Celebrating World Rainforest Day 2019 Singapore
Flying Fish Friends
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New MRT line for northeast S’pore will benefit underserved areas: Analysts
DARYL CHOO Today Online 26 May 19;
SINGAPORE — A new rail line to connect Singapore’s northeast to its south would not only be possible but a step in the right direction, as it would plug gaps in underserved areas and maybe even rekindle talks about a third link to Johor, transport analysts said.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in its Land Transport Master Plan 2040 on Saturday (May 25), that it is studying the feasibility of a new line that could serve residents in Woodlands, Sembawang, Sengkang, Serangoon North, Whampoa, Kallang and the upcoming Greater Southern Waterfront development.
Speaking to reporters at the launch event, Senior Minister of State for Transport Janil Puthucheary said that the master plan represents the Government's commitment “to deliver the idea of 20-minute towns and 45-minute cities”.
“The key thing that is going to allow us to do that is the expansion in our rail infrastructure,” he added.
If and when the new rail line is completed, it could serve more than 400,000 households, and commuters in the northern region would have their travel time to the city centre cut by 40 minutes, LTA said.
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40 species potentially new to Singapore discovered in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve survey
Channel NewsAsia 25 May 19;
SINGAPORE: More than 40 species potentially new to Singapore have been discovered during a comprehensive survey of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, according to a National Parks Board (NParks) media release on Saturday (May 25).
In total, around 200 species new to the nature reserve were listed during the survey.
Of these, more than 30 species of spider and 10 species of beetle are potentially new to Singapore. Some may also be new to science, said NParks.
These include two new types of armour-plated spiders - the Paculla bukittimahensis, named after Bukit Timah and a type of jumping spider with white and gold scales - as well as a species of stick insect.
Researchers also found records of more than 160 plant species not previously listed in the nature reserve.
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Clean meat - the next big thing in Singapore’s push towards agriculture?
Singapore’s new agri-food innovation park should focus on seizing new opportunities, say RSIS’ Paul Teng, Asia BioBusiness’ Andrew Powell and Beanstalk Agtech’s Rob Hulme
Channel NewsAsia 26 May 19;
SINGAPORE: Would you eat a burger that doesn’t use meat?
Not only are plant-based alternatives sprouting in restaurant menus in Singapore, there seems to be more demand for them.
Local burger chain, Fatboy, for example recently launched an “Impossible” menu made with Impossible Food’s plant-based meat to long queues and rave reviews online.
California-based Impossible Foods is just one of the many companies growing plant-based meat in labs. These foods, also known as “clean” or “cellular”, are increasingly popular, driven by concerns around the sustainability of current meat production systems, both in terms of animal ethics and environmental impact.
As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, these trends present huge opportunities for businesses keen to venture into the food industry.
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Small businesses bear the brunt in Malaysia’s war against single-use plastic
Fadza Ishak Channel NewsAsia 26 May 19;
KUALA LUMPUR: Visit any Ramadan bazaar during the fasting month in Malaysia and one will notice a common feature: food and drinks are all packed in single-use plastic.
Be it thirst quenching beverages or mouthwatering rendang, traders deftly shove the packed items into thin, flimsy plastic bags and hand them over to shoppers. It is easy and convenient.
In general, Malaysia has achieved some success in cutting down single-use plastic, especially in terms of how fewer plastic bags are now being used in supermarkets.
Penang was the first state to introduce the no free plastic bag campaign for all days at supermarkets in 2011. In fact, the state government is mulling over a blanket ban on all single-use plastic.
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Thailand: Coral bleaching situation begins to improve
NNT 26 May 19;
Bangkok – Jatuphorn Burusphat, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), says a recent inspection of the coral in Thailand’s national marine parks has shown an improvement on the bleaching situation in many areas.
It was found that most coral bleaching in 51 areas in the Andaman Sea and 72 areas in the Gulf of Thailand has started to improve due to the arrival of the rainy season, which decreases sea temperatures. Most of the affected corals have begun to recover but are still pale.
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Best of our wild blogs: 25 May 19
Lots of dugong signs at Cyrene
wild shores of singapore
Shore exploration for kids with Young Nautilus (Jul-Sep 2019)
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
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Malaysia: National Tiger Survey 90% complete, says Perhilitan
ili aqilah The Star 24 May 2019;
THE two-year National Tiger Survey is expected to be completed early next year, Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Hashim says.
Abdul Kadir said the department had covered about 90% of the survey area and still had some 15,000sq km of land to do.
He said the Malayan Tiger population in the wild was believed to be fewer than 200 currently.
“It is at a worrying level.
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13th dead whale of the year washes ashore near San Francisco
Associated Press Yahoo News 25 May 19;
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Authorities say a dead gray whale has washed ashore in the San Francisco Bay Area, bringing the total to 13 dead whales found in the area since March.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the whale carcass was found Thursday along the Point Reyes National Seashore near Limantour Beach.
The Marine Mammal Center plans a necropsy to determine what killed the whale.
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Humans causing shrinking of nature as larger animals die off
Average size of wild animals predicted to fall by a quarter in 100 years through extinctions
Damian Carrington The Guardian 23 May 19;
Humanity’s ongoing destruction of wildlife will lead to a shrinking of nature, with the average body size of animals falling by a quarter, a study predicts.
The researchers estimate that more than 1,000 larger species of mammals and birds will go extinct in the next century, from rhinos to eagles. They say this could lead to the collapse of ecosystems that humans rely on for food and clean water.
Humans have wiped out most large creatures from all inhabited continents apart from Africa over the last 125,000 years. This annihilation will accelerate rapidly in the coming years, according to the research.
The future extinctions can be avoided if radical action is taken to protect wildlife and restore habitats, and the scientists say the new work can help focus efforts on key species.
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Mandai eco-resort to offer guests behind-the-scenes animal experiences
Tiffany Fumiko Tay Straits Times 23 May 19;
SINGAPORE - Beyond snoozing in the middle of five wildlife parks, overnight guests at the future eco-resort in Mandai will be able to participate in behind-the-scenes activities where they can work with keepers and learn about the animals.
Mr Mike Barclay, group chief executive of Mandai Park Holdings, said during a media conference on Thursday (May 23) that the resort will offer a unique opportunity for guests to experience hands-on and learning activities that are not currently available.
Guests could, for example, be taken to the zoo's elephant enclosure in the evenings to help keepers put together "food puzzles" to be placed in the exhibit, and return in the morning to watch the elephants pull apart the branches and twine enveloping the treats, he said.
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Primary school pupils win top prize in environmental competition with role-playing game
Aqil Hamzah Straits Times 22 May 19;
SINGAPORE - The year is 2100 and rising sea levels have forced Singaporeans to live atop a floating city.
Global warming has caused irreversible damage to the environment and the only solution is to travel back in time to educate society about the importance of environmental conservation.
This is the premise of Symbiosis: The Environment Role Playing Game, which was developed by Primary 5 pupils from Temasek Primary School in collaboration with 28 partners, including the National Environment Agency.
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