Greenjourney Design competition
Posted by JLow on Oct 28, 2009
** This competition has since closed. Thank you for your interest! **
Yes, we just launched our blog-redesign competition tonight, at WildAsia’s Responsible Tourism awards.
Details of the competition are in the page at the top of this window; the last tab.
If you have any queries, please leave a comment in that page, or tweet us at Twitter.com/MASenv
Looking forward to your entries!
“Climate change”: What pops into your head when you see these 2 words?
Posted by JLow on Oct 27, 2009
I found this article on the Guardian that talked about human psychology and the resulting required change in human behaviour, in tackling climate change.
I found this bit the most interesting:
An American study played people recordings of actors delivering speeches about climate change. The version that people responded to the best talked about “air pollution” rather than “climate change” – because pollution is something visible that they could relate to, with strong connotations of dirtiness and poor health. Climate change is about much more than just dirty air, but finding ways of making climate change more visible is critical. People simply don’t worry about things they can’t see (or even imagine).
Are you one of the few that can only subconsciously respond to “climate change”? One of those who think: Ah, let the technology guys figure this one out / not my immediate problem; one of those who think: Can I be creative enough to change my way of life to slowdown this change yet still make my life(style) an enjoyable one; one of those willing to make small sacrifices?
As I personally always tell people, “in Malaysia we live in abundance”. There’s green everywhere (most places at least), and plenty of rainfall.
What climate change?
Read the full article at The Guardian’s site.
FREE: Book on sustainable energy
Posted by JLow on Oct 16, 2009
I have found a great FREE resource to share, albeit written for the English / UK audience, on Sustainable Energy.
The following few commentary says it all 
“For anyone with influence on energy policy, whether in government, business or a campaign group, this book should be compulsory reading” – Tony Juniper, Former Executive Director, Friends of the Earth
“At last a book that comprehensively reveals the true facts about sustainable energy in a form that is both highly readable and entertaining.” – Robert Sansom, EDF Energy
“The Freakonomics of conservation, climate and energy.” – Cory Doctorow, boingboing.net
This free downloadable book is written by a Cambridge physicist, Professor David J.C. MacKay. He dedicates this book “to those who will not have the benefit of two billion years’ accumulated energy reserves”.
John Low
Malaysia Airlines
“To Fly or Not To Fly”
Posted by JLow on Oct 16, 2009
I found this post (reproduced below) with an opinion / view that I personally hold; at least from an airline employee’s perspective: How to increase revenue and improve the business health of an airline (a fossil fuel consumer) whilst upholding the belief in conservationism (reduce carbon emission)?
In a related post I shared that airlines, by its nature of business, strives for operational efficiencies- especially in the area of fuel consumption. But, where business growth usually means more flights for airlines; and also especially with more open-sky policies around the globe, it is becoming even harder to achieve the right balance between catering to society’s need for travel, against trying to cap or limit carbon emissions from these “modern” lifestyle activities.
John Low
Malaysia Airlines
Flights are the fastest-growing polluter in transport, and 95% of the world’s population has never been on a plane. In his latest Going Green column Robert Butler asks: Do the rest of us have a right to fly?
From INTELLIGENT LIFE Magazine, Autumn 2009
News: “ETS may force power stations to close”
Posted by JLow on Oct 16, 2009
As found on Sky News’ website.
It’s interesting to see how government’s commitment to emission reduction is now tricking down to the implementation considerations, and the effects society and everyday laypeople.
John Low
Malaysia Airlines
Updated: 02:39, Friday October 16, 2009
Victoria could face power outages if two of its four brown coal power stations close in the next 10 years as Australia looks to cut its greenhouse gas emissions, experts say.
Under one of a number of scenarios prepared by consultants for the Victorian government, and obtained by The Age, the Hazelwood and Yallourn power stations could close.
Hazelwood, criticised by environmentalists as Australia’s dirtiest power station, could shut by 2013 if Australia cut its greenhouse emissions by 5 per cent by 2020.
Nearby Yallourn could close in 2018, or both stations could close in 2015, the documents suggest.
The stations, which opened in the 1960s, together provide 40 per cent of Victoria’s electricity and half the state’s greenhouse emissions from power generation.
The papers go against federal Treasury studies and work by former climate change adviser Ross Garnaut, but were dismissed as ‘scaremongering’ by energy analysts, The Age said.
Other scenarios include sharp electricity price rises to keep the ageing plants in service, while another suggests the plants could break down or be forced to shut because of poor maintenance.
In response, Premier John Brumby said the government aimed to achieve ‘continuing energy security’ along with lower emissions and more investment in clean coal and other technology.
Environment Victoria campaign director Mark Wakeham welcomed any plans to abandon Hazelwood.
A spokesman for TRUenergy, which operates the Yallourn plant, said proposed compensation under the emissions trading scheme was insufficient and would affect supply reliability in the future.
A spokesman for International Power, owners of Hazelwood, declined to comment.
Reef Rescue
Posted by deborahchan on Oct 14, 2009
Divers identifying substrates during the EcoDiver certification programme.
Time and time again, we read articles on the problems plaguing our diverse marine life – overfishing, global warming, blasting, unchecked tourism, pollution, etc. Coral reefs around the world have been in crisis for some time now.
But is anyone listening?
The statistics are alarming with 30% of the world’s coral reefs severely threatened, 15% lost over the last decade, and many fish stocks becoming extinct. The first step towards a solution?
Reef check surveys. Read more of this article…
Wild Asia
Efficiency has always been a factor
Posted by JLow on Oct 14, 2009
One of the idiosyncrasies of the aviation sector is efficiency.
Optimisation is the key factor in planning for an airline’s network: where to fly to, which planes to use, how often, and even what time of day to leave and/or arrive. And then there’s the aspect of “distressed inventory”- seats “expire” when the flight takes off. If a seat on that flight is not sold, it is a loss to the company because it can never be sold ever again. So, marketing efforts ultimately are to fill up the seats before the date and time of the scheduled departure.
With fuel being the one biggest cost in an airline’s operations, airlines are also looking into ways to reduce fuel use. Minimising the turnaround time (quickly get the plane flying again after landing), finding the best flight path to the destination, finding the best approach when landing (gradual descend while approaching instead of “braking” to slow down approach). Airplane manufacturers have also been making advances in both airplane technologies and engines to reduce fuel burn during flights.
Having an understanding of these characteristics of the aviation industry, it is a real challenge to balance the need to be environmentally conscious and responsible, whilst trying to “survive” as an airline in these difficult economic times and increased competition.
This article reproduced below updates the recently decided direction for the aviation sector in terms of carbon emission limits for the coming years.
