Romancing with Nature

Celebrate World Water Day!

2009-03-22T01:29:00.000-07:00

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?sec=central&file=/2009/3/21/central/3509183

Today is WOrld Water Day!..but for the moment, i have no idea to comment on this article. I've sent it later k. sleepy.bye

How Green is Your Life?

2009-03-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Please try this quiz; http://www.blogthings.com/howgreenisyourlifequiz/

It was pretty awesome!

And this is my result;

How Green Is Your Life?

Your Life is 48% Green

Your life is pretty green - and you know a lot about how to live an eco friendly life.
So congratulate yourself for being good to the earth. And maybe think about implementing some of the ideas from this quiz!

Recycle your Cell Phones, PDA or Pager…

2009-03-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

e-Waste

http://www.terracycle.net/media/09-03-04--traveling/09-03-04--traveling.htm.

Even though yesterday I admitted that I’m essentially glued to my cell phone, I’m pretty good about using the phone I have until it’s totally dead. But I’ll have to get a new phone eventually, so what should I do with this one? My friend suggests me to recycle this phone. Then, I asked her, why should I recycle my phone?

There are more than 500 million used cell phones in the U.S. sitting in people's drawers or worse, in our landfills, and another 130 million will be added this year alone! Electronic waste is the most quickly growing waste concern worldwide. The average life span of a cell phone is only eighteen months. On average 130 million cell phones are retired annually in the U.S. alone. Therefore, cell phone recycling is imperative. Nationwide, it is estimated that only 1% of retired cell phones are recycled or reused. The remainder litter closets, drawers, and unfortunately landfills. Cell phone recycling has even become a requirement in some states and counties. California has enacted legislation that requires retailers to accept obsolete and retired wireless phones from consumers at no charge. In addition, New York also has legislation that requires wireless telephone service suppliers to accept obsolete and retired cell phones at no charge to the consumer.

I will suggest a legal body to make legislation on how to manage old discarded cell phones in proper ways. Why I chose that old discarded cell phone to be managed in proper way just like solid and hazardous waste? It is because cell phones have changed the way the world communicates and become such an essential item that in the developed world it’s difficult to find people who don’t own one. Ever-advancing technology has meant that the cell phone has developed from its origin as a bulky phone that looked and felt like a brick, to the modern sleek and almost weightless phone. As a result of this people are upgrading cell phones at a rapid rate. Have you ever stopped to think about what actually happens to your old discarded cell phone?

Cell phone components contain hazardous materials such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic that can contaminate the soil and groundwater. Electronic waste is becoming a serious problem. When you discard your cell phones in the bin they end up in landfills where they are an environmental hazard as discussed in this following website:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/e-waste-nigeria180209.

You can do your bit to help the environment by recycling your cell phone. Cell phone manufacturers, including Nokia and Motorola, as well as cell phone retailers, offer cell phone recycling programmes. Even communities are getting involved by starting cell phone recycling drives.

If they’re in good working order cell phones are donated to those in developing countries, or to poor local communities. Some collection projects resell the phones and donate the money collected to food programs, wildlife preservation projects and other charities. Cell phones that are not working are disassembled. All plastic parts are recycled and used to manufacture other plastic products. Metals that can be reused are transported to developing countries, where the recycled material is used to make a variety of metal products. The components that can’t be reused are smelted, refined and disposed of according to environmental regulations. Cell phone recycling companies accept all makes of phone so when choosing which company to use find out which charities they support and how they are recycling cell phones.

Why I thought that cell phone recycling is a good idea? It is because cell phone recycling prevents contamination of ground water and soil from toxic chemicals in batteries and other cell phone components. By the way, cell phone recycling helps manage waste and means that less space is used at landfills. Furthermore, cell phone recycling means that plastic parts can be recycled and used in other products. The most important thing, cell phone recycling prevents further consumption of non-renewable resources

There’s another key green issue with mobile phones: radiation. And to me, that’s much more worrying. Electromagnetic radiation has the potential to damage or alter living tissue, and it can also affect wildlife, such as addling the natural ability of birds to use the Earth’s magnetic field to guide their migrations. Mobile phones now exist worldwide in such terrifically vast numbers that the effect of radiation is a serious worry…..

If you’re getting a new mobile phone, look for the SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) rating - the lower the better.

So, you have a new cell phone; now what should you do with the old one? The choice is YOURS

Never Take Another PUFF!

2009-03-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Puduraya, bought bus ticket for going back to my hometown, wheezing, sneezing, and short of breath. I will jump on my soapbox and tell you that I HATE smoking and secondhand smoke! I get bad allergies from it, and when I’m around it for more than a few hours, I inevitably get sick. I know smokers reading this hate me now.I have no comprehension why it is still legal to smoke in public. Yes, it’s my own fault for subjecting me to being around smokers, but it’s impossible to stay away completely. Unfortunately, I like sitting outside at Kopitiam on weekend but get bombarded with people smoking all around me. I don’t care if people smoke - as long as it’s done away from me.

Why do smokers get all the rights, and I have to suffer? Why is something that is proven to cause cancer to not only the smoker, but to people that breathing in the secondhand smoke, allowed?

So, what is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke is also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke. It is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke that comes from burning tobacco: side stream smoke: smoke that comes from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar & mainstream smoke: smoke that is exhaled by a smoker When non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke it is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking. Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do.

Why is secondhand smoke a problem?

1) It causes cancer

Secondhand smoke is classified as a "known human carcinogen" (cancer-causing agent) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer.

2) Secondhand smoke causes other kinds of diseases and deaths

Secondhand smoke can cause harm in many ways. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for:

an estimated 35,000 deaths from heart disease in non-smokers who live with smokers
about 3,000 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults
other breathing problems in non-smokers, including coughing, mucus, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function
150,000 to 300,000 lung infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations annually
increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million children who have asthma
more than 750,000 middle ear infections in children
Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke are also at increased risk of having low birth weight babies

3) Secondhand smoke may be linked to breast cancer

An issue that is still being studied is whether secondhand smoke may increase the risk of breast cancer. Both mainstream and secondhand smoke contain about 20 chemicals that, in high concentrations, cause breast cancer in rodents. And we know that in humans, chemicals from tobacco smoke reach breast tissue and are found in breast milk. Any link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer risk in human studies is still being debated. This is partly because breast cancer risk has not been shown to be increased in active smokers. One possible explanation for this is that tobacco smoke may have different effects on breast cancer risk in smokers and in those who are exposed to secondhand smoke.

4) Secondhand smoke kills children and adults who don't smoke, and makes others sick (Surgeon General's report)

The 2006 US Surgeon General's report reached some important conclusions:

Secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and in adults who do not smoke.
Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes breathing (respiratory) symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.
Secondhand smoke immediately affects the heart and blood circulation in a harmful way. Over a longer time it also causes heart disease and lung cancer.
The scientific evidence shows that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces despite a great deal of progress in tobacco contro

5) Effects our personality

Unfortunately, secondhand smoke is also really bad for your skin. I’m sure the occasional puff of smoke I inhale outside at the restaurants (before I get up and flee) is no big deal, but if you work in a smoking environment, or live with a smoker, it’s really going to negatively impact your skin by accelerating wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and sagging. Secondhand smoke can also cause hair loss.

Smoking is beginning to interfere with all aspects of the smoker's life, and every smoker must now ask him or herself the same question, "Is smoking worth it?"

If you do think so, then - i know that u...UNDERSTAND - BUT DON'T CARE

If you don't think so, then - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

For additional reading; http://environment.about.com/b/

Nature's Light Show

2009-03-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

STAR on Tuesday March 10, 2009 reported that ‘Fireflies lose sparkle as mangroves come down’

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/3/10/central/3416102&sec=central

The ecology of the synchronous firefly is dependent on the riverbanks where the leaf litter and fruits is suitable as food for particular species of snail to feed on. The firefly larvae in turn feed on snails with the female firefly laying their eggs in the moist soil. Everyday new fireflies emerge from their pupa stage into adulthood. The adult fireflies will then fly to the display trees beside the river after dusk and synchronise their flashing for mating purpose. After mating, the successful female will fly back to the muddy banks behind the vegetation and lay their eggs and another batch of emerging fireflies will be ready for the next day.

Therefore, suitable conditions are the moist soil, food(snail), display trees (Berembang), land use and the river water quality. The two major components that are relevant to the survival of the fireflies are land use and water quality. The trees can only tolerate very low salinity levels or their growth will be retarded. As land use conditions are primarily determined by development pressure and ultimately by the locals, their motivation and conservation should be established.

The longest mangrove stretch of single firefly species, Pteroptyx tener, is at the Selangor River. Other areas with different synchronous and non-synchronous fireflies, are in the states of Perak (Matang-Kuala Gula, Bernam Bagan Datoh), Penang (Krian), Kedah (Merbok), Johor (Kota Tinggi, Nenasi, Tanjung Piai), Pahang (Rompin, Kuantan), Terengganu (Yakyah River, Kerteh River, Setiu, Penarik), Kelantan (Tumpat, Tok Bali-Pasir Puteh), Sarawak (Bako-Buntal, Oya River), and Sabah (Klias, Kinabatangan).

The Selangor River synchronous fireflies were ‘discovered’ by a Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) member in 1970. In 1971, MNS helped Kampung Kuantan, Selangor, set up firefly watching. Later 30 other boatmen joined in and a corporative saw the introduction of the motorboat in 1996. Unfortunately, the motorboat disturbed the wildlife, including the fireflies. A study carried out found that the Sonneratia caseolaris (Berembang) tree belt was disminishing fast and there was not much young Berembang shoots. Later, the government took over the cooperative and petrol driven motorboats were banned from the river.

The various water supply development activities taking place upstream in Hulu Selangor and in the mid stream at Batang Berjuntai is threatening the fireflies again. The spread of the firefly habitat has already declined due to land clearance, water pollution from nearby industries and other natural factors.

Apart from the fireflies, the riparian forest along the intertidal river is one of the least studied and protected forests. These river corridors are also not protected. There are keystone species in the area e.g bat and the Berembang. The survival of the Berembang is dependent on the bat, which in turn is pollinator for fruit and forest trees. The fireflies are dependent on the Berembang trees along the river. The whole ecosystem will be changed once the bats and trees are lost.

As there is very little firefly research in Malaysia, it is not known as to how many fireflies’ species are in the country. But we do know that the mangroves where the congregating fireflies are located are shrinking.

Some firefly facts : http://www.thaibugs.com/Articles/fireflies.htm

A nature lover necessarily an ecologist?..^-^

p/s: An ecologist, is someone with a small resource consumption and a small waste production.He/she is not necessarily a nature lover : a person living in a small flat, buying only what is strictly necessary, never flying, never driving, and eating little meat is much more of an ecologist that a nature lover going from a raid in Alaska to another one in the Sahara.

The Days After the Tsunami

2009-03-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tsunami 2004
location: Phuket, Thailand

http://www.acehtsunami.com/

Nearly a month after the killer tsunami struck South and Southest Asia, the impact of the disaster is still unfolding. While the numbers of dead and injured can be counted, the damage to ecosystem cannot be measured. Salinisation has left its imprint everywhere. Vast tracts of green fields have turned brown due to the invasion of salty ocean waters. Salt water and silt have smothered rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wells, making the water undrinkable. Cross contamination from sewage has entered water supply. Human and animal corpses along with dead vegetation may have caused biological contamination along with sewage. Oil and chemical spills are adding to the water pollution. Beaches have been washed away or filled with litter.

Now, after almost 5 years, the impacts are still there.

There is growing consensus among scientist and environmentalists that mangroves can play a protective role during tsunamis. Wherever mangrove forests have been degraded for the purpose of tourism, shrimp farming, and industrial developments, the impact of tsunami has been worse. On the other hand, wherever they were preserved, as in some regions of Tamil Nadu, India, the damage was lesser. Indeed, it stands to reason that mangroves and coral reefs act like natural breakwaters that break the impact of incoming waves. In recent years, there has been uncontrolled proliferation of hotels and commercial activities along coastal areas, but nature has once again shown who is in charge.

I'm not a marine biologist. Historically, tsunamis have impacted sea life. How many fish were washed ashore on December 26th? And how many reefs were damaged? Where literally millions of fish may have died, and where the habitats of the fish nearer the coast have almost certainly been affected? Consider Coral reefs may take years to recover from tsunamis - and therefore, so may the fish. What will the poor fisherman, who has had his boat wrecked and has lost income over the last few days, catch in the next few months?

Apart from that, the effect on sea life and the associated ecosystems could well be massive. As the tsunami approaches land, it gains height even as it slows down. This would affect sea life within 1 kilometer of land, and perhaps even more depending on the depth of the tsunami in the open sea. Deeper in the ocean, in the region of the earthquake, many things could have happened. Deformation of the sea floor is almost assured with an earthquake of this strength. Because we do not know, it is time for us to start trying to find out. Maybe somewhere, there's a group of people working on this.

We've heard much about the missing tourists; the people who not only lost their lives or were otherwise victims of this mortal event. The South-East Asian coastal areas have had eco-tourism in the form of diving and resorts where people came from all over the world to visit reefs, and fish. While the impact on the eco-tourism attractions such as reefs and fishing have yet to be determined in a concrete way, it's apparent that they have been affected.

It is hoped that the tsunami will spur the world’s governments to look closely into the long-term impact of human activities on the environment. Mindless commercialization and industrializations would only take us down the path of disaster. While natural phenomena such as tsunamis cannot be prevented, we can prepare ourselves to mitigate the impact and we certainly need a proper management system in place to swiftly take charge of handling that.

Most importantly, this is a time for assessment of the impact on ocean life, and on mankind. It's also time to consider how mankind impacts the ocean and how to minimize negative impact in such a fragile environment. The tsunami, reminds us all how fragile we are but it should also remind us of the fragility of life on our planet.

I think;
His Wrath met the sinners and corrupters

I think;
His Destruction was a great trial for the believers

But I am sure;
His Miracles showed signs and wonders..

Can we make sure that this calm waves still forever?

location : East Malaysia

Water Management - Learn from the Dutch

2009-03-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.waterland.net/index.cfm/site/Water%20in%20the%20Netherlands/pageid/CDA23B7F-A1DC-4611-1137C7EDC4985A1C/index.cfm/dutch%20water%20sector

When it comes to hydraulic engineering and water resource management, few can match the Dutch. Not surprising, because the Dutch has been living below sea level for centuries and the threat of being flooded by water is perpetual. In the land of Rembrant, windmills and tulips, engineers have been constantly engaged in the search for solutions to keep the population safe from invading waters. Towards that effort, hundreds of kilometers of dikes have been built, barrages have been constructed and innovation technologies put into operation.

The Dutch also learn many lessons from nature, which has contributed to their depth of experience. For instance, they have learnt that human interventions such as building higher dikes, installing stronger pumping engines and continuous draining of wetlands are no longer a sustainable or sensible solution. The sea always comes back stronger than before.

Instead, various public and private organizations have begun to apply concepts such as ‘living rivers’, ‘water as guiding principle’, ‘dynamic coastal management’, and ‘building with nature’. These approaches acknowledge the benefits of the natural processes of ecosystem and human societies. Water must be given more, rather than less space. It must be allowed to spread. The practice of reclaiming land from the sea has long-term consequences, which the Dutch has discovered. Co-existence rather than containment is now the catchword, as the realization has set in that it is far better to give up land for greater public safety.

Within the Netherlands, water management is actively pursued by the government ministries, regional and local administration, as well as water supply companies. Coordinating the efforts of the public and private sector is the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) which aims to strengthen the Dutch contribution towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals and tackling worldwide water problems. NWP is helping to create a synergy within Dutch sector.

Also, the country has develop a unique and coherent knowledge knowledge infrastructure comprising prominent government and private research centers, technological and educational institutes (such as Alterra, UNESCO-IHE,ITC) and many universities. Both basic and applied research are carried out by these institutes in a broad range of water-related fields such as hydraulic engineering, flood management, sanitation and water treatment. These institutes have also formed close alliances with international companies. In fact, a lot of Dutch research is internationally oriented and the institutes have assiduously built up large networks whereby knowledge is shared and developed.

Coming to the field of water treatment, Netherland’s potable water quality is already one of the finest in the world. Drinking water is generally supplied without chlorine or any disinfectant, which greatly enhances the costumer’s perception of quality. Further, the water is free from organic micro-elements, nitrates etc. Adherence to the European Water Framework Directive is the topmost priority for all concerned parties.

The same directive is pushing a majority of sewage treatment plants in Netherlands to include fourth stage of treatment before 2026. This could be sand filtration, membrance bioreactors or active carbon.In institutional capacity building also, the Dutch have accumulated considerable experience and expertise within the water sector. Educational institutes such as UNESCO-IHE have been offering courses to international students for several decades, leading to the formations of network of professionals in the field of water Management who go back to work on projects in their home countries. The expression ‘going Dutch’ might soon signify ‘sharing of knowledge’.

We have plenty water resource in Malaysia

location: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

get set go!

2009-03-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

Salam~

First of all, welcome to all readers!

This is my official blog dedicated to my lecturer, Dr Amran and all my colleagues in KKA5101 as well as all readers come from various backgrounds and interests.

I created this blog a long time ago, but haven't got any brilliant idea to put inside and somehow ended reading other blogs. Haha, silly me! But for the sake of determination and for the assessment marks,hehe. So here goes another try..:P

'Romancing With Nature' I don't have any cool name for this blog..so ini boley la kan? Don't ever misunderstood the meaning okay..Here's brief explanation to get out you all from the confusions.

I have made this distinct attempt to invoke the romantic view of nature. That is enjoying Nature will surely make us all the best defenders of it even if we lack the scientific bent of mind. Despite, all human descriptions of nature contain the seeds of two different, but not incompatible views – the romantic and the scientific. Both of which have their adherents. In all likelihood the romanticists came first. Art and artist imitated Nature, the poets, the songwriters as well as the musicians sang it praise. Yes, of course, he (the singers,songwriters,poets) took from Nature, what he needed – the fish in the streams, the deer in the forests, and the flowers from the meadows. Nature provided him his needs but just as important, and we often forget this, it nourished his innermost thoughts and feelings and made him wholesome in a profoundly human way.

Apart from that, everyone, no matter what age, should learn to relax and enjoy the gifts of nature. In Malaysia itself, the rivers in the forests are beauty personified and today, many rivers are designated as recreational sites. Then take our National Parks. The rain forests in the park are believed to be 130mil years old with a diversity of flora and fauna. And there is more yet– our caves, fireflies, turtles, mountains, etc. So go on then..Be a romantic. Better still, romance with Nature. It will make this earth a better place.

For Nature is the greatest of all reminders of the Creator and creativity inherent within our soul.

RAWKS.~

Synergising with Nature

location: University in the Garden, Pearl Island