Over the last 20 years or so, Southeast Asia and the larger Pacific region have become known for having some of the premier casino resort areas in the entire world. While Las Vegas in the United States may still be king in this regard, some of the most luxurious casino…
By Mark Sheehan Deforestation has been a serious global problem for several decades. Illegal logging has been happening for decades; wildfires and other disasters take their toll as well. Enforcing laws can be a dangerous game and reforestation cannot keep up. Drones are changing the way we combat these losses….
Clean Malaysia was launched in August 2015 with a simple mission: to provide a window for locals and foreigners alike into the wondrous world of Malaysia’s natural environments by highlighting what ails these environments and what can be done to heal them. Clean Malaysia has been a nonprofit passion project…
Facilities and amenities at national parks in the Malaysian state of Sarawak are about to get an upgrade. The move continues a statewide push to attract more tourism in 2016, and will highlight the region’s natural beauty for visitors from around the world. The Malaysian state of Sarawak has long been…
It appears that some of Malaysian resident’s worst fears concerning the irresponsible bauxite mining sweeping parts of their country may have come true – traces of known bauxite contaminants have been discovered in treated water. A December analysis of treated water in and around bauxite mining hotspot Kuantan revealed the…
As the monsoon season approaches in Malaysia, a wave of anxiety larger than normal is washing over areas of Pahang used for bauxite mining. Flooding is normally a big problem for the port city of Kuantan, but the many open-pit bauxite mines dug this year threaten to unleash torrents of…
For almost an entire year now, the Malaysian public has been asking its government for help with a frightening pollution problem: irresponsible bauxite mining. A tide of toxic dust and mud is issuing from open bauxite mining pits and scarcely-covered trucks, spreading a layer of carcinogenic material over towns, countries…
Bauxite mining in Malaysia – and the heavy metal contamination it sews across land, air and water – is coming under increasing scrutiny as its industrial activity causes more and more public and environmental health problems. The latest in a series of worries including cancer risks, economic upset, groundwater corruption…
Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa in Sabah is under the spotlight for its exploitation of orphan orangutans for financial gain under the facade of rehabilitation. The Rasa Ria Resort has been fed a continuous supply of orphan orangutans for almost 20 years. They are used as a sort of…
Malaysia’s first-ever environmental magazine is here (has been for a few years) – and it’s available for free, around the world. EcoMalaysia is an online magazine focused on all things green in Malaysia. Wildlife conservation, Eco Education, sustainable shopping, environmental NGOs, Eco Transport – all these topics and more are…
The debate surrounding Malaysia’s bauxite mining industry is nearing a fever pitch. National bauxite exports have exploded from around 100,000 tons in 2013 to over 2.5 million last year to what could be more than 20 million for 2015. Legal and illegal mining operations have sprung up everywhere, spreading carcinogenic…
After months of suffering from intense industrial pollution, the residents of Pahang – Malaysia’s unofficial bauxite mining capital – could be looking at some relief. The Malaysian Federal Government agreed on November 16 to suggest a temporary suspension of bauxite exports from Pahang. In order to carry on with the…
The symptoms range from mild to incapacitating high fever, severe headache, rash, and muscle and joint pain that give the affliction its nickname of “break-bone fever.” There is no vaccine to make one immune to it, no medications to treat it once it’s contracted, and cases in Malaysia have been…
Indonesia’s second-largest pulp and paper producer Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) introduced a new sustainability policy in June. The updated policy was greeted with guarded skepticism by environmental NGOs including Greenpeace, and it seems their doubt may have been well-founded. APRIL’s new policy stated that they had stopped all…
In a display of well-planned corporate social responsibility, Malaysian sustainable construction firm Green Eco Builder has offered a free solar power setup to a community building. Applications closed in mid-August for a clever corporate social responsibility initiative in which a large solar panel system will be installed for free atop…
A new addition to Kuala Lumpur’s host of luxury residential developments is being planned. Like others, it comes complete with amenities like a 50-yard lap pool, 100 retail shops, a garden lounge, penthouse and other recreational facilities. Unlike the rest, the project has been designed from the very beginning with…