Earth Matters

TrEES (Treat Every Environment Special) is on a mission to save the Selangor State Park. They, like many other concerned citizens and NGO's, are troubled by the proposal to align the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road across the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge and through the Selangor State Park.

Leela Panikkar and Christa Hashim, co-directors of TrEES, tell us more about the government's development plans, the consequences of cutting down and through the national park, and why this magnificent park must be saved.

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Malaysian rivers aren't doing too well, and Malaysian citizens are very much to blame for this.

Dr. K. Kalithasan, Coordinator of the River Care Programme at Global Environment Centre (GEC) helps paint a clearer picture of current state most of our Malaysian rivers are in, and the efforts being made, on all levels, to get it clean again.

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In August 2002, Reef Check - the largest international coral reef monitoring programme involving volunteer recreational divers and marine scientists - released its five-year report.

Based on data collected in over 80 countries, the report was the first scientific documentation of the dramatic worldwide decline in coral reef health over the previous five years. There is virtually no reef in the world that remains untouched by human impact.

In July, it was reported that corals in Malaysia's own marine parks at Pulau Payar, Pulau Tioman and Pulau Redang have suffered "bleaching", leading to the closure of some dive sites until the end of October.

Julian Hyde, the General Manager of Reef Check Malaysia, explains what corals and coral bleaching is exactly, and fills us in on the state our Malaysian corals, and what can be done to ensure its recovery.

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The Bigger Picture highlights two of WWF-Malaysia's projects and events, the Art for Nature 2010 exhibition and the screening of the film "The End of the Line", which is being presented part of their Save Our Seafood Campaign.

Patron of the arts and nature lover Angela Hijjas, who is also Chairperson for Art For Nature Committee, talks to us about the nature-inspired art on exhibit, evolution, and the need to change to save our planet.

Meanwhile, WWF's Ecosystem Based Management Officer Chitra Devi tells us more about the Save Our Seafood Campaign and "The End of the Line", the first major documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans.

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The Raja Musa Peat Swamp Forest Reserve has, over the past ten years, seen more than 500 hectares of the reserve illegally cleared and burnt for farming activities. This has caused major environmental hazards such as haze and the release of thousands of tonnes of greenhouses gases, which contribute to climate change.

The Selangor government has recognized the need to conserve this site, and the first community-based peat forest rehabilitation programme is currently being  implemented in collaboration with Global Environment Centre, the Sai Council, the Selangor Forestry Department and other NGO’s.

Suzana Mohkeri, Coordinator of the Outreach and Partnerships Programme at the Global Environment Centre (GEC) tells us more about peat swamps, the ‘Grow a Peat Forest’ programme and how you can be apart of it.

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Malaysian Nature Society's Andrew Sebastian enlightens us on fireflies, nature's very own Christmas lights, explaining their basic needs to survive and the very real threats they are facing here in Malaysia.

Special enough to warrant their very own International Firefly Symposium, find out all you need to know about these little insects and the efforts being made to ensure their future survival.

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Malaysian Nature Society's Andrew Sebastian tells us all about this annual international bird fest - its history, do's and don'ts, and the over-200 species of birds to be found in Fraser's Hill.

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Tom Weubbens speaks about this tough and gruelling eco challenge race, the Tioman turtle race and the illegal collection of turtle eggs.

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Fairul Jamal & Chitra Devi speak about the marine conservation program, the issue of overfishing, why it's important for us to know where our seafood comes from and a guide to sustainable seafood.

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Sara Sukor, Rina Omar & Aishah Sinclair speak about the ongoing efforts to help our tigers over the next 12 years and the hunt for Malaysia's TX2 ambassador.

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