Green Pulse The Straits Times

Why mudflats are vital for dwindling numbers of birds that stop over seasonally.

Synopsis (headphones recommended): In this new 4-part environment podcast series for 2024 - Green Trails - The Straits Times hits the ground with experts in spaces that are critical to the interlinked crises the planet faces: climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. The next episode drops in June.

For this inaugural episode, our team heads to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the local haven for birds that travel across the world to refuel at.

The society - one of the island's oldest non-governmental organisations - convinced the government to preserve Sungei Buloh as a wetland reserve by showing officials the diversity of birds that depend on the spot.

ST journalist Ang Qing takes a walk with representatives from the Nature Society (Singapore) - Veronica Foo and Tan Gim Cheong.

They talk about the lesser-known Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat, which is key to supporting the thousands of migratory shorebirds that stop over in Singapore between August and March, and why it should also receive full protection from the law.

Read an earlier article on migratory birds: https://str.sg/JtYUU

Discover the Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group: https://str.sg/wNzGa

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:30 Why is Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve so special?

7:01 Have there been fewer shorebirds at the reserve?

11:15 What kind of man-made features threaten migratory birds?

18:00 Why a lesser known mudflat needs to get stronger legal protection

Host: Ang Qing (aqing@sph.com.sg)

Trail producers: Lynda Hong, Hadyu Rahim, Teo Tong Kai, Amirul Karim, Eden Soh

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) & Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)

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Follow Ang Qing on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ichp

Read her articles: https://str.sg/i5gT

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Carbon credit ratings can bring much needed transparency and accountability to the market – but is it enough to overcome years of mistrust?

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Depending on who you speak to, carbon credits hold great promise as a tool to achieve deep cuts in carbon emissions to fight climate change. Or they are a scam that fails to deliver what they promise. 

A major problem around the carbon credit market is trust and transparency – do carbon offset projects achieve what they pledge? How can we be sure? And will local communities benefit?

Ultimately, carbon credits should be treated like any other financial asset – they should be held up to scrutiny. And that means they should be rated for their quality and integrity, just like bonds. 

And increasingly that is what is happening. Several companies now offer ratings services for carbon credits to help buyers make better choices and meet due diligence requirements. But will this be enough to answer critics’ concerns about the carbon market?

To learn more about this, we speak to Mr Duncan van Bergen, co-founder of Calyx Global, a carbon credit ratings company based in Singapore.  

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

1:38 What are the main concerns about carbon credits?

4:04 How is trust being restored to the carbon credit market?

6:13 What does a high-quality carbon credit look like?

10:47 Your firm rates credits from projects from highest (A-rating) to lowest (E-rating). What percentage are at the highest rating and what types of projects are these?

14:40 What is the main worry about forestry projects?

20:54 What are the non-carbon benefits of carbon projects and why are they important?

Produced by: David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Fa'izah Sani & Amirul Karim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us:

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Follow David Fogarty on X: https://str.sg/JLM6

Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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In a storied career, the diplomat Professor Tommy Koh also chaired the Earth Summit in 1992 and negotiated the Law of the Sea.

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

The framers of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea did not foresee global warming affecting oceans to the extent that it does - causing acidification and the death of coral reefs - said the top diplomat who was president of the 1973 conference that produced the Convention known as UNCLOS. 

In this episode, Singapore’s ambassador at-large and foremost international environmental law expert Tommy Koh - who also chaired the pivotal 1992 Earth Summit - tells host ST's global contributor Nirmal Ghosh that plastic debris in the oceans now is of severe concern. He adds that the international community has also failed to be good stewards of the world's fisheries.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), unsustainable practices have depleted about 90 per cent of major fisheries - and fishing fleets continue to be subsidised. The total capacity of the world’s fishing fleets is beyond the sustainable limit of the oceans. 

Meanwhile, unlike climate change, the loss of biodiversity has failed to capture the popular imagination even as some scientists are calling the current era "the sixth extinction."

There is hope, however, that the international community is at a tipping point, with people and governments waking up to the danger of this unprecedented loss. 

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

2:22 The blind spot during negotiations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

3:57 Large amounts of marine plastic debris in the ocean is a very serious problem

5:01 Why it is unsustainable to subsidise the fishing industry

6:05  How the man or woman on the street can link the loss of biodiversity to their individual welfare and interest

9:46 What are the shortfalls in efforts to curb global warming

12:43 How densely populated Singapore managed to maintain green spaces

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Fa'izah Sani and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us:

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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read ST's Climate Change microsite: https://www.straitstimes.com/climate-change

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Humanity will never achieve net-zero emissions by the middle of the century unless the building sector figures out how to become truly green.

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Who hasn’t escaped a scorchingly hot day by seeking refuge in a nicely chilled shopping centre? Or, for those in cold climates, in a toasty warm office or cafe? 

But have you ever wondered how much energy it takes to cool, heat and power the buildings in our cities and towns? It’s a lot.

In fact, the building sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions – about 39 per cent of all energy-related CO2 emissions come from buildings and the materials used to construct them. 

Humanity will never reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century unless we can make buildings truly green. So, how is the building sector responding to the climate challenge?

How are building owners and managers cutting emissions and what more can they do? What regulations are there in Singapore and the region to encourage greater energy efficiency and retrofitting of older buildings to help them go from brown to green?

To learn more about this, ST's climate change editor David Fogarty hosts the Singapore-based head of ESG consulting & sustainability services at global real estate agency CBRE, who also happens to be named David Fogarty.

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

1:55 How large are the emissions from the building sector and how fast is the sector growing?

2:50 What can be done to cut emissions? What steps are being taken now?

5:09 What are embedded emissions? And how great is the challenge in cutting carbon emissions from making building materials?

7:17 There are regulations incentivising energy efficiency in buildings, including retrofitting. Are these making a difference?

11:49 In David Fogarty's role, some of the key trends he is seeing, such as green leasing

15:10 What will the buildings of 2050 or 2060 look like?

Produced by: David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

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Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Follow David Fogarty on X: https://str.sg/JLM6

Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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The role of militaries, and conflicts, in driving global warming can no longer be ignored.

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Even in peace times, militaries are huge emitters of the greenhouse gases that drive global warming. The US military with its global network of bases, has a particularly large carbon footprint - and outsources it to host countries who must account for it under their own reports to the United Nations. 

Humanity is at war in two places currently - Ukraine and the Middle East - with several other low-level conflicts in different parts of the globe, and military expenditure on the rise.

Historical data shows that past wars produced staggering amounts of greenhouse gasses. The destruction of forests in Vietnam in the 1960s by the US’s use of the chemical herbicide Agent Orange is estimated to have generated emissions in the range of 300-400 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) - about seven to eight times the annual emissions of the country of Switzerland. 

The burning of oil wells by then-dictator Saddam Hussein's army in 1990 as western coalition forces drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait, generated probably more than 400 million tonnes. 

Until recently however, the carbon emissions of wars and militaries were not seriously considered. When the Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in 1997, the United States pushed for the exclusion of bunker fuels - essentially transport fuel for ships and airplanes, much of which is used by its military. 

That is slowly changing. While militaries’ carbon footprints are trending downwards in line with other economic sectors, as economies broadly become more fuel efficient, conflicts sharply spike CO2 emissions, and any increase in geopolitical conflict risks diverting taxpayer funding from climate adaptation and mitigation programmes. 

There is now a clear view in the United Nations, that this dilemma must be addressed, says University of Zurich climate policy expert and senior founding partner of Perspectives Climate Group Dr Axel Michaelowa, in conversation with Straits Times Global Contributor Nirmal Ghosh in this episode of the Green Pulse podcast. 

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

3:30 Impact of Agent Orange on forest destruction during the Vietnam War; carbon emissions in the range of 300 to 400 million tons 

4:57 Conflict in Gaza - the destruction of buildings and emissions of 30 to 40 million tons 

6:10 How 10 to 15 years of opportunity for mitigation was lost due to the United States advocating to exempt the need to report and cover emissions from ships and planes - driven mainly by military. 

9:05 With US bases outside of its country, these substantial emissions would be accounted under the country where the base is located. 

11:25 The indirect consequence of geopolitical conflicts on increased carbon emission

14:13 International recognition that carbon emissions from militaries and conflicts need to be accounted for. 

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim

Edited by: Amirul Karim

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us:

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Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read ST's Climate Change microsite: https://www.straitstimes.com/climate-change

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Special edition series:

True Cr

Tipping points are a grave threat but it’s not too late for humanity to reduce the risks. 

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

The world is on the brink of major changes to the natural world that could have truly devastating consequences for billions of people. 

These are parts of the natural world that are at risk of abrupt and irreversible changes. For instance, runaway melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets; collapse of a key ocean circulation in the Atlantic; melting of permafrost; dieback of the Amazon rainforest and warm-water coral reefs. There are many more. 

What’s causing this? Man-made global warming is a major reason. So is pollution and over-exploitation of resources. 

Planetary tipping points represent one of the gravest threats to humanity, yet many people seem unaware of the danger. And some of these tipping points might be close to, or already past the point of no return.

Yet, there’s still time to stop others from occurring if we act fast. 

To learn more about this, we speak to Professor Tim Lenton, Director of the Global Systems Institute at Exeter University in Britain. Tim recently led the biggest study yet into global tipping points. 

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

1:29  What are planetary tipping points and why should we be concerned?

2:23  What are some examples and how close are we to some of these tipping points?

4:06 And what are the major tipping point risks for Asia?

9:01 Tell us more about the danger from a cascade of tipping points, where one major planetary change causes a domino effect of triggering other tipping points?

14:29  The good news is that there are steps humanity can take – positive tipping points. What are some examples?

17: 40 But humanity has already caused major changes to the planet. Does that mean we have to adapt to a rapidly changing world no matter what we do? 

Produced by: David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Amirul Karim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Follow David Fogarty on X: https://str.sg/JLM6

Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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