Republic Polytechnic launches course to groom high-tech farmers

Cheryl Teh Straits Times 11 Jan 19;

A new course here aims to train the next generation of high-tech farmers so that Singapore can produce more of its own food.

The Diploma in Applied Science in Urban Agricultural Technology, launched by Republic Polytechnic (RP) on Wednesday, is the first full-qualification diploma course in agricultural technology in Singapore.

The course was developed by RP, in consultation with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, to develop a local core agriculture workforce with modern agricultural knowledge and techniques to drive the sector's growth and transformation.

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Grab says 'right time' to introduce electric vehicles, set to roll out 200 Hyundai Konas

Amir Yusof Channel NewsAsia 10 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE: Ride-hailing firm Grab is set to roll out 200 electric vehicles (EVs) into Singapore's streets progressively from Friday (Jan 11).

Having purchased 200 Hyundai Kona 64 kWH electric cars, Grab will release an initial batch of 20 vehicles on Friday with the rest being introduced over the next few weeks, head of the company's car leasing service GrabRentals, Kau Yi Ming said in an interview with local media.

"With these 200 cars, we will also be one of the biggest EV fleet in Singapore, and we want to be able to take this opportunity to introduce electric vehicles to both drivers and passengers of Grab," said Mr Kau.

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Malaysia: Melaka focusing on conserving and preserving turtle landing sites

r.s.n.murali The Star 10 Jan 19;

MELAKA: The state government is cutting back on the perimeter of ongoing reclamation works close to Pulau Upeh for the sake of turtles, said

State Agriculture, Entrepreneur Development, Co-operative and Agro-Based committee chairman Norhizam Hassan Baktee.

He said the move was decided as the state government is focusing on conserving and preserving the environment of the turtle landing sites at Pulau Upeh and other parts of the state.

“We have stopped contractors from encroaching the perimeter of the permitted reclamation zone and they will face punitive action if they continue to be defiant.

“For the record, the reclamation works close to Pulau Upeh have been in existence since the 1970s,” he said after launching the staff appreciation event at the Turtle Conservation Centre in Padang Kemunting on Monday.

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World's oceans are heating up at a quickening pace: study

AFP Yahoo News 11 Jun 19;

Tampa (AFP) - The world's oceans are heating up at an accelerating pace as global warming threatens a diverse range of marine life and a major food supply for the planet, researchers said Thursday.

The findings in the US journal Science, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, debunk previous reports that suggested a so-called pause in global warming in recent years.

The latest technology shows no such hiatus ever existed, raising new concerns about the pace of climate change and its effect on the planet's main buffer -- the oceans.

"Ocean heating is a very important indicator of climate change, and we have robust evidence that it is warming more rapidly than we thought," said co-author Zeke Hausfather, a graduate student in the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Singapore eco-tourism plan sparks squawks of protest

AFP 9 Jan 19;

Singapore is creating a vast eco-tourism zone in a bid to bring in more visitors, but environmentalists fear the development will damage natural habitats and are already blaming it for a series of animal deaths.

While it may be best known as a financial hub with scores of high-rise buildings, tropical Singapore is still home to patches of rainforest and an array of wildlife, from monkeys to pangolins -- also known as scaly anteaters.

In one green corner of the city sits a zoo and two sister attractions -- a night safari and river safari -- that have long been big draws for foreign and local visitors.

Now jungle is being cleared in the same area to make way for a bird park, a rainforest park and a 400-room resort, to create a green tourism hub it is hoped will eventually attract millions of visitors a year.

But the project in the Mandai district has ruffled the feathers of environmentalists.

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SP Group rolls out first wave of electric vehicle charging points

ASYRAF KAMIL Today Online 9 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE — Electric vehicle (EV) users can now expect to fully charge their vehicles within half an hour at 19 new charging points around the island.

The 19 50kW direct current (DC) charging points are part of utilities provider SP Group’s first wave of 38 public charging points located at commercial buildings and industrial areas, and also Singapore Polytechnic.

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Dengue cases up 20 per cent in 2018, trend continues into new year

Today Online 9 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE — The total number of dengue cases in 2018 increased sharply from the previous year, with a total of 3,285 cases reported. This was almost 20 per cent more than in 2017, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a media release on Wednesday (Jan 9).

The trend has continued into the new year, with the number of cases reported increasing over the past three weeks. There was a total of 207 cases in the first week of the year.

While the number went up in 2018, it was a significant drop from the record high of 22,170 seen in 2013. There were 18,326 cases the year after, followed by 11,294 and 13,085 in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

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Opening of Botanic Gardens extension delayed by a year to minimise environmental impact

Cheryl Teh Straits Times 9 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE - The opening of an 8ha extension to the Botanic Gardens - initially scheduled for the end of last year - has been pushed back by around 12 months due to construction issues.

The Gallop Road extension, which will feature attractions including an arboretum full of endangered rainforest trees, a hiking trail and galleries, was announced in 2015 when a completion date of late 2018 was set.

However, the Botanic Gardens' director of development, Ms Ng Yuin-Mae, announced on Wednesday (Jan 9) that more time is needed to ensure that the extension and new facilities being constructed are developed sensitively to ensure that wildlife can continue to thrive in the area.

Monthly environmental impact studies indicated that more time was needed to ensure minimal noise and vibration pollution in the surrounding area, and to protect the area's biodiversity.

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Malaysia: No water tariff hike in Johor, says state exco

IZLAILY NURUL AIN HUSSEIN New Straits Times 9 Jan 19;

JOHOR BARU: The federal government's plan to increase water tariffs nationwide will not involve Johor, said state investment and utilities committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse.

He said this is because Johor had already increased its water tariff in 2015.

Puah said the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry's plan to increase water tariffs is part of the government's effort to standardise water rates in the country.

"The water tariff in Johor was just increased in 2015. Also, the water tariff in Johor is not lower than those imposed in other states. I see no need to increase the tariff at this stage.

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Best of our wild blogs: 9 Jan 19

Video: Conserving Singapore's wildlife in an urban landscape
Channel NewsAsia

Hazy figures cloud Indonesia’s peat restoration as fire season looms
mongabay.com

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Singapore’s greenhouse gas emissions top 50m tonnes: Report

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 8 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE — Singapore generated more than 50 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2014, the bulk of it from the burning of fossil fuels to generate energy for industries, buildings, households and transportation.

The figure, which is the latest available, was published online last week in a biennial report that the Government submitted to the United Nations on Dec 27.

The 50.9 million tonnes of greenhouse gases generated in 2014 is an increase of 4.8 per cent from about 48.6 million tonnes generated in 2012.

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Shell fined S$400,000 for Pulau Bukom fire that injured 6 workers

Channel NewsAsia 8 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE: Oil giant Shell has been fined S$400,000 for a fire which broke out at a petroleum refinery on Pulau Bukom in 2015, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Tuesday (Jan 8).

The fire left six workers injured, including two with critical injuries after they suffered 50 per cent and 70 per cent burns.

On Aug 21, 2015, two groups of workers were simultaneously conducting maintenance and project works on a crude distillation unit at the refinery, said the ministry.

The first group was carrying out hot works on a scaffold. This included the use of a blow-cutting torch from an oxy-acetylene cylinder to cut and dismantle existing pipes.

The other group was carrying out cold works along a hydrocarbon solvent line on the ground. This involved removing a joint connection to a valve as well as connecting a hose to the valve to drain out residual flammable hydrocarbons inside the pipeline into a nearby pit.

"When one of the workers opened the valve to start the draining process, flammable vapours from the draining of hydrocarbons came into contact with the sparks from the hot works," said MOM.

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