50 native trees planted to kick-start greening of Eco-Link@BKE

The seeds have been sown for a unique ecological bridge, the Eco-Link@BKE, that will connect two nature reserves in Singapore.

Staff and representatives from government agencies and civil organisations on Saturday planted 50 native trees at the bridge, which is described as the first of its kind in Singapore.

Greening of the connector is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The Eco-Link@BKE runs over and across the Bukit Timah Expressway.

National Parks Board (NParks) said the bridge will allow wildlife to move between the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment Nature Reserves.

NParks said insects, butterflies and birds will make use of the bridge, and over time, animals like the pangolin, flying squirrel, palm civet and porcupine are expected to make use of the extension as well.

The crossing of wildlife will also benefit native plant species.

Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee said: “The BKE built in the 80s segmented two areas of wildlife and plant life, and it is hoped that with this eco-link bridge, we'll be able to see and record a growth in the various species that nature groups are concerned about.

“I think this represents at the symbolic level, a commitment by Singapore and Singaporeans to preserve what is precious about our biodiversity, because of itself and because of the importance of nature."

For a better future. Please stop those Finger pointings!

Politicians are gathered to talk about our future, climate cahnge and environmental issues.

Environment ministers are holding talks at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen amid threats of large-scale protests by environmental groups.

Activists, angered by logistical issues and a lack of progress on a deal, have vowed to disrupt proceedings.

The White House said President Barack Obama, who will join world leaders in Copenhagen later in the week, is confident of reaching a deal.

Talks are deadlocked over emission cuts and financial aid for poorer countries.

For the last two mornings, thousands of campaigners have queued for hours to gain access to the conference venue - many unsuccessfully.

Now, with ministers and their aides joining the conference, the organisers have slashed the number of other delegates allowed in.

A spokeswoman from the Climate Justice Action group says demonstrations amounting to "mass civil disobedience" are planned for Wednesday.

The groups says some 15,000 delegates have been effectively "locked out" of the summit by being refused accreditation or experiencing long delays in their applications.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is already in Copenhagen, told reporters on Tuesday that it was a critical moment.

"This is a very important moment for the world," Mr Brown said.

"It is possible that we will not get an agreement and it is also true that there are many issues to be sorted out. But I am determined... to do everything I can to bring the world together."

Stumbling blocks

The high-level phase of the talks began on Tuesday, with environment ministers and negotiators from 193 countries struggling to make progress on core issues.

"There is no understatement that with your signatures you will write our future," Britain's Prince Charles told the gathering.

More than 120 leaders will formally join the talks on Thursday, aiming to seal an accord by Friday.

Just days before a climate deal is due to be completed, there is clearly still an immense amount of negotiating left to do, says the BBC's environment correspondent Richard Black from Copenhagen.

Unresolved issues include:

the size of emissions cuts by developed nations
how finance should be raised and disbursed, and
most fundamentally, whether a deal here should aim to keep the global temperature rise to 2C or just 1.5C
However, the White House said President Obama, who is due to join the summit on Friday, is confident of securing a deal.

"The president believes that we can get... an operational agreement that makes sense in Copenhagen, over the next few days," spokesman Robert Gibbs told a briefing.

However the American negotiator at the conference said he did not expect to offer any further cuts in US carbon emissions.

Developing countries have accused industrialised nations of going back on their commitment to fight climate change.

Extinction of the Human race!

I will be Back!

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to carry California's climate change story to a conference in Copenhagen this week, a move that will burnish his international image as a leader in the war on global warming.

He'll also take an entourage of 20 administration officials to Denmark. Three nonprofit organizations are picking up the tab.

Administration officials say the trip and a speech Schwarzenegger will deliver on Tuesday at the United Nations conference will underscore how he has fought a political guerrilla war to cut greenhouse gas emissions – often against naysayers in his own Republican Party – as a state executive acting on what is usually considered a national or international issue.

They Pledged to cut our Carburns

SINGAPORE'S leaders have thrown their political weight behind the upcoming climate change negotiations in Copenhagen by pledging to cut the city-state's carbon emissions growth by 16 per cent below 'business as usual' levels by 2020.

Announcing this on Wednesday, Senior Minister S Jayakumar said that this was on condition of a global deal on climate change being reached at the Copenhagen talks, which begin on Monday.

As a low-lying island, Singapore is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and a rise in sea-level can have serious consequences for us, said Mr Jayakumar. 'So despite the fact that Singapore contributes to only 0.2 per cent of global carbon emissions, it will play its part,' he said.

The voluntary actions to acheive this target will be through a combination of regulatory and fiscal measures, he said. Details will be announced at a later date.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, who was also at the briefing, said the 16 per cent figure was a 'stretched target' derived from some of the targets in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint launched in April. The blueprint was a national plan on how Singapore could further reduce its carbon emissions.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim added that even though Singapore is in a disadvantaged position, with little alternative forms of energy available, it wanted to show leadership by committing to this target, to help reach a global deal by the end of the Copenhagen negotiations.

PM Lee doing His bit to stop World's climate change

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday urged members to actively engage in the issue of climate change at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Commonwealth gathering is the last international meeting before the Copenhagen summit next month.

Reflecting the urgency in talks, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen have all made their way to Trinidad.

The Commonwealth Summit is on the back of a post-crisis landscape and at a time when world leaders are struggling to reach a global consensus on climate change.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II opened the meeting, and said the Commonwealth has an opportunity to shape world response to the challenge.

"The Commonwealth has an opportunity to lead once more. The threat to our environment is not a new concern, but it is now a global challenge which will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come," said the Queen, who is also Commonwealth Head.

"Many of those affected are among the most vulnerable, and many of the people least well able to withstand the adverse effects of Climate Change live in the Commonwealth."

Speaking at the leaders' retreat, PM Lee said countries should do what is practical and sensible, keeping in mind the costs, trade-offs and political realities.

He added Singapore will do its part but developed countries will have to take the lead because they are major emitters of carbon.

Island states, he noted, are particularly worried about rising sea levels.

Mr Lee said developing nations must too share in this effort as their populations are equally, if not more vulnerable.

The Commonwealth includes countries such as Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and Britain - important members of the Group of 20 (G20).

Analysts will look to statements from the Commonwealth as an indicator of what the more influential G20 may reach on climate change.

The 53-member Commonwealth is a diverse group, and includes some of the world's richest and poorest countries, accounting for one-third of the world's population and one-fifth of global trade.

PM Lee is set to attend next month's UN meeting on climate change in Copenhagen.

Leaders will try to agree on a pact to reduce carbon emissions during the Copenhagen meet.

Whether that will take the form of a legal treaty or a mere political declaration remains to be seen, but what leaders want is a significant agreement to reduce the ill effects of climate change.

Nature - We Must!

I came across this blog, asking us whether preserving our nature is necessary...

http://blog.simplyjean.com/2007/11/21/is-nature-important-in-singapore/

Is nature important in Singapore?
Singapore November 21st, 2007
I came across this article in the Prime News section and it mentioned about worries of development work in Mandai affecting the nature reserve and it set me thinking – how important are forests to Singapore? Does Singapore bother about whether we lose our nature?

No doubt Singapore is boasted as a Green City, with trees and shrubs to help provide a nice environment and to turn the overwhelming concrete jungles of Shenton Way into a seemingly nicer place to live in, but when it comes to preserving nature, how well does the government/statutory boards consider it?

I was following the concerns that the Nature Society had put forth to the Minister of State for Trade and Industry and his reply hinted of higher costs, which he probably felt could be circumvented by asking the developer to be sensitive to the environment.

I wonder what constitutes that “sensitivity to the environment”, or does it matter at all?

Doing the Singapore's Part in Earth Day 2009

Earth Hour starts ticking
By Tania Tan

SIXTY black balloons dotted the sky over the Hort Park on Wednesday as drums sounded to launch Earth Hour 2009.

The 60 orbs represented the minutes of the hour during which people are encouraged to turn off their lights, in a symbolic gesture to support the fight against climate change.

Spearheaded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earth Hour gained international recognition after its inaugural launch in Sydney last year), with over 74 cities pledging their involvement.

WWF Singapore wants to see some one million people taking part during Earth Hour at 8.30pm on March 28, and hopefully throughout 2009 as well.

Already, companies like Microsoft and Meritus Hotels & Resorts - parent company of Meritus Mandarin and Marina Mandarin Hotels - have pledged their participation.

'It's not just about that one hour, it's about taking action in our everyday lives,' said WWF Singapore's managing director Amy Ho.

Using a fan instead of the air-conditioning, turning off lights not in use, and recycling plastic bottles are just some of the simple changes people can make to combat climate change, she added.

For more information and to get involved visit www.earthhour.org.

Singapore Not so Green after All

When Singapore's finance minister delivered the Budget Statement, there was a lot in the way of incentives for innovation. However, Members of Parliament (MP) have since called for more initiatives to encourage the "green" effort in the country.

One thrust of Singapore's 2008 budget announced Feb. 15, is to spur the growth of innovative enterprises with significant incentives for them to create new ideas and products.

To make innovation pervasive in the economy, Minister of Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced incentives to encourage research and development (R&D).

"In this year's budget, we will make Singapore one of the most competitive places for companies, big and small, to do R&D," declared the minister.

The government raised the quantum of tax deduction for expenditure incurred on R&D done in Singapore from 100 percent to 150 percent. This means that for every S$100,000 (US$71,100) of local R&D expenditure incurred, S$150,000 (US$106,650) may be claimed as a tax deduction.

Two new R&D incentives will also be introduced: a broad-based tax allowance that could be used against additional expenditure on R&D that companies do in Singapore; and an incentive to allow research intensive startups to convert their losses into cash grants of up to S$20,250 (US$14,400) per year.

On Monday, at the budget debate in Parliament, some officials said the government should provide more green incentives to encourage businesses and individuals to adopt environment-friendly practices, according to local media reports.

North West District mayor Teo Ho Pin suggested introducing incentives in three key areas: transportation, building and construction, and energy efficient products.

Building owners may be putting off fitting more efficient air conditioning systems, for example, as this would cost more in the short term, Teo said.

He also suggested the government provide more tax incentives, such as green property tax rebates for buildings designed and built with eco-friendly components.

Other MPs suggested the provision of fiscal incentives for eco-friendly business measures, such as a zero-rated goods and services tax for the procurement of energy saving devices, and enhanced capital allowances for energy efficient equipment used by companies.