Category: Environment EN

Contaminated soil may lead to cardiovascular disease by increasing oxidative stress in the blood vessels (with more “bad” free radicals and fewer “good” antioxidants), by causing inflammation, and by disturbing the body clock (circadian rhythm), says a recent study in Cardiovascular Research, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology. “Soil contamination is a less visible danger...

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is most disappointed that our call for a public commission of inquiry (COI) on the Baling floods in Kedah has been dismissed by the Kedah state government, as well as the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR). SAM, had on Wednesday, 6 July, called on the Kedah state government to hold a COI to get to the root causes of the Baling floods. We made this call to...

 Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) calls on the Kedah state government to take more responsibility for the Baling floods in Kedah and the devastation that resulted in the death of three persons, including a pregnant woman and the loss of homes of hundreds of others. SAM is appalled by the response of the Menteri Besar of Kedah, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who once again rubbished logging as a...

There is no away. Everything we purchase and discard must end up somewhere. (Environmental Media Association) If you really think about it, you are never throwing your trash “away” because there is no “away” on Earth. Everything that you throw out is being put somewhere else instead. It either goes to recycling, landfills, oceans, or streets. (Penn State University) Buy less stuff. Focus...

A recent study has found that trees can reduce land surface temperature in European cities by up to 12 degree Celsius. Trees naturally cool the air by a process known as “transpiration cooling”. As trees release water into the atmosphere from their leaves via transpiration, the surrounding air is cooled as water goes from liquid to a vapour. Trees also cool the air by providing shade. A...

If birds didn’t exist, the world would be in chaos. Birds keep the climate stable, oxygenate air and transform pollutants into nutrients. And they help in reducing harmful creatures, pests and insects. If bees didn’t exist, humans wouldn’t either. One third of the world’s food supply relies on bees. Out of the 100 crop species that provide us with 90% of our food, 35% are pollinated by...

It is World Environment Day (WED) on Sunday, June 5. The 2022 WED campaign #OnlyOneEarth calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet. Malaysia, which is blessed as being one of the 17 mega-biodiverse countries in the world according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), must do its part to protect its forests,...

The Department of Standards Malaysia is currently soliciting public comments on the draft Malaysian Standard (MS) for Architectural Coatings. Architectural coatings, often called exterior wall coatings, are paints and other coatings used to paint the exteriors and interiors of buildings. It is intended for on-site use on the interior and exterior surfaces of residential, commercial,...

Various civil society groups have joined forces to call for a global ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ahead of the World Environment Day.  Also known as the “forever chemicals,” PFAS do not break down in the environment and build up in the bodies of humans and wildlife over time, resulting in adverse health effects. At a webinar co-organized by the EcoWaste Coalition with...