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Published on 19 July 2019 Malaysia
Lay Sremeth and her family have lived on a narrow stretch of land by Phnom Penh’s Boeung Tompoun lake for three decades, fishing in its water and growing rice on its bank. But shortly after authorities approved filling in parts of the lake with sand and mud 10 years ago to build malls and apartments, they could not fish or farm anymore. Now, with just…
Published on 19 July 2019
Parts of Thailand are facing their worst drought in 50 years. Farmers in some parts of the north and northeast say that the situation is the “worst in living memory”, as reported in Sanook. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department says Thailand will experience the worst drought in at least a decade, with average precipitation across large regions of the country falling far short of the monthly averages.…
Published on 19 July 2019 Philippines
The country’s transition towards a green economy is getting a much-needed boost with the significant financial resources from the private sector in “green” projects. At the recent 2019 Asia-Pacific High-Level Forum on Green Economy in Bangkok, Thailand, Undersecretary Ferdinand Pecson, executive director of the Public-Private Partnership Center (PPP Center), shared to forum participants how the Philippines attracts “green” investments. The PPP is a…
Published on 19 July 2019 Philippines
Local communities are essential to managing risks and building resilience in the era of climate change, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). In a statement delivered at the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2019: A High-Level Roundtable Discussion in New York, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said the community-driven disaster-risk reduction is the country’s “best hope” when disasters strike. “Let me emphasize that…
Published on 17 July 2019 Feature
“We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that … we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22-23). Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: In 1988, we issued a groundbreaking Pastoral Letter on Ecology entitled, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land?” In its opening paragraph, we noted, “Our small…
Published on 5 July 2019 Philippines
Mugs made of bamboo, bowls from coconut shells, and plates from banana leaves. These are the new utensils being used at the canteen of Bulata National High School (BNHS) in Cauayan, Negros Occidental as the school promotes a plastic-free culture in providing meals and snacks for its more than 400 students and teachers. The concept is inspired by the “Wala Usik” Sari-Sari Store, an initiative…
Published on 4 July 2019 Singapore
Global sea levels are expected to rise by at least half a meter by the year 2100 due to climate change. The projected rise can affect important environmental factors such as habitat suitability and availability of light, threatening the health and survival of marine ecosystems. For the corals dwelling in the sedimented, turbid waters around Singapore, rising sea levels can imperil species, as those living…
Published on 4 July 2019 Indonesia
Over the past half-century, the rainforests of Borneo have been logged, strip-mined, burned, and converted for monoculture plantations. The forests that local people primarily relied upon for sustenance are now felled to feed commodities into the global market. But the Dayak Iban of Sungai Utik community in Indonesian Borneo has managed to fend off loggers and land invaders from their forest home. Sungai Utik’s efforts…
Published on 3 July 2019 Malaysia
PASIR GUDANG: UNSTABLE and ever-changing Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) readings have made it difficult for the authorities to pinpoint the exact source of the latest health scare affecting the Pasir Gudang district. Energy, Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said monitoring efforts conducted by 85 experts in high-risk schools yesterday had failed to determine the cause of the air pollution, which…
Published on 3 July 2019 Global
As global temperatures reach record highs, providing cooling systems which are effective, sustainable and which do not harm the environment is increasingly essential for everyday life. That’s according to Rachel Kyte, Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy for All, and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL). From the cold chain systems that maintain uninterrupted refrigeration during the delivery…
Published on 3 July 2019 Global
A new study released July 1 in Nature Climate Change gives hope for coral reefs. Launched by the nonprofit Coral Reef Alliance, with lead and senior authors at the University of Washington, the study is one of the first to demonstrate that management that takes evolution and adaptation into account can help rescue coral reefs from the effects of climate change. Importantly, the results show that by making…
Published on 26 June 2019 Philippines
A store in Cebu City is slowly gaining the attention of residents and nearby communities due to its unique payment system. At the Plastic Barter Store, customers won’t have to bring money when they shop for food and assorted goodies. Instead, they would only need to hand over plastic trash. The eco-friendly store, which opened June 15, features various products including canned goods, rice, school…
Published on 26 June 2019 Feature
Pop stars like Lil Dicky and Grimes are using their music and their huge followings to gain vital coverage of climate change. This rise in social media-driven activism shows that a tipping point has been reached in popular culture. It’s been 35 years since Band Aid, when a group of musicians recorded a charity single and performed a concert to raise money and awareness for…
Published on 26 June 2019 Southeast Asia
Environmental groups are calling strongly for national leaders to stop fast rising shipments of plastic and electronic waste to the region. Southeast Asian civil society groups are calling on regional leaders to ban immediately the dumping of foreign plastic and electronic waste in the region. The appeal was made at a press conference in Bangkok as officials prepare to host the 34th Association of Southeast…
Published on 25 June 2019
Every year, June 5 marks World Environment Day. As protecting the environment is a global concern, this international day provides an occasion to question what is being done locally to fight climate change and protect our planet. And as the degradation of the environment will be tougher on future generations, it is no surprise to see the youth raising awareness about the issue both internationally and…
Published on 25 June 2019 Global
WASHINGTON: Greenland’s ice sheet may have completely melted within the next millennium if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate, according to a new study with implications for sea-level rise around the world. The Greenland ice sheet holds the equivalent of seven meters (yards) of sea level. “If we continue as usual, Greenland will melt,” said lead author Andy Aschwanden, a research associate professor…
Published on 25 June 2019 by Michael Tatarski
Cambodia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, with key drivers including demand for timber products, land-use conversion, and urbanization. Extreme temperatures have led to public criticism linking deforestation to unusually hot weather. The Cambodian government has denied this connection, but emerging science provides compelling links between the two issues. As the impacts of climate change become more apparent worldwide, members…
A dead whale filled with plastic trash. Containers of trash shipped back to a foreign country after six years. The problem of plastic waste and the Philippines have different portraitures, including these two, unsheathing concerns on pollution and even tension in foreign relations. What should be included in this imagery, however, is that of the Philippines linking the reduction of plastic waste into its strategy…
Published on 18 June 2019 Malaysia
Malaysia is strongly committed to adhering to the global effort in eradicating single-use plastics in two years. Energy, Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said Malaysia fully supported the amended Basel Convention (on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal) that would take effect in 2021. As a first step, she said, Malaysia had put a stop…
