Pollution
Concerns over coal plant
-The Star-KOTA KINABALU: An initial environmental report on a proposed 300mW coal-fired plant on the state’s east coast has drawn concerns from various Sabah groups, who say it is filled with shortcomings.
Among others, the Terms of Reference for the project at the Felda Sahabat scheme appears to have ignored the long-term impact of the coal plant’s emissions into the pristine Darvel Bay.
This is especially important when several kilometres away from the proposed coal plant site in the bay is a sea grass area that is habitat for the endangered dugong or sea cow.
Sabah Environmental Protection Association president Wong Tack said this was one of the findings at a first review conducted on the project’s Terms of Reference at the Department of Environment in Putrajaya on Nov 24.
“The Terms of Reference showed there was no study carried out on the cumulative effects of the coal plant emissions over a five to 15-year period.
“What is ironic is that the Darvel Bay is within the Coral Triangle Initiative which Malaysia has pledged to conserve,” he said here yesterday.
The Prime Minister had attended the summit on the Coral Triangle Initiative, dubbed the “Amazon of the Oceans,” in May and pledged USD1mil (RM3.4mil) to its protection.
Wong said at the review that state government officials had also voiced concerns that the emissions could have adverse impact on the Tun Sakaran marine park and world renowned diving haven of Pulau Sipadan over the long term.
He said the Terms of Reference was also drawn up based on climate conditions in the Tawau district – more than 200km away – and not within the Tengku area, the proposed site for the coal plant.
Wong said this was critical as the Tabin Wildlife Conservation area – home to Borneo Pygmy elephants, rhinos, orang utan and sun bears – was just 20km away.
He claimed that the consultants responsible for the Terms of Reference appeared not to have obtained feedback from state officials nor explored any alternative to the coal plant.
“Yet, we have a natural gas-fired plant in Kimanis coming up and while a 300mW biomass power plant is not practical, it doesn’t mean we can’t have such smaller plants in the various districts,” he added.
Wong was among three Sepa representatives at the review that was also attended by officials from the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Wildlife, state Environmental Protection, Forestry, Fisheries and Health Departments as well as Sabah Parks and the Lahad Datu district office.
Sepa was also representing Green Surf, which is a coalition of various groups including WWF-Sabah, Malaysian Nature Society, Land Empowerment, Animal and People, and Pacos Trust, at the review.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Five NGOs Unite For Greener Energy In Sabah
(Bernama) — Five prominent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have formed a coalition to oppose dirty energy such as coal-fired power plants.
Called Green Surf (Sabah Unite to Re-Power the Future), the coalition comprises Land Empowerment Animals and People (Leap), Partners of Community Organisation (Pacos Trust), Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa), Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Sabah Branch and Sabah office of WWF-Malaysia.
Green Surf’s objective is to present positive solutions to the current energy situation in this state.
Leap founder and director Cynthia Ong said the five NGOs formed the Green Surf coalition, following calls and request from the public.
“Building coal-fired plants will undermine all conservation efforts and jeopardise the environment,” she told a press conference on Saturday.
Sabah, which has been facing power issues for many years, needs a plant in the east coast area to cater for power supply there.
There was public outcry when the government announced that a coal-fired plant was being planned, resulting in the proposal of different locations.
However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak recently announced that Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu was willing to provide a space for the plant, pending an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Environmental groups to push for green energy for Sabah
-The Star- By MUGUNTAN VANAR
KOTA KINABALU: Five environmental groups have united to push for the use of ”green energy for Sabah.
The group of non-governmental organisations dubbing themselves as ”Sabah Unite to Re-power the Future or Green Surf is opposed to the use of dirty energy like proposed coal powered plant planned for the east coast of the state.
The NGOs involved are Land Enpowerment Animals and people (LEAP), Partners of Community Organisations (Pacos Trust), Sabah Environmental Protection Associatio (SEPA), the Malayan Nature Socieity (Sabah branch) and Sabah office of WWF Malaysia.
The Green Surf group, which was launched at Tanjung Aru beach here, said that the coalition aims to present positive solutions to current energy situation in Sabah.
”It is time to promote and provoke a paradigm shift in thinking about the future energy in Sabah, Cynthia Ong, a member of the coalition who is pushing for the government not to allow the controversial coal plant in Tungku, Lahad Datu.
”It is not a question of no coal plant, we want to present to the leadership that there was alternatives in renewable energy.
“We are not against the government, we want to work with them,” she said.
Green Surf is calling on Sabahans to sign a petition to show their support about their concerns over climate change with emphasis on the planned Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd’s coal fired power plant.
Green Surf has set up a web page in Facebook and already has some 1,000 members and are urging more to visit http://www.nocoalsabah.blogspot.com to sign the online petition against the coal plant.
The group claimed that a coal plant was not in line with Sabah shoreline management and Sabah development Corridor to make it one of Asia’s most liveable places by 2025.
Green Surf also welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razaks 2010 budget that plans to set up green pioneer townships and they hoped that Sabah as a regional leader in conservation would be considered for the townships.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )New rules for river buffer zones in Sarawak
-The Star- Sarawak’s Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) plans to recommend new guidelines for determining suitable buffer zones along rivers to reduce water pollution.
It has just completed a study on the effectiveness of buffer zones in improving river water quality and reducing the incidence of silt entering waterways, NREB controller Peter Sawal said after opening a workshop yesterday.
He said the study, which was jointly conducted with Chemsain Konsultant Sdn Bhd, also developed tools to determine the optimum size of buffer zones based on soil type, slope steepness, vegetation cover and river width.
Buffer zones are areas on both sides of the river which are left intact with vegetation cover such as grass or secondary forest to trap silt from entering the waterway.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )RI and RP urged to adopt ASEAN haze deal
-The Jakarta Post-
Southeast Asia civil groups, think tanks and scholars have urged Indonesia and the Philippines to ratify the ASEAN Haze Agreement in an effort to curb recurring haze pollution that has interrupted daily activities and caused health risks in neighboring countries.
Representatives from more than 44 different civil organizations met in Kuala Lumpur this week for the “Third Dialogue on Transboundary Haze Pollution”, jointly organized by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) and the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.
“Wherever its primary source, forest fires and the resultant haze have become common problems for ASEAN neighbors, threatening human, economic and ecological well-being across borders,” ISIS chairman and CEO Mohamed Jawhar Hassan said in a press release.
“It’s a serious recurrent phenomenon that requires earnest collective consultation and effective coordinated response.”
Indonesia’s House of Representatives refused to ratify a haze bill in 2007 that would have seen Jakarta ratify the 2002 ASEAN agreements, saying it would only undermine Jakarta’s interest. If Indonesia ratified the agreement, the government would have to amend many of its regulations on pollution by adding a clause on zero burning and controlled burning practices.
“Controlling haze pollution is as hard as controlling illegal logging, given the size of our country and its forests, and in the face of a limited number of local monitoring officials,” said Alvin Lie, a legislator at that time.
“While ASEAN members have pushed us to ratify the agreement, they did not take into consideration our demand to include provisions about transboundary illegal logging and illegal fishing, which have also been seriously plaguing our country.”
The ASEAN Transboundary Haze Agreement was signed in 2002 and came into effect in 2003 without the participation of Indonesia or the Philippines. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Haze has become a chronic problem between Indonesia and its neighbors Malaysia and Singapore. The two neighboring nations said the 1997 fires triggered respiratory problems for more than 20 million people in the Southeast Asian region and the closure of major regional airports because of thick haze.
“Forest fires are not only impacting the Southeast Asian countries’ economies and the health of the people in this region, but are also releasing a huge amount of greenhouse gases and contributing to the runaway climate change,” said Bustar Maitar, a Greenpeace Southeast Asia forest campaigner.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Red tide event at dangerous level in Sabah waters
-Malaysiakini.com-
Sabah waters along the West Coast have been hit by the Red Tide Phenomenon (RTP) which is at an extremely dangerous level is expected to prevail until March next year.
The situation is expected to worsen from December to February when unusually heavy rains fall.
Sabah Department of Fisheries (SDF) director Rayner Steul Galid said the detection was made in recent days under its year-long Red Tide Monitoring Programme (RTMP).
“The SFD has detected a high presence of Paralytic Shell Fish Poisoning (PSP) toxins in samples of kerang-kerangan (bivalves),” said Galid. “Samples taken from Sepanggar Bay and Pulau Gaya and in the waters off Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran show high levels of PSP toxins.”
Four-hundred Mouse Units (MU) is the lowest danger-level for humans. Samples taken by the SFD showed levels of up to 5,000 MU.
The RTP, according to Galid, seems to be also spreading to the Sitompok Lake area of Kuala Penyu and Papar along the West Coast.
“There is a high possibility that adjoining districts will be affected as well,” warned Galid.
Samples of tiram and dalus taken by the SFD at the weekly tamu (fair) in Donggongon and Penampang also contain near-toxic levels of PSP. A public alert has been issued.
They are advised to refrain from collecting shellfish including tiram (sea oysters), kupang (mussels), kerang (cockles), bivalves (remis, dalus, lokan) and any type of clam-like seafood and bivalves, either for consumption, sale to members of the public or export.
According to Galid, the types of seafood that are safe to eat include all types of prawns and crabs including shovel-nosed lobsters, mantis shrimps, all types of coral fish and fish which are predatory such as sharks and stingrays, barracuda, tenggiri, jacks and deep sea fish.
A danger to human life
However, consumers are advised to throw away the guts and gills of any fish and wash the remainder properly before cooking them for consumption.
Cage fish operators are being advised by the SFD to be on the lookout for “algal blooms” as it can suffocate the fish. This happens when the oxygen content in water is depleted by the RTP.
Any type of dried, canned, bottled or salted products is safe to be eaten, according to the SFD.
Anyone with symptoms such as tingling of lips and tongue, prickly sensation on the skin and difficulties in breathing after eating sea food food, said Galid, “must seek medical attention and treatment immediately at the nearest hospital or clinic”. Failure to do so may result in the victim going into shock and cardiac arrest.
The RTP is caused by a “population explosion” of toxic, naturally occurring microscopic plankton, specifically a sub-group known as dinoflagellates. The population explosion imparts a brownish-red colour to the sea surface.
“These micro-organisms usually do not represent a health threat. It is only when they eaten in large numbers by filter feeding sealife such as shellfish that render these shellfish toxic because of the accumulation in their guts,” said Galid. “Some fish which eat these organisms or other sea life that eat the dinoflagellates can also become toxic.”
The RTP, according to Galid, could also be caused by the increase in nutrients in the sea because of the more than usual churning of the sea bed. Another cause may be because of the extended lower temperature brought about by the rains especially during the heavy season, he added.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )A forum without technical data won’t help: Masidi
THE Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa) has the right to voice out objection to Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s (TNB) plan to build the coal-fired power plant at the Lahad Datu coastline in the Dent Peninsula, said Tourism, Environment and Culture Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun.
“They have every right to protest but to me we should not take their comment negatively,” he said, adding the Government can learn from criticisms.
He was asked to comment on Sepa President Wong Tack voicing concerns over the plan to set up the coal-fired power plant. Sepa is among noted proponents against the TNB’s proposal to set up the coal-fired power plant in Sabah, despite several assurances from the TNB and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd that the facility would not be detrimental to the environment.
According to Masidi, enough had been said on the issue by all those concerned but even though the announcement had been made (by the Prime Minister) it was assumed that it must comply with all the regulations before it can be carried out.
On the issue of Sepa calling for a public forum before the studies, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, are conducted, he said:
“This is a question of chicken and egg really, but it might be more appropriate for the public forum to be held after the report is completed rather than before because you will have all the technical data.”
Meanwhile, the Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF) supports the call by Sepa for a public forum. BHF Chairman, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan in a statement said the forum was crucial as the coal-fired power plant issue was of great concern to the environment and lives of people affected.
“Prevention of damage to the environment and the ecological system is better than having to repair the disastrous damage later on.
“Thus, the Government should call for a public forum to gather input and feedback on the proposed coal plant in Lahad Datu,” he said.
Dr Jeffrey who is also the Vice President Parti Keadilan Rakyat said the forum should also discuss power alternatives and the effects of global climate change.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Indonesia spot fires sending haze into Malaysia
-channelnewsasia.com-
JAKARTA – The number of haze-causing spot fires on Indonesia’s half of Borneo island have more than doubled since the start of the week, sending pollution into neighbouring Malaysia, officials said Tuesday.
“Today’s monitoring via satellite shows the increase in the number of hot spots is significant,” forestry ministry official Herman Prayitno told AFP.
On Tuesday 353 hot spots caused by land clearing were recorded in West and Central Kalimantan, on Borneo island, compared with 159 on Monday, Prayinto said.
“There have been 31,958 hot spots this year so far, compared with 31,000 over the whole of last year,” he said.
Fires used in slash-and-burn agriculture are the source of choking smoke that that shrouds the region annually during the dry season.
The website of Malaysia’s environment department said Tuesday that air pollution from fires had reached “unhealthy levels” in three areas in Sarawak state, which is also on Borneo.
Annual haze during the dry season, which ends around September, affects tourism and contributes to health problems across the region.
The haze often reaches mainland Malaysia and Singapore, frequently sending air pollution to unhealthy levels.
Indonesia’s government has outlawed land-clearing by fire but weak law enforcement means the ban is largely ignored.
Greenhouse gas emissions from forest fires and land-clearing in Indonesia have helped the country become the world’s third-largest contributor to climate change, according to some studies.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )MPSJ gets tough on indiscriminate dumping
-The Star-
THOSE who are nabbed for indiscriminate dumping will be slapped with a fine of up to RM2,000, Subang Jaya municipal councillor Tai Cheng Heng said.
“This problem has been going on for years. I believe this happens everywhere, but the situation in Seri Kembangan is deplorable.
Act of defiance: Rubbish is strewn around a sign prohibiting illegal dumping.“Although Alam Flora workers clean the area, the problem persists.
“Each hawker has to manage the waste himself, instead of dumping it elsewhere. Enforcement officers will be stationed there to catch the culprits,” he said.
A check by StarMetro revealed that rubbish was thrown outside the compound of the Seri Kembangan multipurpose hall and into the drains.
Rubbish was also strewn around a sign prohibiting illegal dumping.
Shopowner Yau Kim Boi, who has been doing business in the area for the past 31 years, is one of those affected by the indiscriminate dumping as it is near her shop.
“The problem has been going on for almost 10 years, after the number of traders in the market increased.
“Although the Alam Flora workers come to clean the area every morning, some hawkers will dump their rubbish after the morning market closes, dirtying the place again,” she said.
She noticed that some traders who sold food would pour the excess soup into the drains.
Aside from the stench, she is also worried that the unhygenic condition would affect the health of residents.
“Of late, there are many mosquitoes and I’m using two fans to keep them away.”
Tai also encouraged the public to take photographs of those dumping rubbish indiscriminately so that they could be used as evidence in court.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Long-term strategy on automobile industry sought
-The Star- FOR much of the late 1980s and the 1990s, Malaysia revelled in the vibrancy of its auto business. National car makes ruled over the industry with a massive market share that would have made any auto company envious.
Naturally, having at that point also the largest auto market in South East Asia made the country attractive to foreign car manufacturers that wanted a slice of the local market.
The interest from foreign car manufacturers to venture into Malaysia was strong and intense. Lobbying to get in through the door came from all sides, but the Government resisted and turned away proposals for companies that would set up competing businesses with the national car makes.
Quietly, Thailand saw that the foreign players were keen on entering the Asean market, and thus established its own auto hub in Rayong with a slew of incentives that made financial sense for the big names to locate there. The rest, as they say, is history.
As Thailand drew more investments, its manufacturing base also grew. Companies there started building cars and a vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of cars built yearly are for export. With those investments, a huge number of jobs were created and the auto industry there started to grow in depth and breadth.
The general consensus is that Malaysia dropped the ball on that score and apparently had to play catch-up when it introduced the National Automotive Policy (NAP) in 2005.
The NAP spelled out a strategy that the Government hoped would essentially make Malaysia a regional auto hub, improve the national car companies’ competitiveness, promote an export-oriented industry and enhance the value-added of the local auto industry.
But did it work?
Sales of vehicles was 552,000 units in the year the policy was introduced. Over the next three years, annual total industry volume never surpassed that figure, coming close though in 2008.
Part of it was down to the adjustments the NAP had caused in the industry, particularly the steeper-than-normal fall in the price of used cars and the increase in the docket price of the previously popular Korean cars.
Since then, the stakes have been raised. Indonesia has emerged as a viable alternative to Thailand and the nighbouring country too has witnessed the entry of foreign players into its auto manufacturing business.
Now, the NAP is being reviewed, and preliminary details indicate that the industry will be structured a little differently.
“We want the Government to come up with a long-term strategy and policy where investors know they can benefit from,’’ says one market observer.
It was reported that in a big U-turn, licencing requirements for foreign companies to establish manufacturing and assembly operations here will be loosened and efforts to grow the auto component industry will be intensified.
Whether the foreign companies will go for the new carrot will depend also on a host of other details, chiefly, just how level the playing field will be in the country.
While Thailand has a big auto base, there are factors that work in Malaysia’s benefit. Competitiveness is one aspect and so is its already entrenched auto industry and its logistics strength.
The hope for the new NAP, it is learnt, is for existing and new companies to invest more in the manufacturing and production of automobiles in the country, thus increasing the number of job opportunities for Malaysians.
While the Government would like to attract more investments in traditional auto manufacturing, it is learnt that incentives will likely be given to companies to manufacture green, eco-friendly vehicles in Malaysia.
The willingness of companies to invest in green and sustainable technologies is apparent. Billions are being spent to research and develop cleaner and less fossil fuel-reliant engines and vehicles.
The demonstration of the intent of companies to invest billions of dollars in higher-tech auto businesses has been proven by Thailand’s push for its own eco-car project.
While the efforts to attract major auto manufacturers and next generation cars will dominate the focus of any policy, the revised NAP will also look to help the auto component industry.
The component companies, which have been under pressure following the liberalisation of local content rules years ago, have survived and in some cases thrived in Malaysia. The expertise is there and that has been shown by Volkswagen wanting to incorporate some of the local vendors into its global sourcing unit.
But the help will not stop there. The Government intends to promote the use of genuine parts and components and the importation of “half-cuts” could be done away with. Vehicle type standards will also be looked at.
Whether the revised NAP will work is left to be seen. The risk of sitting idly and hoping global car companies will accept our current industry structure is too great. Malaysia may have dropped the ball, but we surely cannot afford to miss the boat.
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Environmental Development in Malaysia 