Search

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) foster communication between participators to yield a more environmentally sound decision for a proposed development. Public participation is an integral element in EIA to ensure a successful EIA. Effective public participation encourages community empowerment, fair and democratic decisions and reduce thus avoid public confrontation and delay. Effective public participation is one of the key pillars to achieve effective EIA. Environmental issues are known to be the negative outcome of a poorly implemented EIA process. This paper discusses seven environmental cases that were produced from ineffective application of EIA such as Bakun Dam, Murum Dam, Baram Dam, bauxite mining in Kuantan, gold mining in Bukit Koman, sturgeon farming in Kuala Tahan and Lynas plant. The seven cases focused on the lack of public participation in the administration of EIA. Public objections and protests were results of ineffective public participations and ineffective EIAs in the chosen cases. Four out of seven cases have made substantive results where the projects stopped or ceased due to the public objections. Meanwhile, the three cases went on till today. Therefore, these cases has shown that public participation in EIA is a valuable tool which encourages transparent decision-making process and defies corrupted influences. This paper represents a section of the literature review in a research on improving the practice of public participation for EIA in Malaysia. This research develops on a framework that comprises of the inadequacies of legislation and requirements of public participation for EIA, the barriers of public participation for EIA and the recommendations to further ameliorate the barriers of public participation for EIA in Malaysia. Mixed methods research were conducted utilising questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews. The framework is expected to improve the practice of public participation for EIA in Malaysia holistically which covers the First and Second schedule activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperative Problem-Based Learning (CPBL) is a highly Student- Centred Learning (SCL) method for students to develop self-directed learning skills. Previous studies show that CPBL succeeded in instilling environmental awareness, deep learning in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) and 21st century skills among students. In this study, digital technologies were utilised to form learning communities during the planning and implementation of CPBL: Low Carbon Society program in two secondary schools in the Iskandar Region in Malaysia. CPBL requires the students and the facilitators to be proactive and sensible in seeking knowledge and information needed to solve the problem. Google search engine were predominantly used by the CPBL students to search for information, while WhatsApp and Telegram were primarily used to communicate and form learning support communities during the CPBL learning process. CPBL provides early exposure for the students to use software programs in planning and delivering their findings. Students' reflective journals and observation reports were collected and analysed to identify low carbon awareness developed through CPBL. It is found that students' active involvement in understanding the issues and the external motivation and pressure given enabled them to embrace the concept and awareness. The findings of this study indicate that technology assists and provides much needed support in the learning environment to develop low carbon awareness among the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the establishment of Marine Park Areas (MPAs) in Malaysia with specific reference to the Tioman, Redang and Tinggi Islands off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This study examines the impact of demographic and socio-economic factors on community attitudes towards environmental conservation behaviour. As a means to protect and conserve the vulnerable and threatened marine life, our efforts seek to assess the residents׳ wellbeing and identify major environmental issues associated with MPAs in provision of sustainable and reasonable progress in ways that assist marine life, coastal communities and economies. This paper found that demographic variables like age ( β =0.210), gender ( β =0.276), and socio-economic factors such as education ( β =0.100), occupation ( β =0.141), income ( β =0.177) environmental wellbeing (EWB) ( β =0.366), awareness (AWNS) ( β =0.611), and social issues (SI) ( β =0.389) have positive significant impact on attitudes towards environmental conservation behaviour. This implies that demographic and socio-economic factors influence MPAs communities׳ attitudes towards environmental conservation behaviour. This study is set to assist policy makers to formulate better conservational policies for enhanced conservation of marine resources as well as promote positive socio-economic development among MPAs communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present new media world, it is essential for the students to develop a sense of media awareness and activism to facilitate social learning in relation to the surrounding world. In building a productive learning culture among the students, media literacy is a necessary intervention in developing critical understandings, creative abilities, and active participations. Developing media literacy practices among secondary school students on environment is important as the world is becoming less green and the environment is declining. The aim of this study was to examine secondary school students' media literacy practices in Malaysia using the case of video making on environmental issues with a focus on three core components of media literacy practice namely process, text and inquiry developed by Thoman & Jolls (2004). On the whole, the study has revealed that despite difficulties in understanding the environment and critical media inquiry, students are quick to learn and are able to engage in video making on environment in a productive way. However, the results of the study present a cause for concern, optimism and the need for inculcating active media participation of the students' voices on the environmental issues facing the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Malaysia, the issues of environmental dissatisfaction with construction projects have regularly appeared in newspaper headlines. The government has urged the professional bodies and developers to take proactive actions to promote the sustainability concept within their domain and be responsive to the need for better environmental and social protection. Given rising concerns over the deterioration in the environment, developers should get their acts together and revisit the development approaches they have been so used to. The pace of actions towards sustainable application depends on the awareness, knowledge as well as an understanding of the consequences of individual actions. Two field studies, surveys and interviews, have been conducted to investigate the level of awareness, knowledge and implementation of sustainable practices based on the perceptions of the project developers in Malaysia. Presently, only large developers are beginning to take heed towards sustainable implementation in their projects. Due to limited understanding and the concern about cost, many developers are still reluctant and uncertain concerning pursuit of sustainability in their projects. To improve the momentum of sustainable practice in the industry, actions should be directed towards improving this knowledge at all levels of developers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Over the last decade, there has been a growing awareness within the global hotel industry of the relevance for environmental protection issues. Hotel corporations are seen to be changing their image by engaging in environmental initiatives. Some hotels even go further to include social responsibility issues in their agenda. Greater awareness on the potential economic and other less direct benefits of environmentally-friendly measures, coupled with the establishment of many "watch dog" and support organizations such as the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) and Green Hotel Association (GHA) has fueled the rise of "green" and/or responsible hotels in many established tourism destinations. Nevertheless, environmental and social measures are not the traditional core competency of a hotel. Thus, "green" and responsible measures may require. additional investment and organizational change. From a business perspective, additional investments are futile if they do not result in higher market share. Simply put, a hotel's "green" and responsible measures are meaningless if met only with consumer apathy. Therefore, to justify the need for hotels to engage in responsibility measures, one of the questions that must be answered is-do the tourists care about hotels' social and environmental responsibility? Unfortunately, there is still little empirical knowledge of tourists' demand for responsible hotels, particularly within the context of a developing country such as Malaysia. This paper attempts to narrow the gap of information by providing a preliminary outlook on the "demand" of tourists for green and socially responsible hotels in Penang Island, Malaysia. Specifically, it looked at the main criteria tourists use when choosing a hotel, their preferences as well as their attitude, interest and opinion relating to a hotel' s green and socially responsible measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]