Detrimental Chemicals Poisoning our Homes

I met my former university lecturer a few years ago, when he came over to give a short lecture at the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia, (IEM). He was then already a full professor at the University of Manchester. During my days at Leeds, he has just obtained his Phd and was a young handsome lecturer.

When I told him that I was a full time housewife, his comment was that the kitchen was full of chemicals and was a place where chemical engineering was at work.

An article in the Star on 7th Oct, 2008 quoting an earlier special report in the Los Angeles Times caught my interest and reminds me of Prof Heggs.

Some chemical companies and corporations in California are implementing green chemistry to create safer substances that wont seep into our bloodstream, endanger wildlife and pollute nature.

The greenest products are 100% vegetable, made entirely from renewable, natural feedstocks that are not chemically modified. Less green are those that include minerals or inorganic materials. The least green of all use petrochemicals or animal substances.

That is good news to me. During my Chemical Engineering design lectures I remember they taught us to design process plants that only release steam to the atmosphere. In real life, the last stage is often not included to save costs... at the expense of the environment.

Awareness to save the environment has finally reached the ears of our local engineers too.I am happy to note that the IEM will be holding a talk on the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance in relation to the various recently enacted environmental laws on 24th October.

Our earth will be better looked after once the engineers who shape the world, design everything to be environment -friendly.

Effect of Dumping Exotic Pets in our Rivers

I was not surprised to read NST's reports on alien predators in the rivers of Perak. (See NST 6th Oct). I have earlier commented on this in my posting on 13th August.

The NST reported that:

Local fish in ponds and rivers in Perak and the Klang Valley are in danger of being wiped out due to two highly aggressive predator fishes which are wreaking havoc in the waterways. Environmentalists have raised the alarm that if the biological invasion by the carnivorous peacock bass and the zebra cichlid (both from the cichlid family) is not checked, it will cause havoc on biodiversity and the livelihood of riverine fishermen.

Where these two predator fish are found, they have moved to the top of the fish chain, even attacking the original "king" of Malaysian predator fish, the toman. That is why local fishermen are hauling in fewer toman, haruan, sebarau and udang galah.

These predator fish attack in groups and their prey are known to beach themselves in futile attempts to escape being eaten.

DHI Water and Environment Sdn Bhd environmental consultant Mohd Zambri Mohd Akhir is particularly concerned about the threat posed by the peacock bass.

"Now you can find these fish in Chenderoh, the most downstream dam in Perak. If it enters the other river systems in Malaysia that has unique local species, it is going to cause irreversible damage," warned Zambri.

He said the peacock bass was already robbing riverine fishermen of their livelihood as the problem had been around for nearly a decade.

"Fishermen in Batu Gajah and Tanjung Tualang are already facing this problem as their income has been steadily suffering over the years.

"The supply of udang galah is also greatly reduced, depriving fishermen of a decent income."

The peacock bass is from the Amazon in South America and can grow up to five kilogrammes. It breeds fast and protects its eggs and fry, giving it a high survival rate.

The zebra cichlid from Africa, however, only grows up to palm size, but is known for its notorious feeding habits.

Fisherman Ishanorzaman Jaimit from Kampung Gajah confirmed that there were many peacock bass in the mining ponds and rivers in Perak, but said that they only ate the small fish.

There is also increasing demand for the peacock bass. Fishermen get RM5 per kg for it, while the middlemen sell it for RM6.50 per kg.

The peacock bass is not usually available in restaurants but it is known to make it to the dinner tables of fishermen and anglers who catch it.

Vincent Chin, owner of the Malaysian Fishing Net website, however, insists that the peacock bass is a real threat.

"It was brought into the country as an aquarium fish more than 10 years ago. It is a real nuisance because it feeds on local fish. They are vicious and attack like a pack of wolves," he said.

Another riverine fisherman, Muhammad Isa, said the zebra cichlid, nicknamed ikan belang for its distinctive stripes, was a bigger threat.

"The zebra cichlid is a bigger threat to the local species than the peacock bass," he said.

"In rivers and ponds in my area, the peacock bass is noted for eating only the perimpin (freshwater version of the ikan bilis).

Mohd Zambri Mohd Akhir warned that there were also other alien species in our waterways which were bound to pose problems in the future. He said the Fisheries Department should study potential threats from other alien species and ban the import of any species that could cause environmental havoc in our waterways. He pointed to the ban on the piranha and pacu species. Nik Mohd Rahimi, who manages the Fly Fishing and Lure Casting Centre in Taman Pertanian Bukit Cahaya in Shah Alam, agreed, blaming aquarium fish enthusiasts for the dire situation. He said the arapaima, the largest freshwater fish in South America, has been spotted in Putrajaya and Dengkil.

"When owners find it too costly to maintain the fish, they just release into the waterways."

The government should make a rule to tag the imported fish electronically to prevent owners from disposing them wherever they like. See my earlier post on 17th August.

Doctors' Warning on Performance Enhancing Drinks

The Guardian newspaper carried the following warning yesterday:

Performance enhancing energy drinks should carry prominent health warnings to protect young people from overdosing on caffeine. The warning follows research in the US into 28 energy drinks that found some contained up to 14 times as much caffeine as a can of cola, or the equivalent of 7 cups of strong coffee. The market for caffeine-rich energy drinks has exploded in recent years, causing concern at the lack of regulations to ensure they are consumed safely.

In the UK, drinks containing more than 150mg caffeine per litre must be labelled as "high caffeine content", but there is no upper limit on the amount of caffeine, nor do drinks need to carry warnings of the potential risks of caffeine overdose.

The Food Standards Agency advises pregnant women not to exceed 300mg of caffeine a day.

Roland Griffiths of John Hopkins University surveyed caffeine levels in energy drinks widely available in the US and found that they varied from 50mg for a drink called "Whoop Ass" and 505mg in a drink called "Wired X505". A can of cola contains around 35mg caffeine and a cup of coffee around 75mg.

Some of the drinks are not available yet in the UK save for Cocaine Energy Drink which was launched in August. It contains 280mg or 8 times as much caffeine as a can of cola. One of the best selling energy drink, Red Bull, contains 80mg caffeine.

Prof. Griffiths noticed that these drinks are aggressively marketed to kids in extreme sports and often some of them are making subtle appeals to the illicit drug culture. People drinking 2 cans of these drinks may get caffeine intoxicated. They end up feeling lousy and may end up in the accident and emergency room thinking they have had a heart attack.

Regular drinkers of coffee and tea develop a tolerance to caffeine but Prof Griffiths feels that younger people face a risk of overdosing if they consume high levels of caffeine energy drinks at a younger age.

Prof Griffiths recommends that warning labels be attached to energy drinks. These labels should highlight the risks of having high levels of caffeine which include anxiety attacks, nervousness, rapid heart beat and nausea.

For a person sensitive to caffeine, 200mg is enough to have many symptoms of caffeine intoxication.

Earlier, the anti-drugs advisory group, Drug Education UK warned that schoolchildren are becoming dependent on energy drinks to boost their performance.
Energy drinks are being attacked because of their branding and marketing strategies.

So, my children, please refrain from imbibing the above drinks if you are staying up to study. You don't want to damage your systems and end up in the A&E when you are wanted to be elsewhere especially in the exam hall.

The Man Who Never Throws His Trash

I was intrigued to read in the latest online Time magazine that David Chameides, an award winning cameraman has not thrown out his garbage this year. An average American throws out 1,700 lbs of rubbish last year.Dave stacks all of his non-recyclable trash — including organic waste like food neatly in the basement of his Los Angeles house. He uses a tin box to hold bags of waste paper, and lines the staircase of his basement with used bottles. For organic waste, he put in a worm composter that breaks down leftover food.

Not only does Chameides carefully pack away any waste he creates at home, he also lugs back trash he may have produced outside the home. On a recent vacation to Mexico, Chameides tagged and bagged all the things he would have thrown out, and brought them back with him to the United States. Security officials at the airport in Mexico were understandably confused. "The woman in the security line opened up my bag and saw all the trash," says Chameides. "She said, 'Que esto?' [What is this?] I told her, 'Basura' — garbage. They just laughed and zipped up the bag." What a weirdo!

To reduce the amount of trash he wasn't throwing, Dave Chameides simply cut back on the amount of stuff he consumed in the first place. Given that his nickname is Sustainable Dave, that wasn't too hard. "I'm a non-consumer to begin with," says Chameides. Through about eight months, Chameides kept a little more than 30 lbs. of trash — most of which dates back to the first couple months of the year.The average American, by contrast, would have passed 1,000 lbs by now. "It turned out that it's not that hard," he says. "I'm a pretty normal guy — I just keep my garbage in my basement."

It's easy to mock Chameides's earnest habits, but his quest does highlight an environmental threat that rarely gets attention. Most Americans believe that littering on the street is wrong but throwing something out in a proper trashcan doesn't mean it simply disappears. Taking out the trash is increasingly costly, with major cities like New York now having to truck their garbage hundreds of miles to reach an open dumping space. That means energy and carbon emissions. After visiting his community's landfill, Chameides decided to begin his year of no trash."It's nearly 40 miles away, and they have 13,000 tons of trash coming in every day," he says. "It's going to close in seven years, and then they'll have to ship the trash elsewhere"

Chameides shows that what we really need to do is simply slow down and think about the waste we're creating, and the easy ways to reduce it, before we end up knee deep in our own garbage. "People ask me, 'Why are you doing this?'" he says. "It's because I want to know more about what my waste footprint is. I don't want to be part of the problem, but part of the solution." That's a sentiment that even average Americans should be able to agree with.

In Malaysia too, there are people who do not throw their trash. They keep unused things in the store for years not because they are afraid to fill the landfills but they think they will use the things they store later.I am also guilty of keeping all sorts of things, only to throw them out years later.Although I recycle what is recyclable and buries my kitchen wastes in the garden, I become sentimental when it comes to books and the children's toys. I must remember to donate all the unused clothes, books and toys. So pending that, the house is cluttered with the all these unused items.

Tracking System for Ornamental Fish

In my last post on exotic pets, I mentioned the mutant fish.I remember it now. it is called the flower horn.It originates from Central and South America and survive at water temperatures of around 28 degrees Centigrade.I wonder if it has survived in the wild.Some species can adapt and survive in alien surroundings.

I was pleasantly surprised to read in today's Malaysia Sunday Star that the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry is considering implementing a system to track ornamental fish output as part of its efforts to meet international quality requirements as in the ISO system.This is simply a great idea! The traceability system is meant to track the health of the fish from aquarium to aquarium.

Instead of just focusing on ornamental fish the government should extend this idea to include exotic pets.Tagging of all exotic pets should be done at source either in the exporting country or upon arrival at the quarantine stations.This certainly would help in the efforts to prevent the owners of exotic pets from disposing them anywhere they like once the pets outlive their usefulness.I noticed this is already being done in some states in the USA.

Malaysian authorities should pursue this option in order to protect our indigenous animals from extinction and thus protect our biodiversity.

Wildlife Threats and Protection

Key Threats to Wildlife

1. Habitat Loss ---As population grows, in the name of development, man encroaches on the wildlife habitat by removing forests to grow crops or build new towns.Becoming isolated in the middle of large agricultural or urban developments, prevent normal interactions, healthy breeding or safe travel for many species. Some wildlife species, such as deer, are adaptable to many conditions, but other creatures have very specific plant, moisture and temperature requirements. These are the endangered species which we risk losing if we don't preserve adequate amounts of habitat for their survival.


2. Climate Change --- Because many types of plants and animals have specific habitat requirements, climate change could cause disastrous losses of wildlife species.A one or two degree change in average annual temperature will translate into large changes for many plant species (even trees) and they may decline or disappear entirely. Plants and wildlife are sensitive to moisture changes, so they will be harmed by reduced rainfall and increased dryness. Drought tolerant plants and trees will gradually spread to replace them by seed, but this process takes time.

3. Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals --- Pesticides are deliberately spread to make the environment toxic to certain plants, insects or rodents, so it shouldn't be surprising that other plants and wildlife are often harmed at the same time. While many of the worst pesticides have been outlawed in the past 30 years, scientists have found numerous worries with several pesticides which are still legal and commonly used. In addition, many chemical pollutants are toxic to wildlife, such as PCBs, mercury, petroleum byproducts, solvents, anti-freeze, etc.

4. Non-native Species --- Over the years, many non-native plants, molluscs, insects, fish, birds, mammals, and diseases have found their way to the country. These "aliens" are often aggressive competitors with native wildlife, or predatory, especially after they've left their own natural environments and controls.

5. Mismanagement --- Some native wildlife can become a problem when released from their natural population controls. In some countries,when wolves are scarce and hunters too few, white-tailed deer become overpopulated and will often strip the woods of native wildflowers and even certain tree species. Crows can become similar problems, when they scavange for scraps from our garbage heaps and landfills.

Wildlfe Protection

A love for the environment has to be nurtured to develop a healthy, sustainable society. Many of our current environmental problems are due to widespread ignorance of basic ecological facts of life, especially among our government officials and elected representatives. In addition groups and lobbyists with self interests are deliberately spreading false information which further confuses our political leaders.

To counteract this problem, we need well funded, scientifically accurate and carefully designed educational courses in our schools and universities, to raise the overall awareness of the public and government as well as elected officials.

The young generation has to learn basic natural resources and survival information from a young age, to ensure that future generations will understand the value and importance of pollution controls, resource conservation and wildlife habitat protection.

I quote a report from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Malaysia.In July, 2008, villagers of Kampung Lubok Bongor, Jeli, has formed Malaysia’s first community-based Wildlife Protection Unit (WPU) to reduce conflict incidences between local villagers and wildlife within their area.

The expansion of human settlements and agriculture plantations into wildlife areas has caused a surge in conflict incidences between local communities and wildlife over the last few years.

“With the help from WWF-Malaysia, the WPU will organise regular night patrols along roads and rivers, armed only with basic tools such as spotlights, air-horns and loud-halers to create plenty of noise to ward off elephants,” informed Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma, CEO of WWF-Malaysia.

Twenty one villagers, ranging from farmers to businessmen, were trained in elephant conflict-mitigation methods by experts from HUTAN, a French NGO based in Sabah, and taught how to react as a team when confronted with elephants.

After just one training session, the WPU was called into action for the first time to chase away a couple of adult elephants that crossed a river to enter a nearby banana plantation. Remarkably, the WPU successfully worked together and made enough noise to send the reluctant elephants back across the river.

In the Jeli district alone, conflict incidences with elephants appear to be on the rise; 92 cases were reported in 2007 compared to 47 cases reported in 2006, according to the Jeli Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN).

“Utilising villagers as volunteers in this WPU programme is a good initiative as they would have a better understanding of the current human-wildlife conflict situation,” said Zaharil Dzulkafly, Assistant Director for PERHILITAN Kota Bahru.

He added that villagers should not hesitate to inform PERHILITAN of conflict incidences in their area.


Hamdan Musa, elected head of the WPU unit, reiterated that everyone should share the responsibility of reducing human-wildlife conflict. “I also believe that by helping my village ease their problems with crop-raiding elephants, I am indirectly helping myself too.”

WWF-Malaysia’s Species Conservation Programme and YTL Corporation Berhad are working together to develop Better Management Practices (BMPs) for local communities to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Apart from forming a community-based WPU to reduce crop raids via wildlife-friendly patrols, other BMPs include the construction of barriers such as chili-greased fences around plantations, collar guards to keep out wild boars from uprooting the roots of oil palm samplings.

According to Dato’ Sharma, isolated elephants, however, needs to be trans-located urgently for their safety and the safety of the villagers.

“Inter-agency coordination in land-use planning is vital to prevent further isolation of wildlife populations. This will reduce human-wildlife conflict incidences in the long run.”

This is a good start. I wish other states will follow the example of the Jeli Perhilitan.I know of places in other states where monkeys and wild boars often raid th villagers' crops and nothing has been done to solve the problem.I notice that wild boars and monkeys are included in the schedule of protected animals in the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.As such the villagers cannot set on a rampage to kill these animals and it would be against the law.

Before the government goes about promoting agriculture as the third engine of growth, they should solve the problem of crop damage by wildlife. At the same time find solutions to prevent the extinction of the affected wildlife when they start to clear wildlife habitats for crop plantations.

Exotic Pets

Today I saw 2 interesting pets at the hypermarket.Yes, hypermarket, not pet shop.
One was an iguana like lizard with ears like the African elephants.The other is called a skink crocodile.I noticed everyone was trying to find where the crocodile was as the glass box looked empty.It must be a nocturnal animal as I found it sleeping,coiled round a small plant in a flower pot at one end of the box.It was more like a lizard with a long tail and coiled like a snake.How anyone would take it as a pet beats me as I don't fancy having such as a pet.What it decides to coil round my neck?

That reminds me of an incident I witness a few years ago in Kuala Kangsar, up north in the state of Perak.A group of people brought several sacks to the river.I wondered what they were up to.Maybe throwing durian skins into the river? People litter everywhere. It is a notorious habit.

I was surprised then, to see them releasing small red terrapins into the river.I wonder what became of the terrapins?Could they have survived or have they thrived and overpopulate the river?

I quote a report I came across recently:

1 month ago, it was reported that an Iguana was seen in Davie, Florida. Because of the rapid spread of the lizards in the South Florida area some county commissioners will seek the state Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to add the green Iguana to the list of "reptiles of concern".That would require Iguana owners to pay a $100 annual permit and have microchips implanted in them. Some blame pet owners for the over population saying they buy the reptiles in pet stores and when they get to big they release them in the wild where they have thrived. Many of reptiles have taken up residence in peoples back yards or along canal banks.

Closer to home I have read reports of alien sort of mutant fish that was once a craze among pet lovers, being thrown into ponds and lakes in the cities.I cannot remember the name of the fish now but it is no longer in the market.That fish could now a nuisance if it acts as a predator to our local indigenous fish.I know the "ikan Bandaraya" another pet fish that helps keep aquariums clean, can be a nuisance once freed as it can burrow and destroy cement walls in man made ponds.

So before you go rushing to buy those exotic pets for your kids, take a step back and think first. What will you do to them when your child gets tired of them?

Haze

It is the time of the year again. The fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan are affecting us again.

The haze and heat can be depressing at times.I don't understand why the neighbouring government cannot educate their people not to slash and burn their forest. They do it year in and year out.The Malaysian government too should take a more proactive policy on this.Every year it is the same talk but nothing concrete results.
In the meantime we have to suffer.

For a start,people in Malaysia should not buy the teak furniture from Indonesia and this encourages the illegal forest activities there.

The authorities should make sure tropical furniture products imported or produced locally come with the proper certifications on their origins.Sustainable forestry practice should be the norm now.

Crops or Fish?

I read an interesting article in Time.com today.It was about saving an endangered species of fish.I have to look up the ecological importance of this fish apart from being a source of food. Last August, a Federal US court in California set limits on pumping water from the Joaquin-Sacramento River delta from December to June.It should be noted that these are the pumps at the Banks Pumping Plant that send water to Central and Southern California for agricultural and residential use. This measure was an attempt to save the endangered smelt fish. In a further measure to protect the smelt, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced just last week it would cut San Joaquin Valley farm water supplies to 40% of the contracted amount. Many of the farmers in the region have been alloted only one sixth of the water supply they need to sustain their crops through the dry summer months.

The local farmers are furious at the environmental priorities governing water use. Are fish more important than people?"We're looking after fish, and yet we're losing crops," says an almond farmer Another farmer cries, "We need legislature to overrule all our environmental impacts because humans come first over fish.Yet another farmer hopes this crisis will spawn better infrastructure for moving and storing of water.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation maintains that protecting endangered species is simply "something we've got to do".

Such a situation has not happened in our country yet and may never happen.However, one can never tell.Do we take precedence over fish or we just don't care?

Que Sera Sera

I like the song,'Que Sera Sera'What will be, will be.......

But I really don't agree with the song that we cannot foresee our future because what will be, will be.Of course we cannot foresee our future.Only God knows.However, our present endeavours can shape our future.What we are in the future is the result of our actions now and in the past.Only after working and praying very hard, can we be satisfied that what will be, will be.

One thing for certain,the current state of the Earth is the culmination of years of exploitation and environmental disrespect by its inhabitants.Mother Earth is nearing the end of the line, unless someone finds the solution to global warming and ecological imbalances.Oil prices which are climbing steadily up,is leading the world to economic disasters.

Can our government shield us from the effects of global oil prices and high food prices indefinitely? Right now, although the panic button has not been struck, I AM WORRIED that our national reserves will be depleted if it is not properly managed.The people need subsidies.Can the government afford it?The Economists must do something.It is definitely not Que Sera Sera!