40 Gorgeous Photos of Asia

Jessica Marati — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:00:52 +0000

If these photos don’t make you wanna quit your job and travel the world, we don’t know what will.

Asia’s diversity never fails to astound. Nowhere on Earth can you find a greater variety of cultures, languages, races, ethnicities, religions, climates, and geography. It’s mind-numbing.

These photos provide just a taste of what Asia has to offer. They’re also an important reminder of the need to protect what makes the world’s largest continent unique. Though the scenes depicted here may seem worlds away, our choices always have an impact wherever we may roam, reminding us to tread lightly.

(above) Penang, Malaysia

Bangkok, Thailand

Great Wall, China

Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

Huashan Mountain, China

Udaipur, India

Cassava farm near Luang Prabang, Laos

Tainan County, Taiwan

Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Seoul, South Korea

Abseron, Azerbaijan

Busan, South Korea

Kampong Thum, Cambodia

Shanghai, China

Himalaya Mountains, Uttarakhand, India

Binh Thuan, Vietnam

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Meizhou, China

Koh Samet, Thailand

Dornogovi Province, Mongolia, from the Trans-Siberian Railway

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ratchaburi, Thailand

Yangon, Myanmar

Eastern Vasayas, Philippines

Makalu Base Camp, Nepal

Kyoto, Japan

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Elephant orphanage between Colombo and Kandy, Sri Lanka

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

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From Sea to Landfill to Eco Park, a Trash to Treasure Endeavor

Liz Lewis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:00:34 +0000

What to do with waste when there is no land on which to dump it?

Such was Singapore’s dilemma back in the 90s when the existing landfill ran out of room. But as a small island on the tip of the Malay peninsula, Singapore was land poor.

So the nation came up with a novel idea to solve its problem.

The country designated the sea space between two adjacent island as a new landfill site called Semakau and beginning in 1999 proceeded to fill it with primarily incinerated ash. Receiving 1400 tonnes of incineration ash and 600 tonnes of other waste daily, this landfill is expected to be in use for at least the next 30 years.

But rather than looking like an unsightly dumping ground, the Semakau landfill is being transformed into an eco-park.

With the two original islands now joined together and the perimeter secured by an impermeable membrane, marine clay, and rock layers, the surrounding marine ecosystem has been protected. Mangroves and coral reefs now ring the island and since 2005, Semakau has been open the public for nature-related recreational activities that include bird watching, sports fishing and stargazing.

The National Environment Agency takes school children on organized field trips and educates them on how to minimize waste. And the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research offers a three hour intertidal walk that lets visitors discover seagrass meadows, coral reefs and various flora and fauna that’s no longer even seen on the mainland.

From sea to landfill to eco park, Semakau is a remarkable, if unconventional, trash to treasure endeavor.

Image: bernhan

EcoSalon | Conscious Culture and Fashion » Singapore

40 Gorgeous Photos of Asia

From Sea to Landfill to Eco Park, a Trash to Treasure Endeavor