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Project Team: Alberto Cumerlato, Aleksander Wadas, Alexander Codda, Alexander Ejsing, Alexandra Gustafsson, Alina Tamosiunaite, Armor Gutierrez, Anders Hjortnæs, Andreas Klok Pedersen, Annette Jensen, Ariel Wallner, Ask Andersen, Balaj IIulian, Blake Smith, Borko Nikolic, Brygida Zawadzka, Buster Christensen, Chris Falla, Chris Zhongtian Yuan, Daniel Selensky, Dennis Rasmussen, Espen Vik, Finn Nørkjær, Franck Fdida, Gonzalo Castro, Gül Ertekin, George Abraham, Helen Chen, Henrick Poulsen, Henrik Rømer Kania, Horia Spirescu, Jakob Ohm Laursen, Jelena Vucic, Jeppe Ecklon, Ji-young Yoon, Jing Xu, Joanna Jakubowska, Johanna Nenander, Kamilla Heskje, Katarzyna Siedlecka, Krzysztof Marciszewski, Laura Wätte, Liang Wang, Lise Jessen, Long Zuo, Maciej Zawadzki, Mads Enggaard Stidsen, Marcelina Kolasinska, Marcos Bano, Maren Allen, Mathias Bank, Matti Nørgaard, Michael Andersen, Narisara Ladawal Schröder, Niklas A. Rasch, Nynne Madsen, Øssur Nolsø, Pero Vukovic, Richard Howis, Ryohei Koike, Se Hyeon Kim, Simon Masson, Sunming Lee, Toni Mateu, Xing Xiong, Zoltan David Kalaszi, Tore Banke, Yehezkiel Wiliardy

Partners In Charge: Bjarke Ingels, David Zahle, Jakob Lange, Brian Yang

Project Leaders: Jesper Boye Andersen, Claus Hermansen, Nanna Gyldholm Møller

Text description provided by the architects. CopenHill, also known as Amager Bakke, opens as a new breed of waste-to-energy plant topped with a ski slope, hiking trail and climbing wall, embodying the notion of hedonistic sustainability while aligning with Copenhagen 's goal of becoming the world's first carbon-neutral city by 2025. CopenHill is a 41,000m2 waste-to-energy plant with an urban recreation center and environmental education hub, turning social infrastructure into an architectural landmark.

CopenHill is conceived as a public infrastructure with intended social side-effects from day one. Replacing the adjacent 50-year old waste-to-energy plant with Amager Ressourcecenter (ARC), CopenHill's new waste incinerating facilities integrate the latest technologies in waste treatment and energy production. Due to its location on the industrial waterfront of Amager, where raw industrial facilities have become the site for extreme sports from wakeboarding to go-kart racing, the new power plant adds skiing, hiking and rock climbing to thrill-seekers' wish lists.

The internal volumes of the power plant are determined by the precise positioning and organization of its machinery in height order, creating an efficient, sloping rooftop fit for a 9,000m2 ski terrain. At the top, experts can glide down the artificial ski slope with the same length as an Olympic half-pipe, test the freestyle park or try the timed slalom course, while beginners and kids practice on the lower slopes. Skiers ascend the park from the platter lift, carpet lifts or glass elevator for a glimpse inside the 24-hour operations of a waste incinerator.

Recreation buffs and visitors reaching the summit of CopenHill will feel the novelty of a mountain in an otherwise-flat country. Non-skiers can enjoy the rooftop bar, cross-fit area, climbing wall or highest viewing plateau in the city before descending the 490m tree-lined hiking and running trail within a lush, mountainous terrain designed by Danish Landscape Architects SLA. Meanwhile, the 10,000m2 green roof addresses the challenging micro-climate of an 85m high park, rewilding a biodiverse landscape while absorbing heat, removing air particulates and minimizing stormwater runoff.

Beneath the slopes, whirring furnaces, steam, and turbines convert 440,000 tons of waste annually into enough clean energy to deliver electricity and district heating for 150,000 homes. The necessities of the power plant to complete this task, from ventilation shafts to air-intakes, help create the varied topography of a mountain; a man-made landscape created in the encounter between the needs from below and the desires from above. Ten floors of administrative space are occupied by the ARC team, including a 600m2 education center for academic tours, workshops and sustainability conferences.

Rather than consider ARC as an isolated architectural object, the building envelope is conceived as an opportunity for the local context while forming a destination and a reflection on the progressive vision of the company. CopenHill's continuous façade comprises 1.2m tall and 3.3m wide aluminum bricks stacked like gigantic bricks overlapping with each other. In-between, glazed windows allow daylight to reach deep inside the facility, while larger openings on the southwest façade illuminate workstations on the administrative floors. On the longest vertical façade, an 85m climbing wall is installed to be the tallest artificial climbing wall in the world for new world records to be broken with views inside the factory. At the bottom of the ski slope, a 600m2 après-ski bar welcomes locals and visitors to wind down once the boots are off. Formerly a piece of infrastructure in an industrial zone, CopenHill becomes the new destination for families, friends and celebration, one that is economically, environmentally and socially profitable.

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CopenHill Energy Plant and Urban Recreation Center / BIG

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Completed in 2019 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Images by Aldo Amoretti, Laurian Ghinitoiu, Rasmus Hjortshoj, Soren Aagaard, Dragoer Luftfoto. CopenHill, also known as Amager Bakke, opens as a new breed of waste-to-energy plant topped with a ski slope, hiking trail and climbing wall,...

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Le Corbusier

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Architecture as a machine could be understood as an assemblage of elements, as constituting different parts that together make up the whole system, as described in the following: ‘To see dwelling as a machine in the manner of Deleuze and Guattari would also be essentially to make the same point as Le Corbusier: it would be an assemblage of elements coming together in a consistency, namely, the boundary of a dwelling. ... The house is something that is made up of a collection of elements which become significant when made into a whole. ...Both these notions of the machine, therefore, imply a form of determinism based on the material, of the machine as a limiting and containing form, which imposes an order and an organisation forced by the coming together of its constituent elements.’7

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RETROFITTING ARCHITECTURE VIA COMPONENT-BASED ANTI-FUNCTIONALIST MACHINES
Thesis, Spring 2014

ADVISOR: Michael Meredith (Princeton University)
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT: Jason Kelly Johnson (Future Cities Lab), Jonathan D. Prevost (Princeton University)

ABSTRACT

Machines have profoundly impacted architectural discourse ever since the dawn of Modernism. Corbusier, Banham and the 'Ecotech' all retain affinities with modernist conception of the machine - it solves problems while affording temporal, economic, and production efficiencies. However, this relentless pursuit of function and optimization often supersedes more fundamental spatial experiences - reducing architecture to a woeful state of utility. Given such a legacy, this thesis zeros in on a distinctly different relationship with machines - Can machines be performative without the conventions of functionality and efficiency?

As Adorno has indicated, once under demands of pure functionality, technology can no longer be experienced - only operated. This thesis will build on the notion of performance not in terms of measurable achievements, but performance predicated on human experience. In the current state of emaciated experience, the true contemporary spirit dwells in the 'Dysfunctional Machine'. Dysfunctional Machines are a series of 1:1 responsive devices that retrofit architectural elements in a manner that is contextual and heuristic. They can be seen as compressions of architectural space, manipulating phenomena in the same way that architecture does - using space, time, sound, light, and materiality to reground architecture's capacity for generating affect, perception, and wonder.

FULL

Machines have shared a long and complex history with architecture. One could argue that architecture's most cherished axiom 'Form follows Function' might otherwise be interpreted as 'Architecture follows Machine'. At the dawn of Modernism, the notion of function served as a key element in architecture's discourse on utilitarian design. Architects appropriated the engineered forms of automobiles, ocean liners, and airplanes as analogies for functionalist design [Fig. 1]. Le Corbusier advocated the use of machine technologies, specifically industrial mass production and modular fabrication techniques to reinvent the housing typology. Modernist architecture strived to function with the same level of efficiency, economy, and utility that was characteristic of the Machine Age.

[Fig. 1 "There do exist standards for the dwelling house. Machinery contains in itself the factor of economy, which makes for standards. The house is a machine for living in." Scans from Towards a New Architecture by Le Corbusier]

In the 1960s, Reyner Banham, reacting against the modernist aestheticization of machine technology, relentlessly embraced mechanical systems as integral components of architectural design. The Environment Bubble [Fig. 2] and a series of experimental pneumatic houses professed a surrender of architectural forms to mechanical systems. Philip Johnson's Glass House is indicative of architecture of this era, the house is little more than a service core set in infinite space. The ever-more-flimsy structure is made habitable by the ever-more-powerful machinery.

[Fig. 2 The Environmental Bubble, illustrated by Francois Dallegret for the article A House is Not a Home by Reyner Banham. "The house it self has been omitted from the drawing, but if mechanical services continue to accumulate at this rate it may be possible to omit the house in fact."]

Banham's ideology had a profound impact on architecture as we entered the global energy crisis. Architects amped up performance efficiencies by using eco-technological machines to produce environmentally friendly architecture [Fig. 3]. The rhetoric of this 'ecotech' approach tends to be overwhelmingly quantitative; buildings are assessed based on the numerical reduction of their energy consumption and assigned performance values - ie. LEED points - to determine their success. Considering machines most representative of our time: the television, the smartphone, and the computer are synonymous with their numerical specifications: 4K, 64-bit, and quad core; it is no coincidence that for the first time in history, the performance of architecture has also become quantifiable.

[Fig. 3 Modernist Architecture is inherently unsustainable because it evolved in the beginning of the era of abundant and cheap fossil fuels. As we enter into the era of the energy crisis, sustainability became a primary concern for 'Crisis Architecture'. An emphasis on the environmental efficiency has stimulated a whole range of technological innovations to reduce consumption: solar shading, double/triple/quadruple-glazed windows, geo-thermal, wind harvesting, intelligent facades, and photovoltaics. Performance of buildings are measured in a quantifiable manner. Collage by Harry Wei]

Despite the difference in approach, Corb, Banham and the 'Ecotech' all retain affinities with modernist conception of the machine - it solves problems while affording temporal, economic, and production efficiencies. However, the pursuit of function has denied all but the most emaciated forms of human experience. Given such a complex legacy, this thesis zeros in on a distinctly different relationship with machines - Can machines be performative without the conventions of functionality and efficiency?

In fact, there has been a lineage of architectural discourse that offered a different interpretation of performance in response to technological changes. From the 50s onwards, architecture was informed by several waves of technophilic thinking - mass culture, cybernetics, systems thinking - eliciting a diverse range of practices in response - Smithsons, Cedric Price, Archigram, Ben Nicholson, Mosquitoes K/K et cetera. [Fig. 4] Most of these projects were highly experimental, excessively gestural, inefficient, and in most cases "failures" - failures in terms of practicality but wonderful success in expanding the conceptual range of 'performance'. Out of which, Cedric Price's Fun Palace [Fig. 5] was perhaps the best example of architecture becoming performative via mechanical applications; not performative in a quantifiable sense, but rather performative through techniques of effects and theater.

[Fig. 5] Cedric Price's Fun Palace and his professed interest in time-based, indeterminate, and anticipatory architectures, quickly assembled and taken apart as necessary. From things like automatons, gadgets that twitch and tweet, and fascinations of a wanderer in the midst of orreries, His work implicates curiosities about unpredictable and incomplete worlds.

This thesis offers a critique of Functionalism's rhetoric of efficiency and practicality. As Adorno has indicated in Minima Moralia, once under demands of pure functionality, technology can no longer be experienced - only operated. This thesis will build on this expanded notion of performance predicated on experience, with the intention of regrounding architecture's capacity for affect, perception, and wonder. In our contemporary age of emaciated experience, the true contemporary spirit dwells in the 'Dysfunctional Machine'.

Dysfunctional Machines are a series of 1:1 responsive devices that hack and graft onto architectural surfaces in a manner that is contextual and heuristic. They can be seen as compressions of architectural space, manipulating phenomena in the same way that architecture does - using space, time, sound, light, and materiality to interact with inhabitants. They are assemblages of components, circuitry, sensors, servomechanisms and linkages that absorb, process and redistribute matter, force and information. The interventions' architectural environments are considered to be always active, responsive of temporal elements. They seek out behaviours of feedback and response, where the interventions and the environment are mutually transformative, creating cyclical relationships.

Dysfunctional Machines do not offer control, predictability, productivity, efficiency, nor promise for the future; they do not respond to a problem nor yield a solution. Rather, Dysfunctional Machines provide an opportunity to generate effects and conditions that are excessive, robust, spontaneous, and performative.

Instruments 1-3 from Harry Wei on Vimeo.

MACHINE 1-3

Machine 1-3 are the first step, the building blocks, or the 'two by fours' of a series of architectural 'retrofits' serving as environmental translator - not scientific instruments - but interpretive tools that can register, display, amplify, spatially mediate, and augment the otherwise imperceptible environment.

instrument 4 from Harry Wei on Vimeo.

MACHINE 4 - Graffiti Screen

This is the forth of a series of architectural 'retrofits' that hacks and grafts onto architectural surfaces. These machines deliberately intensify or perhaps undermine these surfaces of division in a manner that is embedded, contextual, and visual.

Machine 4 borrows the mechanism of a 2-DOF pantograph, it applies clouds of ghostly images using condensation as a medium that is constantly on the verge of depositing and fading. The choreography of the path is central to building the perception that one is being watched. The nature of these curious figures change in response to the inhabitant's pattern of movement and behavior. Its figure, by its nature, becomes a commentary of the building.

Here the window is no long used to frame view or to let light in but has assumed the role of representational surface, a performance screen. Consider glass as a material of disclosure and an instrument of communication.

Instrument 5 from Harry Wei on Vimeo.

MACHINE 5 - Heliopixel

Machine 5 inherits its basic principles from heliostats, it lives on generic curtain walls and windows while actively projects images onto the interior using sunlight. In our contemporary culture that over privileges high-definition imagining, and measures satisfaction in pixels per inch - 4k, retina - Machine 5 is decidedly low-definition. The objective is to weave together atmospheric conditions, and digital technologies within architecture, yet exchange the properties of each other. Thus digital media, normally ephemeral, would become palpable; and the sunlight, normally natural and scaleless, is digitized and transformed into obedient pixels.

Although Machine 5 reconfigures both the form and experience of natural lighting, nothing is actually produced - the 'material' is simply being recycled. The project goal is to elicit a 'technological sublime', parallel to the 'natural sublime'.

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RETROFITTING ARCHITECTURE VIA COMPONENT-BASED ANTI-FUNCTIONALIST MACHINES Thesis, Spring 2014 ADVISOR: Michael Meredith (Princeton University) TECHNICAL CONSULTANT: Jason Kelly Johnson (Future Cities Lab), Jonathan D. Prevost (Princeton University) ABSTRACT Machines have profoundly impacted architectural discourse ever since the dawn of Modernism.

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There is a shortage of affordable housing in Malaysia with only a quarter of houses launched nationwide from 2016 to March last year priced under RM250,000, a news portal reported today.

According to Singapore's Straits Times, as of 2016, there were 7.5 million households against fewer than 5.8 million available homes.

In Kuala Lumpur, the average home price stands at RM773,000 while in Selangor, it hit RM497,000 by the third quarter of 2018. These prices, according to the report, is over 100 percent and 80 percent higher respectively than a decade ago.

Most developers, it noted, had taken the nation's housing shortage as a signal to raise prices.
Rise and fall of property prices
The Financial Stability Review by Bank Negara for the first half of last year reported that "the mismatch between housing demand and supply" is exerting "upward pressure on house prices".

The increase in prices had then led to hundreds of thousands unsold units, including uncompleted projects.

As of end June last year, there were 146,196 unsold units, including uncompleted units that have been launched, with 80 percent of these priced above RM250,000.

However, according to an expert, this will now result in a drop in property prices.

"We expect residential property prices to decline slightly by one to three percent in 2019," RHB property analyst Loong Kok Wen was quoted as saying.

In January, the Pakatan Harapan government launched its National Housing Policy, in hopes of addressing the housing issue.

It held a housing expo last week in which 180 developers offered some 22,000 housing units priced at RM300,000 or less. Developers were asked to offer at least a 10 percent discount, and in return, get an exemption of stamp duties for the homes.

The government also promised to build 100,000 units of affordable homes capped at RM300,000 each every year.

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Report: Malaysia lacks affordable housing

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There is a shortage of affordable housing in Malaysia with only a quarter of houses launched nationwide from 2016 to March last year priced under RM250,000, a news portal reported today. According to Singapore's Straits Times, as of 2016, there were 7.5 million households against fewer than 5.8 million available homes.

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How Bad Is Malaysia's Unaffordable Housing Crisis?

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How Bad Is Malaysia's Unaffordable Housing Crisis?

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By Vigneswar Rajasurian

House prices in Malaysia have spiralled in recent decades, but just how severe is the situation?

It would have been easier to say that Malaysia's unaffordable housing crisis is bad and just end it there. If only it were that simple, but it is not.

Like the relationship status of most teenagers on Facebook, the severity of the unaffordable housing dilemma in Malaysia is perhaps best described in two words - it's complicated.

The facts and figures

Last month, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) official described housing in Malaysia as being "severely unaffordable" in comparison to international standards. Based on the median multiple methodology, a house is considered affordable if the price is not more than three times the annual household income.

Assuming you are married and earning RM5,000 per month as a family, your annual household income is RM 60,000 and a house three times your annual income would be affordable if priced at RM180,000. BNM's official says the maximum affordable house price is only RM 282,000 based on the ratio and median national incomes across the country.

With the majority of new home prices falling just within the limit or above the range of affordability, there is an excess supply of properties in the market. The National Property Information Center (NAPIC) provided various statistics in its report for the first half of 2019 and the gist of the oversupply issue is:

32,810 units of properties are overhang units (overhang units are new and completed properties not sold after 6 months).

43 % of overhang units are condominiums and apartments.

Of the overhang amount, Johor has the highest number of overhang units (18.8%), followed by Kuala Lumpur (14.9%), Perak (17.6%) and Selangor (12.9%).

Bulk of overhang units are priced at RM201,000 to RM300,000 (22.3%) followed by homes at RM300,001 to RM400,000 (17.5%), and homes above RM1 mil (12.8%).

An international predicament

Remember when our parents compared our exam results to others, and we'd try to justify our results by saying the exam was hard and our classmates did badly too. Well before you reach for the 'rotan' in regards to Malaysia's housing report card, take slight comfort in knowing that Malaysia performed similarly to other developing/developed nations.

As can be seen in the chart above, housing affordability is an issue other nations grapple with as well.

One size doesn't fit all

Affordability is subjective and varies from person to person depending on one's income and the value derived from the product. A RM 2 glass of 'kopi tarik' is affordable to all of us, but a RM16 cup of hipster coffee could be overpriced to us yet affordable to more affluent individuals.

Critics argue that to say that Malaysian properties are "severely unaffordable" as a whole would be to paint with a broad brush. In fact, the levels of household income and property prices do vary from state to state.

Nevertheless, the median multiple approach does show that Malaysian homes are unaffordable overall. The severity of the unaffordability however differs in each state due to variations in household incomes and house prices.

Things are already improving

While it isn't all sunshine and rainbows just yet, there's a chance that the worst is behind us as NAPIC's statistics for the 1st half of 2019 show the market is beginning to correct itself :

The percentage of overhang growth has reduced - only at 1.5% for H1 2019 compared to 18.1% for H1 2018 and 41.1% in H1 2017.

The number of new launches is fewer compared to 2018. Only 23,591 units for H2 2019 compared to 46,617 H1 2019.

For buyers, the Malaysian House Price Index is still in decline. A 0.9% change for Q2 2019 compared to a 14.3 % change at Q4 2012.

For real estate agents and developers, the volume of transactions is positive. The volume of transactions (year-on-year) has increased (6.9%) for the first time since 2015.

The statistics above coupled with the various initiatives by the government such as the stamp duty exemption under the Home Ownership Campaign (HOC) begs the question - do we view the proverbial glass as half empty, or half full?

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StarProperty - News : How bad is Malaysia's unaffordable housing crisis?

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By Vigneswar RajasurianHouse prices in Malaysia have spiralled in recent decades, but just how severe is the situation?It would have been easier to say that Malaysia's unaffordable housing crisis is bad and just end it there.

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The world's rubbish bin’ – 17mil kg of rubbish in Jenjarom, reports BBC

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The world's rubbish bin’ – 17mil kg of rubbish in Jenjarom, reports BBC

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PETALING JAYA: "Malaysia has become the world's rubbish bin" - this was a powerful statement made by Greenpeace Malaysia in 2018, when it was reported that the country had taken in 754,000 tonnes of plastic waste from over 19 countries that year.

This reeked of bad news, especially for Jenjarom, a town located in the Kuala Langat District, that is now smothered in 17,000 tonnes (17mil kg) of waste, according to the BBC.

What has been described as illegal plastic recycling factories began cropping up in 2018, all hoping to make a quick profit from the burgeoning plastic recycling industry, worth over RM3bil.

The were soon 33 illegal factories in Kuala Langat, the district Jenjarom is located in. Some sprang up near dense palm oil plantations, whereas others were closer to town, the British broadcaster reported on its portal.

Many residents around the area suffered the direct consequences of the waste dumping, with their health and well-being being affected every day.

"The smell started a while ago, but got really bad around August this year," the BBC quoted resident Daniel Tay as saying.

"I started to feel unwell and I would keep coughing. I was really angry when I found out it was because of these factories."

According to the BBC, many illegal recycling plants choose to dispose of plastic in a "cheaper" way - either burying it or burning it.

Resident Ngoo Kwi Hong said the fumes from the burning became so hazardous that she even coughed up a blood clot.

"I couldn't sleep at night because it was so smelly. I became like a zombie, I was so tired.

"It was only later I found out there were factories surrounding my house - north, south, east, west," Ngoo told the BBC.

Children were also affected, especially those who lived nearest to the factories in Jenjarom.

"He got a really bad rash around his stomach, neck, legs and arms. His skin would keep peeling, even when we touched him, it hurt. I was angry and scared for his health, but what could I do? The smell was everywhere in the air," Belle Tan described the impact of the factories on her 11-year-old.

For a town of 30,000 residents, 17mil kg of rubbish is far from insignificant. According to BBC's report, four out of the 17 million kilograms of rubbish sit on a single piece of land.

"We are trying to identify who is the owner of the land, we are still investigating this," Minister of Housing and Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin told the BBC.

"No one wants it because it is so contaminated," said Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

Zuraida added that the government had initially considered banning plastic altogether, but realised that it had "a lot of business potential for Malaysia".

She maintained that stricter rules will be placed on plastic importers, who would now have to adhere to permits to import plastic waste.

Another problem that persists is the distinction between "waste" and "clean plastic scrap".

According to the BBC, there is no way to identify one or the other, unless someone manually goes through the imported waste.

Yeo said that a proper labelling system would be able to take this distinction into account.

"At the end of the day, what we need is a systemic standardisation for waste," she said.

Otherwise, Jenjarom and the rest of Malaysia will continue being "the world's rubbish bin".

See also: Time to put a tighter lid on plastic waste

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'The world's rubbish bin' - 17mil kg of rubbish in Jenjarom, reports BBC

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PETALING JAYA: "Malaysia has become the world's rubbish bin" - this was a powerful statement made by Greenpeace Malaysia in 2018, when it was reported that the country had taken in 754,000 tonnes of plastic waste from over 19 countries that year.

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Malaysia is overflowing with waste and we're running out of options

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Malaysia is overflowing with waste and we're running out of options

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Since the Sg Kim Kim crisis broke and sickened almost 4,000 people with noxious fumes in Pasir Gudang, Johor, in March, Malaysians seem to have woken up to a new reality about waste.

It's not just the river that runs through the maze of factories in the industrial area that is a dumpsite for tonnes of toxic chemicals; pretty much all of Malaysia has become a dumping ground for all sorts of wastes.

The media is littered with reports of illegal dumping, whether of plastic, chemical or construction waste, e-waste or even plain old rubbish.

One only has to go to illegal landfills in towns like Jengjarom, Kulim and Sg Petani to see the severity of the problem - and pictures of the mounds of trash in these small towns in Selangor and Kedah have made their way to international media.

How did it come to this?

The scandal of plastic waste being dumped by First World nations in Malaysia and other developing countries dramatically grabbed world headlines earlier this year. However, it overshadows the fact that we Malaysians have been dumping our own waste into drains, rivers, empty plots of land, the sea or even other people's backyards for decades - and getting away with it too, according to experts.

Like the pollution that continues to brew in Pasir Gudang, the ill consequences of dumping waste indiscriminately all these years are catching up to us.

This isn't to say that Malaysia lacks laws; we enacted the Environmental Quality Act all the way back in 1974, and it's being amended with heftier penalties of up to RM5mil in some pollution cases. But Malaysians continue to dump indiscriminately. Why?

Cheaper To Dump Than Recycle

An expert in solid and hazardous waste management at Universiti Malaya's Science Faculty, Prof Dr P. Agamuthu, says a combination of reasons leads to dumping.

"Some (types of) wastes are expensive to recycle or there is no technology for recycling it, especially chemical waste. As for construction waste, it is bulky and costly to throw into a landfill and, hence, the easy way (out) is to dump illegally," he says at a recent interview.

Similarly, cost is also one of the reasons why foreign waste has been arriving on our shores in increasing amounts. The Asian Nikkei Review reported that disposing of plastic bottles in China cost around US$200 (RM822) compared with US$500 (RM2,000) in developed economies.

It is simply cheaper to send plastic waste to developing countries than process it within, for example, the United States, according to Prof Agamuthu.

This is why countries like Japan, the United States and Germany, as well as the rest of the European Union, which supposedly have better technology, send plastic waste thousands of kilometres away by ship to be dumped into Third World landfills. (See graphic below, right.)

And then there's the problem of exposing workers in developed countries to health risks from recycling processes - Asian lives have always been cheaper.

Another reason for the dumping is these countries' small market for recycled plastics; by law, recycled plastics cannot be used to manufacture medical equipment or food containers. What's more, oil's current low price means that it's often cheaper to produce virgin plastics than to recycle.

Ultimately, only 9% of the 4.9 billion tonnes of plastic produced since the 1950s has been recycled, according to a study by the University of California, Santa Barbara; 12% has been incinerated.

So while recycling rates are often trumpeted in developed countries, with citizens faithfully sorting their household waste, much of it ends up being dumped cheaply somewhere far away.

Previously, that far away place was usually China, the world's largest importer of waste. But it banned such imports in early 2018, upending the recycling business.

And it is very much a business. According to investigative reports by environmental groups, there are even waste "tourists" - people from developing countries who travel to the West to buy waste, particularly e-waste, that can be stripped of valuable metals.

Then there are those who make money by getting paid to import waste to dispose of in their own countries, including Malaysia. After China stepped out of the business, some 110,000 tonnes of waste reportedly began to be channelled here every month.

"We do not have the capacity to deal with this sudden increase. In Malaysia, recycling is in a low state and additional waste will not be easy to handle," points out Prof Agamuthu.

Waste Management Association chairman Ho De Leong agrees: "Plastic scraps can be highly contaminated with other undesirable waste, which local facilities are ill equipped to handle."

Of course, since recycling or proper disposal in landfills is expensive, these importers then turn around and simply dump waste illegally, leading to Jengjarom, Kulim and Sg Petani-type situations.

No More Room

The thing is, the illegal dumping of waste - whether imported or local - and the toxins emitted during indiscriminate burning aren't our only problems.

Even waste that is correctly disposed of in landfills is becoming an issue now because Malaysia's landfills - the legal, properly managed ones, anyway - are already nearly full, laments Prof Agamuthu.

We simply generate too much waste ourselves, while the imported waste just exacerbates problem.

Ho, whose association has over 200 members, says waste generation in Malaysian has more than doubled in a span of fewer than 15 years. He puts this down to what he calls the "Bata" (buy and throw away, not the shoe brand) culture that has evolved as we grow richer and more developed.

"Recent studies show that 11% of the (38,000 tonnes of) waste generated in Malaysia daily comprises diapers alone. Imagine, more than 4,000 tonnes of diapers generated and thrown away daily!" he says, recalling the less wasteful ways of the previous generation when cloth diapers would be washed and re-used for babies, and drinks came in glass bottles that were collected back by retailers.

"We throw trash out without giving it much thought, so long as it gets collected by the garbage collectors.

"Where does the trash go? Landfills? Malaysia only has a handful of landfills which are classified as sanitary. Less than 15% of the 146 active landfills are sanitary," says Ho.

The rest, he says, are dumpsites with little or no treatment for leachate or the capture and destruction of landfill gas which is 50% methane (a greenhouse gas); they don't even have a soil cover to prevent odour and disease vectors like rats and flies. And these sorts of landfills catch fire due to the methane gas, especially during hot weather, Ho says.

"Many of these dumpsites have been closed and the rest have a remaining lifespan of between three months and three years.

"New landfills are not welcomed by the public due to the Nimby (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome as well as the problems associated with foul odours and flies," says Ho.

It doesn't help matters that tipping, or waste disposal fees, have remained unchanged: they are as low as RM10 for dumpsites and RM40 per tonne at sanitary landfills.

The 'Tidak Apa' Attitude

While the recycling rate across the country has gone up to 24.6% last year from 21.% in 2017, this is still far below world leader Germany where the rate is between 52% and 56%. In fact, a recent YouGov poll showed that Malaysians continue to lap up plastic straws: one in five respondents used at least one daily and one in 10 admitted to using straws several times a day.

But increasing the recycling rate isn't enough. The country, stresses Ho, urgently needs proper waste treatment facilities and infrastructure.

Infrastructure would include everything from the collection of waste from bins to collection vehicles or compactors, transfer stations, material recovery facilities or recycling plants, composting plants, anaerobic digestors, waste-to-energy plants and sanitary landfills," he says.

Waste management infrastructure and its maintenance, he says, is just as important as any other basic public amenity and an appropriate budget has to be set aside for it.

"Appropriate policies and regulations must be established to facilitate the development of sound waste management practices," he says, adding that there must be incentives support recycling and it should be sustainable.

Sustainability is key, as Pasir Gudang, where rivers have borne the effects of both dumping and pollution for years, has been finding out.

The waters of Sg Kim Kim, along with those of Sg Rekoh, Sg Tengkorak and Sg Danga nearby, run black, and social media was swamped with pictures of them during the recent wave of pollution in June.

The 360sq km industrial area is so "jam packed" with factories, as water quality expert Dr Zaki Zainudin describes it, that any discharge of chemical effluent, even within legal limits, will add to the pollution that already taints the rivers.

And that hasn't even taken into account the illegal dumping - which Sg Kim Kim is notorious for - that continues and will continue to recur.

Would an Environmental Quality Act beefed up with new amendments deter illegal dumping?

To some extent, replies Dr Zaki.

"But that will not resolve the problem entirely. At the end of the day, a sense of responsibility and environmental awareness is also important.

"You want to enforce, (you) must have people to enforce (but) they cannot be on site 24 hours a day, every day," he points out.

Dr Zaki says it would be difficult for the Department of Environment to monitor all the chemical factories in Pasir Gudang, which a recent count put at 252 chemical factories among the over 2,000 - legal - premises in the district.

"In the long run, as in the developed countries, a sense of environmental awareness is key," he says.

He feels that Malaysians tended to be lackadaisical about cleanliness, particularly if an area or a river is already considered polluted or dirty.

"If the river is already dirty, (there is a) just throw-lah attitude. People don't take care of a dirty river," he says.

Would rehabilitating dirty rivers change this mindset?

Dr Zaki warns rather ominously: "It's very difficult to clean up rivers."

Prof Agamuthu thinks any solution to Malaysia's waste problem must include serious efforts by the government to educate the public about waste separation at source, ie, starting within the kitchen.

"The implementation of provisions under the Solid Waste Act to introduce fines for not separating at source have to be imposed effectively," he adds, admitting however that a lack of incentives is a major hurdle.

Ho says a lack of environmental consciousness coupled with weaknesses in enforcement has led to a "tidak apa" (uncaring) culture among Malaysians when it comes to dumping.

"I believe a myriad factors, from human behaviour to greed and a sheer disregard for Mother Nature, have contributed to the poisoning of our water courses and environment," he says.

Dr Zaki, however, has not given up hope, pointing to the public's reaction to the recent incidents of pollution.

"There's a heightened sense of the environment compared to previously," he says.

But how fast will that awareness lead to a change in our behaviour?

"The nation will become one big dumpsite if we continue with business as usual, ignoring the urgency and importance of sound waste management," warns Ho.

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malaysia is overflowing with waste and we're running out of options

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Malaysia is overflowing with waste and we're running out of options

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Why do Malaysians persist in dumping waste willy-nilly? Does it all come down to dollars and a lack of sense? Legal landfills are filling up, so what do we do with it all - besides dumping it anywhere we want, heedlessly.

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MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN KUALA LUMPUR AND THE KLANG VALLEY REGION

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MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN KUALA LUMPUR AND THE KLANG VALLEY REGION

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Hate can be reformed / reproduced

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Household waste can be reformed to produce energy?

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Social values added by making the infrastructure habitable

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Waste management considered part of CE approach

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waste management infrastructure

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Circular economy can be used in a bigger scale than components

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due to the high demand of infrastructure + effected industrial / commercial infrastructure by pandemic

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Repurposing the abandoned building into residential units

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To add a value on the topic, the thesis might explore the potential of zero energy circular economy building

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this area can be explored with the most common architecture challenges in Malaysia such as affordable housing.

Disassembly and affordability

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Building components can be reused, recycled or repurposed

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Building can be divided into components

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Existed Industrial infrastructure (Recycling centres/Shipment ports) can be transformed and repurposed into habitable infrastructure by circular economy and holistic sustainability, during pandemic situations

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The circular economy approach in a flexible housing project A proposal for affordable housing solution in Malaysia

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The circular economy approach in a flexible housing project A proposal for affordable housing solution in Malaysia

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The Ministry of Ocean Wisdom is a demonstration project concerning a regional environmental strategy addressing 23000 km2 of the Danish Territorial Waters and mainland Jutland Peninsula, with a focus study on the building of the Ministry. The Ministry of Ocean Wisdom is a project showing a model of embracing ocean level rise and consequently taking up life on water. The Ministry has a strategic approach to the foreseeable event of ocean level rise and it operates through a set of components that prepare, protect and provide for the population and the territory under threat of global ocean level rise. These components include habitation, transportation, natural environment, infrastructure, and logistics. Moreover, The Ministry represents and act of education about the ocean and its values: it mediates dialogue between people who part similar hardships and want to share knowledge with compassion and generosity.

I look very closely at the work of Hariton Pushwagner know for his urban and pop art and Heath Robinson, illustrator of comically absurd designs and life situations. Trough their style, they both display repetitions, iterations accompanied by scale variations.

CJ's studio is learning about how the world works. By this, we mean to incorporate critical thinking in all stages of the design development - of course, I'm referring to concept design mostly. Whether this is investigated through the lenses of a Jules Verne novel, a Jonathan Swift essay or an article in The Guardian, we always challenge the premise of the project through contemporary ideological, political, social or environmental issues. We have made it our studio culture to be inquisitive and ask an awful lot of questions so, in this line, the project is revealed - almost collaged - through an energetic dialogue, a wide range of contextual references and by no means least, a bold attitude. As a result of this, we don't end up having overly obsessed discussions about this mirage called "form" and I personally find this quite attractive. Then come the strategy and clarity of representation of the schematic design which ultimately leads to the detailed design.

That's quite funny: at the beginning, we started these drawings in grayscale. I wanted to produce clear images without any colorful distractions. As we worked our way through though, color began to play an important role, as the world of oceans started to be defined by blue and green tones. At this point, it seemed pretty natural to have the rest of the architectural tectonic language displayed in shades of brown - just enough to produce a sense of complementarity. You could also refer to these drawings as sepia drawings in which we balanced blue and green tones.

The format of the images is defined by A0-sized layouts. There is nothing fancy about this, the layout is simple and bold to facilitate clear reading, and to let the details of the drawing stand out as a result of the layout size. Technical environmental, construction and procurement issues together with further design notes are displayed in an A3 booklet called The Design Realisation Report. Link to full technical report: https://issuu.com/victormoldoveanu/docs/mow_dr

I think the issue that is brought up by these drawings is composition: we don't just click the "Render" button and presumably, a "nice" image turns out. Composition means multiple angles carefully arranged, so in this line, "an image" is not "one image". Particular views are set up and arranged to convey the message to the reader and add further technical understanding - "sections are cut" through certain objects, or "skin is peeled off" to show that technical knowledge is there. The complexity of the images is not in the apparent "randomness" but in the provocative and sometimes surprising angles. In terms of workflow, there are numerous Rhino models - never a complete single detailed model - to produce the angles which are then manipulated in Photoshop to extract lines, to add masks, textures and to vary tones. As there is a lot of production to be output, the workflow has to be as efficient as it can get, meaning 1-2 days per drawing. Oh, and then there's the test printing... tens of test prints and adjustments.

A special thank you

CJ Lim + Simon Dickens + Eva Rosborg Aagaard
The Bartlett School of Architecture, London, UK
Matthew Wells
Techniker Structural Engineers, London, UK
Markus Krauss
Transsolar Climate Engineers, Munich, Germany
Jette Birkeskov Mogensen
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Aarhus, Denmark

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The Ministry of Ocean Wisdom_A speculative scenario that relocates human habitat from a land based system to a water based system. - KooZA/rch

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The Ministry of Ocean Wisdom is a demonstration project concerning a regional environmental strategy addressing 23000 km2 of the Danish Territorial Waters and mainland Jutland Peninsula, with a focus study on the building of the Ministry. The Ministry of Ocean Wisdom is a project showing a model of embracing ocean level rise and consequently taking up life on water.

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Abandoned industrial infrastructure can be redeveloped

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Malaysia - Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic On Shipping/ports 

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Malaysia - Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic On Shipping/ports 

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The COVID-19 Pandemic still rages unabated in April 2020, ravaging and affecting lives, businesses, individuals and industries worldwide in many ways that will change the world forever ¹. The International Labour Organization predicts that as many as 25 million jobs worldwide could be wiped out by a worldwide recession brought about by the Pandemic ².

In many countries, governments imposed "lockdown" to restrict the movements of its citizens and to control the rapid spread of the pandemic. The lockdown was implemented throughout the countries in South East Asia countries in stages:

Malaysia: The Malaysia Government announced a national lockdown on Mar 18, 2020, by issuing the Movement of Control Order (Restricted Movement) initially until 31st Mar 2020, but extended to 14th Apr 2020³. Specific exceptions have been given to transportation and some other essential service sectors⁴.

Indonesia: The Indonesia Government on 15th March 2020 formed the National Disaster Relieve Agency (BPNP) and declared National Disaster - Non-Natural situation until 29th May 2020 and request all citizen to work, study and pray from home with all government official work from home effectively⁵.

Singapore: On 3rd April 2020, Singapore announced 'circuit breaking' measures an euphemism for lockdown⁶. Earlier measures implemented included trade measures such as⁷ the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has started temperature screening at all sea checkpoints, including ferry and cruise terminals, PSA terminals and Jurong Port for inbound travellers. It has also taken additional precautionary measures such as prohibiting shore leave for personnel in Chinese ports, mandatory temperature checks, keeping a log of crew movements and restricting staff travel to China, among others⁸.

Thailand: Thailand's lockdown operates until 30 April 2020⁹.

Philippines: President Rodrigo Duterte's lockdown came five weeks after the first case was discovered, and the declaration of a State of Emergency on March 25, bestowed on him extraordinary powers¹⁰.
Cruise Industry
As the Pandemic raged worldwide, the plight of the passengers and crew on board Cruise Ships and the Cruise Industry came into stark focus.

The Cruise Ships, with large numbers of passengers and crew and emphasis on communal dining and group activities, became incubators of the COVID-19 virus and infections on ships like the Diamond Princess with over 600 infections have been described as floating nightmares ¹¹.

The Diamond Princess operated by Princess Cruise Lines departed from Yokohama on 4 February 2020 for a round trip cruise. On 20 January 2020, an 80-year-old passenger from Hong Kong, embarked in Yokohama, and disembarked in Hong Kong on 25 January. On 1 February, six days after leaving the ship, he visited a Hong Kong hospital, where he tested positive for COVID-19.

The ship was due to depart Yokohama for its next cruise on 4 February, but announced a delay the same day to allow Japanese authorities to screen and test passengers and crew still on board. On 4 February, the authorities announced positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 for ten people on board, the cancellation of the cruise, and that the ship was entering quarantine, affecting a total of 3,700 passengers and crew. By late March it was stated that 712 of 3,711 people on the Diamond Princess, or 19.2% had been infected by COVID-19 ¹².

From 15 March 2020, Australia banned cruise ships arriving from foreign ports. However, exemptions were granted to allow four ships, already en route to Australia, to dock and disembark its passengers. On 19 March 2020, the Ruby Princess, which was one of the four ships given the exemption, docked in Sydney, after a cruise to New Zealand. The cruise ship was forced to return to Sydney early after a passenger reported a respiratory problem, but when disembarking passengers were not told that anyone on board presented any symptoms during the voyage.

Many countries in Southeast Asia banned the Cruise Ships from disembarking their passengers for fear of importing the virus through infected passengers and crew ¹³. The Cruise Ships are often registered under Flags of Convenience e.g. Panama, the Bahamas and other countries chosen for their low wages, cheap fees and lenient health and safety regulations, and, more often than not, non existent tax regimes ¹⁴.

At the time of writing there are still cruise ships with passengers and crew infected by COVID-19 seeking safe harbor. These ships often find difficulty to find countries and ports willing to receive them to disembark passengers ¹⁵. Even the disembarking of passengers and crew from the infected vessels could not proceed without problem ¹⁶. Each country can set conditions for entry into their Ports and many have denied entry to these ships seeking safe harbor. Many of the ships disembarked their passengers at Port Everglades, Florida after arduous attempts to call and disembark elsewhere ¹⁷.

These incidents involving Cruise Ships pose the question whether the Cruise Industry can survive or recover from the effects of the Pandemic ¹⁸.
Port Congestion
Many countries have responded to the Pandemic by imposing lockdown or restricted movement. Retailers and manufacturers fail to pick up their cargo and containers because their warehouses are full or closed due to not being deemed essential service providers. Some ports remain open but have reduced workforce which exacerbate the cargo congestion. This causes disruption of the supply chain including movement of essential goods and foodstuffs ¹⁹. The cargo and containers lying uncollected at the ports creating congestion and takes up space and capacity and hinders capacity for incoming cargo and containers ²⁰.

Some Ports have taken the precaution to declare 'force majeure' to pre-empt claims and legal liability ²¹. The closure of Ports and Port congestion have caused disruptions in the supply chain and import and exports.
Supply Chains
The Pandemic has exposed the fragility of the global supply chains and brought into acute focus the shortages of critical medical components needed in the fight against the Pandemic ²².

Wuhan and China in general were important manufacturing bases for manufacturing of key components for companies like Apple ²³. The Pandemic lockdown and measures taken stopped manufacturing of crucial component items and disruption of supply chain ²⁴. When the manufacturing Countries ravaged by the Pandemic find it hard to provide adequate medical care due to shortages of critical medical equipment such as ventilators, protective masks and other gear ²⁵. This has caused the rise of infections and spread of the COVID-19 virus.

In the US which is now one of the Centres of the Pandemic, President Trump has asked American manufacturers to manufacture ventilators to make up the acute shortages faced by the American hospitals ²⁶.

The U.S. shortage has multiple causes, including problems with the global supply chain. Before this pandemic, for instance, China produced approximately half the world's face masks. As the infection spread across China, their exports came to a halt. Now, as the infection spreads globally and transmission in China slows, China is shipping masks to other countries as part of goodwill packages. The United States has not been a major recipient ²⁷.
Crew
The Philippines, China, India, Indonesia are among the biggest suppliers of crew members. According to one report, the Pandemic has caused some 40,000 Indian crew serving on merchant and cruise ships to be stranded worldwide ²⁸.

Airline and port restrictions in most of these countries have made it nearly impossible for crew members to get home if the governments do not make special arrangements. Even if a ship reaches an open port, the crew members may still be out of luck because most international air traffic is grounded ²⁹.

The safe repatriation of the crew from the vessels will require the joint efforts of the governmental agencies, the crew manning agency and the owners ³⁰.
Insurance
The Insurance implications arise from the disruption of shipping, logistics due to the Pandemic.

Cargo owners, importers, risk managers and insurers need to monitor closely: (a) Accumulation of Cargo; (b) Delay; (c) Delay Clause; (d) Demurrage Charges; (e) Deviation; (f) Force Majeure; and (g) Interruptions in Transit.

The insurance implications of the disruption include ³¹: -

Cargo and stock throughput - expected limited workforce being available at all key points of the supply chain will reduce capacity to distribute and handle goods. Cargo is also envisaged to be held for a longer duration at ports and for storage locations to see a volume increase whilst stocks await their next destination.

These areas raise the limitations of cover of the normal marine cover:

Delay - although many will want to keep their cargo moving to prevent any obstacles on trading, delay during the ordinary course of transit or whilst the goods are in storage could soon be inevitable. Most cargo and stock throughput policies exclude loss or damage solely caused by delay.

Additional costs/charges -hold-ups or re-routing goods to an alternative destination due to government prohibition will incur an additional cost. Although these costs are usually sub-limited, the additional forwarding costs clause; or similar, will provide extra financial support should you experience added expenses on top of the usual outgoings.

Vulnerable goods - perishable items such as pharmaceutical products and food produce operate on a stringent and well-monitored time schedule.The normal cover for marine insurance does not cater to the characteristics of these cargo, as insurance cover is excluded by the exclusions of inherent vice and delay, both will operate when ports are congested and cargo clearance are delayed in the current Pandemic outbreak.
Legal Disputes
The disruption caused by Pandemic has legal effects.

The cargo owner who charters vessels to ports to load or to discharge cargo is required to nominate a 'safe port' i.e. a port which the vessel can safely call at, conduct cargo operations and safely leave ³². When the intended port is closed, the cargo owner / charterer would be obliged to nominate an alternative port. This is often not possible as there will not be any alternative destination the cargo can be discharged at.

If the cargo is non-essential cargo, it cannot be moved to the ports during a national lockdown. This may result in the Vessel arriving at the Port and finding no cargo to be shipped, causing incurring of costly demurrage.

Before the Vessel can take on cargo, the Vessel must be cleared by the health authorities of the port, a process of obtaining 'free pratique', i.e. that the Vessel is free of infectious disease ³³. In the Pandemic affected countries the process of vetting the crew may take time and this delay will fall on the shipowner, rather than on the Charterer.

The effects of the Pandemic may possibly be covered in the Force Majeure Clauses in some contracts but these are not uniform and will not be always be available. The disruptive effects of the Pandemic will cause losses and the result in the most part will be to determine who will bear or share these losses.

While these legal issues and disputes do not immediately arise, they will certainly surface once the Countries recover from the immediate effects of the Pandemic.

Philip Teoh, Partner, Azmi & Associates

philip.teoh@azmilaw.com
1. See How the Coronavirus is reshaping Asia's borders, business and trade https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Cover-Story/How-the-coronavirus-is-reshaping-Asia-s-borders-business-and-trade 2. See Jobs Destroyed Worldwide as Coronavirus Sparks Recession : https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-03/jobs-destroyed-worldwide-as-coronavirus-sparks-recession 3. Under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and the Police Act 1967. Specific exceptions have been given to transportation and some other essential service sectors see: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/coronavirus-malaysia-seeks-to-clear-congested-ports-to-move-essentials-amid-curbs 4. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/coronavirus-malaysia-seeks-to-clear-congested-ports-to-move-essentials-amid-curbs 5. https://www.csis.org/programs/southeast-asia-program/southeast-asia-covid-19-tracker 6. See https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3078297/singapore-close-schools-most-workplaces-next-week 7. Stefania Plama, "How Singapore Waged War On Coronavirus," The Financial Times, March 2020. https://www.ft.com/content/ca4e0db0-6aaa-11ea-800d-da70cff6e4d3 8. https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1882665/asias-maritime-trade-torpedoed 11. See https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/20/21145315/coronavirus-cruise-ship-outbreak-diamond-princess-policy-impact. 12. See McFall-Johnsen, Morgan (28 February 2020). "How the 'failed' quarantine of the Diamond Princess cruise ship started with 10 coronavirus cases and ended with more than 700". Business Insider. 14. See Bridie Nolan writing on the case of the Ruby Princess https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/save-our-souls-catastrophe-cruising-under-flag-bridie-nolan/?trackingId=fPiSuASRD1A9LFDc7iQEfA%3D%3D 15. See Costa Fortuna, accepted by Singapore after rejected by Thailand and Malaysia: https://www.thesundaily.my/world/singapore-to-allow-ship-barred-by-malaysia-and-thailand-to-dock-AF2106002 , 16. In the case of MS Amadea Phoenix Resen, only European crew was allowed to disembark at its port of registry at Bremerhaven : https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/04/04/msian-duo-not-allowed-to-disembark-at-ships-port 17. As many as 120 ships carrying some 120,000 passengers were allowed to disembark, see Maritime Executive Report: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/250-000-cruise-passengers-disembarked-in-u-s 18.See the Video Feature, Can Cruise Lines recover from Coronavirus? https://youtu.be/uDiR4Qm4O-w 20. See the Federal Maritime Commission to address port congestion : https://www.thompsonhine.com/publications/fmc-to-address-covid-19-port-congestion-by-engaging-industry-stakeholders; directive by Malaysia's Ministry of Transport see : https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/28/container-congestion-at-ports-being-eased-off; also https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/04/03/dr-wee-freight-forwarders-hauliers-given-another-four-days-to-move-essential-goods 21. Standard P & I Club has usefully collated the Indian Position and these notices : https://www.standard-club.com/risk-management/knowledge-centre/news-and-commentary/2020/03/news-indian-ports-declare-force-majeure-due-to-the-covid-19-outbreak.aspx 23. The manufacturing of components of IPhone were disrupted by the Wuhan Virus lockdown. This and the earlier imposition of tariffs on China manufactured goods due to trade war has caused manufacturers like Apple to consider moving their supply chain to other countries or to move back manufacturing to home countries see: https://www.businessinsider.my/wuhan-coronavirus-apple-reliance-china-iphone-production-foxconn-supply-chain-2020-2?r=US&IR=T 24. See: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/16/coronavirus-wreaks-havoc-on-retail-supply-chains-globally.html 26. See : https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/20/21186749/ventilators-coronavirus-covid-19-elon-musk 27. See The New England Journal of Medicine Report: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2006141 28. The Economic Times 5 April 2020 : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/about-40000-indian-seafarers-stranded-across-globe-on-account-of-lockdown-maritime-bodies/articleshow/74991612.cms?from=mdr 29. New York Times 25 March 2020 : https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/world/europe/coronavirus-ship-crews-trapped.html 31. Alert: The Impact of COVID-19 on Marine Insurance at https://www.aon.com/getmedia/0c251378-6888-4df1-82d1-062e3c11cdde/COVID-19-Impact-on-Marine-Cargo-Insurance-March-2020.aspx 32. See https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/coronavirus-shipping-needs-to-consider-charterparty-obligations 33. See eg the Port Regulations of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Circular No 11 of 2014 : https://www.mpa.gov.sg/web/wcm/connect/www/9755aabc-24b7-410a-9706-975f44675953/pc14-11.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

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Malaysia - Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic On Shipping.

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The COVID-19 Pandemic still rages unabated in April 2020, ravaging and affecting lives, businesses, individuals and industries worldwide in many ways that will change the world forever 1. The International Labour Organization predicts that as many as 25 million jobs worldwide could be wiped out by a worldwide recession brought about by the Pandemic 2.

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Westports warns of lasting COVID-19 effects

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Westports warns of lasting COVID-19 effects

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Westports warns of lasting COVID-19 effects - Port Technology International

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Westports Holdings Berhad (Westports) suffered a drop in TEU throughput in the first quarter of 2020, as its transshipment volume fell by 8% as a result

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What if we redevelop any of the affected infrastructures in Malaysia, instead of using vacant land? isn't a circular economy?

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What are the relashinship between these ideas and the (current) pandemic situation?

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My proposal integrates a hydroponic greenhouse into the power plant itself, to design an architectural attachment, a quasi-parasite, which takes advantage of this waste heat, CO2 and water. The two industrial archetypes of the power plant and the greenhouse are merged as the former's constant mechanical buzz and steam breaths and the ever-present flow of water and rushing of leaves of the latter, bring the building to life. A beacon of light and life in the cold polar climate is now the first major building you see when entering Longyearbyen, redefining the town's character and identity.
Presentation

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Agriculture in the Arctic. My proposal integrates a hydroponic greenhouse into the power plant itself, to design an architectural attachment, a quasi-parasite, which takes advantage of this waste heat, CO2 and water. The two industrial archetypes of the power plant and the greenhouse are merged as

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http://juliennolin.com/carbongreenhouse

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http://juliennolin.com/biorig

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Andreea-Laura Nica Most works of architecture are considered to be 'finished' upon the completion of building works. This however does not take into account issues of mobility and adaptability which are prerequisites for sustainability in a constantly changing environment. The concept of Recycling, which involves occupation, subsequent alterations, decoration and personalisation by users are key considerations for a building's prolonged existence. Hence the ideas of spatial evolution and modification should be prioritised over demolition and ruin. This is especially important in London where land scarcity necessitates the need to deliver reusable spaces.Andreea-Laura Nica

The School of Recycling & Experimental Building -Cycles of Architectural Re-Configuration-
Part 1 Project 2014

The interest in recycling, building materials and flexible spaces are explored in the School of Recycling and Experimental Building, located in Camden Market. This site has been chosen for its strong relations to trading. The proposed scheme presents a six-stage programme, which sees the School as an educational platform that celebrates the notion of a recycling facility. The design proposal is composed around the notion of an ephemeral versus a permanent architecture.

The School expands on the idea of a bazaar which records the surrounding activities in order to establish the development of future spatial requirements and programs. One key feature of the School is the Breaking Chamber, which is designed as an allegorical crane. This structure is placed in the middle of the proposal and is responsible for dismantling and reassembling the recycled construction materials. By accommodating the disassembling process and by re-considering the boundaries between private and public space, the historically rich Gilbey's Bond will function dually as a theatre. This labyrinth of habitable spaces accommodates the construction courses in the School which include architectural workshops for material experimentation, galleries of recycled objects and the temporary depository.

By enhancing the apparent layered and multi-faceted qualities of the existing site, the project is a design for disassembly and celebrates ideas of change and future adaptability for an improved built environment. The building platform is continuously shifting and adapting to new conditions, and the potential for new spaces and use are integral to the architecture.

University of Westminster UK

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The School of Recycling & Experimental Building -Cycles of Architectural Re-Configuration-

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Andreea-Laura Nica Most works of architecture are considered to be 'finished' upon the completion of building works. This however does not take into account issues of mobility and adaptability which are prerequisites for sustainability in a constantly changing environment. The concept of Recycling, which involves occupation, subsequent alterations, decoration and personalisation by users are key considerations for a building's prolonged existence.

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What are the values will be added here?

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What? How? Who? Where? When?

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What? How? Who? Where? When?

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What are the values will be added here?

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What if we can actually live inside this waste management infrastructure ?? Social Values? Environmental Values? Economical Values?

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Can we make portable (Design for disassembly) Waste management infrastructure?

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What if we merge the circular economy approach with waste management infrastructure?

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DfD is a new concept for the design and building community and is an important contributor to Design for Environment (DfE). DfE is a comprehensive con- sideration of design related to environmental and hu- man health impacts over the life-cycle of a product. There are many other sub-sets of DfE such as design for assembly, reuse and recycling but in fact DfD is integral to any design for... that intends to maximize materials conservation from building end-of-life management, and create adaptable buildings to avoid building removals altogether. Given that many build- ings are removed from sites due to redevelopment and their inability to remain useful within an alterna- tive land use, DfD can also be an intelligent strategy to prevent obselescense and mitigate economic fac- tors (such as labor costs) that encourage destructive demolition and disposal of buildings.

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Circular Economy (CE): A Framework towards Sustainable Low CarbonDevelopment in Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia

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Circular Economy (CE): A Framework towards Sustainable Low CarbonDevelopment in Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia

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Circular Economy in the Built Environment

Our research outlines key principles of the circular economy, using the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's ReSOLVE framework to explore and contextualise practical applications in the built environment.

We identify how the circular economy can benefit Arup, our clients, and the built environment sector. We reflect on the economic, social and environmental advantages of employing circular principles. And we propose strategies to progress our offering, deliver new services, engage a wider network of stakeholders and unlock opportunities for all parties in the value chain.

We also consider how circular economy practices can be scaled up from the individual component or asset level for city, regional, and even global economies. We believe the circular economy can enable Arup to tackle the complex nature of the built environment through multidisciplinary working, and that it can drive a shift towards more sustainable forms of economic growth, urban life and value creation.

As the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's knowledge partner for the built environment we are sharing knowledge and collaborating with our CE100 partners to accelerate the shift to a circular economy.

Circular Economy in the Built Environment

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Circular Economy in the Built Environment

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Circular Economy in the Built Environment Our research outlines key principles of the circular economy, using the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's ReSOLVE framework to explore and contextualise practical applications in the built environment. We identify how the circular economy can benefit Arup, our clients, and the built environment sector.

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Consumption and use of natural resources has generally followed a linear approach. Materials are sourced, used and finally disposed of as waste. Known as the take-make-use- dispose model, this produces negative externalities that include rising carbon emissions, increased pressures on landfill, unsustainable levels of water extraction and widespread ecosystem pollution.

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The main objective is to improve waste minimization strategy and control. Modern waste management is shifted to a more flexible waste hierarchy concept, also called as 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle)

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Compounding this problem, nature operates as a closed-loop system, but we do not. We extract resources without replenishing them, accumulate waste materials without recycling them, and we pollute our air, water, and food crops for the need to maintain competitive profit margins. There are many other factors converging at once besides the pandemic, all of which contribute to the system’s unrest.

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What is the Environmental, Social and economical values  will be added by CE in waste management?

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Can CE manage all type of waste or use construction waste?

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How can circular economy approach helps in saving the environment?

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Are we ready for circular economy? Towards zero waste in construction

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Are we ready for circular economy? Towards zero waste in construction

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Building design and construction strategies for a circular economy

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Building design and construction strategies for a circular economy

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Building design and construction strategies for a circular economy

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ABSTRACT The considerable environmental impacts, resource consumption and waste generation emanating from buildings are a cause of great concern and political attention. Interest in the circular economy (CE) concept of slowing, narrowing and closing material loops through CE strategies (reuse, repair, refurbish, recycle and recover) has grown in recent years to facilitate minimising these unresolved issues emanating from the building industry.

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The 2019 Kim Kim River toxic pollution is a water pollution incident that occurred on 7 March 2019 caused by illegal chemical waste dumping at the Kim Kim River in Pasir Gudang of Johor in Malaysia. The illegal dumping released toxic fumes, affecting 6,000 people and hospitalising 2,775. Most of the victims were school students-110 schools located near the river were subsequently closed.

The incident started on 7 March 2019 after several students and canteen workers from two schools near the river began to fall ill and complaining of breathing difficulties. Both schools were ordered to shut down and all the victims were sent to Sultan Ismail Hospital while investigations were being carried out by state health authorities over the cause. Twenty-one people were warded at the hospital with some being admitted into the emergency unit and intensive care unit (ICU). Some of the students brought to the hospital were already fainted and with symptoms such as vomiting. Those who were not seriously affected were given outpatient treatment and allowed to return home. During recovery, some of the seriously affected victims shared their experience of suddenly being ill after inhaling unpleasant odour in their school compound. The number of victims hospitalised over the toxic fumes rose to 76 on the following day and on 9 March 2019, five police reports have been made on the issue with police began investigating the case.

Further spread of toxic fumes and water pollution

On 11 March, the second wave of air poisoning took effect with further 106-207 victims hospitalised before escalating into more than 1,000 victims with eight admitted into the ICU. The spread of the toxic fumes was aided by hot weather combined with strong winds, which made more people sick. The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department director-general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid explained that the further spread of toxic fumes could have been prevented if the illegally dumped chemicals found earlier were immediately removed. However, the authorities did not dispose the chemicals after concluding it was no longer reactive, allegedly due to the costs involved. Until 19 March, further 76 police reports have been made. On 20 June, about 3 months since the pollution first discovered, a number of students from schools in the Pasir Gudang area began complaining of nausea, dizziness and experienced vomiting which eventually led to the temporary closure of the schools in the area. The authorities later confirmed it as the third wave of air poisoning resulted from the river pollution, which were not fully cleared.

In August 2019, residents in Acheh's Well Village near the Daing and Kopok rivers ( tributaries to the Kim Kim River) complained that the water in both rivers have turned black and oily with unbearable foul stench which were believed to have spread from the chemical pollution of the Kim Kim River. A resident interviewed on the issue said the rivers were once homes to various crabs, freshwater fish and shrimps with children used to swim in, but everything has been damaged since the pollution turned worse in April.

Investigation, clearance works and arrestment of perpetrators

Through investigations, it was believed that the chemical wastes were dumped from a lorry tanker into the Kim Kim River in wee hours, on the same day before the victims fell ill. Agencies dispatched for the cleaning-up operation of the polluted river collected 2.43 tonnes of chemical waste on the day the incident was reported. The cleaning works, however, worsened the chemical reaction, as the contractor engaged was not experienced in dealing with chemical wastes. A Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) team from the 12th Squadron of the Royal Army Engineers Regiment of Malaysian Armed Forces was later dispatched to assist in the chemical cleaning efforts together with a Hazmat team.

The Johor Department of Environment (DOE) arrested an owner of a chemical factory in Kulai on 10 March followed by another arrest involving shredded waste factory owner and one of its workers in Taman Pasir Puteh on the following day after a series of investigations. With the arrests, the DOE completed its investigation papers and were sent to the public prosecutor for further action, with the investigators also have identified the illegally dumped chemical as marine oil that emitted flammable methane and benzene fumes. The oil is categorised as a scheduled waste and needs proper disposal due to its hazardous nature. On 17 March, nine more people were arrested by the police in connection to the case; two arrested in Johor Bahru while seven were arrested outside the Johor Bahru area. Two key suspects, believed to be instrumental in arranging for the transportation of the toxic substances, were arrested on 19 March, bringing the total arrests to 11 with one suspect later released under bail after he is proven to be unrelated to the case. The cleaning operation of the 1.5 kilometre stretch of the affected river was completed in the same day, where a total of 900 tonnes of soil and 1,500 tonnes of polluted water were cleaned.

Several other identified toxic gases emitted (following the interaction of the chemicals concerned with water and air) include acrolein, acrylonitrile, ethylbenzene, hydrogen chloride, D-limonene, toluene and xylene, which if inhaled, can cause headache, nausea, fainting and breathing difficulty. Two main suspects (a Singaporean and a Malaysian) were charged at the Sessions Court in Johor on 25 March for illegal disposal of chemicals into the river and their company, P Tech Resources was slapped with 15 charges to which they pleaded not guilty. Both have been charged earlier in the same court for conspiring with a lorry driver to dispose the scheduled wastes into the river.

Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ismail urged for an immediate action against the perpetrators involved in this pollution that endangered public lives while expressing his appreciation for the medical teams which had been working tirelessly to treat the victims in hospital. The Sultan has pledged a total of RM1 million (around US$250,000) towards helping rescue agencies and authorities to gather the necessary means and equipment to resolve the matter, meanwhile expressing his view that the incident shows the need for a government hospital to be built in Pasir Gudang. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail visited victims of the pollution at the hospital in Johor Bahru on 14 March, and said that the situation was "under control" where residents are not necessary to be evacuated from the area and also that there is a need to review the country's Environmental Quality Act 1974 in light of the serious pollution. The federal government has approved an allocation of RM8 million for river purification works and has ordered various agencies including the police, military and Hazmat teams to support the situation in the affected area. They explained that there was no request for a state of emergency received from the state government of Johor.

Johor's Menteri Besar Osman Sapian were in the opinion that the situation is under control without the need to declare a state of emergency in the area with the state government has approved an emergency allocation of RM6.4 million for cleaning up the affected river. Malaysia's Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin stressed that investigation will be carried out to bring those responsible to justice and explained that the RM6.4 million is mainly used to clear the 1.5 kilometre stretch of the affected river with further cost expected to balloon to over RM10 million. The state government also dismissed claims that its agencies were slow to react over the incident. The State Health Department had also warned the public not to circulate fake news, with an ongoing one saying deaths had been resulted from the pollution. On 1 June, Malaysia's Health Ministry formed a medical team, which consists of officers from the Institute for Medical Research and Johor Health Department, to examine a total of 6,000 victims affected by the pollution . Malaysia's Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Xavier Jayakumar Arulanandam urged every state governments to take serious measures to overcome river pollution as climate change could cause the country to experience long periods of drought in the future. The ministry also drafted a Water Resources Bill to clamp down on water pollution.

Neighbouring authorities in Singapore continue to monitor the situation following the reports of more illegal waste dumping sites found in Pasir Gudang. Various Singapore agencies have been conducting regular checks with a minister explained that they were taking the matter very seriously as what happened in Malaysia can affect Singapore significantly.

Criticism of government response and lawsuits

Johor's Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Idris took the matter to Twitter to express his opinion that the government should have instead declared a state of emergency on the day it first occurred and relocated residents to a temporary place until there was a guarantee that the area was safe. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak called out the state government's slow response on the pollution and the refusal of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to allocate more funds to clear the affected river, and these actions were seen as if they prioritised money, rather than the lives and health of the people. Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Deputy President Mah Hang Soon said that the incompetent preventive measures escalated the hazard levels in the involved area. In July 2019, a boy was reported to have developed Parkinson's-like disease of myokymia after being exposed to the pollution, although this was denied by Malaysia's Deputy Health Minister Lee Boon Chye who said that the boy was born premature and had a history of fits since he was four. A group of 160 victims of the pollution then began to filed a suit and taking the Johor Menteri Besar along with the state government to court to seek monetary compensation for the boy and other damages caused by the illegal dumping of toxic chemicals.

Other responses

A chemical company Lotte Chemical Titan Holdings Bhd had denied rumours that they are involved in the pollution of Kim Kim River. In a statement to Bursa Malaysia, Lotte Chemical Titan stated in detail: "The company hereby denies rumours and wishes to announce that it has no involvement with the incident". Malaysian singer Indah Ruhaila expressed concern over the incident as her parents live in the affected area where she also persuaded her parents to leave their homes, worrying of the reoccurrence of the incident.

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2019 Kim Kim River toxic pollution - Wikipedia

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The 2019 Kim Kim River toxic pollution is a water pollution incident that occurred on 7 March 2019 caused by illegal chemical waste dumping at the Kim Kim River in Pasir Gudang of Johor in Malaysia. The illegal dumping released toxic fumes, affecting 6,000 people and hospitalising 2,775.

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Solid Waste Management in Malaysia – A Move Towards Sustainability

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Solid Waste Management in Malaysia – A Move Towards Sustainability

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Open access peer-reviewed chapter

DOI: 10.5772/50870

chapter and author info

Authors

*Address all correspondence to:

DOI: 10.5772/50870

From the Edited Volume

Waste Management - An Integrated Vision

Edited by Luis Fernando Marmolejo Rebellon

1. Introduction

Waste management is a crucial area related to the economic status of a country and the lifestyle of its population. Solid waste management can be defined as a discipline associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing and disposal of solid wastes (Tchobanoglous 1993) and in spite of the aggressive economic development in Malaysia, the solid waste management is relatively poor(MMHLG 1988; Nesadurai 1999).The main objective is to improve waste minimization strategy and control. Modern waste management is shifted to a more flexible waste hierarchy concept, also called as 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) policies ( Tanaka 1999; Wilson 2007). The developing Asia counts as the fastest and largest waste generator globally and a closer inspection reveals a mix of general and specific elements of policy dynamics in the evolution and adoption of waste management policies (UNCRD et al. 2009).

Global 3R Initiative aims to promote the "3Rs" (reduce, reuse and recycle) globally in order to build a sound material-cycle society through the effective use of resources and materials and it was agreed upon at the G8 Sea Island Summitas a new G8 initiative and the UN Millennium Development Goal(MDG) aims to ensure environmental sustainability because of the prevalence of unsustainable production and rapid consumption of virgin raw material/ natural resources. It is achievable through effective and efficient 3R programmes which are vital to reverse the trends of environmental unsustainability. 3R initiatives in Asian regions were officially launched at the 3R Ministerial Conference hosted by the Government of Japan in April 2005 ( Visvanathan, Adhikari, & Ananth, 2007).

Today, waste and waste management has given rise to many pressing issues ( Björklund, 1998; Japan International Cooperation Agency, 2006) such as expensive land prices, strict environmental regulations ( Fullerton & Kinnaman, 1995), health and safety issues, improper management of waste disposal sites (Ministry of Housing and Local Government Malaysia, 2005), landfill spaces becoming limited ( Bartelings & Sterner, 1999), policy problems ( Choe & Fraser, 1999), and the unwillingness of local communities to accept new technologies and facilities in 'their own back yards' (Petts, 1995). Failing in managing solid waste leads to increased operation cost and damaging the environment ( Agamuthu, 2001; United Nations Development Programme Malaysia, 2008; Weitz, Thorneloe, Nishtala, Yarkosky, & Zannes, 2002). In Malaysia, waste management and waste minimization is not the sole responsibility of Local authorithies but most government agencies like the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Ministry of Environment, Ministry Of Health, the various academic institutions and NGOs should work together to achieve this.

2. Integrated solid waste management -Problems and issues

An integrated solid waste management involves a combination of techniques and programs to suit their local needs specifically.In Malaysia, until the late 1960s, city streets were cleaned by the local district health office and the Local Government Act 1976 and the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 were passed for public cleansing services and sanitary disposal. Malaysian laws were too general and were far from satisfactory due to lack of resources and faced municipal budget constraint. The budget for waste collection was ranging from 20% to 70%, according to the size of the municipality ( Hassan et al. 2000). Dumping of wastes in open fields and rivers are common even until today and a study of waste disposal behaviour in Kuala Lumpur indicated that 31.9% of waste were disposed by open burning, while 6.5% were dumped into the river system ( Murad & Siwar 2007).Hence the environmental safety concern in Malaysia was secondary and most municipalities had a tough time in findingnew disposal sites as, the existing disposal sites were nearly exhausted ( Hassan et al. 2000).

Kuala Lumpur, is on dire need to reduce its dependence on landfills due to its population density and an alternative solution such as incinerator is difficult to implement. Hence managing solid waste in Malaysia is still a big challenge. Malaysia is looking towards innovative solutions to the problems of inadequate and inefficient services provided by local authorities as far as waste management practices are concerned. A waste audit is a formalprocesswhich quantifiesthe amount and types of waste generated.Audits can be performed on office waste, municipal waste, commercial and industrial waste and construction waste through different means like visual waste audits, waste characterization, and desktop audits. Waste audits are a key to establish waste and source reduction programs and should be understood by the Government. Table 1 shows solid waste composition of selected locations in peninsular Malaysia (Wahid 1996). Table 2 shows the predicted results of total solid waste generated (per day and per year) ( Nasir 2004). Table 3 shows the prediction of SWG of various sectors ( Fauziah 2003).

3.Government initiatives and milestones

Over the past 20 years, a wave of decentralisation has swept the globe, as national governments have handed responsibilities to lower levels of government and if state and provincial governments are given correct incentives, decentralisation can stimulate greater competition and efficiency( Francis 2010). Federal Cabinet as early as 6 September 1995 had decided to privatise responsibilities of the Local Authorities (LA) in 1998. Since 1 January 1997, the solid management responsibility of 48 LA has been privatized to 2 concession companies i.e. Alam Flora for the Central Region and Southern Waste for the Southern Region while the North was under interim regime for a year. Legislation to streamline the strategies and measures in the Strategic Plan were to be enacted. Solid Waste Management was under Local Government Act, 1976; Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 and now it is under National Solid Waste Management Department and Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation Act 2007(www.kpkt.gov.my). 3Rs in Malaysiawas first launched in late 1980s and the campaigns were focused mainly on the recycling activities but unfortunately it failed to improve the existing waste management practice. Policy for Integrated Solid Waste Management in Malaysia - 2001, National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste Management in Malaysia - 2005 and Master Plan on National Waste Minimization -2006 were introduced.According to the report of the Governmentfor the UN Conference on Human Environment "Solid waste collection is satisfactory but the disposal of solid waste is a problem like those in any countries and an organized programme in this direction is needed. The local authorities in many cases are hampered by lack of trained personnel, financial resources, and knowledge."

3.1.Action plan for a beautiful and clean Malaysia

Ministry of Housing and Local Government(MHLG) produced the Action Plan for a Beautiful and Clean Malaysia (ABC) document in 1988 which had outlined the following:

Local authorities should be strengthened to be able to establish efficient and effective systems of MSWM in their areas.

A regional approach for MSWM should be encouraged, to improve the economic and technical level.

All urban centres should prepare and implement MSWM plans extending into the future including periodical revisions.

All MSW generated in urban and semi-urban areas should be collected and disposed of adequately in such a manner that would not create public health, workers' health and environmental problems and would be technically and financially viable.

The generator of waste who is supported by the Rural Environmental Programme of the MHLG should dispose of all municipal solid wastes generated in rural areas adequately.

Reduction of solid waste generation especially that of packaging wastes and household chemical wastes should be encouraged involving the producers and distributors of consumer goods as well as consumers themselves.

MSW should be treated as a resource and all efforts must be made to recycle and recover most of the materials that are presently burnt and buried.

MSWM services should be self-financing and an appropriate user charge or any other methods to attain the self-financing objective should be imposed on beneficiaries of the service.

The private sector should be encouraged to be contractors for MSW collection and disposal services. In addition, the national automobile industries and other related industries should be encouraged to produce locally all the vehicles and the equipment necessary for MSWM.

The public should be continuously educated on cleanliness and resources recovery through health and environmental education, cleanliness campaigns and strict enforcement of the anti-litter by-laws.

Land for MSWM disposal should be identified and reserved for the purpose.

Research and development about MSWM should be strengthened to cope with the ever changing environment( Zaini 2002)

3.2. Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation Act 2007

SWMPC Act 2007 was approved by Parliament on 17 July 2007 and gazetted on 30th August 2007 by vesting executive power to the Federal Government to implement solid waste management and public cleansing. The corporation viewed the issue on the overall basis and not merely collection of garbage and construction of dumps and is responsible to monitor, supervise and enforce solid waste management and public cleansing in the country.It also inculcates public awareness for sustainable management of public waste and cleansing and is also responsible for recycling technology.

Department of National Solid Waste Management was created to propose policies, plans, and strategies along with setting standards, specifications and codes of practices and to enforce the law and regulations, set guidelines, monitor and give approval. The Act defines Solid Waste as, any scrap material or other unwanted surplus substance or rejected products arising from the application of any process; any substance required to be disposed of as being broken, worn out, contaminated or otherwise spoiled. The Act focuses on recycling and has a special allocation for separation of wastes at the source. With the staff count of 900 at 52 district and state offices nationwide, the corporation is optimistic towards making Malaysia a clean country in line with its vision with the support of the citizens.

Improper disposal of household hazardous wastes like pouring down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or putting them out with the trash can pollute the environment and pose a severe threat to mankind.Services ofSWM are separation, storage, collection, transportation, transfer, processing, recycling, treatment and disposal of controlled solid waste which are classified into 8 categories namely commercial, construction, household, industrial, institutional, imported, public and others which can be prescribed from time to time. The act provides power for Federal Government to enter into agreement with any person to undertake, manage, operate and carry out solid waste management services or public cleansing and to establish PSP Tribunal. The key aspects are:

Local Authority will not be responsible on SWMPC.

Local Authority staff to be given options to join concession companies.

Integrated system of solid waste management - concessionaires vs others

Priorities to 3R

3.2.1. Reasons for federal take over

Lack of human and financial resources to manage solid waste and public cleansing

Integrated system and holistic approach for solid waste management

Interim Privatisation Period Too long - difficult to secure loans

Environmental Degradation

3.3. 3rd. outline perspective plan (2001-2010)

The government considered the adoption of a comprehensive waste management policy including the installation of incinerators for efficient disposal of waste and to formulate strategies for waste reduction, reuse and recycling.3Rs were re-launched in 2001 by Ministry of Housing and Local Government (MHLG) and the current recycling rateis 5%.

3.4. 8th Malaysian plan (2001-2005)

"The adoption of a comprehensive waste management policy to address the issues of waste reduction, reuse and recycling;"

The conduct of "relevant studies and demonstration projects to ascertain the viability and the acceptability of a waste recycling industry"; the introduction by local authorities of"various initiatives and appropriate economic approaches such as incentives and collection charges to reduce the amount of household waste;" and

"A clearing house mechanism be established to facilitate industrial symbiosis, whereby one industry's waste could be another's resource." (8 th MP:550)

3.5. 9th. Malaysia plan

National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste Management was implemented and it upgraded the unsanitary landfills and constructed the construction of new sanitary landfills and transfer stations with integrated material recovery facilities. It also aimed atestablishing a comprehensive, integrated, cost-effective, sustainable and socially acceptable SWMbased on wastemanagement hierarchythat give priority to waste reduction through 3R,intermediate treatment and final disposal by providing comprehensive, standardized and efficient quality services. They also aimed at establishing legal, regulation and institutional bodies and adopt a much environmentally friendly, cost-effective, proven SWM technology(9 th MP).

3.6. 10thMalaysia plan

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to develop an environmental performance index(EPI) to gauge the environmental management performance of every state in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015).The cabinet has agreed to the ministry's proposal which also had the support of the various federal agencies. Malaysia is at 54th position among 163 countries worldwide under the Global EPI 2010 based on quantitative data obtained from the World Health Oganisation, United Nations Global Environmental Monitoring System, government agencies, NGOs and academia. Solid waste is one of the three major environmental problems in Malaysia. It plays a significant role in the ability of Nature to sustain life within its capacity. Currently, over 23,000 tonnes of waste is produced each day in Malaysia. However, this amount is expected to rise to 30,000 tonnes by the year 2020. The amount of waste generated continues to increase due to the increasing population and development, and only less than 5% of the waste is being recycled.

Despite the massive amount and complexity of waste produced, the standards of waste management in Malaysia are still poor. These include outdated and poor documentation of waste generation rates and its composition, inefficient storage and collection systems, disposal of municipal wastes with toxic and hazardous waste, indiscriminate disposal or dumping of wastes and inefficient utilization of disposal site space. Rivers represent the lease of life which pulses through the earth.It is a finite and only source of water.

In Malaysia, there are almost 1800 rivers. Sadly, more than half of these rivers have been polluted and destroyed. Improper solid waste management contributes greatly to river pollution. Improper solid waste management (SWM) also contributes to climate change - decomposing waste produces methane and production of new products to meet demandemits greenhouse gases and utilizes natural resources(10 th MP).

4. Management strategies

The strategies were formulated for immediate Safe closure of 16 landfills in critical areas;and to upgradenon sanitary landfills and tobuild new sanitary landfills and incinerators. It also concentrates on enhancing quality of services through Key Performance Indicators, monitoring and quality control, courses and training and to improve delivery system -inventories and database, clear guidelines and regulations. They have given more emphasis to bring public awareness and information dissemination through dialogue, seminar andmass media.

The climatic changes have made garbage disposal dumps as the only method for efficient garbage disposal in Malaysia. Incinerator is unable to meet the disposal and government has upgraded 30 of the 175 existing waste disposal dumps into sanitary facilities by 2010. The implementation of solid waste management strategy based on 'waste hierarchy' is practised by emphasising reuse and improving the quality of products that can be recycled. Government promotes the private sector to invest in green technology in order to boost the efficiency of environmental-friendly products.

At the United Nations Organisation Conference On Climate Changes in Copenhagen, Denmark (COP 15), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak stated Malaysia's commitment to cut the percentage of carbon dioxide emissions by 40 per cent by the year 2020 with the help of developed nations.Thegovernment has starteda pilot project on waste separation in Putrajaya in order to createpublic awareness on recyclingand the joint-venture effort by Solid Waste Management Department, Putrajaya Corporation, Alam Flora and Konsortium SSI-Schaefer is aiming at reducing40 per cent ofthe volume of garbage sent for disposal. Every household was provided with two garbage bins, one for organic waste and the other for non-organic waste that can be recycled and this facilitates the respondents to recycle and reduce the amount of rubbish sent to disposal sites. The organic waste can be turned into compost and can be used for other purposes and lengthening garbage disposal lifespan (Syed, 2009).

5.Waste minimization in Malaysia (1995 - present)

The ever increasing per capita waste generation gave rise to a doubt on whether disposal is a sustainable solution and hence an alternative thinking based on the principles of waste hierarchy 3R, became more popular as a policy goal. As a policy objective, the waste minimization goal requires socialization of the 3R idea on a larger scale and this urged the government to focus on waste hierarchy. Information campaigns were staged to promote 3R aiming to increase awareness and to change attitude and behaviour. Malaysia prefers a State-led approach to waste management. Waste minimisation usually requires knowledge about the production process, cradle-to-grave analysis (the tracking of materials from their extraction to their return to earth) and detailed knowledge of the composition of the waste. The two effective ways for waste minimization are through firms' production system and technical changesand through a regulatory system that may finance the modification of internal organization.

5.1.Waste minimization, resource recovery and climate benefits

In Malaysia, waste minimization programs cannot be carried out effectively without a reliable data on waste composition and generation( Hassan et al. 2000)1. The amount of Malaysian solid waste being separated at source for recycling purposes was less than 2% in the year 1992 but the senior government officials believe that the actual rate could be as high as 15%. The 'National Recycling Program' was initiated in 2000 and in 2005,Malaysia released the 'National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste Management (2000-2020)' and waste minimization is recognized as one of the priorities.Article 102 of the Act stipulates that the government can place responsibility for the collection of products on the manufacturer, assembler, importer, or dealer( Pedersen 2008).

5.2.Waste minimization hierarchy

It is everyone's legal and moral responsibility to minimize the amount of waste produced and to dispose waste in a fashion that has the least impact on the environment. The aim of a Waste Management Hierarchy is to minimize the amount of waste from entering the landfill/dump sites. Three top initiatives in the waste management hierarchy is the 3Rs initiative, i.e. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. To cultivate a 3R culture in a society, it is important to train groups of people by creating an awareness programme towards implementing 3Rs initiative( Hashim,2011). The 3Rs principle helps to improve waste management system and to reduce human ecological footprint. It paves way to improve the economic activities, tend to reduce environmental impacts from waste disposal and prevents the loss of resources andlengthen the operating lifespan of landfills.3Rs is more successful in developed countries than among the developing nations( Agamuthu et al., 2001).

The hierarchy of MSWM is an internationally accepted and practised concept in many countries throughout the world especially in developed countries. For example, study by Cooper (1996) and Clarke (1993) indicates thatthe concept is used as a guideline for planning modern MSWM facilities. Under full privatisation or concession period, contractors will roughly try to match the hierarchy of MSWM starting with waste minimisation, waste separation and recycling, waste processing such as incineration and composting and finally disposal to the landfill. This integrated strategy requires participation at all levels: government, industries, public and the waste management concessionaires (Zain 2002).

'Waste hierarchy' is being established to help the government manage their waste according to a sustainable agenda. Waste management hierarchy is 'a concept that promotes a cyclical approach to waste management' ( Challenger, 2007). The main objective of the waste management hierarchy is to minimize the environmental effects of waste disposal (Rasmussen et al., 2005; Wolf, 1988). This hierarchy is used as a main framework to develop waste management policies. Waste hierarchy which has been developed in the 1970s ( Challenger, 2007; Rasmussen et al., 2005), was placed in the following order ( Challenger, 2007; Kirkpatrick, 1993; Rasmussen et al., 2005): waste minimization/prevention/reduction, reusing, recycling, composting, incineration and disposal. Barr (2007) defines waste hierarchy order as a waste management behaviour which relates to recycling, reusing and reduction. Refer figure 1 for solid waste minimization. Table 4 depicts the Goal-attitude-outcomes of waste minimization hierarchy.

Waste management hierarchy is undergoing several changes. Incineration, which has been in the hierarchy in the first stage of the evolution, has being criticized due to the cost (Rasmussen et al., 2005) and impact to the environment (Connett & Sheehan, 2001). Therefore, in the recent hierarchy, incineration has been pulled out from the hierarchy and replaced by treatment ( Gertsakis & Lewis, 2003); or thermal treatment ( Sarifah Yaacob, 2009); or recovery (Pongrácz, Phillips, & Keiski, 2004); or waste to energy (Ministry of Housing and Local Government Malaysia, 2005).It is essential to start by educating people with knowledge. It reduces the amount of wastes through the following steps:

5.2.1. Source reduction/Waste reduction

It is also known as waste prevention, means reducing waste at the source. It can take many different forms, including reusing or donating items, buying in bulk, reducing packaging, redesigning products, and reducing toxicity. Source reduction is also important in manufacturing and can save natural resources, conserve energy, reduce pollution, reduce the toxicity of our waste; and save money for consumers and businesses alike. It includes any activity that reduces or eliminates the generation of waste. Waste reduction helps to create less waste in the first place - before recycling. Since it avoids recycling, composting, landfilling, and combustion it helps to reduce waste disposal and handling costs.Waste reduction can be achieved at several levels, such as reduction of per capita waste generation through public education and government policy initiatives. Separation of recyclable materials can be very useful.

5.2.2. Reuse

It is defined as re-employment of materials to be used in the sameapplication or to be used in lower grade application. To reuse is to use an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a different function. In broader economic terms, reuse offers quality products to people and organizations with limited means, while generating jobs and business activity that contribute to the economy(wikipedia).

5.2.3. Recycling

It includes using a waste material for another purpose, treating and reusing it in the same process. Recycling is a series of activities that includes the collection of used, reused, or unused items that would otherwise be considered waste; sorting and processing the recyclable products into raw materials; and remanufacturing the recycled raw materials into new products. Consumers provide the last link in recycling by purchasing products made from recycled content. Recycling also can include composting of food scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic materials. Recycling prevents the emission of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants, saves energy, supplies valuable raw materials to industry, creates jobs, stimulates the development of greener technologies, conserves resources for our children's future, and reduces the need for new landfills and combustors.

Recycling includes the reuse or recovery of in-process materials or materials generated as by-products that can be processed further on. It also improve production efficiency, profits, good neighbor image, product quality and environmental performance.At the moment there is no organised programme for recycling in Malaysia. Efforts are made to come up with their own programme and objective with a single recycling programme with both short-term and long-term perspectives. The short-term measures will mobilise the stakeholders towards active recyclable generators and enhance their participation whereas long-term measures will aim towards an increased diversion of waste for recycling, and a collection system.

Annual allocation for awareness creation among public reached RM70 million (US$18 million). Poster, pamphlets, bulletin, and electronic medium such as television, radio, websites, school busses, Light Rail Transit(LRT) billboards were used and exhibition were conducted and carnivals and seminar were held. Awareness among the public was high but only few were practicing.Recycling facilities were insufficient and inappropriately located. The available facilities were recycling bins, recycling centers, silver boxes, centers, recycling lorry and mobile collection unit (van) and charity recycling boxes. Improvement in recycling practices was possible by bringing awareness, but the task involves huge cost. It can create many job opportunities and calls for a policy that can effectively handle the issue.

5.2.4. Composting

It includes elementary neutralization and composting achieves the microbiological degradation of organic matter to produce an organic product for use in agriculture, etc. Even though the technology of composting MSW is well established, only a few of the refuse composting plants around the world are economically successful. The drawbacks commonly experienced with composting are its high cost and low value of the compost products. Subsequently, composting in Malaysia is not pursued as a solution to MSW disposal problems because the quality of product depends on the waste and hence waste separation is very important. Composting can play a key role in diverting organic waste away from disposal facilities. A compost plant also requires more area. Lack of suitable markets for compost and lack of economies of scale for quantities for the recyclable market is also a major problem. Apart from the above, a landfill disposal will still be required for component of waste that is not suitable for composting.

5.2.5. Disposal/Landfill operation/Incineration

The final product that cannot be recycled, reduced, reused or energy recovered goes to the land field for disposal. In Malaysia landfill is more preferred way of disposal than incinerator because again of the demographic behaviour. Landfilling manage the waste that cannot be reduced or recycled. Disposal decisions depend on the cost, land availability, population characteristics, and proximity to waterbodies. They include a large disposal area which contains numerous smaller cells and the solid waste is deposited in these cells daily, using specially designed bulldozers, and covered with a thin layer of soil or some alternative cover. There is abundant unused land and ex-mining ponds which needs to be refilled for development purposes. Hence Malaysian govt prefers landfills to inceneration. It is cheaper to operate and maintain compared to incenerators.It may be feasible where landfill is scarce and located in a very remote area from the actual MSW generation centre. Modern incineration and flue gas cleaning technologies make waste incineration an environmentally viable method.

5.2.6. Implications of waste minimization

It helps to cut down the operational cost of waste management and act as an indicator to show that the country is a developed nation.It increases the lifespan of landfills and gives greener environment and improves the climatic changes (green technologies) by preventing the pollution.

6. Barriers to 3R implementation

The 2007 law had provided for the 'federalization' of waste management, and this is a devolution of authorities to the lowest possible level, which is highly essential for waste management. 3R implementation in Malaysia was privatized and this had created more problems than a effective solutions ( Milne 1992; Sun & Tong 2002). The awareness of public on 3Rs is low, in spite of the Malaysian government's funding for public information campaigns. There is a lack of policy to promote 3Rs and alow public participation. In 1988, the Action Plan for a Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Malaysia was introduced but had only minimal responses from the general public( Hassan et al 2000). In April 2009, the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water was established to handle green technology development in Malaysia, and the government has encouraged the private sector to invest in green technology to promote the usage of more environmentally sound waste management towards facing the changes in the global environment.

7. Tips for effective practice of 3R's

Avoid purchasing items that are over packed

Reduce the amount of waste created by the household by shopping smartly

Reuse items around your home

Recycle allpaper, cardboard, rigid plastic, aluminum, steel cans and glass bottles and jars

Compost the household's green and organic waste

8. Conclusion

Policy makers in the developing countries must develop the institutional capacity to respond in long-term policy development by integrating the goals and objectives of the state, community, and business. Developing countries may want to combine basic strategy of developing waste management capacity along with the promotion of international cooperation to upgrade it into a effective 3R-based policies. The demographic pattern, the life-style and behaviour of the citizens as well as the foreign workers with different culture and life-styles should be taken into consideration before forming the blue print or the master plan for waste minimization. Since the waste management system is privatised, it will be able to improve the quality of service and it's efficiency. Currently, the privatisation of the waste management system in Malaysia has not reached full privatisation. The system is still in an interim period, and is not running as expected due to some problems arising from the lack of funds, the length of the interim period, and the unavailability of financial resources. Problems faced by consortia have led to the inefficient operation of the waste management system. These problems affect the future planning for waste management in Malaysia, and frustrate the implementation of privatisation. Government incentives, the NGO's contributions through their social community obligations, assistance from Danida from Netherlands, Jica from Japan, UNICCEF, UNEP, WHO and other world bodies should contribute to help developing nations like Malaysia to keep up with their level of waste minimization plans and programmes.These Earth-loving actions will certainly allow us to reduce the negative impact on the earth by adding deeper meaning and joy to our lives.

© 2012 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Jayashree Sreenivasan, Marthandan Govindan, Malarvizhi Chinnasami and Indrakaran Kadiresu (October 26th 2012). Solid Waste Management in Malaysia - A Move Towards Sustainability, Waste Management - An Integrated Vision, Luis Fernando Marmolejo Rebellon, IntechOpen, DOI: 10.5772/50870. Available from:

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Solid Waste Management in Malaysia - A Move Towards Sustainability | IntechOpen

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Open access peer-reviewed chapter DOI: 10.5772/50870 *Address all correspondence to: DOI: 10.5772/50870 Waste Management - An Integrated Vision Edited by Luis Fernando Marmolejo Rebellon Waste management is a crucial area related to the economic status of a country and the lifestyle of its population.

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Enhancing Circularities in the Malaysia Economy

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Enhancing Circularities in the Malaysia Economy

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We can no longer view the environment and ecology as side issues if we want to prevent future calamities that result in catastrophic economic and health impacts.

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We can no longer view the environment and ecology as side issues if we want to prevent future calamities that result in catastrophic economic and health impacts.

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YESTERDAY was Earth Day, and it happened during the Covid-19 pandemic when the world economy has been put on hold and lockdowns are in place in most countries to counter the devastating health impacts of the disease.

While the world is in lockdown, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution levels have come down. This has not been possible before.

As a March 14 editorial in the Guardian newspaper (UK) revealed, "the brakes placed on economic activities of many kinds worldwide have led to carbon emission cuts that would previously have been unthinkable: 18% in China between February and March; between 40% and 60% over recent weeks in Europe."

We have also seen reports and videos of clearer and cleaner skies, seas, rivers and waterways, and urban spaces seeing the return of animals and birds as human traffic and noise have been drastically reduced.

In Malaysia, the new Environment and Water Minister, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, is reported as saying that the Air Pollutant Index (API) levels dropped 14% to record a "clean index" while 28% of 29 automatic water monitoring stations' readings showed a real time improvement in water quality during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period from March 18 to April 14.

The improved API reading has been attributed to a drastic reduction in emissions from vehicles, industrial stacks and open burning.

Studies also show that land surface temperatures in cities have come down as a result of the restrictions on human activities.

All of these positive effects are the unintended consequences of measures that have been initiated to prevent the spread of Covid-19. What many governments have not been able to do in the past to address environmental problems has been made possible through their responses to the major health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus.

The virus itself is believed to have emerged from environmental mishandling, namely the trade and consumption of wildlife by humans.

Major landmark reports from the United Nations have previously warned about the emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases due mainly to increasing human encroachments on natural environments such as land clearing and habitat fragmentation, reduction in biodiversity (including loss of natural predators of organisms that transmit disease), current practices in livestock and poultry production and wildlife trade.

Clearly, what this reveals is that our current economic and development model continues to be unsustainable, resulting in negative consequences that threaten not only our quality of life but also our continued existence on earth.

We must correct the course as we plan our exit strategies from the movement control order and economic recovery.

Indeed, the Covid-19 health crisis has overwhelmed the mainstream objective of economic growth. In addition, some of the environmental "side effects" can be expected to do the same if we do not deal with them urgently and seriously.

Among these issues is water scarcity, which is a persistent problem in many parts of the country. Currently, the situation is dire in the northern states like Kedah where farmers are suffering, and there will be grave consequences on Malaysia's rice bowl. In Penang, the authorities are praying for rain to replenish the very low water levels in the state's dams.

The water crisis is compounded by climate change, with impacts that will be catastrophic not only for our economy but to human lives as well.

Recent scientific reports have provided enough warning that coastal communities worldwide must prepare themselves for more difficult futures due to the melting of major ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic.

Yet, what is most startling is the apparent lack of sufficient preparedness in many cities and countries around the world, including Malaysia, in addressing these possible climate impacts. More cities around the world are already noticing the effects of climate change, from more heatwaves to worsening flooding, but few have effective plans in place to deal with the threats.

For far too long, we have heard the mantra "We will have economic growth without adversely affecting the environment, and will pursue sustainable development", but in reality, much remains to be done to correct the current course.

What is needed are transformative commitments through paradigm shifts in our existing irrational production systems and consumption patterns. These shifts should be grounded on genuine sustainable development measures that meet the economic, environmental and social imperatives.

Economic development, job creation, and etc. are important but have to be balanced and re-oriented, with environmental concerns and quality of life being at the centre of decision-making.

Sadly, even as we are witnessing a global economic downturn, we are still seeing the promotion of business-as-usual approaches such as the continuation of mega-projects.

The business-as-usual approach has to change.

First, we must tackle climate change head on. We are aware that the previous government had started various initiatives such as setting up a climate change council and climate change centre, enabling climate legislation as well as devising a national adaptation plan. These positive initiatives should not be stymied by the new government.

Second, we need to urgently tackle issues related to forest and soil conservation, river management, flood prevention and mitigation, and to ensure enough water supply in an integrated manner. Forests and trees are the foundation of ecology, water supply and management, and biodiversity. The conversion of forests, especially on hills, for logging, plantations or other commercial projects, should be stopped or drastically reduced.

Surely no commercial activity can be more important than conserving the forests and protecting our soils. They help to prevent floods, which cost millions to clean up and rehabilitate. Flood prevention must also include turning our urban areas into "sponge cities" by significantly increasing the means for rainwater to penetrate underground rather than being swept into overflowing rivers, thus causing flash floods.

These measures can include increasing the number of fields and parks, planting trees, and making pavements and roads permeable so that water can be absorbed into the ground. The rainwater can also be collected in large storage tanks underground for later use. These green measures and infrastructure will cost money, but investing in them would be money well spent and there are international funds available for the purpose.

It is regrettable that too much emphasis is given on constructing highways and concrete buildings. What is now needed are investments in rehabilitating damaged hillsides and forests, conserving watersheds, and building green infrastructure to prevent floods, save and store water and build climate resilience.

The third aspect is control of pollution and toxic products, chemicals and wastes. The Sungai Kim Kim case is a grim reminder of what toxins in the environment can do to the health of the public.

We have done much to reduce our use and import of plastic, but we cannot afford to slow down now. We must step up to ensure that the gains made thus far are not wasted.

The Environmental Quality Act and regulations thereunder are supposed to be under review. We need an improved Environmental Protection Act which addresses the weaknesses of the previous legislation, including regulations on environmental impact assessments.

Also critical are issues such as energy (the need to switch to more renewable energy); replacing polluting technologies with environmentally sound technologies; protecting the marine environment and wetlands; conserving biodiversity, fauna and flora; and replacing chemical-based agriculture with sustainable agriculture. These are huge challenges that have not been given the necessary attention and resources in the past.

We can no longer view the environment and ecology as side issues if we want to prevent future calamities that result in catastrophic economic and health impacts.
MEENAKSHI RAMAN President Sahabat Alam Malaysia

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environment; earth day; issue in environmental protection

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Time to treat environmental issues as paramount

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YESTERDAY was Earth Day, and it happened during the Covid-19 pandemic when the world economy has been put on hold and lockdowns are in place in most countries to counter the devastating health impacts of the disease. While the world is in lockdown, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution levels have come down.

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We appear to be in the early stages of a massive economic depression. What is your sense of what is happening politically and economically right now?

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We appear to be in the early stages of a massive economic depression. What is your sense of what is happening politically and economically right now?

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Meadows and Dinwiddie: We are witnessing an unprecedented political polarization and economic disruption around the world today. The status quo is no longer working. Many people are now beginning to understand how dysfunctional the management of nations, peoples, and resources has been. Human needs and the needs of our environment are far too complex to be managed by political means, arbitrary economic direction, or an elite without the relevant understanding of science and technology.

Compounding this problem, nature operates as a closed-loop system, but we do not. We extract resources without replenishing them, accumulate waste materials without recycling them, and we pollute our air, water, and food crops for the need to maintain competitive profit margins. There are many other factors converging at once besides the pandemic, all of which contribute to the system’s unrest.

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A seismic shift is under way. Against the backdrop of rising temperatures, collapsing ecosystems, and the threat of species extinction, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are now moving to transform the global order. Indeed, for the first time in our history, we have the tools and technologies to guide and shape our evolution. But what will this future look like?

I recently spoke with Roxanne Meadows and Nathanael Dinwiddie of The Venus Project to better understand their thoughts on the future. As they explain, the status quo is no longer working. Climate change, social inequality, and technological innovation are now disrupting a market-driven society. The key to resolving these global challenges, they suggest, is rooted in a Resource Based Economy.

The term "Resource Based Economy" was first coined by Jacque Fresco, the founder of The Venus Project. Fresco believed that a Resource Based Economy could support the scientific integration of automating technologies (AI and robotics) and engineering systems in providing the highest possible living standards. Meadows and Dinwiddie suggest that this kind of economy is the next stage in human evolution. But what do they mean?
1. What is The Venus Project?
Meadows and Dinwiddie: The Venus Project is a non-profit organization that presents a new socio-economic model utilizing science and technology. For the past 40 years, we have maintained a 21-acre research center in Venus, Florida. We propose a new scientific foundation in transcending humanity's current problems by testing a new social design for organizing our society as a global "operating system".

Taken as a whole, the Venus Project fills the egregious gap between the sciences and the humanities by combining a social philosophy of the future with technical knowledge applied at a global scale to solve the problems of the human condition. Our methodologies are designed to realize the full potential of science and technology to achieve social betterment for all living systems- without exception. Our approach to social organization calls for changes in governance, economics, urban planning, education, human relationships, language, and values.

2. We appear to be in the early stages of a massive economic depression. What is your sense of what is happening politically and economically right now?

Meadows and Dinwiddie: We are witnessing an unprecedented political polarization and economic disruption around the world today. The status quo is no longer working. Many people are now beginning to understand how dysfunctional the management of nations, peoples, and resources has been. Human needs and the needs of our environment are far too complex to be managed by political means, arbitrary economic direction, or an elite without the relevant understanding of science and technology.

Compounding this problem, nature operates as a closed-loop system, but we do not. We extract resources without replenishing them, accumulate waste materials without recycling them, and we pollute our air, water, and food crops for the need to maintain competitive profit margins. There are many other factors converging at once besides the pandemic, all of which contribute to the system's unrest.
3. Younger generations seem disaffected with Capitalism. Could you describe your vision of a post-scarcity society?
Meadows and Dinwiddie: The Venus Project recognizes that if we utilize a global systems approach as a basis for organizing and managing resources, we can design a much more humane environment for all. Our goal is to advance the health and the protection of the ecosystem, as opposed to the accumulation of wealth, property, and power. We do not have enough money to fulfill the needs of the world's people, but we do have enough resources, if wisely managed. Ultimately, it is not money that people need, but unencumbered access to the necessities of life and self actualization.

Accomplishing this is a technical and engineering challenge requiring massive coordination by transdisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists in managing the Earth's resources within its carrying capacity. This kind of scientific endeavor would eliminate the vicious rivalries over scarce resources and, in turn, generate very different behavior amongst people.

Briefly, this is what Jacque Fresco, founder of The Venus Project, termed a " Resource Based Economy ". This is a necessary step for humanity's evolution. It could be thought of as a new science, a science of Earth Management where, by necessity, all of Earth's resources become the common heritage of all the world's people.
4. How does the Venus Project differ from Socialism or Communism?
Meadows and Dinwiddie: Rather than worker revolts and the forcible overthrow of the system ( Communism), or the redistribution of capital ( Socialism), The Venus Project approaches social change as a process of guided evolution. In our view, the challenges before us are a matter of engineering and design. The Venus Project calls for an experimental analysis of a new social system. This system is unlike any communist revolution, utopian commune, or coup d'état tried in the past.

In our view, the fundamental issue limiting social management in the past has been the lack of an effective data-driven methodology for evaluating and improving the system's functioning. Full-scale blanket application of social policies to vast geographic areas- be it through revolution or legislation- without a means for evaluating their effectiveness, follows from an approach heavy in ideology but short in scientific method. The Venus Project calls for iterative prototyping of cities that we take as the unit of analysis in validating or falsifying hypotheses. All of this begins with testing a prototype, not a revolution.

Although Karl Marx did envision a society wherein money, private property, and social hierarchy were abolished, he could not begin to imagine how to implement this system at a technical level. In contrast to Communism, The Venus Project calls for the total redesign of cities (transportation, distribution, manufacturing, recycling, infrastructure) to produce abundance of goods and services. This is achieved through automation and optimized infrastructural efficiency.
5. What role does technology and automation play in The Venus Project?
Meadows and Dinwiddie: For the first time in history, we have the tools and technology to guide and shape our evolution. To accomplish this, The Venus Project advocates the humane and intelligent use of technology and the methods of science directed toward the well-being of all people and the environment which sustains all life.

In our view, technology and automation should be strictly used for social betterment and to eliminate repetitive, dangerous and monotonous work. If automation displaces a job, for example, that means all people would gain more access to the products those machines produce. The necessities of life are distributed without a fee with the aim of expanding to all goods and services. Consequently, there is no threat resulting from technological labor displacement. On the contrary, technology and automation have the potential for enhancing the world's standard of living, enabling people to learn, spend time with their families, travel, and confront the new frontier of challenges in improving the resilience of the system as a whole.

6. How do you envision utilizing AI in decision-making?

Meadows and Dinwiddie: Applying the methods of science and technology (including AI) to the operation of the world's societies will lead to a substantially more reliable functioning of support systems than we have today. Homelessness, starvation, war, and environmental degradation are consequences of today's political and economic approaches to decision-making. A Resource Based Economy operates within a unified systems approach that utilizes the methods of science and AI to arrive at the most appropriate decisions at any given time. Unlike today's implementation of technology, this new approach would be carefully carried out with the utmost human and environmental concern. The real-time influx of quantitative and qualitative data would provide real-time feedback, enabling humanity to constantly observe and continually improve the operation of the system over time.
7. What are the future goals of The Venus Project?
Meadows and Dinwiddie: At present, we are focused on formalizing and systematizing the body of work of The Venus Project's founder, Jacque Fresco. In an age that is sorely lacking an approach updated to current knowledge and capability, we enter uncharted territory with the methods of science to help us through. This is the crucial job that no one has attempted, until now.

In the short term, we are focused on a systems approach to organize a holistic understanding of the natural world and human culture. This involves understanding economics and human social systems in the broader contexts of Earth processes and ecosystems, and communicating this understanding through books, videos, the internet, podcasts, transmedia storytelling, and course curricula.

In the mid-term, we aim to fulfill the desperate need for the strategic coordination of consilience by synthesizing the knowledge of academia and the know-how of industry. This network of intelligence will produce a transdisciplinary research agenda, research program, and global theory of change. Constructing a new planning center will function as a living lab and think tank devoted to designing the first prototype city.

In the long term, The Venus Project hopes to see the construction of new prototype cities for the purpose of testing the hypothesis of a holistic, technical design-solution for a social system. Iterations of these prototypes will form a worldwide network of cities. The study of these cities will function as the basis for a science of Earth management, the models of which guide the intelligent allocation of resources for the purpose of optimizing civilization to adapt and evolve in relationship with an Earth ecology.

There is a lot to consider and we welcome participation in the development of such a system.

... Read More

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Is The Venus Project The Next Stage In Human Evolution?

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A seismic shift is under way. Against the backdrop of rising temperatures, collapsing ecosystems, and the threat of species extinction, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are now moving to transform the global order. Indeed, for the first time in our history, we have the tools and technologies to guide and shape our evolution.

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Designing a Habitable waste Management centre through a circular economy approach and holistic sustainability

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Imposing holistic sustainability into designing a zero energy, waste recycling centre in hot humid climate

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- Waste management
- Circular Economy
- Residential + Industrial
- Holistic Sustainability
- Recycling Centre
- Zero Energy