SERENA GONZALEZ WRITES – After a 4-year closure to allow its marine ecosystem to replenish itself, Thailand’s Maya Bay, one of the country’s most famous beaches is back, but with some stringent rules in place. Surrounded by towering limestone cliffs on an uninhabited island in Thailand’s Phi Phi archipelago, the…
Full Article THAILAND: RECOVERY OF MAYA BAY SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE
HALEY BREWER WRITES — With the country of Malaysia having signed the Glasgow Climate Pact in November of 2021, we are reminded of Sabah, a state in Malaysia, which, back in 2015, pledged to produce sustainable palm oil by 2025. While this pledge is a decade-long plan, it is now…
Full Article MALAYSIA: WILL THE STATE OF SABAH LEAD THE WAY TO SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL?
CRISTINA PEDLER WRITES – Sri Lanka is leading the way in banning palm oil imports and phasing out cultivation. In an unexpected turn of events, Sri Lanka has banned imports of palm oil and new palm plantations, and told producers to uproot existing plantations in a phased manner. An announcement…
Full Article SRI LANKA: THE WAR ON PALM OIL MAY SAVE THE WORLD
KEZIA LAKSMONO WRITES — My home country is known for many cultural myths and rich folklore. I’ve always been skeptical of such stories. But folklore about New Year’s Day weather? For me, that’s always been an exception. Historically, rain comes pouring down on the city of Jakarta – the place…
Full Article INDONESIA: CORONAVIRUS CRISIS TURNS INTO COMPOUNDED CATASTROPHE
PATRICK POLESHUK WRITES — If the Covid-19 catastrophe has benefited us in any way, it is in teaching us that humanity is never absolved from vulnerability. In the wake of global pandemic panic, thoughts about what is going to happen soon are beginning to overshadow thoughts on our long-term existence. How will…
Full Article U.S. AND ASIA: A NEW WORLD ORDER OF ENVIRONMENTALISM
NICOLE ALAVERDIAN WRITES – It is no secret that humans are amid a most severe environmental problem — global climate change. Ecological reports and scientific evidence point to the possibility of the “sixth great mass extinction” taking place. Countries have suggested climate change guidelines: The Paris Climate Agreement, of course.…
Full Article Asia Round-Up: As Election Season Looms in the Region, Why is the Environment a missing topic of concern?
LAMA AL TAHER WRITES– Thailand has been hailed as a “must” tourist destination in Asia for its unparalleled location, food, and cost effectiveness. Unfortunately, Bangkok, the country’s capital and one of the most visited destinations, is faced with a major threat– dust pollution, an environmental hazard that began early in…
Full Article THAILAND: Disruptive Haze Over Bangkok Hurts the Tourism Industry
NICOLE ALAVERDIAN WRITES– As the world scrambles to adopt more environmentally friendly practices, there is one overlooked culprit of climate change: animal agriculture. Despite a recent wave of vegetarian, vegan and plant-based food offerings in the Asian-Pacific, a study by the Food Service Consultants Society predicts that in Asia “the…
Full Article ENVIRONMENT: Is it possible for the Asian Pacific to mend its carnivorous appetite?
OLIVIA AMEZCUA WRITES– Fisheries, or rather the poor management of fisheries, has generated a multitude of problems, ranging from environmental to economic to health. For Indonesia, a coastal country heavily reliant on the fishing industry, this issue must be addressed with urgency. Among the adverse effects of poorly managed fisheries:…
Full Article Indonesia: Fisheries Regulation and Sustainability Urgently Needed
NICOLE ALAVERDIAN WRITES– China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is all but green– environmentally speaking, of course. The BRI initiative, through trade, investment, and infrastructure with some 65 plus countries, may garner immense monetary green for the countries involved but also leads to severe global environmental damage, according to a…
Full Article WORLD: China’s Belt and Road Initiative–Economic Gold Mine or Environmental Hazard?
OLIVIA AMEZCUA WRITES — Ongoing attacks against environmental activists have been on the rise throughout Asia, attacks that are increasingly violent and range from death threats, arrests, intimidation, cyber attacks, sexual assault, and lawsuits, the Global Witness reports. The Philippines is by far the largest hotspot for such foul play. Still,…
Full Article Asia: Environmental Activists Under Attack
OLIVIA AMEZCUA WRITES– When one thinks of Indonesia, palm oil might not be the first thought that comes to mind. Many folks remain vastly unaware of both the country’s near-existential ties with the product— and the self-destructive dangers the palm oil industry imposes on this sprawling nation’s environment. Palm oil…
Full Article Indonesia: THE SLIPPERY BUSINESS OF ‘DIRTY’ PALM OIL
OLIVIA AMEZCUA WRITES — The smog that has been polluting New Delhi for decades has reached a new intensity, according to recent reports, with pollution levels 20 times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit. In fact, the New Delhi Air Quality Index hit an all-time high reading of 999. Last…
Full Article India: Choked by Smog
AMANDA KRETSCH WRITES – In a technology-saturated world, it seems no lettuce leaf is left untouched. Spread is a Kyoto-based Japanese company whose vision is to look for a sustainable way to bring fresh vegetables to the world, and they plan to open a robot-run farm in Kansai by 2017. CEO, Shinji…
Full Article JAPAN: Harvesting Technology for SustainabilityLEXIE TUCKER WRITER – Even as all eyes were on Singapore and the blanket of Sumatran smoke choking the island, mainland China’s State Council was taking steps to help clear that country’s air. According to local media reports, the council approved several specific measures to fight further air pollution, a…
Full Article CHINA: Media Helps Spread Environmental AwarenessResources and Environment has also entered a partnership with the International Finance Corporation to create more sustainable ways to promotes socio-economic development. With this new partnership, the Vientiane Times has reported that Laos has the potential to build more than 100 dams on the Mekong River. Vientiane Times also interviewed…
Full Article LAOS: Not Even Faint Praise for the Dams