Malaysia -- make the buses and light rail fare-free

...In the case of Kuala Lumpur’s traffic congestion, I suggest a policy of cross subsidies where we charge cars coming into the city say, RM10 per day and motorcycles RM5 per day to be collected by a wholly owned Government entity, which I believe in this case should be Prasarana.

This will allay any fears of cronyism and its like. At the same time Prasarana should provide public transport such as buses, monorail and light rail for free as their revenue is collected from the congestion charge.... TheMalaysianInsider

Huge iceberg breaks off of Antarctica

 AP (satellite image from Commonwealth of Australia)

SINGAPORE - An iceberg the size of Luxembourg has broken off from a glacier in Antarctica after being rammed by another giant iceberg, scientists said Friday, in an event that could affect ocean circulation patterns.

The 965-square-mile iceberg broke off earlier this month from the Mertz Glacier's 100-mile floating tongue of ice that sticks out into the Southern Ocean.

The collision has since halved the size of the tongue that drains ice from the vast East Antarctic ice sheet. MSNBC

Senator warns of high costs of climate change

MAKATI CITY, Jan. 26 - Sen. Loren Legarda today warned that unless the Philippines takes action, climate change would severely affect the Philippine economy, creating more poverty and drastically lowering its productivity.

In an address at the Asian Institute of Management here, Loren said that "If the Philippines will do nothing, climate related risks will create a 6 percent decline of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) annually by 2010."

...She said that in 2008 the world suffered from 321 disasters which killed about a quarter of a million people and affected more than 200 million lives. The total economic cost was a stunning 180 billion US dollars, which is twice the average annual economic losses of the past seven years. The Asia and the Pacific bore the brunt, accounting for more than 80 percent of the global loss of life, said Loren, who is also the UN champion climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the Asia-Pacific region.

...Concerning ecosystems, the Millennium Ecosystem Report, released in 2005, found that 60% of ecosystem services - services that nature provides to sustain human life, are declining with some services like fisheries beyond repair, rued Loren. In the Philippines, forests and mangroves are fast disappearing, posing risks of greater floods and landslides. Senate of the Philippines

Copenhagen Climate Scorecard

Singapore - millionaire officials ignore the poor and disabled

This is the sad state of affairs in the so called First World & First class society in Singapore today! We have CAN fighting for “subsidy” the word here is “SUBSIDY” and not “FREE” transport concession for the last 10 years, and nobody in authority seem to have heard or notice! Something is very wrong! The poor and the disabled are left to die and no body cares a damn! Otherwise how can the voices of CAN be not heard for 10 long years?
Sad to say it’s the same case regarding the senior citizens’ whole day transport concession issue.This issue have been dragged on for decades! The same old silly excuse that the full paying passengers will be cross subsidising the fares is non-sense!The transport companies are not going to increase the number of trains and buses just to cater for the seniors and the disabled, thus the cost remains the same. So how does the cross subsidy comes into play?
Here we have to argue for the extra $30 for the poor till the cows come home.Fight for the transport concession till the throat is coarse and mouth dry.Whereas there, one $million minister, can just give out $10 million to the new foreigners and free English lessons without betting an eyelid!!
Is this the type of caring society the ministers have been so passionately talking about? Or are we all still in dreamland?? TheOnlineCitizen comment by "dreamer"

Thailand cabinet advised to retain free buses and trains

Recently the National Economic and Social Development Board suggested that the measures on free electricity and water should be lifted but those on free public transportation should be extended due to increasing fuel prices. Siam Daily News

Many countries subsidize transport fuels to make sure employees can get to work. In Bangkok, Thailand they have made over 70 bus routes and 300 3rd class train tickets fare-free. This not only helps people get to work, but reduces congestion and pollution at the same time.

Makati offers free rides on e-jeepneys

Environment groups and the Makati city government recently launched a fleet of electric jeepneys that provide free public transport and lessen pollution in the financial district.

Also known as e-jeepneys, the vehicles seen in the video below will ply two routes in the city's main business district. GMANews