Post by The Sonar Chicken on Mar 31, 2009 6:45:24 GMT
Actually, I don't have a complete idea of what's happening over in Asia... I know that there's overfishing, overconsumption but little else. If anything, the media here rarely talks about issues like that and the only way I found out about "Asia's ecology problems" were from reading National Geographic and Reader's Digest as a kid. And from the internet in my later years.
To be blunt, I've LESS of an idea of what's going on than some of you people over in non-Asian countries. Probably moreso 'cos there's a media bias/block on certain issues in my country, especially on issues sensitive towards China and US. Read this for an example: www.iwmc.org/PDF/StraitsTPress.pdf
Plus, discussing certain issues could land you into a lot of hot soup.
No, none of that is acceptable but... there's little I can do about it: most of the issues don't occur in Singapore, except for shark fin and some other types of consumption. However, I think that the ONLY way to fix all these issues is by being really tough and strict: having a worldwide ban on ALL forms of production/fishing/imports/exports/poaching/etc. of a list of restricted items. And having as many countries agree to the terms as possible because even if you stop the export from one country, another country's just going to fill the gap if they don't belong to the agreement.
Yet, this does NOT sound possible in the least bit as there're too many countries these days with all their own agendas. And it's fairly impossible too as many "protection" agencies from developing countries I know, suffer from monetary issues: leading to understaffed manpower to "watch" and "protect" certain forests, rivers, oceans, etc. There're only so much you can do if the government plays footsie with the financial funds and if the country suffers from extreme corruption.
About consumption of "whale", it's not always the people who consume/hunt it BUT the governments who insist on catching them. In Japan, almost no one eats whale and a few interviews/street polls(of people from Tokyo and various cities/states by Asahi Shimbun and a few other sources) revealed that almost no one cares about eating it. And that some thought the government was wrong to do so but... meh, I doubt the government's going to listen to the ordinary people though.
About other countries, I really don't know 'cos there's a lot of claims and reports but... it's very hard to make sense of all that info and of its' accuracy. Sometimes, you get some groups crying foul over "fishing/etc." issues but then you get information from other groups/sources that contradicts those reports. And information about how certain groups have their own agendas and so forth.
About overconsumption of food, let's pray that Europe doesn't get into a sushi craze. The Japanese don't really eat that much of it from what I know(usually yearly since it's so expensive) while I do know in Singapore, there used to be such a craze.
Btw, if anything, I think the main problem in China is of the middle-class and those who can afford such foods, consuming all these menu items at the expense of the majority. I don't think any of the poor can afford all those ivory, tiger's <whatever>, etc.
Just found this site about Sharks. Hmmm...
www.sharkalliance.org/
To be blunt, I've LESS of an idea of what's going on than some of you people over in non-Asian countries. Probably moreso 'cos there's a media bias/block on certain issues in my country, especially on issues sensitive towards China and US. Read this for an example: www.iwmc.org/PDF/StraitsTPress.pdf
Plus, discussing certain issues could land you into a lot of hot soup.
No, none of that is acceptable but... there's little I can do about it: most of the issues don't occur in Singapore, except for shark fin and some other types of consumption. However, I think that the ONLY way to fix all these issues is by being really tough and strict: having a worldwide ban on ALL forms of production/fishing/imports/exports/poaching/etc. of a list of restricted items. And having as many countries agree to the terms as possible because even if you stop the export from one country, another country's just going to fill the gap if they don't belong to the agreement.
Yet, this does NOT sound possible in the least bit as there're too many countries these days with all their own agendas. And it's fairly impossible too as many "protection" agencies from developing countries I know, suffer from monetary issues: leading to understaffed manpower to "watch" and "protect" certain forests, rivers, oceans, etc. There're only so much you can do if the government plays footsie with the financial funds and if the country suffers from extreme corruption.
About consumption of "whale", it's not always the people who consume/hunt it BUT the governments who insist on catching them. In Japan, almost no one eats whale and a few interviews/street polls(of people from Tokyo and various cities/states by Asahi Shimbun and a few other sources) revealed that almost no one cares about eating it. And that some thought the government was wrong to do so but... meh, I doubt the government's going to listen to the ordinary people though.
About other countries, I really don't know 'cos there's a lot of claims and reports but... it's very hard to make sense of all that info and of its' accuracy. Sometimes, you get some groups crying foul over "fishing/etc." issues but then you get information from other groups/sources that contradicts those reports. And information about how certain groups have their own agendas and so forth.
About overconsumption of food, let's pray that Europe doesn't get into a sushi craze. The Japanese don't really eat that much of it from what I know(usually yearly since it's so expensive) while I do know in Singapore, there used to be such a craze.
Btw, if anything, I think the main problem in China is of the middle-class and those who can afford such foods, consuming all these menu items at the expense of the majority. I don't think any of the poor can afford all those ivory, tiger's <whatever>, etc.
Just found this site about Sharks. Hmmm...
www.sharkalliance.org/