Category: Environment

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Economics Environment Liberty Politics & government Society

[1181] Of a way to celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day falls on April 22 every year and the next Earth Day is about five days away. Those that care should start things running by reading The Power of Green at the NYT:

One day Iraq, our post-9/11 trauma and the divisiveness of the Bush years will all be behind us — and America will need, and want, to get its groove back. We will need to find a way to reknit America at home, reconnect America abroad and restore America to its natural place in the global order — as the beacon of progress, hope and inspiration. I have an idea how. It’s called “green.” [The Power of Green. Thomas L. Friedman. NYT. April 15 2007]

This is possible of those of writing that shakes the green world. If I am not mistaken, the last writing of such importance was The Death of Environmentalism.

The article is pretty long. If you are interesting in watch a video on it instead, go to the video section of the NYT.

Categories
Environment Society

[1170] Of Kota Damansara Community Forest Park is being threatened

At Wong Chun Wai (via the Malaysian Nature Society):

Many city folk who wanted to live near a green lung bought houses and land to build bungalows, believing that the state government would be committed to protecting the 100-year-old forest.

But residents at Section 8, 9 and 10 now feel cheated. They are also appalled at the eagerness of the state government in wanting to bulldoze through its plans in a high-handed manner without any respect for the views of the affected residents.

First, they were told that a cemetery would be created next to their land and now, to their horror, they found that the Petaling Jaya Structural Plan 2020 has bigger plans to develop the reserve.

[…]

It is already bad enough that the cemetery issue has divided the community — one group that wants the cemetery but most of whom do not live in the area while the other group is the one affected and is understandably against it.

[…]

More importantly, there is a huge track of land in Sungai Buloh already reserved as a burial ground. However, according to Mokhtar, it has been found to be unsuitable for burial. It has been said that the burial ground in several areas have been found to be too rocky but surely the authorities may want to consider remedial work. If an open sea can be reclaimed and mountains removed, surely it would not be an engineering feat.

[…]

It is commendable that the protesters, comprising residents of all races, have stood together despite attempts to use race and religion to break their solidarity.

These residents have expressed their disgust at such shameful tactics by certain individuals to intimidate and coax them into silence.

Elected representatives, regardless of their race or religion, should not tolerate any use of gangsterism to scare off those who do not share their views. It is utterly shameful.

[…]

The affected residents have stated that they are NOT against the setting up of a cemetery but are against the de-gazetting of the forest and the manner it had been carried out. Sadly, the cemetery issue has been used to rally support from some misinformed constituents. [A grave matter. Wong Chun Wai. April 8 2007]

It is disgusting to see how some people use race and religion to de-gazette a forest reserve. The next time the MNS conducts a visit to Kota Damansara, I am going to lend a hand.

Categories
Environment Science & technology

[1162] Of the second part of the AR4

The second part of the Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been released, two months after the first part was published.

In the associated Summary for Policymaker report (SPM):

  • Observational evidence from all continents and most oceans shows that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases. (Page 2)
  • A global assessment of data since 1970 has shown it is likely6 that anthropogenic warming has had a discernible influence on many physical and biological systems. (Page 3)
  • Other effects of regional climate changes on natural and human environments are emerging, although many are difficult to discern due to adaptation and non-climatic drivers. (Page 4)

What we know on anthropogenic climate change?

  • More specific information is now available across a wide range of systems and sectors concerning the nature of future impacts, including for some fields not covered in previous assessments. (Page 7)
  • More specific information is now available across the regions of the world concerning the nature of future impacts, including for some places not covered in previous assessments. (Page 10)
  • Magnitudes of impact can now be estimated more systematically for a range of possible increases in global average temperature. (Page 14)
  • Impacts due to altered frequencies and intensities of extreme weather, climate, and sea level events are very likely to change. (Page 16)
  • Some large-scale climate events have the potential to cause very large impacts, especially after the 21st century. (Page 17)

About our possible response to anthropogenic climate change:

  • Some adaptation is occurring now, to observed and projected future climate change, but on a limited basis. (Page 18)
  • Adaptation will be necessary to address impacts resulting from the warming which is already unavoidable due to past emissions. (Page 18)
  • A wide array of adaptation options is available, but more extensive adaptation than is currently occurring is required to reduce vulnerability to future climate change. There are barriers, limits and costs, but these are not fully understood. (Page 18)
  • Vulnerability to climate change can be exacerbated by the presence of other stresses. (Page 19)
  • Future vulnerability depends not only on climate change but also on development pathway. (Page 19)
  • Sustainable development can reduce vulnerability to climate change, and climate change could impede nations’ abilities to achieve sustainable development pathways. (Page 19)
  • Many impacts can be avoided, reduced or delayed by mitigation. (Page 20)
  • A portfolio of adaptation and mitigation measures can diminish the risks associated with climate change. (Page 20)
  • Impacts of climate change will vary regionally but, aggregated and discounted to the present, they are very likely to impose net annual costs which will increase over time as global temperatures increase. (Page 20)

In the report, the media seems to be zeroing on one point: the winners and losers of climate change. The esteemed NYT has a great graphics on the matter. The BBC has produced another graphics describing the effects of climate change all over the world. At the BBC:

The supply of water is very likely to increase at higher latitudes and in some wet tropics, including populous areas in east and southeast Asia. It is very likely to decrease over much of the mid-latitudes and dry tropics, which are presently water-stressed areas. [Climate change around the world. BBC News. April 6 2007]

From the SPM itself:

Copyrights by the IPCC. Fair use.

Copyrights by the IPCC. Fair use.

For more legend, read the part 2 of the AR4.

In January in the aftermath of New Orleans of Malaysia, the government promised a report of climate change. Where is that report now, I wonder?

Categories
Earthly Strip Environment

[1156] Of Earthly Strip: UMNO-PAS the environmental warriors

Upon news of the devastation of Lojing broke out, UMNO Kelantan immediately seizes the opportunity to grab a couple of brownie points by appointing itself as the guardian of the environment:

KOTA BAHARU, March 31 (Bernama) — Kelantan Umno has set up an action committee to check the ecological damage due to excessive logging at Lojing Highlands, which is said to be worse than anticipated and rather complex in nature.

Chairman of the State Umno Liaison Committee Datuk Seri Annuar Musa said Saturday non-governmental organisations were invited to join the committee which would compile data on the damage with information from various agencies. [Umno Forms Committee To Check Damage At Lojing Highlands. Bernama. March 31 2007]

PAS meanwhile declares that the party is “pushing for total conservation of the environment“, despite what is happening in Lojing:

KOTA BARU: Kelantan PAS plans to use a helicopter to conduct aerial inspection of hilly areas in other states to check for environmental damage.

Its secretary, Takiyuddin Hassan, said the party would hire a consultant who would be accompanied by knowledgeable government officials to inspect the development of hilly terrain in other states.

“We are pushing for total conservation of the environment. We are aiming for it in Kelantan, but can other states follow suit?” he said in an interview. [Look at damage in other states first, says Kelantan. The Star. April 1 2007]

Methinks:

Some rights reserved. By Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams

Categories
Economics Environment

[1155] Of a solution to climate change

There is a template in economics that deals with tragedy of the commons: permits.

And this is how it looks like when applied to replenishable commodity like fishes, graphically:

Some rights reserved. By Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams

This is exactly the case in the rationale behind the proposed legalization of turtle eggs collection.

I myself learned about the model at Michigan to solve scarcity issue faced by the fishing industry in northwestern US; the Pacific. In fact, the graph is a reproduction of the original diagram I learned during a cold fall day in Ann Arbor.

For water scarcity faced by the states along the Colorado River, the same idea of introducing tradable permits to combat tragedy of the commons is used. In the NYT a few days ago, the fishery model was cited as a solution to combat another tragedy of the commons; the climate:

Later today, Mr. Festa is going to release a fascinating study about the fishing business that on its face has nothing to do with global warming, and yet has everything to do with a solution. At dozens of the nation’s fisheries, the fish population is in danger because fishermen have no incentive not to take everything out of the water that they can. But 10 fisheries, stretching from the halibut fishery off Alaska to the surf clam industry in New England, have tried a different route. [Earth’s Climate Needs the Help of Incentives. NYT. March 28 2007.]

Tradable carbon credits, which is essentially tradable permits, is part of the Kyoto Protocol.