Malaysia: UK scientists find world's first 100m tall tropical tree in Danum Valley

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 4 Apr 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Scientists from the University of Nottingham and University of Oxford, United Kingdom, have found the world’s first 100m tall tropical tree in Danum Valley Conservation Area, Lahad Datu.

The previous record of 96.9m was held by a Shorea faguetiana tree from the Dipterocarpaceae family in Tawau Hills Park last year. According to a National Geographic report the team which is working with Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), has named the tree “menara”, which is Malay for tower.

The tree is longer than a soccer field and weighs approximately 81,500kg.

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Great Barrier Reef suffers 89% collapse in new coral after bleaching events

Study shows dramatic fall in baby coral numbers but also change in type of coral
Lisa Cox The Guardian 3 Apr 19;

The number of new corals on the Great Barrier Reef crashed by 89% after the climate change-induced mass bleaching of 2016 and 2017.

Scientists have measured how many adult corals survived along the length of the world’s largest reef system and how many new corals they produced in 2018 in the aftermath of severe heat stress and coral mortality.

The results, published in Nature, show not only a dramatic reduction in new coral recruitment compared with historic levels, but also a change in the types of coral species produced.

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25m-tall tree falls on HDB block near Old Airport Road, no injuries reported

Today Online 3 Apr 19;

SINGAPORE — A tree fell on Block 97, Jalan Dua, near Old Airport Road, early on Wednesday (April 3) morning, causing some damage.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that the 25m-tall tree, which reached up to eight floors of the block, fell at around 5.25am during heavy rainfall.

The impact broke several windows and damaged some air-conditioning compressors, added the Chinese-language daily.

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Indonesia, US announce new marine conservation zones in North Maluku

Antara 3 Apr 19;

Morotai, N Maluku (ANTARA) - Three new Marine Conservation Zones (KKP) in North Maluku were declared by Indonesia and the United States to commemorate seven decades of diplomatic relations between both nations, specifically in the marine and fishery sector.

"Indonesia's marine resources are the most unique in the world. When we mark the 70th anniversary of our relations with Indonesia, we reflect on the success in partnership in the course of several decades, including protecting the biological diversity and improving Indonesia's precious marine natural resources. The unified efforts remain crucial for sustainable earning, given our resources, and for the welfare of the current and future generations," US Ambassador to Indonesia Joseph R. Donovan Jr remarked during the declaration on Morotai Island District, here, Wednesday.

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Best of our wild blogs: 3 Apr 19

Balloons - NOT worth celebrating!
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Your birthday balloons might just lead to death-days for marine turtles
Not Worth Celebrating | Protect Our Marine Life

Farewell walk at Tengah forest
Nature and Us

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ExxonMobil commits to multi-billion dollar expansion of Singapore manufacturing complex

Channel NewsAsia 2 Apr 19;

SINGAPORE: ExxonMobil announced on Tuesday (Apr 2) a multi-billion dollar expansion of its integrated manufacturing complex in Singapore that will help it increase production of cleaner fuels with lower-sulphur content.

The expansion project, which is expected to come online in 2023, will convert fuel oil and other residual crude products into higher-value lube base stocks and distillates, ExxonMobil said in a statement.

It added that this will increase its capacity to produce cleaner fuels with lower-sulphur content by 48,000 barrels per day, including high-quality marine fuels.

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Malaysia: Federal government to help wildlife conservation and reforestation efforts in Sabah

muguntan vanar The Star 2 Apr 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The federal government will help Sabah in its restoration of degraded forests as well as carry out fresh surveys on the population of orang utans and Borneo pygmy elephants in the state.

Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said that the her ministry together with the Sabah Forestry Department have identified 6,500ha of degraded forest in the Lower Kawag, Ulu Segama Forests Reserve as the site for reforestation.

“We plan to plant one million forest tree species within the next 10 years,” she told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal at his office here Tuesday (April 2).

She said reforestation efforts would be sponsored primarily by oil palm players.

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Best of our wild blogs: 2 Apr 19

A tiny lifer for us all – HSS x Love MacRitchie Walk (23 March 2019)
Love our MacRitchie Forest

No more fires in Indonesia? Blazes on Sumatran peatland say otherwise
eco-business.com

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Boosting food security - from farm to fork

New agency to oversee all food-related issues, ensure safe produce
Cheryl Teh Straits Times 2 Apr 19;

The day may come when heat from local incineration plants is used to keep water at fish farms at optimum temperatures, so the tropical marine varieties bred for food can grow better.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli yesterday said this is a possibility that can be explored. He was speaking at the launch of the new Singapore Food Agency (SFA), which will manage all things food-related, including the future of food production as well as research into local high-tech farming strategies.

The 815 employees at the SFA are experts drawn from food related departments at three agencies. The statutory board's mission is to ensure and secure a supply of safe food locally.

The SFA will also address all food-related issues, from food production to food hygiene. The now-defunct Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) will see 565 of its food security and safety officials transferred to the new agency.

They will be joined by 219 inspectors and other staff from the National Environment Agency (NEA) and 31 food scientists from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

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No correlation between chemical smells and air quality readings: Amy Khor

Cindy Co Channel NewsAsia 1 Apr 19;

SINGAPORE: There is no correlation between burning or chemical smells and the ambient air quality readings, Senior Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources Dr Amy Khor said in Parliament on Monday (Apr 1).

This was in response to a question by Member of Parliament (MP) for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah, on whether there was any cause of concern for Yishun residents with regards to burning and pungent smells in the area.

There have been several fires in Johor over the past two months, including fires at two landfills in Bandar Tenggara and Tanjong Langsat and a fire in an oil palm plantation in Punggai.

"Between early-February and mid-March when the hotspots were detected in Johor, the 24-hour PSI readings remained within the good to moderate range, and the 1-hour PM2.5 levels remained in the normal range," Dr Khor said.

She also highlighted the specific measures taken by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to monitor and keep Singaporeans informed of pollution levels in Singapore's air quality and water supply.

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Malaysia: Wildfires encroach on Miri Golf Club as Similajau National Park continues to burn

stephen then The Star 1 Apr 19;

MIRI: The grounds of the Miri Golf Club near here have been hit by wildfires.

The Miri Fire and Rescue Department received a call for help at about 11.30am Monday (April 1) to douse wildfires burning trees and bushes on the golf course's grounds.

Miri Fire Chief Supt Law Poh Kiong said his firefighters were at the site, using mechanical pumps to draw water from the nearby Miri River to douse the flames.

Meanwhile, forest fires are spreading in the Similajau National Park as dry weather continues.

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Malaysia: Perak Wildlife Dept rescues lost baby elephant

Farah Suhaidah Othman New Straits Times 1 Apr 19;

IPOH: A three-year-old elephant, believed to have been separated from its herd, was rescued by the state Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) at Kampung Chepor, here, last Wednesday.

Its director Yusof Shariff said the male elephant, measuring about 20 centimetres, was spotted wandering near the village more than a week ago.

He said the department then deployed a team to the village to search for the animal and started the search effort on March 24.

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