Where've you been?It's been a week since I posted something here but those of you who like link clicking ~ and try saying those three words after a few beers ~ may have noticed that we've set up
Green Indonesia. There has an encouraging response and, hopefully, you'll soon be able to leave comments, suggestions and links for further perusal. Meantimes, thanks for your emails.
We've had a few glitches, mainly because I am not HTML literate, and with WordPress there's a need to be a little more aware of what's what.
Most of what you see at the moment will be converted to pages which will serve as the blogrolls for each category. After that, expect news from near and far, but all within the Indonesian context.
For example, were you aware that the UK Government Advisory Committee which has been advocating a renewed emphasis on nuclear power was dominated by representatives of the UK nuclear industry?
Or that, in order to solve the problem of where to store Britain's nuclear waste ~ which has yet to be quantified (a fact that should scare the bejasus out of everyone) ~ a competition is being held with a fabulous prize - an ENORMOUS sum of money (bribe). You see, no-one really wants a nuclear power station or dump in their backyard. That's why they're generally sited in remote locations.
Oh, and t
hey're not completely safe.
The following are some of the headlines in this week's
Jakarta Post, whose archives seem to be locked away at present.
Nuclear power plants: Are they safe?A nuclear expert from Semarang-based Diponegoro University, Muhammed Nur, said that although nuclear power was not a totally safe technology, Indonesian experts were ready to deal with the risks."We don't have enough expertise to develop solar, hydro or wind power plants. But a nuclear power plant is something that has been wanted for since the Soeharto era," he said.Hang on. Not enough expertise to develop environmentally safe, renewable sources of energy, but enough nous to run a nuclear power plant - because they've wanted one for a while? He sounds like a kid in a toy shop ~ gimme, gimme.
And he continued.
"The decision to establish the reactors is a long-term result of the country's extravagant use of power. We cannot change our wasteful energy lifestyle, so this is the risk we have to take."
Too much
hot air, Muhammed.
How nuclear plants produce energyThis simplistic article was accompanied by a flow diagram which a six year old could follow.
Haze thickens over Sumatra and KalimantanThat's more greedy bastards clearing out forests so they can make short-term profits from plantations.
Oh, and the haze is also settling nicely over Malaysia and Singapore. If they help us douse the fires we'll say 'sorry' and promise not to do it again.
Until next year.
Dumping mud water in sea 'harmful'
Environmentalists warned Thursday that channeling treated water from hot toxic mud into East Java's Madura Strait posed a threat of pollution that could hurt the local fishing industry.
The activists doubted the planned treatment would remove all the toxic chemicals from the mud. The sludge has piled up as high as five meters on about 200 hectares of land in Sidoarjo regency, a large industrial zone and the economic backbone of East Java province.
Riza Damanik, a marine and coastal campaigner with the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said he was doubtful that Lapindo Brantas Inc. would be able to process all the water contained in the seven million cubic meters of mud that has gushed out of its gas well since May 29.
The
Sidoarjo mud flow has shown no signs of abating since it began two months ago. There is no sign either of the resignation of the Minister for Social Welfare, Abdurizal Bakrie, whose family's company is responsible for the mess and the subsequent drowning of the homes of 10,000 people, umpteen factories, the off-on closure of a major toll road and a main line railway.
The ramifications of this environmental disaster, the result of yet another 'human error', will be the subject of a TV documentary or two and many books. Read on and watch this (East Java) site.
And I wonder whose conglomerate will be chosen as the major building contractor for the first nuclear power plant here?
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