Earth Matters

The Malayan sun bear, the world's smallest bear species, is classified as 'vulnerable' to extinction on the IUCN red list. We find out more about the Malayan Sun Bear from Wong Siew Te of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Kenny Peavy of the Environmental Education Alliance of South East Asia, who are also behind the Rockin' 4 the Environment: Sun Bear Rock, an event which hopes to raise...

We find out more about the aims and work of MareCet, Malaysia's first home-grown NGO that's focussed on the research and conservation of marine mammals, from marine biologists Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam and Fairul Izmal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in 2009, the UK Met Office Hadley Centre released the interactive Four Degrees Celsius map, to illustrate the potentially catastrophic effects of a global temperature rise of 4 Degrees Celcius to the world. We discuss both this and the most recent map released - which focuses on the effects on South East Asia in particular - with John Pearson, the Head of the Regional Climate Change Network,...

The Orang Asal of Malaysia are increasingly facing threats of extinguishment of their native customary rights (NCR) over their land and are being relocated against their will and often without being paid any compensation. We find out more about what their native rights entail and the issues they are currently facing from Lim Teck Wyn, an environmentalist and Technical Director at Resource Stewards...

The Malaysian Nature Society's (MNS) Raptor Watch happens on the 10th and 11th of March, and we find out more about the activities in store at Tanjung Tuan this year from Suzanna Shamsuddin, MNS's Public Relations Executive. Musicians Zack Yusof of Free Deserters and Ray Cheong also speak about their performances at the GREENaid concert, the grand finale of this year's Raptor Watch weekend celebra...

Organised by the Malaysian Nature Society, Raptor Watch is a festival to celebrate the return of the migratory birds of prey, better known as raptors, on their journey back to their breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere. We find out more about this public event meant to raise awareness on the conservation of raptors and their habitats and also about the importance of birdwatching and bird co...

Today, only about 500 Malayan Tigers, which are found only in the Malay Peninsula, are believed to remain. Wong Pui May, Communications Officer at the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT), tells us about the alliance's work in tiger conservation and also about the implementation of the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan (NTCAP) for Malaysia, a roadmap detailing the direction and...

Environmentalist Lim Teck Wyn, who is also the Technical Director at Resource Stewardship Consultants Sdn Bhd (RESCU), has been working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and has evaluated several Malaysian species that are being lost. Find out also about the significance of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and how it helps in species conservation. See omnystudi...

It's the most abundant resource in the world, and yet recent press reports mentioned four districts in Selangor were facing water shortage issues just before Chinese New Year this year. Is Selangor facing a water crisis? Former environmental consultant James Tansen Cherian gives us an in-depth look at the real situation facing the supply, distribution, consumption and management of water in Selang...

Permaculture is the match maker, creating passionate love affairs between rain and plants, humans and animals, and ultimately achieving systems that produce enough natural resources to provide for their own maintenance and reproduction. We talk to Giovanni Yahya, the CEO of Murujan Permaculture Design about how sustainable living can save the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Helping us forge a more greener holiday path and Christmas celebration is Andrew Sebastian, Head of Communications with the Malaysian Nature Society. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prices of organic vegetables too much for you? Learn how to grow your own from Yahqappu Adaikkalam, a former restauranteur turned farmer, who picked up farming tips from books and the Internet and started a 1.5 acre organic farm in Batu Arang, Selangor. You can read more about him here: http://yahqappu.blogspot.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Find out why the Coral Triangle is called the underwater equivalent of the Amazon, and why, like the Amazon, the Coral Triangle is under grave threat. Representatives from the World Wildlife Fund, Gangaram Pursumal, (Manager, Peninsular Malaysia Seas Programme, WWF-Malaysia) and Paolo Mangahas (Communications Manager, Coral Triangle Programme, WWF) also talk about the MyCoralTriangle regional camp...

We find out more about the botany of the wild orchids in Peninsula Malaysia, and related issues of conservation and research, from Ong Poh Teck, a research officer with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia's Flora Biodiversity Programme. He is also the co-author of the book " Wild Orchids of Peninsula Malaysia " which is a comprehensive, richly illustrated book showcasing the biology, ecology...

James T. Cherian, a former Environmental Consultant and an advocate for water and forest conservation, discusses why water conservation is essential even in a country blessed with abundant  rainfall. James also discusses the need to implement Water Demand Management in Malaysia, a system which advocates efficient use of water in order to maintain vital environmental flows and to reduce depend...

We find out more about the Stratospheric ozone: Halogen Impacts in a Varying Atmosphere or SHIVA project, from Dato' Professor Dr. Azizan Abu Samah and Dr. Mohammed Rizman Bin Idid, both of the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES) University of Malaya. SHIVA is the IOES of University of Malaya's international collaboration with 11 European universities and institutions to reduce uncertaint...

The Festival of Wings is held every year to mark the annual migration of birds, who cross seas and continents in search of warmer climates, from their wintry homes. Organised by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP), we are joined by MNS's Head of Communications, Andrew Sebastian, who talks about the significance of this annual journey, and what we can expect fro...

Not a new-fangled notion as many assume, organic farming has been around for centuries, and is making a comeback these days. Anthony Tan and Tan Siew Luang, the Centre for Environment, Technology & Development Malaysia (CETDEM)'s Executive Director and Organic Farming Project Coordinator respectively, discuss the simplicity of organic farming, and how it promotes sustainable living in urban co...

Dr. Luis Santamaria, ecologist and head of the Laboratory of Spatial Ecology at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies in Spain is on our shores to give a talk and in our studios to offer some insight into how we can conserve our tropical forests, especially with the advent of modern development and its knack of fragmenting forests. Based on research and findings from the Amazonian fores...

Marine biologist Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya, discusses cetaceans - whales, dolphins and porpoises. Among other things, she speaks of the work she is doing through the Langkawi Dolphin Research Project, while helping us understand the importance of studying these creatures, and how their wellbeing, or lack the...

We learn about guerrilla gardening, a worldwide movement of cultivating plants on public or abandoned land - without permission - from london-based Richard Reynolds, himself a guerrilla gardener and self-appointed publicist for the movement. Learn how to regenerate your neighbourhood from the grassroots up. Literally. www.guerrillagardening.org See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water recently launched the Sustainability Achieved via Energy Efficiency or SAVE programme, which Zaini Abdul Wahab, Head of Entry Point Project 9 (EPP9): Energy Efficiency under the Economic Transformation Plan from the Ministry, joins us to shed light on. He also speaks about the need to be more energy efficient and SAVE's first initiative, which is...

Biswajit Fahroun Guha Thakurta, the Director of Zoology at the Singapore Zoo, shares his experiences from working at the Singapore Zoo for over 20 years now. He also gives his views on the role of zoos in today's context, highlighting its shift from mere entertainment spots to centers working towards wildlife conservation and preservation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Dato' Dr. Azizan Bin Haji Abu Samah, an atmospheric scientist and Head of the Malaysian Antarctic Research Programme (MARP) explains the rationale behind the implementation of the MARP, while discussing the rapid warming in the Polar regions and its implications to the Pacific region. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.