UPM’s Recycle to Cycle project ensures green commute

Some 7,000 bicycles within the campus of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia provide students with emission-free transportation. Photo: Coca-Cola Malaysia

A fun and unique project to encourage students to recycle and reduce carbon emissions has turned Universiti Pertanian Malaysia into a green campus with some 7,000 bicycles owned by students.

The Recycle to Cycle or R2C project, initiated in 2013, encourages students to recycle and at the same time, adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. Students participate by recycling empty PET bottles and aluminium cans, in exchange for the use of bicycles and safety helmets. Proceeds from the sale of the recyclable items are reinvested into the programme to make it sustainable.

To get things going in 2013, UPM received a US$250,000 grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation. The project has contributed to UPM’s efforts to become a green campus by helping to reduce the use of private motor vehicles and increasing the use of cycling lanes. The original fleet of 200 bicycles is still available for lease via the recycling mechanics, managed by UPM’s department of biology

The next phase of Recycle to Cycle will see recycling and emissions reduction efforts intensified with the launch of the Red Cube, an environmentally friendly building featuring a rainwater harvesting system that provides water that flows continuously over the roof to cool the building.

Other design elements that keep the building green include solar-powered lights, fans and exhaust vents for cooling, and windows that take advantage of natural air flows to encourage ventilation. Plants outside the windows further cool down the air. The building will be used as a student activity centre.

UPM has reduced the number of buses on campus and the existing ones are now powered by natural gas. Students are encourage to cycle and walk, and a special installment payment scheme has been introduced to help students own bicycles. UPM has also reorganised the students’ accommodation facilities so that they stay in colleges closer to their faculty. Covered walkways enable students to walk from their hostels to lecture halls. – Coca-Cola Malaysia

http://www.star2.com/living/living-environment/2015/11/30/a-green-commute-at-upm/

Plop, plop: A new look at poop

Source : The Star Online, 30th November 2015

By PHILIP HOARE

Most societies are averse to animal waste but in India, cow dung is widely used as cooking fuel. Photo: AFP

It is a logical result of extinction, so one wonders why no one bothered to do the sum before: What happened to the world when it lost the cumulative billions of tonnes of faeces produced by mammoths, sloths and whales?

A new study from the University of Vermont has shown that the planet has suffered two-fold from the removal of this biomass. Not only from the lack of diversity created by the extinctions of ancient megafauna and modern, human-induced depletions of many species – from seabirds to elephants, and whales – but from what they once did for our planet by spreading their poo around, redistributing nutrients and fertilising new growth.

“The past was a world of giants,” the new paper rhapsodises, evoking an Edenic world – albeit one full of poo. Dr Joe Roman, co-author of the study, says: “This once was a world that had 10 times more whales, 20 times more anadromous fish like salmon, double the number of seabirds, and 10 times more large herbivores like giant sloths and mastodons and mammoths … this broken global cycle may weaken ecosystem health, fisheries and agriculture.”

Remove all that guano and poo from the planet and you are left with a greatly reduced fertility. The scientists behind the study estimate that the capacity of land animals to spread nutrients has fallen to 8% below its value before 150 species of ice age mammals went extinct. Until now, it was thought that animals played a minor role in the process. But the new study indicates that they acted, en masse, as a “distribution pump”, fertilising new areas that would otherwise be unproductive.

The paper is a follow-up to one that appeared last year, also co-authored by Roman, which reported the ameliorating effect that whale faeces has on climate change, fixing carbon in the oceans by fertilising phytoplankton growth.

Last year’s scientific paper from the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s Robert Rocha and others indicated that in the 20th century alone, nearly three million whales were killed. The removal of such a vast volume of biomass from the Earth’s environment has had an incalculable effect. As George Monbiot notes in his book Feral, sperm whales, the deepest diving of all whales, also stirred up nutrients from the ocean bed.

But the University of Vermont’s report also speaks to our philosophical attitude to faeces. Why do we spend billions to get rid of our waste – other than out of a strange hatred of our own bodily functions? Imagine what all those lost nutrients could do – not least in generating bio-responsible power.

Our modern disassociation from poo speaks volumes. In the past, human excrement was a vital part of the food chain, with “night soil” regularly used to feed the ground – and thus the plants that we, or our animals, ate. During the 19th century, the gathering of dog poo for the tanning industry was a specific trade, somewhat paradoxically known as pure finding.

Imagine, too, in a pre-combustion engine city the size of London, New York or Paris, the volume of horse manure being produced each day. Character-istically, the great horse manure crisis of 1894, when it was predicted that London’s streets would be overwhelmed by dung – was precipitated by the invention of chemical fertilisers, thereby creating a whole new set of problems for the environment.

Now we can barely bring ourselves to mention the subject. But without poo, we would be nothing. Funny how it takes mass extinction to remind us of that fact. – Guardian News Service

http://www.star2.com/living/living-environment/2015/11/30/a-new-look-at-poo/

Kerajaan sokong penggunaan sisa pepejal jana elektrik - Ongkili

Source : Berita Harian Online


Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili

KUALA LUMPUR: Kerajaan akan terus menyokong usaha penggunaan sisa pepejal bagi menghasilkan sumber tenaga boleh diperbaharui untuk menjana elektrik melalui konsep "Waste to Wealth". 

Menteri Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air, Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, berkata setakat ini penjanaan elektrik menggunakan sisa pepejal menyalurkan sebanyak tujuh megawatt tenaga elektrik. "Sebanyak 25.4 megawatt tenaga elektrik yang dihasilkan daripada sisa pepejal itu masih belum lagi boleh disalurkan kerana masih belum diluluskan.

 "Melalui kerjasama daripada semua pihak termasuk kementerian-kementerian yang berkaitan, kami menyokong penjanaan tenaga elektrik menggunakan sisa pepejal melalui konsep 'Waste to Wealth'," katanya. Ongkili berkata demikian ketika menjawab soalan tambahan Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (BN-Sabak Bernam) berkenaan usaha kerajaan memanfaatkan sisa pepejal untuk menjana kuasa elektrik, di Dewan Rakyat di sini, hari ini. 

Menjawab soalan tambahan Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong) berkenaan peratusan tenaga boleh diperbaharui yang dimiliki oleh negara ini, Ongkili berkata setakat ini Malaysia mempunyai 14 peratus tenaga boleh diperbaharui. "Berikutan keputusan yang dibuat oleh Menteri-menteri Tenaga ASEAN pada bulan lalu, semua jenis hidro telah dikategorikan sebagai diperbaharui menjadikan jumlah peratusan sebanyak 14 peratus berbanding sebelum itu kira-kira enam peratus. 

"Sasaran Malaysia adalah mencapai status 23 peratus tenaga diperbaharui menjelang tahun 2025 dan kita yakin dengan usaha semua pihak dapat mencapai sasaran itu," katanya. - BERNAMA

http://www.bharian.com.my/node/99888

Earth in uncharted territory on global warming

By : Agency 

Source : The Stars Online 

Heating up: Smoke billowing from the chimneys of Belchatow Power Station in Poland, Europe’s largest coal-fired power plant. Burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil has led to rising levels of greenhouse gases. Photo: Reuters

Earth has heated up by 1°C, as greenhouse gases hit record levels just weeks before a crucial climate summit in Paris. Other reports forecast rising seas were set to swamp large swathes of New York and Shanghai, and that global warming would drive millions of people into poverty worldwide.

The slew of fresh planetary warnings came as ministers gathered in Paris to search for common ground on divisive issues ahead of the summit, which runs from Nov 30 to Dec 11.

If the planet heats up by 4°C – double the targeted United Nations ceiling – oceans will swallow land inhabited by more than 600 million people, said a study by Climate Central, a US-based research group. Even a two-degree jump would submerge land currently occupied by 280 million people, it said.

At the same time, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) reported that the level of climate-altering gases in the air punched through the psychological barrier of 400 parts per million.

“Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are now reaching levels not seen on Earth for more than 800,000, maybe even one million years,” WMO chief Michel Jarraud said. “This means we are now really in uncharted territory for the human race.”

Britain’s Met Office said local mean surface temperatures were set to reach 1°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time – half-way to the 2°C threshold which scientists say humanity must not cross.

Environment and energy ministers in Paris are groping for convergence on issues dividing the 195 nations negotiating a climate rescue pact which must be inked at the upcoming summit. A World Bank study said there could be “more than 100 million additional people in poverty by 2030” unless action is taken to stem climate change.

The summit will be opened by some 100 heads of state and government, among them US President Barack Obama, China’s Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi of India, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. It is meant to produce the first truly universal pact to rein in climate change by curbing emissions from burning fossil fuel. It is also tasked with helping poor countries adapt to climate impacts already in the pipeline. Ministers are the ones who will ink the deal at the end.

For now, the draft agreement – prepared in advance by rank-and-file negotiators – remains little more than a laundry list of often directly opposing national options for dealing with the challenge at hand. Countries remain sharply divided on issues of fairness and finance. Developing countries insist rich ones should lead the way in slashing emissions as they have polluted for longer.

They also want assurances of finance to make the shift from cheap and abundant fossil fuel to greener energy sources, and to shore up defences against climate change-induced superstorms, drought, flood and sea-level rise. But industrialised countries point the finger at emerging giants such as China and India spewing carbon dioxide as they burn coal to power expanding populations and economies.

As the bickering continues, the UN issued a fresh warning that national carbon-curbing pledges submitted to date set the stage for warming of about 3°C, or more. – AFP

http://www.star2.com/living/living-environment/2015/11/16/earth-in-uncharted-territory-on-global-warming/

Pengasingan sisa pepejal diterima baik

Source : Berita Harian Online 


KETUA Setiausaha Kementerian Kesejahteraan Bandar, Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Datuk Mohammad Mentek merasmikan program Gotong-Royong Perdana dan Kempen Promosi Pengasingan Sisa Pepejal di Punca peringkat Kebangsaan 2015 di Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Taman Mulia, Bandar Tun Razak, hari ini. - Foto Muhd Asyraf Sawal


KUALA LUMPUR: Pelaksanaan pengasingan sisa pepejal di punca yang dilaksanakan di tujuh negeri bermula 1 September lalu diterima baik oleh orang ramai apabila terdapat peningkatan tahap kesedaran terhadap program itu. 

Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Kesejahteraan Bandar, Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Datuk Mohammad Mentek berkata sebanyak 268,329 kilogram (kg) barangan kitar semula dikutip di Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya, Pahang, Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis dan Kedah, bermula 1 Sept hingga 11 Nov. 

Katanya, daripada jumlah itu 24,503 kg kutipannya adalah sisa plastik, yang juga kutipan tertinggi. Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap merasmikan program Gotong-Royong Perdana dan Kempen Promosi Pengasingan Sisa Pepejal di Punca peringkat Kebangsaan 2015 di Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Taman Mulia, Bandar Tun Razak di sini, hari ini. 

Program itu dianjurkan oleh Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp). Bermula 1 September lalu, isi rumah di tujuh negeri terbabit yang menerima pakai Akta Pengurusan Sisa Pepejal dan Pembersihan Awam (Akta 672) - diwajibkan mengasingkan sisa pepejal mengikut kategori seperti plastik, kertas, kadbod, kaca, besi dan sisa makanan. 

Seorang suri rumah, Siti Fatimah Ahmad, 53, berkata program yang diadakan hari ini memberi manfaat kepada penduduk untuk membantu mengurangkan pencemaran alam sekitar. Pengerusi Persatuan Penduduk PPR Taman Mulia, Mohd Feisal Abdul Manaf, 49, berkata setakat hari ini hampir 3,000 kg sisa pepejal berjaya dikumpulkan oleh penduduk kawasan tersebut. "Barangan itu dijual untuk tujuan kitaran semula," katanya. -- BERNAMA

http://www.bharian.com.my/node/97156

Sabah bentang cadangan sisa pepejal negara beroperasi di negeri itu

Source : Berita Harian Online 


MENTERI Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan Sabah, Datuk Hajiji Noor (kiri) melihat produk Mesin Bio-Green keluaran Syarikat Milen Bio (Korea) Sdn Bhd, di Tuaran, hari ini.

TUARAN: Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan Sabah akan membentangkan ke Kabinet negeri tidak lama lagi berhubung cadangan membenarkan Jabatan Pengurusan Sisa Pepejal Negara (JPSPN) beroperasi di negeri itu. 

Menterinya, Datuk Hajiji Noor berkata cadangan itu antara lain akan melihat daripada segi akta dan undang-undang pengurusan sisa pepejal serta pembersihan awam untuk diterima seterusnya diguna pakai di negeri ini. JPSPN adalah sebuah badan dibawah kelolaan Kementerian Kesejahteraan Bandar, Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan. "Bagaimanapun, kita perlu mendapatkan kelulusan dan kebenaran kerajaan negeri. 

Namun, pendekatan ini akan dapat membantu menyelesaikan masalah pengurusan sampah dan sisa pepejal di Sabah," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas melancarkan produk Mesin Bio-Green, sebuah mesin berteknologi melupuskan sisa makanan buangan, keluaran Syarikat Milen Bio (Korea) Sdn Bhd, di sini hari ini.

 Mengenai produk Mesin Bio-Green, Hajiji secara prinsip menyambut baik cadangan syarikat itu agar pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) Sabah menggunakan mesin itu bagi menguruskan sisa buangan makanan berpunca dari restoran ataupun pasar.

Menurutnya, Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu juga sudah menggunakan mesin pelupusan sisa makanan itu kira-kira tiga tahun dan kesannya amat menggalakkan. Syarikat Milen Bio (Korea) Sdn Bhd adalah sebuah syarikat yang bekerjasama dengan Hana Teck C.O Ltd Company dan Gangwon Technology Holdings di Korea. Turut hadir Pengerusi Milen Bio Korea, Kim Han Soo. -- BERNAMA

http://www.bharian.com.my/node/97128

For your child’s health, be prepared for the haze

Source : The Stars Online 

There are a few reasons why the haze affects young children more, and most of it has to do with their still-developing bodies. Photo: Reuters

CHILDREN

BY DATUK DR NOR ASHIKIN MOKHTAR

In 1994, when the haze hit Malaysia and Singapore, Chia, who was 47 at the time, developed a persistent cough that went on for months, until she had to be hospitalised for 10 days. She shared: “I didn’t have asthma in my childhood. I had not even heard of it.”I recall reading an article in a newspaper a few years back about the experience of a Ms Chia with the haze, one that perfectly exemplifies the long-term dangers of this phenomenon.

Chia is in her 60s now, but has not stopped taking medication for asthma, a condition she said that she “will have to take to her grave”.

While the haze was not responsible for causing Chia’s asthma, it was almost certainly the trigger that set off an underlying genetic predisposition. If it happened to her, it can happen to you too.

Many women are worried about the deterioration of their health whenever the haze strikes, but are unsure of how to handle their needs, as well as that of their young children.

So, to start, it is important to understand how the haze affects you and what you can do about it.

The haze is made up of a mixture of suspended particles – water vapour, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, and even poisonous chemicals like cyanide, ammonia and formaldehyde.

Ground-level ozone and particle pollution are two common threats to our health. Haze conditions can cause your eyes and nose to burn, your throat to itch, and pave the way to other health issues.

Exposure to air pollutants at high levels over a long period of time may lead to cancer, birth defects in the young, brain and nerve damage, and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages.

Air pollution affects everyone, but some groups are more susceptible than others – in serious cases, it may be necessary to consult your doctor about adjusting the dosage of medicines you take for other chronic health conditions.

Your body will show tell-tale signs if the haze is unduly affecting your health:

• Nose: Particles that irritate the nose causes swelling and blockage in the nasal passage, due to oversecretion of mucous. Taking antihistamines can mitigate the symptoms.

• Airways and lungs: Your lungs and airways may produce phlegm when they experience inflammation. As you cough to expel the phlegm, more gets produced, and the cycle keeps repeating.

• Heart: A body that is under stress will cause the heart to pump faster, increasing blood pressure. Your body also produces chemicals that make your blood clot more easily, but these symptoms can lead to heart attack or stroke.

• Eyes: Dust from the haze dries your eyes, leaving the conjunctiva (the surface of the whites of your eyes) vulnerable to tearing and inflammation. Place a warm towel over your eyes for a few minutes to alleviate the discomfort.

• Skin: People with healthy skin need not worry about the haze affecting them, but if you suffer from eczema problems, you can benefit from applying moisturiser a few times a day.

How can the haze affect older women?

In older women, severe air pollution can aggravate symptoms of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Older adults tend to be greatly affected by airborne toxic chemicals, with women over the age of 50 exhibiting more health symptoms than men over 50.

The effects can extend beyond cardiovascular issues. Long-term exposure to toxic gasses may cause cancer or dementia, and postmenopausal women could experience loss of bone mass due to lead exposure.

This may increase the risk of kidney damage, high blood pressure and decreased cognitive functions.

How can the haze affect women who are pregnant or nursing?

Pregnant or nursing women tend to have less capacity in their lungs during hazy conditions.

If a pregnant woman isn’t getting enough air in her body, it means that her baby isn’t getting enough either.

Birth complications like miscarriage, pre-term birth and interruptions in foetal development can occur if there is prolonged exposure to toxic substances like lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and pesticides.

How can the haze affect children’s health?

We must not forget that the haze affects young children more, and there are various reasons why.

Children are more vulnerable as they breathe faster, have a higher metabolic rate, and have lungs and other organs that are still developing. Their intake of food, liquids and air are higher than adults’, relative to their body weight, and thus, the intake of toxins increase accordingly, posing a greater danger to organ development.

Children are also more physically active outdoors, causing them to breathe in more air pollutants. Newborn babies who are affected by the haze display symptoms like eye infection, runny nose, dry cough, and possibly, difficulty breathing.

The best way to fight off any symptoms in babies is to keep them indoors. Place your precious one in a clean room with a fan or air-conditioner on, and keep doors and windows closed. Regular saline drops can help remove dust particles and eye irritants.

Tips to stay safe and healthy

As individuals, we are unable to do anything to stop the haze, but there are many simple and effective ways to keep our homes free from harmful haze particles.

Keep your doors and windows shut. Until the air purity readings improve to “moderate” or “good”, shut all doors and ventilation outlets in your house.

You will come home to a house with still air, but that is much better than sharing your space with millions of harmful particles that settle onto your curtains and furniture.

Use the air purifier. Even with all doors and windows shut, dust particles can still seep in through small cracks and holes. If you do not own an air purifier, boil some water and try letting the steam that rises up clear the air.

Stay hydrated. You should drink at least two litres of water daily, as our bodies are working extra hard to keep healthy. Carry a refillable water bottle with you if you are constantly on the go.

It’s also quite important to stay away from coffee and alcohol, as both are diuretics that will dehydrate your body even more.

Boost your immune system. Be sure to have a balanced daily intake of protein, calcium, carbohydrates and good fats. You should also be getting enough vitamins C and E, and omega-3 fatty acids from the foods you eat.

Leave home prepared with must-have items. Face mask, eye drops, tissues, wet wipes and a bottle of water are the things you should bring with you when you go out.

In case of red eyes or a scratchy throat, or even mild breathing problems, these items can provide some relief.

If you are outdoors for prolonged periods, be sure to wash your hands regularly. When you get home, take a shower to wash away toxins on your skin.

Seek professional help. It’s common to experience mild symptoms due to the haze, but if any of the problems persist, you must seek your doctor’s help immediately.

Stay healthy, and share these health tips with your fellow Malaysians.

http://www.star2.com/living/viewpoints/2015/11/15/to-stay-ahead-of-haze-related-health-issues-know-what-it-is-how-it-affects-you-and-what-you-can-do-to-stay-healthy/

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Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. For further information, visit www.primanora.com. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Stardisclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

Kabin kitar semula siap Januari ini

Source : Berita Harian Online 

KUALA LUMPUR: Alam Flora Sdn Bhd (Alam Flora) dan Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) kini dalam proses untuk memasang kabin di pusat kitar semula pertama khusus untuk peniaga di Jalan Bunus, Masjid India. Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Alam Flora, Mohd Zain Hassan berkata projek itu dijangka siap pada Januari depan. 

"Kita mulakan dan beri tumpuan di tempat-tempat komersial sebab dengan adanya kabin itu, ia membolehkan peniaga menjual semula barangan atau sampah terpakai mereka," katanya pada sidang media selepas perasmian Majlis Gotong-Royong 'Jom Bersih Bukit Bintang 9' di sini, hari ini.

Beliau berharap kewujudan kabin itu menjadi langkah terbaik dalam pengumpulan sampah dan membantu mengurangkan kos pengurusan sampah. Mohd Zain juga berkata sejumlah 30 tan sisa pepejal yang diasingkan dalam tempoh dua bulan melalui projek perintis pengasingan sisa pepejal yang dikuatkuasa bermula 1 September lalu, dikutip di ibu kota. 

Katanya, ia adalah satu perkembangan yang baik sejajar dengan hasrat kerajaan untuk mengurangkan sebanyak 20 peratus penghantaran sisa pepejal ke tapak pelupusan menjelang 2020. "Setakat ini, negara kita sudah berjaya mengurangkan sebanyak 12 peratus penghantaran sisa pepejal ke tapak pelupusan di seluruh negara," katanya. 

Katanya, sambutan masyarakat terhadap langkah pengasingan sisa pepejal itu adalah positif dan beliau turut memuji masyarakat kawasan Bukit Bintang kerana telah memberikan komitmen yang tinggi dalam menjayakan pengasingan sisa pepejal. 

Mohd Zain berkata, usaha yang diambil oleh masyarakat di kawasan tersebut perlu dijadikan sebagai contoh dan ikutan buat masyarakat di kawasan-kawasan yang lain. Bertemakan 'YES TO 3R', majlis gotong-royong itu disertai kira-kira 1,000 peserta yang terdiri daripada pelbagai peringkat umur. -- BERNAMA

We really need whales to poo in the sea

Source : the stars online 
BY AGENCY




The world's ecosystem needs fertilisation from large mammals, this fertilisation comes from their dung, urine and, after death, their decomposing bodies. Photo: Reuters

You can call it the fertilisation cessation, and scientists say it has had a disruptive effect on ecosystems around the world.

A study unveiled showing the extinction or precipitous population declines of large land and sea mammals starting at the end of the last Ice Age and continuing through today has deprived ecosystems of a vital source of fertilisation in their dung, urine and, after death, decomposing bodies.

The scientists say that these large mammals including whales, mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, rhinos, huge armadillos as well as seabirds and migrating fish like salmon played a key role in making Earth fertile by spreading nutrients across oceans, up rivers and deep inland.

The elephant’s cousin, the mastodon, was responsible for keeping the world fertile with their dung. Photo: AFP

“In the past, abundant large free-ranging animals made nutrients more evenly distributed, thus increasing global fertility,” University of Oxford ecologist Christopher Doughty says.

By travelling long distances, these large mammals transported and recycled nutrients like phosphorous and nitrogen to far-flung ecosystems, boosting their productivity. This capacity to spread nutrients away from concentrated sources on both land and sea to other ecosystems has plummeted to 6 per cent of its former level, the study found.

Many of the large animals that are in danger of going extinct are responsible for fertilising the world. Photo: Reuters

“In a sense, Earth was a land of giants before humans colonised the planet,” University of Vermont conservation biologist Joe Roman says.

About 150 species of large mammals went extinct around 10,000 years ago, many due to a combination of human hunting and climate change, Roman says.

Of 48 species of the very largest plant-eating land mammals alive during the Ice Age, including 16 species of elephants and their relatives, nine rhinoceros species and eight giant sloth species, only nine remain, none in the Americas, Doughty says.

Before commercial whaling cut global whale populations by up to 90 per cent in recent centuries, whales and other marine mammals transported around 750 million pounds (340,000 tonnes) of phosphorus from depths of around 100m where they feed to the sun-lit ocean surface annually, the researchers estimated. This has declined to 23 per cent of its former level.

“Great whales such as humpbacks, blue whales and sperm whales often dive deep to feed, coming to the surface to breathe and digest. They also defecate, or poop, at this time, releasing important nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. These nutrients can enhance the growth of algae, invertebrates even fish,” Roman says.

The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. – Reuters

http://www.star2.com/living/living-environment/2015/11/02/we-really-need-whales-to-poo-in-the-sea/