As we close off June, it's time for our monthly Macaranga wrap-up show, where we give you a rundown of the top environmental news from the month past, curated by the co-founders of the environmental journalism portal, Macaranga. Today we are joined by Law Yao Hua to discuss three main topics, first, the deaths of a mother elephant and her three calves in Johor - was poisoning the culprit? Next, we turn our attention to a study which points to Malaysia as topping the list of countries with the highest microplastic consumption. Finally, Sarawak has been hailed for planting 35 million trees since 2021, as part of the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign 2021-2025. A great effort, or is there some greenwashing at play? We discuss this and more on this month's episode.



Image Credit: Shutterstock

As we close off June, it's time for our monthly Macaranga wrap-up show, where we give you a rundown of the top environmental news from the month past, curated by the co-founders of the environmental journalism portal, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://macaranga.org">Macaranga</a>. Today we are joined by Law Yao Hua to discuss three main topics, first, the deaths of a mother elephant and her three calves in Johor - was poisoning the culprit? Next, we turn our attention to a study which points to Malaysia as topping the list of countries with the highest microplastic consumption. Finally, Sarawak has been hailed for planting 35 million trees since 2021, as part of the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign 2021-2025. A great effort, or is there some greenwashing at play? We discuss this and more on this month's episode.Image Credit: Shutterstock

Climate change, ferocious weather and ‘the haze’ are now part our everyday lives. How are our lifestyles connected to them, and what can we do about it? What does the economy have to do with it? Earth Matters engages with activists and experts to explore our changing relationship with the planet that we only borrow from our children.

Earth Matters

Macaranga Wrap-Up: June 2024

We catch up with Adam Farhan, the Director of environmental watchdog RimbaWatch, for updates on some of the research and analysis they have been focussing on over the last few months. First, we look back at the State of the Malaysian Rainforest 2024 report which was released back in May, which found that up to 3.2 million hectares of Malaysian rainforests are at risk – an area nearly the size of Pahang. Then, we turn our attention to two recent reports released by RimbaWatch, first on the proposed oil and gas project in the Tun Mustapha Marine Park (TMP) which is sparking serious environmental and human rights concerns, and finally we look at the Balingian coal mine over in Sarawak, and the climate, biodiversity and transparency-related issues that have been raised in connection with the project.



Image credits: Shutterstock, WWF Malaysia/Eric Madeja

We catch up with Adam Farhan, the Director of environmental watchdog <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rimbawatchmy.com/">RimbaWatch</a>, for updates on some of the research and analysis they have been focussing on over the last few months. First, we look back at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://9b2d2d75-7adf-4ea5-8c47-1b96d3a7eaf6.filesusr.com/ugd/a4715a_ad144495d1fa46bf857166bda8e2e8a9.pdf">State of the Malaysian Rainforest 2024</a> report which was released back in May, which found that up to 3.2 million hectares of Malaysian rainforests are at risk – an area nearly the size of Pahang. Then, we turn our attention to two recent reports released by RimbaWatch, first on the proposed <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://9b2d2d75-7adf-4ea5-8c47-1b96d3a7eaf6.filesusr.com/ugd/a4715a_2bc087d7bbe441e89280b6d3ddb15913.pdf">oil and gas project</a> in the Tun Mustapha Marine Park (TMP) which is sparking serious environmental and human rights concerns, and finally we look at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://9b2d2d75-7adf-4ea5-8c47-1b96d3a7eaf6.filesusr.com/ugd/a4715a_b5ace65b60e446ce8445ac260bfc9cf3.pdf?utm_campaign=linkinbio&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=later-linkinbio">Balingian coal mine</a> over in Sarawak, and the climate, biodiversity and transparency-related issues that have been raised in connection with the project.Image credits: Shutterstock, WWF Malaysia/Eric Madeja

RimbaWatch Reports: Forest Loss, Marine Park Threats, and Coal Mining

The Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672) is one of Malaysia's key legislative frameworks, and was designed to address the shortcomings of waste management laws across Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territories, ensuring better coordination, enforcement and sustainability. What are some of the pressing issues Malaysia is facing when it comes to dealing with its waste, and how does this Act close the gaps or address inefficiencies in waste management here?  We explore the history of Act 672, the reasons behind its introduction, and its applications here in the country with Khor Sue Yee (Co-founder and Director, Zero Waste Malaysia) and Tasha Sabapathy (Senior Programme and Communications Officer, Zero Waste Malaysia).



Image credit: Shutterstock

The Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/zerowastemalaysia.official/posts/pfbid0y63NJZbeHMtqGT8MMokdgwNCsmsvwQjBN9SbC837o2w2jtvFodddNCuB1hzpnbS3l">Act 672</a>) is one of Malaysia's key legislative frameworks, and was designed to address the shortcomings of waste management laws across Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territories, ensuring better coordination, enforcement and sustainability. What are some of the pressing issues Malaysia is facing when it comes to dealing with its waste, and how does this Act close the gaps or address inefficiencies in waste management here?&nbsp; We explore the history of Act 672, the reasons behind its introduction, and its applications here in the country with Khor Sue Yee (Co-founder and Director, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://zerowastemalaysia.org/">Zero Waste Malaysia</a>) and Tasha Sabapathy (Senior Programme and Communications Officer, Zero Waste Malaysia).Image credit: Shutterstock

Solid Waste Management: Act 672 Explained

Through innovative approaches and collaborations, BORA or Bring Back Our Rare Animals, is working to reverse the decline of rare species, and safeguard Malaysia's unique biodiversity for future generations. Datuk Dr. John Payne, the Chief Executive Officer of BORA, shares insights into the organisation’s mission to prevent extinction and restore endangered species in Malaysia. He discusses BORA’s key initiatives, including habitat restoration, wildlife management, and the protection of critically endangered species such as the orangutans, elephants and more.



Image credit: Shutterstock

Through innovative approaches and collaborations, BORA or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bringingbackourrareanimals.org/">Bring Back Our Rare Animals</a>, is working to reverse the decline of rare species, and safeguard Malaysia's unique biodiversity for future generations. Datuk Dr. John Payne, the Chief Executive Officer of BORA, shares insights into the organisation’s mission to prevent extinction and restore endangered species in Malaysia. He discusses BORA’s key initiatives, including habitat restoration, wildlife management, and the protection of critically endangered species such as the orangutans, elephants and more.Image credit: Shutterstock

Macaranga Wrap-Up: June 2024

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