Injured whale shark dies on Malaysia Shore : Associated Press : 3 Jan 2009

Photo from the New Straits Times

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The talk about sustainability is nothing new. We hear about sustainable living and changing the way we live and our mindsets to take the environment into consideration going about our daily routine, but honestly speaking, it’s not easy. There are many times, you would be tempted into taking the simpler way out and just slip back to your old ways to take that plastic bag you don’t really need or leave the lights on, leave the power switch on the entire night even when it’s not use - appliances on standby can consume up to 60% energy - so how sustainable are our actions towards sustainability ? What is it that keeps you going ? To continue to champion and believe in the green cause ?

Fresh from a diving trip in Sipadan in East Malaysia, it was a timely reminder of the things worth fighting for. The legislation enacted to conserve the marine environment at Sipadan was well worth it when you enter the water and be able to immediately see the vast difference in the vibrant marine and coral life compared to other dive sites. The massive schools of barracudas, vast groups of jacks and bump-head parrot fishes was something i believe one would never see if not for the conservation efforts.

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In the face of all the scientific data and information that we have in relation in the global warming and going green, it’s rather amusing that we are not changing the way we lead out lives. Not big changes , those take time, but making little changes like switching off the lights when you’re done or not using that plastic bag from the supermarket . So perhaps,  the reason why people are not getting message across is how the message is being communicated.

The advertising campaign above took place in the canals of Amsterdam. What better way to attract attention about the rising sea-levels ?

My question is then , how do you think is the best way to reach out to Singaporeans ? The last thing Singaporeans want to do is to be lectured and when the government steps in , it only means more money (see your electricity bills) . What ideas do you have ?

This is really interesting, SOLAR TOWER, using the heating power from the sun to heat up a flat land of air and then channel the hot air into a chimney. In this chimney, there is a huge turbine, and this turbine will turn a generator to produce electricity.

You might think that this will only work in the day but you are wrong, the heat from the ground will reheat the air and channel it back to the chimney.

Its a pilot project by a german company, build in Spain. It is not an officially working plant and the system doesn’t produce a lot of power (maybe enough to power a hundred homes) but the interesting thing is, the chimney is very cheap (comparing to a powerplant) to build, the whole project cost about a million dollar.

Annual killing of dolphin captured on film..

“Captured dolphins were filmed writhing in pain as Taiji whalers speared them repeatedly or cracked their spines with spiked weapons. Stricken dolphins are also shown thrashing about wildly, blood pouring from their wounds until they finally succumbed.”

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It is not uncommon to hear about the many misconceptions that are circulating around the talk about Global Warming - my personal favourite being how the increased amount of carbon dioxide in the air is creating a hole in the ozone layer - but fact is, while we are slowly adapting our way of life to reduce our ecological footprint , it is not enough to just do . We need to constantly educate ourselves and understand why we do the things we do. We need to understand the impact of our actions and find that singular point of contention and change it into a motivating force to ensure that our commitment towards sustainability is in fact, sustainable.

The first question is the ask , how then , has global warming affected the environment around you? As a diver, the question inevitably goes back to the oceans. We already know about the dangers of rising sea-levels, but the impact of global warming goes beyond just that, it alters the entire marine bio-diversity in our waters. Read the rest of this entry »

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The shark is caught alive and whole. Within minutes, it is severed of its fins and thrown back into the ocean. Unable to swim, the shark sinks towards the bottom and is left to bleed to death or fall prey to other fishes. This method is known as finning. A highly calculated act to maximize profits no doubt but it is also a practice that is highly inhumane.

We seldom spare a thought for sharks and when we do, what comes to mind is Steven Spielberg’s vision of a shark terrorizing a coastal town, looking for its next meal. In reality, however, the reverse is true. The situation is dire for sharks as they are being emptied out of our oceans and into bowls of soup at an alarming rate. Sharks have roamed the oceans for the past 450 million years since the dinosaurs, and now there is a strong possibility that they might completely disappear in the near future.

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