Renewables see 'resilient

growth' in 2009

By Mark KinverScience and environment reporter, BBC News

By Mark Kinver

Science and environment reporter, BBC News

Harnessing power from the Sun is one of the fastest growing energy sectors

The building of new renewable energy sources continued to outstrip new fossil fuel power plants in Europe and the US during 2009, a report has shown.

The UN-backed study said renewables accounted for 60% of new electricity generation capacity in Europe.

And in the US, green electricity accounted for more than half of the generation capacity built last year.

The authors added that renewables were set to outpace conventional energy sources across the globe next year.

The global status report, produced by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), said green power had reached a "clear tipping point" during 2010.

"Renewables comprised fully one-quarter of global power capacity and delivered 18% of global electricity supply in 2009," it stated in its review of the preceding 12 months.

The authors said the year was "unprecedented in the history of renewable energy, despite the headwinds posed by the global financial crisis, lower oil prices and slow progress with climate policy".

One of the forces propelling the sector's strong showing, they added, was the "potential to create new industries and millions of new jobs".

The findings also showed that emerging economies were also embracing the new technologies, especially China, which added 37 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity last year - more than any other nation in the world.

CONTINUE READING HERE

Tigers in peril in Bangladesh

I came across this story on the Al-Jazeera website. The report clearly flags an early taste of things to come as global warming changes our environment. Because of rising sea level, the farmers of the Sunderbands in Bangladesh, have been forced inland into Royal Bengal tiger territory to search for food and, as a result, have themselves become prey.

It's not appropriate to blame the tigers. From their perspective, these humans have encroached into their territory are now competing with them for food. Can't blame the humans either, their fields are now underwater and they've got to feed their families.

Imagine how many other animal-human conflicts, like this one, climate change is spawning. I wonder how we are going to respond? Hopefully we won't get caught up in an "us or them" mind-set. It would be a great tragedy if the Royal Bengal tiger population is decimated because we humans couldn't find an alternative solution. In the case of the Sunderband tigers, one alternative would be to relocate the farmers - give them land somewhere else so that both communities could carry on enjoying existing.

This situation makes me realise how ill-prepared we really are for dealing with the practicalities of climate change. For example, if the Gulf Stream turns-off, which is looking likely, most of Europe, Canada and a large proportion of the USA will be plunged into an ice-age. Our notions of nationality and ownership are going to have to be seriously revised as we open our minds, hearts and borders to the millions of people who will be permanently displaced. "Us or them" just doesn't cut it! I hope we're up to it.

Ministry stops tiger photos at A'Famosa.

The A' Famosa Resort was told to stop using abusing tigers back in April according to a letter sent to Malaysiakini from a representative of the secretary general of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

It said it had already instructed the resort's management to put a halt to the tiger photo sessions in April, following complaints from the public. The letter also says that the wildlife department is investigating the YouTube video that sparked the current wave of public condemnation of A'Famosa's treatment of tigers. To see the video, just scroll down this page.

The wildlife department also promises to take firm action against anyone found guilty of abusing animals and urges the public to report animal abuse at: Tel: 03-9086 6800, Email: pakp@wildlife.gov.my or via the e–Aduan channel.

One hopes this pledge is sincere and not part of the normal whitewash normally associated with the government and its departments these days. I notice, with ill-ease, how the letter states the reason for the ban was due to public outrage, rather than respect for this magnificent animal's intrinsic rights. I'm going to do exactly as they request and bombard the department with reports of animal abuse to see how genuine they are. Want to join me?

And while we're about it, let's not restrict ourselves to 'wild' captive animals. Most pet shops and many dog-keeping citizens should be called to task for keeping their pets in cages 24/7, with no exercise at all. Then there are the numerous abuses that animal farmers and meat producers inflict on animals each and everyday. And what about the traditional medicine, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, who either abuse animals during product testing, or create a demand for animal parts?

Convincing industries, governments and populations that all animals have an equal right to exist freely, without being exploited, is a massive undertaking. So, in the paraphrased words of Mission Impossible, "Your mission, If you wish to accept it, is to do everything you can to raise public awareness about the rights of all animals." Homo Sapiens included - though that one through a different ministry!

Tiger abuse gets people snarling

After seeing the horrific video of tiger abuse at A'Famosa Resort, a growing number of concerned citizens have formed a Facebook action group and are planning a day trip to the resort on Saturday May 29th to plead for better treatment for wildlife living in captivity.

You can access the Facebook group page here, or click here for news about Saturday's event.

I urge everyone reading this blog to participate in ending animal abuse by disseminating this information, boycotting A 'Famosa and lobbying for more stringent awareness of animal rights.

A-Famosa Resort caught on video abusing tiger

Prepare to be horrified!

I found this at Free Malaysia Today. How anyone could behave like this just for a photo opportunity is beyond belief. Shame on A Famosa and shame on all the tourists who collude with this obscene practice by posing for photos. What's wrong with you?

Full story here.

NO MORE OFFSHORE DRILLING

A monstrous oil spill is gushing as much as 2,500,000

gallons of crude a day into the Gulf of Mexico.

Before the spill, U.S. President Obama and Congressional leaders were planning to ramp up offshore drilling. Now, with the spill, the politics have shifted-- and an opportunity has opened for the world's biggest historical climate polluter to shift away from oil and towards climate-safe energy sources.

This disaster is expected to be catastrophic for the land and people in the gulf. The oil has already reached land, contaminating wildlife sanctuaries. Authorities are so concerned about the impacts of more oil reaching land that they are prefer to set the gulf on fire, burning as much of the oil as possible.

Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry is raking in windfall profits. BP, which operated the sunken rig, more than doubled its first quarter profits in 2010 to $5.65 billion.

For years, the world has waited for the U.S. to step up on climate. But with the carbon lobby's strangle-hold on Washington, we’ve had more drilling in place of stronger investment in cleaner, safer energy sources. It’s time to for a change -- Senator Bill Nelson of Florida has already introduced legislation to repeal plans to expand offshore drilling. Let's back him up with an outpouring of global public outrage. Sign the petition calling on President Obama and Congress to end offshore drilling, and take the US and the world to clean energy future:

At a moment like this, when leaders are making up their minds, the world's voices can help tip the balance. Sign the petition urging the U.S. to stop offshore drilling and invest instead in clean renewable energy -- the signatures will be delivered to the White House in Washington DC when we reach 500,000! Click to sign on now and spread the word:

DIRTY BUSINESS

It would appear that either the Selangor State government is totally discombobulated (in a state of confusion) or they are just as embroiled in the same crony politics as their predecessors from BN.  

Last Thursday they agreed to give Worldwide Holdings Berhad's environment division Worldwide Landfills Sdn. Bhd. RM6.5 million of rate payers money  to close an old landfill that the federal government had already spent RM2 million to close in 2004.  And if this isn't crazy enough, on November 25th 2008, Mentri Besar, Khalid Ibrahim, gave a privately funded green tech company the go-ahead to rehabilitate the same landfill. Furthermore, a representative from that green tech company was instructed to attend Thursday's meeting, asked to sign the attendance register before the meeting started and was then barred from the meeting itself.

The landfill in question, Sg.Kembong, is the 85 acre site at Bukit Mahkota near Beranang, Selangor.  Ever since the landfill was closed in 2004 there has been sporadic leachate contamination of the Bernanang and Semenyih rivers and this is currently being exacerbated by an illegal sand mining operation in the area which is eroding the river bank right back to the landfill.

CLEAR, the green tech company that M.B.Khalid appointed to clean up the site, have already contained the leachate away from the river and have started to mine the garbage to produce refuse derived fuel (RDF) which is used as a renewable energy source for steam turbines and cement kilns.  Their Waste to Energy approach will leave the site clear of all garbage and contaminants so that it can be handed back to the state government for further development when their present 21-year lease runs out.  The income CLEAR will get from the recoverable items plus RDF mined from the site allows them to offer this service free of charge to the Selangor government.

So why has the Selangor government now decided to give Worldwide Holdings Berhad RM6.5 million to close this site?  

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Selangor State Finance officer, Mohd Arif Bin AB Rahman (left) is the chairman of Worldwide Holdings Berhad and the head of PKNS, Othman Bin Hj.Omar (right) is a director of that same company.  

Or maybe it's because Exco members Hassan Mohd. Ali and Ronnie Liu who are respectively in charge of waste management and the local authorities, are not on the same page as the chief minister.

As for Worldwide Holdings Berhad, their track record isn't that great.  The Selangor State Government gave them RM80 million to build a waste transfer station in Section 21 Shah Alam which was due to be completed in 2007 but is still not operating.  Furthermore, Worldwide's method of closing landfills doesn't entail removing and re-using the waste in the way thatthe CLEAR approach does.  Both the Taman Beringen and Bukit Hitam landfills, which have recently been closed by Worldwide, have just been covered with soil and landscaped with grass and shrubs.  And they charge between RM2-5 million for this service whereas the CLEAR solution is free.

 

So what can we learn from this:

1. Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim is obviously concerned about his state and the people who live in 

    it. By approving the rehabilitation project with CLEAR he didn't spend a single sen and in 

    exchange Selangor state get a pristine piece of land.

2. Exco members Hassan Mohd. Ali, and Ronnie Liu are incredibily inefficient or are deliberately 

    disrespecting their MB's authority.  Either way this needs to be addressed.

3. Mohd Arif Bin AB. Rahman (State Finance Office) and Othman Bin Haji Omar (head of PKNS) 

    are using their positions to award contracts to themselves.

Selangor has 20 landfills waiting to be closed.  Surely the decision as to whether to pay around RM120 million of rate payer's money to a company like Worldwide to do this, or to go for the free option offered by companies like CLEAR is a no brainer, isn't it?