Innholdsfortegnelse for 1/2019 i ASIAN Geographic

Our environmental journey hasn’t been an easy one. We have progressed in many aspects, but we are paying the price — one we didn’t expect and realise we cannot afford to. As mankind progresses, the environment deteriorates. Like an ungrateful child who has turned against his mother, we callously strip Earth of the treasures it provides us with. In the feature story The Battle for Sustainability (p36-71), we lay plain the effects of prioritising economic development over environmental concern. With the spotlight on plastic pollution, we trace the history of this man-made monster and discuss how various factors like mindless consumption, cultural beliefs and poor waste management have led to the severe pollution of five rivers in Asia. We reveal some shocking statistics of our plastic usage (p18 and 45)…

Bhutan Bhutan takes great pride in its rich culture and identity, which it has managed to preserve while making unprecedented progress in working its way out of poverty. Committed to its stand that economic progress should not take precedence over the nation’s unique culture and pristine environment, Bhutan takes a holistic approach to development by balancing economic growth with social development, environmental sustainability and cultural preservation. The landlocked Himalayan kingdom’s model of governance emphasises what it terms “Gross National Happiness”. According to this approach, development should improve the happiness and well-being of its people and keep its natural landscapes and resources intact. It is this very quality that has played a pivotal role in leading the country to achieve its current carbon-negative status – a remarkable distinction attained by only…

With Asia home to the fastest growing economies in the world, it is not surprising that a 2015 Ocean Conservancy report stated that more than half of this plastic trash in our oceans comes from just five Asian countries: China Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. According to a November 2017 report conducted by the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany, up to 95 percent of the eight million tonnes of plastic waste polluting the world’s seas and oceans come from just 10 river systems. And among these 10 rivers, eight of them are in Asia. Five of these filthiest rivers are in China alone: the Yangtze River (ranking first), Yellow River (thirrd), Hai River (fourth), Pearl River and Amur (Hei Long Jiang) River. In second place is…

The Ganges River (also known as the Ganga) originates at the Ganotri glacier in the western Himalayas, and flows through the Gangetic Plain of North India, downstream into West Bengal and eventually into the Bay of Bengal. As one of the most sacred rivers to Hindus, ritual bathing is performed very often in the Ganges as it is an essential part of the Hindu pilgrimage. The ashes of the cremated are also deposited in the river. Personified as the Indian goddess Ganga in ancient texts and art, the Ganges River is considered a tirtha – a crossing point between heaven and Earth where prayers and offerings are mostly likely to reach the gods and where blessings from heaven are most likely to reach the people. The reasons why the Ganga…

Jiangmen’s wastewater treatment capacity increased from 22 percent in 2005 to 70 percent in 2013 by increasing the capacity of the Wen Chang Sha Wastewater treatment plant from 50,000 to 200,000 cubic metres a day. Between 2007 and 2013, the Second Guangdong Pearl River Delta Urban Environment project increased Foshan’s wasterwater collection and treatment from 55 percent to 88 percent in 2014 by expanding the capacity of the Zhen’an Wastewater treatment plant. China identified 636,000 square kilometres of land that would be banned from animal husbandry use, shutting down 213,000 livestock and poultry farms in the first six months of 2017 China appointed 200,00 “River Chiefs” as stewards of local waterways China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection launched 8,000 water clean-up projects in the first half of 2017 with a projected…

INDICATORS OF A WARMER WORLD The effects of adding such huge quantities of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere are complex, but there are some very obvious trends and changes that scientists have been recording for a number of decades. WORSENING GLOBAL WARMING IMPACTS As average temperature our , impact on on our planet . Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): National Climatic Data Center: State of the Climate in 2009, as appearing in the July 2010 issue (Vol. 91) of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS). Supplemental and Summary Materials: Report at a Glance: Highlights…

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) Much like a miniature version of the mass rapid transit system, a personal rapid transit system takes passengers to their destination in electric podcars that usually sit two to eight people on tracks (known as guide ways). However, the emission-free vehicles transport a user to anywhere within the network directly without making any stops like a taxi and uses one third of the energy of a traditional car. PRT systems have a much higher passenger-km-per-hour-per-direction (PkmPhPd) capacity and it costs three to five time less to build the same length of PRT network as compared to an MRT network. First implemented in West Virginia University in 1975, the efficiency and sustainability of this mode of transport has prompted attempts to adopt it in the subsequent decades.…

As we know, aeroplanes are not yet solar powered, and jet fuel isn’t exactly eco-friendly. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that for every kilogram of jet fuel used on a flight, approximately 3.15 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) is released into the atmosphere. CO2 is one of the biggest threats to our planet. Not only does it cause ocean acidification, it significantly promotes global warming that brings a host of consequences that disrupt entire ecosystems, killing our planet slowly but surely. Every responsible traveller should know the environmental impact he is creating and share in the push for greener fuel options. The Amount of CO2 Each Passenger Bound for These Destinations Adds to the Atmosphere The figures shown are only for one person – you. Look…

Be a Good Guest Regardless of whether you manage to get an accommodation that has good green policies, remember to do your part. Be conscious of your actions and attempt to be the best green traveller the world ever saw! Hang your towels to dry; limit your water usage in the shower and when brushing your teeth; limit energy use by turning off your lights and air-conditioning when you leave the room; don’t litter; don’t remove local plants; and avoid feeding local monkeys and other wildlife. And finally – skip the taxis! Explore by foot, or rent a bike to sightsee, and pack your own refillable water bottle. Support Eco Tourism Southeast Asia has many eco tourism options, and travel companies are increasingly looking to support sustainable tourism, working with…

01 Renowned for its awe-inspiring terraced 06 rice paddy fields, Yuanyang County in Honghe Prefecture in southeastern Yunnan, China is part of the 45th World Heritage Site listed by UNESCO. Inhabited mainly by members of the Hani ethnic group, the town of Old Yuanyang sits on top of a ridge in the Ailao mountain range and is a widely visited tourist spot because of the picturesque rice-paddy terracing. Sony ILCE-7R f/13.0, 1/80s, ISO400 02 A snow mountain in Inner Mongolia Sony SLT-A77V f/8.0, 1/250s, ISO100 03 Popular among landscape photographers, Xiapu county is located in Ninde, Fujian, China, along the East China Sea coast. Blessed with many harbours and islands, it is an agricultural and fishing town with stunning coastal scenery and beautiful mudflats. Often referred to as the most…

We have all likely come across the common narrative of the boy who aspired to rid his beach of sea stars washed up and stranded at low tide. In the story, a sceptical passer-by expressed doubt about his gesturing at the tens of thousands of sea stars stretching to the horizon. The boy proverbially responded that he may not be capable of making a difference for every sea star, but at least he did for the ones that he was able to move. Parallels can be drawn to the challenges presented by the burgeoning marine debris in our oceans today: The scale of the problem often appears too overwhelming to invoke any action that one would recognise as significant, yet the widespread adoption of such a mentality only risks exacerbating…

Even with all the data from experiments about how nano- and microplastics get into our environment and our food, the most convincing reason for eliminating plastics from widespread use is perhaps the recent discovery of microplastics within the stool samples of humans. Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna and the Environment Agency Austria, led by Dr. Philipp Schwabl, a gastroenterologist from the university, revealed how the team conducted a human stool experiment:…

Plastic pollution in the oceans was first observed in the 1960s, after the plastics industry had taken quantum leaps in production and plastics were adapted to all sorts of consumer uses. With Western economies booming, people were ready to spend again in peacetime and the possibilities of plastics shaped every utopian vision of plenty. Today, with approximately 4.6 billion people living in Asia (almost 60 percent of the total world population), half of them living in an urban environment at a median age of 30.7 years1 , this heady combination of economic and population growth, urbanisation and consumption is being unleashed across half the world with a staggering plastic rubbish footprint that has become one of the world’s most pressing environmental problems. The Rise of Asia According to Dr Christian…

Dairy plastic Made from casein, the protein found in milk, this has been in existence for more than a century but was replaced by synthetic plastics. Lactips have combined the protein with clay and a reactive molecule (glyceraldehyde) to make a hardier plastic that is still biodegrable Crustacean plastic bags Chitosan, made from prawn and crab shells has to potential to replace plastic in packaging for food and drinks Calcium Carbonate Paper Paper made out of stone. It’s printable, recyclable, water proof and is made from calcium carbonate. Can use used to make FDA certified food grade packaging, paper bags, takeaway food cartons, grease paper wraps and zip-lock bags Leafy plastic Instead of single-use plastics made from Styrofoam, bioplastics made from a variety of sources like corn can be broken…

• Global shipping is the sixth largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions after United States, China, Russia, India and Japan • 8 of the top 10 container ports in the world are in East Asia • Emissions of carbon dioxide, the main manmade greenhouse gas, from shipping off east Asia had doubled in less than a decade to 16% of the industry’s global total in 2013 • A study published in journal Nature Climate Change in 2016 estimates that pollution from ships contributes to 14,500 to 37,500 premature deaths in East Asia annually • The International Maritime Organisation estimates that carbon dioxide emissions from the shipping industry could rise to 1.48 billion metric tons by 2020 — equivalent to that produced by about 270 million cars SOURCE: JWN Energy, Oceana,…

The Earth’s biosphere is constantly cycling through material in a complex network of energy and matter. It cycles not just through the bio-massive bulk, but also through the more ecologically valuable nutrients. Soil fertility is the vitality of the planet, and the source of our fuel and substance as living beings. As human individuals, we are part of that cycle and so too are we as societies. Like our heartbeat, respiration and immune system, the flow of biomass and nutrients on Earth is vital to health and happiness. But these cycles are falling sick and we ignore the disruption at our own peril. There is a medicine available, however, and the secret ingredients are surprising in their simplicity and abundance: food scraps, rotting plants and animal excretions. This medicine is…

Light Right Choosing energy-saving light bulbs over regular ones can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by billions of tonnes. Artificial light constitutes a fifth of the planet’s electricity usage and generates almost as much carbon emissions as all the motor vehicles in the world. So light your homes with energy-efficient lights and make sure you switch them off when you’re not in the room! Choose the Fan over the Aircon Many parts of Asia are hot and air conditioning is something many of us have gotten used to enjoying. An average air conditioner uses some ten times more electricity than a fan. If you see electrical appliances as energy-guzzling monsters, an air conditioner is a big monster. By turning on the air conditioner all…

Rising sea levels have become synonymous with climate change. With the accelerated rise of global sea levels over the past 20 years – a direct consequence of warming climates largely driven by human activities – Asia stands in a precarious position with four out of five people projected to be affected living here. Even if efforts to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels is successful, global sea levels are expected to rise between one and three metres within the century, threatening both coastal communities and megacities around Asia and the world. AG Jakarta, Indonesia Average elevation: 8 metres above sea level Population: 10 million Sink rate: 25.4cm per year Jarkarta has been dubbed the fastest sinking city in the world with 40 percent of its land…

Murky waters, barren reefs and trash-strewn beaches – these are likely the first images that come to mind when one envisions Singapore’s marine environments. Truth is, we also often stop short of exploring for ourselves what truly lies beneath the surface surrounding this tiny, island state – habitats teeming with colourful and diverse marine flora and fauna. And that comes as not much of a surprise. Singapore is geographically situated near the Coral Triangle, a marine area in the western Pacific Ocean that spans the seas of Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), this area is the planet’s richest in terms of marine life, with nearly 600 species of corals and six out of the world’s seven…

1 Yangtze River 6,300km • Asia’s longest river• The river basin is home to nearly 500 million people• Flows into the Yellow Sea• Carries the most plastic waste to the ocean – 1.5 million metric tonnes 2 Yellow River 5,464km • The “cradle” of Chinese civilisation• Most of the river’s water is undrinkable• 30% of fish species have disappeared 3 Hai River 70km • Connects Tianjin and Beijing• Flows into the busy Bohai Sea• Also heavily polluted with wastewater 4 Pearl River 2,400km • Enters the South China Sea between Hong Kong and Macau• Also polluted with sewage and industrial waste 5 Ganges River 2,525km • India’s most sacred river• Provides drinking water for more than 400 million people• Other types of waste: sewage, agricultural, industrial…

The plastic pollution that spills out from the waters in Asia is rooted in the consumption of plastic from rapidly growing cities that are directly contributing to the growth of some of the fastest growing economies in the world. The impact of this pollution on biodiversity across land and sea is a far reaching problem that has affected far flung places from Mongolia, Russia and China to India, Vietnam and southeast Asia. Amur River (Heilongjiang) The Amur River, Heilongjiang (in mandarin) or Kharamuren River (in Mongolian, the name means “black river”) is formed by the junction of the Shilka River, which rises in Russia (more than 500 kilometres inland at Siberia), and the Argun (Ergun) River, which rises in Inner Mongolia (more than 1,600 kilometres). Originating in the western part…

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT 1 Radiation from the sun 2 Some solar radiation is reflected by the Earth and its atmosphere 3 Most solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface, warming it 4 Infrared radiation is emitted by the Earth’s surface 5 Some infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere Scary Stats For every kilo of rubbish we add to a landfill, we are adding around 45 kilos of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. 6 Some infrared radiation is absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by greenhouse gas (such as carbon dioxide and methane) molecules 7 The effect of this is to warm the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere…

People in low-income countries, including those in Asia, have been conditioned to accept the presence of waste dumped in their surroundings, whether it’s on open land or in the streets. As long as it is not literally in one’s own backyard, waste dumps are tolerated. Many people, decision makers included, are not aware of the harmful impacts to human health, to groundwater resources and to the environment in general. Moreover, few realise that waste is energy – a product that can generate electricity and income. The World Bank estimates that about 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste is being generated worldwide annually, with at least one-third of that not managed in an environmentally safe manner. By 2050, global waste is expected to grow to 3.4 billion tonnes, more than double…

1. Use Cleaner Fuel Burning ship fuel generates various pollutants that cause global warming such as carbon dioxide, black carbon and nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. Shipping contributed 1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from 2007 to 2012, and the total fuel consumed increased from 291 million tonnes to 298 million tonnes from 2013 to 2015. Using cleaner fuel is one major way such emissions can be slashed but also one met with much contention. 2. Tap on Renewable Energy Alternative fuel sources such as wind and solar energy have been used to power ships. As early as in 2008, Japan’s cargo freighter, Auriga Leader, had obtained part of the energy required for the vessel’s operations via 328 solar panels fitted on it. More recently, Wessels has also developed…

Miniwiz Miniwiz was founded in 2005 by architect and structural engineers Arthur Huang and Jarvis Liu to address the great disparity between sustainability and environmental consciousness and the lack of financially feasible applications. Modelled around the closed-loop system, the innovative recycling company turns post-consumer waste into high performance materials that can be used in various products such as furniture, iPhone covers and interior and exterior building structures. It was recognised by the World Economic Forum as a technology pioneer in the Energy/ Environment/ Infrastructure category for the positive impact it has made on the world’s environmental and economic development. Miniwiz is dedicated to promote the mass adoption of a zero-waste circular system and has developed more than 1000 recycled materials which have been used in their various projects around the…

Highs and Lows While Earth has experienced extremes – extreme heat and cold, such as the Ice Age – it has been more or less stable for almost two million years. But even though Earth’s climate has experienced changes in its history, the fact that it is changing noticeably during our lifetimes is uncharacteristic, and very worrying. The Carbon Cycle Understanding how carbon moves through our atmosphere is important to understand how our atmosphere – and climate– is changing. It’s not to be thought that all carbon is “bad” – in fact, you and other animals are releasing carbon dioxide (CO 2) with every breath. Plants take in this CO 2 during photosynthesis to process it for food. Carbon is again released into the atmosphere when plants respire and when…