treat (resources) as free and over-exploit them," said Dominic Moran, professor of environmental economics at Scotland's Rural College.
Valuation alone is not enough, said Nathaniel Carroll, head of the biodiversity programme at Forest Trends, a non-profit group promoting "market-based approaches" to forest conservation.
"Everyone should be paying for their impacts on, use of, and reliance on biodiversity and its services, if they want it to continue to be available," he said.
But at this point, many of the toughest questions come to the fore.
Should there be a tax or levy? Conservation charges? Payment for "services" that nature has hitherto provided for free? Could there be a biodiversity market, such as that created for carbon to provide incentives for reducing polluting emissions?
Moran said assigning property rights may be a solution.
"If those resources are entrusted to specific communities or countries as owners, then they have the right to charge for use. They also have the incentive to sustainably manage their resource for the long term."
This is not an alien concept. People already pay entry fees to conservation parks and communities receive royalties on the use of medicinal plants, for example.
Whatever the option, added Carroll, "you need regulation and real enforcement to achieve meaningful scale."
While the jury remains divided on the exact approach, a new study last week said $4 billion (3 billion euros) per year are needed to reduce the extinction risk for all known threatened species, and another $76 billion (60 billion euros) to protect conservation sites.
"The total costs are very small relative to the likely costs of inaction," said study author Donal McCarthy, an economist with BirdLife International.
"The total is just one to four percent of the net value of ecosystem services being lost annually, for which estimates range from $2 to $6.6 trillion... The total required is less than 20 percent of annual global consumer spending on soft drinks."
20 Oct (Sat): Public forum on Bukit Brown and on wild pigs in Singapore from wild shores of singapore
"The Power of We": Nature Outreach & Environmental Efforts in Singapore
from Lazy Lizard's Tales
A Forest Worth Fighting For (II)
from Diary of a Boy wandering through Our Little Urban Eden
Cuttlefish, Pipefish & Seahorses
from Pulau Hantu
The Northern Expedition begins!
from Mega Marine Survey of Singapore
juvenile brahminy kites @ lim chu kang road - Oct2012
from sgbeachbum
Dragonfly (1) – Agrionoptera Sexlineata
from Dragonflies & Damselflies of Singapore
Our wild shores in a children's Chinese activity book
from wild shores of singapore
Straits Times Forum 16 Oct 12;
I AM part of a regular group of walkers who use the jungle trail leading to the Tree Top Walk in MacRitchie Reservoir.
Recently, many big trees on the trail were cut down.
When we inquired why this was so, we were told by National Parks Board (NParks) staff that a soldier was killed recently by a falling tree, albeit in another location ("NSman's death: Tree was checked in April"; Sept 29).
So far, about 40 trees have been cut, with the total number expected to be 50 or so, we were told.
While the incident is one in which a life was lost, it is such a waste to cut down so many majestic and old trees, which may have taken many decades or even a hundred years or more to grow to the stature they are now.
The trail has also lost part of its ambience as it seems open and barren, unlike the jungle trail that it was before.
The flora and fauna could be adversely affected too.
The need to protect life and limb in the jungle from falling branches and trees must surely take into account how long it took the trees to grow to what they are now, and the overall integrity of the trees with regard to the danger.
My group hopes that NParks will not fell all the trees they have lined up for this exercise as the trees, once cut down, are gone from the jungle forever, and the damage may extend to the flora and fauna on the trail.
Larry Quah
More native trees for Venus Link
Straits Times Forum 19 Oct 12;
SOME non-native trees along Venus Link were recently removed as they were prone to breakage and uprooting during stormy weather ("Reconsider felling so many trees" by Mr Larry Quah; Tuesday).
This is part of our tree management plan, through which we identify storm-vulnerable trees and remove them in the interest of public safety.
We will be planting even more trees to replace the ones we removed.
Native tree species will be selected, as these will add conservation value to the surroundings, and complement the trees in the Nature Reserve nearby. They will also eventually provide shade for visitors, and shelter for the animals.
Wong Tuan Wah
Director, Conservation
National Parks Board
Yes, reconsider too much tree culling
Straits Times Forum 20 Oct 12;
I SUPPORT the call by Mr Larry Quah ("Reconsider felling so many trees"; Tuesday).
I am baffled by the National Parks Board's (NParks) act of cutting down so many trees after a national serviceman was killed by a falling tree, albeit in another location.
Trees take years to grow and provide not only shade, but also add to the splendour and beauty of the surrounding environment.
It is more logical to check the trees and take the necessary steps to cut them down only if they are found to be sickly.
Do we remove lamp posts from our streets, if someone is hit by one?
Bennie Cheok
Straits Times Forum 16 Oct 12;
WHILE it is laudable that the Bird Ecology Study Group will compile an archive listing more than 200 species of flora and detailing birds that frequent them ("Matching trees and birds"; Oct 6), planners such as the National Parks Board should exercise prudence and care when using such resources to decide what and what not to plant in our parks and gardens, in their effort to attract fauna.
The finding that the common mahang, a tree found in our forests here, draws more than 20 bird species to its fruit does not recognise the fact that a tree growing in a forest, when grown in our gardens and parks, might not attract an equal number of bird species.
Birds that are forest-dependent will not visit the same mahang tree grown in a garden or park that is outside the forest.
If the fruits of the mahang tree draw the liking, too, of the noisy Asian glossy starlings or mynahs, we might even inadvertently propagate more roosting sites for these community roosting birds - a scenario we do not want.
The common mahang tree is also well known for attracting ants to its leaf stalks.
The presence of ants and the consequences when one unwittingly touches them, or if they drop on someone standing below the tree, also need to be taken into consideration.
The safety of the public is of paramount concern.
While we would certainly like to see a "City in a Garden" full of life and biodiversity, we must also be cognisant of the fact that what works in one place might not work in another.
No one size fits all.
Even lizards and butterflies have their own niches and will not readily adapt to a habitat unfamiliar and foreign to them.
Certainly, a lot more experimenting and study of what we want to plant has to be done first before we embark on planting any one species of flora.
Chia Yong Soong
Plant the right trees or risk attracting the wrong birds
Straits Times Forum 16 Oct 12;
THE Bird Ecology Study Group should be commended for compiling an archive that will list more than 200 species of flora and detail the birds frequenting them ("Matching trees and birds"; Oct 6).
But planting a common mahang tree outside the forest environment will not attract the same species and number of birds. This is because forest-specific birds like the cream-vented bulbuls, red-eyed bulbuls and red-crowned barbets will not move out of the forest habitats to urban parkland to forage.
Planting food trees outside the reserves may instead attract the more adaptable Asian glossy starlings and mynas, whose populations the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is trying to control.
Botanists know that many of the wild scrubs and trees do not grow well or even survive outside the forest without the support of the ecosystem. Such trees are not used in our parks and open spaces. On the other hand, fig trees, with their root systems, are destructive to buildings, homes and roads.
The best way to protect biodiversity is to conserve their habitats, which cannot be replicated. You cannot "grow" back a primary forest.
Hospitals, community development councils, schools and corporations have been drawing from the database of the National Parks Board and the Nature Society (Singapore) for many years now to create butterfly- and bird-friendly trails, gardens and open spaces. Let us hope the Bird Ecology Study Group's archive can supplement the existing databases for the greater good.
Alan Owyong
Channel NewsAsia 15 Oct 12;
SINGAPORE: After falling steadily in the past six years, the number of haze-causing hotspots in Indonesia has suddenly spiked to numbers that now exceed those in 2006.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, said this is a "considerable backslide".
Singapore, as chair of the sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution, is actively promoting regional collaboration to address the haze problem, he told Parliament on Monday.
A new initiative the committee is looking into is using satellite mapping to identify companies whose concession areas see excessive fire outbreaks.
But the minister said law enforcement can only do so much.
He said: "There are several evidential difficulties with this. First, if you actually look at the list of concession map, you will realise that there is a lot of companies, shell companies, subsidiaries, joint ventures and a variety of business arrangements behind the clearing of lands and the planting of oil palms. So that's first level.
"Second level is that actually in order to achieve prosecution in court, you need to have caught the person in the act, circumstantial evidence on its own, probability may not be sufficient.
"The third difficulty is that, these are local crimes and need to be prosecuted in local jurisdiction.
"So what we can do more of now is to introduce more transparency, list out who owns which pieces of land, list out the number of hotspots which are occurring, in real time, in those pieces of land and then, after that, this involves the consumer groups, non-government organisations, international organisations, who all have a stake in this value chain.
"I think that's the only effective way, because you can pass all the laws you like in the respective governments, but if you can't enforce your law and you can't ensure that people comply with regulations and rules...this problem will keep recurring."
-CNA/ir
Collaborations to be expanded
Singapore, Malaysia to help build up fire detection, suppression capabilities in fire-prone Indonesian provinces
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 16 Oct 12;
SINGAPORE - In light of a spike in the number of hotspots this year, Singapore and Malaysia will expand their joint collaborations with the Indonesian provinces of Jambi and Riau to build up capabilities of fire detection and suppression.
Member states of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) are also exploring the use of satellite imagery to identify companies whose land experiences "excessive hotspot activities", said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan in Parliament yesterday.
While the Indonesian government has allocated funds to fire-prone provinces and initiated pilot projects to prevent land and forest fires, resulting in a steady reduction in the number of hotspots since 2006, the number of hotspots this year has exceeded the cumulative annual total witnessed six years ago - the last time Singapore experienced a prolonged haze spell.
Said Dr Balakrishnan: "Progress in the region's fight against this continued, chronic problem requires strong commitment from all ASEAN countries, effective enforcement of laws on the ground, close and cooperative partnerships among the countries and the support and pressure that non-governmental organisations can come to bear on the stakeholders."
Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC), who wanted to know the progress made in haze reduction over the past five years, among other questions, pressed Dr Balakrishnan further on whether more measures could be implemented to reduce the number of hotspots.
Dr Balakrishnan felt the heart of the problem was economics, as it is cheaper for companies to use fire to clear their land.
"And until and unless economic pressure is felt by these companies who are operating this, they will not change their behaviour," he added.
This led Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong to ask if any of the identified companies were local and whether they could be prosecuted. This, however, posed challenges as a variety of complex business models operate in the hotspot areas, said Dr Balakrishnan.
Further, the culprit must also be caught in the act of burning the land and they would have to be dealt with under Indonesian laws, he noted.
Citing the successful example of enforcing commercial sanctions on the timber industry to encourage sustainable logging, Dr Balakrishnan suggested similar pressure could be exerted on the companies. "We will have to explore using this approach to apply relevant ... commercial pressure on these companies to clean up their act," he said, as he further suggested highlighting positive examples of companies with sustainable practices to encourage others to do the same.
Amanda Lee Today Online 16 Oct 12;
SINGAPORE - The National Environment Agency (NEA) is reviewing penalties and fines for those caught littering, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said yesterday.
Responding to a motion tabled by Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah on the standard of cleanliness in Singapore, Dr Balakrishnan added that senior members of non-government organisations and grassroots organisations - armed with a warrant card and given proper training - could also be roped in to enforce against littering in the community. Last year, the NEA received 5,232 complaints about litterbugs, up from 4,449 in 2010.
Dr Lee had earlier shared with the House her experience of how bags of rubbish were collected in her Nee Soon South ward last Friday, after she told Town Council cleaners not to do any cleaning from 5pm onwards.
"I'm sure this is not unique to Nee Soon South and it happens in a lot of places in Singapore," said Dr Lee. "And perhaps we have indeed become complacent."
Dr Lee said she used to "take delight" in hearing tourists and foreign friends express admiration over sparkling pavements here. Such a picture, however, is fading, she noted.
Citing a successful scheme implemented in Seoul, Dr Lee suggested that the authorities here could start a campaign, named "Shame on you litterbug", where citizens could post the culprit's "bizarre acts" online.
While Singapore has transformed itself through meticulous cleaning, public campaigns and strict enforcement in just over four decades, being known as a clean city internationally is not unique today, noted Dr Balakrishnan. He, however, stressed that being a clean city is "a source of competitive advantage" and "a badge of honour", which is something Singapore "cannot afford to backslide on".
Merely increasing fines or having more anti-littering public education messages broadcast on television will not be sufficient, said Dr Balakrishnan.
Rather, the authorities also need to work with MPs and community leaders to "create peer pressure" in maintaining a clean environment, he added. Amanda Lee
Everyone has a part in keeping environment clean: Lee Bee Wah
Channel NewsAsia 15 Oct 12;
SINGAPORE: Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency Er Dr Lee Bee Wah filed a motion for adjournment in Parliament, on the standard of cleanliness in Singapore.
Citing experience from her own ward, she stressed everyone should play a role in keeping the environment clean.
She recounted: "In Khatib Centre, we have cleaners working at 9am as well as 5pm. Last Friday, I told town council cleaners not to do any cleaning from 5pm onwards. And on Saturday, myself and about 100 grassroots leaders and community leaders went to Khatib Centre. We picked up bags and bags of rubbish."
"I'm sure this is not uniquely Nee Soon South and it happens in a lot of places in Singapore. And perhaps we have indeed become complacent," she commented. "Perhaps, a new generation has not learnt the lesson of what impact filth and grime can have on environmental health."
"Deputise senior members of non-government organisations, maybe even for grassroots organisations to act as enforcement officers who have a warrant card and be properly trained," suggested Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Environment and Water Resources.
He also suggested reviewing fines and penalty regimes for littering.
- CNA/xq
Risks of housing nuclear energy plant here outweigh benefits, says Iswaran
Grace Chua Straits Times 16 Oct 12;
CURRENT nuclear energy technology is not suitable for Singapore, a pre-feasibility study has concluded.
Mr S. Iswaran, Second Minister for Trade and Industry, said in Parliament yesterday that the risks of housing a nuclear power plant here to generate electricity still outweigh the benefits, given the country's size and dense population.
But the two-year study by government agencies, external consultants and independent expert advisers, in response to an Economic Strategies Committee recommendation in 2010, did not rule out nuclear energy totally.
It recommended that Singapore continue to monitor new technologies.
The country also needs to strengthen capabilities to understand nuclear science and technology, and in emergency response and radioactive waste disposal, said Mr Iswaran, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs.
Many of the Republic's Asean neighbours are planning to build nuclear power plants. Vietnam aims to build 10 nuclear reactors by 2030. Malaysia is studying having one in operation by 2021.
Hence, Singapore should also play a role in global and regional cooperation on nuclear safety. It is, for example, a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, an inter-governmental body that promotes the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Dr T.S. Gopi Rethinaraj, an assistant professor and nuclear energy expert at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, is not surprised the nation has ruled out the nuclear option for now.
"Current technology may not be suitable," he said. This is because the designs require large safety buffers, including an uninhabited zone with a 2km radius and a 5km low-density zone.
Newer, safer designs exist only on paper, he added. These would be at least 20 to 30 years from commercial development.
"In the foreseeable future, the best bet would be natural gas in the near term," he said.
Singapore aims to have a stable, economically competitive supply of energy while minimising carbon emissions and pollution. Eighty per cent of electricity is generated from natural gas piped from Indonesia and Malaysia. It has limited scope for solar, wind and other renewable energies.
But a liquefied natural gas terminal, set to begin operations next year, will allow Singapore to import gas from other countries.
This and the growth of unconventional gas sources like shale gas could help alleviate Singapore's energy security concerns even without a nuclear power plant, said Dr Michael Quah of NUS' chemical and biomolecular engineering department.
And even if Singapore does not build a nuclear plant, others in the region will, and it can help train people for regulatory and other industry roles. "Nuclear has long coat-tails. Where in the supply chain can we develop manpower?" said Dr Quah.
Current nuclear energy technology "not suitable for use in Singapore"
Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 15 Oct 12;
SINGAPORE: Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said a pre-feasibility study has concluded that current nuclear energy technology is not suitable for use in Singapore, even though the latest designs of nuclear power plants are much safer than older designs which remain in use in many countries.
The study involved government agencies, external consultants and independent expert advisers.
Mr Iswaran was speaking in Parliament on Monday in response to a question filed by MP for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah.
Eighty per cent of Singapore's energy is generated from natural gas imported from neighbouring countries Indonesia and Malaysia.
In 2010, the government embarked on a pre-feasibility study to explore more energy options, looking to overcome Singapore's energy constraints and improve energy security.
The study concluded that nuclear energy will not be an option, for now.
Mr Iswaran said: "The risks to Singapore, given that we are small and dense, still outweigh the benefits at this point. As we are planning for the very long term and not for our immediate energy needs, we prefer to wait for technology and safety to improve further before reconsidering our options. Over time, nuclear power plants with safer and more robust designs will be developed."
Experts added these risks may be unexpected like the Fukushima nuclear plant incident in Japan last year.
National University of Singapore's executive director for Energy Studies Institute, Professor S. K. Chou, said: "You might say the Fukushima incident might never happen to us...But if you look at planning for a disaster or an event, we cannot exclude possibilities. We need to be ready to respond and I think our people will need to be ready to address some of these issues of disaster relief, supplies and logistic issues, ensuring that we can contain the disaster within a certain closed area. If something happens in Jurong, you can't run away to Katong to hide because we are such a small island and because of that we need to be extra vigilant."
Konstantin Foskolos, project adviser from Switzerland, said: "Singapore should wait for a reactor technology that cannot have a severe accident like in Fukushima - where the probability of such an accident is practically zero. Fukushima reactors belong to a technology which is 30,40 years old. They cannot compare with today's reactors. This zero probability for an accident can be achieved by different kinds of technology, which are currently under scrutiny and under development."
Mr Iswaran added that nuclear energy will continue to be part of the energy mix for many countries.
Two-thirds of nuclear power plants being built are located in Asia, with some planned in Southeast Asia.
Mr Iswaran said: "Singapore needs to continue to monitor the progress of nuclear energy technologies, and to strengthen our capabilities to understand nuclear science and technology. It is also important to track related developments in areas such as emergency response and radioactive waste disposal. Then we can assess the implications of evolving nuclear energy technologies and regional nuclear energy developments for Singapore. This will also strengthen our operational preparedness and our existing capabilities in radiation and incident response."
To do this, the government will support research in areas of nuclear science and engineering and train a pool of scientists and experts through education programmes in local and overseas universities.
Mr Iswaran also said Singapore will also play an active role in global and regional cooperation on nuclear safety.
- CNA/cc/ck
Nuclear energy 'not yet suitable' here
Current designs of nuclear plants pose more risks than benefits for Singapore: Iswaran
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 16 Oct 12;
SINGAPORE - The Government has decided, after recently concluding a pre-feasibility study, that "nuclear energy is not yet suitable for deployment in Singapore", said Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran in Parliament yesterday.
This is because the current designs of nuclear power plants, while much safer than older designs, still pose more risks than benefits for Singapore, a densely populated city, he said in response to Member of Parliament (Nee Soon GRC) Lee Bee Wah, who asked for an update on the pre-feasibility study.
Two years ago, Mr Iswaran announced in Parliament the decision to embark on a pre-feasibility study on nuclear energy, as part of efforts to diversify Singapore's energy mix and ease energy constraints in the long term.
"As we are planning for the very long term and not for our immediate energy needs, we prefer to wait for technology and safety to improve further before reconsidering our options," Mr Iswaran told the House yesterday.
But given that two-thirds of nuclear power plants under construction today are in Asia, Singapore has to continue to monitor the progress of nuclear energy technologies and strengthen its capabilities to understand nuclear science and technology, he noted.
The Government will, therefore, support research in relevant areas of nuclear science and engineering, and a pool of scientists and experts will be trained in local and overseas universities.
"This will also strengthen our operational preparedness and our existing capabilities in radiation and incident response," said Mr Iswaran.
He added that Singapore will be playing an active role in global and regional nuclear safety. As an existing member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Singapore is working closely with other member countries to implement that IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety.
Experts TODAY spoke to emphasised the need for Singapore to monitor nuclear energy developments.
Said Dr Eulalia Han, a Fellow specialising in energy security at the National University of Singapore's Energy Studies Institute: "As a result of Singapore's high urban density, it will be difficult for Singaporeans to escape the effects of a potential nuclear accident in the region."
"In order to prevent a potential nuclear fallout, it is important for ASEAN to engage in nuclear energy cooperation prior to countries acquiring nuclear energy," she added.
Mr Konstantin Foskolos, a consultant in nuclear technology and project advisor for Singapore's pre-feasibility report, also suggested Singapore establish up-to-date, monitoring and early warning systems "in case something goes wrong" in one of the neighbouring countries.
To deal with potential radiological threats, Mr Foskolos, who is the former deputy head of the Nuclear Energy and Safety Research department in Switzerland's Paul Scherrer Institut, suggested complementing the warning systems with Singapore's existing emergency preparedness system.
Posts
visitors since Nov 07