Thursday, April 13, 2006
NO-"AH-dea': Ignorance is NOT bliss
The minutes of the meeting is available online HERE. More comments about the NOAH HERE. EVERYTHING else that discusses the Project NOAH is HERE.
Now. Go read them all. Get your background knowledge right. Research, before you embark on anything else. As the title of this blog entry suggests, ignorance...contrary to popular belief...is NOT bliss. In fact, it's rather painful. Especially for the people who have to witness the ignorance! OH, the horror!
The NSS Conservation Chat last night became an open session for nature groups to come and discuss Project NOAH. The Singapore Underwater Federation (SUF, represented by Stephen Beng), Singapore Environment Council (SEC, represented by Howard Shaw) and individual Sydney Chew. Sydney WHO? You ask? Well, a lot of people was also very unsure who he represented. Joseph Lai started the questions and answer session rolling by asking just that... WHO ARE YOU and WHAT DO YOU DO and WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, SYDNEY CHEW. Asked for his "credentials", Sydney responded that he is a "dive instructor" who loves the marine environment and "is in the construction business".
..................
.................
...............
.............
ON: WHO IS SYDNEY CHEW
If you were just wondering what sort of an answer was that, we ALL were! IT WAS A MEETING WITH NATURE GROUPS for goodness sake! As sure as I am that the tempeh is made of fermented soy beans, I believe the answer that we were all looking for was who he respresents and what has he done for the marine environment in Singapore. I think these questions were finally answered in the course of the Q&A and this is what I can gather:
Sydney Chew was at the meeting and represents himself, as the person who came up with the "concept" that is Project NOAH. His contribution to the marine environment lie solely on his involvement in setting up mooring buoys at P. Hantu as the president of SUF years back.
Tempeh says:
Now, if you have read the Hantu Blog you'd know that he in fact owns a one-man company, AQUOS Pte Ltd. What AQUOS is about, does or aims to do is uncertain. There is no public information about it, and was not mentioned at all during the meeting (eventhough AQUOS is somehow involved in Project NOAH and I feel is how Sydney Chew is officially linked to Project NOAH). Now, the mooring buoys at P. Hantu. Yes, I think the mooring buoys idea was a good one. I think that proper mooring buoys at P. Hantu will be an asset. NOTE the WILL BE. Why? BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SUCH MOORING BUOYS AT HANTU NOW! Yes, Sydney Chew helped in setting the buoys up, but what of the maintenance! As Debby Ng remarked, "How do you expect to take care of a reef when you can't even maintain mooring buoys at Hantu." Which is very true. If you can't even maintain mooring buoys, non-living objects, how do you expect to upkeep a whole ECOSYSTEM?
OUCH
ON: WHAT IS PROJECT NOAH AND DIVING IN SINGAPORE
OK. So, anyway, WHO Sydney Chew is (although still not very clear) we now roughly know. Ex-president of SUF. A dive instructor. Lover of the marine environment. And in the construction business.
I know there have been lots of things out there already that explains what Project Noah is. But here, I am going to go through it again... for this is what I have noted from on Sydney Chew's presentation. It seems that Project NOAH is a project to create a CLEAR WATER sanctuary for the corals in Singapore, and provide CLEAR WATER diving for divers...at the lagoon of P. Hantu. HOW exactly this is to be done? Noone knows, not even the leaders of this project. It is apparently just a "CONCEPT". "Something that all of us can AIM for". "The technology exists (to create clear waters), even for the underwater world (Underwater World Sentosa - UWS)". "And there is a market" for project NOAH. This project has "economic and social" value". This project is "to improve our bounty in life".
When asked WHY Pulau Hantu was earmarked for the site of this artificial "natural clear water reef", the answer was that P. Hantu was the perfect site as it is dived very often. And there is NO other place where this clear water santuary can be created - Sydney Chew welcomes ideas. He then mentions that there are only TWO dive sites open to divers in Singapore - P. Hantu and P. Jong. And that Sisters' Islands were closed to the public and hence not divable.
Tempeh says:
There is SO many things wrong with this answer I don't even know WHERE to begin. First of all, re-creating a clear water environment in the lagoon at P. Hantu has NOTHING "natural" about it. In face, it is SO artificial and goes against almost all things that marine conservationists believe in. The CONCEPT was to relocate corals into the lagoon, filter the sand/silt out of the water in the lagoon. I said WAS because MAN this CONCEPT just keeps CHANGING! NOW, apparently, there are no plans to relocate corals into the lagoon and SEC "does not want to dredge/dig up the lagoon" to deepen it. Now, the stand SEEMS to be to ENHANCE whatever is already is inside the lagoon. My question now is DO THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT IS INSIDE THE LAGOON???? How is it possible to ENHANCE the life inside the lagoon if they don't even know what is in there? I don't think they know because if they have SEEN what life is not within the lagoon, they would not have had the initial plan of dredging/digging up the lagoon in the first place! Man that lagoon's teeming with life! LIFE that is suited to the intertidal lagoon habitat! LIFE that has re-stablished itself since the lagoon between P. Hantu Kechil and Besar was reclaimed/made in the 1970s.
If now their plan is to ENHANCE this life within the lagoon (now without relocation of organisms into the lagoon and/or dredging/digging up the lagoon), PLEASE let us know HOW. Or even WHY? Is it even worth the millions and millions of dollars (of taxpayers' money) involved to ENHANCE what is already enhancing itself? And then MAINTAINING that ENHANCEMENT??? For something that is slowly but steadily establishing a foothold in the lagoon and surviving very well, thank you very much? Is it that NECESSARY???? Is this something we all really want to "AIM" for? A CONCEPT that has, in my humble opinion, NOTHING FOR it?
If the final aim of this project NOAH is to ENHANCE the lagoon at Hantu (i.e. future phases of the project)... then here's my argument, here's an alternative that I wish to bring forward:
Want to ENHANCE something? Why not ENHANCE already created semi-enclosed coastal areas already out there. Why do you need to create ANOTHER semi-enclosed environment when there are so many already in Singapore? We have so many PORTS and MARINAS which are in NEED of enhancement. Strike up a deal with a Marina/Port, try to enhance the waters in these areas, make it clearer, enhance the marine life... in exchange for an area where people can come and dive at and view marine life! TADAAA... ALTERNATIVE. The port/marina gets a good name for supporting conservation and clear waters... while NOAH gets to have an area for clear-water diving (with added deeper waters for diving) and have something to TRULY enhance. Plus, it would boost Singapore's name in the global arena... imagine... "One of the world's busiest port has clear waters and rich marine life integrates diving, education and awareness of the marine environment".
Tempeh says:
Sydney Chew claims he loves the coral reefs in Singapore and wants to do something for it. A dive instructor, ex-president of SUF. SUGGESTS that he has dived all over Singapore. So, I don't know what compelled him to say that there are only TWO dive sites (P. Hantu and P. Jong) in Singapore open to public???!? And that Sisters' Islands are no longer open to the public for diving as it is CLOSED???!?! WHERE DOES HE GET ALL THIS INFORMATION?! DID HE EVEN COME PREPARED FOR THE MEETING??!? So if he thinks this, then am I to assume that he has only dived at TWO sites in Singapore? And to say this in front of marine nature groups?!? Who have done surveys and is conducting leisure dive guiding sessions to variuos other reefs in Singapore besides P. Hantu and P. Jong (INCLUDING Sisters' Islands)???!?! OH THE IGNORANCE! Please see The Blue Tempeh blog for a list of divable dive sites in Singapore. PLEASE.
ON AIM OF PROJECT NOAH
Sydney Chew also comments on how he "sees us out there" doing what we do for the marine environment and how it's all very commendable. Does he? REALLY? REALLY SEE US out there? Or even KNOW what we are doing out there? APPARENTLY NOT! Another question that was asked was - What was the AIM of having a clear water lagoon? i.e. Aim of project NOAH. And who will benefit from having this clear-water "santuary". Since if it is for DIVING, won't there is a limited community that will be able to appreciate the "new lagoon"? The answer given was that this "new lagoon" will be a tool for marine conservation by showcasing marine life to the public which is much needed. "To bring the public out there". The response from the audience was "WE ARE ALREADY BRINGING THE PUBLIC OUT THERE! PUBLIC GUIDED WALKS ARE FULLY BOOKED FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AHEAD. REEFWALK HAS TAKEN OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT TO KUSU ISLAND AND CHEK JAWA EVEN MORE!".
Sydney: What about the kids?
Audience: Yeeeeesss... the kids too!
Sydney: Getting them hands on and dirty?
Audience: Yeeesss... hands on and experiencing the marine life out there!
Audience: *Collective sigh*
Audience: There are also people afraid of swimming/water who will be cut out of the whole equation. In the press release, it was also mentioned that to visit the island people will have to leave from the new marina at 1 degree 15 at Sentosa, which is a posh-tosh place for really rich people. How will this "new lagoon" send messages of marine conservation to the general public out there, the uncle and aunties and kids?
RESPONSE: *AWKWARD SILENCE*
SYDNEY CHEW has ovbviously NOT been out there. He has NOT done his research as to what exactly has been done and is being done out there. PLUS, Zeehan was mistaken for ME by a member of the Project NOAH. This is actually nothing lah, who am I right... BUT MAN... THIS....*THIS* happened.
Person X (of Indian origin): You know Sydney, as you speak, I can see the smoke rising from your head. (in response to Sydney trying to justify his less than informed comments).
Sydney: (says nothing CONCRETE in defence to the remark given, but asks...) EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU SIVA?
Audience: *gasps in horror* and then *cracks up*
Why you ask? BECAUSE... if you don't know SIVA, who is one of the most active people in the conservation scene in Singapore, then you must DEFINITELY not have done your research. SIVA is almost like a celebrity out there and he's UNMISTAKABLE. Person X is actually Mr. Anand Balan. Please see below for a photo comparison... just in case you think that they might look alike and can therefore be easily mistakable for one another.
OK, I think this entry is getting VERY VERY long. And it is now almost 4am and I will be diving tomorrow at, just so happens, P. Hantu (for a, just so happens, coral reef survey). So, as much as I would LOVE to go on telling you about the discussion, I fear I must save it for tomorrow. But just to share what I will be rambling on about tomorrow, here are the topic headings:
ON: PROJECT NOAH PRESS RELEASE
ON: JOINING HANDS TO AIM FOR PROJECT NOAH and ON "TOGETHER-NESS"
ON: THE UPCOMING BIODIVERSITY CENSUS OF P. HANTU
ON: WHAT IS TO BE EXPECTED NOW ¶ 10:44 am
Now. Go read them all. Get your background knowledge right. Research, before you embark on anything else. As the title of this blog entry suggests, ignorance...contrary to popular belief...is NOT bliss. In fact, it's rather painful. Especially for the people who have to witness the ignorance! OH, the horror!
The NSS Conservation Chat last night became an open session for nature groups to come and discuss Project NOAH. The Singapore Underwater Federation (SUF, represented by Stephen Beng), Singapore Environment Council (SEC, represented by Howard Shaw) and individual Sydney Chew. Sydney WHO? You ask? Well, a lot of people was also very unsure who he represented. Joseph Lai started the questions and answer session rolling by asking just that... WHO ARE YOU and WHAT DO YOU DO and WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, SYDNEY CHEW. Asked for his "credentials", Sydney responded that he is a "dive instructor" who loves the marine environment and "is in the construction business".
..................
.................
...............
.............
ON: WHO IS SYDNEY CHEW
If you were just wondering what sort of an answer was that, we ALL were! IT WAS A MEETING WITH NATURE GROUPS for goodness sake! As sure as I am that the tempeh is made of fermented soy beans, I believe the answer that we were all looking for was who he respresents and what has he done for the marine environment in Singapore. I think these questions were finally answered in the course of the Q&A and this is what I can gather:
Sydney Chew was at the meeting and represents himself, as the person who came up with the "concept" that is Project NOAH. His contribution to the marine environment lie solely on his involvement in setting up mooring buoys at P. Hantu as the president of SUF years back.
Tempeh says:
Now, if you have read the Hantu Blog you'd know that he in fact owns a one-man company, AQUOS Pte Ltd. What AQUOS is about, does or aims to do is uncertain. There is no public information about it, and was not mentioned at all during the meeting (eventhough AQUOS is somehow involved in Project NOAH and I feel is how Sydney Chew is officially linked to Project NOAH). Now, the mooring buoys at P. Hantu. Yes, I think the mooring buoys idea was a good one. I think that proper mooring buoys at P. Hantu will be an asset. NOTE the WILL BE. Why? BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SUCH MOORING BUOYS AT HANTU NOW! Yes, Sydney Chew helped in setting the buoys up, but what of the maintenance! As Debby Ng remarked, "How do you expect to take care of a reef when you can't even maintain mooring buoys at Hantu." Which is very true. If you can't even maintain mooring buoys, non-living objects, how do you expect to upkeep a whole ECOSYSTEM?
OUCH
ON: WHAT IS PROJECT NOAH AND DIVING IN SINGAPORE
OK. So, anyway, WHO Sydney Chew is (although still not very clear) we now roughly know. Ex-president of SUF. A dive instructor. Lover of the marine environment. And in the construction business.
I know there have been lots of things out there already that explains what Project Noah is. But here, I am going to go through it again... for this is what I have noted from on Sydney Chew's presentation. It seems that Project NOAH is a project to create a CLEAR WATER sanctuary for the corals in Singapore, and provide CLEAR WATER diving for divers...at the lagoon of P. Hantu. HOW exactly this is to be done? Noone knows, not even the leaders of this project. It is apparently just a "CONCEPT". "Something that all of us can AIM for". "The technology exists (to create clear waters), even for the underwater world (Underwater World Sentosa - UWS)". "And there is a market" for project NOAH. This project has "economic and social" value". This project is "to improve our bounty in life".
When asked WHY Pulau Hantu was earmarked for the site of this artificial "natural clear water reef", the answer was that P. Hantu was the perfect site as it is dived very often. And there is NO other place where this clear water santuary can be created - Sydney Chew welcomes ideas. He then mentions that there are only TWO dive sites open to divers in Singapore - P. Hantu and P. Jong. And that Sisters' Islands were closed to the public and hence not divable.
Tempeh says:
There is SO many things wrong with this answer I don't even know WHERE to begin. First of all, re-creating a clear water environment in the lagoon at P. Hantu has NOTHING "natural" about it. In face, it is SO artificial and goes against almost all things that marine conservationists believe in. The CONCEPT was to relocate corals into the lagoon, filter the sand/silt out of the water in the lagoon. I said WAS because MAN this CONCEPT just keeps CHANGING! NOW, apparently, there are no plans to relocate corals into the lagoon and SEC "does not want to dredge/dig up the lagoon" to deepen it. Now, the stand SEEMS to be to ENHANCE whatever is already is inside the lagoon. My question now is DO THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT IS INSIDE THE LAGOON???? How is it possible to ENHANCE the life inside the lagoon if they don't even know what is in there? I don't think they know because if they have SEEN what life is not within the lagoon, they would not have had the initial plan of dredging/digging up the lagoon in the first place! Man that lagoon's teeming with life! LIFE that is suited to the intertidal lagoon habitat! LIFE that has re-stablished itself since the lagoon between P. Hantu Kechil and Besar was reclaimed/made in the 1970s.
If now their plan is to ENHANCE this life within the lagoon (now without relocation of organisms into the lagoon and/or dredging/digging up the lagoon), PLEASE let us know HOW. Or even WHY? Is it even worth the millions and millions of dollars (of taxpayers' money) involved to ENHANCE what is already enhancing itself? And then MAINTAINING that ENHANCEMENT??? For something that is slowly but steadily establishing a foothold in the lagoon and surviving very well, thank you very much? Is it that NECESSARY???? Is this something we all really want to "AIM" for? A CONCEPT that has, in my humble opinion, NOTHING FOR it?
If the final aim of this project NOAH is to ENHANCE the lagoon at Hantu (i.e. future phases of the project)... then here's my argument, here's an alternative that I wish to bring forward:
Want to ENHANCE something? Why not ENHANCE already created semi-enclosed coastal areas already out there. Why do you need to create ANOTHER semi-enclosed environment when there are so many already in Singapore? We have so many PORTS and MARINAS which are in NEED of enhancement. Strike up a deal with a Marina/Port, try to enhance the waters in these areas, make it clearer, enhance the marine life... in exchange for an area where people can come and dive at and view marine life! TADAAA... ALTERNATIVE. The port/marina gets a good name for supporting conservation and clear waters... while NOAH gets to have an area for clear-water diving (with added deeper waters for diving) and have something to TRULY enhance. Plus, it would boost Singapore's name in the global arena... imagine... "One of the world's busiest port has clear waters and rich marine life integrates diving, education and awareness of the marine environment".
Tempeh says:
Sydney Chew claims he loves the coral reefs in Singapore and wants to do something for it. A dive instructor, ex-president of SUF. SUGGESTS that he has dived all over Singapore. So, I don't know what compelled him to say that there are only TWO dive sites (P. Hantu and P. Jong) in Singapore open to public???!? And that Sisters' Islands are no longer open to the public for diving as it is CLOSED???!?! WHERE DOES HE GET ALL THIS INFORMATION?! DID HE EVEN COME PREPARED FOR THE MEETING??!? So if he thinks this, then am I to assume that he has only dived at TWO sites in Singapore? And to say this in front of marine nature groups?!? Who have done surveys and is conducting leisure dive guiding sessions to variuos other reefs in Singapore besides P. Hantu and P. Jong (INCLUDING Sisters' Islands)???!?! OH THE IGNORANCE! Please see The Blue Tempeh blog for a list of divable dive sites in Singapore. PLEASE.
ON AIM OF PROJECT NOAH
Sydney Chew also comments on how he "sees us out there" doing what we do for the marine environment and how it's all very commendable. Does he? REALLY? REALLY SEE US out there? Or even KNOW what we are doing out there? APPARENTLY NOT! Another question that was asked was - What was the AIM of having a clear water lagoon? i.e. Aim of project NOAH. And who will benefit from having this clear-water "santuary". Since if it is for DIVING, won't there is a limited community that will be able to appreciate the "new lagoon"? The answer given was that this "new lagoon" will be a tool for marine conservation by showcasing marine life to the public which is much needed. "To bring the public out there". The response from the audience was "WE ARE ALREADY BRINGING THE PUBLIC OUT THERE! PUBLIC GUIDED WALKS ARE FULLY BOOKED FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AHEAD. REEFWALK HAS TAKEN OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT TO KUSU ISLAND AND CHEK JAWA EVEN MORE!".
Sydney: What about the kids?
Audience: Yeeeeesss... the kids too!
Sydney: Getting them hands on and dirty?
Audience: Yeeesss... hands on and experiencing the marine life out there!
Audience: *Collective sigh*
Audience: There are also people afraid of swimming/water who will be cut out of the whole equation. In the press release, it was also mentioned that to visit the island people will have to leave from the new marina at 1 degree 15 at Sentosa, which is a posh-tosh place for really rich people. How will this "new lagoon" send messages of marine conservation to the general public out there, the uncle and aunties and kids?
RESPONSE: *AWKWARD SILENCE*
SYDNEY CHEW has ovbviously NOT been out there. He has NOT done his research as to what exactly has been done and is being done out there. PLUS, Zeehan was mistaken for ME by a member of the Project NOAH. This is actually nothing lah, who am I right... BUT MAN... THIS....*THIS* happened.
Person X (of Indian origin): You know Sydney, as you speak, I can see the smoke rising from your head. (in response to Sydney trying to justify his less than informed comments).
Sydney: (says nothing CONCRETE in defence to the remark given, but asks...) EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU SIVA?
Audience: *gasps in horror* and then *cracks up*
Why you ask? BECAUSE... if you don't know SIVA, who is one of the most active people in the conservation scene in Singapore, then you must DEFINITELY not have done your research. SIVA is almost like a celebrity out there and he's UNMISTAKABLE. Person X is actually Mr. Anand Balan. Please see below for a photo comparison... just in case you think that they might look alike and can therefore be easily mistakable for one another.
OK, I think this entry is getting VERY VERY long. And it is now almost 4am and I will be diving tomorrow at, just so happens, P. Hantu (for a, just so happens, coral reef survey). So, as much as I would LOVE to go on telling you about the discussion, I fear I must save it for tomorrow. But just to share what I will be rambling on about tomorrow, here are the topic headings:
ON: PROJECT NOAH PRESS RELEASE
ON: JOINING HANDS TO AIM FOR PROJECT NOAH and ON "TOGETHER-NESS"
ON: THE UPCOMING BIODIVERSITY CENSUS OF P. HANTU
ON: WHAT IS TO BE EXPECTED NOW ¶ 10:44 am
Comments:
<< Home
The tempeh, in personal capacity. Now I kind of understand why you were clawing at the person sitting beside you while you were listening to the discussion going on. ;)
Post a Comment
<< Home
