Robber fly - Nature photographer Thomas Shahan specializes in amazing portraits of tiny insects. It isn't easy. Shahan says that this Robber Fly (Holcocephala fusca), for instance, is "skittish" and doesn't like its picture taken.

Nature by Numbers (Video)

"The Greater Akashic System" – July 15, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) (Subjects: Lightworkers, Intent, To meet God, Past lives, Universe/Galaxy, Earth, Pleiadians, Souls Reincarnate, Invention: Measure Quantum state in 3D, Recalibrates, Multi-Dimensional/Divine, Akashic System to change to new system, Before religion changed the system, DNA, Old system react to Karma, New system react to intent now for next life, Animals (around humans) reincarnate again, This Animal want to come back to the same human, Akashic Inheritance, Reincarnate as Family, Other Planets, Global Unity … etc.)

Question: Dear Kryon: I live in Spain. I am sorry if I will ask you a question you might have already answered, but the translations of your books are very slow and I might not have gathered all information you have already given. I am quite concerned about abandoned animals. It seems that many people buy animals for their children and as soon as they grow, they set them out somewhere. Recently I had the occasion to see a small kitten in the middle of the street. I did not immediately react, since I could have stopped and taken it, without getting out of the car. So, I went on and at the first occasion I could turn, I went back to see if I could take the kitten, but it was to late, somebody had already killed it. This happened some month ago, but I still feel very sorry for that kitten. I just would like to know, what kind of entity are these animals and how does this fit in our world. Are these entities which choose this kind of life, like we do choose our kind of Human life? I see so many abandoned animals and every time I see one, my heart aches... I would like to know more about them.

Answer: Dear one, indeed the answer has been given, but let us give it again so you all understand. Animals are here on earth for three (3) reasons.

(1) The balance of biological life. . . the circle of energy that is needed for you to exist in what you call "nature."

(2) To be harvested. Yes, it's true. Many exist for your sustenance, and this is appropriate. It is a harmony between Human and animal, and always has. Remember the buffalo that willingly came into the indigenous tribes to be sacrificed when called? These are stories that you should examine again. The inappropriateness of today's culture is how these precious creatures are treated. Did you know that if there was an honoring ceremony at their death, they would nourish you better? Did you know that there is ceremony that could benefit all of humanity in this way. Perhaps it's time you saw it.

(3) To be loved and to love. For many cultures, animals serve as surrogate children, loved and taken care of. It gives Humans a chance to show compassion when they need it, and to have unconditional love when they need it. This is extremely important to many, and provides balance and centering for many.

Do animals know all this? At a basic level, they do. Not in the way you "know," but in a cellular awareness they understand that they are here in service to planet earth. If you honor them in all three instances, then balance will be the result. Your feelings about their treatment is important. Temper your reactions with the spiritual logic of their appropriateness and their service to humanity. Honor them in all three cases.

Dian Fossey's birthday celebrated with a Google doodle

Dian Fossey's birthday celebrated with a Google doodle
American zoologist played by Sigourney Weaver in the film Gorillas in the Mist would have been 82 on Thursday (16 January 2014)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

PT Indocement gets "Indonesia Green Awards 2011"

Antara News, Thu, September 29 2011 

Related News

Citeureup, Bogor, West Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan has rewarded "Indonesia Green Awards 2011" to PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk for its participation in environmental improvement.

"The award is granted on Wednesday by Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan in Bali Room of Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Jakarta, and received by PT Indocement`s Human Resources Director Kuky Permana," company spokesman Sahat Panggabean said here on Thursday.

He said the Indonesia Green Awards 2011 was by Bisnis&CSR Magazine and supported by the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia and La Tofi School of CSR.

"The `earth inspiration award` is granted to numbers of company and individual that strongly inspired to the public in environmental issues," he said.

According to him, PT Indocement was granted an award for its initiative to use alternative fuels in cement production process and reduce dust emission based on the national standard, as well as planting and cultivating Jatropha Curcas on ex-quarry that associated with the Corporate Social Responsibility Program (CSR).

Panggabean said PT Indocement Tunggal Prakasa Tbk was the first cement sector project for reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Prototype Carbon Fund, which would obtain three million tons of emission reductions from the project.

He added that Indocement consists of two Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects.

The first reduces the quantity of energy-intensive clinker in blended cement and the second increases the use of alternative fuels, such as rice husk, coconut waste, car tires and waste oils in the cement making process.

The Indocement projects produce environmentally friendly, high-quality cement and provide an alternative solution to Indonesia`s waste disposal problems while creating employment opportunities in an alternative fuel supply chain.

He said the total greenhouse gas emission cuts over the ten year crediting period is estimated to be in the range of 10 to 12 million tons.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

SBY Vows to Protect Indonesia’s Rainforests

Jakarta Globe, September 27, 2011

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivering his opening address at
 the Forests Indonesia Conference in Jakarta on Tuesday. Yudhoyono
 promised to dedicate the last three years of his administration to
 safeguarding Indonesia’s rainforests — a pledge that received broad support at
a major conference in Jakarta. (AFP Photo) 
    
Related articles

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised on Tuesday to dedicate the last three years of his administration to safeguarding Indonesia’s rainforests — a pledge that received broad support at a major conference in Jakarta.

Hosted by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the conference provided a platform for 1,000 leaders of Indonesia’s government, business community and civil society, as well as foreign donors, to discuss the future of the forests, the third-largest tropical forest in the world.

“I will continue my work and dedicate the last three years of my term as President to deliver enduring results that will sustain and enhance the environment and forests of Indonesia,” Yudhoyono said at the conference. “If it weren’t for the benefits that our forests provide, then our way of life, our people, our economy, our environment and our society would be so much the poorer.

“Our success in managing our forests will determine our future and the opportunities that will be available to our children.”

A CIFOR news release says Indonesia is losing about 1.1 million hectares of its forests each year. Most of it is due to unsustainable logging that includes the conversion of forests to plantations for palm oil and the pulp and paper industry. It is also partly due to large-scale illegal logging, which is estimated to cost Indonesia about $4 billion annually.

“We must change the way we treat our forests so that they are conserved even as we drive hard to accelerate our economic growth,” Yudhoyono said. “I do not want to later explain to my granddaughter, Almira that we, in our time, could not save the forests and the people that depend on it. I do not want to tell her the sad news that tigers, rhinoceroses and orangutans vanished like the dinosaurs.”

In his speech, the president reiterated a 2009 pledge to cut Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions by up to 41 percent from business-as-usual levels by 2020 — a vow only achievable if the forests are safeguarded.

Globally, deforestation accounts for up to 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. In Indonesia, however that figure is up to 85 percent, Yudhoyono said. This makes the country one of the highest emitters in the world.

Norway has committed up to $1 billion to help Indonesia meet its emissions reduction target, and in May this year the Indonesian government issued a two-year moratorium on new forestry concessions.

“Norway is proud of the partnership with Indonesia,” Erik Solheim, Norway’s minister for the environment and international development, said at the conference.

“We strongly encourage other countries to support the work that President Yudhoyono and the government of Indonesia is doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Yudhoyono is now one of the foremost statesmen leading the international fight to combat climate change.”

It is predicted that up to $30 billion could flow from developed to developing countries each year to help facilitate significant reductions in deforestation, and Indonesia could potentially claim a significant share of these funds through REDD+, a global mechanism for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, as well as the conservation and sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Indonesia is one of the countries with the most REDD+ demonstration activities in various stages of development, and Indonesia has been an early participant in various bilateral and multilateral initiatives to prepare for REDD+ implementation at the national level.

In addition to potential funding opportunities through REDD+ in coming years, Indonesia has a range of options available to reduce the pace of deforestation, while at the same time expanding agricultural production to guarantee food security targets and promote economic growth.

This includes focusing future agricultural development on so-called degraded land, rather than clearing rainforest to make way for plantations or developing carbon-rich peatland. The government could also support a push for agricultural intensification – increasing yields per hectare, which are currently relatively low.

“While there are some ‘win-win’ opportunities to reconcile forest management to meet both global and domestic objectives, there will also be some trade-offs that will require leadership from government, business, and civil society to determine the best way forward for Indonesia in a manner that is transparent and fair,” said Frances Seymour, CIFOR director general.

As part of his push to safeguard the forests, Yudhoyono called on Indonesia’s captains of industry to adopt more sustainable forests management practices.

“I call upon our business leaders, particularly those in the palm oil, pulp wood and mining sectors, to partner with us by enhancing the environmental sustainability of their operations,” he said. “I ask you to join me in pledging to safeguard this national treasure for the sake of our children.”

The President’s pledge received widespread support from conference attendees.

“I am pleased to be here at the Forests Indonesia Conference because the UK recognizes the importance of climate change in Indonesia. We are pleased to be supporting the government of Indonesia’s work to meet its internationals climate change commitments,” said Jim Paice, UK Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Thousands of residents near Mt. Anak Ranaka evacuated

The Jakarta Post, Mon, 09/26/2011

Thousands of residents living around Mount Anak Ranaka, Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara, have been evacuated as the volcano is expected to erupt within the next two days.

Mount Anak Ranaka
“We were forced to leave our homes and find a safer place,” Sita village head Yusup Anggas said on Monday as quoted by Kompas.com.

He said more than 1,500 residents had been living in tents on Golomengko soccer field since early September.   

The Bandung Volcanic and Geological Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has raised the alert status of Mt. Anak Ranaka due to an increasing number of deep and shallow volcanic earthquakes since June 2011. As of today, 24 deep volcanic earthquakes and 10 shallow volcanic earthquakes have been recorded.

Mt. Anak Ranaka last erupted on Jan.11, 1988, spewing ash 8,000 meters high that blanketed Wae Reno and Wae Teko to the north of the volcano.            

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Threat Level at Lapindo Mudlow Site Increases

Jakarta Globe, Arientha Primanita & Antara, September 22, 2011

Related articles

Authorities in East Java have raised the alert level for the mudflow spewing from an underground volcano in Sidoarjo after nearby dikes nearly failed.

The mudflow has destroyed hundreds of homes, swamped 720 hectares of land and displaced more than 11,000 people since it began erupting in late May 2006.

“The situation is alarming,” said Achmad Khusaeri, a spokesman for the Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS), adding that the underground volcano had begun to erupt again after lying virtually dormant for years.

The mudflow had fallen from an average of 100,000 cubic meters per day in 2009 to 13,000 cubic meters per day last year.

Achmad said the authorities had added another meter to the height of the dikes as well as reinforcing them with rocks held together by chicken wire. BPLS officers are also monitoring the dikes 24 hours a day.

Dwi Arisanto, an official at state railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia, said tracks along the disaster-hit area were being reinforced.

“We are also limiting train speeds to no more than 20 kilometers per hour,” he said.

East Java Governor Sukarwo said the surge was happening in eastern Sidoarjo, while in the west the mudflow had receded.

The provincial government, he said, was channeling the surging mud to the area’s less-populated south.

Sukarwo added that rain could also worsen the surging mudflow and cause the dikes to weaken.

The governor visited the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, urging the central government to push Minarak Lapindo Jaya, the holding company of the gas drilling operation that is widely blamed for the mudflow, to expedite its compensation scheme.

Under the scheme, residential land was valued at Rp 1 million ($113) per square meter, while farmland was valued at Rp 120,000 per square meter. However, Sukarwo said Lapindo had only paid compensation for 72 percent of the inundated lands, adding that he urged the company to pay for at least 80 percent by the end of the year.

“I will let the president, vice president and the ministers push for the compensation and I will try to calm down the people,” the governor said.

Sukarwo said Lapindo should disburse all of its compensation by April next year. Three villages are now completely submerged by the mudflow.

Separately, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was expanding the area deemed to be devastated by the disaster.

The minister said that on Monday, there would be nine neighborhoods that would be added to the compensation scheme, costing an additional Rp 1 trillion to Rp 2 trillion.



Lapindo Told to Shell Out For Mudflow Before Drilling Again



Satellite picture received from Ikonos Satellite Image on May 29, 2008 shows the mud volcano and its surrounding area in Sidoarjo, East Java. (AFP/Ikonos Satellite Image)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Farmers Celebrate at Plantation Law Court Victory

Jakarta Globe, Ulma Haryanto, September 20, 2011

Related articles

The Constitutional Court approved on Monday a request to drop two articles in the 2004 Law on Plantations deemed potentially discriminatory against indigenous farmers in land disputes.

The request was originally filed by four farmers from West Kalimantan, East Java and North Sumatra.

Each farmer had received jail terms of between six months and a year under Article 21 of the 2004 law for protest actions they took to reclaim ancestral lands.

The article prohibits any efforts to damage plantations or other assets, any use of plantation land without permission and any other action that disturbs plantation businesses.

The punishment for violating the law is a maximum jail term of five years and a fine of up to Rp 5 billion ($565,000).

The plaintiffs were Sakri, a 41-year-old farmer from Blitar, East Java; Japin, 39, and Vitalis Andi, 30, from Ketapang, West Kalimantan; and Ngatimin, 49, from Serdang Bedagai, North Sumatra.

Chief Justice Mahfud M.D. ruled that the two articles were unconstitutional and no longer binding. He said land conflicts between indigenous farmers and non-indigenous populations should be settled through the civil court system or by mediation.

Wahyu Wagiman from the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam), who represented the plaintiffs, welcomed the ruling as a relief to more than 600 traditional communities in the country that were threatened by the law.

“Our next step is to spread the word as wide as possible and to find a way to release farmers currently charged under Articles 21 and 47, including Japin, Vitalis and Ngatimin,” Wahyu said.

Japin and Vitalis each served 10 months in jail for “displacing” an excavator that was about to be used to clear land they were contesting in 2009.

The pair filed an appeal in March. Ngatimin was sentenced to one year in jail for planting trees in a disputed area in an effort to reclaim it in 2007.

“The ruling can be presented as new evidence at the Supreme Court, which is now reviewing their cases,” Wahyu said.

Sakri already served six months of probation in 2008 for forcefully trying to reclaim land.

The judges agreed the law had ignored the historical context of land ownership in Indonesia.

“The wide variety of land disputes should be solved thoroughly by involving NGOs and academics, and this is not reflected by Article 21,” Judge Achmad Sodiki told the court.

The law was widely criticized when it was passed for failing to protect the interests of small-scale farmers and indigenous communities and for giving big business too much power.


Related Article:


Sumatran Tribe Say Lands Stolen for Palm Oil

Jakarta Globe, Fidelis E. Satriastanti & Camelia Pasandaran, September 19, 2011

Related articles


The Wilmar Group, one of Asia’s largest agribusiness companies, claims to lift people out of poverty and respect indigenous peoples’ land rights.

But protesters from the Anak Dalam Sungai Beruang tribe from Jambi in Sumatra demonstrating outside the state palace in Jakarta on Monday said a Wilmar Group subsidiary, Asiatic Persada, had forced them off their ancestral homelands.

Roni, the head of Sungai Beruang village in Muaro Jambi, said the villagers had come to Jakarta because local officials were ignoring their plight.

“We are here in Jakarta to seek an explanation from the government, because we haven’t heard anything from the district or provincial administrations,” he said.

“We want due legal process for the unlawful eviction that we have experienced. We will also visit the BPN [National Land Agency] to clarify just where the borders of our lands lie, because the current boundaries are a mess.”

Roni said tensions between the tribe and AP began on Aug. 10 when men claiming to be agents of the firm came into their village and began forcibly evicting them.

“We don’t know why they did that,” he said. “But some time before it happened, there were reports that outsiders had been camping on the periphery of the existing plantation and stealing the oil palm fruit. We explained to the company that none of us were involved in that, but they didn’t respond.”

He added that three hamlets in the village, housing a total of 82 families, were evicted.

“We’ve been living there since 1920, and the company only came in 1986. We were there first, yet our ancestors’ graves now fall within their concession,” Roni said, adding that the Anak Dalam Sungai Beruang’s entire 5,100 hectares of ancestral land had been given over to palm oil companies.

AP dismissed the protesters’ claims as baseless.

Syafei, a company spokesman, said the group rallying in Jakarta was laying claim to land to which it had no right.

“The company only [recognizes] the land of the Anak Dalam people who were genuinely there before AP received its land use certificate,” he said. “The ones demonstrating now are newcomers.”

He added that the Jambi administration was setting up a team to resolve the dispute, involving local officials as well as representatives from the company and the tribe.

Master Parulian Tumanggor, the Wilmar Group commissioner, denied that AP expropriated the tribe’s land, adding that the dispute had already been settled.


Related Article:


Monday, September 19, 2011

Farmers Flee as World’s Deadliest Volcano Rumbles

Jakarta Globe, September 19, 2011


In this Oct. 19, 2010 aerial photo, Mount Tambora's 10 kilometers (more
than  7 miles) wide and 1 kilometer (half a mile) deep volcanic crater,
 created by the April 1815 eruption, is shown. Bold farmers routinely
 ignore orders to evacuate the slopes of live volcanos in Indonesia, but
 those on Tambora took no chances when history's deadliest mountain
 rumbled ominously this month, Sept., 2011.
(AP Photo/KOMPAS
Images, Iwan Setiyawan)


Related articles


Mount Tambora, Indonesia. Bold farmers in Indonesia routinely ignore orders to evacuate the slopes of live volcanoes. But those living on Tambora have taken no chances since history’s deadliest mountain rumbled ominously to life this month.

Authorities raised a volcano alert at Tambora about two weeks ago, but even when they announced the all-clear, many villagers have refused to return home until days later.

Many of the villagers have been told since their childhood about how the mountain they call home once blew apart in the largest eruption ever recorded — an event that has been widely forgotten outside their region.

The 1815 blast killed 90,000 people, blackened the skies around the globe and was 10 times stronger than the Krakatoa eruption of 1883.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Nestle Buys Palm Oil Promises of  Sinar Mas

Jakarta Globe, Faisal Maliki Baskoro, September 16, 2011

A number of companies stopped purchasing palm oil from Sinar Mas
after allegations by Greenpeace of rainforest destruction. 
(JG Photo/Safir Makki)  


Related articles

Swiss food giant Nestle will resume purchases of palm oil from Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology following an 18-month halt after Smart made improvements to abide by Nestle’s guidelines for responsible environmental practices.

The parent company of the palm oil producer known as Smart, Golden Agri Resources, has been working with environmental group The Forest Trust on the implementation of a Forest Conservation Policy. The plan would ensure that GAR has no deforestation footprint and also seeks sustainable growth.

Based on results of TFT assessments and GAR’s work in progress, “we have decided to place an order with Golden Agri for our factory in Indonesia,” Nestle Indonesia’s spokesman Brata T. Hardjosubroto said in a statement on Friday.

He said that Smart, Indonesia’s second-biggest listed plantation operator, and GAR had been making continuous progress and demonstrated clear action to meet Nestle’s responsible sourcing guidelines.

Brata lauded GAR’s new conservation policy, but he said that purchasing palm oil would remain conditional on GAR and Smart’s commitment to sustainable rainforest development.

The spokesman added that a segregated supply chain has been established, ensuring traceability of shipments from GAR plantations to the Nestle factory in Indonesia. The full traceability of this supply chain has been checked by an independent third-party auditing body, the TUV Rheinland Group.

Smart president director Daud Dharsono confirmed that Nestle has placed an order to resume palm oil purchases.

“We welcome Nestle’s decision, which is an acknowledgement of our sustainability efforts,” he said.

“This represents an important milestone in our journey toward the continuous production of sustainable palm oil.”

Nestle, which started construction on its $200 million factory in West Java on Monday, had dropped Smart as a supplier in March 2010. The company reinforced its commitment to sustainable rainforests by stating in July that it was committed to stop using products that contributed to the destruction of rainforests, and entered a partnership with TFT.

The decision came following campaigns by Greenpeace highlighting Nestle’s purchase of crude palm oil from Sinar Mas Group, which Greenpeace accuses of destruction of rainforests and peatlands to make way for new plantations.

Smart said in its statement that it began complying with Nestle’s standards in late 2010, when GAR developed a joint action plan with TFT to help GAR ensure that palm oil delivered to Nestle would meet all requirements according to the guideline.

“We believe the FCP is a strong platform in which all stakeholders can collaborate to find solutions for sustainable palm oil,” Daud said.

Bustar Maitar, the head of Greenpeace Indonesia’s forests campaign, said that Greenpeace would give Smart a chance to show whether it would carry out its stated FCP commitment.

“This is a test of how serious GAR and Smart are in implementing the FCP. We will wait and see,” Bustar said.

Other companies that had stopped purchasing from Smart include Burger King, Unilever, and Kraft.

These companies had yet to announce whether they would resume purchases, but Bustar said he expected that the other companies would follow suit.

“The other buyers would monitor GAR’s and Smart’s commitment to the FCP before deciding on resuming purchases. If GAR can meet its commitment, the others will likely join Nestle,” he said.

Smart’s shares rose 2.3 percent to Rp 6,650 on the Indonesia Stock Exchange on Friday.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Evacuation Plans Prepped as Mount Tambora Alert Level Is Raised

Jakarta Globe, Fitri R. & Antara | September 11, 2011

Related articles

Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara. Provincial authorities raised the alert level of Mount Tambora to the second-highest available as observers noted an increase of volcanic activity in the volatile mountain.

“On August 30, we recorded seven volcanic earthquakes and since Sept. 8 the frequency of the quakes rose substantially, to between 12 and 16 per day,” Husnuddin, head of the West Nusa Tenggara Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday.

The BPBD chief said a team of observers had been immediately deployed to Mount Tambora.

The volcano, which was the site of the world’s deadliest eruption on record, showed no apparent visual signs of any upcoming eruption, but data collected on mechanical instruments gave cause for concern.

“We still hope Mount Tambora’s alert level will not increase further. We hope we can lower the status of the volcano. Let us all pray everything will return to normal,” Husnuddin said.

Abdul Haris from the Mount Tambora observatory station said the heightened alert status meant an eight-kilometer exclusion zone was being imposed.

“We fear there will be toxic gas as a direct result of the increased activity,” he said.

Husnuddin said the BPBD swiftly met with leaders of the three districts surrounding the volcano — Dompu, Bima and Sumbawa.

The agency also held talks with the leadership of Pekat and Tambora, two Dompu subdistricts near Tambora’s crater, to discuss possible evacuation plans if the alert status reaches the highest level. The agency also had identified locations for possible shelters to house people living around the volcano.

There are four villages in the two subdistricts that are about eight kilometers from the crater.

The BPBD requested several organizations be on stand-by, including the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the country’s Armed Forces, which have already deployed officials to several response stations in the two subdistricts.

Two main evacuation routes for people in the four villages have also been identified.

The volcano’s April 10, 1815, eruption killed more than 90,000 people, including some who died from famine and disease in the aftermath of the event. It is estimated to have had a Volcanic Explosivity Index value of seven, the only such explosion since the Hatepe eruption in New Zealand in the year 180, and only the fifth in human history.

Classified as a “supercolossal event,” Tambora’s 1815 eruption ejected immense amounts of volcanic dust into the upper atmosphere, significantly impacting the global climate for many years afterward. In Indonesia, the volcano’s roar could be heard more than 800 miles away.

Meanwhile, in North Sulawesi, Mount Lokon continued to be a concern, two months after it first erupted. Ferry, an observer at the Lokon volcano observation station said that from midnight to 6 a.m. on Sunday, Lokon erupted seven times, sending debris up to 350 meters from the edge of the crater.

The observation post also recorded one tectonic quake and two volcanic quakes on Sunday morning. On Saturday, observers recorded more than 20 volcanic quakes.

“The activity of Mount Lokon is still not yet back to normal,” Ferry said, adding that people there were still being warned against returning home.


Thursday, September 8, 2011

Freeport familiarizing Jayapura schoolers with environmental awareness

Antara News, Thu, September 8 2011

Related News

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - PT Freeport Indonesia in cooperation with the Jayapura City administration is conducting a program to familiarize local primary and secondary school students with environment-related subjects under the theme "Towards Environmentally Aware Schools."

The head of the PT Freeport Indonesia representative office, Anthon Raharusun, said here Wednesday the program was a manifestation of the company`s constant attention to the environment and part of its efforts to work in partnership with local stakeholders.

"We have been doing a lot of cooperation with various parties as well as local administrations and private sectors, not only in Papua but also throughout Indonesia, especially in terms of environmental problems. Because PT Freeport Indonesia is concerned about the environment," he said.

He also hoped the cooperation with the Jayapura city administration can be done continuously in the future, not just familiarization for schools but also for regional task force units.

"All parties who wish to conserve the environment can cooperate with Freeport," he said.

The supervisor for environmental awareness and education of PT Freeport, Jimmy Rumainum, said the environmental awareness familiarization program for primary and junior high school students was also aimed at creating an environment-based school (locally named Adiwiyata).

"The activity itself in Jayapura city is still in its early stage but in Mimika district and several other areas in Papua it was in an advanced stage. In fact, in Mimika there is already an Adiwiyata school," he said.

Meanwhile, the vice mayor of Jayapura city, Nur Alam, on behalf of the city administration welcomed the concept of cooperation and initiatives offered by PT Freeport Indonesia.

Moreover, the administration has outlined the Five-Year Development Program (2011-2016) of Jayapura City, among others, the Clean and Beautiful City, and Lighting the City in the night.

"Many things can be supported by PT Freeport as a world class company. We hope the activities that give positive values ​​such as this can become a sustainable program," he said.

The Freeport program is highly synergistic with Jayapura city administration`s work program, so it can join hands to save the environment in Jayapura city area," he added.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Tens of houses in Dairi damaged by Aceh quake

Antara News, Tue, September 6 2011

Related News

Medan, North Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The magnitude-6.7 earthquake that shook Aceh Province in the wee hours of Tuesday, also damaged tens of houses in Berampu and Lae Parira sub districts, Dairi District, North Sumatra Province.

"The number of damaged houses is more than 20, " Rewin Silaban of the Dairi administration said here on Tuesday.

Dairi authorities will send personnel to the affected locations to asses the damages.

"We are now ready to make a field visit," he said.

A Catholic church in Lae Parira was also damaged in the natural disaster.

The earthquake, which occurred on Tuesday at 00.55 am local time, did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.

The quake`s epicenter was located at 2.81 degrees northern latitude, and 97.85 degrees eastern longitude, and 59 km northeast of Singkilbaru, Aceh Province, as well as around 78 km southwest of Kabanjahe, North Sumatra.

The earthquake was also felt by residents of Kutacane (Southeast Aceh), Tapaktuan (South Aceh), Sabululssalam, Banda Aceh (Aceh Province), Kabanjahe, Medan, and Balige (North Sumatra).

The temblor killed a child and damaged more than ten schools and community health centers in Subulssalam town, Aceh Province.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Jambi reports caterpillar problems again

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Tue, 09/06/2011

Caterpillars have again emerged in Jambi, this time troubling around 30 houses in Talang Banjar village in East Jambi.

Hundreds of caterpillars were sighted on trees and plants around each house, tribunnews.com reported Tuesday.

Jambi Agriculture Agency official Izhar said the caterpillars belonged to the Lymantriidae family, meaning they are the larval stage of moths.

Izhar added that the proliferation of the caterpillars may have been triggered by weather in Jambi, which has been humid with high temperatures recently.

“The increasing number of caterpillars may have been influenced by the weather,” he said.

Earlier this year, large numbers of caterpillars were reported in several provinces, including Jambi.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Tambora’s Rising Volcanic Activity Causes Few Concerns

Jakarta Globe, Fitri R., September 02, 2011

Related articles

Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara. Residents who have spent most of their lives living on the slopes of Indonesia’s infamous Mount Tambora volcano are unfazed by the rumblings they are increasingly feeling from underneath the earth and warnings from the authorities.

The status of Tambora, responsible for by far the deadliest eruption in human history, was raised at 11 a.m. on Tuesday to the second-highest alert status. Located on Sumbawa island just east of Lombok, the volcano first starting showing signs of awakening in April. In early August, it spewed thick, white smoke 20 meters into the sky.

Despite the activity, residents said they were not worried, according to Syaifullah, the head of the Pekat subdistrict, which lies on the mountain’s slope.

“The hundreds of families in the villages and hamlets that lay between five to 10 kilometers from the peak have not shown any panic and continue to conduct their daily activity as usual,” Syaifullah said.

Authorities have not ordered any evacuations and have only warned residents to be on alert. Two villages, Pancasila and Doro Peti, are situated within five kilometers of Tambora’s peak.

The volcano’s April 10, 1815, eruption killed more than 90,000 people, including those who died in the aftermath of the event from famine and disease. It is estimated to have had a Volcanic Explosivity Index value of 7, the only such explosion since the Hatepe eruption in New Zealand in 180 AD and only the fifth in human history.

Classified as a “supercolossal event,” Tambora’s 1815 eruption ejected immense amounts of volcanic dust into the upper atmosphere, significantly impacting the global climate for many years afterward. In Indonesia, the volcano’s roar could be heard more than 800 miles away.

Dust and sulfur emitted by the volcano are thought to be the cause of the “Year Without a Summer” in Europe and the Americas in 1816, which caused massive crop failures and widespread famine.

There is a possibility that an explosion of the same scale could happen again. Despite the magnitude of the 1815 event, though, residents have some cause for optimism. The volcano has erupted three times since 1815, but none of those events achieved a VEI value of more than 2.

The province is planning a bicentenary commemoration in 2015 of the eruption of the volcano. Infrastructure improvements were being carried out across the province to be completed by 2015, including the construction of a new port.


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