He said the proposed site of the coal-fired plant is at Kg Sinakut, about one kilometer from the Sahabat Resort. He said
Kg Sinakut is part of a totally pristine coastline 40km long, stretching between Tunku and Dent Haven around the eastern most
tip of Dent Peninsula. The Dent Haven is Sabah’s last wilderness frontier.
The likely destruction of the environment in the Dent Peninsula should be sufficient ground for the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) to report the negative impact of the coal-fired plant in the area, and thereby give a strong recommendation for
the Government to reject the proposed coal-fired plant altogether
I am not sure, however, whether Datuk Peter Chin’s assurance that Tenaga Nasional (TNB) would be using the highest
standard coal on par with that used by coal-fired plants in developed countries is sufficient to allay our fears about this known
polluter of the environment. He is the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water.
But does this position gives him the authority to give assurance about coal-fired plants? Both China and the USA are said
to be dismantling their coal fired plants, and it is, I believe because of the pollution caused by the use of coal.
Let us not become another great “offender”
to destroy mother nature – such as the ozone layer and closer to home – our “pristine coastlines and wilderness”, our environment…………………..
BY : Tan Sir Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Herman Luping
Daily Express , Comment & Analysis . Sunday 11th Oct 2009 .
Warming : All nations are guilty
THE invitation by the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) Mananging Director to members of the public to freely express their
views regarding the proposed setting up of a 300MW coal-fired power plant in Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu is most welcomed.
As expected the first to rise to the invitation was Sabah Environmental Protection Society (Sepa) through the Society’s
President, Wong Tact. He Expressed grave concern over the proposed coal-fired plant; and not just because of the overall
deleterious effect of the plant to the atmosphere, but also the likely adverse effect on the “totally pristine” wilderness coastline
in the Dent Peninsula.
He said the proposed site of the coal-fired plant is at Kg Sinakut, about one kilometer from the Sahabat Resort. He said
Kg Sinakut is part of a totally pristine coastline 40km long, stretching between Tunku and Dent Haven around the eastern most
tip of Dent Peninsula. The Dent Haven is Sabah’s last wilderness frontier.
The likely destruction of the environment in the Dent Peninsula should be sufficient ground for the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) to report the negative impact of the coal-fired plant in the area, and thereby give a strong recommendation for
the Government to reject the proposed coal-fired plant altogether.
The invitation by the Managing Director of SESB to members of the public to give their views on the proposed coal-fired
plant in Lahad Datu, is a responsible action on his part, and should be lauded. He is responding to the call made by the Prime
Minister. YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who, on his visit to Sabah recently, proposed the setting of the coal-fired plant to
generate electricity in the east coast region.
That was an open invitation by the Prime Minister, a suggestion and not an order. He expected those concerned with
carrying out the suggestion to act responsibly. And Baharin had indeed acted responsibly.
I am not sure, however, whether Datuk Peter Chin’s assurance that Tenaga Nasional (TNB) would be using the highest
standard coal on par with that used by coal-fired plants in developed countries is sufficient to allay our fears about this known
polluter of the environment. He is the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water.
But does this position gives him the authority to give assurance about coal-fired plants? Both China and the USA are said
to be dismantling their coal fired plants, and it is, I believe because of the pollution caused by the use of coal.
Let us briefly discuss at the way world leaders are responding to the problem of global warming which is now agreed as
responsible for the many environmental changes taking place in the world today.
Scientists tell us that global warming is responsible for the climate changes now taking place in many parts of the world.
The long drought affecting areas in the African continent, while at the same time, the flooding with almost biblical proportion in
other parts of the world are all due to global warming.
The ice caps in both the northern and southern polar regions are melting and so too are the glaciers of Greenland,
New Zealand etc. The melting of the ice caps is raising the level of the ocean water and many coastlines of low lying islands in
the pacific have also disappeared, covered in water.
Scientists also tell us that the overall cause of global warming is due to the destruction or depletion of the ozone layer in
the stratosphere. The ozone layer is the “belt” of matter which covers the earth from the direct impact of the sun rays, gamma rays,
they said. The ozone layer have gradually depleted causing “huge holes” over the north and south poles stratosphere. The
depletion or destruction of the ozone layer is due to the excessive emission of carbon dioxide (CO) into the atmosphere.
We have apparently unwittingly caused the emission of CO because of man’s great stride in developing comfortable
living standards in society, with the introduction of motor vehicles by the millions, refrigerators and also coal-fired plants to
generate electricity- all for man’s comfort! The impact of all these inventions is the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
which started from the first day of the “industrial revolution” in the West, more than a hundred years ago. The three great
“offenders” for emitting millions of cubic metres of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are our vehicles which are driven with the
use of oil or gas, the million of refrigerators which are also using harmful gas to the atmosphere and yes, coal-fired electrical plants!
Every country in the world is guilty of the offence, but the biggest offenders are apparently the United States and China.
These two countries are the biggest consumers of oil and gas today.
For the United States, the world’s major superpower today, its offence insofar as the emitter of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere started a long time ago. For China, meanwhile, it only began recently as the country started to develop into a world
superpower both militarily and economically. The country is fast becoming a great rival to the USA in there fields! But in the
process, it has also contributed greatly to the huge emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. For China, it is said that the
chief “offenders” are refrigerators now found in millions of homes, and also the large number of coal-fired plants to generate
electricity. The carbon dioxide emitted from these two “offenders” are so big that if they are not stopped now, China could
threaten the very existence of our planet today, we are told by scientists.
The presence of both the Presidents of the United States and China at the recent opening of the United Nations General
assembly was most welcomed by other nations, particularly when both leaders came, willing and promising to address the problem
in their respective country. President Obama of the United States spoke at length about global warming and other important subjects
that affect the world today. President Obama is a great orator and was convincing in his speech. But probably the most significant
was his stance and in turn, the USA in the world stage today. Whereas past Presidents tended to “preach” and had an adversarial
stance, Obama was more conciliatory and called for a concerted effort to tackle the problems of the world – including global
warming.
President Hu’s speech meanwhile, was welcomed for his promise to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide in his country.
Both the United States and China have the largest number of coal-fired plants. Scientists have been pointing their fingers
at the huge emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and in turn harming the ozone layer. Both countries have promised to
reduce these plants and replace them with less harmful plants. Today too, cars are slowly getting into the use of electric power to
propel them. Both US and Japanese car manufacturers are producing prototypes. I have seen them. I think in time, all cars will use
electric power in the future! And the use of coal to generate electricity would also be a thing of the past. All in all, planet earth –
and hence the world we live in would be safe and its atmosphere intact and clean. Let us hope that we in Malaysia, and more
particularly in Sabah, would take heed of the mistakes made by other countries in the use of coal for power. Indeed, we see a
television advertisement showing the good impact for using the cable car from the KLIA to Kuala Lumpur. We are told in the
advertisement that if a passenger uses the cable car everyday for a year, the number of cars (taxis included) would be reduced
by 3.5 million. The emission of a great percentage of carbon dioxide is thus reduced! Let us not become another great “offender”
to destroy mother nature – such as the ozone layer and closer to home – our “pristine coastlines and wilderness”, our environment.
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