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Malay Mail
18-07-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Environmentalism needs the soul — Azizi Abu Bakar
JULY 18 — In Malaysia, conversations about the environment are everywhere — from school murals to government masterplans. We talk about climate change, biodiversity, clean energy, and zero waste. Yet despite this growing awareness, our rivers are still polluted, and our forests still falling. Why? Because we often forget that caring for the environment is not only a scientific issue — it is a deeply human one. We're taught to treat environmentalism as a technical puzzle: install solar panels, reduce emissions, calculate carbon footprints. But the planet isn't just a system to be fixed. It's a relationship to be mended. And relationships don't thrive on data alone — they require empathy, care, and meaning. I've seen community projects struggle because they lacked this emotional connection. Without a sense of belonging or shared purpose, even the best-funded initiatives fall flat. Environmentalism loses its power when it becomes transactional. It regains that power when it becomes personal. We usually don't protect what we don't feel connected to. Today, environmental activists across Malaysia are out there cleaning rivers, picking up trash, restoring forests. But their work should never be misunderstood as simply correcting what others — whether locals or tourists — have done wrong. These acts are not punishment. They are invitations. They are living examples of hope. In Malay culture, we call this suri teladan — to lead by example. When someone bends down to collect a plastic bottle from the riverbank, they are not just removing trash. They are reminding us what dignity and care look like. They are performing a small, visible act of devotion to the mother earth, in hopes that others will feel moved to do the same. Goodness is contagious. When we witness someone doing good, it awakens something inside us. We feel inspired to join in. And that is how transformation spreads — not by force, but by example. Some people hesitate to speak out about environmental issues because they fear being seen as hypocrites. 'How can I talk about zero waste if I still use plastic?' 'How can I ask others to plant trees if I haven't yet planted one?' But here's the truth: it is okay to call others to do good even if you're still trying to do it yourself. Every change begins with an intention. Every good habit starts with a conversation, a reminder, a nudge. Sometimes, saying it out loud — even before we fully live it — is part of becoming the person who eventually does. What matters is sincerity. When we speak from the heart, not to lecture but to spark thought, we're helping to build the foundation for action both in others and in ourselves. Environmentalist should never be misunderstood as simply correcting what others have done wrong. — Picture fron Unsplash/Colin Meg In many ways, Malaysians are still being pampered by a system that protects us from inconvenience. For example, we are not yet required to strictly segregate domestic waste. We're not faced with the reality that our unseparated garbage could be left in front of our homes indefinitely, or that we would have to wait until a certain day — and only that day — for it to be collected. We may say, 'It's fine, we still have land,' but the real question is: do we need to wait until we have no other choice but to live on top of it? Environmental action shouldn't begin only when we're pushed to the edge. It should begin with awareness and a willingness to shift — even before crisis forces us to. Comfort is not an excuse for complacency. The good news is we can change. We've seen it before. There was a time when people in Malaysia casually used parking spots designated for persons with disabilities. But after constant exposure through television commercial breaks, social media reminders, and signage campaigns — something clicked. Today, most people respect those parking spaces without question. It's not just about enforcement. It's about a collective shift in values. We now understand that those spaces are a matter of dignity and fairness. We learned to do the right thing, even when no one was watching. This is proof that when values are communicated consistently and compassionately, people respond. Although I work in an office setting, I once took the opportunity to join a beach cleanup activity at selected beaches in Pahang and Terengganu. It was part of a research programme focused on identifying plastic waste in coastal environments. Our centre's director was one of the co-investigators and joined us in the activity. At first, I joined out of curiosity — I wanted to experience something new in life. But the experience shifted my perspective completely. As we picked up all sorts of trash along the beach, I saw and felt how much waste ends up where it shouldn't — not only waste manufactured locally that I was familiar with, but also foreign-labelled waste, including from countries like Vietnam. I remembered what I'd learned: plastic takes around 450 years to decompose. And suddenly, it wasn't just a fact — it was real. Tangible. Heavy in my hands. It struck me — this is not just a programme. It's a reflection of what we owe to the environment. It's not the sole responsibility of cleaning staff. It's all of us. We don't do this every day — we still have other responsibilities and tasks — but we show up when we can, because it matters. Today it might be us. Tomorrow, it could be you. We all have a role to play. A similar situation reminded me of this truth during a river cleanup along the Selangor River, which I joined as part of a mobility programme with Australian students. As we collected waste along the riverbank, we discovered that more than half of what we picked up was recyclable. It made me wonder — if we all truly understood that these materials could have been sorted and repurposed, there would be far less waste to begin with. More importantly, none of it should have ended up in the river at all. This is not something that takes complex policy to fix — it's something that can be avoided if we all simply remember that rivers are not a dumping ground. And it made me reflect further — why do we Malaysians admire good practices abroad, but rarely bring them home? We see how people in other countries clear their tables in restaurants, manage their waste responsibly, or act with basic courtesy in shared spaces. Why can't we do the same here? Yes, it's someone's job to clean up — but wouldn't it be kinder if we made it easier for them? During that same beach cleanup, something unexpected happened — the van driver who had been with us throughout the trip quietly began collecting trash too. He had seen us doing it. He had listened to our conversations. And in that moment, he must have understood the purpose behind what we were doing — that it wasn't just about picking up rubbish, but about protecting something shared. He made the decision to join — not because we asked, but because he recognised the need. That reminded me that change doesn't always start with bold campaigns or big speeches. Sometimes, it happens when someone sees a meaningful act and quietly decides this is worth doing. That's why we must keep talking about the environment — at work, at home, with friends, with strangers. Talk about it until it reaches the soul of someone else. That is how movements grow — not only through action, but through reflection, storytelling, and example. That is how we build a greener, kinder Malaysia together. * Dr Azizi Abu Bakar is a research officer at Universiti Malaya Sustainable Development Centre (UMSDC). ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Associated Press
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Protesters line highway in Florida Everglades to oppose 'Alligator Alcatraz'
A coalition of groups, ranging from environmental activists to Native Americans advocating for their ancestral homelands, converged outside an airstrip in the Florida Everglades Saturday to protest the imminent construction of an immigrant detention center. Hundreds of protesters lined part of U.S. Highway 41 that slices through the marshy Everglades — also known as Tamiami Trail — as dump trucks hauling materials lumbered into the airfield. Cars passing by honked in support as protesters waved signs calling for the protection of the expansive preserve that is home to a few Native tribes and several endangered animal species. Christopher McVoy, an ecologist, said he saw a steady stream of trucks entering the site while he protested for hours. Environmental degradation was a big reason why he came out Saturday. But as a South Florida city commissioner, he said concerns over immigration raids in his city also fueled his opposition. 'People I know are in tears, and I wasn't far from it,' he said. Florida officials have forged ahead over the past week in constructing the compound dubbed as 'Alligator Alcatraz' within the Everglades' humid swamplands. The facility will have temporary structures like heavy-duty tents and trailers to house detained immigrants. The state estimates by early July, it will have 5,000 immigration detention beds in operation. The compound's proponents have noted its location in the Florida wetlands — teeming with massive reptiles like alligators and invasive Burmese pythons — make it an ideal spot for immigration detention. 'Clearly, from a security perspective, if someone escapes, you know, there's a lot of alligators,' Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday. 'No one's going anywhere.' Under DeSantis, Florida has made an aggressive push for immigration enforcement and has been supportive of the federal government's broader crackdown on illegal immigration. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has backed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' which DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said will be partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But Native American leaders in the region have seen the construction as an encroachment onto their sacred homelands, which prompted Saturday's protest. In Big Cypress National Preserve, where the airstrip is, 15 traditional Miccosukee and Seminole villages, as well as ceremonial and burial grounds and other gathering sites, remain. Others have raised human rights concerns over what they condemn as the inhumane housing of immigrants. Worries about environmental impacts have also been at the forefront, as groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity and the Friends of the Everglades filed a lawsuit Friday to halt the detention center plans. 'The Everglades is a vast, interconnected system of waterways and wetlands, and what happens in one area can have damaging impacts downstream,' Friends of the Everglades executive director Eve Samples said. 'So it's really important that we have a clear sense of any wetland impacts happening in the site.' Bryan Griffin, a DeSantis spokesperson, said Friday in response to the litigation that the facility was a 'necessary staging operation for mass deportations located at a preexisting airport that will have no impact on the surrounding environment.' Until the site undergoes a comprehensive environmental review and public comment is sought, the environmental groups say construction should pause. The facility's speedy establishment is 'damning evidence' that state and federal agencies hope it will be 'too late' to reverse their actions if they are ordered by a court to do so, said Elise Bennett, a Center for Biological Diversity senior attorney working on the case. The potential environmental hazards also bleed into other aspects of Everglades life, including a robust tourism industry where hikers walk trails and explore the marshes on airboats, said Floridians for Public Lands founder Jessica Namath, who attended the protest. To place an immigration detention center there makes the area unwelcoming to visitors and feeds into the misconception that the space is in 'the middle of nowhere,' she said. 'Everybody out here sees the exhaust fumes, sees the oil slicks on the road, you know, they hear the sound and the noise pollution. You can imagine what it looks like at nighttime, and we're in an international dark sky area,' Namath said. 'It's very frustrating because, again, there's such disconnect for politicians.'
The Independent
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Protesters line highway in Florida Everglades to oppose 'Alligator Alcatraz'
A coalition of groups, ranging from environmental activists to Native Americans advocating for their ancestral homelands, converged outside an airstrip in the Florida Everglades Saturday to protest the imminent construction of an immigrant detention center. Hundreds of protesters lined part of U.S. Highway 41 that slices through the marshy Everglades — also known as Tamiami Trail — as dump trucks hauling materials lumbered into the airfield. Cars passing by honked in support as protesters waved signs calling for the protection of the expansive preserve that is home to a few Native tribes and several endangered animal species. Christopher McVoy, an ecologist, said he saw a steady stream of trucks entering the site while he protested for hours. Environmental degradation was a big reason why he came out Saturday. But as a South Florida city commissioner, he said concerns over immigration raids in his city also fueled his opposition. 'People I know are in tears, and I wasn't far from it,' he said. Florida officials have forged ahead over the past week in constructing the compound dubbed as 'Alligator Alcatraz' within the Everglades' humid swamplands. The facility will have temporary structures like heavy-duty tents and trailers to house detained immigrants. The state estimates by early July, it will have 5,000 immigration detention beds in operation. The compound's proponents have noted its location in the Florida wetlands — teeming with massive reptiles like alligators and invasive Burmese pythons — make it an ideal spot for immigration detention. 'Clearly, from a security perspective, if someone escapes, you know, there's a lot of alligators,' Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday. 'No one's going anywhere.' Under DeSantis, Florida has made an aggressive push for immigration enforcement and has been supportive of the federal government's broader crackdown on illegal immigration. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has backed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' which DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said will be partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But Native American leaders in the region have seen the construction as an encroachment onto their sacred homelands, which prompted Saturday's protest. In Big Cypress National Preserve, where the airstrip is, 15 traditional Miccosukee and Seminole villages, as well as ceremonial and burial grounds and other gathering sites, remain. Others have raised human rights concerns over what they condemn as the inhumane housing of immigrants. Worries about environmental impacts have also been at the forefront, as groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity and the Friends of the Everglades filed a lawsuit Friday to halt the detention center plans. 'The Everglades is a vast, interconnected system of waterways and wetlands, and what happens in one area can have damaging impacts downstream," Friends of the Everglades executive director Eve Samples said. 'So it's really important that we have a clear sense of any wetland impacts happening in the site.' Bryan Griffin, a DeSantis spokesperson, said Friday in response to the litigation that the facility was a 'necessary staging operation for mass deportations located at a preexisting airport that will have no impact on the surrounding environment.' Until the site undergoes a comprehensive environmental review and public comment is sought, the environmental groups say construction should pause. The facility's speedy establishment is 'damning evidence' that state and federal agencies hope it will be 'too late' to reverse their actions if they are ordered by a court to do so, said Elise Bennett, a Center for Biological Diversity senior attorney working on the case. The potential environmental hazards also bleed into other aspects of Everglades life, including a robust tourism industry where hikers walk trails and explore the marshes on airboats, said Floridians for Public Lands founder Jessica Namath, who attended the protest. To place an immigration detention center there makes the area unwelcoming to visitors and feeds into the misconception that the space is in 'the middle of nowhere,' she said. 'Everybody out here sees the exhaust fumes, sees the oil slicks on the road, you know, they hear the sound and the noise pollution. You can imagine what it looks like at nighttime, and we're in an international dark sky area,' Namath said. 'It's very frustrating because, again, there's such disconnect for politicians.'
The Guardian
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Kardashians in Venice and a French Spiderman: photos of the day
A gull flies over the Roman bath. The bath's architecture consists of four main parts: a sacred spring, a temple, a bathing area plus what is now a museum. More than a million tourists visit annually, although they are prohibited from entering the water due to health risks. Photograph: Nurettin Boydak/Anadolu/Getty Images Children play near a football field in a village in the industrial region, where at least 19 people were killed and nearly 300 injured in a Russian attack on Tuesday. Photograph: Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP/Getty Images Students, environmental activists and volunteers plant mangroves during a conservation campaign with the goal of planting 10,000 mangrove trees. Mangrove areas are disappearing from Aceh's coastline due to coastal erosion. Photograph: Hotli Simanjuntak/EPA Seized illegal drugs are burned in a destruction ceremony to mark the UN's international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. Photograph: Sai Aung Main/AFP/Getty Images A Red Cross member works with recovery crews after a landslide that killed at least 10 people in the north-western Antioquia province. Photograph: Juan David Duque/Reuters A hoverfly rests on the seed pod of a poppy in the humid afternoon weather in south Oxfordshire. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock A woman assists her friend in showering outside their tent during day two of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm in Somerset. Established in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into the UK's largest music festival, drawing over 200,000 fans to enjoy performances across more than 100 stages. Photograph:The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, his daughter, Kim Ju-ae (centre), and his wife, Ri Sol-ju (right), attend the opening of a new tourist zone and beach resort on North Korea's east coast in Kangwon province. Photograph: KCNA via KNS/AFP/Getty Images Bart De Wever, Viktor Orbán and Robert Fico, the prime ministers of Belgium, Hungary and Slovakia respectively, meet at the start of the two-day EU leaders' summit. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA Kris Jenner, Kim and Khloé Kardashian, and the Italian fashion designer Domenico Dolce gather before the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez in Venice, Italy. Photograph: Luigi Iorio/GC Images Mourners carry the bodies of Palestinian youths who were killed during an attack by Israeli settlers. Photograph: Ammar Awad/Reuters Palestinians search for usable items in the rubble of heavily damaged and collapsed buildings after Israeli attacks on the al-Shati refugee camp. Photograph: Saeed MMT Jaras/Anadolu/Getty Images Foreign volunteers in the 13th Khartiia brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine attend military exercises at a training ground near a frontline, amid Russia's attack. Photograph: Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters The skyscraper climber Alain Robert, known as the French Spiderman, ascends without protection to the top of the Meliá Barcelona Sky hotel. Photograph: Manaure Quintero/AFP/Getty Images
Al Jazeera
02-06-2025
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Iraq probes fish die-off in marshes
Iraqi authorities have opened an investigation into a mass die-off of fish in the country's central and southern marshlands, the latest in a series of such incidents in recent years. One possible cause for the devastation is a shortage of oxygen, triggered by low water flow, increased evaporation and rising temperatures driven by climate change, according to officials and environmental activists. Another is the use of chemicals by fishermen. 'We have received several citizens' complaints,' said Jamal Abd Zeid, chief environmental officer for the Najaf governorate, which stretches from central to southern Iraq, adding that a technical inspection team had been set up. He explained that the team would look into water shortages, electrical fishing, and the use by fishermen of 'poisons'. For at least five years, Iraq has endured successive droughts linked to climate change. Authorities further attribute the severe decline in river flow to the construction of dams by neighbouring Iran and Turkiye. The destruction of Iraq's natural environment adds another layer of suffering to a country that has already faced decades of war and political oppression. 'We need lab tests to determine the exact cause' of the fish die-off, said environmental activist Jassim al-Assadi, who suggested that agricultural pesticides could also be responsible. Investigations into similar incidents have shown that the use of poison in fishing can lead to mass deaths. 'It is dangerous for public health, as well as for the food chain,' al-Assadi said. 'Using poison today, then again in a month or two … It's going to accumulate.'
