Miri Resort City.com | MiriCity.my - Environment

87.53% Decrease in Dengue Cases Compared to 2010

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:36:48 +0800

The year ends with a statistics of dengue cases in Miri, with almost 90% decrease of dengue cases for the year 2011 compared to last year. The number of dengue cases are less than 10 cases per month by the end of November, with 93 cases compared to 746 cases in 2010. It is not known if these are confirmed cases or suspected cases.

When compared to 2007-2009 figures, 93 cases seemed fairly normal as the (missing) statistics of 2010 spike of 746 cases seemed like an anomaly.

2010	746
2011 (November)	93

See 2007-2009 figures

Source

It's Been Over a Year Since the ban on Plastic Bags

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 13:25:36 +0800

It's been about a year since the ban of plastic bags everyday of the week. The ban of plastics are set in place to create awareness among the public on the dangers of expansive use of plastic, reduce or minimize the plastic usage starting from shopping complexes by using recyclable shopping bags and encourage public from various levels to participate in environmental awareness programme.

That is the idea. The reality however, is that I still see people resorting to those plastic trash bag packs sold at convenience stores for their trash. The blame on the plastic bags causing pollution in the sea and rivers are not justified either - this is purely as a result of irresponsible people throwing them into the sea and not the plastic bag's fault. What about the use of paper bags or biodegradable plastic bags? Or what about the excessive use of plastics on manufactured products?

It is worth noting that the many, many booklets of parking coupons issue by the Miri Council itself are made of questionable material as well. How biodegradable are the parking coupons, and are the silver scratching material toxic?

Is this campaign actually working? What are your thoughts on it?

18th January 2011 - Close Watch on ‘Landslide Hotspots’ at Canada Hill

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:48:54 +0800

All eyes on Canada Hill, recent heavy rain has authorities on high alert for possible landslides in five hotspots. The authorities are keeping a close watch on five ‘landslide hotspots’ at Canada Hill.

The five 'landslide hotspots' under close watch was not disclosed but the residents there had been notified and are advised to be ready to move out once an emergency arose.

As a precautionary measure, the Miri Resident’s Office and divisional natural disaster operation rooms were now on standby mode round the clock.

The residents living at the foothills of Canada Hill have been reminded to be on the alert, especially at night. They are told to be wary of any Earth movements and other things such as the appearance of visible cracks and shifting of vegetation, they should evacuate.

Source

Miri, the 5 year old City.

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:14:40 +0800

A blogger reminiscents about Miri City in his post, on how the city today is compared to the past how the city has basically forgotten much of its its history and some of its citizens' less than stellar attitudes towards tourists from neighboring countries, not to mention some of the somewhat mediocre infrastructures.

He puts it best here, and I quote him:

"There is so little around us to remind us of its golden glorious history and the bad past when ambitious egomaniac Japs ruled the Asian region and the many past heroes and founding fathers of the ex-town seem to be conveniently forgotten and unrecognised. Case in point: just take a walk to the oldest Mission school in the city and you will soon realise not a single street is named after its Asian founder or the many pioneers who established the first oldest educational institution."

More at link.

What're your thoughts? Please comment.

15th April 2010 - Mayor Wants Malaysian Record To Mark Miri's Environmental Commitment

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:57:20 +0800

Miri's attempt to create a Malaysian record in eco-friendly shopping on May 1 will come as a big start to promote greater environmental awareness among city folks.

Miri Mayor Lawrence Lai said the Miri City Council (MCC) had already outlined plans to encourage the people to use less plastics or other materials that could adversely effect the environment.

"We want it to be a memorable event not just for the sake of creating a record but also to eventually make Miri an environmental-friendly city," he told reporters at a reception for the Miri Marriott Resort and Spa charity run here.

More here.

My take:

A better start would be to get manufacturers to reduce their use of plastics in their everyday products, which would automatically produce LESS trash. At least plastic bags are useful, product packaging trash isn't.

What would people use to wrap trash in without plastic bags from their grocery purchase? Thats right - they'd go out to buy MORE readily-available plastic bags to wrap their trash in, defeating the whole purpose of reducing plastics from our environment.

A better solution is to use paper bags, or biodegradable plastic bags, which is certainly not the case here.

This is just another attempt at record breaking & having an "environmentally friendly image", but offering no real actual solution to protect our environment. (The past few months of open burning, thick haze & "ashflake fall" is testament to this hypocrisy).

See "No plastic Bag Campaign"

Event : Environmental Remediation & the Solution for a Greener Earth Using Effective Microorganisms (EM) - 13th March 2010

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 11:01:42 +0800

There will be a talk on Environmental remediation and the solution for a greener earth using effective microorganisms (EM), speaker Anthony Ng.

Organized by the Lions Club Miri - open to all.

Venue : Hokkien Association
Date & Time : 13th March 2010, 2.00pm.

For more info, please contact the Organizing Chairperson, Mr Scott Wong at 013-8367312 (charngyeon@yahoo.com).

The mayor is expected to be present.

4 March 2010 - Dry Weather In Miri Taking Its Toll

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 10:24:15 +0800

Dry Weather In Miri Taking Its Toll

MIRI, - The dry weather in Miri Division over the last three weeks is taking its toll on the people, with over 1,000 rural folk being in need of clean water supply and 200,000 more affected by the haze.

Miri Resident and district offices would be sending tankers to bring clean water to the affected population soon.

More at Source

Picture of the Day : Hazey Tuesday

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:54:40 +0800

Who would have expected the yearly haze season would come so early in February?

No Plastic Bag Day Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 11:10:54 +0800

Starting this year, "No Bag Plastic Day" will also include Friday & Saturday along with the already established Sunday.

Just as before, the Objectives of Campaign is to to create awareness among the public on the dangers of expansive use of plastic, reduce or minimize the plastic usage starting from shopping complexes by using recyclable shopping bags and encourage public from various levels to participate in environmental awareness programme.

So far, I do not have any information on whether plastic bags will be charged an additional RM0.20 as before.

Learn more about the campaign here.

Shocking Dengue Fever Figures

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:22:58 +0800

The council has released monthly report dengue suspected/positive cases figures up until Novemeber this year, a huge jump from previous two years. Miri is one of the areas worst hit in Sarawak as dengue cases as accounted for 21.7 per cent of the 3,247 dengue cases reported throughout Sarawak.

Link

18th August 2009 - Widespread killing of primates in Sarawak

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:44:55 +0800

Widespread killing of primates in Sarawak

MIRI: Native folks and some city dwellers are slaughtering primates – in some cases mother and baby – to have them as exotic meat which is said to ‘‘very tasty�?.

These practices are widespread and despite repeated complaints and reports to the State Wildlife Department and State Forestry Department, it seems to be getting worse.

In northern Sarawak, the killing of primates has become a “normal�? practice in rural longhouses.

....When The Star reported a case of a native trader selling a monkey in a small cage near the city bus station to a Miri Wildlife Department investigating officer, his response was: “I am off today. I will tell my boss about it.�?

The next day, when asked what had happened to the case and why no enforcement officers showed up at the scene, this investigating officer replied: “I don’t know�?.

More at Source

It seems that no one has learned a lesson from the last episode, (see "Tycoons buying endangered animals as 'status symbols'").

Typical of nonchalant attitude of authorities, cases are "left forgotten" and famous words uttered, "I don't know".

Miri Air Quality "Unhealthy"

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:34:42 +0800

Air Quality In Miri At Unhealthy Level, Other Areas Good Or Moderate

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Only Miri is recording unhealthy air quality with an Air Pollution Index (API) reading at 101, while most areas in the country have good or moderate air quality.

The API classification is as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (moderate), 101-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy) and 300 and above (hazardous).

Source

As a side note, considering that I was in Kuching in 1997 when the API reading went up to 890+ and visibility 20m, this is probably not going to shorten my lifespan any more than it already is.

10th August 2009 - 1,000ha ablaze in Sarawak

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:57:30 +0800

1,000ha ablaze in Sarawak

MIRI: Wildfires are raging in more than 1,000ha of forests and peat land near the Sarawak-Brunei border, resulting in a heavy concentration of thick smoke and ash which is choking the people living in the Kuala Baram area.

According to the Miri Fire and Rescue Department and local politicians, some 3,000ha have been burnt.

Miri Division Fire Chief Christian Olas said the fires were most intense near the bridge linking Sarawak to Brunei.

“More than 1,000ha in Kuala Baram district are still on fire.

“We have doused many fires over the past few days but they keep spreading due to the strong wind. New fires keep on appearing.

“Our firefighters are already on 24-hour duty. We only have 37 firefighters on the ground because we are short of manpower,�? said Olas.

More at Source

4th August 2009 - El Nino drying up Sarawak

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 09:47:01 +0800

MIRI: With the supply of fresh water dwindling to critical levels in interior Sarawak, schoolchildren have resorted to washing dishes and bathing in dirty ponds and polluted streams.

The drought is worsening in many northern and central districts.

Things are made worse when the gravity water-feed systems that provide fresh water to longhouses and schools are not functioning properly due to the lack of mountain water.

Rainwater storage tanks have also dried up, underground wells are also depleted and rivers have become muddy and too polluted for drinking and washing.

The Star found SK Lusong Laku in the deepest interior of Kapit division — about an 11-hour journey from Belaga — where primary schoolchildren wash cups, plates, spoons and themselves in dirty streams, which resemble drains.

Ulu Rejang MP Datuk Billy Abit Joo said the gravity-feed water supply systems were now being adversely affected by low pressure due to a lack of mountain water.

“There is no rain,�? he said.

He added that the rivers were dirty and muddy due to logging debris and erosion and the water could not be used for drinking or washing dishes.

“Anyway, it is too dangerous to expect little kids to wash in these rivers, so they have no choice but to depend on the streams,�? he added.

He said the streams used to be clean and flowed smoothly.

In northern Sarawak, the situation was also worsening in Ulu Baram as the weather had become very hot and dry.

Open-burning, which had started again in the Miri Division, has worsened the situation.

Source

Brunei-Based Sarawakian Contracts A(H1N1)

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 18:08:10 +0800

MIRI, July 5 (Bernama) -- A 41-year-old man working in Brunei became the first person here to contract the Influenza A (H1N1).

The man who returned here last Friday, was advised to seek treatment at the divisional hospital after he was found to have flu symptoms during medical examination at the Sungai Tujuh checkpoint at the Malaysia-Brunei border, about 40km from here.

The result of a medical examination on the man was sent to Kuala Lumpur where he was confirmed to have contracted the swine flu.

The man and his family have been self-quarantined.

The confirmation came just three days after Brunei recorded its first H1N1-related death of a 12-year-old girl.

Anyone developing flu syntoms should immediately consult their doctor.

Scientists are still learning more about the risk profile of the virus, but it is already known that the following people are particularly susceptible:
people with:

- chronic lung disease,
- chronic heart disease,
- chronic kidney disease,
- chronic liver disease,
- chronic neurological disease,
- immunosuppression (whether caused by
disease or treatment) and
- diabetes mellitus,
- patients who have had drug treatment for asthma within the past three years,
pregnant women, people aged 65 years and older, and young children under five years old.

It is vital that people in these higher-risk groups who catch swine flu get antivirals and start taking them as soon as possible.

To read more about h1n1 flu prevention, please see here.