As a professor, beside teaching and research in the university, we need to lead public activities in our field. then the public will have more confidence to follow.

Among the success sharing activities between Cocacola and Malaysian Nature Society (MNS). We need more paticipation among schools and universities students.

 http://www.nst.com.my/channels/learning-curve/green-warriors-fun-way-to-learn-1.310119?cache=03d163d03edding-pred-1...1...%2F7.15385%3Fkey%3Dkuala+lumpur

These are the examples of YEE (youth Environmental Expo) promotion at UPM on 24 November 2012 to recruit youth-Kelab Pencinta Alam. BUT other university pickup NOT UPM. What happened to UPM students leaders? They like to listen to politician rather than professors. This is the quality of future leaders? no hope for developed country. This year probably I will focus on all new students following education programmes.

Thursday November 22, 2012 By LIM CHIA YING chiaying@thestar.com.my

Environmental expo for youths

 

We need more involvent among teachers and other profesionals to educate the young one! Join Malaysian Nature Society (MNS). As a Vice President of MNS who incharge on Environmental or Nature education programmes, I promoting YEE in UPM lasy November 24th, but UUM and UKM and MMU are leading. May be UIA and MMC too. What happen to UPM? wait and see?!

UKM students under the directive from Deputy Vice Chancellor, working together with MNS and their project at Kuala Selangor Nature Park.

Africans ‘copying’ Malaysian plans: BUT are we moving towards our planned direction? OR the consultant planned for us and we are still at the old steps, momentum and mood or mode. Government should identify groups of Malaysian that following the mission 2020 and make them lead not those are just following the streams flow.

Sunday June 30, 2013 T Selva in DAR ES SALAAM

Africans ‘copying’ Malaysian plans

AFRICAN countries including South Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are emulating Malaysia’s Government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation Programme for development planning and making several adjustments carved to their needs.
Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM) chairman Tan Sri Dr Omar Abdul Rahman said that the countries were impressed with Malaysia’s Vision 2020.

 

Consistence and persistence in achieving the mission.. BUT is it for the good will or just to destroy the country. What say another group? At least there is some force to remind the authority consistently. What ever it is all Malaysian should look back their history of harmony and success life in this small county and plan for leading developed country in this region.

Sunday June 30, 2013 By SHAHANAAZ HABIB shaz@thestar.com.my

Injecting new blood into the struggle

Bringing down a government is far more serious because there was an election and they were elected. You don't need to change a government that way. If at all it comes to a changing of government, we want to do it through the ballot box. Change is more enduring if you do it through empowerment and education. Ambiga Said?

Professors are very important and should be respected! Professors integrity must be maintained!

now many universities processing the final results for their graduates. The question now are the graduates are competence to be in the job market and compatible with world demand?

Just check the graduate attitude were developed from their students time. Their respect to lecturers is part of the attitude. If they just want the marks, signature, listen to the lecture and attend classes, they are not good students. When they work they just want salary and job and no integrity. Training and curriculum are important. Lecturer integrity too important.

Haze because of human activity. BUT with simple wind and rain all haze clear. How basic sciences can help? Human's memory is short and sometime cannot think beyond. Thats why we need high order thinking generations, thinking base learning approach, and value source of knowledge.

Business, profit, easy, cheap, quick,.... haze, pollution, sick,..death. Why it repeating and may continue if we do not do something. science and multilateral collaboration between countries needed to help solving the problems.

Haze will cause similar effect to wild life, not just animals. AND plants too. high temperature, low light density, humidity changes, and others that influence the physiology and biochemistry of organisms.

Kalau tak percaya boleh mencubanya. tanyalah orang yang telah berjaya. Siapa? 1. Letaki tua yang beristeri muda 2. Perempuan tua yang bersuami muda. Jawapan mereka Tongkat ali dan kacip fatimah. Mungkin boleh cuba juga pokok pecah kelambu.

Tongkat Ali atau Kacip Fatimah merupakan herba yang mempunyai hubung kait dengan budaya atau amalan mereka yang sudah berkelamin. Herba-herba ini berkhasiat untuk meningkatkan libido (syahwat) dan kesihatan baik bagi lelaki mahupun perempuan. Bagi mereka yang masih sangsi dengan ubatan tradisional, semua khasiat Kacip Fatimah atau nama saintifiknya Labisia pumila Benth bolehlah mencubanya.

Apa ada pada nama. Walaupun nama itu penting. We keep as UPM. People know UPM. We need to strengthen agriculture in UPM. UPM leading in agriculture. Food security, commodity,.......... All faculty must involve in making agriculture dominant in UPM.

Alumni Association of UPM decided to maintain UPM as Universiti Putra Malaysia BUT strengthen its function and image in Agriculture. UPM leading in agriculture.

Now we are really serious about cycle on campus. By September we hope all ready. May be this first stage. next stage will be better bicycle lane and walking path.

Malaysian already studied about haze from forest fire BUT slept for long time. Now we only read the history. NASA have better information BUT may be not their interest to help countries having problems

Characterization of Malaysian Transboundary Smoke-Haze Particles.

DZULKEFLY, K., ANUAR, K., WAN YUNUS, W. M. Z., ABDULLAH, A. M. and AWANG,M.B. Department of Chemistry Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang, selangor (Malaysia)

Abstract: This paper reports results of characterization of haze particles collected during the 1997 haze episode in Malaysia. Haze samples were collected using a high volume sampler from 22 September to 7 November 1997 and February 1998 at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Station. The haze samples were subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particulate matter and trace metal analyses. Significant increase in particulate (PMIO) concentrations observed during haze period was mainly due to transboundary smoke-haze from biomass burning. The maximum PM10 concentration recorded at UPM station was 406.7 µg/m³ on 25 September 1997. Scanning electron microscopy showed that smoke-haze particles were spherical, uniform in size and have liquid droplet characteristics, typical of biomass burning. Analysis of trace metal showed the presence of high concentration of potassium (7.75 µg/m³) in sample collected on 24 September 1997. Other trace metals Na, Cu, Ca, Fe, Al, Mn, Cr, and Zn were attributed to both natural (soil dust) and industrial emissions. The level of lead was slightly increased (0.43 µg/m³) during the haze period.

Key words: Haze, trace metal, scanning electron microscopy, biomass burning.

 

Another example of unfinished studies and preparation for our annual event of HAZE from Indonesia. What size of particles, what kind of danger and how to prevent from enter human body and cause death.

According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), particles less than 10 micrometers are dangerous when inhaled and accumulated in the respiratory system. Due to their small size, these particles can “lodge deeply into the lungs”.

Public ask information on PM2.5 instead of PM10 alone. prolonged exposure to the poor air quality, which has plunged to hazardous levels in recent days. In particular,  levels of PM2.5 concentration, or very fine particulate matter.
             
For example, the PM2.5 concentration went up to about 304 μg/m3 at 4pm yesterday, way past its normal levels of between 20 and 40 μg/m3 in Singapore. The PM2.5 concentration reading measures small particles of less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which can slip past the nasal passages into the lungs and blood streams, potentially creating an entire host of problems from heart attacks to stroke and even brain damage in extreme cases.

In comparison, the PM10 concentration reading tracks particles that are less than 10 microns in diameter, which get trapped in the nasal passage. Nevertheless, the doctors stressed that the severity of conditions depends on the amount of pollutants breathed in by a person, so the exposure during normal commuting would not be considered too hazardous.

The much smaller PM2.5 particles can go anywhere in the body, any organs. This can trigger inflammation of the blood vessels and lead to heart attacks, even in people with no history of heart disease. The inflammation could occur in unborn fetuses and these children have a higher risk of developing asthma after they are born.

One of the effects could even be brain damage, occurring at a similar level to people with Alzheimer’s disease. But the effect is dose dependent. How long people need to be breathing in the polluted air to suffer such hazardous effects is not known.

For average office workers, the PSI levels of beyond 300 do not pose a threat so severe that they have to stop working or work from home. But for people who work outside, such as delivery drivers, it is hazardous, as they work outside all day long. Their number of working hours should be limited and they must be made to wear N95 masks.

60 per cent of the haze particles may penetrate indoors, depending on air flow, and using air-conditioning and closing windows and doors may bring down the level.

We are still inheriting culture of reporting data, reading news, hear say and giving noncommittal statements. Example the haze issue. This is not the first time happened and not new. It is enough time if research, laws and regulation and monitoring procedures need to be developed. But if we consider this haze issues is emergency and disaster, we can see the countries involved fail to solve the problems. This in not earth quake or typhoon which cannot be predicted and stopped. This is why I always said studies on basic sciences is extremely important. BUT what the authority said is different.

PETALING JAYA: The air quality remained at unhealthy levels in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan as at 7am Monday.
According to the Department of Environment website, the Kuala Lumpur, the API at Putrajaya registered at 155, Cheras, 157, and Batu Muda, 191.
In Selangor, Petaling Jaya registered 198, Shah Alam, 157, Port Klang, 296, and Banting, 178
Higher API readings were also registered in Port Dickson (335) in Negri Sembilan and Bukit Rambai (260) in Malacca.
The DOE classifies any API reading above 301 as hazardous, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 51 to 100 as moderate and 0 to 51 as good.

Mungkin kali ini akan berjaya sekali lagi. Burung upeh bersarang lagi. Dua tahun dahulu sepasang burung upeh telah berjaya membiak malangnya pokok sarangnya ditebang. Kali ini mungkin boleh berjaya kerana berhampiran dengan pejabat Jabatan Perhilitan. Masyarakat tempatan sudah faham dan menyokong kerana kempen yang dibuat oleh pihak UPM. Kita perlu perhatian serius Jabatan Perhilitan, geran penyelidikan dan sokongan panel penilai proposal penyelidikan.

Now PM already responded. How many will die after haze we donot know. Important thing is three countries must punish who create disaster to million of peoples interm of disconfort, health, business, daily incomes,..... they are cruel!!!

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has agreed to declare emergency status on Sunday in Muar and Ledang with immediate effect after the API readings reached more than 750, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.
As of 7.00am Sunday, the air pollutant index (API) in Muar has spiked to 746, which is more than twice the standard hazardous levels according to the Department of Environment website.

May be NRE or MOSTI can give a special grants for biodiversity studies. OR may be prime minister's office since we agree with many biodiversity related treaties. What will happen to wildlife and agriculture, tourism and jobs market after heavy haze due to forest burning in Indonesia.

GET them!. Until when we will be bullied. This is public torture. Why we let business people make our life suffer for their own profit. Government must take action. ACT NOW! and experts please help the government!

This is among the security issues. Althogh we have this every year BUT we are not ready to fight. We offer to make rain in other country, at least we can make in our country to reduce haze. We use to advice tall building have sprinklers to reduce haze but now we cannot see. JUST NATO

The Star, JOHOR BARU: The air pollutant index (API) in Muar has spiked to 746 as of 7.00am, which is more than twice the standard hazardous levels according to the Department of Environment website on Sunday.
According to the Department of Environment (DOE), any API reading above 301 is considered hazardous.
The last reading as of 4pm on Saturday showed that Muar had an API of 453.
All other areas in Johor also recorded API readings above the unhealthy level.
This includes Kota Tinggi at 137, Pasir Gudang at 127 and Larkin Lama at 117.

good for the star highlighted this public transport issue. public transport need to be friendly, attractive, clean, discipline, safe, fast, cheap,... its routes must be passing through public concetrated areas, good networking of walking path with roof, etc. at least good percentage of public use public transport everyday. reduce carbon emmission, ...

How far we are serious to solve HAZE problems from forest burning in Indonesia. Look like we all are cheated and it repeating!!! true science may solve the problems. Early warning systems.

Published: Saturday June 22, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Saturday June 22, 2013 MYT 11:45:12 AM

Dreaded haze expected to linger until August

Choking skies Smoke rising from burning areas near agricultural plantations in Rokan Hilir, Riau province, Indonesia. An Indonesian environmental NGO says monitoring and prevention of open burning in the country is still ‘very weak’. — EPA

 

PETALING JAYA: Based on the pattern in previous years, the haze is expected to last until August, according to the assessment of Indonesia’s largest environmental NGO.
Walhi or Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Indonesian Forum for the Envi­ronment) noted that the root causes of the haze have remained the same, three decades after it became a trans-boundary problem.
Walhi’s national forest and large-scale plantation campaigner Zenzi Suhadi said the annual occurrences showed that monitoring and prevention of open burning in the country was still “very weak”.
He said the Indonesian Government seemed to only take notice of the situation after Singapore reacted strongly to the haze shrouding the island.
“It is clear that the problems are still the same. It is important for the Indonesian Government to take decisive and quick measures to address the crisis,” he said, adding that the haze could affect multilateral relations.
The smog, which first appeared over Malaysian skies in 1982, was worst in 1997 when the Air Pollutant Index reading in Sarawak soared to 839 – 539 higher that the “Hazardous” level of 300 – prompting the Government to issue a 10-day Haze Emergency.
It has been an annual problem ever since, with Port Klang and Kuala Selangor in the peninsula recording the highest readings of over 500 in 2005.
The haze, which is now an acute problem in South-East Asia, is mainly caused by open burning in Indonesia for land clearing, in addition to other factors like hot and dry weather.
Zenzi said forest fires that had occurred in the last decade were not just due to ecological changes but also intentional land clearing by large-scale plantations and the lack of environmental governance by the pulp and paper industry.
Walhi’s southern Sumatra acting executive director Hadi Jadmiko said efforts to stop open burning should begin from the Indonesian Government.
He said the haze could have been prevented if the Government had been serious in tackling the issue by coming down hard on open burning over the years.
“We have found that no action has been taken against two companies here which continue to practise open burning,” he said in a press statement.
He said drainage canals in peat soil areas also led to these places being dried out, causing fires to spread more easily.
Rico Kurniawan, Walhi’s executive director for Riau, said the number of hotspots showed that the issuance of permits for plantations was not done with proper assessment.
He said the application of environmental rules in the timber and plantation industries was still far from being responsible.
Walhi is the umbrella body uniting more than 450 NGOs throughout Indonesia’s vast archipelago.
It has independent offices and grassroots constituencies located in 24 of the country’s 31 provinces.

How we can trust those responsible to enforce the laws and monitoring loging activities. MNS need to work harder educate the public.

Published: Friday June 21, 2013 MYT 8:09:00 AM
Updated: Friday June 21, 2013 MYT 11:30:46 AM

Nasa: Malaysia sees 115% jump in deforestation in first 3 months of 2013

By TASHNY SUKUMARANtashny@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia saw a 115% increase in deforestation during the first three months of 2013, according to a forest tracking tool developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) researchers.
Malaysia's figure was the highest among five countries where deforestation was detected, followed by Nepal (114%), Mexico (92%), Argentina (72%), and Madagascar (51%).
Nasa's Quarterly Indicator of Cover Change, a satellite-based tool that underpins environment watchdog Mongabay.com's Global Forest Disturbance Alert System, noted the jump earlier this month.

Deforestation hotspot in the peninsula.

I wish we have monthly talk by local scientists on our own biodiversity. Can we get it? May be after I retired three years time, with GOD permission and good health I will focus on this with MNS. Now busy with other things and no money. We need money to attract people, sponsor speakers, refreshment and communication.

 Prof Lee Grismer gave talk on frogs and snakes of Malaysia at MNS HQ on Saturday. Probably he know more about Malaysian frogs and snakes from our local scientists.

Opportunity to meet Prof Lee Grismer  who work on herpetology for more than 20 years. Why our Malaysian professors keep changing topic or scope of research. Probably we need to have more grants on biodiversity so that the researchers can focus for longer period on the specific topic. 

With Dr Ruth Kiew former professor in Department of Biology, UPM. Look what happened to herbarium after she left. Probably right if I said we depending on foreigners for biodiversity studies. We need a quick transformation.

What will happen to wildlife population in Riau if this logging activities continuosly happened. Now we have another forest fire and clearing for oilpalm plantation.

An Indonesian police officer checks illegal logs seized by the police during a patrol in Pangkalan Gondai near Tesso Nilo natural forest, Riau province, Indonesia, 28 April 2008. Over-exploitation of forests due to illegal logging has resulted in a tremendous rate of deforestation in Indonesia. During the last 25 years, Riau has lost more than 4 million hectares of forest and forest cover has declined from 78 percent in 1982 to 27 percent today. Riau’s deforestation is driven by the need to feed the mills of the pulp and paper companies and the expansion of the palm oil industry. Deforestation between 2005 and 2006 was 286,146 hectares, an 11 percent loss in just one year. This is the fastest deforestation rate in the world, the WWF reported. (EPA Photo/Mast Irham)

 Most of Riau's forests were cleared since 1982 to make way for new industrial plantations, with approximately 30 percent cleared for the palm oil plantations and around 20 percent for pulpwood plantations.

• The average annual CO₂ emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, peat decomposition and peat fires in Riau between 1990 and 2007 was 0.22 Gt, equal to 79% of Indonesia's total annual emissions from the energy sector in 2004.
• Between 1990 and 2007, Riau alone produced more CO₂ per year than the fourth-largest industrial nation, Germany, saved to achieve its Kyoto target.
• Since 1982, as the forest were cleared, there was a clear correlation in Riau with declining Sumatran elephant populations, which suffered up to an 84 percent decline in numbers - down to as few as 210 individuals in 2007.
• Since 1982, Sumatran tiger population estimates are down 70 percent, to perhaps just 192 individuals. Unless the last remaining patches of tiger habitat are connected by wildlife corridors, Riau will no longer have a viable tiger population, the study predicts

 

Fires cause worst haze in Singapore's history: May be after Singapore complaining about haze then Indonesia and regional countries responded positively. Malaysia may can tolarate and allow the incidence repeating under the reason of "serumpun". Actually there is a limit of tolerant and practicality. Malaysia must develop along with Singapore.

                

Can you see me? Marina Bay is barely visible on Saturday due to a haze that is blanketing Singapore. Photo: AP

Indonesia has deployed military planes to fight forest fires that continue to blanket neighbouring Singapore in record levels of hazardous smog in one of South East Asia's worst air-pollution crises.

As Singaporeans donned face masks and pulled children from playgrounds and Malaysia closed schools in the south, the deliberately-lit fires grew bigger in some areas. Whipped up by winds, the blazes added to fears over health problems and diplomatic tension in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

"The winds are picking up and the weather isn't very good at the moment, so the fires in some places are getting bigger," said Gunawan, a firefighter who like many Indonesians goes by one name. "We are working as hard as possible to control the fires...but we're facing difficult conditions."

Thick smoke from raging forest fires rises on Indonesia's Sumatra island. Photo: AFP

Indonesia blamed eight companies, including Jakarta-based PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (SMART) and Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL), for the fires. The government said it would take action against any company responsible for the disaster.

"The majority of hotspots in Riau (province) are inside APRIL and Sinar Mas concessions," senior presidential aide Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said.

An APRIL statement said the company and third-party suppliers had a "strict no-burn policy" for all concessions in Indonesia.

An analysis of satellite maps and government data by Reuters and the think tank World Resources Institute also revealed spot fires on land licensed to Singapore-listed First Resources Ltd and Indonesia's Provident Agro.

The analysis did not reveal the cause of the fires or who was at fault.

A spokeswoman for Golden Agri Resources, SMART's Singapore-listed parent, said the company knew of no hotspots on its concessions.

Illegal burning on Indonesia's Sumatra island typically takes place in the June to September dry season to clear space for palm oil plantations. This year's fires are unusually widespread and the haze is the worst in Singapore's history.

Singapore's government has warned it could last weeks.

Indonesia has earmarked around 200 billion rupiah ($22 million) to handle the disaster. Seven military aircraft were deployed for water bombings and rain seeding.

"Hazardous"

Hospitals in Dumai and Bengkalis in Indonesia's Riau province recorded increases in cases of asthma, lung, eye and skin problems, health official Arifin Zainal said.

The Dumai airport remained closed for a third day on Friday.

In Singapore, the number of residents wearing face masks rose markedly as the pollution standards index (PSI) climbed to a new record of 401 at midday on Friday, a level which health authorities consider potentially life-threatening for the elderly. The PSI moderated later to an "unhealthy" 142 by mid-evening. "Basically, what a 'hazardous' PSI level means is that the pollution will cause damage to the lining of the breathing tube," said Dr Kenneth Chan, consultant respiratory physician at Singapore's Gleneagles Medical Centre. "If the lining of the breathing tube is damaged, it will make the patient more vulnerable to various infections." In Malaysia, southern Johor state was the worst affected, with pollution readings remaining in the "hazardous" category.

Costly fire

Air pollution has long been a serious problem in many Asian cities such as New Delhi, Beijing and Hong Kong but it is only an issue in Singapore when the smoke blows in from Sumatra.

According to one method of measuring pollution, the one authorities use in China's capital, Singapore's air was much worse than Beijing's on Friday, according to state agency data.

The cost of the current haze for Singapore could be hundreds of millions of dollars, brokerage CLSA said in a report.

It said that in 2006, when the pollution index reached 150, it was estimated the haze cost $US50 million and in 1997 it was $US300 million. CLSA said the 1997 and 2006 figures seemed low when considering the direct and indirect cost of prolonged haze.

Workers in Singapore could still be seen toiling at some construction sites despite the elevated levels. The Singapore government has so far only issued only broad guidelines about employers having to ensure the health and safety of workers.

"Even as our government rails against the corporate interests in Sumatra who are willing to sacrifice human health for profits, the Ministry of Manpower still isn't practicing what they preach by allowing construction companies in Singapore to make their workers slog through the smog," the Online Citizen, a socio-political website, said in a commentary.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/fires-cause-worst-haze-in-singapores-history-20130622-2op40.html#ixzz2Wwuk6Eej

I learned a lot from this 84 years old lady on nature, life and thinking. She have a lot of story to share. She still driving in busy Kuala Lumpur!

How many years already we have this problems. I experienced aeroplane cannot land at Alor Star and have to landed at Penang Airport and waited until the sky clear. BUT what we have learned from that haze problems? we have meeting between countries involved Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Evidence showed that forest fire in Sumatera (last time including Kalimantan). What is the solution? why we allow greedy business people dectate us. Enviromental education is very important to educate the locals so that they will look after their local environment such as this forest fire. Where are the scientists to help?

'Life threatening'

A Pollution Standard Index (PSI) reading above 300 is defined as "hazardous", while Singapore government guidelines say a PSI reading of above 400 over 24 hours "may be life-threatening to ill and elderly persons".

"Healthy people [may also] experience adverse symptoms that affect normal activity," the government says.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22998592