Sustainability Momentum Sdn Bhd

Photo Credit: Click Green

According to WWF Japan, two of the nation’s natural icons, cherry trees and ancient beech forests are currently threatened by climate change. Local temperatures have already exceeded the global average and are estimated to rise by around 5°C in the future. Climate change is projected to decrease 80% of the Shirakami Mountain beech forests in northern Japan by the end of the century. Cherry blossoms are also predicted to flower 14 days earlier than usual. If the effects of climate change cannot be halted or minimized, the Japanese may lose their beech forests which are seen as a generational treasure. The ‘symbol’ of cherry blossoms may even change to signify ‘the end’ rather than ‘a new beginning’. 

Photo credit: University of Illinois

Finding it difficult to dispose batteries safely? No worries, you may be able to use water to solve this issue in the near future! Researchers from the University of Illinois have recently revealed a newly developed, non-toxic biodegradable battery which can be dissolved in water after three weeks. This battery releases magnesium after it is dissolved in water and scientists claim that there are no negative end impacts. This new invention would primarily be used in biomedical implants which require temporary power, as it can be reabsorbed by the body after use rather than having to surgically remove it. It could even provide alternative solutions for tracking oil spills and water concentration of chemicals.

Photo Credit: Liew Thor-Seng

A group of biologists have recently discovered 10 new species of snail genus Plectostoma from Malaysia, Sumatra and Thailand. These exquisite invertebrates that inhabit limestone hills in Southeast Asia are now severely threatened by mining activities. The snail colonies discovered are highly isolated from each other making them endemic to a single hill. An entire species of snail can therefore be wiped out completely when mining companies exploit the hills for cement. In fact, the species Plectostoma sciaphilum became extinct when its hill was mined around 2003. At least 6 other snail species face similar threats, including a species called P. tenggekensis which is expected to become extinct by the end of 2014. 

Photo Credit: Knut Dobberke/ Fraunhofer ISC

Experts from the German Phosphorus Platform DPP have revealed a new method to recover phosphorus from water. Their research is aimed at protecting the environment and reusing the phosphorus in industries where phosphorus is in scarce supply. To recover the phosphorus, researchers add superparamagnetic particles into the water so that they can bind with phosphate anions and allow for easy recovery. The magnetic properties of the superparamagnetic particles, with their phosphorus load, enable them to be extracted out of the water using a magnet.

Photo credit: WWF-Malaysia/ Yeoh Lin Lin

The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Wide Fund for Nature – Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) in an effort to strengthen their cooperation and collaboration in the conservation of forest resources. This MoU enables both parties to help one another enhance knowledge in forest and biodiversity conservation, as well as resources management through knowledge transfer and sharing. Efforts will also be extended to enhance the public’s understanding of forest management and conservation issues.

Photo Credit: OKO

Swiss Company OKO has upgraded their self-filtering water bottle to a multifunctional bottle. The OKO Odyssey has two filters, a light adapter and a storage compartment. The storage compartment at the bottom of the bottle is suitable to be used as a drinking cup or to store small items like keys. The compartment can then be replaced with a double-sized light adapter which turns the bottle into a lantern or flashlight depending on which direction the light adapter is pointed to (inwards and outwards). In addition, the light adapter is also designed with a strobe function for emergency purposes.