Sustainability Momentum Sdn Bhd

Zero Carbon Foods have created London’s first underground farm within the depths of a Second World War air raid shelter. The 2.5 acre site, which is leased from Transport of London, has been producing crops such as peashoots, microradishes and mustard redleaf for the last 18 months during its trial period. Now the company is looking to expand its subterranean herbs, shoots, miniature vegetables, edible flowers and other delicacies to Britain’s high-end restaurants and food stores. Without access to the sun, the crops are grown through an integrated hydroponics system using low energy LED lights and enjoy a stable temperature of 16°C all year round, meaning that production can continue throughout the year. The project will be carbon neutral with additional energy sourced from renewable sources. Special filters are installed to keep the tunnels free of pests, eliminating the need for pesticides.

Scientists from the National Institute of Technology and the Centurion University of Technology and Management Odisha in India have found a process to extract low-density polyethylene plastics (LDPE) from waste plastic bags and convert it into a usable fuel. The plastic waste is broken down through thermo-catalytic degradation which involves gentle heating at a temperature of around 400 Celsius using kaolin as the catalyst. High petrochemical content within long chain polymers of the plastic bags are then released. Although it is yet to be applied at a large scale, this waste-to-energy fuel could potentially power machinery or even vehicles.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and SunEdison have launched Malaysia's first airport solar power system at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport with a total investment of RM200mil. The system is the largest in Malaysia and is interconnected, combining ground-mounted (5MW), parking canopy (10 MW) and roof-top (4 MW) systems, in order to maximise electricity savings while minimising space. The system is expected to save the airport about RM 2.1 million annually in energy costs. The project funding model involves SunEdison, the system provider and owner, leasing part of unutilised land from MAHB for 21 years. MAHB will then buy electricity at a cheaper rate compared to that charged by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).

Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB), the concessionaire appointed to construct, manage, operate and maintain the Second Penang Bridge, has acquired five new Electric Mitsubishi i-MIEVs which will be used as patrol vehicles on this new bridge. The vehicles are able to travel 150km after an eight-hour full charge and will also be powered by renewable energy sources such as solar panels located at the toll plaza’s supervision building and wind turbines at the bridge’s surau. This initiative is claimed to be a pioneering move, as JKSB is the first concessionaire in Malaysia to have an electric patrol vehicle fleet.

Scientists in Brazil have discovered a new species of river dolphins in the Araguaia River Basin in central Brazil. The new species, which scientist are calling the Inia araguaiaensis or Araguaian Boto, has DNA sufficiently different from other river dolphins (or known as botos). It is claimed that this new species separated from other dolphin species more than two million years ago. This rare river dolphin is the first of its kind to be discovered since 1918 when researchers found the Lipotes vexillifer, the Yangtze river dolphin in China. Researchers estimate that there are as few as 600 of these animals left in the river basin and have deemed them to be highly endangered. Dam construction, local fishing and loss of habitat all contribute to its decline.

For the first time, Chinese authorities fed six tonnes of seized elephant ivory into a crushing machine at a public destruction event in Dongguan, a city which is an alleged hub for illegal ivory trade from Africa to Asia. This historic event has been applauded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which has been working endlessly to stop illicit trade of elephant tusks. It continues to focus on reducing ivory demand in Asia as well as improve on law enforcement. The UNEP reports that ivory seizures heading for Asia have doubled since 2009, reaching a record high in 2011.