Oxygen

There is oxygen in the air and that’s why we still survive today.

Back to the basics of science, we had been tought that Oxygen is symbolic by a letter “O” and it have a atomic number of 8. By mass, oxygen is the third-most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen and helium.

It basically means oxygen is everywhere and near infinate matter of the universe.

Oxygen don’t really stays alone, it is highly oxidizing elements that always stay together with other elements to be stable. As compounds including oxides, the element makes up almost half of the Earth’s crust.

Oxygen cause materials to burn in flames, Oxygen required to run combustion engine in vehicle and generators, Oxygen cause metal to rust, Oxygen reaction is everywhere around us.

At standard temperature and pressure, two atoms of oxygen will bind together to form a much stable dioxygen (O₂) or atmospheric oxygen, which constitutes 20.8% of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Three oxygen atoms can forms ozone (O₃) , which is abundant at the higher atmospheric level that protect earth surface from high dose of UVB.

With so much oxygen around us, so whats the fuss about oxygen ? We can extract them anywhere. But is it so ? Lets find out how to efficiently extract oxygen from the environment to form the oxygen that we need for breathing and survive.

Evolution of Photosynthesis

Oxygenic Photosynthesis is the main process that produces the freely available oxygen in our earth atmosphere.

Back to the evolution of life on earth, it was speculate that >3500 million years ago the earth atmosphere have no free oxygen. The exact of duration of oxygenic photosynthesis evolved is still not known, but cyanobacteria (bacteria that can obtain their energy through photosynthesis) remain the principal oxygen producer 2500 million years ago. During these time the photosynthesis is not efficient and do not significantly increase the atmospheric oxygen level as O2 produced is mainly absorbed in oceans and seabed rock.

Around 1800 million years ago, Oxygen start to gas out of the oceans but absorb by land surfaces and formation of Ozone layer. Oxygen starts accumulate in the atmosphere since 850 million years ago.

The Great Oxygenation Event suggests that free atmospheric oxygen was first produced by prokaryotic and then later eukaryotic organisms that carried out oxygenic photosynthesis more efficiently.

Oxygen accumulate in the atmosphere, giving raise to opportunity for biological diversification. Aerobic (with oxygen) metabolism is more efficient than anaerobic (without oxygen) pathways. Complex life started nearly 540 millions ago.

Around 300 million years ago (Carboniferous), the atmospheric oxygen is suspected to be around 35%, which is much higher that today’s atmospheric oxygen concentration of 21%.

(Carboniferous means “coal-bearing”, as many coal beds are form during these time. It was found that Carboniferous trees made extensive use of insoluble lignin with very high bark to wood ratio, causing it to be less decomposition. The undegraded carbon built up by these buried dead plants in the soil forms an effective carbon sink, leading to an increase in oxygen levels of atmospheric oxygen. Major climatic events, Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse, glacial ice age, drop in sea level also happens during this Carboniferous period.)

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis had comes a long way to fill the atmosphere with atmospheric oxygen. Currently the photosynthesis of plants is so efficient that the current atmospheric oxygen concentration can be produced in around 2000 years of photosynthesis.

At current photosynthesis, energy from light is absorbed by proteins called reaction centers inside chloroplasts that contain green chlorophyll pigments. This is what gives leaves their green color.

The photosynthesis process takes in 6 molecules of Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and 6 molecules of water (H₂O) to form 1 molecule of sugar (C₆H₁₂O₆) and 6 molecule of atmospheric oxygen (O₂).

Photosynthesis is a complex reaction that occurs in two stages – The Light Dependent Reactions and Light Independent Reactions.

Light dependent reactions occur in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast. This is the first stage of photosynthesis where light energy splits (photolysis) the Water molecule (H₂O) into Oxygen (O₂) and Hydrogen Ion (H⁺) in a photosystems (light dependent protein complex). Subsequent cascade of conversion within lead to the final output of ATP (chemical energy) and NADPH (reducing power).

Light Independent Reaction occur in the stroma of the chloroplast. In plants it is called a Calvin Cycle – a cyclical pathway that involves Carbon fixation, Reduction and Regeneration of Ribulose. The ATP and NADPH generated from the first stage of photosynthesis are required in the second stage of photosynthesis. It is also called the dark reactions as light is not needed. In this stage Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is converted into glucose and other products. These products further yield sucrose, starch and cellulose.

Photosynthetic organism converts around 100–115 thousand million metric tonnes of carbon into biomass per year.

Photosynthesis vs Cellular Respiration

Photosynthesis occurs in plants, Algae and Photosynthetic Bacteria. These are organism that can have Anabolic (building up) metabolic process where Carbon Dioxide, Water and Light energy is required to build storage energy such as glucose. It release Oxygen into the air.

Cellular Respiration however happens in all living organism, including humans, animals, bacteria and plants. This is a Catabolic (break down) metabolic process where Glucose and Oxygen is required to form energy currency in the cells (ATP, NADH and FADH₂). It release Carbon dioxide into the air.

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are both part of a mutually beneficial relationship. It forms a complete cycle of energy in all carbon based lifeform. Taking one out of the system and both will not survive. Hence it stays in a delicate balance.

The green lungs

Green plants is one of the most efficient photosynthesis organism. They contributed to the atmospheric oxygen concentration around the world.

Green leaved trees are found in most tropical and temperate area. Tropical forests have been called the “Earth’s lungs” or the “green lungs”. Notable Tropical rainforest are Southeast Asia Rainforest (Myanmar, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea), Congo Rainforest, Amazon Rainforest, Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, Australia and many of the Pacific Islands.

However these green lungs are receding in size, due to deforestation and expanding of cities and agriculture lands. Frequent forest fire also challenge the greens.

The Water and Oxygen

Water have a chemical formula of H₂O. It consist of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. In liquid form, it is the main constituent of Earth’s streams, lakes, ocean, and runs in body of most living organism. In solid form, it stay in snow, glaciers and ice. In gas form, it can be found in steam and atmospheric water vapor.

Water is one of the resources that most take for granted. Water covers 71% of the Earth surface. Of which, 96.5% of it lies in the seas and ocean, only 2.5% is freshwater. 70% of the freshwater used are going to agriculture.

Water is abundant on earth and easily accessible in most areas. With Oxygen able to dissolved in water (that sustain most aquatic life) and easy to split oxygen and hydrogen apart via electrosynthesis, water has been an alternative to harvest oxygen.

Although oxygen also found in compounds and oxides which makes up almost half of the earth’s crust, harvesting oxygen from these compounds are far more expensive and complex than electrosynthesis.

Photosynthesis VS Electrosynthesis

Both Photosynthesis and Electrosynthesis are a different process, however both of them have the same capability to split (or lysis) a water H₂O molecule to Oxygen and Hydrogen. Lets see how it is similar.

In a first step of photosynthesis, it involves photosystem II, the p680. Once the chlorophyll received one photon , it will liberate one electron to the next chain in their electron transport chain till it finally takes up by NADP to form NADPH. In response losing one electron, photolysis takes place to replace the electron lost. Photolysis will split water molecules into Oxygen and hydrogen ions. Oxygen is released to the atmosphere as waste product while hydrogen ion involves in creating a proton gradient that runs the subsequent steps to generate ATP.

The similar steps can be replicated using a combination of photovoltaic cell and electrosynthesis cell. Photovoltaic cells (usually seen in solar panel that build from semiconductors) have photoelectric properties as when a photon strikes the material with enough energy, it will cause a electric potential by shifting the electrons. The flow of electrons creates current or electricity as we know. When we connect the circuits with a electrosynthesis cell, we can split water to oxygen and hydrogen ions just as photosystem II in chlorophyll do.

In a photosynthesis cell, various combinations and solutions is available, variance including split cell with a membrane/bridge to allow certain ions to move across or a combine cell where solutions are freely mixed. For the purpose of this article we will be quoting the most simplest type of electrosynthesis by just using water (with some salt for increasing conductivity) and two graphite (carbon) electrodes. When the circuit is completed, the side where electron are removed – the anode – will gain back the electron by splitting water to oxygen gas and hydrogen ions. The hydrogen ions is subsequently moves to the cathode where electrons are piling up and will forms hydrogen gas.

In both systems, electron movement is the one that cause the splitting of water to forms oxygen and hydrogen.

As water is much abundant and easy accessible, it will be the next in line to mass produce of atmospheric oxygen in replacement of the loosing trees.  Do we need to resorting to artificial oxygen generation in the end ? In such stage we will end up paying for the oxygen we breathe.

The Alternative Explanation on Atmospheric Oxygen

Despite the school of thought that atmospheric oxygen is mainly formed through photosynthesis, however there are other school of thought regarding the formation of atmospheric oxygen. It was argue that despite recent extensive burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other extensive human activities, the atmospheric oxygen concentration doesn’t change by much. In biosphere2 experiment shown that the oxygen that are produced by photosynthesis are used up mostly by plants itself and other organism including bacteria, before it can actually replenish the oxygen in the atmosphere.

The most likely explanation is that water molecules that wandered to the outer edges of the atmosphere were breakdown by ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Lighter hydrogen atoms are escaped while heavier oxygen are bound to the earth atmosphere by gravity action, which explains the oxygen accumulation in our atmosphere.

Furthermore, with increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will encourage the exponential growth of plants and increase the biomass formation, which in turn return back the carbon to the biomass in a faster pace and release oxygen in the atmosphere. Over time it will still be balanced out.

Oxygen levels in a global trend

By looking at air trapped inside ancient polar ice sample, Scientist suggest that atmospheric oxygen levels have fallen by 0.7 percent over the past 800,000 years. A 0.7 percent decline in the atmospheric pressure of oxygen may ressemble its concentration at about 100 meters (330 feet) above sea level — that is, about the 30th floor of a tall building.

It may not have drop enough to trigger any major problems for life on earth in the new study. However it may or may not cause by deforestation or burning of fossil fuels as atmospheric carbon dioxide level have not, on average, changed over 800,00 years. Due to atmospheric oxygen level are controlled by complex global systems that tend to regulate and dampen the large swing of its concentration.

Other suggestion are when Ocean cools, the solubility of oxygen increased, storing more oxygen at colder temperature. Alternatively, global increase in erosion rates of pyrite and organic carbon can also led to a steady decline of atmospheric oxygen level. When trapped organic matter becomes exposed on land via deforestation and land erosion, it will react with atmospheric oxygen and lowering the oxygen level in the air.

Oxygen and the climatic effect

climate scientist Chris Poulsen had modify a climate model to test the oxygen and its global climate impact had found that oxygen concentration indeed have impact through series of feedbacks.

“Reducing oxygen levels thins the atmosphere, allowing more sunlight to reach Earth’s surface.”

When the oxygen concentration are higher, the atmosphere gets thicker and scatters more sunlight, and hence less water vapor (which can cause greenhouse effect) been evaporated to trap heat.

However in current day climatic change is not due to oxygen concentration but due to levels of other greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are rising dramatically.

Oxygen levels are dropping today indeed are dropping at a very slow rate which approximately tens of parts per million per year, which is much too slow to effect climate change in the world. Unless we give the planet another million years that atmospheric oxygen concentration is of much difference that we need account for oxygen concentration level in the climate model.

Is Lack of oxygen, a myth ?

Although we generally says that the earth having an atmospheric oxygen concentration of 21%, however it is an average out value that do not compare areas of development where usage of oxygen is far from oxygen generation.

Professor Ervin Laszlo says studies shows a dip in atmospheric oxygen level to 19% in impacted areas and it is down to 12-17% over the major cities. These had impact for the human bodily function including organ and immunity system functioning. Long term oxygen deprivation will cause cerebral hypoxia, which leads to a reduced intelligence.

A further dip to 6-7% of atmospheric oxygen level will challenge the sustainability of oxygen dependent organism – humans.

With the lowering of atmospheric oxygen concentration levels in major cities with extensive fossil fuel combustion and lack of trees, it will have further impact on city lives as most city folks stays indoors, which is even more confined space where air is not easily exchanged. Hence, Lack of oxygen is not a myth.

Whats the next step ?

Will our near or far generation encounter a oxygen crisis ? It is a question that is hard to answer. Our atmospheric oxygen concentration is well buffered despite our current expanding human activities. However it is not a reason to harm the environment till the last leaf.

Urban trees and plants do used up precious land in a scenario of major cities as each pieced of wasted land will means millions lost in potential commercial and financial benefit from the land.

Urban trees in most developing cities are also at risk due to expansion of infrastructure, converting tree planting avenues to un-obscure highways for transportation, converting empty lots to parking lots and buildings.

There is a paradigm shift in current building architecture globally. More and more new buildings with incorporated greens are designed and constructed. Some of these comes with roof top gardens with palm trees and shrubs, or plant covering exteriors to reduce the heat.

Other effort by individuals including converting empty lots to public parks with trees will have a long term effects on the sustainability of the environment.

So whats are your green steps ?

Urbanization and deforestation had been threatened the environment for the fireflies.

The fireflies are slowly disappearing from our childhood, and soon enough the next generation won’t able to experience the magical moments with the natural lanterns that brighten the nights.

Lets find out where there had been, shall we ?

Fireflies

The fireflies are also known as lightning bugs or lantern bugs. Fireflies are in the Lampyridae family, in the winged beetle order Coleoptera. They are group of beetles that have bioluminescence capabilities at their lower abdomen. In fact there is more that 2000 species across the globe. They are found in temperate and tropical climates, concentrated at marshes and wet woodlands where their larvae thrives.

The bioluminescence capabilities are prominent even in their laviform stage. An adult firefly use the bioluminescence to attract prey and mates during twilight. It emits cold light of either yellow, green or pale red.

The larva of fireflies stay burrow underground feeding on other larvae, slugs, snails and worm. The adult beetles diet varies according to species as some are predators while others feed on plants and pollen.

The bioluminescence beetle

Bioluminescence had been the hallmark of spotting a fireflies in the dark. However not all species exhibit bright bioluminescence. The nocturnal (night-flying) species are known to have bioluminescence in compared to diurnal (day-flying) species.

Bioluminescence is due to the chemical reaction at the beetles specialized light-emitting organs at their lower abdomen.

The luciferase enzyme acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen to produce light.

These lights not only use to attract mates and preys, but also stands as a warning for upcoming predators as some of these fireflies are distasteful and toxic.

Tropical fireflies like the one found in Malaysian jungle are capable of synchronized flashing within the large groups, creating blinking lanterns along the rivers and forests. It is called phase synchronization phenomenon.

Fun Facts about Fireflies

• Fireflies talk to each other with light, especially during mating. Oftentimes the male will fly, while females will wait in trees, shrubs and grasses. The female will signal the male when found a suitable male. Some species use pheromones (chemicals) rather than just lights.
• Fireflies produce “cold light” which is considered the most efficient lights source (nearly 100% efficiency) as it doesn’t produce heat and lights in the invisible spectrum like normal electrical lights do.
• Firefly eggs glow. In some species, the larvae and even the eggs emit light in response to stimulus such as gentle tapping or vibrations.
• In certain areas, some fireflies species have the ability to synchronize flash among all the fireflies within an area resulting in a stunning magical orchestra of lights. It can sometimes seen in southeast asian mangrove forest throughout the years. Other places do have seasonal displays such as in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Allegheny National Forest, Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area, Congaree National Park and Cajon Bonito Arizona.
• Fireflies are primarily carnivorous and some may eat other fireflies. The genus photuris, can mimics flashes of female photinus, in order to deceive and attract the male of that species and then eat them.
• Fireflies have short lifespans. An adult firefly lives only long enough to mate and lay eggs which may range 3-4weeks, compared to the larvae stage that have a longer lifespan of 1-2 years.
• Fireflies are found on almost every continent which have tropical or temperate region except Antarctica.
• The two chemicals found in a firefly’s tail, luciferase and luciferin, can be used to study many diseases, from cancer to muscular dystrophy, as both chemical produce light in present of ATP (energy molecules). Abnormal cells will have different energy requirements and production compare to normal cells surrounding it. It might give out different in intensity patterns.

Catching Fireflies – the hallmark of eventful childhood in the older generation

When asking the older folks on matters of fireflies, they will always answer – they are everywhere in the night, in the backyard, in the forest, along the rivers …

Some of them tells stories on how they catch fireflies in a clear glass jugs and use as a night lantern during their childhood. They are always been amazed by all this light emitting magical creatures.

“You can have a bottle of these at the corner of the room and stare at it whole night – those days are when candles are considered luxury items.”

Obviously these experiences are from older generation that stay at country side and rural areas. Urbanization had reduced the occurrence of fireflies in these areas to nearly non existence.

The declining population of Fireflies

Although there is more than 2000 species of fireflies around the globe, but why we seldom seen them ? For the newer generations, some had never met or seen these magical night lantern bugs before.

It is a sad story for what we had left to tell to the next generations. The magic in the air is slowly disappearing from our lives.

Many attributes the disappearance of fireflies to extensive use of pesticides, pollution of water, urbanization and deforestation, light and sound pollution etc. All these factors are all man-made. Are all these avoidable ?

Fireflies are loosing their homes

As all species around the world, there is always a place to call home. Might it be a hole in a tree, a cave, a cavern, a forest, a swamp, a lake, a grassland .etc . All these are native habitats for some species to thrive, to grow and to repopulate.

Fireflies usually habitats in warm and humid areas in temperate and tropical areas. They loves trees and waters. They roam near rivers and lakes. They spend most of their lifetime as a larvae form and only live short while flying around as an adult. As a larvae, they will stay in rotten logs and underground where their food (snails and slugs) are plenty. It was a wonderful back then when the forest are green and the river are blue.

Over the decades and century, human population also grows. Humans expands their land and harvest the native forest. Cities grows and agricultural land grows. Something in fact not growing over time is the land for native forest. The world still have limited and finate land areas as before, unless humans planned to shift their homes to other places like the open sea. It creates a imminent outcomes – the shrinking of the land suitable for the biodiversity of the native species.

When trees are uprooted and forest floor are cleared, the fireflies will lost their habitats. Without a suitable habitat, the larvae can’t thrive and the fireflies population reduces. It is possible that fireflies are becoming endangered species and going extinct one day. The next generation will only enjoy the fantasy of artificial lights and not the magical moments of light bugs of the nature.

Pesticide Kills

With the advancement in agriculture, there is more and more pesticides and herbicides use to increase the yield of crops. Certain vegetables can be harvested within weeks. In Sarawak itself, many lands had been converted for agriculture purposes, not limiting to paddy, pepper, cocoa,  palm oil and vegetable plantations.

However using of chemicals in agriculture pest and weed control is not without side effects. These chemicals not only kills other bugs and worms, but also larvae of fireflies as well. It also polluting the underground and near by rivers as well.

Fireflies stay most of their time in larvae stage. Hence by frequent uses of chemicals, these larvae population is easily been wipe out but will need a longer time to replenish their population.

Overtime, less and less suitable breeding grounds are available for the fireflies and soon enough it will be slowly declining in population and becomes near extinct.

Light pollution

City lights is good for city folks but bad for fireflies.

Our civilization had been much advanced and developed, and our dependency on artificial lightings is never been a doubt. Having a artificial light to light up the dark is as simple as a flip of a switch. We can actually see the globe glowing with lights at night when seen from the satellite, especially big cities. It was not a case during the last few decades.

“Darkness is as essential to our biological welfare, to our internal clockwork, as light itself.” – Verlyn Klinkenborg, National Geographic, Nov. 2008

However too much light is also harmful to the nocturnal wildlife, environment and humans. Light pollution caused by inefficient use or unnecessary illumination from a artificial light source, which includes advertisement billboard lights, building surface flood lights and street lamps. Light pollution are seen as light trespass, over illumination, glare and sky glow.

Some of the fireflies using their light as a signal to attract a suitable mate. It is shown that when a male bug signals and a female bug feels the male is suitable, it will signal back. It is indeed lights of romance.

Similiar experiments had been shown that flashing a artificial lights on a group of flashing fireflies will cause the lighting display to be interrupted. A swipe of bright car headlights across a country road with fireflies will cause a moment of light silence and became out of sync.

Reverse the process by flashing light of certain wavelengths into a fireflies filled woods will make them try to response with synchronized flashes. They are just too sensitive to lights. They communicate by light.

If their communications in light are frequently interrupted by light pollution, their mating will be interrupted and hence their opportunity for repopulating.

The return of the fireflies ?

Many had been debate on whether to let this magical nocturnal creature to came back to our lives. But we all agree that we had lost much from our diversity of the natural wildlife directly due to human activities.

Sometimes it makes us sit back and think, are the native environment that was a gift from mother nature is not as important as development itself ?

They won’t be back if we don’t do anything about it and in the end it will become a lost memory of the past.

Many had suggested moves to prevent them from been extinct. Some of which can be easily practiced.

1. Switch off unnecessary artificial lighting such as unused pavement lights, structural lighting and exterior lights. It might save the energy and some bucks in the long term and reduce light pollution generally.
2. Reduce chemicals ussage in agriculture such as herbicide and pesticides. There are many organic alternatives available. Anyway fireflies and its larvae also eats other insects, which is a natural pest control.
3. Having natural ponds and lakes at your landscape can help to promote the repopulating of snails, slugs and other food that might sustain a growth of fireflies larvae population.
4. Plant trees and have natural decomposing woods and twigs will support the growth of the larvae of fireflies.
5. Local awareness is also as important. Remember to remind others about the diminishing fireflies and how we can do to prevent their extinction.

So your next move ?

Timber down

Timber which are called Lumber in some parts of the world. It can means preprocessed piece or wood before milled into planks and beams. However locally we regards timber as logs that had been harvested from a whole tree.

During logging, a tree is carefully sawed at the bottom at an angle that can tip the balance of the tree, until they collapsed aside due to shift of gravity and fell down to the ground in a loud thump. Timber down. That’s what they usually called.

It looks simple from a naked eye, one tree is down. But is it so ?

A fully grown Rainforest tree is usually very tall and straight upward to the canopy where they started to branch out forming a tall umbrella like structure. Each of these trees weights tons.

During a timber down, the seer weight and momentum crashes down like a plane, created earth shocking moment during the touch down. During this moment, other smaller trees around the big trees will be crashed to the ground due to its massive weights. Usually one timber down will crash at least 5 smaller trees, more so if it is a bigger tree.

Smaller trees that survive the crash will be either crooked or bent, which creates a least favorable condition to growth.

So in the beginning we lost not only one tree.

The Subsequent Events

Whats next ? The timber log will be saw off at both ends, to create a standard length of log for transportation. The huge canopy that had been cut off will shade many other smaller plants in the vicinity, depriving these plants and seedlings from sunlight and compressed by fallen branches and leaves.

What if that fall don’t kill them ? The haversted tree will have a huge root stump left at the vicinity, waiting to die off and rot. Rotten woods will attract other wood pest like termites that can borrow along dead roots into deeper layer.

The stories doesn’t stop there. Many logging trails must be created just to transport this piece of log to the nearest collection point and export channels. More trees are lost along the way.

Before we able get to the other part of the story, we already lost so many trees and plants just from one Timber.

So it is never easy to say that we had cut off X numbers of trees and hence we only lost X numbers of trees.

It is all about what is hidden in the fine print that change the whole point of view of the subject.

The Improvement in Logging Technology

When you can’t save every single trees when you need the Timber resources, but with advancement in technology, we can minimize the damage to the environment during the progress of logging.

Traditionally Bulldozer and excavator is the main machinery during harvesting the timber, but it had prove to create too much damage during transferring the logs from the harvest location to the nearby truck transport. While pushing the logs across the floor, many trees and vegetations are harmed.

Newer forest harvester and logfisher are improvised to reduce the harm to the surrounding trees during log transfer. These specialize machines have grapper (like robotic grasp) that can hold the log above the ground and transfer them without excessive dragging on the ground.

It may have pulley system like the method used in cable-logging. The log is pull across the ground via a long cable to the nearby truck. It reduce the damage by not sending in heavy machinery into the logging site.

There are method to logging without even have the log have a direct contact with the surrounding ground, such as heli-logging, which using Tandem Rotor Helicopter to hang up the logs across the forest to the nearby truck. However it is still an expensive alternative.

More innovation will be coming soon in having logging industry to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

Timber Industry in Sarawak

Sarawak is one huge state in Malaysia with abundant of natural resources. Sitting at the island of Borneo with 130million years worth of Rainforest, many high quality trees in prestige conditions tempting to be harvested.

In Sarawak, timber industry contributed more than RM5 billion (RM5.9bil in revenue last year) of revenue through exports of timber products. It also generates RM550millions of revenue from various forms of fees and premiums to the state government. Furthermore it is a major industry sector involving in employment over 100,000 people in the state.

Taking timber industry out of Sarawak will have also severe consequences to the state, causing massive unemployment and revenue loss.

logging opens up new lands for further development and agricultural benefits.

Despite strict law governing the license for logging, there are many illegal logging around. Illegal logging involving loggers without license or loggers who have license but logging in areas not within the agreements. Illegal logging cause loss in revenue and loss in control of logging activities causing extensive damage to the native rainforest.

The logging process

Logging is not just cutting down trees. It involves a series of steps before we can get any of the wood products.

Before loggers are allow to cut trees in the state lands, they need to apply license to logging. Usually involves hefty amounts of royalties, premiums and fees. The loggers will have a specific areas allowed to log.

Then the timber company need to plan out the plans for effective tree harvesting, including terrain surveys, finding the best route to bring those heavy timber to the nearest collection spot for processing and exporting.

They will require to set up a logging camp deep in the forest. Remember that logging area are usually very deep inland with vert limited access to the human world. They need to set up a self sustained camp with enough food and drinks resources, including transport vehicles, repair and maintenance crew and harvesting crew before they can start their engines to harvest the trees.

Trees that fit the criteria of timber including size, type and nature of the trees are marked during the survey. The native rainforest or Primary Rainforest is saturated with high quality tall straight trees with less branching, hence are targeted as a prime target for logging as compared to secondary forest with trees of high branching and thick undergrowth vegetation.

Opening up native rainforest may face many obstacles such as unexpected animals encounter, potential loose ground with risk of cave ins and risk of exposure to deadly infectious disease.

Once they had settled down with all the equipment and plannings, they had to open up logging paths or logging trails for expansion harvesting territory.

Logging path is very important aspect of logging as they will be the life line of logging, responsible for transportation of loggers, equipment, and also transfer of harvested logs. The dense forest ground peat and vegetation need to be  clear away in order for smooth journey of heavy machinery during logging operations.

Logging trails exposed the bare earth for easy of transportation. Areas of weakness may be filled with gravels or soil. Many detours and Logging trails are made during expansion of logging territory. It creates a visible trails like network of termites tunnels when viewed from the satellite imagery above.

Harvested logs or timbers are transported to the designated collection points. Some may goes through multiple different trips of land or water transportation. Floating logs on rivers are sometimes often being used as it save allot of cost for transporting them.

In the final collection centers, logs are re-evaluate for its value by size, weight, condition, damages, type etc. This will determine the final destination of the logs. Weather to be processed into planks and blocks , slice into thin layer for plywood manufacturing, or crushed to fine splinters for other specific uses.

It is a long process indeed.

Logging trails

Logging create lots of trails in the forest. It is undeniable a need during logging process. It is also indication of an active Logging activity. Overtime the unused Logging trails will be overgrowth with vegetation and faded off.

These trails indeed had exposed the forest floor to the open air. In Sarawak forest, uncountable logging trails across the forest of the states may reach thousands of miles long. These total added up areas can be equivalent to large acres of land being strip naked.

These naked lands lost their carbon sink capability. Exposed roads also throw out sand and dust particles into the air during active transportation, covering the nearby trees and reduce further efficiency of photosynthesis.

The bare open areas enhance the lost of water through direct evaporation from ground which bypass the usual cycle of evapoation in a typical native rainforest.

The rainforest trees have huge canopies on top and huge network of roots below. The trees helps in control release of moist into the atmosphere. Hence may cause reduced moist and water content in the rainforest which further reduced the functions of the rainforest to hold water.

These logging trails will act as a water runways during heavy rains and further reduced the water holding functions. Mud will gush into rivers, polluting them with muddy water.

When rainforest are dryer, risk of forest fire and root death increases. It starts a chain of reaction.

The paradigm shifts

There are extensive damage logging had done to the native tropical rainforest and it had gone beyond repairs. Many attempts to impede the deforestation of Sarawak.

When we initially go strong on protecting the native tropical rainforest had hit the greatest wall of all. There is no longer any left in the wood to say it is native tropical rainforest to be protect except those small remaining national parks scattered around.

Currently Government had adopted Sustainable Forest Management in their effort to prevent further damage to the preexisting rainforest, increase a sustainable logging which will safeguard the ecological nature diversity and economic needs.

Government have stop issuing new logging license. Those who already had active license are strictly called to abide the Sustainable Forest Management method. Example of the license are Timber License and License for Planted Forest.

Only tree more than 60cm dbh (diameter breast height) can be cut for dipterocarp species (Tall tropical hardwood trees), while 45cm dbh for non-dipterocarp species.

Loggers are encouraged to plant back trees that had been harvested to encourage regrowth of the rainforest, but it may take at least hundred years to see the outcome of regrowth rainforests with original height.

Permanent Sample Plot and 100% tree enumeration are also adopted. These permanent sample plots are designated restoration areas in which the growth and survival rate and performance of the planted seedlings are closely monitored.

A logfisher (A type of Timber Harvester that have a grappler to grasp timber and a pulley system to drag logs) is encouraged to be used instead of traditional Bulldozer which reduce the area of damage on the forest ground during initial transportation of logs across the forest.

It is a hard lesson that we had learned and it is time to think of what our next generation had lost. The legacy of 130million years of oldest tropical rainforest had been limited to few remaining national parks. It this what we want to left to tell the next generation?

Hence it is time to change our perspective and attitude to our mother nature. Sustainable Forest Management is the major shift towards better tomorrow.

Well, all of above is true, but we did not make a fine print clear to everyone to understand that it is not without the impact to the environment.

Sarawak is being proud of being part of the oldest rainforest in the world that dates back 130millions years old. Our Rainforest have vast diversity of plants and animals of tropical origin. Tourist from far and near come just to visit our wonderful diversity and natural heritage.

Lets see the Case of Bakun Dam of Sarawak.

Bakun Dam of Sarawak

The Bakun Dam is an embankment dam (bank or hill like structure build across the river to hold back water reservoir at one end) , which located on the Balui River (tributary of the majestic Rajang River).

It had the second tallest concrete-faced rockfill dam in the world with height of 205m and length of 750m.

Artificial formed reservoir – Bakun Lake will be the biggest lake in Malaysia by storage volume and surface area. It was estimated to have 43,800,000,000 m³ of storage capacity.

The great vision to power up the whole Sarawak with excess power to be shared with Peninsular Malaysia, Brunei and Kalimantan. It is planned to generate 2,400 megawatts (MW) of electricity once completed. Bakun Power Station will be the largest hydroelectric dam in Malaysia.

It was an envisioned project that had been survey since the 1960s and faced many obstacles, and it was not untill 1996 the building process begins. During the building it also faced many challenges financially and politically. Many Social and Environmental concern had raised since its commencement.

The Impact of Bakun Dam

The Impact of the Dam includes :

• The massive reservoir that holds behind the dam will put nearly 700 km² of land underwater (equivalent to the size of Singapore). This flood kills billions of native trees along the flood plains. What comes worse is the rotting trees release vast amount of green house gases and the damage of the forest (which acts as a carbon sink) is irreversible.
• 230 km² virgin tropical rainforest that had to be cut down during the dam construction sending many concern about the unnecessary lost of precious natural resources.
• It involves relocation of more than 9,000 native residents (mainly Kayan/Kenyah) of the indigenous peoples who lived in the area to be flooded. Many was discontent with the relocation due to lack of hunting grounds and farming grounds in the new settlement.
• Sibu city which is just along the majestic Rajang River was always in fear of major flood that might cause if the dam collapsed. It have cause migration out of the city to nearby city like Kuching.
• Concern on stagnant water of the massive reservoir may raise incident of water and vector born diseases. Of concern are melioidosis and leptospirosis.
• Hydroelectric Dams are not infinite in their lifespans, Stagnant water causing more and more sediments forms over the years at their reservoir can reduce the efficiency over time.

The reservoir starts to fill in 2010. Lets see whats the impact of Bakun dam from satellite imagery.

It is clearly seen the expanding areas of flooding over the years. Many trees lost during the flooding. All this areas will be permanently lost their status of carbon sink. The sediments and Algae forms in the lake can be clearly seen from the satellite imagery.

Trees along the flood plains are slowly dying off due to prolong exposure of root to the stagnant water.

So are Dams Environmental friendly ?

They reduce billion tons of fossil fuel burning but also causing irreversible damage to the environment. They are a double edge sword. Indeed.

Sarawak indeed full of greens, we have trees everywhere, up to a sense that part of the Malaysian people (west Malaysian) still wondering “Do Sarawakians stay on trees”.

Although rich of natural resources, we do still facing an up cropping issue of “Sarawak is loosing greens fast”. In fact many of the forest is considered secondary forest.

So what are secondary forest ? You may ask.

Primary and Secondary Forest of Sarawak

There is two main type of forest, one that still remains its pristine native (original) condition is called Primary Forrest . This type of forest are the thick tropical evergreen Rainforest that we are proud of, with many of the rare species of expanded biodiversity, huge tropical trees with distinct canopy and currently mostly under natural preservation area.

The other type of forest is called secondary Forest, which is the forest that grows after the destruction of the primary forest usually after a flank disaster (fire, land slide, flood), logging and deforestation of any kind. The secondary forest usually have thicker undergrowth and smaller trees.

Vast of greens that neighbors urban and suburban areas in Sarawak is of secondary nature due to expansion of human settlements, agriculture plantations and logging activities. In fact around 75-80% of the rainforest are lost due to logging with a worrying statistic that says between 1990 and 2010, it lost 8.6%, or 1,920,000ha of its forest cover. Half of the annual global tropical timber acquisition comes from Borneo island.

The diminishing green in Sarawak

Deforestation is a myth! Is a make up fact to hinder developments and progression of the nation! We still have many trees around! … or it is so ? Lets find out.

Below is the comparison of satellite imagery between 1984 and 2016 (extracted from google earth) , you can clearly see a difference in the Sarawak shoreline. There are many new up cropping areas of agriculture land (primary palm oil).

Another shocking truth is about how fast Kuching city had grow in past 30 years. From the satellite imagery clearly shown effective tripling of the city area expansion. As a fact, only Bako National Park had been spared in this field of view with its primary rainforest status still standing.

Where did the green goes ?

Our agriculture plantation also expands exponentially for the past 30 years. Remarkably the plains along the sea line. In the satellite imagery comparing Mukah and its surrounding area shows remarkably converting a vast area of forest into oil palm plantation.

Effect of expanding agriculture and oil palm plantation also forcing many forest out of the once green Sri Aman. In less than 20 years, the forest scape had changed.

What about other places in Sarawak ?

Bintulu was once Green more than 30 years ago, but due to expansion of agriculture and oil palm plantation, most forest are gone, and massive land mass sustain bleaching.

What about Miri ? Does it spared from wheel of development ?

In less than 20 years, Miri forest scape had change allot. Oil plantations have expands their horizon across the land. In contrast with our neighboring country – Brunei – which its rainforest still remaining intact. There are 54% of the forests in Brunei that are untouched by logging.

30 years is a very short time frame to have so much changes to the landscape, considering the rainforest of Borneo is a very old wet evergreen forest that has an estimated age of 130 million years. We still share the same land with the prehistoric human that have known to be inhabitant in Sarawak’s Niah Caves 40,000 years back.

We don’t just lost the Forest Trees, but the City Trees too.

On the large ground, the forest are been threatened. What about trees in the city that we had plant to preserve the green ?

In fact their existance was aslo being threatened.  Expansion of commercial zones and upgrades of city roads had been force many of the city trees out of sight.

For example two years back, Sri Aman lost a whole row of trees along the main road to the city during the upgrade of the road. Many trees are lost during the upgrade of the serian – sri aman road to make Pan Borneo a reality. This year Kuching city also lost precious trees during recent upgrade of the road around 10 mile and precious huge trees along Jalan Keretapi had been removed to make way for the new Malls.

Most of it is inevitable but it worth to step back and think about our environment.

A world that drives by personal interest

It is back to the perspectives of the people and its surroundings. No one have the same views but all have at least some form of personal interest.

Sarawak is full of natural resources, there is no denial about that statement. But how far we can push the environment?

An interesting interviewing the people in charged of development on issues of forest conservation vs city expansion , they replied “During school we learn how to save rainforest, how to save the environment, we are motivated about keeping the environment green, but when come to the working environment, things are different, nothing is more important that how much profit we can generate from the same piece of land. ”

So, by knowing that we are losing green fast, whats our next step ?