Best of our wild blogs: 8 Aug 14

The bloodstained cliffs south of Sentosa
from The Long and Winding Road

Job Opportunity: Specialist Associate (AV/IT)
from News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

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Singapore's ground-breaking haze law faces uphill challenge

Rujun Shen PlanetArk 7 Aug 14;

Indonesia's complex rules on land use and the difficulty in prosecuting foreign businesses mean Singapore has its work cut out bringing companies to book under its new cross-border air pollution law.

The bill, approved by parliament on Tuesday, has won praise from politicians and environmentalists as a bold move to tackle a decades-long problem of smoke from forest fires in neighboring Indonesia choking the city state.

Indonesia has failed to tackle the problem, despite repeated vows to do so, so Singapore decided to take matters into its own hands after acrid smoke blanketed the island last year, posing a danger to health and a worry to the tourist industry.

The law sets out the possibility of fines for companies that cause haze pollution regardless of whether they operate in Singapore. But making it work in practice will be tough.

"I am skeptical of whether there will ever be a successful prosecution when this law comes into force," Eugene Tan, a member of parliament and law professor, said during debate on the bill.

The haze is caused by forest clearing in Indonesia during the annual dry season, particularly when fires are set to clear undergrowth which then spark fires in layers of peat.

Some of the clearing is believed done by palm oil plantation companies with Singapore connections.

The bill makes those who cause haze both criminally and civilly liable, and it is written to provide law enforcers with a relatively low threshold to prove that a company outside Singapore has polluted the air.

Singapore authorities will be able to rely on a "causal link" such as satellite images or weather maps pin-pointing where smoke has come from.

Singapore can then impose fines of up to S$100,000 ($80,000) per day of smoke, up to a maximum of S$2 million, on companies or individuals that are found to cause Singapore's air pollutant standards index to rise to the "unhealthy" level.

'SALUTARY EFFECT'

But even with this low-proof burden, analysts say the often contradictory laws governing land use in Indonesia and the likely difficulty in getting the co-operation of government officials there will make prosecutions hard.

"There is some potential for conflict over the need for cooperation from local authorities (in Indonesia) in gathering evidence against violators," said Andrew Wood, senior analyst at Business Monitor International.

Singapore is hoping that just the threat of the new law preventing a company or its executives from doing business in the banking hub will be a strong enough deterrent without needing to make many prosecutions.

"This will have a salutary effect on key office holders and decision makers of the companies, even those companies with no assets or no physical presence in Singapore," Minister of Environment Vivian Balakrishnan said in the debate.

Officers or partners of foreign companies that have no presence or assets in Singapore will be served notice in person when they enter the country if they are accused under the law. They could be ordered to stay on the island to assist with the investigation and a failure to comply could lead to fines and even time in prison.

That is likely to alarm some company executives.

"I'd certainly be worried if I were in their position," said David Gaveau, a researcher at the Center for International Forestry Research.

But Gaveau said it will be very difficult to determine who is responsible for starting the fires.

"It's not just companies that do the burning, but also the communities, which could include a broad range of people from small farmers to mid-level investors. We don't know who they are," he said.

Gaveau said analysis by his organization showed the fires on the two largest burnt areas in Indonesia's Riau province on Sumatra island during February and March this year were either started outside concessions, or on land occupied by small-scale operators within concessions.

(Editing by Rachel Armstrong and Robert Birsel)

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At the end of the day, NMPs make the House better

Robin Chan The Straits Times AsiaOne 8 Aug 14;


The Super Passion Award goes to Ms Faizah for her focus on enviromental issues and her ability to turn any matter into one about the environment.

Yesterday was the last time most of the nine Nominated MPs will set foot in the House, with their term coming to an end this month.

The nostalgia was already sinking in for Ms Mary Liew, who was seen passing some printed photos to the other NMPs seated near her.

Some, like Ms Janice Koh, took the chance to tour the chambers one last time, posing for a picture next to a painting by artist Chua Mia Tee, which she later posted on Facebook.

The NMPs also continued to question and debate, like it was any other day of business.

During yesterday's sitting, Ms Faizah Jamal and Ms Liew asked questions on fish farm waste and on the placement fees that foreign domestic workers pay, respectively.

Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan and private banker Tan Su Shan also joined in the debate on the new Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

The law will give Singapore authority to target companies and other entities which either cause or condone fires that lead to haze.

From the seemingly minute and mundane to issues of national importance, the nine NMPs have demonstrated their ability to contribute to the discourse in Parliament.

Now, after they have served for 21/2 years, there will be a new slate of NMPs selected come next month. Of the nine, only businessman R. Dhinakaran and Prof Tan have opted to be considered for another term.

Coming after the hotly contested 2011 General Election, they joined the House in debating contentious issues such as the White Paper on Population and the Little India riot.

They have witnessed the Government making significant shifts in social policy such as health care and social security.

And they also celebrated former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's 90th birthday, in a poignant moment in the House.

Having sat in the press gallery and observed them during many of these occasions in Parliament, I think it's fitting to recognise them and their speeches which have left an impression on me.

With tongue-slightly-in- cheek, here are three awards:

The Super Passion Award goes to Ms Faizah.

Since the very first day in Parliament, she was single-minded in her focus on environmental issues.

From marine life to parks to trees, the environmentalist argued impassionedly for more attention to be paid to green issues, and was able to turn any matter in Singapore into one, inevitably, about our environment.

In the opening debate after the President's Address this May, she said: "All members of this House should raise environment issues in this House because it is the right thing to do, it is the mature and wise thing to do.

It is time to take back personal responsibility."As someone who is not so environmentally conscious, I was often left feeling rather guilty about leaving the light on too long, or the many plastic bags I used, after hearing her speak.

Yesterday, on the debate over the haze Bill, she continued to strike at our collective conscience. Quoting from a billboard she saw in London, she said: "You are not stuck in traffic. You are traffic."

The next honour is the Range Far And Wide Award.

It goes to Prof Tan, the law don, for having something to say on almost everything - even the attendance of MPs.

An expert on constitutional law and administrative law, just in the last two days, he again displayed that knack, by speaking on the National Library Board's saga over homosexuality-themed children's books, the crash of MH17 in Ukraine, the haze Bill, and a more obscure Bill on additional functions of the Attorney-General.

Prof Tan also made his mark in Parliament by unfailingly calling out his fellow MPs for not being present in the House for a quorum. Under the Constitution, a quorum of one-quarter of the total number of 87 MPs, excluding the Speaker, is needed for a Bill to be passed.

Last month, in one sitting he pointed out not once, but twice, the fact that a quorum was not reached, forcing the Speaker to ring the bells summoning the MPs into the chamber.

My last award is the Mirror Award. It goes to Mr Laurence Lien.

The mild-mannered Mr Lien surprised with his hard-hitting speeches that would often ask members of the House and the Government to look in the mirror, and focus on the bigger question of "what kind of country do we want to be?"

Many of his speeches urged the remaking of the social compact between the Government and citizens, and improving trust between the two.

In his first Parliament speech, he charged that Singapore was in a social recession, and proposed a Social Review Committee "to create a new shared vision and new social compact" for Singapore.

In one of his last speeches this May, referring to an ancient Judaic tradition to celebrate a Jubilee year with rest, he said to the House ahead of Singapore's own Jubilee year: "There is something worthwhile about resting, in the sense of taking a step back to reflect and ponder: What do we wish to become? How do we want to get there?"

In all seriousness, all nine NMPs have made meaningful contributions this term.

Now in its 24th year, the NMP scheme has attracted debate over its continued relevancy.

But this batch of NMPs has proven that, despite the criticisms, with them around, the House has certainly been the better for it.

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Malaysia: Hotspots in country and Indonesia reduce significantly

KOI KYE LEE New Straits Times 7 Aug 14;

PUTRAJAYA: The number of hotspots recorded in the country and Indonesia have reduced significantly.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said a total of 10 hotspots were identified in Sumatra and 15 in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Previously, 48 and 32 hotspots were recorded in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia, respectively as identified on satellite images by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC).

Palanivel said in a statement today that there was only one hotspot that was identified in the country, and it was at Sarawak.

He added that this hotspot would be investigated and necessary enforcement action would be taken.

As of 3pm, only 10 areas recorded moderate air quality on the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.

Among these areas were Bakar Arang, Sungai Petani, Kedah (56); Kampung Air Putih, Taiping, Perak (53); ILP Miri, Sarawak (63); Sri Aman, Sarawak (67); and Batu Muda, Kuala Lumpur (64).

Palanivel reminded the public that open burning was prohibited with the exception of religious activities, cremations or barbecues.

He added that the Department of Environment (DOE) had detected 4,436 open burning in the country from January to Aug 6, and 324 cases were compounded while 115 cases were issued with warning notices.

It was also learnt that 45 open burning cases would be referred for further action.

Five of them have been registered in the Sessions Court.


Met Dept: Rain expected over weekend
The Star 8 Aug 14;

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians will get a brief respite from the dry spell plaguing the country – with relief expected from a typhoon passing nearby.

Malaysia Meteorological Depart­ment’s (MMD) deputy director-general Alui Bahari said more rainfall was expected this week, especially during the weekend.

Super Typhoon Halong, which has strengthened to 240kph, is expected to make landfall tomorrow at Shikoku, Japan’s smallest island.

“When a typhoon is gathering, the moisture in the air becomes concentrated towards the typhoon, which brings about a dry spell.

“The moisture will be released again once the typhoon has decayed, resulting in more rainfall,” explained Alui.

He said the region was susceptible to dry spells when typhoons originating in the Pacific Ocean start to form.

“As August is a peak season for typhoons, the country will experience alternate periods of dry and wet weather throughout the month,” he said.

Alui added that while rainfall was expected to increase this week, MMD would still be conducting cloud seeding operations over water catchment areas to boost dam levels.

Meanwhile, the air quality around the country improved slightly yesterday compared to Wednesday.

The air pollutant index (API) of Port Klang, which reached an “unhealthy” level of 115 on Wednesday, came down to a “moderate” level of 56 yesterday.

Other areas which recorded moderate readings yesterday included Miri (74), Sri Aman (67), Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (64) and Bakar Arang in Sungai Petani (56).

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Pollution triples mercury levels in ocean surface waters, study finds

Toxic metal threatens marine life as it accumulates faster in shallow layers than in deep sea due to human activity
Fiona Harvey theguardian.com 6 Aug 14;

The amount of mercury near the surface of many of the world’s oceans has tripled as the result of our polluting activities, a new study has found, with potentially damaging implications for marine life as the result of the accumulation of the toxic metal.

Mercury is accumulating in the surface layers of the seas faster than in the deep ocean, as we pour the element into the atmosphere and seas from a variety of sources, including mines, coal-fired power plants and sewage. Mercury is toxic to humans and marine life, and accumulates in our bodies over time as we are exposed to sources of it.

Since the industrial revolution, we have tripled the mercury content of shallow ocean layers, according to the letter published in the peer-review journal Nature on Thursday. Mercury can be widely dispersed across the globe when it is deposited in water and the air, the authors said, so even parts of the globe remote from industrial sources can quickly suffer elevated levels of the toxic material.

For several years, scientists have warned that pregnant women and small children should limit their consumption of certain fish, including swordfish and king mackerel, because toxic metals including mercury and lead have been accumulating in these species to a degree that made their over-consumption dangerous to human health. Pregnant women are particularly at risk because the metals can accumulate in the growing foetus, and in sufficient quantities can cause serious developmental disorders.

The scientists behind Thursday’s letter to Nature, including researchers from the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the US, stopped short of warning on the dangers to human health from our pouring of mercury into the oceans. However, they said, further research could yield more advice on the potential impacts: “This information may aid our understanding of the processes and the depths at which inorganic mercury species are converted into toxic methyl mercury and subsequently bioaccumulated in marine food webs.”

Simon Boxall, lecturer on ocean and Earth science at the University of Southampton, said it was “hard to say” from the research how much damage had already been done to marine life, including edible fish species, and how quickly any such damage would become apparent. “I would not stop eating ocean fish as a result of this,” he said. “But it is a good indicator of how much impact we are having on the marine environment. It is an alarm call for the future.”

Deep waters in the North Atlantic showed more mercury content than similarly deep waters of the South Atlantic and the Southern and Pacific Oceans, the authors of the report said. Mercury at the surface will disperse to lower layers in time, but this can take decades. However, the process of the damage to marine life becoming apparent can be faster in some areas, such as those closer to the poles, than areas nearer the equator, said Dr Boxall.

The north pole and the Arctic circle, because of the winds and ocean currents, is an area where many pollutants released elsewhere across the globe accumulate: top predators such as polar bears have been found to have high levels of toxins in their bodies as a result. These animals are sometimes eaten by indigenous Arctic peoples.

“In the Arctic and Antarctic, you will be starting to see some of this now,” he said. “But with deep-sea fishing in the tropics you will not see it yet, but you will see it within a hundred years.”

Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants can be reduced by using chemical filters, but while this is increasingly the norm in the rich world many developing countries have yet to catch up. Another source of the metal is from sewage. Developed countries have means to reduce this impact, but again developing countries are less likely to have in place the treatment systems necessary.

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Best of our wild blogs: 7 Aug 14

Coconut Lorikeet in Singapore
from Francis' Random Yaks, Articles & Photos

The banana plant and its complement of fauna
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Butterflies Galore! : Chestnut Bob
from Butterflies of Singapore

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LTA unveils master plan to build an intelligent transport network

Neo Chai Chin Channel NewsAsia 7 Aug 14;

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Wednesday (Aug 6) launched its master plan to improve Singapore’s transport systems and enhance commuters’ travel experience with the latest technologies.

The master plan, named Smart Mobility 2030, outlines how the country will develop its Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) over the next 15 years, LTA said.

The plan, launched jointly with the Intelligent Transportation Society Singapore (ITSS), has three key strategies: Implementing smart mobility solutions to facilitate better travel for commuters and transport management; developing and adopting ITS standards for the sharing of accurate transport data and the provision of reliable, timely and relevant information services; and establishing close partnerships and fostering co-creation between the public and private sectors.

Said Mr Chew Hock Yong, Chief Executive of LTA: “In the past, ITS were often infrastructure-reliant. Today, greater emphasis is placed on data collection, analytics and the availability of relevant, useful information on the move.

“It is crucial to ensure that Singapore can effectively tap on technological advancements and map out the overall direction for ITS developments in the next 15 years."

INFORMATION MUST BE SIMPLE, RELEVANT, ACCURATE

The blueprint published on Wednesday, a 44-page document, highlights ways in which high-quality information can be provided for diverse users, with interactive elements, to create a safer and better travel experience: For example, accurate information on crowd levels in buses and trains, warnings delivered to drivers via in-vehicle devices so some accidents can be avoided, and perhaps even driverless buses to ferry commuters within certain areas.

Information provided to users has to be simple, relevant and accurate, the master plan noted. While on-site signs, websites and radio broadcasts would continue to be the main channels to disseminate advisories, platforms for targeted and localised information — such as through smartphones, personal navigation devices and in-vehicle systems — will become more common.

In future, vehicles will be more connected with one another, and possibly with the authorities’ back-end operations for faster response to incidents. Alternative modes of transport can be deployed during a train breakdown, for instance, and motorists nearby can be alerted. But for vehicles to communicate with one another, open in-vehicle standards have to be adopted, with standard interfaces and connection protocols between smart devices required.

Experts speaking to TODAY noted the benefits — for example, congestion management — that can be reaped with new technologies such as the future satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system.

The Intelligent Transportation Society Singapore was formed in 2001 to provide a forum for academics, public and private organisations, among others, to exchange ideas and information on intelligent transportation systems.

National University of Singapore professor Lee Der Horng, who is a council member of the society, felt the next-generation ERP system would be a game-changer, enabling distance-based pricing of road usage. This, in turn, could allow the authorities to be “a bit more lenient with ownership control”, he said. Other benefits offered by satellite-based ERP lie in parking enforcement, and the potential to guide drivers on routes to take between places, Prof Lee added.

Dr Alexander Erath of the Future Cities Laboratory at the Singapore-ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability said measures to improve public transport should be the priority. Data from travel smartcards is a “wonderful source to get insights” for researchers, and Dr Erath suggested other forms of data could also be collected and shared with commuters through smartphone applications.

Existing and new technologies could also be exploited to improve the experience of pedestrians and cyclists, and in ticketing — such as removing the need to swipe travel cards on buses and at gantries, he suggested.

The plans laid out are fairly ambitious, he said. Commuters “shouldn’t expect less-crowded trains or roads because of intelligent transport systems, but more abilities to know how to avoid (congestion)”, he added.

More extensive and reliable data can, nonetheless, allow the public to better utilise their time, said Prof Lee. Smartphones today can provide information on bus arrivals, but not how crowded they are, for instance. With the extra information, “if peak hour is not over and I’m flexible, I may choose to stay home to do other work before leaving to take public transport”, he said. “The same applies when driving.”

-TODAY/CNA/cy

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Malaysia: ‘We don’t have enough raw water’

loshana shagar AND patrick lee The Star 7 Aug 14;

PETALING JAYA: A second water rationing exercise for Selangor has become necessary as the state government cannot rely on the usual intermonsoon rainfall expected in September, said the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer).

President S. Piarapakaran des­cribed the state government’s meeting today to decide on whether water rationing should be implemented for the second time this year as better late than never.

“It is a pretty straightforward situation.

“We clearly do not have enough raw water to supply to the four major treatment plants that produce water for about 60% of consumers in the state.

“It is also unwise to rely on the rains during the intermonsoon period next month because we cannot say for sure if there will be a stable rainfall pattern or if the rainfall amount will be high,” he said when contacted.

Malaysian Water Association president Syed Mohamad Alhabshi said the water industry had expected to see such problems occur here after the delay of the Langat 2 water treatment plant.

“Why have we allowed ourselves to be in this situation? We saw this coming four years ago,” he said, when met by The Star.

He said those who advised the state previously that there had been enough water would “get away scot-free”.

Syed Mohamad also warned that the rationing might continue again next year and after that, until the Langat 2 plant was completed.

“It will be a yearly event,” he said.

Many consumers in the state were subjected to water rationing between February and March this year when the Sungai Selangor dam, which supplies water to over 60% of households, dropped to near critical levels.

When the last rationing exercise was imposed between February and March, the level at the Sungai Selangor dam was 37%. It is now 32%.

However, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had repeatedly assured Selangor consumers that there would be no water rationing yet. He added that there was enough raw water to last for the next few years.

Klang API reaches unhealthy level
The Star 7 Aug 14;

PUTRAJAYA: Air quality in Port Klang hit the “unhealthy” level yesterday when the Air Pollutant Index (API) reached 115.

The air quality in Sungai Petani and Sri Aman, however, recorded an improvement from API readings of 106 and 117 respectively on Tuesday to a moderate 63 and 74 yesterday.

Other places with moderate API included Seri Manjung (67), Tanjung Malim (61) Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (63) and Cheras (62). Petaling Jaya and Perai saw readings of 58.

Natural Resources and Environ­ment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said satellite imagery by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admini­stration detected 32 hotspots in Sumatra and 48 in Kalimantan on Tuesday.

He said there were also 15 hotspots detected in the country with Pahang having eight followed by Sarawak (three), Selangor (two) and one each in Sabah and Negri Sembilan.

On instances of open burning this year, he said there had been 4,431 cases locally since January.

“Of this, 903 are in forested areas, 1,436 on agricultural land and 1,014 in bush areas.

“Others are 833 cases of small open burning incidents, 137 in construction areas, 870 at dump sites and 34 in industrial areas,” he said.

Palanivel said 45 investigation papers were opened and compound notices sent to those involved in 324 open burning cases while warning notices were sent out in 115 other cases.

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Malaysia: Stricter reclamation rules soon

SIM BAK HENG New Straits Times 6 Aug 14;

JOHOR BARU: The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Order 1987 will likely be amended in a move to make it mandatory for developers to submit detailed reports for coastal reclamation projects that span 20 hectares or more.

The proposed amendments, which are being forwarded by the Department of Environment (DoE), will ensure stricter regulation for developers who are involved in coastal reclamation works in the country.

At present, developers only need to submit a Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) if the reclamation involves an area of 50 hectares and above. If the amendment to the act is made, projects with span 20 hectares or more would also require for an DEIA.

A DoE source told the New Straits Times that the amendment is good news for environmentalists due to their growing interest and concerns of late, especially on the destruction of flora and fauna brought about by coastal reclamation works.

"We hope to complete the amendment by year-end and enforce it by next year.

"By revising the requirement for coastal reclamation and making it more strict for developers, we hope to monitor all development on reclaimed land closely and ensure developers will abide by all rules and regulations," said the source.

It could not be verified if the proposed amendment is linked with the controversial Forest City project along the Johor Straits near the Second Link, as the first phase of the project involved an area of 49ha, which means no DEIA report was required.

There were speculations the developer might divide the 2,000 hectare reclaimed island project into many phases of not more than 50ha each so as to avoid from requiring a DEIA report.

Reclamation works for the 49-hectare first phase of the project began in early March and was expected to be completed by year’s end.

The project hit a snag after the Singaporean government raised concerns over the two coastal land reclamation projects in Johor, citing that it might cause trans-boundary issues. Other than the Forest City, the other project is the Princess Cove just next to the Causeway.

Singapore sent several diplomatic notes and a formal request to the Federal Government for more information on the state’s coastal projects, specifically in the Straits of Johor.

The DoE source also said the National Physical Planning Council will compliment the role of the DOE in monitoring coastal reclamation and development.

"Coastal reclamation shall not be encouraged, except for the development of ports of strategic national importance. Coastal reclamation shall not be permitted in or adjacent to sensitive ecosystems such as marine parks, mangroves, mudflats, coral reefs, seagrass beds, turtle landing sites and major tourism beaches.

"All proposals involving coastal reclamation shall be referred to the National Physical Planning Council," said the DOE source. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the council's chairman.

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Indonesia: Riau's two million hectares of oil palm plantation illegal - Minister

Antara 6 Aug 14;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Minister of Forestry Zulkifli Hasan has urged the Riau Province Administration not to issue additional permit for oil palm plantation, as two million hectares of the plantation is illegal or has no permit.

Minister Zulkifli Hasan during his visit to Pekanbaru on Wednesday noted that Riau has become an attraction for oil palm growers, as its land is flat and fertile that has incredible potential for oil palm plantation.

However, the size of the existing oil palm plantation in the province is too large, the minister said. Four of the eight million hectares of plantation area of Riau Province has been used for growing oil palm.

"Theoretically, additional permit may not be issued," the minister affirmed.

"Only two million of the total four million hectares of oil palm plantation area have official permit for forest conversion," the minister pointed out.

A total four million hectares should not be utilized for oil palm plantation alone, but also for rubber and sago plantations.

Meanwhile, the two million hectares of illegal oil palm plantation has been existing for at least 10-15 years, the minister explained.

The new land conversion for oil palm plantation may endanger the ecosystem, as the planters may use areas on the peat land or in the conservation areas such as Tesso Nilo National Park.

On the occasion, Minister Hasan was very appreciative with the work of Riau Police in enforcing the law on forest conservation and preventing forest fires.

The government and the law enforcement will not show discrimination in cracking down the perpetrators of forest fires.

From January until July, the local police has arrested 189 suspects allegedly involved in causing forest fires.

"More suspects may be caught as our team is still hunting them down," Spokesperson of Riau Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner Guntur Aryo Tejo added.

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For most of us, global warming has become 'normal' climate

Reuters 6 Aug 14;

Aug 6 (Reuters) - Global warming has been going on for so long that most people were not even born the last time the Earth was cooler than average in 1985 in a shift that is altering perceptions of a "normal" climate, scientists said.

Decades of climate change bring risks that people will accept higher temperatures, with more heatwaves, downpours and droughts, as normal and complicate government plans to do more to cut emissions of greenhouse gas emissions.

"Because the last three decades have seen such a significant rise in global and regional temperatures, most people under the age of 30 have not lived in a world without global warming," Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), told Reuters.

"On human time scales the changes in our climate can seem gradual, so we will increasingly need to remind the public about just how rapid and unprecedented the changes truly are," Jarraud said.

February 1985 was the last month when global temperatures were below the 20th century average, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a leading source of global temperature data.

Meanwhile, the estimated median age of the world population in 2014 is 29.4 years, meaning half are older and half younger, Francois Pelletier of the U.N. Population Division told Reuters.

Taken together, the NOAA and U.N. yardsticks mean the world's 7.2 billion population has shifted in recent weeks for the first time to a majority born since the last cool month.

"People have to get used to continuous change in the climate," said Thomas Peterson, principal scientist at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center and president of the WMO Commission for Climatology.

Some other weather agencies, using differing methods and baselines, estimate later dates for the most recent cold month than NOAA. The WMO, which compiles annual data, says 1985 was the last colder-than-average year.

Global averages go largely unnoticed because individuals experience weather and climate locally - this past winter was bitterly cold in parts of North America, for instance. But the overall warming trend is clear.

DROUGHTS, FLOODS

Peter Thorne, a climate researcher at the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center in Bergen, west Norway, said people are more likely to remember extreme weather events than to notice any fractional rise in temperatures.

"Heatwaves, droughts and extreme floods are more likely to trigger associations with climate change," he said. And more extremes could in turn put pressure on governments to act.

Almost 200 governments have agreed to work out a deal to slow global warming at a summit in Paris in late 2015, mainly by cutting emissions of greenhouse gases from cars, power plants and factories.

Governments have promised to limit warming to below 2 degrees (3.6F) above pre-industrial times - average temperatures have already risen by about 0.8C (1.4F).

Peterson said historical records of average temperatures, used by everyone from farmers planning crops to companies deciding how much insulation to install in new buildings, were no longer a reliable guide to the future.

His WMO commission said last month that the concept of "normal" weather should to be updated more frequently to take better account of warming.

Currently, the WMO period for normal weather is 1961-1990 and is due to be replaced by 1991-2020 in 2021. The Commission wants rolling updates every decade, meaning the current period would be 1981-2010 and become 1991-2020 in 2021.

(Reporting By Alister Doyle; Editing by Toby Chopra and Raissa Kasolowsky)

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Best of our wild blogs: 6 Aug 14

Butterflies Galore! : Slate Flash
from Butterflies of Singapore

Giant Honey Bees at Pasir Ris Park
from Francis' Random Yaks, Articles & Photos

Yellow spots, red stripes: vivid new frog species discovered in Malaysia
from Mongabay.com news by Morgan Erickson-Davis

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