Coal Plant issue : Sabah Government Must Decide : Green SURF

The war has been on going for the past years.

It is between the Sabah state government and a coalition of non-governmental organisations calling themselves Green Surf.

The topic : Should we or shouldn't we build a coal-powered electrical plant in Tungku, Lahad Datu, east coast of Sabah to improve the electricity supply in Sabah.

The plan to build the more than 1 billion ringgit 300 Megawatt coal-plant in Tungku, has received tremendous and strong objections by Green Surf who fires salvo after salvo of artilleries, to stop that project.

The recent salvo by Green Surf is here as issued by Green Surf.

KOTA KINABALU (25th October 2010): A coalition of non-governmental organisations here wants the Government to take a stand on the status of a proposed coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu.

The request from Green SURF (Sabah Unite to Re-Power the Future) comes two months after the federal Department of Environment (DOE) rejected the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment report for the 300 megawatt project.

Green SURF’s Mr Wong Tack said the coalition was still waiting for a decision on whether the project will continue.

“We would like to know the stand of the authorities, in particular the Sabah Government. Green SURF wrote to the Sabah Government over three weeks ago, but we have yet to get feedback.

“We hope the State Government will take a stand based on the importance of the east coast of Sabah as a marine habitat. A huge amount is now being invested for activities in these areas, including through the national Budget for 2011,” he said in a statement issued by Green SURF.

Wong said there was too much anxiety at present over the proposed plant, especially among members of the public who have been in touch with the coalition.

“The public is asking for the State to focus on developing energy from renewable and green sources,” Wong said.

He said the power shortage problem in Sabah was still serious, and that too much time has been wasted on plans for a controversial coal plant, which has seen proposed sites shifting three times.

Wong said a recent speech made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the need to make a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy as a way to create a firm foundation for a greener economy was in line with calls made by Green SURF.

Wong said the Renewable Energy Policy and Action Plan, and a dedicated statutory body called the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA Malaysia), must swing into work quickly.

He said the construction of a 300 megawatt Combined-Cycle Gas Power Plant in Kimanis as announced in the recent Budget must be expedited to increase electricity generation to meet rising demand.

The Budget also listed pioneer status and investment tax allowance for the generation of electricity from renewable sources and energy efficiency activities to be extended until Dec 31, 2015 and the implementation of a feed in tariff mechanism under the Renewable Energy Act to allow electricity generated by individuals and independent providers to be sold to electricity utility companies.

“This is not the time to just talk, but to do something. We are glad that better feed in tariffs are being considered for implementation. Such initiatives are needed for investors to take up renewable energy projects.

“The Government has to make it attractive for the private sector to play a role in developing green energy,” Wong said.

Green SURF comprises the Sabah Environmental Protection Association (SEPA) of which Wong is president, Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP), WWF-Malaysia, Partners of Community Organisations (PACOS) and the Malaysian Nature Society (Sabah branch).

Its Hot yet its Cold..!! Global warming???

Global warming and Green House effect?

Could that be the reasons for the extreme weather conditions that are now creating havoc in the northern and southern hemisphere?

In the northern hemisphere continents such as USA, Canada and Europe – the weather is extremely cold.

In contrast, it is now terribly hot in the southern hemisphere, for instance Australia….

In the US, at least 23 deaths were reported as a result of a destructive winter storm and the extreme cold, with temperatures dropping to record lows in parts from Minnesota to Vermont.

Some places recorded temperature as low as minus 48 degree Fahrenheit (minus 44 Celsius)...!!!

A glaze of ice and snow caused widespread power failures from the southern and central United States to the East Coast.

Authorities said it could be a week before some communities have electricity again.

Air travelers hunkered down as airports in much of the central and eastern
United States announced flight cancellations or delays.

Tree limbs encased in ice tumbled onto roads and crashed onto power lines
in hard-hit Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma on Tuesday and overnight.

In Arkansas -- where ice was 3 inches (nearly 8 centimeters) thick in some places, people huddled next to portable heaters and wood-burning fires as utilities warned electricity may be out for a week or more.

Northwest Arkansas has been hit hard, all schools and universities were closed throughout state.
In Michigan, a man found in the snow Monday became the eighth person in 9 days to be found dead in that state.

Thomas Pauli, 52, was discovered at an auto salvage business in Grand Rapids.

In Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, more than 300,000 homes and businesses were in the dark as ice and snow coated parts of the states.

In Arkansas, about 300,000 customers lacked power Wednesday morning.

At least 470,000 were in the dark in Kentucky.

That’s pretty cold right.

However in the southern hemisphere, it is totally the opposite.

Australia for instance recorded the highest temperature in a century, up to 43 degree Celsius...!!

Among the most badly affected were the world top tennis players currently taking part in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year – The 2009 Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

Serena Williams of the US may have escaped the extreme cold in her country, but she was caught in the sweltering heat in Melbourne.

Serena - a 3 time Australian Open champion and chasing her 10th Grand Slam singles titles, nonetheless reached the final after beating, Elena Dementieva, 6-3, 6-4 today.

In the final, Serena will face Russia’s Dinara Safina who beat another Russian, Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 7-6 in the other semi final.

Despite her fine run so far, Serena, like many other players, complained about the extreme heat – which is bad for any outdoor sports.

"Before they closed the roof I was having an out-of-body experience, it was so hot. I felt I was watching someone play in a blue dress, and it wasn't me, because it was so hot out there." She said after beating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter final.

“Yeah, absolutely. It was really, really hot today. And, uhmmm, it was really hot today.” She bemoans again after beating Dementieva in the semi final.

A beaten Elena Dementieva gives thanks for the Rod Laver Arena roof as temperatures soar past 40C in Melbourne. “We couldn't survive outside in this temperature."

"It was hot for everyone, you know. They were ready to die, not to survive a day like that." Dementieva expresses her sympathy for the moths which plagued the exposed Rod Laver Arena

"If you tell me now, I will go to the fridge. I will put myself in for few days." Spain’s 15th seed player Fernando Verdasco plans a new way to cope with the Melbourne heat.

Ok, hot or cold – I wish Roger Federer or Fedex good luck…

Please win your 4th Australian Open Titles and 14 Grand Slam singles titles overall – to equal Pete Sampras record......

Federer advanced to the final of the 2009 Australian Open with a straight sets win over Andy Roddick 6-2 7-5 7-5.

Go Federer Go… I hate Nadal…..!!!!!!!!! sorry Nadal fans out there... no hard feelings...