Friday, December 26, 2008

no-ice pole

Less ice at the North Pole accelerates global warming. Scientist predict that the North-West Passage will be completely ice free during summer within four years (so 2012 - worth noting in a diary). It's a barometer of global warming. A bit like the polar bear. We measure how warm it is getting by examining things that are cold, or at least once were.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Red-eared slider turtle

The red-eared slider turtle is now established in Queensland, and one was recently caught in Blackburn Lake. They have no known natural predators and prey aggressively on native fish and frogs, and reduce the food available to native predators. They can breed prolifically laying up to 70 eggs a year. The species are in the World Conservation Unions top 100 "world's worst invaders" list. What dill brought it in and why?

We seem to be heading for fewer species in larger numbers, a bit like the book trade. The weedy and aggressive survive.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

threats to rainforest

Soy and palm oil seem to be the major threats to rainforest. Palm oil in South-east Asia and soy in the Amazon.

Friday, October 17, 2008

mammals at risk

The updated Red List of Endangered Species was release in early October and ther 1141 species of threatened mammals on the list. That's 25% and 1 in 2 are facing a shrinking population.

Australia's mammals are the most at risk in the developed world: 59 are threatened which one in five. Fifty of those are found nowhere else. The Tasmanian Devil has been the most surprising move on the endangered list due to a viciously "infectious" facial cancer (if it is infectious is it a cancer?)

Total list is 44838 of which more thatn 38% or 16,928 are at risk and 3000 are critically endangered (the highest category of risk so: vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered).

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Qantassucks.com.au - I wish that existed

Whinging about Qantas has become a favored Australian pasttime. I've just shot of a letter of complaint. Will I have anymore satisfaction than Mike Keily?

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Friday, October 3, 2008

components of greenhouse emissions

Transport is around 15% of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, and more than 50% of that comes from cars. Landfill creates methane which is 23 times more potent than carbon as a greenhouse gas.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Ningaloo Reef

is safe from global warming the Westaustralian reports, unlike the Great Barrier Reef.

Ningaloo Reef

is safe from global warming the Westaustralian reports, unlike the Great Barrier Reef.

Friday, September 5, 2008

nuclear winter and carbon summer

In the 80s it was nuclear winter, now the bogeyman in is the carbon summer.

Was it that the nuclear winter was a genuine threat and through collective awareness we avoided it? Or was it a bogeymen, and we have a need for a bogeyman to satisfy our natural pessimism?

Garnaut says we have high per capita emissions simply because we burn so much coal for electricity.

550ppm Garnaut target

Garnaut says we should cut our emissions to 10% of our year 2000 levels, and achieve that by 2020. That's part of a global target to limit atmospheric gas concentrations to 550 ppm. That means a 25% cut in our emissions which would slice 1.6% of our economy by 2020.

That means no Barrier Reef. 450 ppm would be in Australia's interest as it would lead to far less damage to the environment. China would have to agree to binding emissions targets from 2012 but there's no chance of China agreeing to this.

emissions and recession

The largest recent (only) reduction in greenhouse emissions was when the Soviet Union collapsed So to save the planet do we need a recession? Or even, gasp, a depression? And then how do we come out of it?

Does a reduction in greenhouse gases really mean a reduction in our standard of (material) living?

Saturday, August 16, 2008

primates under threat

Nearly half of all primate species are under threat & more than 70% of species in Asia. In Vietnam and Cambodia the figure is 90%. "What is happening in Asia is terrifying. To have a group of animals under such a high level of threat is, quite frankly, unlike anything we have recorded among any other group of species to date." Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy chief IUCN's species program.

BUT 125,000 western lowland gorillas have been counted in the vast forest and swamps of the northern Congo Republic. 

Friday, August 1, 2008

Green Emirates

Emirates strikes a blow for reducing greenhouse emissions by offering in-flight showers to first class passengers on the double-decker A380 superjumbo. The planes will have to carry 25% more water but the showers are strictly limited to five minutes. 

Saturday, July 19, 2008

China's carbon emissions

According to Professor Garnaut, if current rates of growth continue, China's carbon emissions will triple by 2030 (22 years time when I'm 75) and they will then make up 37% of global emissions — three times those of the US.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Mountain Gorillas

There are a mere 780 mountain gorillas in the world.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

northern polar icecap

Since 1979 more than 20% of the polar icecap has melted away. It once covered an area of the Arctic Ocean about the size of Australia.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Woodside = polluter, destroyer of heritage

According to the normally innocuous RACV mag, in the Pilbara on the Burrup Penninsula there is a fenced off area numbered rocks a kept with petroglyphs on them, removed in the 60s by Woodside, and now they are doing it again - removing another 165 sites. In the 60s you could say we knew no better, now the destruction of art on the Burrup Peninsula is inexcusable. Why is there no outcry?

Woodside Petroleum is considered by some to be Australia's worst polluter  - its acidic emissions are a threat to the art the company hasn't removed to make way for development.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

silly names

In terms of silly business names this one takes the cake:

Lifestyle Corporate Wellness International

In four words it captures all the fatuousness of the worst of the personal training industry.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Ethanol

Ethanol is one form of biofuel.
US subsidies of $US8b led to 13.5% of the US corn crop being diverted to ethanol and inflated corn prices by 70%.
Australian Lot Feeders Association quoted by BRW Nov 07

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Antarctica

"A place from which to take the measure of the planet"
Barry Lopez

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Terra Nullius today

Kelesau Naan, a Penan leader died possibly murdered late in 2007. He was one of the four plaintiffs in a landright case that has been awaiting judgement since 1998. The state of Sarawak insists that because the Penan hunt rather than cultivate they have no claim over the land on which they live. Kelesau Naan was one of the signatories on a petition to the British timber company Jewson to stop buying wood from the Samling Group, one of Malaysia biggest logging companies. Jewson’s eventually stopped buying timber from the disputed area. It’s a reminder that parts of Indonesia and Malaysia are very much frontier societies. The Weekend Australian Jan 5-6 2008

The management of Samling is given below.

And here is a link to Samling's press release which makes interesting reading.

Samling Global Limited is incorporated in Bermuda with "limited liability" and has recently purchased Brewsters in Australia.

Executive Directors

Yaw Chee Ming is the Chief Executive Officer and an Executive Director of our Company. He is the Managing Director of both Lingui Developments Berhad and Glenealy Plantations (Malaya) Berhad. He is also the Chief Executive Office and an Executive Director of Samling Strategic Corporation Sdn Bhd, one of our controlling shareholders. Mr. Yaw has over 20 years of extensive knowledge and experience in the timber industry. Under his leadership, the Group has established an international presence with highly integrated business operations. He spearheaded the commitment of the Group towards responsible forest management and has led the Group to various internationally recognized certifications for forest management and downstream operations. Mr. Yaw graduated from the University of Southern California in the United States with a Master of Business Administration degree.

Cheam Dow Toon is the Chief Finance Officer and an Executive Director of our Company. He is the Finance Director of both Lingui Developments Berhad and Glenealy Plantations (Malaya) Berhad. He has over 17 years of experience in the timber industry and over 10 years in the oil palm industry. He has been with our Group since 1987. Mr Cheam is an associate member of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and a graduate of The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in the United Kingdom, and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants. He completed the Wharton Advanced Management Programme at Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Non-Executive Director

Chan Hua Eng is the Chairman of the Board and a Non-Executive Director of our Company. He is also the Chairman and an Independent Non-Executive Director of Lingui Development Berhad and Glenealy Plantations (Malaya) Berhad. Mr. Chan is also currently a director of other public listed companies in Malaysia. He is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation in the United Kingdom. Mr. Chan is also a barrister of the Middle Temple and was called to the Bar in the United Kingdom. He was admitted as a partner of Shearn Delamore & Co, Advocates & Solicitors in Malaysia in 1960 and retired as its senior partner in 1987. He is an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. He graduated from the University of Bristol with a Bachelor of Law (Honors) degree.

Independent Non-Executive Directors

Fung Ka Pun (alias K. B. Fung) is the Deputy Chairman and an Independent Non-Executive Director of our Company. Mr. Fung is the Executive Co-chairman of E2-Capital (Holdings) Limited, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. He is also the founder and Chairman of Goodwill International (Holdings) Limited, a substantial shareholder (as defined in the Hong Kong Listing Rules) of E2-Capital (Holdings) Limited. Mr. Fung has over 30 years of experience in finance, securities and commodities trading and corporate finance. He is a member of the Association of International Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. Mr. Fung is also a director of a number of other listed companies in Hong Kong.

David William Oskin is an Independent Non-Executive Director of our Company. He is currently an Independent Director of Pacific Millennium Investment Company, an Independent Director of Goodman Global Inc., and an Independent Director of Big Earth Publishing. Mr. Oskin has more than 25 years of experience in the forest, wood, paper and packaging industries. From 1992 to 1996, he was the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Carter Holt Harvey Limited, a paper, packaging and forest products company listed on the New Zealand and the Australian Stock Exchanges. From 1996 to 2003, he served as the Executive Vice President of International Paper Company. Mr. Oskin graduated from the Widener University in the United States with a Bachelor of Arts. He also currently chairs the Board of Trustees of Widener University.

Tan Li Pin, Richard is an Independent Non-Executive Director of our Company. Mr. Tan is the founder and has been the Chief Executive Officer of various companies under the Pacific Millennium group since 1990. Mr. Tan also participates actively in public services. He graduated from the University of Southern California in the United States with a Master of Business Administration degree.