WHAT do the Academy of Sciences and four rare earth experts think about the Lynas refinery in Gebeng, Pahang? And what will it take to remove opposition to a project that brings economic benefits just as it does fears for public health?
As If Earth Matters
What’s wrong with a rare earth plant, here?
As if Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
THE rare earth refinery in Gebeng, Pahang is arguably now the hottest environmental issue in Peninsular Malaysia. And both the Malaysian government and Lynas Corp, the company that wants to set up the refinery in Pahang, are struggling to convince an increasingly skeptical Malaysian public that the rare earth refinery is safe. On 20 March […]
Ethical fashion: Greening your wardrobe
As If Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
HAVE you ever wondered what your clothes are made of? How materials such as cotton or polyester are produced, and by whom? And do fashion companies pay our farmers and factory workers fairly for their labour? I was oblivious to the environmental and social woes associated with conventional cotton farming until I read the book […]
Lynas: What’s the fuss?
As if Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
RECENTLY, local independent filmmakers released four short parodies to raise public awareness on the potential hazards of radioactive waste that is expected to be left behind by the Lynas rare earth refinery in Pahang. Concerned with the public health impact of the processing plant located approximately 25km from Kuantan, local communities have formed anti-Lynas groups, […]
Ways to go organic
As if Earth matters by Gan Pei Ling
WE are what we eat. But how often do we think about where our food comes from and how is it processed? I started taking an interest in organic food due to health and ethical concerns. It is encouraging to observe growing consumer interest in organic products and the mushrooming of retail outlets such as […]
Development? Really? For whom?
As if Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
MOST of us living in Peninsular Malaysia take electricity for granted as we have hardly experienced a blackout since the 1990s. But how many of us have stopped for a moment to think where the electricity, that allows us to turn on our TVs and computers, comes from? What are the impacts of the power […]
The nuclear waste dilemma
As if Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
A person was killed and four were injured in a French nuclear waste treatment plant on Sept 12, 2011. This piece of news drew my mind to the fact that debate over nuclear waste treatment and disposal in the light of Malaysia’s own nuclear plans, is still lacking. More often, worries are focused about potential […]
Green voters hunting for green reps
As If Earth Matters by Gan Pei Ling
RUMOURS have been rife since late 2010 that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak might call for the 13th general election by this year before the economy takes a worse turn. As such, not just political parties but civil society has been gearing up for an impending election. Among the civil society groups are a group of […]
TNG wins environmental journalism award
By Jacqueline Ann Surin
PETALING JAYA, 25 July 2011: The Nut Graph columnist Gan Pei Ling has won a Special Prize in Penang’s inaugural Green Journalism Award for a column she wrote about the effectiveness of banning plastic. The piece, which won her one of two special prizes in the English language category, was entitled The plastic menace and […]
Wanted: Safe and eco-friendly cosmetics
As if Earth Matters By Gan Pei Ling
BODY wash, hair shampoo, soap, facial cleanser, toner — most of us use these personal care products on a daily basis regardless of gender. Women are likely to use cosmetics as well in addition to these products, but have you ever stopped and looked at the ingredients contained in the products? The ingredients should be […]
