Earth Matters

In 2018, China’s National Sword Policy came into effect, banning 24 (later 32) types of solid waste imports to the country, including plastic and paper waste. This, we know, caused a global disruption in the recyclable material market and redirected plastic waste to new destination countries, primarily in Southeast Asia. From January to July 2018, Malaysia became the world's top destination for plastic waste exports. This influx led to a sharp rise in illegal recycling facilities and illegal dumpsites, causing land, water and air pollution. This has been described as being akin to “waste colonialism” - where more powerful countries export their toxic waste problem to developing countries and acquire local resources to meet their own goals. In New Zealand, it was reported that since 2014, the country has sent over 300,000 tonnes of plastic waste overseas - mostly to developing countries, including Malaysia. There is now a petition for the country to ban plastic waste exports to developing countries, a campaign being led by Malaysian-born lawyer Lydia Chai. Lydia joins us, to share more.

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Plastics only started to be made in large quantities after World War 2, but since then, the pollution from all the plastic we manufacture and use has become one of the most serious threats humanity faces. According to the IUCN, by 2015, 60% of all plastic ever produced had become plastic waste, and is practically everywhere - it’s in the air, in the soil, in freshwater, and in the sea. In 2019, only 9% of plastic waste was recycled globally, while 22% was mismanaged - the UN calls in a planetary crisis. In Malaysia, WWF-Malaysia estimates that the total annual post-consumer plastic waste generated here in 2016 was over one million tonnes, which could fill 76,000 rubbish trucks. With such a seemingly monumental crisis facing us, what must we do to stem the plastic pollution tide? We discuss what the sustainable production and consumption of plastics must be like with Tahirah Banu Mohamed Ariff, the Plastic Initiative Manager at WWF-Malaysia.

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Humanity is facing a plastic pollution crisis. It's said that plastic production has risen exponentially in the last decades, and now amounts to some 400 million tons per year– a figure set to double by 2040. In 2022, UN Member States agreed to start negotiating a historic new global treaty to end plastic pollution. The framework is now being negotiated throughout a series of meetings across the globe, and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) are working on developing this international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. In conjunction with World Environment Day which was on the 5th of June, we take up the theme to #BeatPlasticPollution and speak to Mageswari Sangaralingam, a Senior Research Officer from Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Consumers Association of Penang, about the ongoing talks, and whether a resolution to clearly take us towards a future with no plastic pollution can be a reality.

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It's World Reef Awareness Day on the 1st of June, celebrated annually to reflect on our ocean's delicate coral reefs, and to bring together communities and leaders around the world to conserve these incredible marine ecosystems. Beyond their ecological services, coral reefs are valuable to communities for food security, storm protection, cultural value, and more. But with human activity and a warming planet rapidly degrading these precious and fragile ecosystems, a range of interventions are needed to protect them. We speak to three coral reef ecologists, Sebastian Szereday (Co-founder, Coralku), Alvin Chelliah (Senior Programme Manager, Reef Check Malaysia) and Affendi Yang Amri (Coral Reef Ecologist, University of Malaya, and Researcher, Projek Pulih) about the dynamic ecosystem hidden beneath the ocean's surface, and how they are working through their respective organisation to reverse coral reefs decline. They also help to outline the good, the bad, and the ugly truths behind coral reef restoration, and expand on why preservation is always the smart thing to do.

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May is coming to a close, which makes it time for another roundup of top environmental news with the co-founders of journalism portal, Macaranga. This month, Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua join us to discuss the heatwaves we are contending with in Malaysia, while tying it to water supply concerns that are increasing across the peninsula. Next we discuss how Malaysia and Indonesia are gearing up for a two-day joint mission to Brussels, to deliberate on issues pertaining to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that is "negatively impacting the palm oil industry." Following that, we dissect the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change ministry's plans to impose a total ban on plastic bags in Malaysia by 2025 - a welcome plan by many, but how will this be executed in reality? On a plastic related note, we look forward to celebrating World Environment Day on the 5th of June, whose theme this year is to Beat Plastic Pollution, limit waste and push for a transition to a circular economy.

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Tak Kenal Maka Tak Cinta is our monthly tourism-themed series on Earth Matters, which aims to highlight lesser-known ecotourism spots right here in Malaysia. Done in collaboration with the Ecotourism & Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY), we want to take you back to the great outdoors, and experience the many off-the-beaten-track nature spots our country has to offer. In our fourth episode, we're heading over to Southeast Johor, more specifically the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park to visit some of the beautiful islands there, before taking a trip to Desaru and Mersing, for both island adventures, but also to experience some local cultural treats the places have to offer. Helping us navigate these beautiful waters is Andrew Sebastian, the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of ECOMY.

Listen to our previous episodes in the series:

Episode 1: Kuala Tahan

Episode 2: Pulau Bangau in Teluk Intan

Episode 3: Bukit Batu Putih in Port Dickson

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The battle to save Taman Rimba Kiara is finally over, with the Federal Court's ruling in favour of protecting the space, by quashing a development order by the DBKL to develop the area. Many have described the long fight to preserve this green lung as a David vs Goliath undertaking - how did the community rally together to coordinate and take on the authorities? We speak to three of the many involved in the saga, Hafiz Abu Bakar (Former Chairman, TTDI Residents Association), Leon Koay (Committee Coordinator, Save Taman Rimba Kiara Working Group) and Khairudin Rahim (Media Coordinator, Save Taman Rimba Kiara Working Group) about the monumental effort that saved a park, and brought together a community for the greater good.

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It's International Day for Biological Diversity today, celebrated annually on the 22nd of May to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. This year, the theme is “From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity” and is meant to promote action in support of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. On today's show, we want to celebrate Malaysia's incredible biodiversity by revisiting previous Earth Matters interviews, which all highlighted different aspects of Malaysia's incredible biodiversity. Listen to snippets from these episodes: The ABC's of Biodiversity: River Terrapins, The ABC's of Biodiversity: Seagrasses, and The ABC's of Biodiversity: Gibbons of Malaysia.

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Earlier this May, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) officially accepted a complaint against Malaysian timber company Samling, which was filed by civil society groups last October. The FSC accepted the complaint after determining there was “sufficient evidence” regarding violations of FSC policies, and the council has said it will open a case into alleged illegal logging, violations of traditional and human rights, destruction of high conservation value forests and significant conversion of forests as grounds for dissociation. Separately in June 2021, the same timber company filed a lawsuit against Malaysian NGO SAVE Rivers and its directors for publishing allegedly defamatory statements as part of its “Stop the Chop” campaign. To date, the case has been postponed four times. What are the issues behind both these cases? We speak to Jettie Word, the Director of The Borneo Project, to help us unpack what's happening over in Sarawak.

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Bukit Kiara is a much loved green lung in our rather green lung deprived city centre. A former rubber estate, the area is now a popular spot for thousands of Klang Valley residents in search of ways to commune with nature. The area is not fully gazetted though, and the NGO Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK) have long been championing the protection and preservation of this area, and are always working towards raising awareness of the importance of keeping Bukit Kiara green and intact. They are organising FOBK Bukit Kiara Hill Walk in conjunction with Earth Day 2023 on the 21st of May, and we find out more about this from Leon Koay, the President of FOBK, who will also remind us about the many wonders found in this urban forest, including the world’s largest firefly!

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