View Full Version : Environment:UrbanMiner69er!
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050805/3/255to.html
Khun Vikhrom 0f Amata Industrial Estate fame bemoans Thailand's poverty after year's of development and completely ignores the role that organisations such as industrial estates have taken in destroying the natural environment.
The Enforcer!
08-08-05, 09:23 AM
Surely the ones to blame are the politicians who put an Industrial Zone in an area of natural beauty and low water reserves ... not the operators of same?
This story just emphases again the lack proper planning for economic growth.
The Enforcer!
White Nancy
08-08-05, 09:06 PM
See my point in "Living in Thailand" on job discrimination for my opinion of the "Bright boys with ologies" who couldn't find their arse with both hands! :D
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050805/3/255to.html
Khun Vikhrom of Amata Industrial Estate fame bemoans Thailand's poverty after year's of development and completely ignores the role that organisations such as industrial estates have taken in destroying the natural environment.That article also struck me as utterly stupid and full of BS. Yeah, it's only a question of 'management' and 'better infrastructure'. Technology will solve all our problems. When our own water is finished, we simply get it somewhere else. Let's build a ridiculously expensive nationwide water grid of doubtful value, but with potentially disastrous environmental impact. Environment? Who needs that anyway? We must develop (but not mentally). Above all, the economy must keep growing.
Will those jerks ever understand? We are talking about simple principles of cause and effect here. For example: No matter how many reservoirs you build, if you keep cutting down what is left of your once abundant forests, you are ultimately set for disaster. The water will effectively run off and end up in the sea, causing both floods (see here (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=5832#post5832) ) and draughts as a consequence. There is no unlimited supply of this commodity that just needs 'better management'. Large-style meddling with natural watercourses has to be among the dumbest ideas of humankind, anyway (compare the sad fate of the Aral Sea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_sea)).
The Enforcer!
09-08-05, 10:57 AM
the "Bright boys with ologies" who couldn't find their arse with both hands! :D
Understand this is very difficuly over here with one hand holding a Singha beer and the other some passionate young thing!
The Enforcer!
Large-style meddling with natural watercourses has to be among the dumbest ideas of humankind, anyway (compare the sad fate of the Aral Sea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_sea)).
I rather gather that the Murray-Darling Project in Australia has also been a complete long-term disaster.
I recently flew over the Aral Sea. A truly depressing sight. As are the areas ravaged by tiger-prawn farming in Southern Thailand, which I always think of as rural slums.
Wisarut
09-08-05, 06:45 PM
Going alogn meklogn Railway (Ban Laem - maeklong) and you'll see anotehr man-mae disaster on tiger prawn farming alogn with Salt harvesting.
Laughable to watch Government ministers running around like headless chickens trying to look like they care about the Chiang-Mai floods. Especially when we know full-well that the relatives of the same ministers helped to create the problem with their indiscriminate logging.
I continue to note with every flood that those folks who live in the old stilt houses fare quite well. Greedy politicians have also made it worse by building estates on unsuitable swamp. The philosophy is always if one estate infills its land by 1 meter, the next door development must infill by 1.5 meters. So despite having prepared for flood, you still get flooded by the run-off from the more recent stuff around you.
Not a bad idea to go back to building even modern houses on stilts in certain areas. The ground floor can be left as a carport and for an expendable shop area (some shop stock can often be moved upstairs easier than furniture), whilst the family can sit out the flood upstairs in relative comfort.
I note some folk are going back to 'stilts'. That abomination the flat roof is also getting less popular. Leaky suckers, even if well-built!
Today I saw in The Nation that Thaksin proposed a 600 million Baht, 5m high dyke (with Lanna style decorations, whatever that means) along the Ping River in the center of Chiang Mai as a remedy. And he thinks the main cause of the floods is obstruction of the waters due to "encroachment" on the river banks. - See this thread (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=1045) for related issues.
The mess described by Khun Wisaruth in the previous post; in Samut Sakhon Province:-http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=13.453904,100.151367&spn=0.116097,0.161121&t=k&hl=en
Similar short-sighted & dim-witted development around Hua-Sai in Nakorn Sri Thammarat Province:-
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=8.106817,100.292816&spn=0.031100,0.042400&z=3&t=k&hl=en
airlana
18-08-05, 09:20 PM
I rather gather that the Murray-Darling Project in Australia has also been a complete long-term disaster.
Not only is the Murray-Darling a major disaster but large parts of the country now have massive soil salination problems.
For a country built "on the land" we sure have stuffed it up due to lack of proper land management.
And not much corrective action is being taken
It's a case of make the $$$$$$$ today and leave the problem for tomorrow
airlana
.
airlana
18-08-05, 09:29 PM
I seem to recall years ago some bright spark politician came up with the idea that if dams were built all up North on the major rivers that feed into Chao Phya, then presto, Bangkok would be spared from it's annual floods.
From what I've seen there are more floods nowdays in the North as a result of the dams.
So now we still have Bangkok floods plus more in the North.
Brilliant - just brilliant
airlana
.
The mess described by Khun Wisaruth in the previous post; in Samut Sakhon Province:-http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=13.453904,100.151367&spn=0.116097,0.161121&t=k&hl=en
Similar short-sighted & dim-witted development around Hua-Sai in Nakorn Sri Thammarat Province:-
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=8.106817,100.292816&spn=0.031100,0.042400&z=3&t=k&hl=enAlso see the Bang Kunthian/Samut Prakan coastal stretch in high-resolution, e.g. around here: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=13.539451,100.490270&spn=0.018827,0.030088&t=k&hl=en
And on we go with the damn dam construction:
Dam projects see world heritage status under threat (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/08/20/national/index.php?news=national_18391083.html ) - The Nation, 20 August 2005
The Royal Irrigation Department’s plan to build dams inside two national parks is threatening to deprive the parks of their hard-earned World Heritage status, an expert said yesterday.
Professor Dr Adul Wichiencharoen, who heads Thailand’s World Heritage Committee, said the dam construction would likely put Pang Sida and Thap Lan national parks on the list of World Heritage sites in danger...[...]
In the same issue there was also a very interesting guest article named "Water Politics Can Harm the Environment" by one Michael Richardson, visiting senior research fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, about the implications of water management (esp. Chinese projects) in the greater Mekhong Region. But it doesn't seem to be available online.
Rayong Dam Conflicts Continue (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/08/23/national/index.php?news=national_18407316.html) - The Nation, 23 August 2005
The mandatory environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the planned construction of a dam on the Rayong River could be skipped in order to trap its dwindling water supply in time, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday.
He said the EIA, required prior to the commencement of a large-scale project, would take too long to complete because the water reserve volume in the river was running low.
Thaksin was responding to the National Human Rights Commission’s call for an EIA before the construction of the dam. The commission cited an ongoing conflict between local residents who were for and against the project to divert water to feed industrial facilities despite the ongoing shortage.....[...]
Bastard. Welcome to the reign of stupidity and short-sightedness........
COASTAL EROSION: Sea ‘encroaching at rate of 65 metres per year’ (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/08/23/national/index.php?news=national_18407311.html) - The Nation, 23 August 2005
Geologist advises construction of sea walls for five coastal provinces. The northern coastline of the Gulf of Thailand is retreating at a rate of 65 metres per year and, in about 50 years, the sea will be more than three kilometres closer to Suvarnabhumi Airport, Samut Prakan and Bangkok, a leading geologist warned yesterday.
The encroachment of the sea, due to rapid land deterioration, would bring the shoreline to just 13 kilometres from Suvarnabhumi Airport by 2055, and future residential development between the airport and the sea could be swallowed by the collapsing shoreline.
Associate Professor Thanawat Jaruphongsakul, of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Science, said more than 1,580 hectares of land on a 77km stretch of shoreline had disappeared in the past 27 years.
The shorelines of Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram and Chachoengsao had retreated 206 metres in that time.
Thanawat said immediate consideration should be given to the eventual relocation of Bangkok to the north and the construction of extensive seawalls along the coastlines of the five provinces.
One possible scenario in just 15 years’ time, he said, was the sea inundating a 1.3-km-wide stretch of the populous Khlong Dan area in Samut Prakan, where the controversial and expensive wastewater treatment plant was nearly finished.
He said the shoreline deterioration was caused by constant washout of sand and mud sediments, as well as the reduction of accumulative sediments at river estuaries because of the construction of dams and canals at the origins of rivers, reducing their flow.
Thanawat said the problem would be worsened by global warming, which was expected to cause a rise in sea levels around the world.
Citing a 1999 report by the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Thanawat said the average sea level worldwide was expected to rise by 0.66 metres in the next one hundred years.
Pongpol Sarnsamak
The Nation
*****
I don't quite believe the 65 m/yr figure (especially when the rate has been 207/27 = "only" 7.63 m/yr in the last 27 years), but still...... This is a serious concern. Are you ready to relocate together with the City of Angels? :eek:
TOXIC WASTE: BMA to provide designated bins (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/08/23/national/index.php?news=national_18407321.html) - The Nation, 23 August 2005
The BMA is to make bins for toxic garbage available in Bangkok.
“We will put the bins outside large buildings, condominiums, department stores and housing estates,” Thirachai Tiensanchai, who heads the BMA’s Environment Department, said yesterday. He said his agency was now asking PTT Plc to sponsor the bins.
Deputy Bangkok Governor Samart Ratchapolsitte identified lightbulbs, batteries and spray cans as having toxic chemicals and needed special disposal methods. “Without proper separation, toxic waste is not properly disposed of and can damage the environment,” Samart said.
*****
A good and important idea indeed, and I hope this will really be implemented (let's keep our fingrs crossed)...... always wondered where to dispose of my used batteries.
Yappofloyd
27-08-05, 06:04 PM
And of course illegal logging with involvement from local officials and politicians ahs nothing to do with the issue... (Note: Yes Tak not MHS/CM area but same practices everywhere)
Staff 'moved' after logs found SUPAMART KASEM (Bkk Post, 27/08/05)
Tak _ Four senior forestry officials in province were abruptly transferred to inactive posts following the recent seizure of more than 5,000 illegally-cut logs in Mae Sot National Reserve. The four officials were attached to forestry conservation office 14 in Tak. They were the director of the forest conservation section, the director of the forest protection section, the chief of Huay Maipaen forestry unit in Mae Sot district and the chief of Huay Bong forestry unit in Mae Ramat district, said Saneh Thipburi, director of the forestry conservation office 14. He did not give their names.
Last week, a combined team of forestry officials and police surveyed Mae Sot national park and found 227 rai of forest land had been encroached upon while more than 5,000 illegally-cut teak and krayaloei logs were discovered. Ten workers, three Burmese nationals and seven Thais were arrested at the scene. The suspects said they were hired by influential figures to cut down trees in the reserve. Mr Saneh said a panel would investigate whether the officials had been involved in the illegal felling of trees.
An article (http://202.60.196.117/breaking/read.php?lang=en&newsid=84619) from the Nation highlights the problem:
Greenpeace warns Thais over e-waste
Published on Sep 28 , 2005
The amount of electronic waste, or e-waste, has risen dramatically in Thailand - 28 million mobile-phone parts and another 43 million batteries within the last three years - a new study by Greenpeace Southeast Asia revealed yesterday. The environmental group warned the country would soon face more serious problems related to the insufficient treatment of hi-tech waste.
"It is an alarming sign for Thailand's environmental problems. We found large amounts of hi-tech waste was treated improperly, and only a few components were sent to the proper waste-separating facilities," Kittikhun Kitti-aram, Greenpeace's toxic waste campaigner said.
"Much of the e-waste management is in the hands of self-employed recycling collectors, especially computer monitors and electrical appliances. They manage the waste with their bare hands, burn out parts including the toxic pieces, break the CRT monitors and in many areas they just dump the non-sellable parts in canals," he added.
A proper management system is required, he said. Kittikhun called on manufacturers to take far more responsibility for e-waste treatment.
According to the study - which covers Southeast Asia - the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) says Thailand and the Philippines face similar situations. Globally, the total amount of e-waste has grown to 50 million tonnes, of which 12 million tonnes are in Asia, the UNEP stated. Thailand has generated 58,000 tonnes of e-waste. Mobile phones and computers make up most of the waste, Kittikhun said, adding that computer-use per 100 households has risen from 11.7 last year to 15.5 this year.
"Moreover, Thailand is currently importing second-hand electronic goods from Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore - as much as 265,000 tonnes - which will become waste soon."
"The Pollution Control Department has recently forecast that total e-waste in Thailand would soon reach three million components," the campaigner said.
Janjira Pongrai
The Nation
On dutch television: dramatic scenes about the flood in Thailand on wednesday 18.00 h.
Hello
Why? in my opinion so little info of the flooding or have i missed som articles and links?
Isn´t the natural problem in the north any big news in Bangkok and on 2bangkok.com in relations to the news that you are publising about the religious/politic crises in the south?
/Enis - with "my" roots i the Sukhothai provinse
You have a point. There is a little here, but not much:-
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=9781#post9781
A lot of text & photos in this forum is provided by folks who live in the vicinity. I doubt we have many members in that area.
Feel free to add your own links if you discover anything!
This is still frontpage from May 25:-
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/shownh.php3?img_id=13601
Exotic FISH Pictures
strange fish from around the world..
..so far Thailand, Malaysia, Persian Gulf, Guyana and now Australia!
Note how many of these monsters are pictured in Thailand. I suspect angling purists would find this a bit classless:-
http://www.carpecarpio.com/exoticfishpictures.html
http://www.carpecarpio.com/JamesHeines154mekong0306.jpg
154 lbs Mekong Giant Catfish from James
Common Name: Mekong Giant Catfish
Fish Weight: 154 lb
Location: Bung Sam Lan Lake, Thailand
Angler: James Heighes
Home: Petersfield, Hampshire, UK
Date: March 17, 2006
Guiding Team: Jean-Francois Helias' Fishing Adventures Thailand br>
Just a few words to inform you we had a tremendous Mekong giant catfish catch this morning (March 17, 2006) by a UK angler, by the name of James Heighes.
James (25 years old) is from Petersfield, Hampshire. He's mainly into carp fishing in his homecountry. He booked us for a single day fishing which turned out to be the kind of unforgettable one for a sport angler.
James hooked up and landed a 154 lb (70 kg) Mekong giant catfish after having fought it for an hour and a half. Unfortunately again, his catch cannot qualify for a IGFA world record though it was much larger than the current 63 kg IGFA All Tackle world record. The unstoppable giant catfish succeeded to entangle James' line around structures not less than three times during the battle. Rules were broken as we had to swim and touch rod, reel, and line to help freeing the snagged line out of the structures, so we could secure the catch.
Jean-Franois Helias
Oxen 'may be kouprey'
Wild oxen resembling the kouprey, a wild species believed to be the most endangered large mammal in the world, have been spotted deep in the jungle near to where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia meet, the head of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Variety Conservation Department said.
Damrong Phidetch said he recently received a report that park rangers in Phu Jong Na Yoi National Park in Ubon Ratchathani saw three wild cattle that looked like gaur but with longer, more beautiful and fearsome horns. Experts believed the three oxen to be kouprey (Bos sauveli), Damrong said.
If the animals were proven to be kouprey, said Damrong, it would be very good news for wildlife experts. It has been more than six decades since the last sighting.
Their natural habitat restricted to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, kouprey have always been targeted by hunters due to their strong, beautiful horns. However, decades of fighting during the Indochina War are believed to be the major reason for its entry into the list of endangered species.
Many Thais know the animal only by seeing its horns, which were collected by Boonsong Lekakul, known as Thailand's father of conservation. Before becoming a conservationist, Boonsong was a renowned hunter who was able to track down kouprey. The last time anyone saw one of the animals alive was in 1940, when a kouprey displayed in the Vicennes Zoo in Paris died from starvation.
Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, a biologist who completed his PhD in banteng conservation biology, said it was possible the three oxen were kouprey. (Banteng is another species of wild cattle.)
"Wild cattle specialists believe kouprey still inhabit the area, particularly in the jungles of Cambodia, but no one has been able to survey the area because of land-mines," said Theerapat, who is also a member of the Wild Cattle Specialists Group, which comprises biologists from various countries who are interested in wild cattle.
Kouprey, banteng and gaur are in the same family of wild cattle. Theerapat said males of the three species could be distinguished by their horns, but it was difficult to distinguish the females from each other.
However, Surapol Duangkhae, secretary-general of the Wildlife Fund Thailand - which uses a picture of the kouprey as its logo - said it was very unlikely that the oxen seen by the park rangers were kouprey. He called on the Wildlife Department to conduct an investigation.
Panya Bunyaadulyakij, head of Phu Jong Na Yoi National Park, said he had asked all of his park rangers to carry cameras with them when they go out on patrol, in case they sight the animal.
Janjira Pongrai
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/01/national/national_30012470.php
This page shows the Kouprey as the symbol of the Royally-Sponsored Wildlife Fund Thailand. It also shows a picture of the Kouprey in a Paris zoo in 1937. The animal died at the zoo in 1940 of starvation, obviously less than impressed by the artfully-arranged lettuce leaves of 'nouvelle cuisine'. Wild Oxen probably look a bit skinny at the best of times, but my knowledge of bovines leads me to think it was already missing its more normal forest fodder. Was it also a victim of the Nazi occupation I wonder?:-
http://www.wildlifefund.or.th/kouprey.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kouprey
Compare and contrast with the Banteng and the Gaur: -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banteng
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaur
Don Hoi Lot is already an area beset by environmental problems: -
DON HOI LOT
Clams under threat
Illegal use of caustic soda set to eradicate species on Samut Songkhram mudflats, scientist warns
Besides polluted water from factories and encroachment on the mangrove forest, Don Hoi Lot - a vast mudflat area in Samut Songkhram which is a major habitat of the razor clam - now has a new threat created by those whose lives depend on the creatures.
Instead of following their ancestors and using a small stick coated with lime powder to slowly open the hole where the clam lives, a new generation of razor-clam collectors splashes the area with caustic soda. This makes the clams leap suddenly from their holes.
"Sticking lime powder into clam holes one by one is too slow for them. With caustic soda, they can collect many clams in a very short time," said Anant Najchareon, deputy president of Bang Jakreng Tambon Administration Organisation, one of three TAOs overseeing Don Hoi Lot.
Anant said his TAO and the provincial authorities were concerned about the new practice, which is not easy to stop.
Located on the mouth of Mae Klong River, Don Hoi Lot is fertile. Sediment from the river makes it a perfect environment for numerous kinds of shellfish. The razor clam (solen regularis) - or hoi lot in Thai - is one of the main species of the area and a major source of income for generations of people in nearby areas.
Looking at the surface of the mudflats, it is difficult to see the holes where the shells live, so collectors have to use their hands or sometimes their feet to hit the mud so the vibration reveals the holes. Then a stick coated with lime is jabbed into a hole, and a clam will jump out, irritated by the lime.
Shellfish collectors then pick up only those big enough to be sold to nearby restaurants, while the smaller ones are left on the mud to grow. Though this method is still used today, the present generation of shell collectors has developed the new method, which they believe better suits the "new generation" of razor clams.
"The clams now resist lime, so they do not come out of their holes so often after being jabbed. Caustic soda is much better because it is much stronger than lime and the clams come out immediately," said Anusorn Noisiri, a shell collector.
Anusorn, 33, said he had, however, stopped using caustic soda as it had been banned by provincial regulations.
Anusorn's claim was disputed by a leading marine biologist, Thorn Thamrongnawasawadi of Kasetsart University.
"These clams have not evolved to resist lime. It's simply because there are not many clams left. With caustic soda, the clams will be eradicated from the area very soon," he said.
Thorn is afraid that caustic soda will not only kill the present generation of clams, but also contaminate the mudflats so the next generation of razor clams is threatened too.
According to Anant, caustic soda was introduced to Don Hoi Lot two years ago after the people there learned the tactic from razor-clam collectors in Pak Nam, Samut Prakan, where people have never used the stick method.
Information from the Fishery Department suggests the number or razor clams in Pak Nam is falling, and the area where the clam can be found is shrinking. Anant is concerned the same phenomenon will occur at Don Hoi Lot if people do not stop the "devastating" new shellfish-collecting tactic.
Anant said collectors dissolve caustic soda in water which already includes lime. They then splash the water onto the mudflats and all razor clams in the splashed area then surface and are collected, regardless of size.
Two years ago, the Don Hoi Lot Protector Team was established by Bang Jakreng TAO to monitor the way the people collect the clams. Those who used caustic soda were arrested and fined.
Anant said it is not easy to control the clam-collecting in Don Hoi Lot because of its vast area, more than 15,000 rai. At low tide every day there are about 300-400 people collecting the clams.
The mudflats are part of the Don Hoi Lot wetland, which covers more than 500,000 rai. It has been declared a Ramsar site under the Ramsar Convention of Wetlands.
Razor-clam collecting is a very cheap and easy business. With an investment of less than Bt20 to buy lime and caustic soda, a collector can earn about Bt100-Bt300 a day, depending on how many clams are collected.
"People believe the clams at Don Hoi Lot will never become extinct and many of them do not care about the long-term effect of their collecting method," Anant said.
While clam collectors insist the use of caustic soda is decreasing because it also damages the health of the collectors, Anant insists the use is increasing because of the price the clams can fetch.
Anant said razor clams were in great demand in the market, where supply is always short. "The clam has a very high price, about Bt40-Bt60 per kilogram," he said.
Bang Jakreng TAO is now collaborating with the Samut Songkhram governor to look for a way to eradicate the use of caustic soda. Several tactics being discussed are market controls and a price guarantee.
"The TAO could be the only agency to buy the shellfish from the collectors with a guaranteed price, but collectors would have a limited quota. A system to test the shellfish might be set up so that all clams sold at the TAO would be checked for whether caustic soda had been used," Anant said.
"If caustic soda was used, when the clams are boiled the water has many bubbles and the TAO would not buy them."
Clam collector Anusorn does not think the price guarantee will work. "There are so many collectors, I don't think they would have enough money to subsidise them." However, Anusorn said he was willing to cooperate with any plan the TAO introduced to protect the mudflats.
Pennapa Hongthong
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/10/headlines/headlines_30013235.php
As featured frontpage. A group of biologists have proposed a taxonomic demotion for the Kouprey. They say the kouprey (koh-PRAY) is probably a domestic hybrid that became feral, a zoological poseur: -
A Celebrity Among Ungulates May Soon Be Dismissed as a Poseur
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/science/12kouprey.html
By MARK DERR
Published: September 12, 2006
In the 1930’s, the kouprey trotted like a revelation out of the forests of central Indochina and into the world of modern science. Here, after all, was a large wild ox with the speed and grace of a deer and an impressive set of horns, yet it had been hiding in plain view, having never been officially discovered by science.
Photographs courtesy of Wildlife Conservation Society
The kouprey was caught on film in a series of movie frames shot in 1951 in Cambodia.
Genetically solving a zoological mystery: was the kouprey (Bos sauveli) a feral hybrid? (Journal of Zoology)
The kouprey is native to central Indochina.
But now, just 70 years after the first captive kouprey was sent to France from Cambodia for study, the last species of wild Asian cattle to become known scientifically may become the first to vanish in modern times — and not necessarily through extinction. Rather, three biologists from Northwestern University and the Cambodian Forestry Administration have proposed a taxonomic demotion. In a paper published online in July by The Journal of Zoology, they say the kouprey (koh-PRAY) is probably a domestic hybrid that became feral, a zoological poseur, not a valid species.
The biologists’ proposal has met stiff opposition within the small group of scientists who study Asian wild cattle. Several say the paper misinterpreted the genetics and history of the kouprey, which may still exist in domesticated form. Although rare, elusive and enigmatic, kouprey are recognizable enough, longer-legged, more graceful, faster and slightly larger than the closely related banteng, and slightly smaller than the gaur, the largest of the wild cattle.
Kouprey bulls stand just over six feet tall and weigh up to 1,800 pounds, with a humpback, a dewlap — the loose fold of skin dangling from the neck — that can drag the ground and elaborate curved horns. Females are about three-quarters the size of males, have little or no dewlap, and their horns spiral at the ends. Kouprey are probably extinct in the wild, victims of overhunting, war and habitat loss. There have been no confirmed sightings in more than 20 years, and even unconfirmed sightings have been rare since the 1990’s. There are no kouprey in any of the world’s zoos.
But if the kouprey is not a species, then the word “extinction” does not have its usual meaning. Or as Gary J. Galbreath, the lead author of the paper, put it in an e-mail message, “It is pleasant to realize that humans have probably not, after all, caused the extinction of a species in this case.”
In their Journal of Zoology paper, Dr. Galbreath and his colleagues say the kouprey most likely originated as a cross between two domesticated species, the banteng and the zebu. Dr. Galbreath said in an interview that the animal might have become wild in the 19th century as a result of the societal disruption that followed an invasion of Cambodia by Thailand, then called Siam. Although the kouprey reproduced in the wild, they were in decline almost from the moment of their escape from domesticity.
The researchers say their conclusions are based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA, or DNA inherited only from the mother, taken from two living Cambodian banteng and from the taxidermic remains of that first captive kouprey shipped to France in 1936.
Essentially, they found that the mitochondrial DNA sequence of the kouprey matched that of the Cambodian banteng, indicating a common maternal original. Anticipating criticism, Dr. Galbreath and his colleagues considered two alternative interpretations. A vast genetic mixing hundreds of thousands of years ago involving banteng and a zebu-like wild ox could have produced the kouprey, they said, but that was unlikely because such events were rare, and there was no evidence that the wild ox existed.
It is also possible the kouprey was a naturally occurring species whose females, as its numbers declined, mated occasionally with banteng. But the researchers doubt that could have produced two captive banteng with kouprey mitochondria.
Here is the twist: in 2004, two French scientists, Alexandre Hassanin and Anne Ropiquet of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, sequenced the taxidermic kouprey’s DNA to show that the kouprey was a natural species, not a hybrid. They posted the sequence in a public genetic data bank, where it was available to Dr. Galbreath’s team, which turned the French scientists’ conclusion on its head.
Dr. Hassanin and Dr. Ropiquet have fired back. In a recently submitted paper, they argue hypothetically that if the Cambodian banteng represents a separate species from the Javan banteng, then the kouprey could have derived from the Cambodian version, as the Galbreath team proposes. But it was more likely, Dr. Hassanin said in an e-mail message, that the kouprey was a natural species that evolved in Southeast Asia. On at least one occasion more than 100,000 years ago, a kouprey mated with a banteng. Their descendants are Cambodia’s banteng, with mitochondrial DNA more closely resembling kouprey than banteng.
To complicate matters further, last February Dr. Hassanin and other colleagues published a paper in the journal Comptes Rendus Biologies arguing that a specimen mounted in 1871 in Paris and thought to be a domestic ox from Indochina was, in fact, a domesticated kouprey. The specimen has been at the museum in Bourges since 1931.
Dr. Hassanin said several indigenous Asian breeds of cattle might be derived from kouprey. Herds, especially in Cambodia, should be tested to see whether any are pure kouprey, Dr. Hassanin and his colleagues said, adding that if they are, steps should be taken to preserve them.
Where Dr. Hassanin sees pure kouprey, Dr. Galbreath finds his banteng-zebu hybrid. Independently, both say that more extensive sampling and analysis of mainland banteng are needed to determine who is correct. Commenting on the papers, Simon Hedges, an Asian cattle specialist with the Wildlife Conservation Society who was not involved in either study, tended to agree that the Cambodian banteng had probably hybridized with the kouprey. But he also suggested that the kouprey both groups studied might itself have been a banteng-kouprey cross.
“A key message to take out of this debate is that the same forces — overhunting, war, habitat fragmentation and loss — that caused the likely extinction of the kouprey are still at work on other species, such as the banteng,” Mr. Hedges said. “The challenge is to keep them from suffering the same fate as the kouprey, whatever it was.”
Khun004
14-10-06, 03:25 PM
.
Today I have an anecdotal report from a Thai -- no firm evidence -- about possible cholera in Bangkok.
My web research has turned up the following.
Can anyone who knows about medical matters provide better information?
Cholera is transmitted through ingestion of feces contaminated with the bacterium. The contamination usually occurs when untreated sewage is released into waterways or into groundwater, affecting the water supply, any foods washed in the water, and shellfish living in the affected waterway... High tides are due to return on Oct 25 and 26 [2006], suggesting the threat is far from gone A number of Asian countries, including Thailand, do not report cholera outbreaks to the WHO (World Health Organization).
Here is a concise news summary about the floods:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK103904.htm
Here is more about cholera:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholera
.
....., be prepared for a big surprise!:eek:
http://www.2bangkok.com/06/crocodile.jpg
Crocodile - Komchadluek, October 19, 2006
Move from water: The officers move the crocodile from Amorn Jittrapinitmat’s farm where it is near Sakaekrung River in Thumbon Sakaekrung, Utaithani to Mr. Uten Yangprapakorn’s farm in Thambon Nongpaiban and where it will not escape.
Well, the above is a registered farm. It appears that some aren't: -
Warning to flood victims: Beware of crocodiles on the loose
Residents in floodhit areas have been warned to watch out for hungry crocodiles escaped from unregistered farms.
The Fisheries Department worries that crocodiles bred at unregistered reptile hatcheries have been washed out of their enclosures by floodwaters.
Because they are not used to the "wild", the crocodiles might be hungry and in search of food in "all the wrong places", it said Sunday.
Floods have affected many of the Central provinces and the department said an "undetermined number" of both registered and unregistered crocodile farms were located in these areas.
Department Director-General Charanthada Kannasut added that the crocodiles would approach humans because they are used to being fed by keepers.
He advised residents to avoid walking or travelling by boat in flooded areas at night, when crocodiles are especially difficult to spot.
People have been asked to report any crocodile sightings to the department or local authorities immediately.
The department said licensed farms had relocated their stock to safe areas, but there was a risk crocodiles had escaped from unregistered farms and were living in flooded canals and rivers.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30016838
Received this by email: -
Breaking News: Stolen Orangutans Finally Returned
BOS UK is pleased to announce that 48 of the smuggled orangutans in
Thailand are on their way back to the forest of their birth as you
read this. We have worked long and hard for this result and couldn't
have achieved it without you, our supporters. Thanks also to the
many NGO's who also contributed to the campaign, especially Nature
Alert.
Sadly, the orangutans' delayed return comes at a time when the BOS
Nyaru Menteng Rescue Centre struggles with an unanticipated deluge
of rescued orangutans as a result of the recent fires that raged
through the region. Until we can release wild orangutans into the
release site which awaits documentation from the authorities before
we can go ahead, the centre is again at capacity. The additional
strain to the limited budget of the project also means many more
funds need to be found to care for these new arrivals which bring
the number of orangutans cared for at the centre to almost 600!
Tune into the news tonight and tomorrow to find out more, or visit
the links below to read stories in the press. If you want to help
the orangutans, please visit www.savetheorangutan.co.uk
Thank you again for your continued support.
Michelle Desilets
Director
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK
Recent press:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK244225.htm
http://www.antara.co.id/en/print/index.php?id=23671
http://www.bangkokpost.com/211106_News/21Nov2006_news14.php
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?
file=/2006/11/21/lifefocus/16005878&sec=lifefocus (http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?)
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=26077
The 48 smuggled orang-utans rescued from Bangkok's Safari World Zoo are on their way back to their native Indonesia and expected to arrive at noon today, Thai officials said yesterday.
The move is the first in years in which smuggled animals have been returned from Thailand, and officials expect more countries to contact them to get back animals that have been illegally captured and smuggled here, especially some Madagascar turtles.
Three years after a raid on the tourist park - where many of the apes staged mock kick-boxing bouts to amuse visitors - the orang-utans were yesterday placed in cages and taken from an animal rescue centre to Bangkok, where they were to be put onto an Indonesian C-130 military transport plane for the flight home.
When the plane arrives in Jakarta, the Indonesian government will hold a ceremony to welcome the endangered apes back, said director-general of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department Chalermsak Vanichsombat.
Wildlife activists last night criticised the transporting of the apes, saying the government's failure to provide covers for the cages carrying them had left them vulnerable to infection.
"It's ridiculous and dangerous," Edwin Wiek, a representative of the Borneo Orang-utan Survival Foundation, said.
"We have a long drive to Bangkok airport and the orang-utans are in open cages on the back of trucks. If we get any rain, we might have cases of pneumonia.
"We offered to provide covers for the cages but they declined."
Wiek will accompany the animals to Borneo.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/22/national/national_30019625.php
10,000-year-old caves discovered
Exploration uncovers 176 caves, which can provide answers about life in the North
Scientists have recently made significant cave discoveries in the Pang Mapha district of Mae Hong Son.
They are excited about the geological, ecological and archaeological importance of the finds.
A few of the caves will be opened to tourists but most will be preserved for research.
While the discoveries are naturally beautiful and hold tourism potential, they are important archaeologically - they were formed an estimated 10,000 years ago and can provide answers about life in the North. Geological data is abundant, too, researchers said.
The discoveries are the result of nine years of exploration by a team of 50 geologists, archaeologists and other scientists. The work was supported by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF).
The new sites will not be opened to the public immediately. Experts fear tourism will damage their fragile nature.
"Without proper management we could easily lose these treasures," TRF senior officer Dr Suchata Chinajit said.
The uncovered caves are among 176 surveyed in Pang Mapha and will be entered into a national database ensuring access for research, management and tourism.
The caves were discovered in a 1,200-square-kilometre limestone area of Pang Mapha. It is one of two significant sites for caves in the country - the other being in Kanchanaburi, Suchata explained.
The caves are home to diverse ecological systems and new species, said Dr Kasem Kulparadit of Mahidol University's environment and resource studies department.
"Living in the dark world of the cave some water species are blind. Biodiversity includes snails, crabs, shrimp, bees, moths, frogs and birds and bats," Kasem explained.
The natural beauty of the caves amazed geologist and cave surveyor Dr Chaiporn Siripornpibul.
"Cave pearls, draperies, canopies and flowstone deposits. It's all beautiful and geologically significant," he said.
Silpakorn University archaeologist Dr Rasmi Shookongdej said finds from the caves and their surrounding areas were important. After three years the team still has much to study.
"The traces we found tell us how people in the area used caves in their age, which is more than 10,000 years ago. We found burial sites, skeletons and stone and iron tools," Rasmi said.
The 176 caves have been divided into three categories - tourists can visit 15, 112 will be saved for research and 49 have yet to be classified.
The 15 tourist caves have been divided again - seven are for adventure tourists, four for general tourism and another four have religious significance.
Of those set aside for research, dozens could be opened to visitors later, Kasem added. But, priority was study.
Caves are threatened by tourism and the poisoning of underground water from the leaching of toxic agricultural chemicals, Kasem said.
"To prevent a flood of tourists into the area we are not revealing the location of this discovery just yet. We are in the process of ensuring the proper development of the area with the participation of local communities," TRF's Suchata told The Nation.
One option is to promote some caves as tourist destinations for niche tourists - those interested in nature or history. Their management may be put in the hands of local residents, she said.
"Tourism can have either positive or negative affects on caves. It should be positive," Kasem added.
Panot Prakhongsap of Tour Moengtai in Mae Hong Son agreed with the cave-management plans.
"To make it possible cooperation among government authorities, researchers, tour operators and local communities is needed," he said.
Panot said that big tour companies drove cave tourism in Pang Mapha. They were interested only in volume and unconcerned about saving caves from damage. "How do we control them," he asked.
Eco-tourism activist Pongphiphat Meebenjamas said local participation was doubtful because only a handful of villagers were aware of the caves. Most knew little of the scientific discoveries.
"It's a difficult process but we must deal with local communities first. Then, other sectors can follow," Suchata said.
"This is the first time scientists have conducted such a systematic research effort. We hope it will be really useful to people in the area rather than shelving it in a library like in the past," she said.
TRF director Piyawat Boonloeng said the fund intended to conduct similar studies in all Northern provinces, which should result in better tourism management in the long term.
Thailand has 2,000 discovered caves nationwide, of which 450 are in the North, including the 176 in Pang Mapha.
Kamol Sukin
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/12/10/headlines/headlines_30021179.php
Nothing to do with the real subject in hand here, but my most abiding memory of Soi Langsuan is walking along the street midday a few years back. Obviously none of those swank restaurants have fat traps in their drains. The tessaban workers were using ropes to drag huge fat deposits out of the drains. Truly gross and a true reminder of the old Orwellian idea that the more you pay for a restaurant the more gross the behind-the-scenes reality really is.
Black-and-white photo series of an elephant hospital (http://www.ochevidec.net/id/2250.html)
....it's indeed in Thailand, though they don't specify where. (As far as I remember, there's only one in Lampang?)
Госпиталь для слонов в Таиланде (gospital' dlja slonov v Tailande) translates as "Hospital for Elephants in Thailand".
See how having learned Russian during your 3 final years in school can help you? ;) (No, I don't speak it anymore. Have forgotten about 90% of my vocabulary.)
David explains:
Yep, the caption on
http://www.ochevidec.net/id/2250.html (linked to on the Friscodude blurb about the elephant hospital) says:
Госпиталь для слонов в Таиланде => Hospital for elephants in Thailand
From some angles this looks like the Thailand Elephant Conservation Center (e.g. National Elephant Institute) in Hang Chat near Lampang.
http://changthai.com/
http://www.thailandelephant.org/eng/home.php3
Note, when we stayed at the center 2+ years ago (we were there on tsunami day), we learned that the governmental site (thailandelephant.org) was dormant, as the developer had moved on to another job, while the other site (chiangthai.com) was a labor of love of a staff member at the center...
http://changthai.com/Also has some cool pictures:
http://www.changthai.com/images/uploads/DSC_0760.jpg
This turned up in one of those targetted Google links above this thread:
http://www.elephantstay.com/
I have a few doubts about this kind of tourism, but it is almost certainly better than tramping the city streets. Let's also hope the mahoots also get something out of it.
Scuba22
17-05-07, 01:20 PM
Believe it or not, there's a whole world of "elephant charity politics" out there - quite a few elephant-related organizations, each with its own leadership who feels they have the right solution, cliques of elephant leaders who don't get along with each other, and often feel that those who disagree with them are evil or at least stupid.
I fell into this world a few years ago when I was asked to put together a charity event for the benefit of an elephant-related organization. As I researched all these groups, the insanity became apparent. This person would never work with that person, tons of badmouthing all around, accusations of corruption ("oh THOSE PEOPLE send the babies to the cities to beg and the adults to do logging in Burma, and when they're too old, they put them in their ecotourism camp"), and next to no cooperation. In the end, the sponsors got so fed up that we dropped them all in favor of UNICEF.
And international groups are in on it too - every Thai group has a list of honors, awards, documentaries about them, etc. etc., and calls the awards etc. of the ones they don't like scams and payoffs.
I may be naive, perhaps this is just human nature and all "industries" have this sort of infighting. It was just unexpected and disappointing in its pettiness.
Scuba22
This is a restoration of a missing message originally posted by ncr on June 15, 2007.
***************
Thailand is shrinking as coastal erosion takes a toll (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/15/national/national_30036908.php) - The Nation, 15 June 2007
*Erosion is biting two square kilometres of land off Thailand every year, according to a report issued by the World Bank.*
"This means about Bt6 billion economic damage," Jitendra Jha of the World Bank said yesterday. He said erosion was one of the world's major environmental problems. According to Jha, the coastal environment has suffered adverse impacts from the fact that the population and activities along the coast of Thailand have been increasing over the past 30 decades. For example, with increased sea-fishery activities and shrimp farms, about 80 per cent of coral reefs in the Andaman Sea and 50 per cent in the Gulf of Thailand have been deteriorating. He said construction of piers, dams and digging for artesian water also aggravated the erosion. Jha pointed that Ban Khun Samut Cheen in Samut Prakan alone lost more than one square kilometre during the past 30 years.
Natural Resource and Environment Ministry director-general Nisakorn Kositrat said her ministry had joined hands with relevant authorities in tackling erosion problem in the Gulf of Thailand. "We have launched an initiative to tackle the problem in five provinces, with Ban Khun Samut Cheen being included," Nisakorn said. She said the initiative covered surveys to identify what caused the erosion so as to tackle the problems at its root. "If any structure is found to have caused erosion, it will be improved," she said. For structures that cannot be improved, Nisakorn vowed to remove it if its existence meant the erosion would get worse.
She said the bill on the promotion of marine and coastal resource management, when enforced, would allow coastal communities' participation in the management. Currently, the Council of State is reviewing the bill that has already obtained the Cabinet's green light. Jha described local community participation as one of the key factors for efficient environmental management.
***************
Baton Rouge
12-08-07, 11:26 PM
Irrigation Dept to meet on Queen's concerns over contaminated river
(TNA) - An urgent meeting will be held Monday on how to educate people to help preserve Thailand's forests and keep the Chao Phraya River clean, issues that were raised by Her Majesty the Queen yesterday, said Samart Chokkanapitark, director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department.
Mr. Samart said measures to be adopted by participants in the meeting would be forwarded to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thira Sutabutr who will also join the meeting so that they could be implemented immediately.
In her speech Saturday to mark her 75th birthday August 12, the Queen expressed concern over contamination of the Chao Phraya River, which passes through Bangkok. She said she believed every species of freshwater fish in the river could become extinct because the river had been fouled by chemical discharges from factories and rubbish.
If the situation is not improved, the country might be forced to buy water from other nations and the poor will suffer the most, she said.
The Queen also urged the government and the public to join together to help preserve existing forests and promote the planting of new forests, saying she had campaigned against deforestation for decades but the efforts seemed to be fruitless.
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=31019
I was just having irreverent thoughts something along the lines that if there has long been an environmental problem, why has it been so difficult to start creating a society in which ordinary citizens have some kind of investment in their own future? Here we are expecting a critical approach to the environment from those who have long had it drummed into them that their main role in life is to shut-up and get on with things regardless.
The complaint seems to be here that it is not only the masses that are being held hostage by cheap & nasty big business and their political & military allies.
The New Mandala blog also has some irreverent thoughts on this issue. http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/
Whatever the benefits of forest cover, increased water supply is not one of them. In fact forests are big users of water and tree plantations (given their rapid growth in the early years) can be particularly thirsty water users.
Sustainable environmental policy is a high priority for Thailand. These sorts of ill-informed interventions don’t help in achieving that outcome. Rather they contribute to the persistence of popular, but misleading, narratives that target upland farmers as the culprits when it comes to downstream water shortages. This nicely diverts attention away from the very great increases in water demand that have occured in recent decades in Thailand’s agricultural, industrial and urban systems.
Further New Mandala thoughts on what they call "Wishful thinking about forests & water". http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/2007/04/11/wishful-thinking-about-forests-and-water/
Resort island to ban styrofoam, plastic bags
RAYONG, Oct 12 (TNA) - No more foam drinking vessels, packaging or non-biodegradeable plastic bags should be allowed for use in Samet Island in order to contain garbage and waste problems of the island resort, according to a locally-based national park official.
During a meeting with the Rayong tourist agents association, Khao Laem Ya National Park chief Sithichai Serisongsaeng proposed that no more foam cups, containers or plastic bags should be permitted for use by tourists, vendors or any others on the island.
Ko Samet's five-rai garbage dump site can no longer cope with the ever-increasing amount of such indestructible waste, according to Mr. Sithichai, who called for more rigorous waste management and disposal, beginning with the reducing the oversupply of the ubiquitous and virtually indestructible contemporary packaging materials.
The chief ranger for the national park located on the island said there just isn't room enough for a continued flow of non-biodegradeable trash. (TNA)-E008
Last Update : 2007-10-12 / 09:43:48 (GMT+7:00)
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=32143
Funnily enough, I saw some footage of a rather large and well-equipped recycling operation on one of the Thai TV channels last night. From this article, I conclude it was:
http://www.wongpanit.com/ehome.php
MAKING WASTE A PRIORITY
With more and more trash mounting in Thailand every day, one northwestern province has developed a system and gotten very good at managing garbage, writes SIRIPORN SACHAMUNEEWONGSE from Phitsanulok province
Since his retirement from the army, Lieutenant Colonel Thanin Sukcharoeon has found a new channel for his military discipline: garbage.
Two minutes after the 65-year-old greets me at the gates of his home in Phitsanulok province, he ushers me into a space filled with stacks of cardboard, empty cans, dozens of old water bottles, and an extensive collection of worn cable wires.
It's trash - but he keeps it tidy through a diligent system of gathering and sorting into categories like paper, metal and glass.
I had just started to count cans when the army officer's mother walked in, added another can to the pile, and - maybe moved by my look of puzzlement - explained that all of this trash would soon become cash.
A kilogramme of empty soft-drink cans, for example, is worth 48 baht, according to the itemised price-list for waste items she shows me.
As I tried to wrap my head around how much could actually be made from the room full of household waste items - the list also prices 260 baht for a gallon of used cooking oil, 24 baht for a kg of 20 liter plastic drinking bottles, 7 baht for a kg of A4 paper - Lt-Col Thanin moves on to other, more pungent aspects of his garbage collection.
Bent over a small bin, he lifts its lid to reveal the odorous container where he stores his organic waste - that is, waste from food items in various states of decay.
He explains that it's not just recycleable goods that can yield profits - "organic household waste can easily be turned into fertiliser and sold as well," he says.
Outside, near the entrance gates to the home, Lt-Col Thanin keeps even larger containers filled with organic wastes. He lifts the lids to reveal that these bins smell, too, and that once again, he is virtually unaffected by it.
A mix of rotten food items and kitchen refuse, these bins of organic waste are slightly more advanced in their decomposition process - and I learn, mere months away from becoming like the contents of the containers he shows me next, which are full of dry, natural fertiliser. "A kilogramme of this can be sold for 2 baht in the market," he says contentedly, while sifting his fingers through the dried compost.
Like the Sukchareon family, residents in the 49 other communities of Phitsanulok province employ similar home-based practices for waste collection.
The motives for such methodical waste management seem to stem from Wongpanit Co, Ltd, the province's large-scale waste collecting business, which offers a generous price for waste products like plastic, paper, metal and glass bottles. (See price list for waste items on http://www.wongpanit.com) The trash-based business got its start in 1974 as a small business enterprise in 1994, when founder Somthai Wongchareon was struck by the valuable business potential of waste materials.
A tour around what is now Wongpanit's massive garbage warehouse shows the company has come a long way since then - in business size and profitability, of course, but also in terms of social responsibility and its ability to inspire almost province-wide public participation in waste management.
The Wongpanit business collects a total of 75,000 tons of waste material each year, of which 22,500 tons are different sorts of paper, 11,500 tons are glass bottles and 16,500 tons are plastics.
Usually, the pulp is further recycled whereas glass bottles are sold off to their respective manufacturers and plastic is sent to plastic recycling factories.
Even with the economics of it, one still must wonder how this northwestern province became so uniquely conscious (and savvy) when it came to matters of waste management - particularly since, as few as 15 years ago, the people of Phitsanulok were essentially clueless about them.
Waking up to waste
The roots of the province's waste management system - now recognised across the nation for its well-integrated and efficient approach - can be traced back to 1995, when Mrs Premruadee Charmpoonod was appointed mayor to the Phitsanulok Municipality.
Mayor Premruadee, who is now serving her third term, recalls that at the time, garbage would either be burned or dumped at the Phitsanulok Municipality landfill.
"A system of management was totally absent," she notes, adding that there was an increase in cases of improper and open dumping of garbage soon after she took charge.
"Considering Phitsanulok's size, I knew that there would be problems if we did not have a proper waste management system, and I began searching for a comprehensive waste management system the municipality could adopt.
"Soon I realised that no other provincial municipality across the nation, not even the BMA, could provide us with a comprehensive waste management approach."
The solution finally struck her when reading the paper one day, she came across a story that spoke of advancements Germany had made in the field of environmental-friendly technology. "Why not partner with the German government for technical assistance?" she says she had thought.
Almost as easily, it happened. She sent a request to the German government, and a year later, in 1999, the two parties, along with GTZ, a non-profit, international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would eventually lead to the development of the Solid Waste Management System of Phitsanulok.
Impressively, this cooperative effort really started from scratch - with no data on the types of wastes generated in the province. However, with the efforts and findings that have accumulated over the years, the system has developed - just as the mayor hoped it would - into a simplistic and financially feasible waste management model for the province.
Phitsanulok Municipality's efforts in waste management have resulted in a reduction in provincial waste generation, as well as awards from the Pollution Control Department, for Solid Waste Management twice, in 2001 and again, in 2003.
The mechanics of trash
One special attribute of the province's waste management system is the Mechanical-Biological Waste Pre-treatment (MBT) technique (it is the first province to adopt the method).
To put it more simply, MBT involves the separation of organic wastes from inorganic wastes, which in turn accelerates the decay of organic wastes and waste management in general.
For example, the bins Thanin Sukchareon uses for his home-based waste management activities rely on the MBT process.
A recent waste composition study in Phitsanulok found that separating waste in such a manner can cut down household wastes by as much as 64%.
On a larger scale, the MBT process also takes place at the end of the waste treatment chain - the sanitary landfill. When garbage arrives at the landfill, it is shredded into smaller bits, which speeds the decomposition process of the organic materials.
This is particularly critical to the process at the landfill because garbage so often comes tied up in plastic bags, which prevent the organic matter from degrading completely.
Following this step, shredded waste is then left in the open at the landfill for periods that extend up to 9 months. Left exposed like this, the waste can reach temperatures of up to 70 degrees Celsius during this period, which facilitates the decomposing of organic waste.
After 9 months, what remains of the waste is easily separated into two items: plastic (80%) and compost (20%). Volume of waste at this time is also half of what it was when it arrived at the landfill, pre-treatment.
The plastic component of the remaining waste, can be re-used as bio-fuel at cement factories, whereas the 20% compost portion could conceivably be used as fertiliser, though no study has been conducted to ensure that the use of fertiliser would be safe.
In Phitsanulok, the use of MBT procedure has resulted in significant reductions of landfill waste and extended the predicted ' life' of the landfill by as much as 2-3 times. Moreover, in a clear sign of the waste management system's economic and environmental benefits, the Phitsanulok landfill, which covers a 40 rai area, has not required expansion in the past 7 years.
Continued in next post
Link may expire soon:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/Perspective/18Nov2007_pers001.php
Funnily enough, I saw some footage of a rather large and well-equipped recycling operation on one of the Thai TV channels last night. From this article, I conclude it was:
http://www.wongpanit.com/ehome.php
Link may expire soon:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/Perspective/18Nov2007_pers001.php
Article a continuation of previous post:
A community effort
Another critical component to Phitsanulok's waste management system is its Community Based Management (CBM) approach, which as demonstrated by Lt-Col Thanin and the Wongpanit business, translates to greater public participation in municipal waste management.
Unquestionably, such widespread community involvement has helped to lead to public awareness, and in turn cautiousness when it comes to waste generation.
Werner Kossmann, who has been studying Phitsanulok's municipal waste treatment system for the past 3 years as the German Principal Advisor of the project, believes the CBM approach is one of the most important factors in reducing the amount of waste that ends up at the landfill.
He adds that community-wide, waste-minimising policy is taken even more strictly in his native country. "In Germany, the producer-pay policy is also implemented very rigorously, with costs for disposing waste averaging 250 baht each month. In Thailand most people will only pay 20-30 baht, which only covers about 20% of the waste treatment costs."
Mr Werner explains that in Germany, manufacturers will also charge consumers for the costs involved in the recycling and disposing of the waste materials that are generated in their product manufacturing process - by adding it into the cost of the finished good. In Thailand, the majority of the people still do not pay even the 20-30 baht fee for disposing their own household waste.
Fortunately, he says that Thailand's rapid increase in waste production over the past few years has come with greater public awareness of the need to properly manage waste.
"Villagers have become more aware of the environment and are quick to protest the construction of a landfill in their neighborhood," he notes.
"On the other hand, in terms of waste management, the pace of development on a national level is still slow."
He explains that Thailand has six different laws that pertain to waste management, which differ according to waste-types (like industrial, domestic, etc.) "It makes it difficult to handle the issue. In Germany, there is only one law which covers all sectors," he remarks.
Link may expire soon:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/Perspective/18Nov2007_pers001.php
See also:
http://www.wongpanit.com/ehome.php
See also two previous posts in this thread for details of Wongpanit's big foray into recycling
More info on the report in the previous two posts that Wongpanit is partnering with a major cement manufacturer:
EcoSiam in deal with Wongpanit
Published on November 21, 2007
Siam City Cement unit EcoSiam is teaming up with Wongpanit, the largest garbage-recycling company, to provide integrated waste management for households and industry.
"The collaboration with Wongpanit is another milestone for us to contribute to sustainable development in Thailand. It will also change the waste-disposal culture to a resource-recovery culture," SCCC managing director Marcel Smit said yesterday.
EcoSiam is skilled in waste co-processing, particularly for cement kilns, and Wongpanit is an expert in waste separation and recycling.
Ghassan Broummana, general manager of EcoSiam, said cement kilns usually used coal as fuel but SCCC's technologies can consume waste as an alternative fuel. This will cut coal imports and protect the environment by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Solid waste would substitute for 4-5 per cent of coal in the beginning and increase to 10 per cent in three years.
SCCC is spending US$20 million (Bt678 billion) on opening the first phase of an alternative fuel-separation plant in Saraburi that can handle 100,000 tonnes of solid waste per year.
Construction started last year and the first phase is scheduled to start operations in the middle of next year.
The second phase will be different from the first phase in that it will be designed to use pasty waste as fuel, with capacity of around 50,000 tonnes per year.
Somthai Wongcharoen, managing director of Wongpanit, said his company collected and recycled 160,000 tonnes of all kinds of waste per month.
It has just started compiling solid waste to supply EcoSiam.
"We will also help our partner reduce transport costs by 90 per cent thanks to our compatible technique," he said.
The country produces 14.5 million tonnes of industrial waste per year, of which 12.8 million tonnes are non-hazardous and 1.7 million tonnes are hazardous.
Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/11/21/business/business_30056829.php
http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_20_11_50_4.htm
Not Quite the Loch Ness Monster: Rare Crocodile Found in Sattahip Lake
http://www.pattayacitynews.net/pic_webnews/20_11_4_2.jpg
[Photo: PCN - Other pictures (none very clear) can be seen at the link above.]
A rare freshwater gavial, one of the most endangered species of crocodiles in the world, was found merrily swimming about in a lake in Sattahip district on Tuesday.
The lake is popular as a swimming hole and also used for fishing. Locals say they have seen more than one of the reptiles swimming about the waterhole and have noticed a distinct decline in the number of fish they have been able to catch.
The gavial, while it may look fierce, is not dangerous to humans as its jaws are far too fragile to engage in bone-crunching activities. Local officials inspected the lake and have taken steps to protect the gavial or gavials as they are apparently rarely seen outside India and Pakistan.
Ah! They're also more commonly known as gharials:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Gharial.2005-02-26.JPG/240px-Gharial.2005-02-26.JPG
[Photo: Wikipedia]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gharial
The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), sometimes called the Indian gharial or gavial, is one of two surviving members of the family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodile-like reptiles with long, narrow jaws. The gharial is the second-longest of all living crocodilians: a large male can approach 6 meters in length
2007/12/03
Malaysians, Thai clean Sungai Golok
TAKBAI (Southern Thailand): Malaysian and Thai marine police helped to clean up Sungai Golok yesterday.
The three-hour operation to clear the river of rubbish started at 9.30am. It was organised by Thailand's Takbai Boatmen Association in conjunction with their King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 80th birthday recently.
The function, launched by the vice-governor of Narathiwat province, Pradit Sukontasawat, was attended by more than 1,000 people, including Malaysians.
Present at the function were Pengkalan Kubor marine commanding officer DSP Abdul Salam Abdul Halim and Takbai marine police chief Lt Col Narin Pukbunmee.
Pradit praised the association for its initiative in organising the event to show their support to their king.
Malaysian boats, mostly the unlicensed penambang boats which ply between Takbai and Pengkalan Kubor, along with four from the Malaysian marine police, took part in the event.
"The river is often choked with rubbish like plastic bottles, plastic bags and tin cans thrown by the residents and smugglers," he said.
The policemen and boatmen in their colourfully decorated boats used scoop nets to collect the rubbish floating between Kuala Takbai and Golok river. They ended up collecting one tonne of rubbish.
The crowd was also entertained by Thai traditional dance performances and helicopter shows.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2099398/Article/index_html
Recent reminiscence by a Malaysian on the Sungai Golok River:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2925
WAR on plastic bags
Residents of Koh Tao want to make the island's rubbish fully biodegradable Published on February 24, 2008
Koh Tao or Turtle Island off the coast of Chumphon in Southern Thailand looks set to become the country's first plastic-bag-free zone.
Long suffering from the relentless growth of garbage, local residents recently launched a major campaign to get rid of all plastic bags, which they say are unfriendly to the environment.
"If successful, our small island could be a role model for the rest of the country, especially in tackling garbage and environmental problems," said marine scientist Thorn Thamrongnawasawasdi.
On this 21-square-kilometre island, local authorities need to manage as much as 6 tonnes of garbage daily. Of this, 9 per cent or around 500 kilograms is the ubiquitous plastic bags, polystyrene-foam containers and other items which are non-recyclable.
"All this waste is piled up beside a hill in the middle of the island. This mountain of garbage is growing every day," said Chamaiporn Saowalak, a leader of the "Save Koh Tao Club".
Worse is the underwater environment, said Jim Donaldson, a New Zealand scuba diver, who runs Big Blue Diving, a divers' training school on the island.
"Some divers have seen sea turtles suffering after unknowingly eating plastic bags. They thought they were jellyfish. It is such a tragedy," he said.
Growth in the population of local residents and tourists is also blamed for a sharp rise in the amount of garbage. On an average day, the island serves more than 6,000 people. Of this, 1,300 are local residents while the rest are tourists and migrant workers. Therefore every person produces about 1kg of garbage per day.
Tourism and diving services are the island's major source of income, with an annual 320,000 divers visiting Koh Tao, often described as the world's second best dive-training location after Australia.
Such a reputation generates at least Bt2 billion per year for the island's economy.
"Besides its underwater beauty, it is convenient to get here, while the price is reasonable for the good facilities. It's also the most beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand, with the clearest water in this area," Thorn said.
Realising that widespread use of plastic bags was a problem that could ruin their natural treasure and destroy the local economy, residents set up an environmental-protection club to reduce garbage in various ways including collecting garbage along major beaches.
Last week they tried a bolder move, to make Koh Tao plastic-bag free.
All students on the island took part and paraded along the streets calling on their parents and tourists to separate garbage and to stop using plastic bags once and for all. Cotton bags were distributed to replace plastic ones.
"Some may wonder why we target only plastic bags. I think it's symbolic as far as non-recyclable garbage is concerned. Foam containers are another target, since it takes 1,000 years for them to degrade, thus polluting the environment.
"Our plan is to convince people here to separate their daily waste first, then use the organic waste to produce home-made organic detergent. Hazardous waste could be managed separately, but the big problem is non-recyclable waste like plastic bags, which must be burnt or dumped on the island. So the best way is to stop using them," Chamaiporn said.
Of the 6 tonnes of daily waste on Koh Tao, 60 per cent is recyclable waste, 30 per cent organic waste, 1 per cent hazardous waste and 9 per cent plastic bags and other non-recyclable garbage, according to a Mahidol University survey.
"By stopping the use of plastic bags, the amount of garbage that needs to be dumped will be significantly reduced. That will be good for everyone and the ecology," Chamaiporn said.
Meanwhile, Pensree Rakdham, a member of the Save Koh Tao Club, has started to source biodegradable plastic bags as another alternative.
"Yes, they are three times more expensive, but I will try to convince customers to use the replacements," Pensree said.
Donaldson said he had personally reduced the use of plastic bags in his business, which serves about 50 divers each day.
"All our activities will be less dependent on plastic bags," he said.
Environmentalist Ladda Larpnoon said the response from resort operators on the island had been positive, with cotton bags becoming popular.
Thorn said: "The idea is great and quite practical for Koh Tao with its small area. It also promotes an image of green tourism as well as improving the marine ecology."
Despite the positive response from many residents and tour-operators, Chamaiporn admitted that the initiative was challenging, including having to convince all four 7-Eleven convenience stores on the island to stop using plastic bags or turning to degradable ones.
"There is still a long way to go, but we expect to see some progress by the end of this year," she said.
Kamol Sukin
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/24/headlines/headlines_30066263.php
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
China gets ready to ban ultra-thin plastic bags
By Michael Wei, Reuters
BEIJING -- China is about to try to kick a 3 billion-a-day plastic bag habit. But breaking the addiction, in a bid to save energy and protect the environment, will be easier said than done.
The world's most populous nation on Sunday will join a growing list of countries, from Ireland to Bangladesh, that are aiming to change shoppers' habits when a ban on the production of plastic bags under 0.025 millimeters thick comes into force.
Ultra-thin bags are the principal target of the crackdown because they are typically used once and then discarded, adding to waste in a country that is increasingly conscious of the air and water pollution caused by its breakneck economic growth.
Shopkeepers will also be barred from handing out free plastic carrier bags except for fresh and cooked foods. Those breaking the law face fines and could have their goods confiscated.
China consumes 37 million barrels of what is now very expensive crude oil each year to churn out the 3 billion plastic bags that its 1.3 billion people use on average each day, according to official figures.
Ma Zhanfeng, secretary-general of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association, expects the ban to bite.
"Domestic demand for plastic bags will drop drastically from 1.6 million tons a year to around 1.1 million tons," said Ma, who has nearly 20 years' experience in the industry.
Bag makers have already felt the pinch from the looming restrictions. Some have even been forced out of business.
But Ning Rongju with Friends of Nature, a local non-governmental organization, says all will depend on whether the new rules are enforced, especially in cities such as Beijing, where demand for bags in the capital's many markets is huge.
"The execution and monitoring of the law will actually determine the future of plastic bags," she said.
Xiao Ling, the mother of a 6-year-old boy, said her family was already in the habit of using nylon shopping bags. But she, too, was skeptical.
"Getting rid of all ultra-thin bags will take a long time," she said while out shopping at a Wal-Mart supermarket in Beijing.
FINAL STRAW
For China's plastic processors, the curbs are the latest blow to a sector struggling with soaring raw material and labor costs, a rising exchange rate and an end to export tax rebates.
The plastic bag industry is highly segmented, with factories in almost every province.
One major center is Taizhou, a city in southeastern Zhejiang province where more than 10,000 manufacturers of plastic products enjoy sales of 40 billion yuan (US$5.73 billion) each year, according to the Taizhou Plastic Industry Association.
Chen Jiazeng, the group's director, admitted that "small factories might ignore the rule and keep making ultra-thin bags" as long as they can make money.
The prospect that some underground manufacturers will turn a blind eye to the law is especially unsettling for smaller firms.
Taizhou Xinxing Plastic Packing Co. Ltd, which employs 300 people and has annual sales of about 15 million yuan, mostly from plastic bags, is considering switching to other plastic goods.
"The new policy will make plastic bags even more expensive," Su Xiaobing, the company's sales manager, explained. "We won't have any price advantage then."
Fear of illegal competition is shared by big manufacturers such as Huiqiang in central Henan province, whose plastic bags all conform with the new national standards.
A sales manager who gave only his surname, Xue, said his firm had no quarrel with the policy but was worried about how it would be implemented.
"We're afraid we'll see small underground plants continuing to make ultra-thin bags if there is demand for them," Xue said. "We risk losing our market share by following the rules."
Sorry! Link Mislaid!
New high-tech waste disposal plant opens in Doi Saket
Process capability of 350 tons of waste daily
http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/pictures/n4-waste-processing-plant.jpg
[Photo: Chiangmai Mail - Workers at the new waste disposal plant in Doi Saket.]
Saksit Meesubkwang
Advanced technology and equipment including separators, bio-fertiliser and composting mixers, and waste water treatment facilities are features of a new hi-tech waste disposal plant constructed in Doi Saket on land leased from the Ministry of Agriculture to serve the needs of the 4 Chiang Mai districts of Doi Saket, San Kamphaeng, Sansai and Mae Orn. Experts from Chiang Mai University acted as consultants and overseers during the design and construction of the plant, which can process 350 tons of waste per day, and should cope easily with the 300 tons produced daily in the 4 districts. The 465 million baht cost of the project was provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.
The plant will be handed over to Chiang Mai’s Provincial Administration Authority, and is likely to be managed by a private company overseen by local administration officials, together with involvement by the Pollution Control Department and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.
http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd4
Friday, June 13, 2008
Taipei to phase out disposable cups
By Dimitri Bruyas, The China Post
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Ahead of the hot summer season, which usually prompts record high sales of soft drinks islandwide, Taipei City government recently announced a gradual phase out of disposable plastic and Styrofoam cups, aiming at further boosting energy conservation and recycling in the capital.
After Taipei City and County governments successively announced another phase out of disposable chopsticks from 24-hour convenience stores and supermarkets beginning in July, a top Taipei City official told The China Post that disposable cups are now in the local government's sight.
"Residents in Taipei City support such environment-friendly initiatives," stressed Emile Sheng, chairperson of the Research, Development & Evaluation Commission of Taipei City Government.
Sheng explained that as many as 800,000 plastic and foam cups are used daily by each of the various soft drinks chain stores established islandwide, including hundreds family-owned shops located in Taipei City.
Based on the practice of the Starbucks Coffee chain in Taiwan, he suggested that customers bring their own reusable plastic cup for a tea, coffee, or soft drinks refill at a bargain price.
According to figures provided by the Environment Protection Administration (EPA), more than 97,298 tons of plastic bottle and cup waste was recycled last year in Taiwan, up from 6,000 tons in 2006.
This amount is equivalent to 4.2 billion of 600cc plastic bottles or three times the height of the landmark 101 Tower.
"Sometimes, you have to take the heat," added Sheng, who stressed that the city government must also take into consideration the recent surge in energy prices in its energy conservation and recycling policies, even though it is going to make manufacturers of plastic cups very unhappy.
He noted that local authorities could swiftly implement the new policy in the mist of the hot summer season, as soon as an agreement is reached with the local soft drink chain stores.
Stephen Shen, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, Taipei City Government, told the United Daily News on May 21 that Taipei government doesn't have the authority to enforce a ban on plastic and foam cups.
However, Shen stressed that a gradual phase out of the not so environmental-friendly items could be easily conducted through step-up educational and prevention policies.
For instance, Taipei City and County governments announced in recent days that several 24-hour convenience shops and supermarket chains will stop giving away disposable chopsticks with packed food, lunch boxes and instant noodles, starting later this month.
Participants in the campaign are Taiwan's major retailers, including, 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Circle K and Hi-Life 24-hour shop chains as well as supermarket chains Wellcome, Matsusei and Pxmart.
According to the EPA's figures, Taiwanese use between 5 to 6 billion pairs of disposable wooden or bamboo chopsticks every year, creating nearly five tons of garbage each year.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/taipei/2008/06/13/160797/Taipei%2Dto.htm
Nothing to do with the real subject in hand here, but my most abiding memory of Soi Langsuan is walking along the street midday a few years back. Obviously none of those swank restaurants have fat traps in their drains. The tessaban workers were using ropes to drag huge fat deposits out of the drains. Truly gross and a true reminder of the old Orwellian idea that the more you pay for a restaurant the more gross the behind-the-scenes reality really is.
Tuesday June 17, 2008
Trapping the grease monster
A GREASE trap tank invented by a local company can help check pollution of waterways, said Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai.
He said the invention was timely, as the state needed such gadgets to control kitchen discharges that are not environmentally friendly.
The grease trap tank is tested and certified by Sirim Bhd and can be fixed at homes and food outlets.
The tank can prevent kitchen wastes including oil and grease from clogging pipes including sewers.
“The gadget will help filter waste water to make sure grease is not released into waterways and ultimately into the sea,” he said.
He said this after presenting a grease trap tank to the Penang Cheshire Home recently.
He advised food outlet operators to utilise such gadgets to prevent pollution.
“Penang is a well-known hawker food paradise. It has helped contribute to the growth of the tourism industry. But our rivers are polluted, we need to make a concerted effort to keep our rivers clean,” he added.
The tank was received by Penang Cheshire Home vice-president Datin Seri Daisy Yeoh and secretary Ong Ghee Thuan.
GT Compact Technology managing director Ooi Boon Hock said they managed to create the grease trap tank with the help of Penang Municipal Council officers.
The lightweight, durable and portable fiber glass tank is a result of ongoing research that started 17 years ago, he said.
“It has the cutting edge technology that meets municipal engineering specifications and can be easily installed,” he said.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/6/17/north/21550873&sec=North
See also previous post
Tuesday June 17, 2008
Gold mine of metals
Urban miners look for precious metals in cell phones.
By MIHO YOSHIKAWA
THINKING of throwing out your old cell phone? Think again. Maybe you should mine it first for gold, silver, copper and a host of other metals embedded in the electronics – many of which are enjoying near-record prices.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/6/17/lifefocus/f_07scoop.jpg
[All Photos: The Star - A worker scoops industrial scrap materials, collected from discarded electronic items.]
It’s called “urban mining”, scavenging through the scrap metal in old electronic products in search of such gems as iridium and gold, and it is a growth industry around the world as metal prices skyrocket.
The materials recovered are reused in new electronics parts and the gold and other precious metals are melted down and sold as ingots to jewellers and investors as well as back to manufacturers who use gold in the circuit boards of mobile phones because gold conducts electricity even better than copper.
“It can be precious or minor metals, we want to recycle whatever we can,” said Tadahiko Sekigawa, president of Eco-System Recycling in Japan.
A tonne of ore from a gold mine produces just 5g of gold on average, whereas a tonne of discarded mobile phones can yield 150g or more, according to a study by Yokohama Metal, another recycling firm. The same volume of discarded mobile phones also contains around 100kg of copper and 3kg of silver, among other metals.
Recycling has gained in importance as metals prices hit record highs. Gold is trading at around US$890 (RM2,760) an ounce, after hitting a historic high of US$1,030.80 (RM3,195) in March. Copper and tin are also around record highs and silver prices are well above long-term averages.
Recycling metals
Recycling electronics makes sense for Japan which has few natural resources to feed its billion dollar electronics industry but does have tens of millions of old cell phones and other obsolete consumer electronic gadgets thrown away every year.
“To some it’s just a mountain of garbage, but for others it’s a gold mine,” said Nozomu Yamanaka, manager of the Eco-Systems recycling plant where mounds of discarded cell phones and other electronics gadgets are taken apart for their metal value.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/6/17/lifefocus/f_07moltengold.jpg
[Precious metal: A worker pours molten gold, recycled from components of mobile phones and other discarded electronic items, into a mould at Dowa Holdings Co's Eco-System Recycling Co, a recycling plant, in Honjo, north of Tokyo.]
At the factory in Honjo, 80km south-west of Tokyo, 34-year-old Susumu Arai harvests some of that bounty. A ribbon of molten gold flows into a mould where it sizzles and spits fire for a few minutes before solidifying into a dull yellow slab, on its way to becoming a 3kg gold bar, worth around US$90,000 (RM279,000) at current prices.
Wearing plastic goggles to protect his eyes while he works, Arai said he was awestruck when he started his job two years ago. “Now I find it fun being able to recover not just gold, but all sorts of metals,” he said.
The scrap electronics and other industrial waste is first sorted and dismantled by hand. It is then immersed in chemicals to dissolve unwanted materials and the remaining metal is refined.
Eco-System, established 20 years ago near Tokyo, typically produces about 200 to 300kg of gold bars a month with a 99.99% purity, worth about US$5.9mil to US$8.8mil (RM18.3mil to RM27.2mil). That’s about the same output as a small gold mine. Eco-System also recovers metals from old memory chips, cables and even black ink which contain silver and palladium.
Recycling cell phones
But despite growing interest in the environment and recycling, the industry struggles to get enough old mobile phones to feed its recycling plants. Japan’s 128 million population uses their cell phones for an average of two years and eight months.
That’s a lot of cell phone phones discarded every year, yet only 10 to 20% are recycled as people often opt to store them in their cupboards due to concerns about the personal data on their phones, said Yoshinori Yajima, a director at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Just 558 tonnes of old phones were collected for recycling in the year to March 2007, down a third from three years earlier, industry figures show. As metals prices rise, the Japanese industry faces growing competition for scrap, which is pushing up prices.
“We are seeing more competition from Chinese firms, and naturally the goods go where the money is,” Dowa’s Takashi Morise said.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/6/17/lifefocus/f_07keypad.jpg
[Mobile phone key pads piled up at Eco-system Recycling Co, where gold, silver, copper and a host of other metals embedded in the electronics of cell phones are harvested.]
In response, Japanese firms are importing used circuit boards from Singapore and Indonesia, as they also contain valuable minor metals that Japan is particularly eager to recover. These minor metals such as indium, a vital component in the production of flat panel televisions and computer screens, antimony and bismuth are indispensable for producing many high-tech products.
However, they are often not easy to acquire as China has tightened export controls, making it harder for Japanese manufacturers to buy these metals. That’s where the “urban miners” step in. – Reuters
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/6/17/lifefocus/21087855&sec=lifefocus
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