HAZE 2008
 

The annual event of the year is back! All Malaysians are participating in it! Suffering from parch throat and congested sinus. This morning is bad! Instead of being greeted with air (smell-less and clear), the air smell sulphuric and what else, Hazy.

Yesterday on the way to South saw in Penang and Perak State indiscriminate burning all along the highway. On the way down in the morning and same fire is burning when I drove pass in the evening. Where is the Jabatan Alam Sekitar (Department of Environment)? Theses people are blatantly flaunting the law!

Hope you don't mind. Just venting my frustration. Please tell your friends not to set fire to rubbish. Maybe good time to kick smoking.

Also, all those who are interest in exploring the jungles for Neps. Please refrain from going to Southern Perak. Do avoid venturing into that area- From Tapah to Tg Malim I'll say. The Chikungunya virus is active there. Two of my friends are already down. They are two of many who are infected. These two are strong people, ran up Cameron Highlands in 3half hours (I took seven half). The virus rendered they week for nearly a month already.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

What is Chikungunya virus ? I haven't heard of this one.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

http://www.searo.who.int/en/Section10/Section2246.htm

First there was Nipah Virus, now this... thank goodness you'll only get it once and immune to it and unless you develop a secondary infection or weak, yo'll survive... but not without a painful experience.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Be expecting new virus and bacteria varieties. This will be side - effect of the changing enivoroment and increased population. Pollution seem help in developing new varieties. There nasty little virus are appearing in Australia, one deadly to horses and can jump to humans and , thankfully, rare rabies like virus in the fruit bats.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

It's sad to hear all these knowing that the path our planet is moving too ain't bright.

I thought people and authorities will be more consious after the peat fire in Putrajaya last week where the firemen took 1-2 weeks to put out the fire. They caught the culprit who did the open burning. It was all over the newspapers and yet... (for those overseas, open burning was ban by the Malaysian government a couple of years back).

Yaa, talk about the haze. My block nose is acting up again and I can't get enough sleep at night.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Interesting thing about fire. Many parts of Australia do need a good bushfire as part it natural cycle. Many of the really bad fires have occur because leaf littler had built up. Because of the dry climate, thing don't really rot down.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Sometimes one cannot blame the slash and burn farmers particularly in Indonesia. They have no other means to provide for themselves except to burn. An excavator can feed teh village for months!

Australian bush needs fire to rejuvenate. That is the natural cycle. Keep the undergrowth clear and activating seeds. In the tropics, there is no need for this kind of burning. We have the fungi and beetles to breakdown vegetative matter.

One funny thing I observed about the Olympic opening. Days before they emphasised on keeping the air clean. The irony is, during the opening ceremony, days of saving up credits is "burn up" in a matter of hours.

Our planet... heading for definate doom unless some eco-warrior rise to fight the decline. Sometimes I wish Captain Plantet and the Planeteers are real. :tongue:

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Life will go on. The question is: do we?

Re: HAZE 2008
 

I guess whichever species that can adapt and evolve to the changing environment will suvive.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Spot on! Now I wonder how humans will fare? A day without electricity or water supply will render us pretty helpless. Humans are most fragile. OOps!!! I stand corrected: carnivorous plants will perish first without water. :biggrin:

Earth will be a thing of the past as foretold.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

That sure is deppressing. I suppose I am lucky. The air quality here is not that bad.

Humans are adaptable. I think we will find a way to survive. What worrries me is all the undiscovered species that could die off before we even discover them.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

If the species are unknown to humans, we won't ever know if the exist once they are extinct. Ironic isn't it.

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99% of all species are extinct. Only fittest go on. Just hope we part of that group. Along with ****roaches and rats.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

How nice, we're now associated vermins (roaches and rats). Actually, wonder how Australia will fare? It is a drying continent. Checked http://www.melbournewater.com.au While islands like Tonga sinks.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Ironic? My point is that these species that have yet to be discovered could yield much understanding of the science and history of our planet.

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Marigold, You're right. Much of these flora and fauna will definitely add to our knowledge base which will enrich humans. Sad to say, much of them are going extinct before they're ever discovered much less investigated. Righto Marigold, I fully agree with you. The choice is in our hands, we have the ability to do good and/or evil. For now we contribute by the 3 "R"s- Reduce Reuse and Recycle.

What I like about this forum is there is a underlying tone to discourage harvesting of wild CPs. Much less to say, over harvesting contributes to extinction in the wild faster than global warming.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

They say effect on Australia is less rain, increase temperature. Also more sever storms (storms are nature way of transfering heat.) I think the remaining rainforests and Alpine regions are under most threat.
Having saying this, I do know Australia has surived 1,000 year drought in last 50, 000 years. Most likely occured between the first and second wave of Aboriginal migiraiting to Australia.
Australia has had a harsh climate for a least 40, 000 years when the megafauna begun die out.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

I agree Bactrus. It's forums like these that will eventually stop enthusiasts from wild collecting.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Khoas, do you know how quickly scientists think this will happen?

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Khoas, think in the next 20 years we'll see the most significant change see that the North West Passage is now open to shipping. Artic sea ice is almost gone! Hmmm... wonder if there is any cp in the steppes or tundra?

Re: HAZE 2008
 

What is of concern is the time line present only a few years ago is out of date. Things which were said to occur in 20 years time are occuring now. Personally I worry about the Anartice (Bad spelling) Ice shelf, if that melts we all will be swimming. Then again frozen Drosera species might appear.
Other thing is the potential collaspe of the Gulf stream due to changes in salenity. If this happen gobal warming will become gobal freezing.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Yeah I saw the movie 'The Day After Tommorrow'. :mellow: I think the truth is that we really don't know what will happen. :sad: There are just too many variables. I guess all we can do is to try to limit our effect on the ecosystem and expect anything.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Woe Woe Woe to all mankind. Suggest we wisen our energy consumption, maybe we can still make a difference.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Watch a story on 60 minutes last night. While the predications are dire, there was some interesting facts. One fact is that it was warmer by 2 to 3 degrees in the middle age (around year 1000 ) before the mini ice age occur around the 17th and 18th century.
The other couple of facts is that it is the average world temperature has not increased since 2001 in spite a 5% increase in CO2 in the same period. Another fact is a predited 'hot spot' on the equator is not there.
What does this means? maybe CO2 is not main reason for gobal warming. While the story didn't go into possible other reasons, here few I can think off. Solar output has increased slightly, methane and other greenhouse gas have more influnce than previous thought. On more local scale, the covering the ground by concrete and removal of vegetation will increase average temperature.

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Will definately lower ground water level. Bottom line, just reduce consumption. Think before acting. Am evaluating whether to install a solar system on my new place. Wonder how much energy is needed to product a panel and whether one will have energy surplus at the end of the panel's life.

On a lighter note, stop eating beans = less farting :wub: = less methane and suffocation!!! :biggrin:

Re: HAZE 2008
 

Haha It's good that our thoughts about the environment don't always have to be so negative.

Or, even better, we could just grow more plants :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: (more oxygen for our brains to use thinking about nepenthes:laugh:)