UNCLOS negotiation blind spot?

Ocean plastic debris is a serious issue.

Unsustainability of fishing industry subsidies

Linking biodiversity loss to personal welfare

Shortfalls in global warming mitigation?

Singapore's green space management?

In a storied career, the diplomat Professor Tommy Koh also chaired the Earth Summit in 1992 and negotiated the Law of the Sea.

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

The framers of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea did not foresee global warming affecting oceans to the extent that it does - causing acidification and the death of coral reefs - said the top diplomat who was president of the 1973 conference that produced the Convention known as UNCLOS. 

In this episode, Singapore’s ambassador at-large and foremost international environmental law expert Tommy Koh - who also chaired the pivotal 1992 Earth Summit - tells host ST's global contributor Nirmal Ghosh that plastic debris in the oceans now is of severe concern. He adds that the international community has also failed to be good stewards of the world's fisheries.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), unsustainable practices have depleted about 90 per cent of major fisheries - and fishing fleets continue to be subsidised. The total capacity of the world’s fishing fleets is beyond the sustainable limit of the oceans. 

Meanwhile, unlike climate change, the loss of biodiversity has failed to capture the popular imagination even as some scientists are calling the current era "the sixth extinction."

There is hope, however, that the international community is at a tipping point, with people and governments waking up to the danger of this unprecedented loss. 

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

2:22 The blind spot during negotiations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

3:57 Large amounts of marine plastic debris in the ocean is a very serious problem

5:01 Why it is unsustainable to subsidise the fishing industry

6:05  How the man or woman on the street can link the loss of biodiversity to their individual welfare and interest

9:46 What are the shortfalls in efforts to curb global warming

12:43 How densely populated Singapore managed to maintain green spaces

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Fa'izah Sani and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read ST's Climate Change microsite: https://www.straitstimes.com/climate-change

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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#greenpulse

In a storied career, the diplomat Professor Tommy Koh also chaired the Earth Summit in 1992 and negotiated the Law of the Sea.
Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.
The framers of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea did not foresee global warming affecting oceans to the extent that it does - causing acidification and the death of coral reefs - said the top diplomat who was president of the 1973 conference that produced the Convention known as UNCLOS. 
In this episode, Singapore’s ambassador at-large and foremost international environmental law expert Tommy Koh - who also chaired the pivotal 1992 Earth Summit - tells host ST's global contributor Nirmal Ghosh that plastic debris in the oceans now is of severe concern. He adds that the international community has also failed to be good stewards of the world's fisheries.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), unsustainable practices have depleted about 90 per cent of major fisheries - and fishing fleets continue to be subsidised. The total capacity of the world’s fishing fleets is beyond the sustainable limit of the oceans. 
Meanwhile, unlike climate change, the loss of biodiversity has failed to capture the popular imagination even as some scientists are calling the current era "the sixth extinction."
There is hope, however, that the international community is at a tipping point, with people and governments waking up to the danger of this unprecedented loss. 
Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):
2:22 The blind spot during negotiations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
3:57 Large amounts of marine plastic debris in the ocean is a very serious problem
5:01 Why it is unsustainable to subsidise the fishing industry
6:05  How the man or woman on the street can link the loss of biodiversity to their individual welfare and interest
9:46 What are the shortfalls in efforts to curb global warming
12:43 How densely populated Singapore managed to maintain green spaces
Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (<a href="mailto:nirmal@sph.com.sg">nirmal@sph.com.sg</a>), Ernest Luis, Fa'izah Sani and Hadyu Rahim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaY">https://str.sg/JWaY</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/JWag">https://str.sg/JWag</a>
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Read ST's Climate Change microsite:<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/climate-change"> https://www.straitstimes.com/climate-change</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
The Usual Place: <a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a>
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a>
In Your Opinion:<a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt"> https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Asian Insider:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7"> https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Health Check:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaN"> https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Green Pulse:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaf"> https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Your Money &amp; Career:<a href="https://str.sg/wB2m"> https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
Hard Tackle:<a href="https://str.sg/JWRE"> https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
#PopVultures:<a href="https://str.sg/JWad"> https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Music Lab:<a href="https://str.sg/w9TX"> https://str.sg/w9TX</a>
Discover ST Podcasts:<a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts"> http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/i44T"> https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2"> https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Invisible Asia (9 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZn"> https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Stop Scams (10 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZB"> https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuJa"> https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
---
#greenpulse

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Podcaster: David Fogarty

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.
Podcaster: David Fogarty
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Green Pulse

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Podcaster: David Fogarty

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust

Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.
Podcaster: David Fogarty
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust

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