Asia

Singapore battles addiction to plastic

Today 11:00am - The average Singaporean uses an unconscionable 13 plastic bags a day. With its only landfill site fast filling up, what are consumers and businesses doing to defuse the nation's plastic waste timebomb?

Meet the man who paves highways with old plastic

12 Jul 18 - Chemistry professor Dr Rajagopalan Vasudevan, 73, wants us to know that repurposed plastic can be good for the environment.

India’s cheap cars fixation stalls EV dream

12 Jul 18 - India’s obsession with affordable small cars could delay the Narendra Modi government’s ambitious plan to only sell electric vehicles in the country by 2030.

Life's a toxic cocktail in the land of Genghis Khan

12 Jul 18 - The lifestyle of nomads in the ancient home of Genghis Khan and his Mongol horde is under threat as never before. Climate change, combined with local environment mismanagement, government neglect and the lure of the modern world, has created a toxic cocktail.

E-waste deluge turning Thailand into world's dump

2 Jul 18 - At a deserted factory outside Bangkok, skyscrapers made from vast blocks of crushed printers, Xbox components and TVs tower over black rivers of smashed-up computer screens.

Palm oil alternatives could be worse, experts warn

29 Jun 18 - The deforestation caused by palm oil is decimating species such as orangutans and tigers - but the alternatives could be worse, says a new report.

Use plastics in Mumbai and you could go to jail

27 Jun 18 - Mumbai has the become the largest Indian city to ban single-use plastics, with residents caught using bags, cups or bottles facing penalties of up to $NZ530 and three months in jail.

Newest development bank invests in coal

22 Jun 18 - The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is backing a coal-fired cement works in Myanmar through an intermediary, in a worrying sign for its climate credentials.

Pollution-recording gear can't cope with off-the-dial Delhi

19 Jun 18 - Smog more toxic than can be measured by monitoring devices blanketing New Delhi, months before the start of the city's traditional pollution season.

India approves massive solar farm

7 Jun 18 - The Indian Government has given planning permission for a huge new solar project which is set to become one of the largest in the world.

Coal's all the rage in Indonesia

1 Jun 18 - Indonesia’s coal industry is enjoying a resurgence, driven both by rising demand from China and a push by Jakarta to build more coal-fired power plants.

Asia-Pacific dragging the chain, says UN

31 May 18 - The Asia-Pacific region is falling behind on climate action and conservation, according to the United Nations.

TEA TROUBLE: Weather changes could put Darjeeling in danger

29 May 18 - Gradual change in temperature and rainfall patterns in India's Darjeeling hills is beginning to affect production of one of the country's most famous teas.

Indian police kill 11 pollution protesters

25 May 18 - At least 11 people were killed and 80 wounded when police fired at protesters calling for the closure of a copper smelter in southern India.

India eyes hybrid solar-wind power plants

18 May 18 - India has released a draft policy for setting up hybrid wind-solar plants where both windmills and panels are put up on the same piece of land.

The true cost of making cities from the sea

4 May 18 - Asia is growing. Literally. From Malaysia to Dubai, luxury developments are rising on artificial islands and coastlines.

Dear sir, I'd like to order some e-vehicles ... 10,000 would do

20 Apr 18 - Indian ride-hailing firm Ola will add 10,000 electric three-wheelers to its fleet over the next 12 months.

Japan has a renewable energy puzzle

20 Apr 18 - As Japan rushes to cut carbon emissions by 26 per cent, campaigners worry that forests and wildlife are being trampled.

'The Beach' off limits as Thais count cost of climate change

5 Apr 18 - Maya Bay, made famous in the film “The Beach”, will be off limits to tourists for part of the year as Thailand seeks to protect eco-systems crumbling from warming seas and unchecked sprawl.