Earth Matters

In conjunction with World Environment Day, Andrew Sebastian, Head of Communications at the Malaysian Nature Society, updates us on environmental and conservation issues here in Malaysia, and fills us in on the activities organised by the MNS for the community at large. 

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Suryani Senja Alias and Dr June Ngo, the Chairperson and Chief Designer respectively of Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah, discuss their organisation's efforts to revive and revitalise the songket weaving industry in Malaysia.

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An 80-hectare tropical rainforest garden sits right in the midst of Kuala Lumpur's University Malaya, with over 1600 species of living collections, 63,000 accessions and an arboretum among its many features. 

University of Malaya's Dr. M Sugumaran, Coordinator for Rimba Ilmu Botanical Gardens, uncovers the many delights this little known treasure trove of plants and trees has to offer.

http://rimba.um.edu.my

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Mano Maniam - actor, director, writer and also active member of the Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia (EPSM) - discusses and advocates an age-old but now oft forgotten water saving technique, rainwater harvesting.

Besides its many benefits, Mano also discusses the EPSM's recent successful implementation of this system at the Pure Life Society's premises.

For more details on the EPSM, check out http://www.epsm.org.my/wordpress

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Elizabeth John, Senior Communications Officer of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and Loshini John, Values and Communications Manager at The Body Shop Malaysia, discuss the joint TRAFFIC-The Body Shop campaign, "Where's My Mama?" which highlights the plight of young wildlife left orphaned by animal trafficking.

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In this concluding episode on the Malaysian Nature Society's Raptor Watch 2011 series, we speak to Lim Aun Tiah, Head Coordinator for the Raptor Counters, who were the folks tasked with the mission to count the thousands of raptors that migrated over the shores of Tanjung Tuan.

Aun Tiah explains  us the painstaking task of monitoring the raptors, while giving us a complete rundown of events that transpired at Raptor Watch 2011.

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Sometime in 2008, husband and wife team Hijjas Kasturi and Angela Hijjas, an architect and environmentalist respectively, set about to restore three somewhat rotting rows of double storey terraced houses in Penang.

Angela discusses the result of this conversion - the newly launched Hotel Penaga - which is a heritage boutique hotel that looks set to become a model for the adaptive re-use of old buildings.

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The Raptor Watch 2011 is your chance to witness the most spectacular migratory phenomenon that hits the shores of Peninsular Malaysia, where thousands of eagles, hawks and buzzards land here, en-route their journey back to their breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere.

Andrew Sebastian, Head of Communications at the Malaysian Nature Society, shares with us the significance of this annual event, which seeks to raise awareness on the conservation of raptors and their habitats.

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Soaring energy prices are a reminder of the role affordable energy plays in sustainable economic growth and higher human development.

Here in Malaysia, the country's Ninth Plan provides an emphasis to further reduce the dependency on petroleum, and to increase efforts to integrate alternative fuels.

Consultant scientist Jothiratnam discusses humankind's dependency on fuel, and the role and benefits of alternative energy in our collective future.

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The United Nations has declared 2011 the International Year of Forests, and with the theme 'Celebrating Forests for People', the focus is on how both our individual and collective actions can either make or break the future of the world's forests.

Yeap Chin Aik, who is the Head of Conservation at the Malaysian Nature Society, talks about the inextricable link between people and forests, and the need to raise awareness and implement actions on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

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