Makassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - A whirlwind hit Mangasa area in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar on Saturday night, leaving at least eight houses damaged.
The whirlwind came minutes after rain fell on the area, Sutomo, a local resident, said on Sunday.
The whirlwind blew off the zinc roof of the eight houses.
No one was hurt in the disaster.
Chief of Tamalate police precinct Adjunct Chief Commissioner Suaeb A Majid confirmed that the police were assessing the extent of damage in the affected area.
He called on local residents to watch out for the weather as rains accompanied by strong wind were expected to occur in the next few days.
Hundreds of houses damaged in Cilacap typhoon
Cilacap, C Java (ANTARA News) - A typhoon swept through Ujungmanik village in Cilacap district, Central Java, on Saturday, leaving hundreds of houses damaged.
"I don`t think the disaster would happen because the weather was clear and there was no rain on Saturday evening," Ujungmanik village head Supardan said on Sunday.
He said the typhoon occurred in a very short time at around 4.30 p.m. on Saturday. "The strong wind moved easterly at high speed. I thought it was not a whirlwind, but a typhoon," he said.
At least seven houses collapsed in the typhoon.
The disaster also caused major damage to 31 houses and minor damage to 157 others.
A local resident, identified as Jadi, was injured when he tried to get out of his collapsed house, he said.
There was no immediate report of material damage caused by the disaster.
Supardan said the typhoon also hit neighboring Bringkeng village, causing one house to cave in and leaving 65 others heavily and lightly damaged.
"I don`t think the disaster would happen because the weather was clear and there was no rain on Saturday evening," Ujungmanik village head Supardan said on Sunday.
He said the typhoon occurred in a very short time at around 4.30 p.m. on Saturday. "The strong wind moved easterly at high speed. I thought it was not a whirlwind, but a typhoon," he said.
At least seven houses collapsed in the typhoon.
The disaster also caused major damage to 31 houses and minor damage to 157 others.
A local resident, identified as Jadi, was injured when he tried to get out of his collapsed house, he said.
There was no immediate report of material damage caused by the disaster.
Supardan said the typhoon also hit neighboring Bringkeng village, causing one house to cave in and leaving 65 others heavily and lightly damaged.
Foreign tourist protests signatures on Fort Marlborough Wall
Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - A foreign tourist visiting Benkulu`s historical Marlborough Fort has protested the appearance of plaques on the fort`s front wall showing the signatures of Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori, and Bengkulu Governor Agusrin Maryono Najamudin.
The two signatures` inscription into the fort`s wall was reducing the fort`s historical value as their owners had nothing to do with the fort`s history, said British tourist Loreen Neville D when visiting the ancient building here on Monday.
"It would be different if , for instance, there was a plaque with the signature of Indonesia`s first president, Soekarno, because Soekarno was once imprisoned in the fort during the Dutch colonial era," she said.
Miss Mori and Governor Agusrin were irrelevant to the fort`s historical significance and their signatures had better be removed from the fort`s entrance, Neville said.
"I will send a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about it, and ask the Bengkulu government to remove the non-historical signatures," she said.
As a British tourist, Neville said, she was very disappointed to see the inscriptions at the fort`s entrance because they lessened the fort`s historical value.
She said she had come to Bengkulu with her friends from Singapore with the specific purpose of visiting Fort Marlborough but was shocked and disappointed after seeing the plaques with Miss Universe`s and the governor`s signatures.
Meanwhile, the head of Bengkulu province`s culture and tourism office , Agus Stiyanto, expressed appreciation for Neville`s criticism because, he said, it showed a genuine concern about the fort`s existence and the need to preserve its originality.
The criticism and protest should actually have come from the Jambi provincial tourism office which was responsible for the maintenance of cultural objects in the southern parts of Sumatra, he said.
But now, a foreigner had made the remarks intended to maintain the cultural authenticity of a historical object in a southern part of Sumatra, he added.
"We hope that Ms Neville can bring more of her friends in Singapore on a regular basis to Bengkulu to witness objects dating back to the British presence in the region centuries ago," he said. (*)
The two signatures` inscription into the fort`s wall was reducing the fort`s historical value as their owners had nothing to do with the fort`s history, said British tourist Loreen Neville D when visiting the ancient building here on Monday.
"It would be different if , for instance, there was a plaque with the signature of Indonesia`s first president, Soekarno, because Soekarno was once imprisoned in the fort during the Dutch colonial era," she said.
Miss Mori and Governor Agusrin were irrelevant to the fort`s historical significance and their signatures had better be removed from the fort`s entrance, Neville said.
"I will send a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about it, and ask the Bengkulu government to remove the non-historical signatures," she said.
As a British tourist, Neville said, she was very disappointed to see the inscriptions at the fort`s entrance because they lessened the fort`s historical value.
She said she had come to Bengkulu with her friends from Singapore with the specific purpose of visiting Fort Marlborough but was shocked and disappointed after seeing the plaques with Miss Universe`s and the governor`s signatures.
Meanwhile, the head of Bengkulu province`s culture and tourism office , Agus Stiyanto, expressed appreciation for Neville`s criticism because, he said, it showed a genuine concern about the fort`s existence and the need to preserve its originality.
The criticism and protest should actually have come from the Jambi provincial tourism office which was responsible for the maintenance of cultural objects in the southern parts of Sumatra, he said.
But now, a foreigner had made the remarks intended to maintain the cultural authenticity of a historical object in a southern part of Sumatra, he added.
"We hope that Ms Neville can bring more of her friends in Singapore on a regular basis to Bengkulu to witness objects dating back to the British presence in the region centuries ago," he said. (*)
PT Timah to apply "block system" in mining area
Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - PT Timah Tbk in Bangka Belitung (Babel) province is to apply the "block system" in its tin mining area in 2010 to increase efficiency in mining and protect the environment, a spokesman said.
"The block system will be applied on on-shore mines by creating a canal around our 20-50 hectare mining area for greater efficiency in our mining operations and protect the environment," the company`s director, Wahid Usman, said here Monday.
The block system would also make it easier to determine the volume of production and delineate PT Timah`s mining areas and prevent theft, he said.
"The block system is part of our strategy to increase tin production in 2010," he said.
Encircled by a canal as part of the block system, the mining areas would also be easier to watch over because supervisors could then focus on certain points in the field.
"The block system will also allow us to dispose of mining waste and facilitate reclamation or restoration of land damaged by mining activity," he said.
PT Timah was determined to become a world-class mining company and a leader in the global tin market, he said.
"Right now, the tin price is determined by traders. We produce the tin but others determine the price and this is clearly not to our benefit. This condition can not be avoided because it is part of the market mechanism," he said.
But to address the problem , PT Timah was preparing several effective measures to maximize its capability to turn out finished products such as soldering tin.
"To increase tin production which has declined lately, we will maximize production of such goods as soldering tin or `chemical tin` " , he said.
The company had started to optimize the production of soldering tin but its production capacity was still relatively small, namely only 2,000 tons per year, he said.(*)
"The block system will be applied on on-shore mines by creating a canal around our 20-50 hectare mining area for greater efficiency in our mining operations and protect the environment," the company`s director, Wahid Usman, said here Monday.
The block system would also make it easier to determine the volume of production and delineate PT Timah`s mining areas and prevent theft, he said.
"The block system is part of our strategy to increase tin production in 2010," he said.
Encircled by a canal as part of the block system, the mining areas would also be easier to watch over because supervisors could then focus on certain points in the field.
"The block system will also allow us to dispose of mining waste and facilitate reclamation or restoration of land damaged by mining activity," he said.
PT Timah was determined to become a world-class mining company and a leader in the global tin market, he said.
"Right now, the tin price is determined by traders. We produce the tin but others determine the price and this is clearly not to our benefit. This condition can not be avoided because it is part of the market mechanism," he said.
But to address the problem , PT Timah was preparing several effective measures to maximize its capability to turn out finished products such as soldering tin.
"To increase tin production which has declined lately, we will maximize production of such goods as soldering tin or `chemical tin` " , he said.
The company had started to optimize the production of soldering tin but its production capacity was still relatively small, namely only 2,000 tons per year, he said.(*)
President launches trembesi-tree planting movement
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the State Palace here on Wednesday launched a trembesi-tree planting movement in an effort to help reduce global warming.
The president did the launching at 9 a.m on Wednesday in a compound located between the State Palace and Merdeka Palace where two trembesi trees are already growing.
The two trembesi trees were planted by Indonesia`s first president, Soekarno. The species, also known as samanea saman or rain tree, has an extraordinary capability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), the gas contributing to global warming.
Trembesi trees are native to Latin America but can also grow well in tropical countries such as Indonesia.
The tree also has great capability to absorb ground water, while according to research conducted by the Forestry Faculty of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), a tremebsi tree trunk can absorb as much as 28 tons of CO2 in a year.
The trembesi-tree-planting movement was launched was part of the president`s "one man, one tree" policy to save the environment.
The event was also attended by members of the National Defense Forces (TNI), National Police and academic institutions, representatives of non-governmental organizations as well as cabinet ministers including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, and Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta.
On the occasion, President Yudhoyono also symbolically presented one million trembesi tree seedlings to all provincial governors in the country to be planted in their respective regions.
Meanwhile, President Yudhoyono`s schedule for the rest of the day included a meeting with former Vice President Jusuf Kalla at his office.
Kalla would meet Yudhyono in his capacity as the new chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). It would be Kalla`s first meeting with the head of state since Yudhoyono was inaugurated for his second term in office for the 2009-2014 term.
According to an agenda distributed by the presidential media and press bureau, President Yudhoyono was scheduled to receive the new Indonesian Red Cross chairman at his office on Wednesday.
Kalla was elected PMI chief at the organization`s 19th national conference on December 22, 2009. He replaces Mar`ie Muhammad who has held the position for more than two terms. (*)
The president did the launching at 9 a.m on Wednesday in a compound located between the State Palace and Merdeka Palace where two trembesi trees are already growing.
The two trembesi trees were planted by Indonesia`s first president, Soekarno. The species, also known as samanea saman or rain tree, has an extraordinary capability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), the gas contributing to global warming.
Trembesi trees are native to Latin America but can also grow well in tropical countries such as Indonesia.
The tree also has great capability to absorb ground water, while according to research conducted by the Forestry Faculty of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), a tremebsi tree trunk can absorb as much as 28 tons of CO2 in a year.
The trembesi-tree-planting movement was launched was part of the president`s "one man, one tree" policy to save the environment.
The event was also attended by members of the National Defense Forces (TNI), National Police and academic institutions, representatives of non-governmental organizations as well as cabinet ministers including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, and Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta.
On the occasion, President Yudhoyono also symbolically presented one million trembesi tree seedlings to all provincial governors in the country to be planted in their respective regions.
Meanwhile, President Yudhoyono`s schedule for the rest of the day included a meeting with former Vice President Jusuf Kalla at his office.
Kalla would meet Yudhyono in his capacity as the new chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). It would be Kalla`s first meeting with the head of state since Yudhoyono was inaugurated for his second term in office for the 2009-2014 term.
According to an agenda distributed by the presidential media and press bureau, President Yudhoyono was scheduled to receive the new Indonesian Red Cross chairman at his office on Wednesday.
Kalla was elected PMI chief at the organization`s 19th national conference on December 22, 2009. He replaces Mar`ie Muhammad who has held the position for more than two terms. (*)
RI to reduce gas emissions by 25 pct until 2020
Denpasar (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is committed to reducing its gas emissions by 26 percent in several phases until 2020, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said here on Monday.
"The forestry sector is expected to expected to help reduce gas emissions to 14 percent in the first phase," the minister said when declaring the formation of a National Forest Management Unit (KPH) at Taman Hutan Raya Ngurah Rai on Monday.
Present at the function were also Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika, seven other provincial governors, and representatives of 23 districts where KPH branches would be set up.
Zulkifli said the remaining 12 percent of gas emissions was expected to be tackled by other development sectors concerned about environmental preservation.
He said Indonesia had a high sense of awareness and responsibility about reducing gas emissions, and this attitude was hopefully to be imitated by the developed countries.
"High awareness of all countries to reduce gas emission is necessary to save the earth from climate change problems," Zulkifli Hasan said.
He said the Forestry Ministry`s work program for the next five years would be focused on forest preservation for the people`s welfare.
"It is in line with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s policy that development in the forestry sector should lead to stabilization of micro economics to support economic development.(*)
Source: www.antaranews.com
Foto: http://redgreenandblue.orgRI, Germany agree to ensure Copenhagen summit`s success
Berlin (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a meeting here agreed to ensure a positive and constructive outcome of the climate change summit in Copenhagen.
"We talked about the conference in Copenhagen and there were some things that needed to be confirmed (for the meeting`s success)," said Merkel at a joint press conference with Yudhoyono at the German Chancellor`s office in Berlin on Tuesday.
She said, having played an important role in the Climate Change Summit in Bali and being host to one of the world`s widest forest areas, Indonesia would come to the Copenhagen summit with good experience in facing an impasse.
Meanwhile, President Yudhoyono noted that the past few weeks had seen intense discussions among world leaders on the issues to be discussed at the Copenhagen summit.
"In our view, the developed and developing countries must do more and I believe Indonesia and Germany are both in the same position," Yudhoyono said.
He said the Copenhagen summit which was only a few days away was expected to be able to forge an agreement despite the obstacles.
"I hope that despite the hurdles, the Copenhagen summit will produce a document that binds all parties," he said.
At the press conference, Angela Merkel also said she intended to visit Indonesia some time in 2011 as part of efforts to maintain and continuously develop the two countries` cooperation.
She said the good relations with Indonesia so far were manifested in the humanitarian assistance Germany had provided when Indonesia was hit by natural disasters as well as by Germany`s Clean Development Mechanism project aid.
"Although Germany itself is still facing problems caused by the world financial crisis, we remain committed to helping developing countries," she said.
President Yudhoyono for is part said he really appreciated the cooperation with Germany and his government would do whatever was necessary to continuously improve it in the future.(*)
"We talked about the conference in Copenhagen and there were some things that needed to be confirmed (for the meeting`s success)," said Merkel at a joint press conference with Yudhoyono at the German Chancellor`s office in Berlin on Tuesday.
She said, having played an important role in the Climate Change Summit in Bali and being host to one of the world`s widest forest areas, Indonesia would come to the Copenhagen summit with good experience in facing an impasse.
Meanwhile, President Yudhoyono noted that the past few weeks had seen intense discussions among world leaders on the issues to be discussed at the Copenhagen summit.
"In our view, the developed and developing countries must do more and I believe Indonesia and Germany are both in the same position," Yudhoyono said.
He said the Copenhagen summit which was only a few days away was expected to be able to forge an agreement despite the obstacles.
"I hope that despite the hurdles, the Copenhagen summit will produce a document that binds all parties," he said.
At the press conference, Angela Merkel also said she intended to visit Indonesia some time in 2011 as part of efforts to maintain and continuously develop the two countries` cooperation.
She said the good relations with Indonesia so far were manifested in the humanitarian assistance Germany had provided when Indonesia was hit by natural disasters as well as by Germany`s Clean Development Mechanism project aid.
"Although Germany itself is still facing problems caused by the world financial crisis, we remain committed to helping developing countries," she said.
President Yudhoyono for is part said he really appreciated the cooperation with Germany and his government would do whatever was necessary to continuously improve it in the future.(*)
Source: www.antaranews.com
Foto: http://www.huffingtonpost.com70 pct of mangrove forests in Babel damaged
Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - Around 70 percent of a total of 122,000 hectares of mangrove forests in Bangka Belitung (Babel) province were damaged by tin mining operations, a forest affairs official said.
"The damage on the mangrove forests is among others caused by mining activities in the coastal regions," head of the Babel Forestry Agency Sukandar said here Sunday.
According to him, the mangrove forest destruction can kill rabs and shrimps.
"Floods and abrasion could occur at any time due to damage to the mangrove forests, and the economy of the local fishermen will also be affected," he said.
The mangrove forest damage occurred in every district of the province that needs serious handling to restore and preserve the mangrove forests, he stated.
"We`ve planted 2,000 mangrove seedlings to restore the damaged mangrove forests, as the realization of the 100 working-day program in the forestry sector," he said, adding that his office will set up a team to minimize the mangrove forests damage caused by tin mining operations. (*)
ASEAN Scouts Pledge to Care for the Environment
Later, they pledged to care for the environment and use the energy at their homes more frugally. "I will turn off the television when I'm through watching," promised Guo Jing Yang, a scout from Singapore.
Windi Utami, a girl scout from Medan, North Sumatra, said she separate her home garbage from inorganic and organic to be made as fertilizers. Her pledge, written on a piece of paper, was glued on a tree branch.
Guo Jing and Windi were attending the Global Warming Workshop, held by the National Scout Movement yesterday. The workshop was one of 50 events in the ASEAN Scout Jamboree taking place from October 19 to 26 October, in the Cibubur Camping Site, on East Jakarta. As many as 3.000 scouts aged 13 -16 years old participated in the event, which was officially opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"There are nine key activities in the jamboree," said Susi Yuliati, chief of activities. Among them are scouting skills, trekking, art performances, culture classes, traditional sports, religion, and global issues such as the environment, environmental health and environment-friendly technology. A number of government and non-governmental departments took part in the global issue activities. The Agency for the Assessment & Application of Technology (BPPT) for instance, exhibited a power plant using natural resources like the wind, the sun, vegetables, biogas and a car radar to monitor the rain.
UNTUNG WIDYANTO
A Geology and Astronomy Conference Opens in Bandung
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Over 100 geologists and astronomers with the Kyoto University alumni forum begins on Thursday (7/1) a two-day conference on geology and aerospace at the Bandung Institute of Technology.
The conference was open by the Djoko Santoso rector of Bandung Institute of Technology and Hroshi Matsumoto rector of Kyoto University to discuss the some of the sub divisions of geology like geophysics, geodesy, mining, oil, eceanography, and agriculture and astronomy. About 90 academic papers will be presented by scholars from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan.
Head of the organizing committee Suhardja Wiramihardja said “The convention hopefuly will produce agreements for further research cooperations.”
ANWAR SISWADI
The conference was open by the Djoko Santoso rector of Bandung Institute of Technology and Hroshi Matsumoto rector of Kyoto University to discuss the some of the sub divisions of geology like geophysics, geodesy, mining, oil, eceanography, and agriculture and astronomy. About 90 academic papers will be presented by scholars from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan.
Head of the organizing committee Suhardja Wiramihardja said “The convention hopefuly will produce agreements for further research cooperations.”
ANWAR SISWADI
RI to watch `Okeanos` exploration activities
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government will supervise the operations of a US oceanic research vessel, the `Okeanos`, which will undertake studies on Indonesia`s undersea geological, biological and mineral resources in North Sulawesi in June.
"We take into account the country`s sovereignty when we establish cooperation (with other countries), including cooperation with the United State which will deploy the Okeanos for sea explorations in Sulawesi," Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Wednesday.
Explorations in the Sulawesi Sea by the US vessel, said to be the most modern of its kind, will be supervised by assigning an Indonesian representative on the research ship.
It was reported earlier that the Okeanos is to explore the seas north of Sulawesi starting next June under a 10-year cooperation agreement with the Indonesian government. The explorations will be carried out as a follow-up to a bilateral agreement on cooperation in research, technology and their application in marine resources and fisheries signed on September 18, 2007.
"Departmental permits for the Okeanos to begin its operations in Indonesian waters are expected to be issued by the middle of this year," Marine Resources and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhamad said meanwhile.
The cooperation agreement was valid for a period of 10 years and the first part of Indonesian seas to be studied would be those located north of Sulawesi. "I hope the research will extend to the Bay of Tomini," Fadel said.
Indonesia is rich in unrevealed marine biodiversity resources. So, the cooperation is expected to benefit both sides.
According to Jane Lubchenco, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) coordinator, the cooperation will be started by explorations using the US research ship "Okeanos" in cooperation with Indonesia`s research ship Baruna Jaya.
She hoped the explorations will result in new findings, enable the drawing up of maps of the seabed, locate underwater volcanoes and the charting of other things of geological and biological significance.
Indonesia, she noted, was endowed with life forms of enormous biodiversity and many of the species they encompassed had so far remained undescribed. "The explorations will be done in Indonesian seas about which little is known so far," she said.
Hasyim Djalal, an Indonesian expert on law of the sea, acknowledged that many of Indonesia`s marine resources had so far remained unknown.
"We are rich in unknown marine resources. Our technology is not yet able to describe them all so that we need cooperation in exploring them. Cooperation had better be aimed at exploring mineral resources," Hasyim Djalal said.
He said Indonesia was rich in marine resources such as minerals, energy and marine species which were not found in other countries. But to make sure whether these resources really existed Indonesia needed to carry out explorations and research to know whether the resources could really be developed in viable economic terms.
Indonesia has actually established research cooperation ties in the marine sector with many countries, including China and Japan. It has also established research cooperation with other countries on seabed research. And cooperation with NOAA is more aimed at mineral research, according to Djalal.
Hasyim Djalal said that mineral resource consisted of two types, namely liquid and solid matter. Solid mineral resources are already known such as tin deposits along the coast of Bangka Belitung but liquid mineral resources under the seas had remained unknown, he said.
As technology continues to advance, it is learned that many strategic mineral resources are found in deep sea mountains. In the Western Pacific, there are at least 50,000 sea mountains. The same number also exists in the South Pacific.
"We know where surface volcanoes are located but don`t know where the sea mountains are," he said.
He said the locations of many of Indonesia`s undersea mountains were in the Indian Ocean, where the sea current flowed and passed on the seabed and on the sea mountains in the area, leaving mineral deposits. So, in millions of years they produced mineral resources such as gold, nickel and cobalt.
As Indonesia is yet to have technology that could help explain all these, it needs to cooperate with other countries, one of which is the United States.
In regard to the explorations in the North Sulawesi seas, the United States government has been constantly making intensive preparations for its most modern research ship "Okeanos" for the explorations in Sulawesi`s northern waters starting in June 2010.
"They have explained what they will be doing in the explorations in the Sulawesi sea with their `Okeanos` research ship," Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said after receiving US Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron R Hume in Jakarta Tuesday afternoon.
In the closed-door meeting, it was said that the research vessel was currently still in Hawaii, and will start explorations in mid-2010.
Earlier, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has given the green light for "Okeanos" to enter Indonesia`s territorial seas to conduct explorations.
US President Barrack Obama fully supported the development of science, which is important to the world and to Indonesia as well, according to Lubchenco.(*)
"We take into account the country`s sovereignty when we establish cooperation (with other countries), including cooperation with the United State which will deploy the Okeanos for sea explorations in Sulawesi," Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Wednesday.
Explorations in the Sulawesi Sea by the US vessel, said to be the most modern of its kind, will be supervised by assigning an Indonesian representative on the research ship.
It was reported earlier that the Okeanos is to explore the seas north of Sulawesi starting next June under a 10-year cooperation agreement with the Indonesian government. The explorations will be carried out as a follow-up to a bilateral agreement on cooperation in research, technology and their application in marine resources and fisheries signed on September 18, 2007.
"Departmental permits for the Okeanos to begin its operations in Indonesian waters are expected to be issued by the middle of this year," Marine Resources and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhamad said meanwhile.
The cooperation agreement was valid for a period of 10 years and the first part of Indonesian seas to be studied would be those located north of Sulawesi. "I hope the research will extend to the Bay of Tomini," Fadel said.
Indonesia is rich in unrevealed marine biodiversity resources. So, the cooperation is expected to benefit both sides.
According to Jane Lubchenco, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) coordinator, the cooperation will be started by explorations using the US research ship "Okeanos" in cooperation with Indonesia`s research ship Baruna Jaya.
She hoped the explorations will result in new findings, enable the drawing up of maps of the seabed, locate underwater volcanoes and the charting of other things of geological and biological significance.
Indonesia, she noted, was endowed with life forms of enormous biodiversity and many of the species they encompassed had so far remained undescribed. "The explorations will be done in Indonesian seas about which little is known so far," she said.
Hasyim Djalal, an Indonesian expert on law of the sea, acknowledged that many of Indonesia`s marine resources had so far remained unknown.
"We are rich in unknown marine resources. Our technology is not yet able to describe them all so that we need cooperation in exploring them. Cooperation had better be aimed at exploring mineral resources," Hasyim Djalal said.
He said Indonesia was rich in marine resources such as minerals, energy and marine species which were not found in other countries. But to make sure whether these resources really existed Indonesia needed to carry out explorations and research to know whether the resources could really be developed in viable economic terms.
Indonesia has actually established research cooperation ties in the marine sector with many countries, including China and Japan. It has also established research cooperation with other countries on seabed research. And cooperation with NOAA is more aimed at mineral research, according to Djalal.
Hasyim Djalal said that mineral resource consisted of two types, namely liquid and solid matter. Solid mineral resources are already known such as tin deposits along the coast of Bangka Belitung but liquid mineral resources under the seas had remained unknown, he said.
As technology continues to advance, it is learned that many strategic mineral resources are found in deep sea mountains. In the Western Pacific, there are at least 50,000 sea mountains. The same number also exists in the South Pacific.
"We know where surface volcanoes are located but don`t know where the sea mountains are," he said.
He said the locations of many of Indonesia`s undersea mountains were in the Indian Ocean, where the sea current flowed and passed on the seabed and on the sea mountains in the area, leaving mineral deposits. So, in millions of years they produced mineral resources such as gold, nickel and cobalt.
As Indonesia is yet to have technology that could help explain all these, it needs to cooperate with other countries, one of which is the United States.
In regard to the explorations in the North Sulawesi seas, the United States government has been constantly making intensive preparations for its most modern research ship "Okeanos" for the explorations in Sulawesi`s northern waters starting in June 2010.
"They have explained what they will be doing in the explorations in the Sulawesi sea with their `Okeanos` research ship," Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said after receiving US Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron R Hume in Jakarta Tuesday afternoon.
In the closed-door meeting, it was said that the research vessel was currently still in Hawaii, and will start explorations in mid-2010.
Earlier, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has given the green light for "Okeanos" to enter Indonesia`s territorial seas to conduct explorations.
US President Barrack Obama fully supported the development of science, which is important to the world and to Indonesia as well, according to Lubchenco.(*)
Writer: Andi Abdussalam
http://antaranews.com
Foto: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos
Bandung flash floods inundate hundreds of homes
Soreang, W Java (ANTARA News) - Floods inundated hundreds of homes at Rancaekek Wetan village, Bandung district, West Java, on Wednesday after the Cikeruh river overflowed.
The houses were inundated in 50-180 cm deep water, spokesman for the Bandung district administration Sutarno Yono said.
The floods began to inundate the houses at 02.00 p.m., he said.
One bridge at Dangdeur village collapsed, cutting off land communication between the village and Rancaekek road, he said.
By Wednesday evening, the local authorities were still evacuating residents of the village to safer grounds, he said.
"I have just received a phone call from Rancaekek district that they need a number of rubber boats to evacuate villagers marooned by the flash floods," he said.(*)
The houses were inundated in 50-180 cm deep water, spokesman for the Bandung district administration Sutarno Yono said.
The floods began to inundate the houses at 02.00 p.m., he said.
One bridge at Dangdeur village collapsed, cutting off land communication between the village and Rancaekek road, he said.
By Wednesday evening, the local authorities were still evacuating residents of the village to safer grounds, he said.
"I have just received a phone call from Rancaekek district that they need a number of rubber boats to evacuate villagers marooned by the flash floods," he said.(*)
To Copenhagen with hope to save Planet Earth
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - "Copenhagen is our time to seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to launch the post-2012 climate agreement," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono once said.The recorded statement of President Yudhoyono to the United Nations (UN) Summit in New York, last Sept. 22, 2009, clearly reflected Indonesia`s view on the 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) being held in Copenhagen, Denmark, December 7-18, 2009.He even further emphasized the crucial need of addressing climate change by saying: "Remember: we can negotiate about the climate, but we cannot negotiate with the climate. We cannot ask the climate for more time."President Yudhoyono is scheduled to attend the COP 15-UNFCC later this month, while Indonesia`s delegation led by former environment minister Rachmat Witoelar is already in Copenhagen now.
The COP 13 UNFCCC which was organized in Bali, Indonesia, December 3-14, 2009, recommended that the Copenhagen conference should reach a new agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol because its first commitment period of developed countries on emission cut will expire in 2012.
Indonesia has made climate change a key priority in its national budget for 2010, reaching half a billion dollars, which includes preservation and expansion of the country`s tropical rain forest cover.
The Forestry Ministry in Jakarta early December 2009 held a seminar themed "Best Practice Sustainable Forest Management on Climate Change (Road to Copenhagen)".
Officially opened by Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, the seminar dealt with such topics as sustainable forest management and mitigation policies, forests` chance to contribute to mitigating the impact of climate change , and best practices in timber forest development.
Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said recently the government had provided Rp2 trillion in reforestation funds this year and would increase it to Rp2.6 trillion next year and to an even higher amount in the years to come.
Speaking about his 100-day program, Forestry Minister Zulkilfi Hasan said one of his top priorities was to strengthen Indonesia`s position in the Copenhagen climate talks. "We will take real actions by planting 230 million trees," he said.
Indonesia has one of the largest areas of forest in the world, but also one of the highest deforestation rates.
Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said in Banjarmasin last Friday (Nov. 27), the rate of forest destruction in Indonesia had reached 1.1 million hectares a year.
He said the government could only rehabilitate up to 500,000 hectares a year. He said it was feared the gap would worsen the impact of global warming in the country as well as in the world.
He said the weather`s temperature had now risen by four degrees making the sea level rise by 80 centimeters. If this condition was ignored, 30 million to 40 million people in the country could fall victim to the impact of global warming such as floods, and other natural disasters.
Speaking about the COP 15 UNFCCC, Foreign Minister Marty M Natalegawa said the possibility of reaching a binding commitment at the climate change summit in Copenhagen next week was relatively slim.
"It appears that (the climate change summit) would not be able to solve the problem because it appears the prospects of reaching a binding commitment is relatively small," the foreign minister said in Jakarta recently.
Therefore, he added, the discussions on climate change issues might be finished at least in mid-2010.
"Thus, our agenda on climate change will continue until 2010," he said when explaining Indonesia`s foreign policy priorities in 2010.
Nevertheless, he added, Indonesia would still be active in trying to achieve an accord in Copenhagen, and may even contribute to reaching a solution.
"Indonesia as host of the UNFCCC in Bali in 2007 is constantly playing a role in dealing with climate change problems," he pointed out.
"Indonesia is not only speaking within the framework of a discourse. In Copenhagen, we will explain our efforts of reaching the target of reducing emissions by 26 percent by 2020," the foreign affairs minister said.
Sounding more optimistic, President Yudhoyono has expressed hope that the conference on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark, will be able to produce a strong and positive agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
"We wish to open a new historic page in Copenhagen with an agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol," he said when receiving participants of a National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) course in Jakarta on Dec. 17, 2009.
He said unless a new agreement could be achieved the sea level could rise by 1.5 meters in 2100 in addition to threats of prolonged dry or rainy seasons resulting from climate change.
"Therefore, we must reduce carbon emissions. A number of heads of state will come to the conference. It would be better if we have a plan of action to reduce carbon emissions by up to 26 percent through forestation, control of fuel oil consumption and use of transportation means," he said.
The Indonesian head of state said he was optimistic a common agreement would be reached at the meeting.
The Indonesian delegation to Copenhagen in a press statement on Dec. 6, said Indonesia wished to propose the Bali Action Plan (BAP) yielded in the COP 13 UNFCCC in Bali 2007, to be accepted in the Copenhagen conference.
The Indonesian delegation hoped that advanced countries could lead mitigation efforts, while developing countries could contribute in cutting emissions by pursuing low-carbon economic development in respective countries.
Last November 2009, Hadi Haryanto, a member of the Indonesian delegation to Copenhagen, said Indonesia would propose a new forest initiative to help local people obtain financial benefits from forest protection.
Indonesia was ready to develop projects for the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) scheme, which many expect to agree on in Copenhagen, Hadi said.
"Indonesia will showcase its activities in REDD projects in Jambi, Central Kalimantan and East Java, in December, to show its strong commitment to saving the planet against global warming," he said.
Around 6.2 million hectares of communal forests are eligible for the carbon reduction scheme, Hadi said.
He said Indonesia would also propose best practices for sustainable forest management (SFM) in Copenhagen, to show its seriousness in achieving emission cuts in the forestry sector.
Under the SFM system, Hadi said, Indonesia has its roadmap already, which includes a reduction of forest fires by 20 percent per year, combating illegal logging activities, and the certification of forest products.
Meanwhile, speaking before participants of the Fourth Plenary Session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in Bandung (West Java Province), Tuesday (Dec. 8), President Yudhoyono urged APA to support the ongoing UNFCCC in Copenhagen.
According to the head of state no country in the world would be able to deal with all problems, including climate change, by itself.
Therefore, he said all parties should cooperate at global and regional order.(*)
Writer: Fardah
http://antaranews.com Foto: REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo.)
Australia bakes through warmest decade on record
The Bureau of Meteorology says figures showing Australia has experienced its hottest decade since records began in 1910 are clear evidence of climate change.
The Bureau's annual report has found the average temperature over the past 10 years was 0.48 degrees Celsius above average.Climatologist David Jones says each decade since the 1940s has been warmer than the previous one.
And he has warned that this year is set to be even hotter, with temperatures likely to be between 0.5 and 1 degrees above average.
"There's no doubt about global warming, the planet's been warming now for most of the last century," he said.
"Occasionally it takes a breather, during La Nina events for example.
"But we're getting these increasingly warm temperatures - not just for Australia but globally - and climate change, global warming is clearly continuing.
"We're in the latter stages of an El Nino event in the Pacific Ocean and what that means for Australian and global temperatures is that 2010 is likely to be another very warm year - perhaps even the warmest on record."
Record heatwaves
2009 was Australia's second-warmest year on record, with the annual mean temperature 0.90C above average.Dr Jones says the results have been partly driven by three record-breaking heatwaves.
Temperatures soared in southern Australia during late January and early February, contributing to the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria.
A winter heatwave over most of the inland resulted in the warmest August on record, while another heatwave in November across central and south-east Australia saw a record eight consecutive days of maximum temperatures in Adelaide.
"These broke records by large margins over large areas. Very, very extreme events," Dr Jones said.
"To get one of them in a year would have been unusual. To get three is just really quite remarkable."
Dr Jones says overall temperatures in the south-east were above average.
"It turns out the Murray-Darling Basin, South Australia and New South Wales all recorded their warmest years on record," he said.
"But of course if you look at absolute temperatures some very notable numbers appeared.
"We saw a 48.8C during February in Victoria on Black Saturday and also some very high temperatures in South Australia and WA [Western Australia] with many numbers close to 49, 48 degrees."
Dr Jones says some areas of the country are being affected more than others.
"What we are finding for Australia is that the inland areas are warming most quickly as the planet heats up," he said.
"So areas such as western New South Wales, northern South Australia and so on are tending to warm about twice as fast as some of the coastal regions."
Rainfall and drought
The overall Australian mean rainfall total for 2009 (based on preliminary data) was 453 millimetres, slightly below the long-term average.Dry conditions continued in the south-east and south-west of the country.
There were several short-term floods in eastern parts - most notably in May when record rain fell in parts of Queensland and New South Wales.
The year ended with further flooding in parts of New South Wales and Queensland.
Dr Jones says there appears to be no correlation between the higher temperatures and rainfall.
"This isn't natural variability. In the past when we had droughts we tend to have warm temperatures and vice versa," he said.
"Australia as a whole has been getting warmer for about 50-60 years and it's actually been tending to get wetter.
"You see this paradox - the country, particularly in the north, it's getting wetter but is also warming up."
Source:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/05/2785653.htm?section=australia
Avatar, not Ed, will make the case on climate
Checklist: thermal tights, gloves, hat, boots, shovel, ice pick. Ring the plumber to remind him that the boiler hasn’t been working for the past three days, spend an hour scraping ice off the car with your fingers before discovering that the school is closed, turn round, inch your way back and slip on the steps before taking a binbag up the nearest hill. This is Britain 2010: freezing in the coldest winter for 30 years.
Global warming, don’t even try it, they’re ice-skating in Delhi and sledging in Seoul. That kind of sums up the argument doesn’t it? One of the heaviest snowfalls of the winter was landing on Britain as Ed Miliband stood up to defend the Copenhagen summit in Parliament and explain why it was the political event of the Noughties.
Yet the £130 million spent on this environmental junket for 115 world leaders appears to have come to nothing. They just expended an extra 41,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, more greenhouse gas than produced by Malawi, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone over the same period.
No one seems to care. Who gave their wife a wind turbine for Christmas? How many people bothered to sort the paper crackers from the cranberry sauce? Perhaps it’s not just the Chinese who aren’t trying any more.
When the political parties began their election campaigns this week Gordon Brown somehow failed to mention his compost; David Cameron didn’t pose for that poster with homegrown marrows in his vegetable garden. Green is no longer minty cool, it’s sludge-brown boring. According to a Populus poll in The Times in November, less than half of Britons believe it is an established scientific fact that global warming is largely man-made. They refuse to feel guilty any more. Going green is just another luxury that we have learnt to do without in the recession Yet the planet may be saved — not by human beings but by 10ft Picassoesque aliens in turquoise Speedo bodysuits with tails. These creatures, who inhabit the distant moon Pandora, live in branches and worship Mother Earth. They drink water that is pooled in giant leaves, chant around trees that whisper of their ancestors and use pterodactyls for transport (although they do still eat meat, apologetically). They are the stars of Avatar, the film that has become the fourth-biggest blockbuster of all time in less than three weeks.
The Na’vi may be armed only with bows and arrows, they may live 150 years in the future, but their message to humans is clear. You have no vegetation left on 22nd-century Earth. You have messed up your planet and wasted your resources, now don’t come and destroy ours.
When humans are sent to exploit their mineral wealth (called Unobtainium, of course) with a campaign of shock and awe bombings, they fall in love with the Na’vis low-emission lives and the hero chooses to become an alien and reject selfish humanity.
The script could have been written by Al Gore. This is An Inconvenient Truth for children, but instead of a middle-aged former Vice-President lecturing you about destroying the planet, it’s extraterrestrials who are better dressed than ET with their covetable jewellery.
How come you know so much about it, you’re thinking. It sounds ludicrous. Having seen the film twice in three days with my nine-year-old, I admit that I don’t need to see it again, but he and his friends do — and not just for the £237 million 3-D effects, the battles, the Bambi-like scenery of Pandora or the popcorn. My son believes in these creatures’ message and has started lecturing me on my environmental commitment. Why do we need to cut down a tree for Christmas? Does he really need all that packaging round his new iTouch (he does, however, still need the iTouch).
The film is brilliant PR — smug and simplistic but effective and energising. James Cameron, who won an Oscar for sinking the Titanic, now wants to save the world and may just succeed in converting the next generation. Avatar has made $1 billion from ticket sales around the world in the shortest time yet and could overtake Titanic, which took $1.8 billion.
No wonder the American Right hates it, with one commentator calling it “a deep expression of anti-Americanism”. They understand that any nation that loves this movie will not want to continue pumping oil out of the Alaskan National Park.
The director sounds a bit ridiculous when he says: “We’re going to find out the hard way if we don’t wise up and start seeking a life that’s in balance with the natural cycles of life on Earth,” Disney put it more succinctly in The Lion King with “The Circle of Life,” but Cameron is clearly a believer who is not in it just for the box-office receipts. He spent 15 years perfecting the film.
It may not be every 40-year-old’s first choice, but anyone with children — which includes most politicians — is likely to see it. President Obama chose Avatar for his family’s new year outing. The Shadow Cabinet has fallen for it: “A story about blue people who save the world created by a man called Cameron — of course we’re seen it,” said one, who went with his son. The Miliband brothers are said to be fans.
The political elite is beginning to get the message — audiences do care about the planet, they just don’t want to be lectured about it by hypocritical politicians. They want help to do their bit, not hectoring.
Avatar isn’t Star Wars, Apocalypse Now or even The Lord of the Rings: it’s not a classic. But few films manage to change perceptions. The Sound of Music rehabilitated the Austrians, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner ridiculed racism, Philadelphia maybe changed our views about Aids, Kramer vs Kramer tackled divorce. Dr Strangelove made the best case for unilateral nuclear disarmament. Avatar — rather than Ed Miliband talking about Copenhagen — could do the same for global warming. If you can get through the snow to see it.
Alice Thomson
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6977014.ece
Arctic Ocean awakening as ice melts
Sleepiest ocean is mixing more and supporting more summer Earth's sleepiest ocean is waking, say researchers.
The Arctic Ocean's ice-capped depths have been quiet for millennia, thanks to winds being largely unable to ruffle the surface and stir things up.
The rapid loss of summer ice cover is changing all that, however, creating internal waves in the Arctic waters that could dramatically change life there — and perhaps even accelerate the sea ice loss.
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"It's a very, very quiet ocean," said Luc Rainville of the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory, in Seattle.
He and his colleague Rebecca A. Woodgate have just published a study in the latest issue of Geophysical Research Letters reporting how Arctic waters along the continental shelves are getting more turbulent as the summer ice disappears and waves start churning the water like in other oceans.
"If you put instruments down in the Pacific or Atlantic oceans you'll see density changes every few hours" indicating the passage of internal waves within the ocean, Rainville explained to Discovery News.
These underwater waves move water up, down, sideways and have been measured at heights of up to 200 meters near Hawaii. The internal waves keep the oceans forever turbulent, fertile and unable to settle into quiet pools with warm waters on top and colder, nutrient-rich waters below.
The ice-topped Arctic Ocean, on the other hand, is just such a stratified, calm place because sea ice muffles all waves "like a big damper," Rainville explained. But that is becoming less the case as summer sea ice melt is opening up ever wider expanses of water around the northern continental shelves of north America and Asia.
All that wave action is expected to bring deep water nutrients closer to the surface, where with sunlight they'll feed summer phytoplankton blooms — forming a vast new foundation for the Arctic marine food web.
Among the more worrisome questions raised by a more turbulent Arctic Ocean is whether or not it could speed up the melting of Arctic sea ice.
"That's a big open question," Rainville said. "It's possible because the Arctic is a very peculiar ocean."
Unlike any other ocean basin, the Arctic has a lot of very fresh, very cold water on top from melted ice, what's called the cold halocline layer. But about 100 meters below is very salty, slightly warmer water. If internal waves become powerful enough to mix these waters, then yes, the warmer surface could accelerate the melting of sea ice.
By Larry O'Hanlon
Source:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com
New Year's Eve Goes Green in Times Square
The ball itself will be illuminated by more than 32,000 LED light bulbs, which are 20 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and will be 78 percent more energy efficient than the ball used in 2007. Each hour, the "green" ball used tonight will consume only about as much energy as two conventional home ovens. Meanwhile, the giant lighted numerals that will spell out 2010 are being delivered by pedi-cabs to save fuel, and many other efforts are being made to reduce the energy and environmental impacts of New Year's Eve in Times Square.
Much of the electricity needed for tonight's celebration is being supplied by volunteers peddling stationary bicycles hooked up to generators, which will reduce demand on the city's power supply and help the volunteers keep warm in the frigid New York evening.
Sure, there's an argument to be made that completely eliminating the lavish, televised celebration of New Year's Eve in Times Square--and other large and small celebrations worldwide--would do more to reduce energy consumption and protect the environment than simply implementing a few conservation measures. But that's unrealistic at best, and makes anyone who suggests it sound like a crank.
It might be more productive to see this approach as a symbol of a new era of conservation and efficiency, which may allow us all to live more responsibly and more sustainably, without making sacrifices so severe that they almost guarantee we won't be able to follow through on our good intentions.
Happy New Year.
http://environment.about.com
Foto:
http://helluvatown.files.wordpress.com
Giant tuna fetches $177,000 at Japan fish auction
The 513-pound (233-kilogram) fish was the priciest since 2001 when a 440-pound (200 kilogram) tuna sold for a record 20.2 million yen ($220,000) at Tokyo's Tsukiji market.
The gargantuan tuna was bought and shared by the owners of two Japanese sushi restaurants and one Hong Kong-based sushi establishment, said a market representative on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.
Caught off the coast of northern Japan, the big tuna was among 570 put up for auction Tuesday. About 40 percent of the auctioned fish came from abroad, including from Indonesia and Mexico, the representative said.
Japan is the world's biggest consumer of seafood with Japanese eating 80 percent of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught. The two tuna species are the most sought after by sushi lovers.
However, tuna consumption in Japan has declined because of a prolonged economic slump as the world's second-largest economy struggles to shake off its worst recession since World War II.
"Consumers are shying away from eating tuna ... We are very worried about the trend," the market representative said.
Apart from falling demand for tuna, wholesalers are worried about growing calls for tighter fishing rules amid declining tuna stocks.
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in November slashed the quota for the 2010 catch by about one-third to 13,500 tons (12,250 metric tons) — a move criticized by environmentalists as not going far enough.
By SHINO YUASA, Associated Press Writer Shino Yuasa, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jan 5, 6:28 am ET
What is Environtmental Journalism?
To be an environmental journalist, one must have an understanding of scientific language and practice, knowledge of historical environmental events, the ability to keep abreast of environmental policy decisions and the work of environmental organizations, a general understanding of current environmental concerns, and the ability to communicate all of that information to the public in such a way that it can be easily understood, despite its complexity.
Environmental journalism falls within the scope of environmental communication, and its roots can be traced to nature writing. One key controversy in environmental journalism is a continuing disagreement over how to distinguish it from its allied genres and disciplines.
Indonesia At Glance
"Environmental journalists in Indonesia and other developing countries are often quite isolated. They operate with few resources and face enormous pressures from vested interests, from advertisers, even from their own editors. So professional organizations like the SIEJ can provide crucial technical, financial and moral support."
James Fahn, Executive Director Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN)
EJN celebrated Earth Day, 2006 by sponsoring the launch of the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists at a conference at Tangkahan, on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra. The event culminated with the signing of the Tangkahan Declaration, formally creating the Masyarakat Jurnalis Lingkungan Indonesia ("Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists") and establishing its guiding principles. Participating members also elected an executive director: Harry Surjadi, a veteran environmental journalist who previously worked at the newspaper Kompas. Subsequently, in February, 2007, EJN supported an SIEJ workshop on marine and coastal resources that took place in northern Sulawesi, near the Bunaken Marine National Park.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.internews.org
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