Earth Matters

It's becoming clearer that there are connections between democracy and climate change - climate change is impacting democratic governance with its effects on food security, migration and water scarcity. As Malaysia pushes to recover from the pandemic and get back on track to becoming a developed nation, how will we adopt policies to adapt to the climate crisis, reduce our carbon footprint, and ensure our future stability? How must leaders, especially the freshly minted Malaysian Cabinet, incorporate policies to fight climate change?  Ahead of Merdeka, we speak to two youth climate activists from MyHutan, Sarvagjnaa Divya and Sheikh Syaqil, about what the youth are pushing for in this next chapter of our growth.

Image credit: Shutterstock

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They're a symbol of national pride, of bravery, courage and regalness. The Malayan tiger is prominently featured in our national coat of arms, and Malaysia's football team is also affectionately referred to as ‘Harimau Malaya.’ But the Malayan tiger is also officially listed as Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. According to WWF-Malaysia, there are less than 200 Malayan tigers left in the wild here in Malaysia. Why are their numbers still dwindling, despite long and concerted efforts to protect them? What more needs to be done? We discuss this and more with Christopher Wong, the Tiger Lead of WWF-Malaysia.

Image source: Shutterstock 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 When visiting Sabah for the first time back in 1994, Dr Marc Ancrenaz, together with Dr Isabelle Lackman, realised that many orangutans were hanging around in disturbed and over-logged forests. They decided to establish an intensive study site in the fragmented forests of Lower Kinabatangan to study orangutan adaptation to habitat disturbance, and thus, the NGO Hutan was born. Then in 1998, they established the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme (KOCP) in the village of Sukau, and switched from a purely scientific approach, to a more holistic one, by incorporating the needs and aspirations of the local communities. How has this approach worked in favour of orangutan conservation in the area? Following International Orangutan Day 2021 which was celebrated on the 19th of August, we speak to Dr Marc Ancrenaz, scientific director of Hutan and co-director of KOCP, to discuss this and more.

Image source: Hutan 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 When visiting Sabah for the first time back in 1994, Dr Marc Ancrenaz, together with Dr Isabelle Lackman, realised that many orangutans were hanging around in disturbed and over-logged forests. They decided to establish an intensive study site in the fragmented forests of Lower Kinabatangan to study orangutan adaptation to habitat disturbance, and thus, the NGO Hutan was born. Then in 1998, they established the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme (KOCP) in the village of Sukau, and switched from a purely scientific approach, to a more holistic one, by incorporating the needs and aspirations of the local communities. How has this approach worked in favour of orangutan conservation in the area? Following International Orangutan Day 2021 which was celebrated on the 19th of August, we speak to Dr Marc Ancrenaz, scientific director of Hutan and co-director of KOCP, to discuss this and more.

Image source: Hutan 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's being called a Code Red for Humanity. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which was prepared by 234 scientists from 66 countries, highlights how human influence has warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented in at least the last 2,000 years. This sobering assessment - endorsed by the world's governments - is the first major review of the science of climate change since 2013. What does it predict and what needs to be done to prevent more catastrophe? We get the help of Meenakshi Raman, the president of Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and the Head of Programmes at the Third World Network, to break it down for us. 

Image source: Shutterstock 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They're the largest land mammal on the Asian continent, a keystone species, invaluable ecosystem engineers, and cute to boot. Decades ago, the Asian Elephant could be found in almost every state in Peninsular Malaysia, but their numbers have dwindled so much that these days, you'll likely encounter them in only six states. The usual litany of issues - habitat loss and fragmentation, and human-elephant conflict - are causing their numbers to decline. The Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME) have been working on science-based conservation approaches for the preservation of elephants in Peninsular Malaysia, and are pushing for Malaysians to find better ways to coexist with elephants. Ahead of World Elephant Day, we speak to MEME's Principal Investigator, Dr Wong Ee Phin, and Project Manager, Praveena Chackrapani, about the group's research, and why elephants are awesome.

Image source: Shutterstock 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in January of this year, scientists devised what they called the "10 golden rules for reforestation", around ‘right tree, right place’ principle. These rules challenged the myth that ‘all tree planting is good’ and brought out discussions of best practices for protecting and restoring the world’s forests. Many of those rules were already being put into practice by conservationists here in Malaysia, and we speak to  Afzaa Aziz (Tropical Rainforest Conservation & Research Center), Yeap Chin Aik (Malaysian Nature Society) and Martin Vogel (Koperasi Pelancongan Mukim Batu Puteh Kinabatangan Berhador or KOPEL), to find out how exactly they've been doing this through their various organisations, and the projects they are involved in. You can also join their webinar this Friday on Community-Powered Conservation Case Studies, for more information.

Image source: Shutterstock 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we've seen, pandemic or not, a conservationist's work carries on, as threats to the survival of wildlife continue. The same is the case for Dr Chen Pelf Nyok and her team at the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia, who have been working tirelessly to ensure the survival of river terrapins, a critically-endangered freshwater turtle species here in Malaysia. While working for the survival of terrapins, the team at TCS also work to ensure local communities - who are similarly involved in conservation work - are supported through these tough times. We speak to Dr Pelf, who is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia, about challenges faced, and the solutions being explored to counter these struggles. 

Image source: Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia Facebook 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem On Monday – celebrated annually on the 26th of July - and on Monday's episode of Earth Matters, we did a 101 on the characteristics of mangroves, and why they are so important to people and the planet. (Hint: They are carbon-hoarding, coastline-protecting forests which are sponges for greenhouse gases, among many other things.) On today's episode, we focus on the threats the mangrove ecosystem faces, and look at solutions to preserve what we still have - and why it's better to revitalize than to replant mangrove forests - with Dr. Ahmad Aldrie Amir, a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and he is currently heading the Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability Research Centre there as well. He is also the coordinator of the Malaysian Mangrove Research Alliance and Network (MyMangrove).

Image source: Shutterstock 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For July's look-back, the Co-Founders, Co-Editors and Writers of Macaranga.org, Wong Siew Lyn & Law Yao Hua, have plants on their minds. First up, it was recently reported that Australian miner Lynas Rare Earths Limited is considering a new site to build their permanent disposal facility for their radioactive waste, from the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant. The company is reportedly planning a smaller disposal facility just next to their current facilities in the Gebeng Industrial Park. Will this new plan meet the public’s concern for human and environmental safety? 

Next, a new plant has been discovered in Malaysia by Malaysian Dome Nikong, in the Hulu Nerus Forest Reserve in Terengganu. Named after the discoverer’s mother, we find out more about Fairy lantern Thismia sitimeriamiae, the latest addition to a group of around 90 species worldwide. We also discuss why this is an example of a good collaboration among international scientists, and the value of protecting natural forests.

Image source: Shutterstock, Dome Nikong Facebook 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.