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Harvested News

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
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
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 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 Myanmar
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
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
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…
Published on 18 June 2019 by Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists (PNEJ) Philippines
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…
Published on 18 June 2019 Cambodia
There’s plenty of awareness among youth today surrounding the current climate crisis, thanks to young activists like Greta Thunberg who has inspired others to push for reform. Schools have been urged to do their part, by not only incorporating sustainability practices in schools but also educating kids on how to be more environmentally-conscious. But how many are actually doing so? In Cambodia, schools really are…
Published on 18 June 2019 by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz Southeast Asia
Man-made pollution continues to be a major threat to the survival of biodiversity and ecosystems across the ASEAN region, according to the Philippines-based ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). Man-made pollution continues to be a major threat to the survival of biodiversity and ecosystems across the ASEAN region, according to the Philippines-based ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). The celebration of the World Environment Day on June…
Published on 18 June 2019 Singapore
The notoriously difficult-to-predict El Niño weather pattern that clouded Singapore in a haze crisis four years ago could be back in some form this year. But this time, the Republic will be better prepared for it. Read more.
Published on 30 May 2019 Thailand
Guwahati: While oceans are regularly coughing up tonnes of plastic dumped through years, a supermarket in Thailand has initiated a small yet significant step towards reducing single-use plastic-- using banana leaves instead of polythene for packing all fruits and vegetables. While reaffirming us that sustainable living without excessive use of plastic is possible, this move also makes us reminisce about such green packaging which we ignore…
Published on 30 May 2019 by INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (CIAT) Vietnam
Through cost-saving practices for coffee, rice, corn, and livestock production, Vietnam can take steps to meet Paris Agreement commitments, says a study that highlights climate action potential for agriculture, forestry and land use in SE Asia As nations look toward 2020, when they will take stock of their actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement, many are seeking ways to increase…
Published on 30 May 2019 Timor-Leste
East Timor generates about 70 tonnes of plastic waste each day, most of which is collected from beaches and urban areas, then burned in the open In a region where seas are awash with trash, East Timor is set to become the world's first country to recycle all its plastic waste after it teamed up with Australian researchers on Friday to build a revolutionary recycling…
Published on 30 May 2019 Singapore
Warnings about the global impact of climate change continue to mount. And Northeastern student Ryan Maia has heard these warnings. But working on a research project in Singapore compelled him to him turn his attention more toward the solutions to climate change than the risks it poses to people and the environment. In 2017, Maia visited Singapore and interviewed government officials, leaders at non-governmental organizations,…
Published on 30 May 2019 Philippines
"It was so beautiful here before... Children were playing in the streets," San Jose said, adding: "Now we always need to use a boat." Most of the former residents have scattered to other parts of the region. Just a handful of families remain in Pariahan, which had its own elementary school, a basketball court, and a chapel before the water flowed in. These days just…
Published on 29 May 2019 Philippines
As early as January 2019, farming communities in the municipalities of Pigkawayan in North Cotabato and Datu Saudi Ampatuan in Maguindanao, both located on the southern island of Mindanao in the Philippines, have started early action planning to prepare for dry conditions brought on by El Niño. This El Niño has been affecting the country since March, and its effects will likely last through August 2019. The…
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