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Habitatnews 2002-25: Thursday, 5th December 2002
The Habitat Group's Nature Information List
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Nature-related news that the busy Singaporean might otherwise miss.
More information and archives at: <http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg>
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Contents
- Supermarkets and other retailers attempt to reduce consumption of plastic bags.
- URA Subject Groups release reports to public – available for download.
- Chek Jawa pubic visits for Jan – Mar 2003.
- Moon phase on your computer – Moon Dock (Mac OS X) and Moon Tool (PC)
- Flash floods once again – monsoon and high tides plot mischief.
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1. Effort to reduce consumption of plastic bags by major retailers
<http://app10.internet.gov.sg/scripts/nea/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=1882>
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'Starting 30 November, 11 major Singapore retailers will join forces to
reduce the number of plastic bags they hand out - Carrefour, CK Tang, Cold
Storage, NTUC FairPrice, Hang Ten, Ikea, Isetan, Robinsons, Seiyu, Shop N
Save, and Takashimaya, and the public waste collectors.
They will display posters at the checkout points, cashiers, and notice
boards with the message 'Let's use fewer plastic bags!' to appeal to
consumers to reduce the excessive use of plastic bags.
Carrefour, Cold Storage, NTUC FairPrice, and Shop N Save will also place
recycling bins outside their supermarkets at Suntec City, Jelita Holland,
Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Katong Shopping Complex. Shoppers can deposit waste
paper, drink cans, glass and plastic bottles for recycling. SembVisy
Recycling will collect the recyclables which will then be sent to its
semi-automated materials recovery facility in Tuas. At the facility, the
recyclables will be sorted by type and then baled for processing at a later
stage.
Today Singapore has more than 400 large retailers, and about 17,000 small
and medium-sized stores. Each year, it is estimated that retailers hand out
several hundred millions of plastic shopping bags to their customers.’
This is particularly good news! See <http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/iccs/>
For relevant data and an article.
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2. URA Subject Group reports available for download as pdf files.
<http://www.ura.gov.sg/pwbid/>
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‘Three Subject Groups comprising professionals, representatives from
interest groups and laymen were appointed by Minister for National
Development, Mah Bow Tan. They were tasked to study the various proposals of
the two Draft Master Plans on 23rd July 2002, conduct dialogue sessions with
stakeholders and consider public feedback, before putting up their
recommendations.
The Subject Groups have released their reports and they are available at the
URA webpage as pdf downloads between 0.8-2.1MB in size. The reports are
based on the following plans:
- Parks and Waterbodies Plan and Rustic Coast
- Urban Villages and Southern Ridges & Hillside Villages
- Old World Charm
The exhibition at the URA Building at Maxwell Road will remain open for
viewing until January 2003, from 9am to 5pm (Mon - Fri) and 9am to 1pm
(Sat). The exhibition is closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.
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3. Chek Jawa public visits for Jan – Mar 2003
<http://www.nparks.gov.sg/news/latestnews.shtml>
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Dates allocated for public visits at Chek Jawa are now available at the
National Parks Board webpage. See:
<http://www.nparks.gov.sg/news/latestnews.shtml>
The tides have been favourable for public visit dates on weekends for this
quarter.
Dates for every quarter are posted here a month early, i.e. On 1st Dec
for Jan-Mar, 1st Mar for Apr-Jun, 1st Jun for Jly-Sep, 1st Sep for Oct-Dec.
Earmark these dates if you are planning a visit.
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4. Moon phase on your computer
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The phase of the moon is important to some of us who are regular guides
at marine sites like Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve or Chek Jawa. Urban
creatures toiling away in rooms with no windows can keep track of the moon
via freeware in both macintosh and pc. Useful tool for teaching as well! See:
Moon Dock ver 1.2.3 for Mac OS X
<http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=11799&db=mac>
Moon Tool ver 2.0 for Windows
<http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=20496&db=win>
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5. “Flash floods expected this weekend". By Sean Au.
Channel News Asia, 5 Dec 2002
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/26284/1/.html>
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“The PUB has advised shop owners and residents in low-lying areas to protect
their belongings against possible flash floods this weekend. This is because
high tides of 3.1 to 3.2 metres are predicted to hit Singapore between
Thursday and Sunday - with the highest tide expected at about 11.30am on
Friday.
And since Singapore is experiencing the Northeast monsoon, the National
Environment Agency said heavy rains could be common. Low-lying areas that
may be affected by flash floods include Chinatown, Geylang and areas around
Circular Road and Fort Road.”
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