Penyelidikan sisa pepejal di UKM

Source : http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0324&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_09.htm

Oleh ZULKIFLI MANZOR
zulkifli.manzor@kosmo.com.my

MOHD. ZAIN (dua dari kanan) memotong riben sambil diperhatikan Hassan (kanan) semasa merasmikan pusat kitar semula UKM di Bangi semalam.

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BANGI – Sebuah pusat penyelidikan sisa pepejal bersepadu Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)-Alam Flora yang bernilai kira-kira RM500,000 akan dibangunkan di kampus universiti itu.

Pembinaannya bakal menjadikan UKM sebagai perintis dalam meneroka penyelidikan pengurusan sisa pepejal di kalangan institusi pengajian tinggi di negara ini.

Timbalan Naib Canselor Hal Ehwal Akademik dan Antarabangsa UKM, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Hassan Basri berkata, pusat itu akan dibina di atas kawasan seluas 0.34 hektar dan dijangka siap penghujung tahun ini.

“Ia akan mempunyai ruang untuk fasiliti perolehan semula bahan sisa pepejal sekali gus menjadikan UKM sebagai kampus mesra alam pertama di Malaysia,” katanya pada sidang akhbar Pelancaran Pusat Kitar Semula dan Meraikan Ulang Tahun Pertama Kampus Sisa Sifar UKM-Alam Flora di sini semalam.

Turut hadir Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Alam Flora, Mohd. Zain Hassan.

Air di Tokyo tidak selamat untuk bayi

Source : http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0324&pub=Kosmo&sec=Dunia&pg=du_01.htm

SEORANG lelaki memperoleh air dari sebuah lori tangki di wilayah Chiba, dekat Tokyo semalam.

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TOKYO – Pihak berkuasa Jepun menasihati agar bayi tidak diberi minum air paip di bandar raya ini ekoran ia mengandungi tahap radiasi yang tinggi.

Menurut pihak berkuasa, air di loji pemprosesan air bersih untuk kegunaan 13 juta penduduk di sini mengandungi bacaan tahap radioaktif berjumlah 210 becquerel iaitu dua kali ganda melebihi tahap selamat untuk bayi.

Pencemaran itu berpunca daripada kebocoran partikel radioaktif dari beberapa reaktor nuklear loji Fukushima Daiichi yang meletup selepas gempa bumi kuat berukuran 9 pada skala Richter dan tsunami yang melanda timur laut Jepun pada 11 Mac lalu.

“Pencemaran ini adalah kesan langsung dari loji nuklear Fukushima Daiichi,” kata seorang pegawai kerajaan di sini.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, penduduk Tokyo termasuk rakyat asing yang bekerja di Jepun berpusu-pusu meninggalkan bandar raya ini sejak hujung minggu lalu ekoran pencemaran radioaktif dalam sumber makanan dan air.

Mereka menaiki kenderaan darat seperti kereta api dan penerbangan menuju ke bandar-bandar di barat Jepun.

Sementara itu angka rasmi mangsa yang maut dalam tragedi tersebut itu setakat ini meningkat kepada 9,199 orang dengan 13,786 lagi masih hilang manakala anggaran kerugian pula mencecah AS$300 bilion (RM907.6 bilion).

Sementara itu, Pentadbiran Dadah dan Makanan Amerika Syarikat (AS) menyatakan ia menghentikan import susu, sayur dan buah-buahan dari empat wilayah di timur laut Jepun yang berada dekat dengan loji nuklear tersebut.

Hong Kong turut mengikut jejak sama dengan mengharamkam import barang tenusu, buah-buahan, sayur-sayuran dan daging dari lima wilayah dekat loji nuklear tersebut.

Para pekerja di loji nuklear yang membekalkan tenaga elektrik itu bertungkus-lumus untuk membaiki sistem penyejukan yang terletak 250 kilometer dari Tokyo. – Agensi

Have a little thought for Mother Nature

Source : http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/8kitar/Article/

by Ahmad Fairuz Othman

An environmentalist shows Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas (left) how compost is made at the launch of a Rakan Alam Sekitar programme at SK Taman Pasir Putih in Pasir Gudang.

Rakan Alam Sekitar volunteers planting mangrove saplings.

A SIMPLE act of separating plastic waste from paper may save space at a landfill. 

Even collecting aluminium cans and bringing them to a recycling centre in exchange for cash is not only profitable, but helps care for the environment.

Then there are the stacks of newspapers one collects and later sells to the suratkhabar lama (old newspaper) man who comes by the house or office in a truck.

Such simple deeds take up little of our time. So it is bewildering when some people turn a blind eye towards recycling.

It is the easiest way to care for Mother Nature, and ensure our world is kept liveable for years to come.

There have been numerous campaigns for recycling and environmental awareness through the years. Some more successful than others.

However, the essence of such campaigns remain the same -- to encourage people to recycle, reduce carbon emissions or carbon footprint, and to have more green lungs by planting more trees.

Of course, these examples are but a fraction of what environmental awareness is all about.

Many governments prefer to focus on practical ways of caring for the environment.

An example is the Rakan Alam Sekitar (Friends of the Environment) programme, which is under the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry. It was officially launched on June 4, 2009.

Its main activities are tree-planting, beach clean-ups, collecting and recycling old electrical and electronic appliances (e-sisa), its sustainable school programme, talks, exhibitions, and briefings on environmental issues.

To ensure its programme reaches out to the grassroots, the ministry set up committees for environmental matters at each of the 222 Parliamentary constituencies in the country.

Each member of Parliament (MP) is the chairman of the Rakan Alam Sekitar committee at his or her constituency.

Each committee receives about RM30,000 a year to conduct environmental programmes.

It makes it easier for members to hold programmes on environmental awareness. However, do such programmes change mindsets?

Some neighbourhoods in Johor have recycling centres, and many traders who purchase old newspapers and mattresses often go around the housing estates.

But the effectiveness of such efforts from these campaigns on the public still remains to be seen.

To make a better impact, the ministry is expanding Rakan Alam Sekitar to schools nationwide.

Recently, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Unggah Embas said the ministry aims to set up Rakan Alam Sekitar programmes in 1,000 schools, beginning this year.

He said so far, 80 schools nationwide have taken part in the programme and more schools need to be involved to spread the word on environmental matters.

The Rakan Alam Sekitar in Johor has been particularly encouraging as its participants have gathered and recycled 14,911kg of rubbish and planted 5,860 trees so far.

"I am happy to say that 36,455 people in the state have been involved in the programme, with 4,409 members registered so far," said Douglas Unggah after launching the programme at SK Taman Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang.

Tebrau MP Teng Boon Soon, who is the constituency's Rakan Alam Sekitar committee chairman, said the programme will greatly benefit everyone.

Teng urged the people to become the eyes and ears of the authorities and look out for evidence of pollution in their area.

Such a call is part of the Rakan Alam Sekitar objective for encouraging vigilantism in environmental matters and proactive measures to preserve the environment.

Now, it is up to us to care for Mother Earth.

Read more: Have a little thought for Mother Nature http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/8kitar/Article/#ixzz1HWz7Yfpa