600-strong Sandakan environ walk
Kan Yaw Chong
KOTA KINABALU: Six hundred people of diverse backgrounds joined the first ever Sandakan “Walk for the Environment ” themed “Unite Against Climate Change”, Sunday.
Sandakan Municipal Council President, Dr James Wong, flagged off and joined the 4km walk which started at the Town Padang and went through the town centre leading to the coastal Sim Sim Road, back to the town centre and ended at the Town Padang.
Leading the pack included former Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly Datuk Seri Panglima Hassan Alban Sandukong, his wheel chaired wife Datin Nuri and a slew of NGO and community leaders, including Au Kam Wah, State Assemblyman for Elopura, and Chong Hon Min, former Independent Member of Parliament for Sandakan.
“This is a historic event”‘ said Charles Chow, Chairman of the Sandakan Pro-Tem Committee which organized the event.
He noted the “obvious unity” of all races and strata of society against climate change and thanked the police, the Council President, his committee members and the public for their support.
SEPA (Sabah Environment Protection Association) President, Wong Tack, said the extraordinary spirit of the Sandakan community to protect the future of their children and to ensure Sabah always remains green is worth emulating.
Charles, meanwhile, attributed the zestful turnout to concern and awareness as a result of wide coverage in the local dailies, FM Sandakan, distribution of flyers and by word of mouth.
Charles had earlier said relevance of the walk, citing how every Malaysian as well as foreign visitor ranging from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan have complained about the sweltering heat waves of late.
“Recent records and observation has shown carbon dioxide buildup to 450 parts per million (ppmV) globally while a study on surface temperatures in major towns across Malaysia carried out by professors at UKM had registered an alarming increase by 3.5 degrees Celsius,” Charles citied.
“This reflects abnormal variations to the expected climate within the earth’s atmosphere,” he said. “I was in Kuala Lumpur recently and my watch with a temperature meter recorded 36 degrees Celsius while normal maximum in the past was about 33 degrees,” be said.
“There is much economic advantage to stimulate investment for the mitigation of local greenhouse gas emissions,” Charles suggested.
“We should therefore seriously look into these mitigation measures,” he added, citing the need to change everyday lifestyle, behavior, the adoption of energy efficient technologies, government rewards and incentives to industries for green initiatives, reduction of greenhouse emissions to raise air quality and health, investment in future energy capital with the environment in mind and strong emphasis on green technology, energy efficient buildings and encourage agricultural practices that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stress the protection of Sabah’s rainforests as a powerful mitigation factor,” he said.
He said it was “essential” to raise awareness on emission reduction at all levels of society. “This is what the SEPA Sandakan effort is all about,” he pointed out, citing how the florescent bulb use 65 per cent less energy than filament bulb and a host of other potential actions that will make the difference, according to him.
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