Can the economy recover? And, for that matter, should it?

Can the economy recover?
And, for that matter, should it?

By Roger Baker / The Rag Blog / December 4, 2009

[Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy] was my boss. He knows all about peak oil, but he can't talk about it. If the government announced that peak oil was threatening our economy, Wall Street would crash. He just can't say anything about it." -- David Fridley, scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Can the U.S., or indeed the global economy, ever recover? Concerning this issue, and it is an issue likely to effect most people now living, there is both bad news and good news.

First the bad news. There has been a growing awareness within the scientific community for more than a decade, that if the inherently expansive global capitalist economy as we have known it does recover, it will probably continue to disrupt nature and inflict human misery on a massive global scale.

The global economy has been increasingly bumping into the natural limits of all the human beings the planet can support, assuming they are to live under tolerable civilized conditions. Peak oil, global warming, water shortages, deforestation, polluted oceans, species extinction. You name it, we are now bumping into many kinds of natural limits.

If we do not somehow turn away from exponential growth as usual, and shift toward a more localized, sustainable economy, then wars over limited resources will become increasingly likely. A growing global population can easily overshoot the long term food limits of the environment. Famine has happened locally throughout history, but with a global economy, global hunger becomes possible. When food runs short, tempers flare.

Here's Walter Youngquist from The Oil Drum:

In various contexts throughout this volume [GeoDestinies] it is pointed out that we now live in unique times, unlike any in the past, and unlike what any will be in the future. Yet many people in developed countries do not realize the unique years we have had since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This fact, as a framework to understand the present and what lies ahead cannot be overemphasized.

We have developed technology by which we have exploited the Earth’s resources to a degree never before seen and which, in the case of non-renewable resources – fossil fuels, and metals as well as nonmetals, can never be repeated. We have drawn both from the past, and also mortgaged the next few centuries at least by degrading the vital renewable resources of soil and freshwater, which are not renewable within the span of several lifetimes. This is in contrast to many centuries of history when, lacking technology of today, things changed very slowly...

Top climate scientists like NASA head James Hansen are now pleading with us to tax the carbon we burn, and then to use the tax revenue to help restructure the economy on a wiser, sounder basis.

...Governments must place a uniform rising price on carbon, collected at the fossil fuel source -- the mine or port of entry. The fee should be given to the public in toto, as a uniform dividend, payroll tax deduction or both. Such a tax is progressive -- the dividend exceeds added energy costs for 60% of the public...

So what about the good news? The good news is that neither the U.S. economy, nor the global economy, will recover, because they can't. (Read on to learn why this is good news.) They cannot keep expanding in the profitably rapacious way that until recently was considered quite normal. The immediate problem is that nobody has figured out a way to have the global economy, as presently configured, expand without a corresponding increase in the supply of liquid fuel, and for a long time to come.

All things considered, where does this lead?

It is a major challenge to try to rationally convince most people that their total pile of material goods, and that accessible to their children, will by necessity have to shrink, no matter what. The way humans tend to think, selling bad news through intellectual persuasion is never easy. Not easy as compared to selling optimistic snake oil approaches that promise a relatively painless alternative to facing hard choices.

The USA now has a conspicuously dysfunctional political system. A system which allows the banker class to force the (previously) U.S. working class to assume the economic burden of somehow paying off their global finance gambling debts, including the gloriously reckless sub-prime loans made by the world's giant investment banks up to mid-2007. Think Dubai. (Some of us aware of peak oil have been trying to warn the world for over a decade that global investment trends were unsustainable from an oil perspective alone.)

From current trends, the U.S. public consciousness, in its political and economic perspective, is being forced to shift from the Clinton-Bush-era standard of reasonably assured economic well-being, toward an economic perspective of basic survival. The numbers of those concerned with basic survival, like the jobless and homeless, are already intolerably high by recent U.S. standards. These numbers will probably have to increase further before now-unemployed labor shifts toward local manufacture, agriculture, etc.

In the face of crisis, the public elected Obama to revive a troubled economy. If FDR made the Great Depression go away (with the help of WWII), then the right president acting in the right way should be able to make that happen again, right?

The bottom line is that the current production and the depletion numbers associated with peak oil are, by themselves, enough to indicate that we are headed toward an economic crisis. Getting the global economy back on its old expansionist track is likely to prove impossible, no matter how hard we try. We are now faced with the challenge of restructuring our economy in a way that would normally take decades. Yet we face other additional handicaps. We have an industrially hollowed-out U.S. economy, an aging U.S. population, and a conspicuously dysfunctional political system.

Tom Tomorrow on Peak Oil.
The cheap liquid fuel-based energy needed to transport the goods of global commerce on the previous scale is not there anymore. It is now cheaper to make steel in the USA than to try to ship it here from China. Conventional oil production on land probably peaked in 2005. We are now using expensive conventional oil alternatives like heavy oil, oil sands, and deep-water oil as a cushion to try to buy time before oil production, and thus the global economy, starts shrinking, and fast. The previously silent oil industry itself is now starting to admit as much:

Groups and individuals speaking out about forthcoming world oil supply challenges are frequently stereotyped as a fringe element with little knowledge about the oil industry. But their warnings are increasingly supported by some surprising allies: senior petroleum industry officials, consultants and analysts. Call these serious-minded critics the HarshRealists...

The bad news related to the peak oil situation is especially hard for politicians to publicly acknowledge, but even among such leaders, the word is spreading.

What would it take for average Americans to cut back drastically on their total oil use? I suspect that many readers would be amazed to hear that this has already happened! Without most folks paying too much attention, U.S. oil consumption dropped from about 21.7 million barrels a day in August 2005 to about 18.8 million barrels in recent months. An almost 3 million barrels a day decrease on a base of about 20 million is about a 15% percent decrease over the past four years, with 9% of that being in just the last two years.

These last four years were the years when we made the relatively easy cuts in excess driving, etc., in response to rising oil price and a depressed economy. Now it will get harder, because it looks like we are facing an oil-less recovery.

From Steven R. Kopits:

...Consumption is not much changed since the end of the recession. And before the recession, demand in the United States was falling at around $75/barrel. Therefore, based on the most recent observed period, we would expect US consumption to stagnate around recent prices approaching $80...

Overall, then, U.S. consumption is unlikely to ever recover levels seen in 2007. In the best of cases, consumption could close half the last years’ decline and increase by about 5%, or 1 mbpd. As likely is the possibility that consumption will stagnate at or near current levels, and may be significantly sensitive to prices at or near those seen recently. U.S. consumption is perhaps most likely to increase modestly by perhaps 0.5 mbpd, reaching approximately 19.0-19.5 mbpd.

As the country looks to recovery, policy makers must face the very real possibility that economic growth cannot depend on very much extra oil, and perhaps none at all. It may well prove an oil-less recovery, with all the implications that brings for employment and the economic outlook.

Given the current situation, the world's major economies might encourage easy credit and steer the global economy in such a way that it is successfully stimulated, meaning that aggregate demand for traded goods and commodities revives sooner. But this only means that we in the U.S. will try to bid against China for a global daily supply of oil falling somewhere short of 90 million barrels per day. Aggressive oil bidding is likely to be soon followed by another oil price spike,

Thereafter, we would likely see a return to the sort of stalling-out of the U.S. economy and rapid deflation that we saw after gasoline hit $4 a gallon in mid-2008, when GM went broke, etc. There is probably now less than five million barrels a day of global reserve oil capacity, mostly with OPEC, to cushion the system from another oil price spike, and this cushion is shrinking.

The current global recession combined with stagnant oil production can postpone the return of a tight market for the global oil supply, but not for a lot longer. A smart guess is that by 2012, global oil depletion in excess of five percent a year will cause serious economic problems through falling oil production -- no matter what we do.

Regarding this unhappy situation, here is what a distinguished retired CIA analyst, Tom Whipple, who writes a weekly (and also daily) column on the ASPO-USA website, has to say about the potential for recovery of the global economy. He points out the the numbers indicate that we are now apparently in a sort of economic trap.

...We can't have it both ways. It will either be a really deep global recession and cheap gas or some sort of start at recovery and spiking oil prices. Discussions have already started as to what level of oil prices causes serious damage. In the past an inflation adjusted $80 a barrel was a favored recession inducing number as this was the price that seemed to cause recessions back in the 1970s and 80s when Middle Eastern wars and embargos restricted supplies.

The trouble with $80 oil, of course, is that we are already there and no analyst that draws a paycheck from Wall Street wants to say flat out that another leg of a recessionary downturn is inevitable unless oil prices decline soon. A typical example was a Dow Jones story earlier this week entitled "Oil Price Rise Poses Little Threat, Yet, To Economic Recovery." The article points out that the danger to economic recovery won't start until we get to $90 or $100 a barrel or $3 a gallon gasoline... The current situation is clearly unsustainable. If the dollar continues to sink, oil is going to move so high that all sorts of economic consequences are inevitable. OPEC is already in a dilemma for no matter how much they like the increasing revenues, the smarter governments realize that if prices move much higher, it will trigger off even worse economic times...

At this point, many environmentally conscious readers are quite likely to suggest that alternative energy will come to the rescue, offering a relatively painless landing. But alternative energy probably won't be there in the needed quantity and on time; this outlook echoes the "Hirsch Report." Alternative energy is without question an important step in the right direction, but we need to understand the possible limits.

These limits are related to the time required and the scale of (now treasury deficit) financing needed to make the tons of steel, copper, and aluminum that would be required in another five years. Currently, we can't manage GM very well because we don't know the proper industrial production targets, or even whether it makes any sense to subsidize the building of cars instead of rail. The devil is very much in such details. How fast it is possible to shift the inputs and outputs of an industrial economy to meet new needs are already known to good economists.

An alarming new study jointly released by two prominent California-based environmental/economic think tanks, concludes that unrelenting energy limits, even among alternative energy systems, will make it impossible for the industrial system to continue operating at its present scale, beyond the next few decades. The report finds that the current race by industries and governments to develop new sustainable energy technologies that can replace ecologically harmful and rapidly depleting fossil fuel and nuclear technologies, will not prove sufficient, and that this will require substantial adjustments in many operating assumptions of modern society.

The new study (“Searching for a Miracle: Net Energy Limits and the Fate of Industrial Society”) is the first major analysis to utilize the new research tools of “full life cycle assessment” and “net energy ratios” (Energy Returned on Energy Invested, EROEI), to compare all currently proposed future scenarios for how industrial society can face its long term future..

After oil peaks, which is likely already, per capita metal extraction will also have to shrink soon thereafter.

Per capita food will also have to shrink soon, as the Worldwatch Institute's Lester Brown's latest book documents in detail:

End Game?

Things are not so bad at the moment. At least for the short run, and from appearances, the U.S. economy is restructuring itself in an environmentally healthy direction. Consumer spending on waste is contracting to a new mode based on meeting minimal but essential needs. People faced with foreclosure and high credit card debt have cut back their spending and credit obligations as much as possible. The arrival of hard times means people giving up many kinds of culturally induced needs that Thorton Weblen once classified as conspicuous consumption status symbols; travel to business conventions, vacation homes, big SUVs, the alluring ephemera sold in malls, etc. People are making do and hoping for relief.

A key issue now on the minds of many U.S. citizens is whether the U.S. economy can be put back on track through Obama's use of Keynesian deficit spending to stimulate the economy. In effect a shot of economic speed to get the stalled U.S. economy activated again, after which it is imagined that this stimulus can gradually be withdrawn without the economy relapsing into its previous state of stagnation.

Assuming that the U.S. finance system is required to stay solvent, and that it must be kept from falling victim to a sudden, panicky dollar devaluation, the obvious way the economy can be stimulated at the same time that the hidden mountain of bad debt the banks owe can be paid off is by printing up lots of money. Lacking an adequate supply of willing foreign lenders, this is done through mutual cooperation of the Treasury and the Fed, resulting in bond debt to be paid back later.

The Fed printing lots of money. Drawing from Cervantes.
But trying to revive the economy by means of printing up enough fiat currency to revive spending plus balance the books is akin to running up a big bar tab which eventually must be repaid. Think paper debts paid back with devalued dollars. This risky process is clearly underway, as famous investor Warren Buffett notes, although Buffett does endorse the use of temporary Keynesian economic stimulation to avert an immediate crisis:

...Buffett details his ongoing warning that the "enormous dosages of monetary medicine" being used to rescue the U.S. economy will eventually produce a dangerous "side effect." He worries there won't be enough lenders ready and able to absorb the nation's growing debt relative to its economic output over the years, forcing Washington's "printing presses" to work overtime churning out paper money. All those "greenback emissions" will, he fears, feed potentially "banana-republic" style rates of inflation...

We can see signs of inflation already if we know where to look. Economic demand, reflected in prices, for real commodities like important industrial metals, oil, and food has been steadily rising since early 2009. We can see this bumpy but steady average commodity price inflation by looking at this chart of Bloomberg's commodities indexes. This steady increase can easily encourage other commodity speculation. Consider what the price of gold is doing right now, as a relatively inflation-proof asset that historically preserves wealth well during troubled times.

Currently, among average consumers, we see an interesting economic split. There is a discretionary spending sector in a state of relative deflation and decline as compared to spending on basic needs. Satisfying basic needs takes real stuff like food and energy. In other words, we now have sort of a dual economy in which the unnecessary spending is shrinking. The "real stuff" sector tied to things people really need is seeing price inflation, while the other discretionary spending sector is severely depressed and seeing price deflation.

However, we have a CPI (inflation) index that averages the real basic needs together with the arbitrary and artificial consumerist needs. These two consumer spending categories can sometimes cancel out and appear to indicate zero inflation. Thus we get "apples and oranges" economic nonsense that is blind to the underlying structure and causes of inflation. No inflation index that arbitrarily excludes food and energy, like our CPI does, can be very realistic. (It would be better to have an index based on ONLY these two items, because when the economy is in real trouble, these spending categories will tend to prevail).

Referring back to the troubling choice that Tom Whipple outlined above, the choice between global deflation and a start at recovery with another debilitating oil price spike, the fact is that nobody can accurately predict the economic outcome very well, and this is now leading to an ongoing debate between the deflationists and inflationists. But as we have seen, it is possible to have deflation in one important sector of the economy and simultaneous inflation in another, due to quite different factors.

"Stagflation" was the term they used for this nearly impossible-for-economists-to-remedy situation during the energy crisis of the 1970s. As the price of a limited supply of oil was bid up, it pushed up the price of everything economically tied to oil, meaning nearly all commodities, which is termed cost-push inflation.

It is likely that with the U.S. and other countries trying to restimulate their economies through deficit spending, they will succeed at some point. In a situation where they are trying to use monetary expansion to stimulate otherwise unresponsive economies, there is a real but unpredictable risk of economic disaster through hyperinflation, as Buffet observes.

There is now a lot of fresh new money sitting idle on the sidelines. Banks are managing to appear more sound by borrowing at near zero interest and then using the cash to buy interest-bearing U.S. treasury bonds; what a racket! When there is a lot of idle money around, they start looking for profitable investments. Where there is a lot of money but a deficiency of important commodities that everyone needs or wants, you get self-perpetuating speculative bubbles. Given the apparent tendency of the U.S. political system to take the easy way out, as indicated by the federal government's inability to reinstate basic banking reform, the odds look good that we will see the continuation of inflation in the commodity sector.

When you have rising commodity prices, the markets soon notice. Soon rising prices stimulate the public willingness to buy and invest. This means the "velocity of circulation of money" increases. As soon as the public starts spending more freely, it becomes apparent how easy it is for the creation of printed money to exceed the availability of real goods.

This increased willingness for average consumers to spend in the face of rising prices has a self-perpetuating effect; money chasing goods leads to hyperinflation, finally, in general, ending in a collapse of some sort. Since this is based on something as unpredictable as consumer and investor psychology on a global scale, it is almost impossible to time or predict.

My own forecast is for continuing dollar devaluation, worsening stagflation, and finally an oil price spike that ushers in a permanently downsized economy. I would like to predict better, but the facts are stubborn.

In a sense, these details are academic. The facts by themselves seem to argue that before long we will have to accept a continuing downsizing of our average U.S. lifestyle and economic footprint. The sooner we face these jarring economic transitions, and assuming we remember our sense of humanity, the transition to a sustainable future will be all the easier and more tolerable.

[Roger Baker is a long time transportation-oriented environmental activist, an amateur energy-oriented economist, an amateur scientist and science writer, and a founding member of and an advisor to the Association for the Study of Peak Oil-USA. He is active in the Green Party and the ACLU, and is a director of the Save Our Springs Association and the Save Barton Creek Association. Mostly he enjoys being an irreverent policy wonk and writing irreverent wonkish articles for The Rag Blog.]

Pelbagai inisiatif kembangkan teknologi hijau

Date : 26/11/09

Source : Utusan Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR 25 Nov. - Kerajaan mengambil pelbagai inisiatif memacu perkembangan teknologi hijau termasuk menubuhkan Majlis Penasihat Teknologi Hijau Kebangsaan yang dipengerusikan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkata, kerajaan juga akan menumpukan kepada usaha membangkitkan kesedaran peluang perniagaan dalam bidang teknologi itu.

Di samping itu, kata beliau, kerajaan turut menimbangkan pemberian insentif kepada syarikat-syarikat yang menggunakan teknologi hijau.

"Inisiatif permulaan untuk projek teknologi hijau telah diumumkan dalam Bajet 2010 yang dibentangkan baru-baru ini.

"Kerajaan juga akan menubuhkan dana berjumlah RM1.5 bilion untuk menyediakan pinjaman mudah kepada syarikat yang membekal dan memanfaatkan teknologi hijau," katanya.

Beliau berucap pada majlis Anugerah Bunga Raya Perdana Menteri di sini malam ini.

Turut hadir Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar, Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pengelola anugerah berkenaan, Datuk Kok Wee Keat.

Anugerah Bunga Raya Perdana Menteri mengiktiraf pencapaian syarikat yang beroperasi di negara ini dalam bidang alam sekitar.

Sementara itu, Muhyiddin menegaskan, kerajaan amat komited untuk mengurangkan dan mengimbangi pelepasan karbon untuk bagi menangani pemanasan global.

Malah, katanya, Malaysia diiktiraf sebagai negara paling aktif di Asia Tenggara dalam usaha mengurangkan pelepasan gas rumah hijau melalui keanggotaannya dalam Mekanisme Pembangunan Bersih (CDM).

"Kerajaan telah mewujudkan Jawatankuasa Kabinet Mengenai Perubahan Iklim dipengerusikan sendiri Perdana Menteri dan polisi mengenai perubahan cuaca juga telah dirumus.

"Selaku negara yang menandatangani Protokol Kyoto, kita harap sidang kemuncak di Copenhagen, Denmark pada Disember ini mampu menggambarkan komitmen global menyelesaikan masalah perubahan iklim," katanya.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Muhyiddin berkata, kerajaan menyasarkan 25 peratus kadar kitar semula barang buangan pada 2010.

Katanya, pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) berperanan penting memastikan persekitaran bersih dan mesra alam bagi membolehkan rakyat bekerja dan menjalani kehidupan dalam suasana yang kondusif.

Melt-away plastics

Date : June 2 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Melt-away plastics

By WONG LI ZA

Here’s something to look forward to – plastic bags that dissolve in water. IF YOU have been feeling guilty using all those plastic bags for your groceries, a green solution is at hand. A team of seven researchers from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) has invented an award-winning material called Greenphylic Water-Soluble Degradable Plastic, a polymer similar to plastic that dilutes in water.

Led by electrical and electronic engineering lecturer Prof Dr Ramiah Jegatheesan, the team comprised Hossam Mahmoud Gamal Eldin, Mohammad Faizal Che Daud, Nor Hidayah Usop, Noordiana Khalil, Mohd Anuar Sulaiman and Ahmad Ridhwan Hassan.

The project was awarded the Gold Medal at the 19th International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition last May. It also received three special awards – Best Invention for Universities/Research Institutes, World Intellectual Property Organisation Best Invention Award and KASS International (a Malaysian intellectual property firm) Best Invention Award.
In November, the project garnered international glory by winning the Gold Medal at the Belgian and International Trade Fair for Technological Innovation in Brussels.

The project was exhibited under the name Eco Plast, short for “eco-friendly plastic-like material”. Winning the latest award has heightened the material’s potential for commercialisation, according to Ramiah, 68.

Plastic bags are harmful as they take a long time to degrade. And once broken into molecular materials, they can contaminate the soil and water tables. Ramiah said when burnt, plastics produce hazardous gases which can cause serious health problems. In addition, discarded plastics can clog water and sewerage pipes.

“Bearing these in mind, usage of plastic bags is banned in several countries,” he said. Eco Plast consists of a synthetic polymer material made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, polyvinyl alcohol is a colourless, water-soluble, flammable resin belonging to the family of organic polymers. It is derived from a vinyl polymer.

The resin is used in sizing agents that confer resistance to oils and greases upon paper and textiles, to make films resistant to attack by solvents or oxygen, as a component of adhesives and emulsifiers, and as a starting material for the preparation of other resins.

“Polyvinyl alcohol is a water-soluble synthetic polymer which has excellent film forming, emulsifying and adhesive properties. It is odourless and non-toxic, has high tensile strength and flexibility as well as high oxygen and aroma barrier. However, these properties are dependent on humidity. With higher humidity, more water is absorbed. The water, which acts as a plasticiser, will then reduce its tensile strength, but increase its elongation and tear strength,” explained Ramiah.

Eco Plast can dissolve in water at normal room temperatures of between 25°C and 35°C. If the water is heated, the dissolving time reduces considerably.

In normal thickness, Eco Plast dissolves in water in 60 minutes when the water temperature is around 25°C. It will dissolve in 15 minutes if the water temperature is 40°C. If the water temperature is increased to 50°C, the dissolving time will be around five minutes.

According to Ramiah, water that is used to dissolve Eco Plast will not contain any toxic eleme

nts and thus no harmful effect to living beings or the environment will occur. This water can be disposed of via the kitchen sink as normal waste water.

He added that Eco Plast can be used to manufacture carrier bags that are useful for grocery items, to pack medical pills, produce gloves and for packaging of other substances.

At present, Eco Plast is two to three times costlier to produce compared to plastic.

“Once it is commercialised and manufactured on a large scale, the cost will reduce substantially. Furthermore, (it must be highlighted that) no cost is involved in disposing of this material. We have filed for patent and are currently in the process of commerciali­sing the product,” he said.

Loss of world's seagrass beds accelerating - study

By : Jim Loney

MIAMI (Reuters) - The world's seagrass meadows, a critical habitat for marine life and profit-maker for the fishing industry, are in decline due to coastal development and the losses are accelerating, according to a new study.Billed as the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass losses, the study found 58 percent of seagrass meadows are declining and the rate of annual loss has accelerated from about 1 percent per year before 1940 to 7 percent per year since 1990.

Published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study, based on more than 200 surveys and 1,800 observations dating back to 1879, found that seagrasses are disappearing at rates similar to coral reefs and tropical rainforests. "Seagrasses are disappearing because they live in the same kind of environments that attract people," James Fourqurean, a professor at Florida International University and a co-author of the study, said in an e-mailed response to questions.

"They live in shallow areas protected from large storm waves, and they are especially prevalent in bays and around river mouths."Scientists say seagrass processes waste dumped into the sea, helps stabilize ocean-bottom sediments in coastal areas to reduce erosion, provide nurseries for fish and shellfish and feeding grounds for larger marine creatures, including those that live in coral reefs.

But the grasses can be damaged by polluted water from coastal development, decreasing water clarity, and by dredging and filling of meadows. The scientists also said global climate change "is predicted to have deleterious effects on seagrasses." Many scientists believe greenhouse gases are causing the world to warm, leading to a host of environmental effects including warming and rising oceans.

'ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT'

Seagrass meadows are important food fisheries and host gamefish like tarpon, permit and bonefish. A recent study estimated the annual economic value of seagrass at $3,500 per hectare (2.5 acres), Fourqurean said. "Seagrass beds are at least as economically and ecologically important as tropical forests or coral reefs," he said.

The study, by a team of scientists from the United States, Australia and Spain, found that 29 percent of known seagrass meadows have disappeared since 1879. Over the entire 130-year period, seagrass was lost at a rate of 1.5 percent per year. An estimated 19,690 square miles (51,000 square km) of seagrass has been lost since 1879 of a total estimated area of 68,350 square miles (177,000 square km), the researchers said.

"Globally, we lose a seagrass meadow the size of a soccer field every thirty minutes," said co-author William Dennison of the University of Maryland. The scientists said 45 percent of the world's population lives on 5 percent of its land adjacent to the coast.

In the early 20th century, heavy seagrass losses were noted in North America and Europe, where the industrial revolution led to rapid coastal development. Today, population growth in the regions bordering the Pacific and Indian Oceans are likely leading to the heaviest losses of seagrass, but those regions lack the scientific infrastructure to assess the loss, Fourqurean said.

He said mitigation efforts have had some success in saving and restoring seagrass. For example, in Florida, where treated sewage water is often dumped in the ocean, water managers in Tampa changed their method of treating wastewater and failing seagrasses rebounded.

Copyright © 2008 Reuters

Jorak sanitary landfill will be environs-friendly

JOHOR BARU: The proposed sanitary landfill in Jorak, Muar, will be equipped with environment-friendly modern technology, said Local Government, Housing, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Ahmad Zahri Jamil. It would utilise the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) technology which segregates the solid waste into three major components, namely items which can be recycled, organic matter and waste, he told the State Assembly.
He said 8% of the rubbish collected would be recyclable waste including plastic, paper and glass while 64% would be organic waste which could be used as fertiliser.

Ahmad Zahri said the remaining 28% would be rejected materials to be deposited in the landfill.
The lifespan of the landfill could be prolonged with the use of the MRF technology which could also reduce leachate and prevent the production of methane gas. He was responding to a question by Dr Shahruddin Salleh (BN – Jorak) who was concerned about the environmental issues.

Kaitan sampah dengan cara hidup

HIDUP dikelilingi oleh sampah memang tidak menyenangkan. Tetapi hakikatnya, hidup kita sering 'diwarnai' oleh beraneka jenis sampah-sarap. Manusia membuang sampah tidak kira tempat. Natijahnya, sampah ada di mana-mana. Ia disebabkan oleh sikap sesetengah daripada kita yang gemar membuang sampah di merata-rata tempat. Munculnya sampah dalam kehidupan disebabkan adanya aktiviti atau tindakan manusia itu sendiri.

Penulis ingin mendefinisikan sampah sebagai simbol masyarakat. Sebagai simbol, ia memiliki nilai makna yang luas, baik daripada segi kebendaan mahupun sosial. n Pertama, sampah sebagai tahap kepenggunaan seseorang. Jumlah sampah boleh dirujuk sebagai petunjuk mengenai banyaknya penggunaan seseorang. Begitu juga dengan jenis sampah. Jenis sampah memberi gambaran mengenai budaya dan pola kitaran hidup seseorang itu.

Jenis sampah di kawasan perumahan pastinya berbeza dengan sampah di kawasan industri. Begitu juga jenis sampah yang dibuang dari rumah bujang, ia berbeza daripada sampah yang dihasilkan dari rumah yang didiami oleh keluarga.dan Kedua, sampah sebagai simbol gaya hidup individu atau masyarakat.

Ini lebih berkaitan dengan kesihatan, iaitu sama ada gaya hidup sihat atau sebaliknya. Rata-rata sampah dikaitkan dengan kekotoran. Sampah itu kotor, sampah boleh mendatangkan penyakit, sampah busuk, sampah menyakitkan mata dan seribu satu macam keburukan sampah.Corak pemikiran itu akan menegaskan bahawa sampah adalah simbol kepada gaya hidup, sama ada boleh digelar seorang pengotor atau pembersih berdasarkan gaya menguruskan sampah di sekitarnya.

Di Malaysia, urusan tadbir sampah masih tidak memuaskan. Ia masih dilihat sebagai tanggungjawab kumpulan tertentu dan bukan tanggungjawab bersama seluruh ahli masyarakat berbanding sikap penduduk di negara maju.Memang benar, ada yang kerjanya mengutip dan membersihkan sampah tetapi mereka tidak bertugas di semua kawasan. Mereka tidak dibayar untuk mengutip sampah sehingga ke dalam rumah atau halaman rumah kita. Urusan selebihnya sebenarnya terletak di bahu kita semua. Sekiranya kesedaran mengenai kebersihan tinggi, maka bersihlah persekitaran kita. Namun tahap kesedaran yang tinggi masih belum wujud dalam gaya hidup masyarakat Malaysia ini. dan Ketiga, keberkesanan menguruskan sampah-sarap.

Di Malaysia, purata setiap penduduk bandar menyumbang sekurang-kurangnya 1.5 kilogram sampah sehari berbanding 0.8 kilogram bagi penduduk luar bandar.
Berdasarkan statistik itu, jumlah sampah di bandar-bandar utama di negara ini ialah sekitar 18,000 tan metrik! Ia terus meningkat saban tahun. Mungkin tidak keterlaluan jika kita mengambil iktibar daripada peristiwa runtuhan sampah di kawasan setinggan Leuwigajah di Bandung, Indonesia pada 21 Februari 2005.

Runtuhan sampah dari tempat pembuangan sampah di kawasan itu yang menimbus kawasan setinggan tersebut telah mengorbankan lebih 100 nyawa. Ia merupakan satu tragedi. Mungkin kejadian itu boleh memberi pengajaran kepada kita bahawa pengurusan sampah bukanlah satu perkara yang boleh dipandang dengan sebelah mata. Tanpa pengurusan yang baik dan tersusun maka nyawa menjadi taruhannya.

Sementara itu, lihat sahaja kepada masalah denggi di negara ini. Sampah merupakan penyebab utama pembiakan nyamuk aedes, punca demam denggi tersebut. Aedes membiak di dalam air bertakung dan biasanya di kawasan yang banyak sampah-sarap.dan Keempat, sampah sebagai cabaran keilmuan dan peluang kewangan kepada golongan yang kreatif.

Sejak kebelakangan ini, sampah telah bertukar sebagai sumber rezeki kepada golongan yang tahu memanfaatkannya. Teknologi terkini mampu menukar sampah dan najis kepada baja untuk pertanian dan penghasilan gas untuk penjanaan kuasa. Dengan kata lain, sedikit daya pemikiran kreatif yang dibantu oleh teknologi telah memindahkan status sampah kepada bahan berfaedah untuk manusia.

Kini sudah ada pula teknologi untuk mengitar semula sampah untuk dijadikan pelbagai bahan bermutu yang dapat diguna semula. Perkembangan sebegini memperlihatkan kepada kita bahawa masyarakat yang berilmu dan produktif akan menganggap sampah sebagai satu cabaran dan peluang. Bahkan kepada yang kreatif berupaya pula menjadikan sampah itu sebagai sumber ekonomi. Ini bermakna apabila sampah ditakrifkan sebagai takdir terakhir untuk satu perjalanan penggunaan kebendaan, maka perkembangan intelektual keilmuan kita akan menjadi beku dan jumud.

n Kelima, bagaimana untuk "mengupayakan" sampah menjadi sesuatu yang positif dan bukannya satu konflik. Kita tidak mahu sebagai satu simbol masyarakat, sampah dilihat sebagai penunjuk gaya kepenggunaan yang keterlaluan selain memaparkan imej pengotor ahli masyarakat kerana ia adalah sesuatu yang tidak sihat.

Oleh itu, kita perlu berhemah dalam berbelanja dan memastikan tahap kepenggunaan kita tidak keterlaluan. Dalam hal ini, sampah juga perlu diuruskan secara berhemah. Jadikan kebersihan sebagai satu daripada keutamaan hidup kita.

Namun kesimpulan mudah terhadap gaya hidup masyarakat kita ialah kita baru sampai kepada tahap teknologi "buang" dan belum berupaya sepenuhnya untuk sampai ke tahap teknologi "mengupayakan" sampah sebagai bahan kitar semula dan menjadi komoditi. Konflik berpanjangan antara "ya" ataupun "tidak" di kalangan ahli masyarakat terhadap teknologi pelupusan sampah adalah antara beberapa episod yang menggambarkan tahap pencapaian teknologi "buang" yang dimaksudkan. Masyarakat kita belum sampai ke peringkat "urus tadbir" sampah secara sewajarnya.

Namun ia bukan sesuatu yang mustahil kerana jika ada kesedaran, kita semua mampu melakukannya. Kewajarannya terletak kepada kesedaran dan kerjasama menyeluruh daripada semua lapisan masyarakat. Kita boleh menangani masalah sampah ini sekiranya kita mahu. Jangan hanya mengharapkan orang lain, kesedaran dan tindakan perlu bermula daripada kita sendiri. Kita mesti bijak menguruskan sampah.

PENULIS ialah Felo, Pusat Sains dan Teknologi,Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM)

Business and water – should we be concerned?

By TAY KAY LUAN

MALAYSIANS who take water for granted are reminded once again during this current hot and dry season of the need to conserve and not to take this precious resource for granted. Water as a resource has been one of the main drivers behind the rapid industry development and good standard of living. Water consumption is expected to double every two decades but rising affluence and wealth accumulation mean that people are now using on average six times more water than a century ago.

The most popular approaches to water issues include measures for greater efficiency, recycling and reuse, and employee education. – Reuters

Water sustainability is anything but clear. In a rapidly changing world, there are now challenges of conserving what we have and overcoming the problems of water too contaminated to consume. Although the planet’s surface is covered with water, less than 1.5% is freshwater which is safe for human consumption.

The Stockholm International Water Institute predicted by 2075, the number of people with chronic water shortages is estimated to be between 3 billion and 7 billion. The United Nations sees this as “one of the largest public health issues of our time.”
Business risks

Virtually every industrial activity requires water. The likes of manufacturing, power generation, food processing, agriculture, paper and drinks sectors are particularly water intensive. That’s why water issues are of serious concerns to business. One immediate action is to determine the material water impacts and how they can be better managed. One of the tools, Global Water Tool, released by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, is to help companies map out the use the water for their businesses – also to assess risks relative to their supply chains.

A recent ACCA discussion paper on Water: The Next Carbon highlighted that companies, as major users of water, could play a key role in promoting better water management. Several business risks related to water were also highlighted in the paper. First there is the physical risk arising through flooding, pollution, and droughts in regions where business operates. All businesses would be affected by the increased operating costs resulting from diminishing water supplies.

Companies would also see their capital expenditure rise as they are forced to find expensive new ways of treating and extracting water. Such financial risks are not healthy to the competitiveness of the industry. There is also the regulatory risk – where licensing or privatisation of water can possibly affect the quality of water resources, and costs being passed on to consumers.

The probability of reputation damage presents reputation risk for the company. As access to water decreases, people will be looking for “scagegoats” – as evidenced whenever the supply of water resource is temporarily halted. Companies which manage the operations and supply chains of the water resources will put their reputation at risks whenever, frequency of consumer complaints of poor delivery and services increases.

In the food and drink companies for example, wherever there is a limit on water supply, the immediate impact on prices is quite imminent. Business responses Agriculture, drinks and food processing are most vulnerable to water shortages. The threat of water scarcity makes the credit crunch relatively lightweight! Once companies have a hold on their overall water use, the next phase is obviously to reduce it. The most popular approaches include measures for greater efficiency, recycling and reuse, and employee education.

SABMiller, the global brewery company, has identified water as one of its three “opportunities”’ for global leadership. Its “5R” model of water responsibility includes changing attitudes and behaviours towards reducing water consumption across its business operations; reusing waste waters within facilities; recycling using new technologies within the plant; redistributing clean water to the community it operates; and influencing farmers to be more responsible on water use.

Swiss food giant Nestle has a more comprehensive policy towards water consumption. As part of its environment strategy the company is committed to continue reducing the amount of water used per kilogramme of food and drink produced, assuring its activities within its supply chain, respect water resources – both conserving and recycling. Even Intel reclaims more than 3 billion gallons of water a year by collecting and recycling wastewater, solid waste and chemical waste.
Water consumption is high in IT manufacturing plants – clean water is a must for production. Indeed water availability is the lifeblood to business – and therefore critical. Water strategy as part of sustainable solutions is to apply water conservation and demand management measures.
This involves better management of water productivity and quality including working towards a zero effluent discharge.

There is also a need to engage with government and other stakeholders on public policy of water – the extent to how water use should be regulated, monitored and managed. It is important to recognise that water footprint once exceeds its capacity – it would be an almost impossible task to reverse. As big consumers, businesses must share this responsibility more seriously as fundamentally it is a resource we can’t do without.

·The writer is ACCA director, Asean & Australasia. The full report ‘Water, the next carbon?’ is available at: http://www.accaglobal.com/documents/WaterFootprinting.pdf

Problems with waste disposal disposal, sewage treatment

I REFER to the letter “Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash” (The Star, June 15). For the last few months, Reef Check Malaysia has been working with the resorts and dive operators in the Perhentian islands to find ways to address some of the problems they face, with a view to protecting the local marine environment.

We have held extensive discussions with resorts and dive operators, as well as the local community, and we have identified a number of common concerns among businesses operating on the islands which include:

Waste disposal: The current system is inadequate and it results in a lot of waste ending up in the water. The rafts shown in the photo are most definitely not for tourists.They are the collection stations from which the state-appointed contractor is supposed to collect the waste.
The system is clearly not working as collection is not regular enough and waste builds up, often falling into the sea.

Sewage treatment: Individual operators have their own sewage treatment systems, which are mainly simple systems that might be releasing some pollution into the water. Individual operators do not have the resources to be able to finance their own comprehensive treatment systems. We feel that continuing development of tourism facilities such as jetties are of questionable benefit.

Many operators we have spoken to told us that they had repeatedly tried to raise these issues with the local authorities for a long time. It was not right, therefore, to put the blame squarely on the operators there. Our consultations have shown that the local authorities are partly to be blamed.

One of the steps being taken is to form an association of operators on the Perhentian Islands.
This association, which is being registered with the Registrar of Societies, will represent the business operators on the islands collectively and will address the various problems they are facing.

We would like to invite representatives of the state government to meet representatives of the association to discuss these problems, with a view to finding mutually acceptable solutions.

JULIAN HYDE, General manager, Reef Check Malaysia Bhd.

Target to make hydropower in the fuel mix to 30% for power generation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry is considering the possibility of increasing the share of hydropower in the fuel mix to 30% for power generation by 2030.

Gas and coal currently collectively account for about 90% of the fuel mix in Peninsular Malaysia for power generation while hydropower contributes 8%. “Steps are being taken to tap the vast hydro potential from Sarawak for export to Peninsular Malaysia, especially for the period after 2015,” said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin said in his keynote address at the launch of the ABB Executive Forum yesterday.

His speech was read by the ministry’s deputy secretary-general (energy) Loo Took Gee. Themed Challenges and Opportunities of the New Economic Realities and the Energy Sector, the forum was organised by ABB Malaysia to provide industry professional with a deeper understanding of the changing economic landscape, its impact on the Malaysian economy and opportunities for turning challenges into sustained long-term growth.

Chin said the transfer of electricity from the Bakun hydroelectric project in Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia represented the first major step taken to increase the share of green energy in the fuel mix.

From left: ABB regional manager for South Asia and country manager of ABB Malaysia Sdn Bhd Sim Boon Kiat and Energy, Green Technology and Water ministry deputy secretary-general (energy) Loo Took Gee launching the ABB Executive Forum on 'Challenges and Opportunities of the New Economic Realities and the Energy Sector' on Tuesday.

On the Renewable Energy Action Plan, he said the ministry was in the midst of finalising the plan, which would feature the introduction of the feed-in-tariff (FIT) to spur demand for electricity from renewable energy.

Renewable energy includes biomass, biogas, solar, mini-hydro and municipal waste. The plan would spell out the way forward to increase the share of renewable energy in the fuel mix of the country. Loo told a press conference the ministry was currently getting the Cabinet’s clearance on this action plan.

A FIT is a premium rate paid for electricity fed into the national grid from a designated renewable electricity generation source, like a rooftop solar photovoltaic system.

Green way of life up in Genting Resorts

By LAI PEI YEE

LEADING a green lifestyle is not an alien concept for Genting as it has always been the priority of its founder, the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong. After his demise, his legacy continues to live on as the company begins to heighten its involvement with activities that help preserve the environment.

The heartfelt message was conveyed by Resorts World Bhd executive vice-president, Kevin Sim during the official launch of the Genting Goes Green project and logo recently.

Natural Resources and Environ-ment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas was guest of honour at the event. He was accompanied by the Department of Environment director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibrahim.

In his speech, Embas applauded RWB for its environment-friendly efforts and for obtaining ISO 140001 & OHSAS 18001 certification from SIRIM. The fundamental programmes of the project are based on its Environment, Health and Safety Policy which involves the optimisation of resources, recycling and reduction of waste, besides employing the best ways to lessen risks and ill health, while encouraging human resource development in training.

The resort has carried out a number of projects and programmes that are environmental-friendly, including the proper consumption of water, electricity and disposal of waste.

According to Sim, the resort has so far managed to cut a total of five per cent of its monthly water consumption after setting up a flow restrictor to some of the water supply taps and bidets.
Other steps taken are reducing the volume of water in the cistern tanks and monitoring the condition of pipes.

The resort has also employed schemes that will reduce electricity usage such as revising the use of energy during non-peak periods and by installing variable speed drives to reduce energy consumed by motors.

Young rescuers

By IAN YEE

Students across the country have been rising up to the challenge of saving the environment, but thanks to help from the corporate sector, some of them will get even more encouragement to keep up their good work.

Last week, two university students were not only rewarded for their outstanding efforts in environmental conservation, but also given the opportunity to further develop their knowledge on how to save the environment.

Felicity Kuek from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Titus Loh from Universiti Malaya, winners of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (BYEE), will be sent to Germany for a week-long study tour where they will be exposed to all the environment-saving practices and technologies put in place there.

Young environmentalists Felicity Kuek and Titus Loh

The two were among 10 students, aged between 18 and 24, who were selected by Bayer as ''environmental envoys'' for the promise they showed in their efforts to conserve the environment. After a five-day environmental camp in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, they were each required to present a proposal of a project they were hoping to undertake.

Their projects included efforts involving waste management, protection of seahorses and coastal clean-ups, but Felicity's work and proposal for the Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) and Titus' efforts in promoting recycling in his faculty that were deemed the most promising by judges.

''I first took an interest on a project called Terrapin Independence Day. It was at Kuala Terengganu, and they were releasing terrapins that they felt were mature enough to survive on their own. "I saw the children there, and they were so excited and inspired by it. That really encouraged me to come up with my own project," said Felicity, a marine biology student.

Her plan is to add to a regular programme by SEATRU, a five-day educational holiday where tourists get to experience and help out with turtle conservation work, by bringing local schoolchildren along for a day.

"Terengganu has a problem — locals are still buying and consuming turtle eggs. I've found that there's no point in telling the older people to stop. They're already set in their ways. "So the only thing to do is educate the young people. We'll bring schoolchildren from around the area to join the programme for a day so they can see the work people are doing there and interact with the conservationists. That way the next generation will stop the practice, and hopefully even advise their parents against it," she added.

Titus's winning proposal was also something he had already been working on. His simple idea of a "Recyclables Collection Drive", in which students themselves actively set up collection bins at their hostels to make it more convenient for others to get in the habit of recycling, is both effective and highly feasible.

"We want our own students to be running this. Our slogan is 'For the students, by the students'. We've already been running the programme in our faculty for an academic year now, but my proposal was an extension of this. We want to make it a university-wide programme," he explained.

Like many other students out there, Titus admitted that he wasn't initially concerned about the environment and had to be "forced" to participate in the project because of his lecturer. "It was actually part of our school assignment, and the lecturer made it 10% of our final marks, so I was 'forced' to do it.

Felicity hopes to stop the consumption of turtle eggs to protect the endangered species. "We had a tough time doing it at first. We got a lot of rejection, and a lot of students who just couldn't be bothered. But it's working out now," he said.

In a way, Titus is an example to all young people that you don't have to be a passionate environmentalist in order to play a part in saving the planet. What many people don't realise is that some simple lifestyle changes, or even the mere realisation that the environment is in dire need of help, could be enough to make a difference.

"I don't envision myself to be a full-time activist. But environmental issues will now always be close to my heart. Whatever I do in the future, I will definitely contribute whenever I can," he added. Felicity, who hopes to help research and preserve marine mammal species full-time when she completes her studies, believes that this simple change in mindset is what Malaysians need the most if we were to start saving our environment.

When asked what she felt was the main problem with Malaysians when it comes to conservation, she said: ''Malaysians are too tidak apa. For us, ignorance is bliss. Like shark's fin soup — you can't get the older generation to stop having shark's fin soup. It's already part of their culture, it's a status symbol for them. "That's why it all has to start with the children. We have to educate them now, because they will be more willing to change."

Once they get back from Germany, Felicity and Titus will get straight to work on their proposals, having been given a November deadline by BYEE organisers.

"My main goal is to jump-start the programme, so that I can pass it on to my juniors when I leave (the university)," said Titus.

Trash rafts marring image of Pulau Perhentian

Date : June 24, 2009
Source : The Star Online
Title : Trash rafts marring image of Pulau Perhentian

I WRITE in response to the article “Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash” which was published in your newspaper on June 15.

I frequently visit the Perhentian islands and I have spoken to a few people on the island about this issue as it is one of the most unpleasant sights for tourists coming to the islands. Firstly, the floating rafts in the photo are not meant for tourists. They are built for the people of Perhentian to put their trash on before they are collected by the contractor and brought to the mainland.

This has been practised for a number of years now and this issue has been highlighted a few times over the past years as tourism on the islands gains popularity. As an avid diver and someone who loves the natural environment, it is a sore sight when one heads towards the Perhentian islands as one sees these rafts filled with trash along the main channel separating the two islands. Surely, this can’t be good for the tourism industry as it portrays a bad image for the country.

On the ecological side, these plastic bags of trash are often seen floating on the water near the rafts. The trash could be harmful to the marine life, not to mention the plastic bags which are often mistakenly eaten by turtles. The turtles like jellyfish (or other floaty stuff that looks like jellyfish in the water.

I believe both the Government and the operators have to work together to find solutions to this issue. If proper steps are not taken in the near future, the marine ecosystem, which is the only attraction to the tourists coming to these islands will be damaged. And it will hurt the tourism industry, causing significant loss of revenue to both the Government and the operators on the islands.

I believe that in order to reduce the damage, simple steps such as the 3R’s concept of reduce, reuse and recycle can be taken. Reduction in the consumption of plastic bottles, cans and even food waste can reduce significantly the amount of trash produced. Reusing kitchen waste as fertiliser through composting as well as recycling tins and plastic bottles can also help the cause.
I believe it is also the responsibility of tourists who come in to the islands to remember to bring out any trash that they have brought in, bought on or produced on the islands. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to carry four plastic bottles you have used out to Besut and throw them in one of the recycling bins you can find there.

Let us work together to keep the marine resources on the islands for our young generation to experience in the future.

DANLEE,
Subang Jaya.

Folk urged to help preserve rivers

Date : 22 June 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Folk urged to help preserve rivers

By EDWARD RAJENDRA

WATER Association of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (SWAn) president Tan Sri Rozali Ismail has called for a vigorous campaign for river preservation in the state. Rozali was speaking at the association’s third annual general meeting where he urged Selangorians to come forward and lend a hand in keeping rubbish out of the rivers and prevent water wastage in an initiative to conserve the precious gift of nature.

Calling for the people’s involvement in saving the rivers from pollution, he said the association had made some headway it educating the younger generation through school programmes. “We want to bring the message to the adults through the children. Children can influence their parents and our agenda is to get them to educate their parents,” he said.

Rozali said concerted efforts were needed to be taken by the authorities to make anti-pollution river campaigns effective, adding that people have to play their part in the conservation of the ecosystem in the state. He said there was no point in holding such campaigns unless people come forward and understand the importance of eco-friendly measures.

“We must not kill our rivers through the disposal of non-biodegradable waste products. But all this is possible only if people cooperate,” he said. Meanwhile, Energy, Green Technology and Water deputy secretary-general Datuk Nur Azmal Mohd Nazir, who read out the speech by Minister Noriah Kasnon, said engaging youths was another integral part of the water loop.

“Our youth are naturally passionate about the environment, particularly tertiary students. I am inspired that SWAn will hold activities with varsity students in their outreach programmes to achieve environmental sustainability,” he said.

Intel kickstarts recycling campaign

Date : 22 June 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Intel kickstarts recycling campaign

INTEL Malaysia celebrated the World Environment Day 2009 by launching its Solid Waste Recycling Campaign 2009. Themed ‘From Land to Ocean: Our Commitment to the Environment’, the annual campaign will see 28 NGOs and participating schools in Penang and Kulim collecting recyclable waste throughout the campaign period which is the whole year.
The proceeds from their efforts will then be donated back to them.
Intel Malaysia managing director Atul Bhargava said the World Environment Day was an important platform for the company to reinforce its commitment towards sustainable environmental initiatives.
“One of the many commitments that we hold on to is to incorporate environmental performance goals throughout our operations.
“In 2008, we became the largest purchaser of green power in the United States according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. It estimated that Intel’s record purchase has the equivalent environmental impact of taking more than 185,000 cars off the road each year,” he said in his speech at the launch of the campaign at its Bayan Lepas plant on Thursday. He said this year marked the seventh consecutive year that the campaign was held.

“We have collected more than 200 tonnes of recyclable waste over the last two years,” he said.
“Apart from that, we have also driven many other unique initiatives to continuously increase the awareness and build a culture of conservation which, I am proud to say, have received strong support from the community. “Through our community-led Intel Mangrove Tree Planting programme, over 400 volunteers from Intel and various sections of the community have helped to plant 4,000 mangrove saplings last year to create a protective buffer zone for coastal areas,” he said.

The company’s other programmes include the Intel Malaysia Marine Conservation Programme where employees are encouraged to get together to save the turtles. During the launch of the campaign, science exhibition booths were put up by schools. Participants of last year’s campaign received RM13,000 and 52 recycled laptops.

Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash

KUALA TERENGGANU: Pulau Perhentian Besar and Kecil, the havens for marine life, are under threat environmentally due to poorly planned tourism development, ineffective sewage treatment and solid waste disposal.

The state government is worried that this could lead to severe damage to coral reefs found in abundance surrounding both islands. State Commercial, Industry and Environment Committee chairman Toh Chin Yaw said the new chalets have compounded the problem as many of them did not have proper sewage and rubbish disposal systems.

“Some of these operators are taking the easy way out by diverting all types of wastes from their chalets direct into the sea,” he said in an interview yesterday. Toh said during the peak season, mounds of garbage bags could also be seen around the islands, believed to have been left by these operators.

“They are blaming us for not centralising the sewage system and garbage collection without realising that it is too costly for the state government to do that.

Just dumped: A photo showing bags of rubbish dumped onto floating rafts meant for tourists at Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu.

“We have commissioned a contractor to regularly collect the garbage from the islands to be disposed of on the mainland, but many of the operators are refusing to pay the maintenance fees and continued to indiscriminately throw their garbage into the sea,” he added. Toh said the state government would build a sewage treatment plant on the islands if the operators were willing to pay the monthly maintenance fees.

However, he doubted that they would do so as at present, they were also unwilling to share part of their revenues to be utilised for the pollution control efforts as advocated by the state government. “We are intensifying our environmental awareness programme, besides encouraging operators to improve their waste facilities.

“We will also rope in the relevant authorities to educate these operators on the importance of protecting the eco-system at these islands,” he added.

Kiehl’s on board to save environment

Date : 150609

Source : New Straits Times

Title : Kiehl’s on board to save environment

David de Rothschild will also be testing two new formulations by Kiehl’s during the Plastiki Expedition. AMERICAN skincare brand Kiehl’s continues its commitment to save the environment as it supports “The Plastiki Expedition”, a bold adventure led by environmentalist and founder of Adventure Ecology David de Rothschild.

In a 60ft catamaran constructed of Post-Consumer plastic bottles, srPET (self reinforcing Polyethylene Terephthalate) and recycled waste, de Rothschild and his crew will embark on a three-month voyage in August across the Pacific Ocean, spanning 11,000 nautical miles from San Francisco to Sydney.Their mission? To beat waste, of course. If that’s not enough, the Plastiki crew is also bent on changing mindsets by encouraging the world to re-think waste as a resource.Kiehl’s worldwide general manager Patrick Kullenberg, in a Press statement, said: “We are honoured to support David and his crew on their mission to raise awareness about plastic waste in our oceans.”Sharing the spirit of discovery and adventure with the Plastiki team, Kiehl’s has turned to David and his crew to test two new formulations to ensure their endurance and efficacy in the harshest of weather conditions along the Pacific.“Kiehl’s has found inspiration in adventure, and you see its influence in many of our products like the Ultra Facial Cream, which was tested in a freezing conditions during a 2005 expedition to Greenland. We are eager to see David and his crew arrive safely in Sydney and to learn how the formulas held up in the demanding Pacific Ocean,” said Kullenberg.

Sabah&Sarawak: Henti guna beg plastik pulihara alam sekitar dikaji

Date : 150609

Source : Berita Harian

Title : Sabah & Sarawak: Henti guna beg plastik pulihara alam sekitar dikaji

KOTA KINABALU: Kerajaan Sabah akan mengkaji implikasi ekonomi sebelum mengambil keputusan menghentikan penggunaan beg plastik bagi memulihara alam sekitar. Menteri Pelancongan, Kebudayaan dan Alam Sekitar negeri, Datuk Masidi Manjun, berkata walaupun penggunaannya tidak baik untuk alam sekitar kerana sukar dilupuskan, usaha menghentikan penggunaannya perlu dilakukan beransur-ansur. "Isu ini sensitif kerana membabitkan industri berjuta ringgit. Untuk menggantikan beg plastik dengan benda lain yang tidak mengancam alam sekitar memerlukan pengusaha industri pembuatan beg plastik menggantikan mesin sedia ada.

Pulau Pinang larang penggunaan pembungkus polisterin

Date : 150609
Source : Berita Harian Online
Title : Pulau Pinang larang penggunaan pembungkus polisterin

GEORGETOWN: Kerajaan Pulau Pinang hari ini melarang penggunaan pembungkus makanan polisterin pada semua program rasminya bagi mengelakkan kesan negatif kepada alam sekitar dan menjadi tempat pembiakan nyamuk Aedes. Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kesihatan, Kebajikan, Masyarakat Penyayang dan Alam Sekitar Negeri, Phee Boon Poh, berkata penggunaan polisterin itu bukan sahaja memudaratkan kesihatan pengguna dan memberi kesan negatif kepada alam sekitar, malahan ia mudah dibawa angin ke merata tempat dan menjadi bekas yang menakung air hujan. "Demi kepentingan orang ramai, kerajaan negeri membuat keputusan melarang penggunaan polisterin itu dan berharap pertubuhan lain akan memberikan sokongan dan mempraktikkannya," katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini, hari ini.