Issue 251 / 2 February 2022 |
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Focus on Forests
Trees in Trouble. Track & Trace. Saving Grace.
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The Art of Travel
Birds of a Feather. Art in Lockdown & Art in Wood
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77 Not Out!
Unlocking Stories from the Year of the Ox
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It's not cricket, but that's a good innings
As the month of January just happens to mark 60 years since I started out on my working life in media, let's celebrate storytelling. For good.
While I won't attempt to produce a lifetime of stories – that might well come another day - here's a healthy selection of what I’ve been producing and sharing in the Year of the Ox
(January 2021 to the end of January 2022).
Pictured: Chinese Brush Painting of Ox by M Hickson.
Regular readers might recall some of the stories, as most have made appearances in past issues of ABC Carbon Express, Focus on Forests and The Art of Travel.
Some have been specially produced for PEFC, Double Helix Tracking Technologies, Venturer Timberwork, Alpha Biofuel, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and DNV.
Most have appeared in other media, too: online and in print, on radio, podcasts, websites, video and even on YouTube.
Here are 77 short stories - introductions, items and images - along with links to give you more to read, hear or see, if you so desire.
When you get to the end, you'll learn a little more about "77 Not Out!" - Ken Hickson
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1. Built Environment is Responsible for 40% of Global Emissions |
As extreme weather events and forest fires rage out of control - even in Siberia - what's being done to seriously address the built environment sector, which is responsible for 40% of global emissions of greenhouse gases? We reported on this during the year and most notably in August in the Express and on Linkedin, when we also noted that buildings are vulnerable to climate change impacts no matter where in the world they are, quoting Ran Boydel in The Conversation. We also, naturally enough, reported on building issues and opportunities through our involvement with Protiotype Design Future Build in the London Design Festival project, as well as in our work for PEFC, DoubleHelix and Venturer Timberwork.
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2. CO2: Too Much of
a Good Thing or Not Enough?
In October, we reported in ABC Carbon Express that a shortage of CO2 was causing acute problems in the food and agriculture industry in the United Kingdom. Described as “superficially bizarre,” by Professor Jon Gluyas, Executive Director of the Durham Energy Institute, as we race towards COP26,0 when nations debated how to cut emissions of CO2. The UK currently emits around 350 million tonnes of CO2 annually, but had run short of what's called food grade CO2, commonly a bi-product of fertiliser production. Pictured is frozen CO2 or, in other words, Dry Ice. Used primarily as a cooling agent, is also used in fog machines in theatres for dramatic effects.
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3. Sun to Energise Singapore Through Undersea Cables |
When we first heard about the rather ambitious project coming out of Australia to build an undersea cable to bring green electricity - clean emission-free solar energy - from what will be the world’s largest solar farm near Darwin, Australia to Singapore, we wondered how this was possible and how it could be funded. When I interviewed Sun Cable co-founder Dr Fraser Thomson (pictured), on the sidelines of Singapore International Energy Week in October where he was a featured speaker, I was convinced that the project is just what Australia and Singapore need. For very different reasons. Read the rest.
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4. Net Zero: What Company Directors Need to Know |
Company directors need to better understand - and apply necessary changes - to safely head towards the goal of Net Zero Emissions. We announced this in the Christmas Eve Express and came up with five tools/platforms to help:
- Net Zero Standard by the Science-Based Targets Initiative
- Net Zero Readiness Index by KPMG
- Climate Governance Initiative
- Green Compass by A*Star
- Sustainability Reporting by SGX,
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5. Ocean Plastic Pandemic
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6. Back to the Roaring Twenties
Fires raged across the World in 2021 – even in Colorado, which experienced the worst fire ever, on New Year's Eve. Bob Henson - author of “Rough Guide to Climate Change' - tells us about the "Silent calamity: The health impacts of wildfire smoke". Smoke from wild fires may be much more deadly than the fires themselves and more costly. BBC reports that the World now sees twice as many days over 50C. The number of extremely hot days every year has doubled since the 1980s.
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7. Oceans Undergoing Swift, Stark & Severe Changes |
From natural variations, over-exploitation and anthropogenic influences. Human-induced climate change has already contributed roughly 1.1°C to global warming, causing unprecedented changes which are affecting the ocean, its coasts and its composition. This from the Copernicus Marine Service, drawing on Mercator Ocean International expertise, which has just launched a new set of Ocean Explainers pages. The Oceans took centre stage in our mid December Express
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8. Is Ammonia the new shipping fuel of the future?
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9. Singapore's Used Cooking Oil Powers Ocean-going vessels |
The global mining conglomerate Anglo American successfully trialled the use of sustainable biofuel to power a chartered bulk carrier ship during a voyage from Singapore to South Africa. This was the news in our article “Singapore’s Used Cooking Oil Fuelling a Cleaner Future for the Maritime Industry” published on Linkedin in July, shared with Media and in the August Express. The story was heard on MediaCorp radio, as well as by Clement Yong in the Straits Times.Pictured: Singaporeans Allan Lim, CEO and co-Founder, on left, and Jack Ling, COO and co-Founder, of Alpha Biofuels, on the wharf during the fuelling of the bunkering vessel Marlin Tiga.
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10. Factoring in Ocean Power
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11. What’s in the Wind?
"Powering ASEAN's Energy Transition" was published by the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) in August. We reported that ASEAN remains heavily dependent on highly polluting fossil fuels, with around 80% of its current energy mix coming from such sources. We've reported before on the work of far-sighted investors in renewables. See our 2018 article: What's in the Wind for Southeast Asia.
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12. Singapore & New Zealand:
Energy & Food, Security & Sustainability
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Attending the Sustainability: The Heart of Business Success event, organised by the New Zealand Chamber in November, stimulated me even more than usual. Where is the Singapore New Zealand Enhanced Partnership heading and how could these two countries come up with an Asia Pacific Partnership for Sustainability? What is needed is a much stronger focus on Energy and Food Security. Read about how Singapore and New Zealand are approaching sustainability. On the farm and in the city.
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13. Sustainable Foods
on Land, Sea and Air
Best known as an airline food caterer, SATS is now Asia's leading provider of food solutions and gateway services. We attended the November launch of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Country Foods, which is harnessing high food safety standards, food technologies and a global distribution network. In the same month, we met the people behind a new food waste platform. TreeDots began as a surplus food marketplace and now serves consumers through a social commerce platform. Food waste accounts for about 11% of the total waste generated in Singapore. The overall amount of food waste generated in 2020 was 665,000 tonnes. We ask if TreeDots can make a difference?
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14. Time's Up For Coal
In ABC Carbon Express in May, we raised the red flag on coal. Again! “Climate change is in the news more than ever these days, but what worries us is that there is still far too much talk - and talk about commitments - without seeing enough real evidence of any change in direction on the ground or in the air. As our first Express for 2021, we decided to share with our loyal followers our other online efforts - Focus on Forests and The Art of Travel. Our call was to “Stay focussed. Stay active. Don't let the pandemic divert our attention from the climate emergency. It's all connected. It's all for real. Let's collaborate for a change."
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15. Hydrogen. It's a Gas!
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16. Sustainable Aviation Fuels
"NESTE Fuels IAG Cargo Aircraft with Sustainable Bio Fuels" we announced in ABC Carbon Express August and in June we reported that airlines were lining up to get Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from NESTE. The world’s largest producer of renewable diesel and aviation fuel - refined from waste and residue - aims to make its Singapore refinery the primary producer of SAF from 2023. In the Express in October: "Sustainable Aviation Fuel Taking-off, thanks to Boeing, Rolls Royce, World Energy & Neste".
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17. Climate Change Proof your Business
The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated just how interlinked human, business and planetary health are. Increasingly, employees, investors and consumers are demanding that businesses do more to tackle sustainability issues. We asked Sodexo how they are able to help businesses to adapt and innovate to become more sustainable? This from ABC Carbon Express in June 2021 with a link to our article on The Art of Travel website. Sodexo has also come up with a White Paper to help us all “come clean” in more ways than one and here’s a case study on WasteWatch to dip into.
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18. Planet's Perfect Problem: Have we left it too late to fix it? |
Fossil Fuel Energy. Deforestation. Fire and Flood. Extreme temperatures. They are at the heart of the Planet’s Perfect Problem. We preview the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) in the October Express and we alert you to what's likely to crop up at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in November. The Perfect Problem was first referred to in the 2005 report by Yale University on "Americans and Climate Change" and we reported on this in the Introduction to my 2009 book "The ABC of Carbon", which is available here. We also drew attention to the Revealing report from BBC – which clearly shows that Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia are trying to downplay the role of fossil fuels. Then there's the IEA World Energy Outlook, designed to serve as a handbook for the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow at this vital moment for the clean energy transition and climate action. We also referenced some recent warnings from Will Steffen. It's here. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
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19. Protiotype & ABC Carbon Collaboration
We spread the Design Future Build message far and wide in 2021 through our collaborative project with Protiotype Design Science (Singapore). Pictured, Protiotype's Greg Cornelius (left) with Ken Hickson and the book "The ABC of Carbon", which was incorporated into the digital exhibit for London Design Festival in September. This was first announced on World Environment Day, 7 June. Then on 27 July, we announced that a global player with sustainable solutions for the built-environment, IES (Integrated Environmental Solutions), was joining our project, alongside two local leaders in this sector, Ecoline and Lumani. There was much more to come, when on 13 September we put out a Media Update with the headline: Protiotype Built Environment Initiative Promotes Timber & Whole Life Carbon.
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20. The ABC of Carbon:
New Cover Up!
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- 21. COP26 - or was it all just a Cop Out?
While we promised to give our readers more around this time with our Focus on Forest and The Art of Travel, we couldn't resist a quick run down of highlights from the first week of COP26 in Glasgow:
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There was a strong - but slightly watered down - commitment to cut back drastically on coal fired power. But some of the biggest coal producers and emitters have not come on board. Read The Guardian report.
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Zero deforestation came across as a meaningful move, as countries like Indonesia signed up for it. But it didn't take long for that Southeast Asia nation - the biggest ASEAN emitter by far - to wonder what it agreed to. Read this report.from Aljazeera.
Image of the "hear-see-speak no evil penguin" is from The Economist, 30 October 2021.
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22. Elodie's Trees for Life with Eco Matcher
Bas Fransen, CEO of EcoMatcher told us for our Christmas Eve Express issue 250 that Elodie Lambotte was its new Honorary Youth Ambassador. Thirteen year old Elodie, originally from Belguim, is studying in Hong Kong. While she respects and admires young climate activists around the world, she takes a different approach. "I want people to listen, but I do it by making them laugh, smile and feel climate change is possible if we just all take a few steps together. So, I made the video with my 'monkey' Jack, representing biodiversity." See it here.
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23. "We Rise by Lifting Others"
In keeping with our Ocean theme in the mid-December Express, we wrote about Lifts from Ship to Shore. Energy efficient vertical transportation has become a pressing challenge - at sea and on land - globally, but also in Singapore, where there are about 70,000 passenger lifts and 7,000 escalators operating. We met with Tristan Foureur, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of WeMaintain, who shared his insights on how his company helps make buildings more sustainable by saving energy.
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24. Timber Buildings: Aim for Net Zero &
Whole Life Carbon
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25. Riding the Biological Cycle - for Good |
How forest fibre can drive the circular economy? If it sounds like we’re going around in circles, we are! So, what is it that keeps us going around that is safe for the planet and people? All materials which have a future and don’t go to waste. Trees stop CO2 from clogging up the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. We produced this Opinion Piece for PEFC, which was picked up by Eco-Business and Retail Asia. AP Rayon, who provided the "fashion in the forest" image, also ran the article on their website.
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26. Reducing Forest Crime and Deforestation
ASEAN Post on 23 April based this story on a Feature article for PEFC. "Aiming to reduce illegal logging and illegal conversion of forests, Sustainable Forest Trade (SFT) in the Lower Mekong Region (LMR) initiative seeks to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation, while boosting sustainable forest management across the region." Here's the rest. In December's Media News Bulletin, we repeated Ben Gunneberg's appeal: PEFC call to COP26 Leaders:Tackle Climate Change & Deforestation with Sustainable Forest Management.
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27. Six Timber Pavilions Take Shape at Jurong Lake Gardens |
With newly-purchased worksite boots, headed with a hard hat and fresh from a swab test, Ken Hickson went onto a busy construction site in July. All to see and report on Venturer's six timber pavilions at Jurong Lake Gardens. For much more, view the Ministry of Tropical Construction on YouTube. See the August issue of ABC Carbon Express/Focus on Forests. See more of Kevin Hill's drone photography of these wooden structures on Linkedin. It’s been 25 years since he built the Botanic Gardens' Visitors Centre for National Parks in Singapore.
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28. Timber Roof Adds Finishing Touch to Historic Changi Chapel
The Changi Chapel and Museum is impressive in more ways than one. Now we've seen it for ourselves and it's finally open to the public after a two and a half year closure for extensive rebuilding, you too can see the eye-catching new timber roof. Designed by Architects SG LLP and built with “Glulam” – glue-laminated engineered wood - by Venturer Timberwork, the new structure is the first certified Chain of Custody Project awarded in Singapore by the PEFC. It's also the first time a sophisticated supply chain traceability process has been used by DoubleHelix to identify the source of timber. Sourcemap tracked the journey of the wood used in this project from forest to installation. Check out who's reporting in the latest Venturer video on this project.
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29. Responsible Sourcing: Unique Partnership Helps Timber Companies Manage Supply Chain Risks |
“As companies apply an ever-greater emphasis on responsible sourcing and environmental sustainability criteria, our partnership enables companies to foresee and manage diverse risks, even those associated with climate-related indicators, like forest fires and deforestation." That was a key message in the News story for DoubleHelix and 11 Foundry in November. Pictured is the meeting of minds in Austria at the offices of JAF to enhance the wider use of the FiberTrace tool. From left: Darren Thomas (DoubleHelix), Colin Miller (11Foundry), Bronson Newburger (Clarke Veneers) and Katharina Schneider (11Foundry). Earlier in the year, in April, we announced to Media: Joining Forces for Next-Generation Risk Management. This was reported widely in the industry worldwide, including Lesprom's Global timber trade network.
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30. Best Use of Certified Timber Prize to New Zealand
The Feature article for PEFC in September, which was also reported on Linkedin, pointed out that six of the eight finalists for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) "Best Use of Certified Timber Prize" – awarded by PEFC - were from Asia Pacific. This was also a big boost for Mass Engineered Timber (MET) and for architects and builders in the region, most notably in Japan, Australia and Singapore. The 2021 prize winner - we reported in December's Media News Bulletin and Focus on Forests - was SCION Innovation Hub (pictured above) by RTA Studio/Irving Smith Architects, located at the edge of the Whakarewarewa Forest Park, Rotorua, New Zealand.
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31. Cooling Tropical Urban Environments
We interviewed Professor Winston Chow at Singapore Sustainability Academy, as he researches and educates on physical processes, impacts, and mitigation of Urban Heat Island (UHI) and sustainable urban climatology. He also speaks out on the "cooling qualities" of timber. See Timber is the Coolest Way to Reduce Built Environment Emissions in our September Focus on Forests. As a contributor in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), admits that more attention must be paid to embodied carbon in buildings and the UHI effect. In the interview for Protiotype Design Future Build, Prof Chow admitted that Singapore's average temperature has increased at double the rate of global warming, largely due to UHI.
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32. Water Sports at Bedok Reservoir
One of the most impressive timber structures we’ve experienced, but one of the most challenging to build – according to Venturer’s Kevin Hill (pictured). We’re talking about the People’s Association Water Sports Complex on the shores of the Bedok Reservoir. This was described as "an exciting job" because it involved a first green roof structure for Venturer, who collaborated in the pre-tender stage to develop a winning concept in the design competition. We were called on to help make a video on the project and here’s what Kevin has on his Venturer website. It was highlighted in a four page feature in Wood in Architecture magazine. See item 24 for more.
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33. Vintage oak for wine barrels & antique furniture
One of my favourite stories of the year, which was posted and shared widely: “Then, after some sleuthing, we unearthed something much older in oak, with Royal credentials what’s more. All about verifying the authenticity of an ancient bed – made of oak, of course – which could, conceivably, have been where King Henry VIII started out on life’s journey". Prompted as I was to consider oak by Jancis Robinson’s Financial Times article earlier last year, when she looked into its current status as the ageing wood of choice for wine makers and connoisseurs, in France at least. We wrote this for Focus on Forests and Double Helix. Read all about it here.
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34. Test & Trace to Save Endangered African Cherry
DNA testing is increasingly used to stop environmental crime or at least reduce illegal trade. In May 2021, our focus of attention was the endangered African cherry – officially known as Prunus africana. Its bark has medicinal properties, a valuable extract used by European pharmaceutical companies in the treatment of prostate disorders. This story covered the work of DoubleHelix and the University of Adelaide, collaborating with the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) and CITES. We alerted the world to this in Focus on Forests in May and ITTO covered it in its Tropical Forest Update with the heading: Getting DNA tracking cherry-ripe for forests.
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35. Healing Powers of Forests for the Health of People & the Planet |
As the world continued to struggle with the health and economic impacts of a global pandemic, it became glaringly apparent at the COP26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow this month (November 2021) that cutting emissions of greenhouse gases drastically would have significant benefits for the health of people everywhere, as well as the planet. Hence our November Feature Article for PEFC. "Consider all the fruits of the forest: Healing Powers for the Health of People and the Planet". John Gordon took up the story for Expat Choice. Photo is by Martin Šebesta, runner-up in the 'Experience Forests, Experience PEFC' photo contest in 2019 with ‘Sunset over the forest’, taken in the Poľana mountains in central Slovakia.
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36. Paper Ahead in
Recycling & Sustainability Stakes
When Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu visited Epson’s Singapore headquarters in September, she drew attention to “the new PaperLab product, the world’s first dry process office paper making system that can turn waste office paper into new paper on-demand”. We definitely got the message, as the Minister did, that the equipment has a way of detecting type or ink on the pages fed into PaperLab. But apparently it only saves and recycles the clean parts of the page, where there’s no ink. The wood fibres, which go into making paper for us to print, write or draw on - or use for packaging - makes it possible for it to be recycled five to six times. Read the rest of the story about paper recycling here in The Art of Travel.
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37. The Key to the Future of Print is Sustainability
Printers tell us that customers are moving towards making the world more sustainable and the demand for PEFC certified paper is increasing. Times Printers, for one, points out that every week “The Economist is printed in Singapore on paper sourced from sustainably managed forests, recycled and controlled sources, certified by PEFC”. The May/June issue of Print Singapore, published by the Print and Media Association, extols the virtues of sustainable printing inks, claims that the key to the future of print is sustainability and – perhaps best of all – runs a two-page feature headed ”Sustainability at the Heart of Book on Celebrating and Transforming Lives”.The Art of Travel has more.
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38. A Consumer's Perspective to Buying Furniture Online
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39. Eco Labels Show Commitment to Sustainability
& Responsible Sourcing
We started 2021 with this important message in our Media News Bulletin. Many other times we emphasised the importance of using labels to benefit retailers and consumers to demonstrate that a product has been certified and therefore responsibly sourced. We followed this up with a Feature Article in early March when we reported that PEFC has been recognised by the Australian Government as a 'trusted eco-label' in the 2020 Sustainable Procurement Guide. In the December Media News Bulletin we encouraged our readers "When Shopping, Look Out For the PEFC Certification Label".
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40. Paper & Packaging: Good for the Health of People & the Planet
Renewable, Recyclable & Responsibly-Sourced. Our August Feature Article was all about how Forest Fibre reinforces the Sustainability message. Our Opinion Piece on the subject appeared in Eco Business.
"Collaboration for Forest Positive Action: PEFC & Experts Focus on Pulp, Paper & Fibre-based Packaging". That was the headline for the Bulletin for Media in November. It reported that the Consumer Goods Forum’s Forest Positive Coalition released the Pulp, Paper and Fibre-based Packaging (PPP) Roadmap earlier this year, which aims to guide Coalition members in their efforts to remove deforestation and conversion from PPP supply chains.
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41. Global & Regional Bounce Back for Natural Rubber
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A greater commitment to sustainability in the production and supply chain of natural rubber will help the global industry bounce back better after the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the size of the industry and the complexity of the supply chain, the sources of natural rubber are concentrated in Southeast Asia. One of a number of stories and announcements written for PEFC and its Supporting Sustainable Rubber campaign. In March, we produced a Feature Article on social risks of rubber farmers. Climate resilient growth for natural rubber production depends on how well hard risks and soft risks are managed,
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42. Forest Fibre to Fashion
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43. Getting the Global Furniture Trade Moving Again
The challenges faced by the Asian furniture industry have been compounded by the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for over 12 months. We featured the work of Samling furniture brands – in text and images – in this feature in the May/June issue of Panels & Furniture Asia. Samling uses renewably sourced Acacia wood for home and outdoor furnishings - PEFC certified - which are widely exported to major international markets, including Japan, the United States and Europe, as well as around South East Asia.
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44. Sustainably Sourced Materials for Furniture.
We launched the Global Awareness Campaign to help consumers and retailers embrace responsible sourcing and sustainable supply chains for wood furniture for PEFC in August: “How can consumers and retailers contribute positively towards the preservation of forests, and at the same time support natural ecosystems, wildlife habitats, biodiversity, and contribute to climate change mitigation? One proven way is purchase sustainably sourced wooden furniture, as that would also go a long way towards protecting the livelihoods of millions of people.”
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45. How to avoid natural forest destruction & meet strict international timber trade rules |
How can importers manage the risks associated with getting timber products from the Amazon? Increasingly, companies in the timber supply chain need to meet sustainable forestry, as well as human rights standards, supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals. We interviewed Max Horowitz-Burdick (pictured), Director for the Americas for Double Helix Tracking Technologies, who gets intimately involved in the process of tracking and tracing products from timber mill to hardware stores. This appeared as DoubleHelix News in March.
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Darren Thomas, co-Founder and CEO of Double Helix Tracking Technologies (pictured above), the Singapore company which pioneered the use of DNA analysis to verify timber species and origins, relocated back to the United Kingdom in July from where he continues to manage the global business. We produced this media announcement, which was widely shared on Linkedin and other platforms. At the time, Darren was also interviewed on Money FM (SPH radio).
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47. Providing access to more tools to help solve forest crimes
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48. Love at First Microscopic Sight
That’s definitely one way of describing how Dr Arif Malik felt about getting his first job. “I’ve always dreamed of having a job where I could apply all the molecular techniques that I've learned to something that could actually make a difference in the world.”
Now a postdoctoral researcher and laboratory manager for the Advanced DNA, Identification and Forensic Facility (ADIFF) in the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences, he’s now intimately involved in the project, announced by the University of Adelaide in September - in partnership with Double Helix Tracking Technologies and InterpreData - to develop scientific origin verification tools for global timber supply chains. We produced the story for Focus on Forests and DoubleHelix.
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49. Nipping Unsustainable Forestry in the Bud |
“It is high time businesses in Southeast Asia clean up their wood products supply chains with the adoption of certified timber trade standards and chain of custody practices.” That was the undiluted message from our article which appeared in Millionaire Asia magazine. In Print and online in July. It was shared widely on Linkedin and PEFC repeated it in the Media News Bulletin in August.
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50. Meranti Wood Decks the Malaysian Pavilion at World Expo |
ASEAN Post, 18 February 2021: Malaysia is recognised globally for achieving the right balance between conservation and development. It has managed to retain 50 percent of total land area as tropical forest and at the same time, developed a timber export industry that is the envy of its Asian neighbours. That was the way the PEFC Feature Article was reported regionally. In October we reported to Media that: "PEFC Certified Meranti Wood Decks Malaysia Expo Pavilion Façade in Dubai to Focus on Sustainable Forestry".
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51. U2 or U3? Planetary Exposure
It started as a story from UPM about the first plywood satellite to go into space, which we read about in Panels & Furniture magazine, so reported it in the Media News Bulletin for PEFC in June. It also made the news in ABC Carbon Express in June. Then we wanted to tell you more about UWC - United World College - which turned fifty and became the most sustainable and energy efficient educational campus in Singapore. We visited the place more than once in 2021. And then another U popped up. UNESCO, which we've reported on most notably for its World Heritage sites, including Singapore's Botanic Gardens. UPM's WISA Woodsat is made of Birch plywood, which is coated against strong UV radiation using a new atomic layer deposition method. It will be launched into space from New Zealand using Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket. There's more from UPM.
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52. When The Silent Chainsaw meets The Sarawak Report.
There’s a book to be written and the the title we're proposing is The Silent Chainsaw. It’s been brewing since attending an Interpol Conference on Forest Crime when we first heard how illegal loggers were using silencers on their chainsaws to cover up their crimes. We have a very well-researched report in our hands on forest crime and money laundering in Southeast Asia. We're well aware of the work of RisikoTek on how “ill-gotten gains” flow into the global banking system. In November's Express, we previewed the Sarawak Report event at Cop26 when: ”World leaders and activists reveal how the brutal and corrupt logging industry is destroying the planet's future." There's much more to be written and read.
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53. An Endangered Tree of Economic, Ecological & Cultural Significance |
There's a very good chance that thousands of people around the world received a gift of sandalwood this Christmas. With its sweet, earthy fragrance, sandalwood oil is immensely popular in incense sticks, candles and perfumes. But maybe its beautiful scent could be its downfall, as Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) is facing extinction in the wild. Our story starts with sandalwood and explores other species which have come under the microscope of Double Helix Tracking Technologies, the University of Adelaide and Responsible Wood. Which is a good place to conclude our Focus on Forests before we take on The Art of Travel.
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54. Sourcing Timber for Patina Maldives Sustainable Resort |
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55. Book Launch Wins Awards
For the first time ever, a book launch was held in the specially designed Hybrid Broadcast Studio at Marina Bay Sands – thanks to Paul Town and his team - during lockdown in May 2021. Not only did it achieve a lot of media attention: Asian Journeys, Asian Books Blog, Rachel Kelly for Money FM/S PH Radio and thanks to Gen Chua, a feature in Print Singapore. In December, The Art of Travel announced the book launch won three prestigious prizes awarded by Marketing Interactive Magazine.
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56. The Quiet Achiever Puts SIA in its Place
"Mr SIA: Fly Past", published by World Scientific, gets a belated but thorough review by Floyd Cowan in Asian Journeys in July. He quotes the author: “I see the book as more of a case study on business leadership". Floyd agrees and notes that in the chapter 'Designer Days’ the author "delves into the creation of the uniform for SIA’s flight crew. He covers this topic thoroughly, looking at it from all angles – and this chapter alone could be viewed as a case study."
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57. The Dangerous Games we Play Hendrik Troskie wrote this for us in May 2021:
“Early in 2020, when I released my book The 4th Competitive Force For Good, I referenced the losses to the global economy as a result of cybersecurity events to reach some 6 trillion USD by 2024. It is a year later, and those figures have been blown out of the water. Cybersecurity Ventures now predict annual losses to the global economy reaching 11.5 trillion dollars by 2025.” We reported more of this on The Art of Travel.
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58. Writers and Books go Festive and Viral |
Singapore Writers Festival 2021 was a hybrid event. Festival Director Pooja Nansi has this to say for The Art of Travel preview: "Through this year’s programmes, we want festival-goers to reconsider what they know as literary and explore unexpected ways of storytelling as we gravitate even more towards the things we enjoy during these periods of change and discomfort.” We reported after the event in The Art of Travel - see "All about books: 10 + 10 + 1 = 21 Going on 22" - on some of the Festival authors and books launched. And the very welcome Magic Book Bus pictured!
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59. Leading Among Five Meaningful Books
Among five books I’ve received and read in recent weeks - all produced in Singapore - and with wide international appeal, ahead of the pack is Dr Ranjani Rao's '“Rewriting my Happily ever after”. Not so easy to write “a memoir of divorce and discovery”, but she’s done it with grace, sensitivity and honesty. Reviewed in The Art of Travel and Asian Books Blog.
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60. Renewed Focus on the Singapore Shophouse
There are more than 6,500 conserved shophouses in Singapore - built between the early-1800s and mid-1900s - these heritage buildings continue to be an important part of our cityscape and serve as a link to our past. As ABC Carbon was involved with Protiotypoe in 2021 to produce "a sustainable shophouse" as a London Design Festival virtual exhibit, we decided to draw attention to this in The Art of Travel and linked to the book by Julian Davison called Singapore Shophouse.
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61. Poetry in Parenthesis
As with his first book of poetry, Sanjay doesn’t avoid controversial subjects
‘In One Breath’.
The pithy poetry tackles, among other subjects: abuse, 9/ll, George Floyd, dormitories, suicidal, depression and lockdown.
While we might regularly read these words in newspaper headlines, Sanjay’s not all about angst or upsetting current affairs. Read The Art of Travel to see why we've labelled it "Poetry in Parenthesis".
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62. London Design Festival
Not only did this event celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world from 18-23 September, for the first time ever Protiotype Design Future Build, with ABC Carbon, made an appearance. We've written a lot about our involvement - and the event itself - in most issues of Express and The Art of Travel since June 2021. The annual festival has been showcasing the work of designers, architects, artists and retailers since 2003. Our exhibit also showcased the work of three supporting businesses: IES, Lumani and Ecoline Solar. More on our LDF project here.
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63. ConTENtment
Which, in other words, means TEN days – and ways - of producing CONTENT. In July. Keeping the mind active and engaged through reading and writing is the main objective. But there are other purposes driving this - for people and the planet, of course. When interviewing - as pictured on a building site -researching, writing and editing for others to see, hear and read, I'm always hopeful they will attain at least some level of… yes….contentment. Read our indulgent piece on Linkedin.
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64. Zero Waste: Furnishing Homes with Recycled Materials |
Designers come down to earth to furnish the home so nothing goes to waste. See our latest article in Panels & Furniture Magazine (Nov/Dec 2021) issue. It starts with a dream sequence about a designer's unique take on a piece of purposeful furniture. Then Ken Hickson got to thinking about furniture designers and artists, many of whom definitely show a preference for wood. "Many are also leading the trend towards capitalising on what might otherwise go to waste. Call it recycling or repurposing — discarded pieces of wood and also bio waste and plastic are being put to good use." Pictured is Dave Hickson's Muybridge Plover in wood.
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65. Books on my Mind
In The Art of Travel in June, I wrote a series of short “reviews” covering a number of books which have been on my mind – received, read, loaned or given away – over the last couple of months. Two of the most memorable and bestsellers, too: "Midnight Library" by Matt Haig:and "A Promised Land" by Barrack Obama. There's more.
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66. The Play's the Thing
A complete farce or a complete disaster? Neither.
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67. Start Up or Upstart?
We know the feeling, as we've also been called both. "DHL: From Startup to Global Upstart” by Po Chung and Roger Bowie is an important case study, which should feature in business schools across the world. I know the company and it's certainly had its ups and downs. Great to read as it brought back happy memories of my time working with these inspiring people.
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68. Gaping with our Global Vision
Looking Glasses
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Global Alliance for Planet Earth or GAPE. That’s the vision I produced for the latest book by John O’Brien: "Visions 2030", published in November 2021, just in time for COP26. With 82 contributors - very important people who are driving the critical actions of this decade - John says about the book: "Ken Hickson’s story from 2030 considers that global, as opposed to board, governance has been transformed by 2030. This fits with his 2100 vision that saw things go a step further into a range of specialist areas of activity. For 2030, he sees ‘one global body above all others, led by and guided by true leaders, who know how to achieve success by working together." Read the rest here.
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69. A Walk in the Park
The pandemic restrictions imposed on the population of Singapore meant we had to resort to novel ways and means to meet people. So, it was “a walk in the park” which first brought me in contact with Joanne Flinn. The first meeting was on a park bench in the Botanic Gardens, clutching a takeaway coffee from the nearby Gastronomia Café in Cluny Court. We talked a lot about books. We agreed to meet again – on the same park bench - and this time the author of “Karma” introduced me to her books and told me a lot more about what she sees as her role in life. There's more in Five Meaningful Books in The Art of Travel.
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70. New Ventures' Podcast
Sanjoy Sanyal of New Ventures seems in his element producing podcasts. He came up with quite a few in 2021, including this one with yours truly. We talk about businesses which are bringing sustainability to the built environment in Singapore and elsewhere, and why the carbon embedded in building materials- like concrete and steel - is as important as the energy consumed inside buildings. Listen to it all here.
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All the World's a Stage – for all the arts – but lockdowns overwhelmed even the most determined artists everywhere. In The Art of Travel in June, for example, we previewed Dave Hickson’s show coming up at Robin Gibson Gallery in Darlinghurst, Sydney, starting 3 July and lasting a month. But it was not to be. Sydney’s prolonged lockdown closed all galleries and event venues. Fortunately, he still achieved some interest online and his bird sculptures (pictured) were among the his sales. Go here for much more. We did our best to advance the cause for the arts a number of times, insisting that The Show Must Go On, even reporting what arts advocate and impresario Robert Liew had to say in a hard hitting and reflective TedTalk. You can see/hear it here.
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72. Listen - Before the Coffee Gets Cold
"The Man Who Listens" by Taylor Caldwell. I found this in one of my crammed bookshelves. It’s been there a while. It has my mother’s name inside the cover. I recall reading it years ago, so I decided to delve into this intriguing story again. While it obviously has religious overtones – my mother was a devout Christain – I found it to be a breath of fresh air in these dark pandemic-drenched days. Listening is something we all need to devote more effort to. And we certainly need to avail ourselves of good listeners. Then I read: “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, which was very well translated by Geffrey Trousselot. Clever, funny at times, disturbing and uplifting. Take time to read both. And listen more.
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73. Never Lost For Words
My Inconvenient Truth or learning to live with creative disruption? In February 2021, I wrote and shared with friends and family: “I’ve never suffered from Writers Block. That’s what I have said more than once when with other writers comparing notes over woeful storytelling startups. But there is recent evidence that I have been inflicted with a different sort of painful blockage, which has definitely disrupted my creative enterprise.” See the pdf of this "bed-time story" now on The Art of Travel/Fifth Avenue website. You'll also see why there's a literal connection to the historical novel I enjoyed and reviewed: "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller.
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74. Twelve Themes and 65 Stories from PEFC's 2021 Treasure Chest |
Besides architectural awards, we wrote about natural rubber, responsibly-sourced furniture, recyclable packaging/paper, plus print, sustainable forestry, fibre for fashion, eco-labels, timber buildings, circular economy, forest crime and the healing powers of forests. At least 65 stories! This December compilation marked the end of another 12 months of storytelling and spreading the word for PEFC in Asia Pacific, when we set out the 12 themes we have focussed on in 2021. These were published and circulated through our Media News Bulletins, Feature Articles, Opinion Pieces and News Releases. Pictured is one of the finalists in the 2021 WAF-PEFC "Best Use of Certified Timber Prize", the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo - used for the Olympic Games - by architects Nikken Sekkei.
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75. The A-Z of January
Media moments, meetings and madness in the first month of the calendar year and to see off the Year of the Ox. Alphabetically, our diary recognises stories planned, produced and/or promulgated, with much more to come. Pictured is Buckminster Fuller, as his Art Science Museum exhibit was one of our January dates. As a wordsmith - or word processor! - I'm surprised how often numbers crop up. Here's 26 more.
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76. Horses for Courses.
"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox & the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy (HarperOne) was selected as my Number One out of the Ten Best Books of 2021. Read all about it and more here. There's another long-awaited book which we've given more than one mention of in the past year. It's "Horse" by Geraldine Brooks. It's due out in June 2022, but read what I had to say about it in June 2021.
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77. It's Just Not Cricket. "77 Not Out!" |
"77 Not Out!" does feature in cricketing history…perhaps the most notably involving New Zealand's Bert Vance who conceded 77 runs in a single over while bowling for Wellington against Canterbury at Lancaster Park in 1990, according to Wisden. The phrase "it's just not cricket" is used in English to say that something is unfair or dishonest. My cricket career was certainly nothing to write home about, but I have found another interesting bit of cricket history, which is connected somehow to my current obsession with writing about forests and wood. A delightful tale about the cricket bat manufacturing business of J.S. Wright in 1882 in Surrey, England, which needed a steady supply of English Willow (pictured) to make genuine bats for a game that was growing in popularity, even 140 years ago! So, forgive me for drawing on these cricketing analogies to explain my collection of stories, which I've been directly involved in writing, editing or circulating for clients and media during the year I turned 77. Yes, that's also where 77 comes in! It also marks my 60th year as a working journalist, having started out on the 23rd January 1962 in Wellington, New Zealand. Bob Fox can attest to that, as he started on the same day and rose through the ranks at the Evening Post to become its Editor.
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Last Word: Here's to the Year of the Tiger |
Yes, we've finally reached the end of a year of storytelling and the beginning of another year. Welcome to the Year of the Tiger! See M's painting, especially produced for the occasion. He looks a little angry, but we hope the signs of aggression come to mean a year of determination and productivity for us all.
As we say in The A-Z of January - item 75 - there's a lot underway already. More stories. More events. More travel. Good health and happiness.
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