PERTANDINGAN DEBAT ALAM SEKITAR ANTARA INSTITUSI PENGAJIAN TINGGI 2007

Hello Guys..just to inform that "PERTANDINGAN DEBAT ALAM SEKITAR ANTARA INSTITUSI PENGAJIAN TINGGI 2007" will be held on 27-31 JULY 2007 at UNIVERSITI SAINS ISLAM MALAYSIA(USIM) NILAI, NEGERI SEMBILAN. SEMUA DIJEMPUT HADIR.

Just What Is a Greenhouse Gas, Anyhow?

I found an article about green house gas and I think it will let us understand more about their existence: chek it out. They're in the news almost as much as Brad and Angelina, and you know they have something to do with global warming. But what exactly is a greenhouse gas? In a nutshell, they're gases in the atmosphere—both naturally occurring and caused by humans—that absorb and emit radiation.

Ultraviolet radiation and sunlight hit the Earth and its atmosphere. Most of this is reflected back into outer space, thanks to the ozone layer, clouds, and ice on the Earth's surface. Approximately 25 percent is absorbed by the planet, and is then re-emitted as infrared radiation. Some of this re-emitted radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, exciting the molecules and causing them to emit the radiation back to the planet again, as heat.

The more of these gas molecules there are in the atmosphere, the more infrared radiation can be absorbed and sent back to the Earth's surface. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air will result in an increase of infrared radiation being trapped and re-emitted.

The greenhouse gases that we have the widest understanding about are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, used for aerosols). CO₂ currently contributes the most to the greenhouse effect – the amount of radiation being trapped and re-emitted by greenhouse gases – but the other gases combined will soon be as important to the greenhouse effect as CO₂.

These gases are increasing in concentration in the atmosphere, and they have higher rates of absorption of infrared radiation. CFCs, for instance, can absorb 20,000 times as much heat as CO₂. However, international decisions to curb CFC emissions have helped stabilize CFC levels in the air.

Greenhouse gases are not, inherently, a bad thing. In fact, they help make this planet livable. Without them, the average temperature of the Earth's surface would be slightly less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit! With the greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit. But the growing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has the power to raise the average temperature.

Cows that burp less seen helping in climate fight!

I found an interesting article about global warming… hmm its sound funny but it’s contain full of messages that make us seriously think about the solution. Maybe, not many people aware or have a chance to read it, so I put it in here to share with u all. Enjoy it!

Manners aside, getting cows to burp less can help reduce global warming. Using modern plant-breeding methods to find new diets for cows that make them belch less is a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, scientists said on Monday.

The key is developing new varieties of food that are easier for cattle to digest and also provide a proper balance of fiber, protein and sugar, said Michael Abberton, a scientist at the UK-based Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research.

This could open up plant-based solutions as alternatives to reducing stock as farmers look for ways to cut methane emissions amid warming climates, he told a briefing on farming and climate change at London's Science Media Centre.

He noted the average dairy cow belches out about 100 to 200 liters of methane each day, making diet changes a key potential factor in reducing this greenhouse gas.

"There is a common misperception about how methane gets into the atmosphere," he said. "It is actually through belching rather than the other end."

Agriculture is responsible for about seven percent of UK greenhouse gas emissions and a large proportion of two of the most potent gases with 37 percent of methane and 67 percent of nitrous oxide.

Greenhouses gases are widely blamed for causing global warming. Scientists say average temperatures will rise by between two and six degrees Celsius by the end of the century, causing droughts, floods and violent storms.

Abberton said introducing easier-to-digest legumes that tend to reduce methane emissions is an example of an approach scientists are beginning to explore. Legumes such as clover and alfalfa are commonly used for animal fodder.

It also requires farmers to balance cows' legume intake with other food and to develop different species of grass that are also more digestible, he added.

"What I'm saying is there are approaches within plant breeding that can lead to reduced emissions," he said.

~Tabiat TAK PA!~

(source: the star)

PENANG: Say no to a tree-less and dirty environment – this is the Prime Minister’s advice to the people. He said the people had the power to compel developers and hawkers to be environment-friendly.

“The rakyat have a choice not to buy houses in housing estates where developers cut down all the trees. Why live in such an uncomfortable environment?” he said when opening the Environment Awareness Campaign 2007 at the Queensbay Mall here yesterday. Abdullah also urged the people to shun dirty eateries.

Failure to take care of the environment could also pose a major setback to the tourism sector, Abdullah warned. He said an investor had rejected plans to build a hotel in Pantai Pasir Gemuruh near Teluk Kumbar in Penang because the place was dirty.

“This particular beach used to be clean, and beautiful. But now it is full of rubbish,” he said. Later during a press conference, he said 50% of the rivers in the country were polluted, of which 5% were extremely polluted.

“There are no more waterfalls in Penang. Sungai Kelang is filthy and mining ponds in Batu Pahat, Johor are filled with garbage.

“On my way here from the airport, the road was littered with durian husks and rambutan waste,” he said, adding that these marred the landscape and reflected the local attitude.

He also called on the public to observe cleanliness inside and outside their homes. “Do not throw garbage into drains. This will clog the drainage system. “The recent massive floods in Johor cost the Government RM1bil to repair damaged infrastructure. We could have used that money to build schools and hospitals,” he said.

He also called for greater enforcement to check illegal logging. “Illegal logging destroys the environment including rivers,” he said, noting that natural freshwater fish habitat had been mostly destroyed.

Abdullah said the onus was on the public to keep the environment clean. “I want this campaign to be a success; it is important for our future,” he said. Earlier in his welcoming speech, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said it was time people dropped the “tidak apa” (never mind) attitude to safeguard the world from further environmental degradation.

Abdullah Takes Dirty Malaysians to Task - (Source: New Straits Times)

Let's think about it....

GEORGE TOWN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday slammed those who continued to pollute the environment by disposing of rubbish indiscriminately. He said filthy habits had caused most states in the country to become dirty and ugly while rivers were badly polluted.

At the launch of the National Environment Awareness Campaign 2007 here, Abdullah also took to task developers who were bent on cutting every tree to construct as many houses as possible at their project sites. Such practices, he said, not only created unsightly residential areas but also contributed to rising temperatures and flash floods.

"We can see rubbish everywhere in most places. "People are throwing rubbish next to their houses, along the roads and into the rivers. "If this continues, the country will soon become dirty and ugly. "Eventually it is the people who will suffer." Abdullah cited the situation in Penang as an example and said the island was once known as the "Pearl of the Orient" because of its natural beauty. He said it should have been everyone's responsibility to take care of the island's cleanliness and preserve its beauty.

"However, what we are seeing today is completely the reverse. The rivers here are dead, the beaches polluted and waterfalls which were once excellent are all gone.

"This is not only happening in Penang but also in other states."

Abdullah said everyone should play a role in maintaining the environment and called on the people to start fulfilling this responsibility. He said the tourism industry, which contributed billions of ringgit to the country's economy, would suffer if the level of cleanliness continued to deteriorate.

Abdullah said people should start avoiding dirty places and stop buying houses in areas without greenery.

"The people can force retailers and developers to ensure they also maintain the environment."

Also present at the launch at the Jom Heboh carnival site in Bayan Baru here were Abdullah's wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid.

At a press conference later, Abdullah was asked to comment on the controversy surrounding CTOS Sdn Bhd, which was charged in court last week for various irregularities. The prime minister said any company that breached the law would be charged by the authorities.

"If they have breached the rules, then they just have to face action."

PEACE!

After a few days....

I’m feeling tired after attending 4 days of enforcement course at INTAN. It was really exciting to gain something about environmental law.