Sunday, October 3, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Loss of Young Talents
Loss of Young Talent Thwarts Malaysia’s Growth
By LIZ GOOCH
Published: October 1, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/02/business/global/02brain.html?_r=1&ref=world
KUALA LUMPUR — With its dazzling skyscrapers, bright lights and ubiquitous symbols of modernity, Singapore has long worked its magic on Rachel Liew, 20.
Even as a young girl visiting the city-state with her family from her native Malaysia, Singapore’s clean streets, convenient public transportation and modern lifestyles made a lasting impression.
As Ms. Liew grew older, she came to believe that Singapore could also offer a better education than her homeland, and in 2008, she packed her bags and headed south across the border to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Nanyang Technological University.
“I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually get married to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown,” said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. “But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.”
That is exactly the kind of sentiment Malaysia’s policy makers are desperate to change.
Many Asian nations have long been concerned about the outflow of human capital to more developed countries, but here in Malaysia, the need to address the problem has assumed a new urgency in the final decade for reaching its long-established goal of becoming a developed country by 2020.
Companies have long complained about a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia, and economists say it is severely affecting the country’s ability to attract more high-technology industries. The government is acutely aware of the shortage in skills and the potential hurdle it poses to the country’s 2020 goal.
“We don’t get it right, we are in serious trouble,” the human resources minister, S. Subramaniam, said during an interview.
Studying and working overseas have long been considered attractive options for those Malaysians who can afford to make the move. About half of those living abroad can be found in neighboring Singapore. Australia, Britain and the United States are also popular.
Robert K. Chelliah, who runs an Australian immigration agency in Perth, with offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, said by phone that the number of Malaysians contacting his company with inquiries about moving to Australia had soared 80 percent since 2008.
“In the last two to three years, the motivation to acquire Australian permanent residency has sharply increased across all age sectors as well as across racial backgrounds,” he said.
Like Ms Liew, most of the seven people interviewed for this article said that better education, wages and career opportunities could be found abroad, while parents wanted to ensure that their children received an internationally recognized education in English.
Many interviewees, when asked about their concerns about returning to Malaysia, cited racial tensions and the country’s affirmative action policy, which gives special privileges to ethnic Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. The government has recognized the need to change the policy, which was introduced in the 1970s to improve the economic standing of Malays, who were more highly represented among the nation’s poor than its Chinese and Indian minorities.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has repeatedly emphasized that affirmative action would be made “market-friendly, merit-based, transparent and needs-based” under the country’s latest plan, the New Economic Model, which is designed to steer Malaysia toward its development goals. Ethnic Malays, or bumiputras, still benefit from privileges like discounted housing, and some government contracts are available only to companies they control.
A Malaysian Chinese businessman, who left Malaysia for Canada as a university student in the 1970s and stayed there, said that because of the policy, only a handful of his Malaysian Chinese classmates who also studied abroad had returned to Malaysia. Several other Malay and non-Malay interviewees also described the system as unfair.
Danny Quah, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, says that the brain drain has had a huge effect on the country’s economic and industrial development.
By LIZ GOOCH
Published: October 1, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/02/business/global/02brain.html?_r=1&ref=world
KUALA LUMPUR — With its dazzling skyscrapers, bright lights and ubiquitous symbols of modernity, Singapore has long worked its magic on Rachel Liew, 20.
Even as a young girl visiting the city-state with her family from her native Malaysia, Singapore’s clean streets, convenient public transportation and modern lifestyles made a lasting impression.
As Ms. Liew grew older, she came to believe that Singapore could also offer a better education than her homeland, and in 2008, she packed her bags and headed south across the border to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Nanyang Technological University.
“I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually get married to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown,” said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. “But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.”
That is exactly the kind of sentiment Malaysia’s policy makers are desperate to change.
Many Asian nations have long been concerned about the outflow of human capital to more developed countries, but here in Malaysia, the need to address the problem has assumed a new urgency in the final decade for reaching its long-established goal of becoming a developed country by 2020.
Companies have long complained about a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia, and economists say it is severely affecting the country’s ability to attract more high-technology industries. The government is acutely aware of the shortage in skills and the potential hurdle it poses to the country’s 2020 goal.
“We don’t get it right, we are in serious trouble,” the human resources minister, S. Subramaniam, said during an interview.
Studying and working overseas have long been considered attractive options for those Malaysians who can afford to make the move. About half of those living abroad can be found in neighboring Singapore. Australia, Britain and the United States are also popular.
Robert K. Chelliah, who runs an Australian immigration agency in Perth, with offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, said by phone that the number of Malaysians contacting his company with inquiries about moving to Australia had soared 80 percent since 2008.
“In the last two to three years, the motivation to acquire Australian permanent residency has sharply increased across all age sectors as well as across racial backgrounds,” he said.
Like Ms Liew, most of the seven people interviewed for this article said that better education, wages and career opportunities could be found abroad, while parents wanted to ensure that their children received an internationally recognized education in English.
Many interviewees, when asked about their concerns about returning to Malaysia, cited racial tensions and the country’s affirmative action policy, which gives special privileges to ethnic Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. The government has recognized the need to change the policy, which was introduced in the 1970s to improve the economic standing of Malays, who were more highly represented among the nation’s poor than its Chinese and Indian minorities.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has repeatedly emphasized that affirmative action would be made “market-friendly, merit-based, transparent and needs-based” under the country’s latest plan, the New Economic Model, which is designed to steer Malaysia toward its development goals. Ethnic Malays, or bumiputras, still benefit from privileges like discounted housing, and some government contracts are available only to companies they control.
A Malaysian Chinese businessman, who left Malaysia for Canada as a university student in the 1970s and stayed there, said that because of the policy, only a handful of his Malaysian Chinese classmates who also studied abroad had returned to Malaysia. Several other Malay and non-Malay interviewees also described the system as unfair.
Danny Quah, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, says that the brain drain has had a huge effect on the country’s economic and industrial development.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Treffen mit Anwar Ibrahim
By Alexander Lambsdorff
September 30th 2010
from http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2010/10/01/treffen-mit-anwar-ibrahim/
Die aktuelle politische Lage in Malaysia und das politisch motivierte Gerichtsverfahren gegen ihn waren die Themen bei einem Mittagessen mit dem malaysischen Oppositionsführer Anwar Ibrahim am Mittwoch in Brüssel. Anwar Ibrahim ist ein Kämpfer für die Demokratie.
English translation:
The current political situation in Malaysia and the politically motivated judicial proceedings against him were the subjects at a lunch with the Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday in Brussels. Anwar Ibrahim is a fighter for democracy.
September 30th 2010
from http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2010/10/01/treffen-mit-anwar-ibrahim/
Die aktuelle politische Lage in Malaysia und das politisch motivierte Gerichtsverfahren gegen ihn waren die Themen bei einem Mittagessen mit dem malaysischen Oppositionsführer Anwar Ibrahim am Mittwoch in Brüssel. Anwar Ibrahim ist ein Kämpfer für die Demokratie.
English translation:
The current political situation in Malaysia and the politically motivated judicial proceedings against him were the subjects at a lunch with the Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday in Brussels. Anwar Ibrahim is a fighter for democracy.
IGP's plan for a 'polished force'
2010/10/01
By Lee Shi-Ian
from http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/9cop/Article/
KUALA LUMPUR: The nation's top cop yesterday unveiled his vision, the "4P" plan, for the police force to deliver more efficient services to the public.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, flanked by his deputy Datuk Hussin Ismail, said the 4Ps stood for proactive, protective, performance-oriented and people-oriented.
"Previous IGPs have implemented their own visions on the police force and brought it to its current plateau.
"I am carrying on the good work as the present leader to take the force to greater heights," he said at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
Explaining the 4P plan, he said being proactive meant innovative thinking was required, allowing for the anticipation of new threats, having strategic planning and a firm action plan.
The second "P" showed the role played by the 100,000-strong police force as guardians of public order and internal security.
As for being performance-oriented, Ismail said this was clearly laid out, including in the force's national key result areas, that they should work to reduce crime.
"Lastly, people-oriented. The Royal Malaysian Police was formed, and exists, to serve the people. We have a duty and obligation to serve the public, regardless of their race, creed or colour."
Ismail said it was important to establish a strong fundamental vision for all policemen to follow as nothing could be achieved without a solid foundation.
"There are only about 100,000 policemen and officers serving in the force but there are 27 million people in Malaysia. So, initiatives such as reaching out via the Internet is important.
"I have held many rounds of discussions with Hussin but we both agree that without the support of the rest of the force, not much will be achieved. In six months' time, many will ask what I have achieved as the IGP.
"So, I am calling on all the men in the police force to support Hussin and me in taking the police force to new heights. Human capital is one of the core strengths of the force."
By Lee Shi-Ian
from http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/9cop/Article/
KUALA LUMPUR: The nation's top cop yesterday unveiled his vision, the "4P" plan, for the police force to deliver more efficient services to the public.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, flanked by his deputy Datuk Hussin Ismail, said the 4Ps stood for proactive, protective, performance-oriented and people-oriented.
"Previous IGPs have implemented their own visions on the police force and brought it to its current plateau.
"I am carrying on the good work as the present leader to take the force to greater heights," he said at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
Explaining the 4P plan, he said being proactive meant innovative thinking was required, allowing for the anticipation of new threats, having strategic planning and a firm action plan.
The second "P" showed the role played by the 100,000-strong police force as guardians of public order and internal security.
As for being performance-oriented, Ismail said this was clearly laid out, including in the force's national key result areas, that they should work to reduce crime.
"Lastly, people-oriented. The Royal Malaysian Police was formed, and exists, to serve the people. We have a duty and obligation to serve the public, regardless of their race, creed or colour."
Ismail said it was important to establish a strong fundamental vision for all policemen to follow as nothing could be achieved without a solid foundation.
"There are only about 100,000 policemen and officers serving in the force but there are 27 million people in Malaysia. So, initiatives such as reaching out via the Internet is important.
"I have held many rounds of discussions with Hussin but we both agree that without the support of the rest of the force, not much will be achieved. In six months' time, many will ask what I have achieved as the IGP.
"So, I am calling on all the men in the police force to support Hussin and me in taking the police force to new heights. Human capital is one of the core strengths of the force."
Tap the opportunities of biodiversity
Tap the opportunities of biodiversity
2010/10/01
By Zakri Abdul Hamid
from http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/17zakri/Article/
WE have all heard about climate change, but not many may be aware of the threat to life that experts are identifying as the next big environmental issue for us and business in particular.
This year is the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. Biodiversity flourishes at all levels: from species to whole ecosystems, and represents the full measure of life on our planet. We are an integral part of this web of life. We also depend on it for our food, fuel, medicine and other essentials that we simply cannot live without.
However, life forms are being lost at an unprecedented rate due to human activities.
In world rankings, Malaysia is one of the world's 17 mega-diverse countries. In Asean, two other countries are members of this exclusive club, Indonesia and the Philippines. The region is home to 20 per cent of all known plant and animal species.
While we celebrate the abundance of biodiversity in our region, we should also be troubled about its loss of biodiversity. Consider these: 80 per cent of Southeast Asia's coral reefs are at risk due to destructive fishing practices and coral bleaching. Over 45 per cent of protected wetlands are considered threatened. While nearly half of Asean countries are covered by forest, during the last decade more than 10 million hectares of forest were lost due to fire.
I co-chaired the "Millennium Ecosystem Assessment" (MA), a global study undertaken by 1,400 scientists from 95 countries from 2001 to 2005. Its findings showed that despite significant steps to conserve biodiversity, the pressures continue to grow.
The findings of the MA are as follows. First, over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems and biodiversity more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history.
This has resulted in a largely irreversible loss. For example, 20 per cent of the world's coral reefs were lost in the last several decades, and species extinction rates are now as much as 1,000 times higher than background rates typical over earth's history.
Second, although the changes made to ecosystems have contributed to gains in human well-being, particularly as a result of the spread of agriculture, these gains are being achieved at growing cost.
The MA examined the condition of 24 "ecosystem services" gained by people from ecosystems, such as food, freshwater and timber, the role of ecosystems in regulating climate and disease, and aesthetic, spiritual and recreational benefits. It found that 60 per cent of these services are being degraded on a global scale.
Third, the degradation of ecosystem services and the loss of biodiversity could grow significantly worse in the next 50 years. In particular, climate change is likely to become the single most important factor harming biodiversity by the end of this century.
Fourth, the scenarios developed by the MA show that it is possible to reverse the degradation of many ecosystem services but this would require political will. Indeed, the international community has missed achieving the 2010 target set during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 of a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss at all levels.
The MA finding has serious ramifications for the world at large and will affect business and industry in three principal ways.
Firstly, if current trends continue, ecosystem services that are freely available today will cease to be available or become more costly in the near future.
Secondly, loss of ecosystem services will also affect the framework conditions within which businesses operate, influencing customer preferences, stockholder expectations, regulatory regimes, governmental policies, employee well-being, and the availability of finance and insurance.
Thirdly, new business opportunities will emerge as demand grows for more efficient or different ways to use ecosystem services. For example, palm oil and biofuel production will be radically changed over the coming decade as we run out of land to apply to these uses, new technologies are developed and demand skyrockets.
A recent McKinsey Global survey indicates that biodiversity now occupies a similar position in the public debate as climate change did in 2007. A majority of executives, 59 per cent, see biodiversity as more of an opportunity than a risk for their companies.
They identify a variety of potential opportunities, such as bolstering corporate reputations with environmentally conscious stakeholders by acting to preserve biodiversity and developing new products or ideas from renewable natural resources.
The above findings resonate well with our New Economic Model, which calls for Malaysia to build on its strategic advantages arising from its rich biodiversity. Our local business community should heed these findings as we ignore them at our own peril.
The writer is science adviser to the Malaysian Prime Minister and National Professors Council chairman. He is also former chairman of the 192-member Countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
2010/10/01
By Zakri Abdul Hamid
from http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/17zakri/Article/
WE have all heard about climate change, but not many may be aware of the threat to life that experts are identifying as the next big environmental issue for us and business in particular.
This year is the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. Biodiversity flourishes at all levels: from species to whole ecosystems, and represents the full measure of life on our planet. We are an integral part of this web of life. We also depend on it for our food, fuel, medicine and other essentials that we simply cannot live without.
However, life forms are being lost at an unprecedented rate due to human activities.
In world rankings, Malaysia is one of the world's 17 mega-diverse countries. In Asean, two other countries are members of this exclusive club, Indonesia and the Philippines. The region is home to 20 per cent of all known plant and animal species.
While we celebrate the abundance of biodiversity in our region, we should also be troubled about its loss of biodiversity. Consider these: 80 per cent of Southeast Asia's coral reefs are at risk due to destructive fishing practices and coral bleaching. Over 45 per cent of protected wetlands are considered threatened. While nearly half of Asean countries are covered by forest, during the last decade more than 10 million hectares of forest were lost due to fire.
I co-chaired the "Millennium Ecosystem Assessment" (MA), a global study undertaken by 1,400 scientists from 95 countries from 2001 to 2005. Its findings showed that despite significant steps to conserve biodiversity, the pressures continue to grow.
The findings of the MA are as follows. First, over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems and biodiversity more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history.
This has resulted in a largely irreversible loss. For example, 20 per cent of the world's coral reefs were lost in the last several decades, and species extinction rates are now as much as 1,000 times higher than background rates typical over earth's history.
Second, although the changes made to ecosystems have contributed to gains in human well-being, particularly as a result of the spread of agriculture, these gains are being achieved at growing cost.
The MA examined the condition of 24 "ecosystem services" gained by people from ecosystems, such as food, freshwater and timber, the role of ecosystems in regulating climate and disease, and aesthetic, spiritual and recreational benefits. It found that 60 per cent of these services are being degraded on a global scale.
Third, the degradation of ecosystem services and the loss of biodiversity could grow significantly worse in the next 50 years. In particular, climate change is likely to become the single most important factor harming biodiversity by the end of this century.
Fourth, the scenarios developed by the MA show that it is possible to reverse the degradation of many ecosystem services but this would require political will. Indeed, the international community has missed achieving the 2010 target set during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 of a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss at all levels.
The MA finding has serious ramifications for the world at large and will affect business and industry in three principal ways.
Firstly, if current trends continue, ecosystem services that are freely available today will cease to be available or become more costly in the near future.
Secondly, loss of ecosystem services will also affect the framework conditions within which businesses operate, influencing customer preferences, stockholder expectations, regulatory regimes, governmental policies, employee well-being, and the availability of finance and insurance.
Thirdly, new business opportunities will emerge as demand grows for more efficient or different ways to use ecosystem services. For example, palm oil and biofuel production will be radically changed over the coming decade as we run out of land to apply to these uses, new technologies are developed and demand skyrockets.
A recent McKinsey Global survey indicates that biodiversity now occupies a similar position in the public debate as climate change did in 2007. A majority of executives, 59 per cent, see biodiversity as more of an opportunity than a risk for their companies.
They identify a variety of potential opportunities, such as bolstering corporate reputations with environmentally conscious stakeholders by acting to preserve biodiversity and developing new products or ideas from renewable natural resources.
The above findings resonate well with our New Economic Model, which calls for Malaysia to build on its strategic advantages arising from its rich biodiversity. Our local business community should heed these findings as we ignore them at our own peril.
The writer is science adviser to the Malaysian Prime Minister and National Professors Council chairman. He is also former chairman of the 192-member Countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
Final Round of PKR Divisional AGMs and Elections
Final Round of PKR Divisional Meetings and Elections
http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2010/10/01/final-round-of-pkr-divisional-meetings-and-elections/
The third and final round of Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s divisional annual general meetings and elections will take place this weekend on 2nd and 3rd October 2010. Divisional Annual General Meetings will be held in 38 divisions with contest taking place in 23 divisions – Selangor (14); Sarawak(4); Johore (2); Sabah (1); Kedah (1) and Penang (1).
Some of the logistical problems that affected a few divisions over the past weekend can be attributed to the high voter turn out. This, compounded by the unfamiliarity of members with the newly introduced system of voting, contributed to the logistical problems that were encountered.
It may not be widely known, but the divisional party elections involves members casting their votes for positions in the Jawatankuasa Cabang, the Jawatankuasa Wanita Cabang and Jawatankuasa Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Cabang. This means that where there is a contest, there are potentially three parallel elections taking place at the division level involving up to 46 positions:
a. Jawatankuasa Cabang – Ketua Cabang (1), Timbalan Ketua Cabang (1), Naib Ketua Cabang (1) and Ahli Jawatankuasa Cabang (15);
b. Jawatankuasa Wanita Cabang – Ketua Wanita Cabang (1), Timbalan Ketua Wanita Cabang (1), Naib Ketua Wanita Cabang (1) and Ahli Jawatankuasa Wanita Cabang (7); and
c. Jawatankuasa AMK Cabang – Ketua AMK (1), Timbalan Ketua AMK (1), Naib Ketua AMK (1) and Ahli Jawatankuasa AMK Cabang (15).
In contrast to a general election where a voter is required to remember say, two names, or more often than not just one logo, in the Pemilihan 2010 divisional elections, a voter has to choose up to 46 candidates. The actual process of marking and casting the ballot is thus more time consuming than in a general election. And when a voter is illiterate, this adds to the challenge.
The JPP has taken note of these issues and steps have been taken to try to ensure that voting over the coming weekend takes place in a smooth and orderly fashion. We call on all candidates and the incumbent leadership at the division level to work with us towards this end and to give the Keadilan Secretariat and our volunteers their full cooperation.
Dr. Molly Cheah
Chairperson
Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat (JPP)
http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2010/10/01/final-round-of-pkr-divisional-meetings-and-elections/
The third and final round of Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s divisional annual general meetings and elections will take place this weekend on 2nd and 3rd October 2010. Divisional Annual General Meetings will be held in 38 divisions with contest taking place in 23 divisions – Selangor (14); Sarawak(4); Johore (2); Sabah (1); Kedah (1) and Penang (1).
Some of the logistical problems that affected a few divisions over the past weekend can be attributed to the high voter turn out. This, compounded by the unfamiliarity of members with the newly introduced system of voting, contributed to the logistical problems that were encountered.
It may not be widely known, but the divisional party elections involves members casting their votes for positions in the Jawatankuasa Cabang, the Jawatankuasa Wanita Cabang and Jawatankuasa Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Cabang. This means that where there is a contest, there are potentially three parallel elections taking place at the division level involving up to 46 positions:
a. Jawatankuasa Cabang – Ketua Cabang (1), Timbalan Ketua Cabang (1), Naib Ketua Cabang (1) and Ahli Jawatankuasa Cabang (15);
b. Jawatankuasa Wanita Cabang – Ketua Wanita Cabang (1), Timbalan Ketua Wanita Cabang (1), Naib Ketua Wanita Cabang (1) and Ahli Jawatankuasa Wanita Cabang (7); and
c. Jawatankuasa AMK Cabang – Ketua AMK (1), Timbalan Ketua AMK (1), Naib Ketua AMK (1) and Ahli Jawatankuasa AMK Cabang (15).
In contrast to a general election where a voter is required to remember say, two names, or more often than not just one logo, in the Pemilihan 2010 divisional elections, a voter has to choose up to 46 candidates. The actual process of marking and casting the ballot is thus more time consuming than in a general election. And when a voter is illiterate, this adds to the challenge.
The JPP has taken note of these issues and steps have been taken to try to ensure that voting over the coming weekend takes place in a smooth and orderly fashion. We call on all candidates and the incumbent leadership at the division level to work with us towards this end and to give the Keadilan Secretariat and our volunteers their full cooperation.
Dr. Molly Cheah
Chairperson
Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat (JPP)
New planet 'like earth'
New planet 'like earth', say astronomers
from http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100930/twl-new-planet-like-earth-say-astronomer-41f21e0.html
Experts say an earth-like planet that they have discovered has the crucial conditions needed for life to exist.
It sits directly in the middle of what is referred to as the habitable or Goldilocks zone.
It is unlike any of the nearly 500 other planets astronomers have found outside Earth's solar system.
The planet is said to be neither too far from its star nor too close, and it could contain liquid water.
"People have been getting closer and closer over the last couple of years, they have been finding planets that are on the hot edge of the habitable zone and on the cold edge of the habitable zone, but finally we have one right in the middle," said co-discoverer R. Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington on Wednesday.
But there remain many unanswered questions about this strange planet.
It is about three times the mass of Earth, slightly larger in width and much closer to its star, 14 million miles away versus 93 million.
It is so close to its version of the sun that it orbits every 37 days.
And it does not rotate much, so one side is almost always bright, the other dark.
Temperatures can be as hot as 160 degrees or as frigid as minus 25 degrees below zero, but in between, in the land of constant sunrise, it would be "shirt-sleeve weather," according to co-discoverer Steven Vogt of the University of California at Santa Cruz.
from http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100930/twl-new-planet-like-earth-say-astronomer-41f21e0.html
Experts say an earth-like planet that they have discovered has the crucial conditions needed for life to exist.
It sits directly in the middle of what is referred to as the habitable or Goldilocks zone.
It is unlike any of the nearly 500 other planets astronomers have found outside Earth's solar system.
The planet is said to be neither too far from its star nor too close, and it could contain liquid water.
"People have been getting closer and closer over the last couple of years, they have been finding planets that are on the hot edge of the habitable zone and on the cold edge of the habitable zone, but finally we have one right in the middle," said co-discoverer R. Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington on Wednesday.
But there remain many unanswered questions about this strange planet.
It is about three times the mass of Earth, slightly larger in width and much closer to its star, 14 million miles away versus 93 million.
It is so close to its version of the sun that it orbits every 37 days.
And it does not rotate much, so one side is almost always bright, the other dark.
Temperatures can be as hot as 160 degrees or as frigid as minus 25 degrees below zero, but in between, in the land of constant sunrise, it would be "shirt-sleeve weather," according to co-discoverer Steven Vogt of the University of California at Santa Cruz.
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