Nature Park

before nek bot tgk kelip kelip ku sangka api...

wit' d coordinator n members

wit' ms.day...

ready 4 nature walk...

yeay...we made it...

Why it takes so long to upload the photos? huhu... i really have no idea bout' that.

a) Busy

b) lazy

c).............

Climate change plus human pressure caused large mammal extinctions in late Pleistocene

According to various estimates by scientists, every day 35- 150 species of life become extinct. Most of these vanishing species are inhabitants of tropical rain forests. A majority of them are insects or plants, and most remain undiscovered by humans at the time of their extinction.

There are a variety of causes that can contribute directly or indirectly to the extinction of a species or group of species. Currently, studies have shown that global warming may drive one quarter of all land animals and plants to extinction by 2050. Global warming has allowed some species to expand their range, bringing unwelcome competition to other species that previously occupied that area.

The major causes of animal extinction are:
i) taking animals for profit
ii) hunting and trapping
iii) overharvesting
iv) introduced species
v) destruction of habitats
vi) pollution

To prevent extinction, we can:
i) conserve habitats
ii) make space for our wildlife
iii) recycle, reduce and reuse
iv) plant native plants that are local to the area
v) control introduced plants and animals
vi) make your voice heard.

State and territory government conservation agencies are responsible for the management of national parks and the protection of wildlife. They are sometimes supported by public foundations.

Loss of biodiversity threatens livelihoods of world's poorest

Many countries nowadays are moving towards sustainable future. The idea about sustainable future is likely to capture the attention of people in the sense of responsible to maintain the system of this world as they are. We have been exploiting the natural sources for our own benefits. The times has come for us to think twice before taking anything from the nature as we already burden with the consequences such as global warming and climate change.

We hear more about sustainable forestry practices by the large logging multinationals. However, what does that really mean? Who is it sustainable for? Society and the environment, or for the logging companies? By replanting trees that will grow quickly and allow them to be felled for “sustained” logging sounds like a good strategy. However, the trees that are favored for this require a lot of water to grow so quickly. The trees achieve this rapid growth by tapping large quantities of groundwater, impoverishing surrounding vegetation and threatening to dry up local water courses.

Many of the actions that have been taken to conserve biodiversity and promote its sustainable use have been successful in limiting biodiversity loss. Rates of loss are now lower than they would have been in the absence of such actions. Less biodiversity would exist today had not communities, NGOs, governments, and, to a growing extent, business and industry taken actions to conserve biodiversity, mitigate its loss, and support its sustainable use. To achieve greater progress toward biodiversity conservation, it will be necessary but not sufficient to strengthen a series of actions that focus primarily on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Young and Green

Nowadays, maintaining and improving the Earth’s environment is becoming a more important task to us. It is not an easy task to balance between the economic growth and environment conservation. As we develop this planet to our benefits and needs, we should no compromise the environment. If there should be development, make it sustainable. We should leave this planet for the next generations. Do we really want the future generation to suffer?

The conservation should be instilled from young. However, the children do have less exposure to nature. They just can watch documentary in a television and get the information via internet. They should have the opportunity to see the real nature, touch, smell, feel and hear it by themselves. At least, it will heighten their sense of knowing what nature is all about through the real experience.

Bayer has taken the initiatives in hopes that their programme would encourage the youths to act responsibly towards improving and maintaining the environment. This year, the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Project (BYEE) programme is organised by Bayer in partnership with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UPM. BAYER Group is a global enterprise that has been adopting environment-friendly practices since the 1990s.

The young people are the future leaders so they are the best persons to get involve in these programme. Through a selection process, the students aged between 18 and 24 have been choose to participate in the programme. The programmes have been held about a week once every year in Malaysia. During this programme, the participants are exposed to certain aspects of conservation. This programme is a quite effective experiential learning because they could see, hear and talk about the issue.

In my opinion, the parents should encourage their children to participate in any environmental education programme. The most effective way to assist in the development of a conscience amongst the children is to start raising awareness and to educate them about the environment. At least, they will get the opportunity to enhance their awareness of nature conservation together with the people in their community. Who knows, the children will be voicing their concerns of the world’s environment and sharing ideas on what they can do to promote environmental protection, conservation and sustainability.

To quote an old saying,

"when you want to bend a bamboo, you have to start from the shoots"

Olympians go green

Think before you throw. Recycle.

The opening ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympics was held at the auspicious moment of eight o’clock on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008. It is “the most spectacular Olympics Opening Ceremony ever produced”.

At the same time, the Coca-Cola Company has done a good job when they came with the great idea in promoting the green earth campaign during the Olympic Games. The campaigns would encourage everyone to act responsibly towards improving and maintaining the environment. Actually, no matter where we are and what we do, we should concern of our environment. We should know that one of the action taken with environment to keep it save for the future generations. Our environment greatly affected by each individual’s contribution.

The company was promoting recycling that is so important in the effort to preserve environment for future generations. Recycling involves processing used materials into new product. Many different materials can be recycled such as plastic, paper, glass, textiles, batteries, clothing, and ferrous and non-ferrous metals. However each type requires a different technique.

Nowadays, we are running out of places to operate as a landfill. Some might say that their countries have enough land for their own waste and do not care with rest of the world. How about the small countries? Where are they going to put their wastes? The simple way is recycling, one way to reduce amount of waste that is landfilled. Besides, the cost of waste disposal can be reduced by recycling. The less waste is landfilled, the low cost for the landfill.

When people recycle, they will see how simple and easy it is. Also, what a difference it makes. Air and water pollution can be reduced by recycling. We also can save more energy by recycling because making a product from recycled materials will takes less energy compared than make it from new raw materials. This would help slow down global climate change.

In this case, for aluminum cans which is 95 percent of air and water pollution, and energy can be minimized by using aluminum scrap instead of bauxite ore to make new aluminum products. So, start recycles those aluminum cans.

Our natural resources such as plants and minerals are running low. We must take an action to save them and the Earth from ruin. We will conserve natural resources by using materials more than once. For example, recycling paper will save trees and water.

There are over 1000 recycling bins and 65 centres nationwide. So, people no need to worry to manage their recyclable items. However, the problem may arise to the people who live in rural areas where less recycling bins provided. The local authorities should play their roles to make the recycling campaigns become successful. Use the three R’s and collection sites to take care of our health and our environment.

“People have to be able to work together if they are to realize the
shared destiny and to preserve a habitable environment for generations to come".

Albert Bandura, 1995.

Ice Free (Comment-1)

The current issues of sustainable development affecting the world are global warming, poverty and biodiversity among them. So, for the first topic in my first blog, I chose the article related to global warming. Well, the topic is very common one and perhaps become number 1 issue for the 2008 and past several years.

Some people see the global warming is just hypothetical but I believe that the global warming is happening. From the previous reading, the phenomenon of global warming has been proven. The clearest problem that noted by the scientists was rising temperatures would surely melt the glaciers, raising the sea level and flooding the coastal areas.

In my observation, many kinds damage were already beginning to appear. The Hurricane Katrina in the United States of America, Typhoon Durian in Philippines and the Indian Ocean Tsunami have seen many people killed, affected and losses in economic.

On the one hand, the frozen island’s residents in Greenland will get the benefits from the early stages of climate change. There are some positives aspects to the ice melting. Now, the ships could use the Northwest Passage by no longer having to travel through the Panama Canal or around Cape Horn (save time and energy). The return of warm-water cod (makes fishermen happy) and they can produce the crops, which never been expected a few years earlier.

Also, with the barrels of undiscovered oil and gas, lead, zinc, gold and diamond will make a profit. However, this profit will be temporary, as time goes on, the production will finish later.
(Mans can be so greedy. Just become aware that your thoughts and actions affect the world and then become aware that you can learn how to take control of those thoughts).

On the other hand, global warming threatens future economic development and well-being of large numbers of human beings. The raising of sea level has submerged the coastlines where many millions of people now live. The people in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China were already seen the effects. In this case, global warming is likely to burden the poor countries and will affect rich countries too. Unfortunately, both countries have to cover the costs of the damage.

Many of species have been lost through the disturbance. Then, gave a critical effect on the food supply for both humans and other organisms. Finally, the degradation of ecosystems will threat to human health and mortality will rise.

How to mitigate the global warming? Here is the most critical part. To reduce any risks and to mitigate any impacts, the management tools such as environmental evaluation and risk assessment can be applied. Well, good practices in environmental management will go a long way in reducing our vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters.

There are certain things that we can’t control but there are those that we can. No matter what others do for our planet, we can start by protecting it ourselves. We can start with our own homes. I keep on telling my family to recycle what can be recycled, do not throw garbage everywhere and educate them about open burning. Sometimes, burning the thrash and yard waste is like a habit for most live in rural areas.

p/s:my mom will do the same thing when nobody want to send the garbages to the garbage container.

I hope that more people will, more and more, overwhelmingly support legislation and others action to reduce the carbon emissions and tackle other environmental problems.

'Do it loudly, proudly, sincerely'

It still ok to write if we don't use too much paper and chop down too many trees. Go paper-less and save the environment.

'SAVE OUR TREES'