Friday, July 27, 2007

Apocalyptic Vision

I have an apocalyptic vision. The vision about global warming. The vision about climate crisis. The vision when total chaos being inflicted on earth dwellers - YOU and Me included!

We have been living wastefully for centuries. We discard things when they are of no use to us. We throw the less and buy the better when we become more classy. We typically waste our natural resources. And waste it everyday of our life.

No one can change what human being has been doing for centuries. No one can change the way it has been for centuries. Not even the most powerful nation is going to change this apocalyptic vision. We are doomed.

So as I can see it, whatever we do to change the world will have no significant effect. We might be reducing our need for fuel by using bicycles. We might be reducing our water usage. We buy fuel efficent cars. We reduce our wastes. But no matter how much we reduce, reuse and recycle; we just can't stop the catastrophe from coming. And coming it will.

We might be buying fuel efficient cars and thus destroying the oil industry. We stop using tobaco and thus affecting the farmers. Whatever we do will affect someone along the way. We just can't escape from economic chaos.

Catastrophe is the only powerful force that can shift human's mentality. Change it will be, but only when human beings are hit with a natural disaster. Strange and devastating weather patterns are showing. Flooding in deserts were something that were unheard of for centuries. Villages were washed away by rivers. Houses eroded by waves. Coastlines disappeared from the map. All these phenomenas that are becoming more frequent. They are getting to the tipping point. The point of total chaos. The point of no return. Of widespread famine, of worldwide diseases, of total anarchy, of riots and wars, of drought and flooding, of hurricanes and tornadoes...need I go on?

The war in Acheh was mended by Tsunami. Earthquakes brought nations together. We have seen natural catastrophe changing human mentality. Humans will only change when they are faced with natural disaster.

That is my vision.

Do we have to wait for a catastrophe?

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Death Notice

Something very disturbing really happened in Kiasuland. Let me reproduce it in total here:


Right in front of my house, a death notice has been stuck to a lovely mempat tree, Cratoxylum formosum. The tree has been given 7 days notice (from 20.07.07), after which it will become firewood. There is a hotline for people to phone in to get the reason for the death sentence. Have you ever try phoning a hotline? - press 1, 2, 3...

After three day I finally got a response. The reason for chopping the tree? The leaves are falling into the nearby house and the maid has to sweep them daily.

I also found out that this may be the wrong tree? Carrying out a sentence on the wrong person - I mean tree. Sounds familiar?

Now if every tree will be chopped down just because the leaves litter someone or other's garden, we would end up with thousands and thousands of plastic tree where the leaves will not shed.

What can I do? The deadline is getting near - 27th July 2007...

YC


I was comtemplating to go to Kiasuland one of this day. (BTW, I am from the northern state of Bolehland). Then I would opened my car's windows. Then would let the leaves dropped into my car. Then I would write a letter to have all of Kiasuland's trees chopped down because I have to sweep the leaves in my car! Ha ha ha! Imagine all of Kiasuland becoming "botak" he he he.... (pun intended!)

Luckily, a turnaround decision was made before the dateline. Read below:


Our grateful thanks to the enlightened NParks officers who read e-mails. Members of the public may be unreasonable in their demands. But NParks officer should not be cowed or bullied by unreasonable members of the public. The fact that wayside trees litter homes with their leaves is no reason to chop down trees, not even if the leaves find their way into swimming pools.
YC


Well, if the tree bears fruits, I think it will be of different story. That is the selfish nature of human everywhere - in Kiasuland as well as in Bolehland!

To learn more about YC, goto http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Condolence to my sister Ang Sar Nah

Dear Kiasuland,

I was saddened to hear the news about the death of my sister Ang Sar Nah. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time. Although Ang Sar Nah stayed so far apart from me (Penang), I always love her with all my heart. She seemed to be quite a character from Tham Chen Munn’s description. I remember some years ago she was very famous in Kiasuland… oh not in porno or any scandals. She appeared all over the papers about whether to axe her or not to axe. I was glad she was spared then. But now, your Kiasuland has some really kiasu fellas who took action so that my sister Ang Sar Nah had to scarify herself in order for some reckless drivers to continue living dangerously.

Ang Sar Nah has a twin sister called Ang Sa Na in Penang. She was in a deplorable state. She was beaten. Raped. Burnt. Incapacitated. Cut. Humiliated. And left to die. She is now recuperating from the nightmare and wound at Taman Awam Metropolitan Park, Relau, Penang.

Name : Ang Sa Na (Female)
Address : Taman Awam Metropolitan Relau, Penang
Family : Leguminosae
Common name : Angsana, Burmese Rosewood.

Scientific name : Pterocarpus indicus

Origin : Malesia


Remember that "Those who live in the hearts of others never die."

Ang Fo Rest
Brother.

More story :
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,136046-1184709540,00.html?

Are Seashells Your Souvenirs?

Did you see the program “Kembara Khatulistiwa” at RTM 1 at 6.05pm on 17th July 2007? Interesting travel program on a home stay at Bagan Datoh, Perak. The program showed about the beach at Sungai Tiang. A vast beach and the many colorful seashells found there. I was shocked to see the hostess collecting them as souvenirs and mentioning it as to encourage viewers to collect them!

If you have been to Koh Adang, (Satun, Thailand) you would have seen a huge colony of happy hermit crabs canvassing on the beach at night. It was an interesting learning experience for some of us to watch the hermit crabs changing shells, from the smaller to a bigger “home”. (I regretted not taking pictures to prove it). That was a sanctuary for hermit crabs. They were so advance in conservation and at least 10 years ahead as compared with our Bolehland. We are only good for showing off to the world for sending people to space, climbing Everest and conquering the poles!

The shells of hermit crabs are actually temporary homes. Each hermit crab shifted when it gets bigger as its “home” could not accommodate its size anymore. It just find another new shell and shifted to a bigger one.

What happen when there is no shell to shift?

The pictures below showed the consequences when human started to collect seashells as souvenirs.

Conclusion:

Would you want your house to be collected by some giants as souvenir? Perhaps you have to shift to a big drum or even the rubbish dump as a new home! Would you?

Pictures sourced from:

http://www.calacademy.org/science_now/images/hermitcrab2.jpg
http://www.caymanwildlife.org/images/pressimages/w-HermitCrabinPVC.jpg

Monday, July 16, 2007

Bolehland : Manufacturer of Star Wars' characters

In 1996, Dolly (July 5, 1996 – February 14, 2003) the sheep was born. Eight years later she was euthanized because of a degenerative lung condition. According to some experts, Dolly may have been susceptible to premature aging.

In 2003, Texas A&M ended its four-year, $4 million effort with Genetic Savings and Clone of California to clone a dog. A dog proved too hard to clone, so A&M created cc instead. Lisa Archer, animal activist (spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth) said the potential rewards of cloning don't justify its risks. "Animal cloning has resulted in a lot of issues with deaths and deformities that have been the norm, not the exception". A study by A&M, released in 2002 documented a 94 percent failure rate in efforts to clone pigs. Twenty-eight piglets were born without an anus and tail, a fatal condition. (Source: http://www.theeagle.com/stories/062705/am_20050627004.php)

In Malaysia
It was reported that my Bolehland is launching a $9 million (RM31 Mil) project to try to clone some of its threatened leatherback turtles in a last-ditch bid to save them from extinction.

Cloning animals involves taking the nuclei of cells from adults and fusing them into other egg cells that are implanted into a surrogate mother.

We know that the successful rate of cloning is only 6% with high failure rate of maimed and deformed animals. Imagine the failure rate of cloning an easy domesticated species like the pigs were proven unsuccessful and yet Bolehland wanted to prove to the world we can do it with Leatherbacks!!

The money that is going to be spent should be used to carry out other conservation work that could help in the leatherback population.

I can predict that someone will be a millionaire. I can predict many unnecessary Green turtles (the initial guineapigs) and later Leatherbacks will be sacrified. I can predict more taxpayers' fund will be lost. What a waste!

Perhaps we have other plan. A plan that can make Bolehland the greatest manufacturer of Star Wars' characters in 2020. Never mind about the consequences.

Tarfful, Daultay Dofine, Tsui Choi, Roron Corobb, Kai Hudorra, Plo Koon, Pablo-Jill, Even Piell, Yarael Poof, Oppo Rancisis and Coleman Trebor were some of the Star Wars' characters that will be a reality in 2020! Malaysia Boleh!

"Let nature takes its course".


References:
http://www.enn.com/sci.html?id=953
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_the_sheep

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Answer The Call

The world is dying.
Have you answer the call?
For a start you should goto http://www.liveearth.org/ to check your carbon footprint on earth.

My ECP score is a miserable 333
My carbon output is 13.4 tons per year!
What is yours?
Lets answer the call.


Login to http://www.liveearth.org/ and click on WHAT'S YOUR LIVE IMPACT? to calculate your carbon output! The server could be quite slow as everybody around the world is checking.


Go, go, go and contribute to Mother Earth!

Saturday, July 07, 2007

SOS - Live Earth on 07.07.07

Today - 07.07.07 is the day for The Concerts For A Climate in Crisis.

Live Earth will use the global reach of music to engage people on a mass scale to combat our climate crisis. Lets do something today and everyday until our last breath!

Live Earth’s 7-point pledge on the climate crisis as posted at http://www.liveearth.org/
I pledge, you pledge, we all pledge, we all win

::The international 7-Point Pledge to solve the climate crisis::

• To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

• To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become “carbon neutral;”

• To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

• To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

• To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

• To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,

• To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

:::::::::Let's do it!:::::::::

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Bullshit Ecotourism

In Bolehland the concept of ecotourism is building luxury walkway every few years.
This has been proven in our National Park at Kuala Tahan, Pahang.

They talked about building structures that blend with the environment - Bullshit!
They talked about sustainable ecotourism whereby natural environment will not be decimated - Bullshit!

This is the partial summarized definition of ecotourism:
Ideally, true ecotourism should satisfy several criteria including affordability and lack of waste in the form of luxury. The concept of ecotourism is widely misunderstood and, in practice, is often simply used as a marketing tool to promote tourism that is related to nature. Critics claim that ecotourism as practiced and abused often consists of placing a hotel in a splendid landscape, to the detriment of the ecosystem. According to them, ecotourism must above all sensitize people with the beauty and the fragility of nature. They condemn some operators as "green-washing" their operations — that is, using the label of "ecotourism" and "green-friendly", while behaving in environmentally irresponsible ways. (http://www.answers.com/topic/ecotourism?cat=technology)


Before 2000, there was no luxury walkway to Bukit Teresek. We were very happy. We enjoyed the natural trail. We have no problem. We didn't ask for a walking platform.

Then they started to build wooden steps. They said the wood blend with the environment and so they were eco-friendly. But they didn't know that the wood used could be harvested from some illegal logging of virgin jungles. We have no say, so they built.

Within months, fallen big trees damaged part of the wooden steps. Then termites. Then wood decay. That was between 2002 and 2005.

Now, they rebuilt it with PLASTICS! Yes, they were plastics. I don't know about the initial understand of the concept of using wood (before) versus the use of plastics (now)! Have they forgotten their very own reason for using wood?

I have all the while do not agree about the use of wood as they have been proven unsustainable and a wastage of natural resources. But with plastics...this is hypocrisy!

BEFORE : 2004 - Trail to Bkt Teresek. The wooden steps showing signs of "fatigue".




BEFORE : 2004. The wooden platform - unnecessary elevated platform.


NOW 2007 - Wooden platform missing and replaced with plastic steps. No metal used. The silts made of concrete. The plastics beams resembled galvanised iron. How long can they last?


The plastic steps. Is there a neccessity to build a luxury walkway in this part of the trail?


The left is the natural trail and the right is the artificial trail.


And do you know that hikers prefer the natural trail than the luxury trail!

This luxury trail serves no purpose but a wastage of resources. A wastage of taxpayers' money. The destruction of natural environment. A mockery of the concept of ecotourism. But a bonus for someone's pocket! That's the beauty of Bolehland! Everything also CAN!