Reaching out for sustainability
Malaysia is one of the developing world's success stories; a country that really is - well - developing.
In contrast to some other nations that receive that appellation, the last few decades have brought a steady rise in wealth and in other aspects of human development such as health and education.
But the issue facing the country is what to do next.
Is future development best achieved by the traditional no-holds-barred dash for GDP at any cost, or via a "greener", more sustainable route?
There are adverts for the latter not too far away - notably South Korea, whose recovery package from the recession won plaudit after plaudit in sustainability circles with an estimated $87bn going on "green" measures - although critics might point out that the country originally became rich on the back of anything-but-clean industries such as steel and car manufacturing.
Anyway... the Malaysian government has decided that over the next decade it wants to join the family of high-income countries - but to do so as sustainably as it can.
And it's seeking advice from a novel source - the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS).
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A new body, the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council, will advise the Malaysian government on a number of issues; it's had its first meeting this week.
They'll start with the palm oil industry - environmentally controversially, with social issues, yet a generator of income - in particular, they'll try to find ways of using waste produced during palm oil production.
Other issues flagged up for attention include management of water, transport, reforestation and use of information technology.
It's not entirely environmental; another limb of the scheme is to make sure enough Malaysian children are learning about science and technology in order that the economy can be driven by knowledge and skills rather than labour and raw materials.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13444566
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Originally Posted by GaToVN
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