Mention the word “panda” and the first thing most of us think about are China’s iconic black and white bears. If it was Po that came to mind, the wise-cracking star of the Kung Fu Panda films, you will also know the not-so-famous kind: the adorable red panda – or Master Shifu in the movies. In fact, while red pandas and giant pandas share a similar name, and both have a weakness for bamboo, that’s where the similarity ends. They aren’t closely related: Modern genetic evidence places red pandas in close affinity with raccoons, weasels, and skunks. Giant pandas, by contrast, are true bears, part of the family Ursidae alongside sun bears, moon bears, and polar bears. While it may be overshadowed by its more well-known cousin, the red panda is a symbol of the biodiversity found in the remote, mist-covered forests of the Eastern Himalayas and other mountainous regions of Asia where it lives. This small, tree-dwelling mammal faces numerous challenges in the wild, making it a focal point of global conservation efforts. The red panda is a strikingly beautiful creature, resembling a cross between a fox, a raccoon, and a domestic cat, but it belongs to its own unique family Ailuridae. It is often referred to as a “firefox” because of its reddish-brown fur, which helps it blend into the mossy tree trunks and dense foliage of its forest home. Red pandas are about the size of domestic cats, but their tails are thick and bushy with alternating red and cream rings, providing balance while climbing trees. These tails also serve as a warm blanket during the cold winters, coiling around their bodies while they sleep. One of the red panda’s most distinctive features is its round face with white markings around the eyes and muzzle, giving it an almost mask-like appearance. Its semi-retractable claws and specialised wrist bone, functioning similarly to a thumb, allow it to skilfully grasp bamboo stems and navigate through the branches of trees. ---

Extracts from text by Andrei Veksha and Grzegorz Lisak: Two scientists in Singapore who may have found a solution to our plastic waste problem. Mountains of waste found all around the globe are a pressing issue for humanity. The evolution of plastic revolutionised the modern world. However, there is a dark side to these advancements: Namely disposable plastics, also known as single-use plastics, which are an ever-growing global concern. Single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, food wrappers, and plastic bottles, contribute significantly to the global plastic consumption crisis and may continue to do so for a hundred more years. Rapid plastic development follows an increasing carbon footprint. The sources of carbon footprint in the case of plastics are the fossil fuels used for production, energy-intensive processes during manufacturing, and carbon emissions during incineration of plastic waste. About over a century ago, fossil fuels were the only source to manufacture plastics. Currently, there are concurrent options to derive plastic from natural gas, oils, or even plants. A concerning rise in the emission of greenhouse gases due to the production of plastic has caused a huge ripple effect. While the alarming levels of plastic pollution are a worldwide plight, the world has responded to the crisis with groundbreaking technology and global community campaigns. In the same vein, the scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) decided to explore the thermal decomposition of plastic as an environmentally-friendly solution to find the global plastic crisis. A Pressing Situation From a waste management perspective, conventional practices fail to sustainably address plastic waste treatment. Tackling plastic waste relies heavily on landfills and incineration. Only small quantities of plastic are recycled using mechanical methods. Due to landfill mismanagement and illegal waste dumping, considerable amounts of plastics leak back into the environment, creating devastating and persistent land and marine pollution. Moreover, incineration does not allow for the recycling of plastics into value-added products while contributing to unwanted carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Plastics can only be recycled for a limited number of cycles before they begin to degrade and eventually, lose their quality. Thus, final treatment of mechanical unrecyclable plastics is always needed. However, mechanical recycling of plastics into polymer resins that can be used again to manufacture goods is not a scalable solution. Recent data by the National Environment Agency of Singapore found that only 4 percent of disposed-of plastic waste was recycled in the country in 2020. This is because mechanical recycling is not well suited for the processing of mixed and contaminated plastic waste streams, which represent the main waste fraction, due to high labour requirements, excessive consumption of fresh water, and increased wastewater disposal costs. Plastic Pyrolysis The chemical recycling of plastic waste via thermal routes, such as pyrolysis, could be a way forward. During low-temperature pyrolysis (about 250– 500°C), plastics are thermo-chemically broken down into smaller fragments (hydrocarbons) that can serve as fuel or as feedstock for a variety of chemical processes that nowadays rely mostly on fossil-based hydrocarbons. Low-temperature pyrolysis is executed in the absence of oxygen and produces liquid oil as the main product. Currently, the avant-garde technique of plastic pyrolysis has been implemented in many industrial practices and has many benefits. The use of pyrolysis oil could potentially make petrochemical manufacturing more sustainable due to the avoidance of crude oil, which has the potential to decrease the carbon footprint of the process. By using pyrolysis, plastic waste could be re-processed back into monomers (building blocks of polymers) for manufacturing plastic articles. However, using pyrolysis oil to produce new plastics as a sustainable practice requires a separate assessment. A recent study published in the Science journal suggests that 11 percent of all plastics generated globally in 2016 ended up in aquatic environments. This means that by creating more plastics, we may generate more marine and land pollution, unless plastics already existing in the environment are extracted and subjected to chemical recycling. A major breakthrough Plastic waste mainly comprises two chemical elements: Carbon and hydrogen. Researchers from NTU found a way to treat plastic waste by using a catalytic thermal process to convert it into carbon nanotubes – a form of solid carbon – and hydrogen-rich gas. The process consists of two stages. First, plastic waste is decomposed via heating into a gaseous stream of hydrocarbons. Then, hydrocarbons are directed into another reactor filled with a catalyst. Upon contact with the catalyst, hydrocarbons are transformed into carbon particles and hydrogen gas. Hydrogen is considered a “green” fuel since its use does not produce carbon emissions. Depending on its origin, the mixed plastic waste contains about 7–15 wt.percent hydrogen, meaning that from one tonne of plastic waste, up to 70–150 kilograms of hydrogen fuel can be recovered. If used for fuelling hydrogen cars, that is enough for 7,000–15,000 kilometres of travel. In addition to hydrogen, approximately 600–800 kilograms of solid carbon can be obtained from one tonne of mixed plastic waste, which is equivalent to 2,500–3,400 kilograms of captured CO2.... ---

As this special Red Edition of ASIAN Geographic shows, few colours hold as deep a significance across Asia as red. The colour of luck and prosperity, red is featured in festivals and ceremonies, especially Lunar New Year, where more than a splash of the auspicious hue appears in decorations, clothing, and hóngbão envelopes, bringing good fortune and warding off...

WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE ASIA Kuala Lumpur Marathon Standard Chartered The largest annual running event in Malaysia. The marathon typically offers various race categories, including the full marathon, half marathon, 10km, and others, attracting both local and international participants. Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon A mix of amateur and professional cycling races and rides, through Hong Kong's unique cityscape....

Text Mohammad (Moh) Sherafatmand, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hydroleap At a time when environmental issues are at the forefront of global discussions, Southeast Asia stands at a pivotal crossroads. !e COP28 summit in the United Arab Emirates, one of the most water-stressed regions in the world, has brought the decarbonisation of the wastewater treatment industry into sharp focus....

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 to the Japanese organisation the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (日本原水爆被害者団体協議会, Nihon gensuibaku higaisha dantai kyōgi-kai), or Nihon Hidankyo (日本被団協). The grassroots movement formed in 1956 by hibakusha, people affected by the nuclear weapons used by the United States in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the...

From the Green Dome of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina to the fluorescent greens of flags and political campaigns, Islam has established itself as the world’s “green” religion Green has strong associations to Islam. Prophet Muhammad seems to have favoured the colour and is said to have worn a green cloak and turban. !e Hadith, which are generally believed to...

Where Is the Karakoram? The Karakoram is a mountain range in the Kashmir region spanning the borders of Pakistan, China and India, with the northwestern extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The majority of the range falls within the jurisdiction of Pakistan’s northern area of Gilgit-Baltistan, which includes the disputed territory of Kashmir. The area is home...