Tag Archives: malaysia

Keith Schneider: Malaysian Building Boom

Over the last few decades, the skyline of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur has mushroomed – a conglomeration of skyscrapers highlighted by The Petronas Twin Towers, two of the world’s tallest buildings, now obscure the horizon in this rapidly-developing city. Is all this construction a good thing for the country? And to what extent are developers and the Malaysian government considering sustainability in this building spree? To better understand the environmental costs and benefits of Southeast Asia’s massive infrastructure developments, Mongabay sent correspondent Keith Schneider to Malaysia. Schneider is our guest today on Sea Change Radio. He gives us an overview of the construction projects, compares them to those of Malaysia’s neighbors in the region, and discusses the influx of Chinese capital flooding the country. As you will discover, Schneider came away from his visit with a surprisingly optimistic outlook on the country’s future.

Rhett Butler on the Palm Oil Industry (re-broadcast)

RhettButlerpalmoilThe global expansion of the palm oil industry is one of the largest upheavals in modern agricultural history – and one that many Americans know nothing about. And yet palm oil is now everywhere in this country – in our food, our cosmetics and someday soon maybe even in our gas tanks.

This week on Sea Change Radio, we learn about the palm oil explosion over the past two decades from Rhett A. Butler, the founder of the popular environmental news website, Mongabay. Butler talks with host Alex Wise about the social, economic and environmental impact of this rapidly expanding crop in the tropical countries where it’s grown – and what measures are being taken to mitigate the damage that a monoculture like palm oil can inflict.

Rhett Butler on the Palm Oil Industry

RhettButlerpalmoilThe global expansion of the palm oil industry is one of the largest upheavals in modern agricultural history – and one that many Americans know nothing about. And yet palm oil is now everywhere in this country – in our food, our cosmetics and someday soon maybe even in our gas tanks.

This week on Sea Change Radio, we learn about the palm oil explosion over the past two decades from Rhett A. Butler, the founder of the popular environmental news website, Mongabay. Butler talks with host Alex Wise about the social, economic and environmental impact of this rapidly expanding crop in the tropical countries where it’s grown – and what measures are being taken to mitigate the damage that a monoculture like palm oil can inflict.