NEWSLETTER INSIDE THIS EDITION: APRIL Lights Off at Orchard Raod 2012 Tips to Go Beyond the Hour

THE PANDA TIMES LIGHTS OFF AT he mood was upbeat and the crowd Theresa, Jon Chong and finalists from the Park Orchard, TANGS, , T awaited eagerly. NEA Eco-Music Challenge serenaded the , Orchard Central, The audience with their upbeat melodies. Centrepoint, Mandarin Gallery, “10, 9, 8, 7, 6……. 1!” and . Our Earth Hour celebrity supporters, And at 8.30 pm sharp, on 31 March 2012, Nadya Hutagalung, Tung Soo Hua, Pan National monuments and landmarks Saturday, Orchard Road became darker Ling Ling and Huang Shinan also showed such as the Merlion, , when the non-essential and façade lights their support for the event. Nadya and her Resorts World Sentosa, the of many buildings there were switched husband, Desmond Koh, cycled to the Flyer, Changi Airport, and off, to celebrate Earth Hour. event from their home, while Tung Soo Singapore Expo also switched off, along Hua pledged to plant a tree for every 50 of with international and home-grown local Earth Hour is when hundreds of millions her supporters who turned up at the companies such as CapitaLand, Charles of people across the globe unite to event. The celebrities also shared with and Keith, Neptune Orient Lines, and support the world’s largest participants how they reduce their impact Nokia, to name a few. environmental movement. On this day, on the environment. people switch off their lights for an hour Government and grassroots at 8.30 pm (local time) marking their The eco-carnival was a hit with both the organisations did their part as well. commitment towards taking actions to young and old. The Living! Project's These included the Ministry of Law, reduce their impact on climate change. windmill-making workshop drew crowds. Woodlands YEC, NorthWest CDC, Bukit Even Guest of Honour, Dr Vivian Ho Swee Court, West Coast GROs and Organised by WWF Singapore and Balakrishnan, Minister of Environment Marine Parade Town Council. supported this year by Orchard Road and Water Resources, tried his hand at Business Association (ORBA), Earth making a windmill out of used plastic All in all, over 370 organisations across Hour 2012 was the fourth time that the bottles. Singapore supported Earth Hour 2012 in event took place in Singapore. ways that ranged from switching off their Participants also learnt more about how non-essential lights to adopting broader they could do their part to save the planet environmental commitments. Celebrations @ Orchard at booths by Nokia, Philips Lighting, Greenviron, Alpha Biofuels and Nature A huge THANK YOU to everyone for yet Close to 6000 people gathered at Ngee Society Singapore. Ben & Jerry's ice another fantastic Earth Hour and for Ann City Civic Plaza to participate in or cream and body-painting by Muse b'Art championing the cause to save the planet. witness the first ever WWF “60+ were other crowd-pleasers. Singapore” human formation. The Key Sponsor Sponsor formation was a symbolic exercise to encourage Singaporeans to go beyond the Lights O @ Orchard and act of switching off lights for just one Product Sponsor Official Radio Stations hour, and to proactively undertake Elsewhere sustainable actions to protect the environment. Singaporeans and residents Popular retail malls along Orchard Road readily took up the cause and a record dimmed or switched off their lights, Partners number of 1,500 Earth Hour pledging their support for Earth Hour. Ambassadors stood in solidarity to create For example, ION Orchard switched off the ‘60+ Singapore’ human formation. non-essential façade and internal lightings for 10 hours with flagship There were others who preferred to soak duplex tenants such as Dolce & Gabbana, themselves in the carnival-like Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton also atmosphere at the eco-carnival and turning off their façade lights. Other concert where local talents like Jack & participating malls included Paragon, Rai, Tay Kewei, Dawn Ho, Michaela Knightsbridge, 313@somerset, Grand 1 THE PANDA TIMES - APRIL 2012 EARTH HOUR 2012

© Jürgen Freund / WWF-Canon

Learning how to make a windmill from recycled plastic bottles Whee.... A young participant testing out his windmill

Having cycled to the event from their home, Nadya Hutagalung (fourth The senior citizans from the Peace Connect Elderly dance group from right) with husband, Desmond Koh (fifth from right) pose with added to the entertainment that evening members of the bike group, Love Cycling SG.

Guest of Honour Minister Vivian Balakrishnan testing out his plastic Popular duo, Jack and Rai entertaining the crowd with their songs. bottle windmill.

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2 THE PANDA TIMES - APRIL 2012 EARTH HOUR 2012

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Singer, Tay Kewei serenading the crowd with her popular hits Counting down to “Lights-OFF”

Participants of the 60+ Singapore formation standing in solidarity for Lights off at Orchard ION the planet

A group of scouts holding candles during the Earth Hour lights off. During the darkness of Earth Hour, visitors at the Singapore Expo used their mobile phones and to pledge their support.

3 THE PANDA TIMES - APRIL 2012 EARTH HOUR 2012 Tips to Go Beyond the Hour arth Hour is more than just Turn off televisions, videos, stereos “double sided” so that you can save switching off your lights for an 3 and computers when they are not in on paper by using both sides. Avoid E hour. There is a lot you can do to use - these appliances still use 10% - printing out single line e-mails or protect the planet and they all start 60% of power even when on ‘stand making unnecessary copies of with a simple action. The actions on by’. Don’t leave chargers for mobile documents. phones plugged in and switched on this page are by no means exhaustive, when you’re not using them. but you might be surprised to discover that while we all need to make lifestyle changes, saving the planet doesn't have to mean giving up the things you love.

Set your air-conditioner at home or 1 office at 24 degrees celsius or higher. For every degree raised, you save about $20 a year*. The lower 6 When buying takeaways, bring your you set your air-conditioner own reusable containers, mugs and temperature, the more energy it cutlery to cut down on waste uses, and the higher your electricity generated. bill will be. If you can, use the fan to Whenever possible, buy local, keep cool instead. © Istockphoto.com / WWF-Canada 7 seasonal produce that hasn’t Switch your lights to LED or 4 Take public transport instead of crossed the globe to get to you. And 2 compact fluorescent lamps. driving. If you have to drive, if you are choosing produce from Compact fluorescent lamps use consider car pooling or joining a far away, try to make sure it was only around 25% of the electricity, car-share scheme. shipped, and not flown, to your compared to traditional light bulbs, country. Around the world we use 1 million to provide the same amount of 5 tonnes of paper every day. Before Food wastage is unnecessary and light. They can save up to 80% on 8 you print anything ask yourself: Do expensive. Buy, cook or order just your next electricity bill and last up I really need to print this? Set your enough food and you won’t have to to 8 times longer. printer or copier’s default status to throw excess away.

*Source: www.e2singapore.gov.sg/energy-saving-tips.html Singapore is now home to Earth Hour Global

fter six years since its conceptualisation in Sydney, AAustralia, the largest global climate change movement, Earth Hour, will be moving its global headquarters to Singapore this June. The move represents the next frontier of the campaign with Singapore acting as a gateway that bridges Southeast Asia, a growing community base, to the rest of the world.

As a global hub, Singapore offers us a level of connectivity and opportunity that the campaign needs and desires moving forward,” said Executive- Director and Co-Founder of Earth Hour, Andy Ridley. © WWF Singapore 4 THE PANDA TIMES - APRIL 2012 HOW CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE REAL ‘ECO’ RESORT

ou may have drooled over them on travel documentaries, in Ymagazines, or on website ads, and - for a fortunate few - even spent a couple of nights in them. Eco resorts, be they a small family-operated venture or part of a corporate chain, seem to be popping up over the Coral Triangle, an area spanning the 6 countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.

Let’s face it - not all self-proclaimed eco resorts actually deserve their green crown. Quite often it seems, owners are content to spruce up their facilities with a few extra plants and some bamboo huts so that they can adorn their resort name with the “eco” prefix. If only it was that simple.

When it comes to going green, more is less. Any tourism venture that genuinely wants to do good should be aiming to bring its environmental impact as close to zero as possible. So, what should you be looking out for to ensure you’re choosing a resort that is really eco-friendly, and not just trying to be trendy? © Adam Oswell / WWF-Canon

Here are some questions to ask:

Is the hotel or resort making efforts of carbon emissions that are Here’s how you can find out whether 1 to reduce its use of electricity? For generated in the process. The your hotel is truly sustainable: example, is it using energy-efficient message is clear - go local. light bulbs, or drawing power from Check the website: Is it providing renewable energy with solar panels And it’s not only about what the hotel details on its green and social or wind turbines? or resort does but also how and where, credentials? If it is, is it all fluffy and it was built. Do you fancy staying in a general, or are they providing specific details? Does the hotel reuse waste water for place that takes into account the four 2 things like gardening? Are there areas mentioned so far, but was Check if the hotel has green awards efforts in place to reduce the use of actually built on a pristine mangrove and certification programmes such water, for example with water-saving that had to be destroyed to make room as the ASEAN Green Hotel Standard toilets and showers? for it? Seriously green facilities are Awards, Green Globe and the Virigin green right from the start, from the Responsible Tourism Awards. Is there a system in place to reduce planning phase, so that their 3 the amount of waste that is development does not degrade Contact the hotels and ask them generated, and to recycle on site? ecosystems. questions. Very often a lot of the garbage that is created at a hotel is organic (e.g. The well-being of people must also fit Do your own checking after you have vegetables), which means that it can into the equation. Hiring local people checked in and talk about your be composted and used to boost soils. and generating economic benefits in experience on tripadvisor.com. the area, minimising negative impacts Does the hotel favour local foods over on the natural and socio-cultural SAVE THE 4 imported produce? Remember, the environment, and increasing local and CORAL TRIANGLE further it takes for food to travel to visitor awareness of conservation are Buy a spot now the plate, the higher the amount all major signs of a responsible, © http://tinyurl.com/7j87bgm

5 THE PANDA TIMES - APRIL 2012 NEWS & EVENTS “Save the Big Cats, Run for the Cakes!” First TEDxWWF in Fundraising Bake Sale Singapore

nspired by a wildlife Our first TEDxWWF conference in documentary to Singapore is set to take place in I save the Big Cats, June. Sofia Evangelista, a Grade 5 student at the Themed “One Planet Living”, the Stamford American event will bring speakers from International School, around the world to spread ideas of was inspired to do her sustainable living, spark bit to save these majestic discussions and forge connections. animals. We use nature because it's valuable, Sofia and six of her but lose it because it's free. But a friends, Ardic Baykoca, © WWF Singapore sustainable future is not just some Erika Peletis, Kotone distant aspiration. Humans are Makino, Natalie Harness, Nicole Branch and Victoria Villalobos, came together to travellers, and many are asking the organise a bake sale at their school, on 29 February 2012, to raise funds for the Big Cats. traveller's question - where do we want to go? And they received overwhelming support from their schoolmates! Cakes and confectionary, decorated with cat prints, paws and all patterns feline, were all sold out Inspiring individuals will share within the morning. their endeavours and insights - scientific, adventurous, artistic or An impressive amount of about $2000 was raised and donated to WWF Singapore, their chosen beneficiary. As part of the fundraising event, WWF Singapore was also otherwise - that are changing the invited to speak with the students on WWF’s role in global conservation, case studies way we think, live and work to meet of our local community initiatives and our efforts towards protecting endangered big the challenges of living on our one cat species, including the tiger and snow leopard. precious planet.

When & where WWF Supports 14 June 2012, Thursday ‘No Shark Fins Singapore’ Campaign 8.30 am - 5:00 pm INSEAD Asia campus

Attendees will consist of thought leaders on environmental and development issues, designers, economists, business leaders, people from the world of communications and marketing, philanthropists and investors, photographers and students.

The event is by invitation only.

However, all presentations will be A new campaign targeting to end shark fin consumption in Singapore was recently streamed live and will be made launched in April by marine photographer, Michael Aw. available online following the conference at our TEDxWWF Titled ‘No Shark Fins Singapore”, the campaign hopes to make Singapore shark website. fin-free by 2013. The campaign aims to convince all Chinese restaurants and companies to remove shark fins from their menus and corporate events respectively, as Please visit www.wwf.sg/tedx for well as conduct active outreach programmes to primary and secondary schools. more details. WWF Singapore supports this campaign, together with other conservation organisations such as Project FIN, Fauna and Flora International, IUCN, Shark Research Institute and Humane Society International.

Each year, close to 73 million sharks are killed mainly for their fins. 6 THE PANDA TIMES - APRIL 2012 NEWS & EVENTS Yanni Lends Support to Save Giant Pandas

egendary composer and performer, Yanni, joins WWF in Lits efforts to save giant pandas. The musician was inspired to help protect giant pandas after he “adopted” a two-month old panda cub at the Chinese Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in October 2011. Yanni is the first Western artist to be given the honour of symbolically adopting one of Chengdu’s pandas, a Collaborating privilege reserved almost exclusively for nations, rather than personalities, with WWF will bring awareness He named the panda “Santorini”, after one of the most beautiful islands in his to the plight of native Greece. “Santorini” is also one of the giant panda Yanni’s most well known compositions and contains the word “Irini” which and help save means “peace” in Greek. this animal from As part of the collaboration, WWF US extinction and Yanni have created a “Santorini” Panda Adoption programme allowing supporters to symbolically adopt a panda. For US$50 supporters will - Yanni receive an adoption kit that includes a plush panda, a photo of Yanni and Santorini, a DVD (that includes footage © Fritz Pölking / WWF of Yanni and Santorini), a certificate of adoption, a re-useable tote bag and an to support WWF’s panda conservation extinction”, said Yanni. information card with a panda photo. efforts. You too can play a part to save the Yanni has guaranteed $50,000 in “Collaborating with WWF will bring pandas. Adopt your panda today. donations, the equivalent of 1,000 awareness to the plight of the giant “Santorini” symbolic panda adoptions panda and help save this animal from Poaching Sentences Sti ened in Cameroon sentencing 17 individuals to damages deterrence and stop the wanton carnage amounting to nearly FCFA 80 million of Cameroon’s wildlife,” Hoyle said. (US $160,000) and prison terms as high “This verdict will certainly boost the as 30 months. morale of forest rangers who have been hitherto saddened and disappointed by The sentences were the outcome of the series of mild court sentences passed concerted efforts made by WWF, the by the courts over the years.” Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and © Roger Leguen/WWF-Cannon Wildlife (MINFOF), and the Last Great The southeast of Cameroon is home to Ape Organization (LAGA). iconic species such as gorillas, forest A court in the East Region of Cameroon elephants, chimpanzees and African has handed out high fines and lengthy The court rulings marked a watershed in grey parrots, but these species, prison terms to a group of wildlife the history of law enforcement against especially elephants, are under intense poachers and traffickers a month after poaching in southeast Cameroon, said poaching pressure. According to meting out mild penalties that caused David Hoyle, Conservation Director for anti-poaching data provided by outrage in the conservation community. WWF Cameroon. conservation services in southeast Cameroon, at least 50 elephants are The ruling is unprecedented in the “We congratulate the Cameroon killed for ivory each year in the region history of wildlife crime cases in the judiciary for applying the letter of law and hundreds were killed in northern southeast of Cameroon, and included and hope the decision will serve as Cameroon this year. 7 THE PANDA TIMES - APRIL 2012 BUSINESSES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT Pay Your Bills the Green Way

id you know that very few people use paperless billing D options which leads to over 1 billion pages of paper wasted in Singapore each year?

That’s more than 120,000 trees! This can easily be prevented with GreenPost’s free service.

The service automatically gives you all your e-bills* in one place which makes payment and archival of bills easy. Other GreenPost features include due date reminders and spending analysis and comparison.

All you need to do is set up your free GreenPost account and you can save the environment by making a positive impact on forest protection.

@Alain Compost/ WWF-Canon Visit www.gogreenpost to set up Logging for paper industry and forest clearing your free GreenPost account or * StarHub, M1, SingTel, Singapore Power, NUSS, Keppel Club, SunPage, download the free app from the APP Singapore Swimming Club, Phoenix Comms store or Google Play Android Market.

Sustainable Palm Oil is Good for Business

rotecting the environment by producing certified sustainable Ppalm oil is also good for the bottom line, according to a recent study.

Profitably and Sustainability in Palm Oil Production is a first-time study that comprehensively examines the financial costs and benefits of producing sustainable palm oil under the guidelines set out by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The report was produced jointly by WWF, CDC, the UK’s development finance institution and FMO, the Dutch © James Morgan / WWF International development bank.

The growing demand for palm oil is “This study shows that getting RSPO “But the responsibility for making the adding to the already severe pressure on certified palm oil makes good business industry sustainable also lies with those remaining rainforest areas of the world sense as well as good environmental companies that buy and use palm oil”, and is threatening the survival of species and social sense for growers. WWF he added. such as the orang-utan, the Sumatran hopes that the findings will persuade all tiger, the rhino and the elephant. Forest WWF urges companies to commit to producers to join the RSPO and to start loss and the draining of peatlands for gradually increasing purchases of palm oil is also contributing to climate getting certified,” added Adam certified sustainable palm oil, and to change and displacing local people who Harrison, WWF’s representative on the ensure that 100% of their palm oil use rely on the forest for food and shelter. Executive Board of the RSPO. is from certified sources by 2015. 8 THE PANDA TIMES - APRIL 2012 TIGER FACE PAINTING YOU’LL NEED Somebody to paint your face! Yellow, orange, black and white face-paints A sponge A face-painting brush

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Wet the sponge and use it to cover the 6 Colour the tip of the nose black. bottom of the face (from below the nose to the jaw-line), with yellow paint. 7 Add black strokes to the white eyebrows and some next to the white marks on the 2 Sponge the top of the face with orange forehead. paint. 8 Do the same between the white lines on 3 Paint a wide ‘moustache’ under the nose the jaw. and across the top lip, in white paint. 9 Paint a line from the middle of the nose to 4 Draw white spiky eyebrows above each the middle of the top lip, and add black eye and some white stripes on the dots on the white ‘moustache’. forehead. 10 Finish with whiskers on each side. 5 Add extra white stripes along the jaw. Roarrrrr! ©WWF UK

WWF - World Wide Fund For Nature (Singapore) Limited WWF Singapore is a registered charity Why we are here Tel : +65 6730 8100 To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and Email : [email protected] to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. Website : wwf.sg wwf.sg Our financial statements are audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers ©1986 Panda symbol WWF ® WWF is a registered trademark www.facebook.com/wwfsg www.twitter.com/wwfsg

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