Mass Producing to Save Pitcher Plants A Tricky Business

February 16, 2024 Bryan Yong and SL Wong Leave a comment

Horticulturists say producing lots of pitcher plants can conserve wild plants. Is it enough though, when ever more new species whet buyers’ appetites?

IN JULY 2023, a Filipino Facebook post appeared advertising the sale of a Malaysian tropical pitcher plant, Nepenthes berbulu. What was on sale were seeds, purportedly harvested on July 15. The thing is, this is a newly discovered species of pitcher plant from Malaysia’s Titiwangsa Mountains.

Its existence was made public a mere 4 months earlier in a scientific publication. The plant’s exact location was not disclosed and specimens were also only supposedly collected for research.

(Feature photo: Flooding the market with affordable propagated Nepenthes helps reduce pressure on wild plants. | Image: Bryan Yong)

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Insight

The World of Nepenthes

February 7, 2024 Ashley Yeong Leave a comment

Remarks

Support Community Efforts to Better Manage Urban Green Spaces

February 5, 2024 Macaranga Leave a comment

Urban communities appreciate green spaces and should be allowed to co-manage these areas for better results, writes interdisciplinary researcher Tapan Kumar Nath.

IN 2022, the Prime Minister of Malaysia outlined directions towards developing and improving the country’s urban green infrastructure, which would turn into therapy spaces in an effort to relieve the stresses of life that directly improve mental and physical well-being of urban people.

To achieve this vision, I urge the authorities to engage community associations actively in the governance structure of urban green spaces (UGS).

(Feature pic: Precious forests stretch across the dense urban clusters of Kota Damansara and Mont Kiara. | Pic from Google Earth Pro, 2023)

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Insight

气候变迁法案是系统治灾依据

January 31, 2024 Liew Teck Lai Leave a comment

治灾防灾靠的不只是人力财力，更需要完善的法律。

为解决气候变迁和频繁水灾的根本问题，气候变迁法案是其中一个尚在规划的方案，而前能源、工艺、科学、气候变化及环境部长兼蒲种国会议员杨美盈希望在团结政府届满前，在国会提呈及通过气候变迁法案。

她之前解释，政府应成立一支特工队，设下18个月的目标，在2年内完成气候变迁法案。

(图片：水灾给百姓带来巨大的损失。| 来源：Canva 图片库)

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Insight

可持续规划，治水灾根本

January 31, 2024 Liew Teck Lai Leave a comment

气候变迁导致降雨骤增，更揭露了我国长期忽视排水需求的根本问题。我们该如何对治频频发生的严重水灾呢？

每年年杪至年初，水灾一直是马来西亚的重大课题。根据国家灾难管理机构（NADMA）灾难控制中心发出的最新全国灾难事故报告指出，2023年11月11日至2024年1月13日期间，累计有2万2966户家庭和7万4807名受害者安置在临时疏散中心（PPS），其影响农地达4900公顷，造成我国2300万令吉的经济损失。

(图片：淹没的村镇。 | 来源：Canva 图片库)

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In-Depth

Empangan di Negeri Perak Ancam Keramat Batu dan Perkuburan Moyang

January 17, 2024 Ashley Yeong 1 Comment

Beberapa siri empangan kecil berikutan peralihan hijau negeri Perak cetuskan bantahan komuniti Orang Asli. Diterjemah oleh Shazni Bhai.

PERJALANAN pacuan empat roda melambung-lambung sepanjang laluan berliku mendaki Gunung Korbu di negeri Perak. Empat puluh minit ke pedalaman terdapat binaan konkrit didirikan berketinggian 5 meter atau hampir 2 tingkat.

Binaan itu adalah sebuah empangan hidro elektrik mini, yang akan dikerah bagi menjana 7 megawatt (MW) tenaga boleh diperbaharui untuk grid kuasa elektrik.

Ini adalah salah satu empangan hidro elektrik mini yang akan dibina di seluruh negeri ini. Walau pun bertujuan untuk memenuhi komitmen tenaga boleh diperbaharui kerajaan, konflik dengan komuniti Orang Asli dilihat makin meningkat.

(Imej utama: Tenaga boleh diperbaharui dijana oleh empangan hidro mini di Sungai Korbu, namun untuk siapa dan apa korbannya? | Foto: Ashley Yeong)

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In-Depth

Perak Dams Threaten Stone Spirits and Ancestral Graves

January 3, 2024 Ashley Yeong 1 Comment

A series of small dams that is part of Perak’s green transition is making Orang Asli communities go up in arms.

IT IS A bumpy truck ride along the winding path up Gunung Korbu in Perak. Forty minutes in, a concrete structure stands 5 m, or nearly 2 floors, tall. This structure is a mini hydroelectric dam, tasked to generate 7 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy for the electricity grid.

This is one of the mini hydroelectric dams to be built throughout the state. While helping to meet the state’s renewable energy commitments, they appear to be in increasing conflict with Orang Asli communities.

(Feature photo: Renewable energy is generated by the Sungai Korbu mini hydro dam, but for whom and at what cost? | Image: Ashley Yeong)

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In-Depth

Sowing Seeds of Resilience in Heirloom Rice

December 7, 2023 Liani MK Leave a comment

As the climate crisis continues to impact rice production, heirloom rice could save the day, as the highlands farmers of Sarawak show.

AT LONG Semadoh, there is plenty of rice. In fact, there is so much that excess is sometimes fed to livestock.

“Some people from outside our village think it’s outrageous that we feed our heirloom rice to our pigs,” says villager Peter Tadam with a laugh. “But what’s wrong with giving good food — food we plant with our hands — to our livestock?”

(Feature photo: Beras Adan Merah is one of the Long Semadoh heirloom varieties that have been grown for generations | Image: Arieff Zafir)

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In-Depth

Pengetahuan dan Undang-undang Melindungi Laut Kita

November 20, 2023 SL Wong Leave a comment

Untuk menguruskan pantai dan lautan kita, kita menggunakan undang-undang untuk mewujudkan kawasan yang dilindungi. Tetapi pengurusannya boleh dipertingkatkan, dan melibatkan komuniti yang mempunyai pengetahuan tradisional dalam pengurusan adalah satu cara untuk melakukannya. Cerita di sini pertama kali diterbitkan dalam bahasa Inggeris pada Oktober 2023 sebagai sebahagian daripada siri #SeaWorld kami.

Kisah Nenek Moyang Boleh Menyelamatkan Perairan Kita

Seribu Satu Cara Menyelamatkan Lautan