In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
A new generation of drugs made from nature, from antibiotics to treatments for cancer, may be lost unless the world acts to stop biodiversity loss, according to a new book. These developments could come from chemicals made by frogs, bears and pine trees, but the authors of "Sustaining Life" warned …
Oil, environment, lifestyle fuel Asia's 2-wheeler boom Agence France-Presse . Singapore Record high oil prices, environmental concerns, affluent lifestyles as well as the need to dodge city traffic are driving a boom in Asia's motorcycle and bicycle market, industry figures say. The rediscovery of cycling as a way to keep …
The Singapore government has released its national strategy to address climate change. The plan identifies improving energy efficiency for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. "This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while reducing the cost of living and doing business, and enhancing energy security,' says the environment ministry. There will also be …
As the water purveyor of Singapore, the Public Utilities Board (PUB), aims at ensuring efficient, adequate and sustainable supply of water. In an interview with Everything About Water Khoo Teng Chye, Chief Executive, PUB, talks about the initiatives taken by the board and how their efforts have been successful.
This article traces how Singapore-with no natural aquifers or groundwater-goes from having inadequate supplies to winning awards for exemplary water management.
Five southeast Asian countries have recently endorsed a joint plan of action to fight the haze caused by Indonesian forest fires. The haze was at its worse this season, leading to the closure of airports, offices and schools. It affected much of the southeast Asia for months until rains a …
Researchers have developed what could be used as an effective preventive drug against bird flu. In a study published online in the website of the journal Respiratory Research, researchers have revealed that they have created antibodies against the avian flu virus H5N1 that work in mice both as a preventive …
Ministers from southeast Asian nations (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei) recently met in Indonesia's Sumatra island to discuss plans to tackle Indonesian forest fires. The countries told the Indonesian government to formally ratify an Association of South East Asian Nations haze treaty before expecting major funding from it. Indonesia …
The Association of South-East Asian Nations (asean) recently signed a trade agreement with the us, which experts say will lead to more trade and investment alliances between the two regions . The agreement was signed between the us trade representative Susan Schwab and ministers of the 10 asean countries (Brunei, …
NHPC EERS: An Assam-based NGO, River Basin's Friends, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). The petition claims that while implementing the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh, NHPC violated an earlier order. It also claimed NHPC was dumping debris in …
mosquito repellent: A bird found in Alaska is believed to emit a natural mosquito repellent, according to Hector Douglas, a researcher at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The crested auklet gives off a citrus smell that repels mosquitoes and pests such as ticks and lice. An analysis of the chemicals …
Hundreds of forest fires in the dry jungles of Malaysia, Indonesia's Sumatra island and Singapore have put a thick blanket of smoke over many Southeast Asian cities. Although a little less in intensity than the haze that covered the region nearly a decade ago, this dark cloud has its share …
• The European Commission gave the green light to five national plans (naps) for the European Union greenhouse gas emission trading scheme and offered conditional approval to three more. The development marks an important step forward for the scheme, which is due for launch in January. Meanwhile, the Commission is …
Polar bears are distinguishable by their snow-white fur. But a baffling sight awaits visitors to the Singapore zoo: the coat of the bulky Arctic beasts housed there have taken on a bright green hue. Initial speculation about the animal being spray-painted to camouflage it was scotched, with the zoo spokesperson …
Singapore may just have discovered a remedy to reduce water wastage at the household level. The city is known for its long-standing efforts at saving water through recycling water and promoting rainwater harvesting. Now, they have started the
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (itlos) at Hamburg, Germany, has directed Singapore not to carry out land reclamation work in a way that is damaging to the marine environment, or to Malaysian interests. The court, however, rejected Malaysia's plea seeking a complete suspension of the activity …
The first day of a multilateral conference involving most of the world’s nations is usually spent on procedural matters. So it was at Cancun, Mexico, where the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was held from September 11 to September 14, 2003. After the usual ceremonial inauguration, …
At Cancun (“snakepit” in Spanish), it was widely expected that negotiations on agriculture would make or break the talks. However, delegates were quick to point to two other issues as equally damaging: (a) the manner in which the Cotton Initiative was methodically dismissed by the US; and (b) the poisonous …
What kind of ripples were let loose by the breakdown of talks? Celso Amorim, Brazil's minister of external relations and leader of the G-22 group, felt that the lack of engagement (of developing nations) in the Singapore issues, which mirrored the lack of engagement (of the developed world) on agriculture, …
