Week 13 : Business mindset

What came to your mind when you see "Business". Business has a strong relationship between goods, services and money. The objective of a business is to measure target and achieve certain amount of money throughout the year.

Too disgusting! Chinese sales of billions of clothes from foreign garbage dump and morgue unexpectedly!

This article was published in 2016. The foreign garbage started to rise rapidly in a short period of time which alert the attention of the outside world. Guangdong Frontier Corps Shenzhen border detachment of China announced, the detection of with the major of old clothes smuggling gangs, destroyed a professional old clothing smuggling gangs, arrested six suspects, confiscated the old clothing 549 tons, amounting to about 11 million yuan (Song Shengnan,2016). 

There are many people in the world judging about China, they claim that China is a garbage dump in the developed countries. However, I think that China has a business minded with smart brain, whereby recycling and disposing second hand cloth. Despite the hygiene issue, this able to recycle underused or unused clothes, extending the useful life of each item.  

Online store became one of the leading channels players in the fashion industry. This business method not only has a positive impact to the environment by reducing the garbage to the landfill, it also stabilize the economic of the country. Whereby higher labor costs are needed to emerge the market efficiently. Besides that, the benefit of recycling clothing will reduce polluting and energy intensive processes required to make a virgin clothes that can reduce the greenhouse gases, due to reduction of machinery used to manufacture. 




References:
http://www.bestchinanews.com/Domestic/1982.html
https://harmony1.com/clothing-textile-recycling/
http://www.charitybags.org.uk/re-use_and_recycling.shtml

Week 13 : Paper consumption impact in Australia

About one third of the garbage is paper. According to the Federal Government's Green Office Guide, approximately 10,000 sheets of A4 paper are used in every Australian office worker every year, and 50% f these paper became rubbish and go straight to the landfill. In our new generation, we are strongly promoting "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" which is very important and applicable into our daily life with paper.

However, it is far way behind of the idea to reduce the paper consumption, even though environmental organisations may talk of green initiatives. It is a heavy burden on Australia's ecological sustainability due to the act of paper-want. The process of paper production required more water and trees to produce one tonne of virgin printer paper, but only 25% of each tree is used to produce the paper product.

As a student, I realized we use a lot of paper for our project submissions. Base on my opinion, government should implement the limitation of paper usage in the university. We may submit our assignments through online or present our work digitally, instead of submitting hard copy such as papers or presentation board.

Besides that, government may introduce new software about free paper-saving. Each student or lecturer may use this software to help save paper by removing wasteful content when printing and reformatting the documents to print double sided with more efficiently.

By using recycled paper instead of virgin printer paper able to improve the sustainability for the environment. It can also reduce the cost by using recycled paper which made from non-tree sources such as bamboo, banana, hemp and etc. Students may also use laptop or notepad to take note in order to reduce the usage of notebook or paper.


References:
https://individualizedfunding.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/file000465594297.jpg
http://www.wikihow.com/Save-Paper-in-School
http://www.sustainablelivingguide.com.au/work/save-paper-and-forests
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/E1E64A4DB813BC8BCA25732C00207FF7?opendocument
http://www.australianscience.com.au/environmental-science/paper-consumption-impact-in-australia/

Week 12 : Food Wastage

Food wastage is one of the major issue we are facing in world wide. According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about one third of food produced in the world are for human consumption every year, however approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted and go to the landfill. One-fourth of the food lost able to be save and feed approximately 870 million hungry people in the world. 

I came across to watch a cooking show called MasterChef, I was always wondering and question myself - What happen to the ingredients that didn't get to pick by the contestants at the end of each episodes? Will they throw it away? Or does it get to distribute to the team crew?

I found out that the leftover ingredients will be pack and send it to SecondBite, which is a food programs across Australia doing charity work and distribute food to those community who need it the most. The amount of  ingredients donated from MasterCheft to SecondBite, able to provide about 40,00 meals every day.

Personally, I think that MasterCheft is a very thoughtful production team. They not only produce such wonderful show to the audience, at the same time they do also doing charity to vulnerable people who need help. MasterCheft prove that we able to take control of our food waste in and easy and effective way, which able to create effective way to have a positive impact to the environment and community. The economic will also be more stable as the cost of waste disposal and over-purchasing is lower. Hence, everyone start taking action to help saving food will make a difference in this world and create a better world.

References:
Coxarchitecture.com.au
https://www.foodbank.org.au/2013/06/03/masterchef-foodbank/
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/what-happens-to-all-of-the-uneaten-food-on-masterchef/news-story/3d7165dbf04909d9c54a5d0f6544ac4d
https://theconversation.com/australian-communities-are-fighting-food-waste-with-circular-economies-64424
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/F4CT9R/new-delhi-india-16th-oct-2015-participants-pick-ingredients-during-F4CT9R.jpg
http://www.thrill.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Hamper-Charity-400x266.jpg

Week 12 : Plastic

"You’ve never seen such an amazing collection in all your life! Toys of every kind to thrill and delight you – quaint old toys, brilliant new ones, strange toys, familiar toys, wonderful toys… an attraction for young and old! "

Young generation nowadays like to play toys that come in variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Young kids will be playing around with the toys with one another. However, how long will they be playing it? When they reach the certain age, they will be stop playing toys and divert attention to other items such as laptop, gaming device and smartphone. 

Plastic waste is increasing everyday and resulted environment impacts, which affect human health, wildlife and global warming. By designing end-of-life recyclable and increase recycling capacity can control the production of virgin plastic. Community may make a difference to reduce the production of plastic, whereby the change of consumer behavior. Consumer play an important role to minimize the use of short lived applications of plastic.

The production of making plastic toys should be reduce or terminated in order to save our planet. Plastic is a growing disaster because its is made from petroleum or non-renewable resources, The process of manufacturing plastic caused pollute air, land, water and the exposed worker will be influence by the toxic chemical which will result many diseases. 

The toxic chemical release from the plastic couldn't be seen by our naked eyes, however it is present in the air at various locations in the world. It will be transfer from one area to another by the air and water. Government should start implement plans and rethink the management model of the production of plastic disposal on the landfill. Its is unsustainable and limited the land resources that can be used for future development.  

References:

https://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/store/how_plastics_affect_the_environment
http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/plastickills.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwvMnJBRCO2NSu-Puc6AUSJAAf-OSUNqWuvAMIeuIdREnVABCfLwhZmgydl0-6s0jdDdpLuRoCfQ_w_wcB
http://www.dhresource.com/260x260/f2/albu/g4/M01/0B/F8/rBVaEFdcBeKAQ7wyAANfClRq5YI476.jpg

Week 11 : Water usage

Temperatures in Malaysia is getting higher and higher nowadays, this result serious water shortage last year in May regarding to an article by Peak Johnson. In order to protect 100,000 students from temperature above 98 degrees Fahrenheit, the Malaysian government decided to closed more than 250 schools across the country. Water levels in reservoirs are falling rapidly and caused several states facing a water crisis which forced to implement water rationing.     

Rainwater is consider an everlasting free source that can be acquired naturally. However, the climate change and the number of population is increases all over the world, with water pollution that is getting more serious, the demand for processed supply water also increases. 

By using the water in a sustainable way may maintain a balance between its demand and supply. Rainwater harvesting is one of the simplest, most traditional and sustainable method to save the water and reusing it for both residential and commercial building. Rainwater that is collected can be reuse for planting water, washing toilet or the floor. This able to reduce the energy used by pumping the pressure on processed supply water which enhance the green living. 

The diagram above showed the percentage of water consumption of our daily usage. 

Even though the global is covering 70% of water, but there are only 2.5% that is fresh water. With the water shortage issue, we cannot forgo the fact that we should start planning and implement conserving fresh clean water. As an architecture student, I personally think that we have the responsible to help mitigate global climate change by helping conserve the water through our design in a building. By giving back the society throughout our design, rainwater harvesting and gray water usage able to reduce the usage of fresh water. Green toilet specification does also help conserve usage within the society indirectly. Therefore, we play an important role to be part of water conservation as well. 

References:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8cyqEd9Dd3jwrXAnF3MkWK1b4k9st8G6OJq3WFYOwwchxdlQ0gA

http://www.yourhome.gov.au/sites/prod.yourhome.gov.au/files/images/W-Rainwater-PressureSupplySubmersiblePump-01_fmt.png

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/721357/

https://www.wateronline.com/doc/malaysia-faces-long-term-water-crisis-0001

https://ecologyartisans.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/san-diego-graywater-system-diagram.png

Week 11 : Illegal land clearing

I came across with a news back in 2014, "Malaysia government loses millions due to illegal land clearing", published by Bernama. “It is not some small activity, there are areas where the activity is done in a syndicate manner,” said by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir to the reporter. 

As a Malaysian, this article reminds me of seeing land clearing wherever I go in Malaysia. Malaysia is one of the wonderful country which has a lot of natural resources. However, the weak enforcement of the government resulting such incident being uncontrolled, and there wasn't a good solution to control this from happening.

Nowadays, our climate is changing rapidly and unexpectedly which is threatening the people, animals and vegetation. Cutting down forests is polluting the atmosphere and warming our global, there are no vegetation able to absorb the emission gases, resulting extreme weather with higher temperature to our planet.

Malaysia government should implement regulation and long-term financial incentives in order to protect native land and vegetation. As a future designer, I believe that we able to make a difference and take the responsible of stopping land clearing. We can rebuilt a new building from an abandon land or renovate from old building, instead of clearing new land for constructing a new building.

With the principle of give and take, we must give it back to the nature if we used the land. By planting more tree or designing a green building able to create positive impact to the environment. Federal and state government should plan some long-tern policy and consistency which can counterbalance between development and vegetation.




References:
http://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/climate?gclid=CjwKEAjwvMnJBRCO2NSu-Puc6AUSJAAf-OSUV1XTaEy0pUWyTNo68BI36UycZ8jdkjyzpNj0rTMZxhoCT0Xw_wcB#gs.VPaPfeY
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/perak-state-government-loses-millions-due-to-illegal-land-clearing
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/address-illegal-land-clearing-locals-tell-penang-govt

Week 10 : Climatic design

Climate scientists have been speaking about the need of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to prevent temperature increases and less livable future. As an architecture student, I know how important of designing energy efficient buildings toward the environmental. We do not design a building based on its appearance, instead the adaption between the building and the climatic are the key point. A report issued in June 2009 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)—which coordinates climate change research of 13 federal agencies and operated as the U.S. Climate Change Science Program from 2002 through 2008 under the George W. Bush presidency—estimates that global average temperatures have risen approximately 1.5ºF (0.8ºC) since before the Industrial Revolution and could rise another 2ºF–11ºF (1.1ºC–6.1ºC) by the end of this century, based on modeling of a variety of greenhouse gas emissions levels, mitigation efforts, and economic scenarios.

I had studied the climatic design of a traditional malay house last semester and it inspired me how and what do I have to take concern when I'm designing a building.

1. Building Material
Building material plays an important role and will affect the sustainability of a building. Lightweight construction of wood or other natural materials have excellent thermal insulator which can cool the the building. Modern houses used concrete, bricks or tiles that can higher thermal capacity, thus it will store heat in the building.

2. Layout
Traditional malay house has a random layout design instead of parallel rigid patterns. Randomly arranged able to increase the wind velocity where the wind can flow through in between the houses which will not reduce the latter path substantially.

3. Ventilation of roof spaces

The provision of ventilation joints and panels in the roof construction allows wind to pass through smoothly. Where the hot air rises to the roof and able to flow out from the house instead of circulating in the house. 

4. Vegetation
Tall vegetation not only able to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, it also provides good shade to the house without blocking the passage of winds at the house level.

5. Ventilation at body level
The velocity of wind increases with altitude, especially at a higher level. Therefore, big openings at the body level in the house will not restrict the air movement in the house. It will increase the brightness in the house as well to reduce the usage of artificial lightings.

6. Orientation

The longer surface area of the house should be facing east-west direction to minimize direct exposed to solar radiation as tropical countries are hot and humid weather. This able to reduce the usage of air conditioning. 

Global warming is getting more serious, it is hotter and getting more frequent heat waves: sea level
rises due to the melting glaciers:water sources is drought. These changes will vary from region to region and further consequences are on their way. Therefore, climatic design has to be apply in every schematic stage improve the air circulation or lighting and reduce the usage of electric appliances.



References:
https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/design-adaptation-living-climate-changing-world
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/housing/adapting-climate-change
http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=envirohp
https://swazischool.wordpress.com/2012/09/

Week 10 : How designing affect sustainability

Design Studio is my core subject in Master in Architecture. We are assigned to do a real life project for RAW Impact (Raising Awareness Worldwide) an Australian non-governmental organisation (NGO) working in Cambodia. The RAW Impact organisation is creating powerful change through sustainable projects in Cambodia. 

It is a very meaningful project, whereby assisting the poorest rural communities to built a factory, so that the communities can work there. We are required to developed a comprehensive understanding of the process of planting, growing, harvesting and processing bamboo. The factory is built using mainly bamboo, but we are able to use supplementary materials. 

The accessibility makes transportation of building materials and work forces difficult. Thus, the project maximized use of local resources including workers and affordable local materials. With this situation, local bamboo and stonework was selected to be the main materials of the building. Besides that, it able to reduce the transportation of delivering building materials from one place to the site. 

The main idea of this factory is to achieve a sustainable integration of landscape and architecture. Therefore the placement of our building is chosen carefully, so as to least interrupt the natural conditions, situated on a natural flattened part. It is composed of four separate segments which able o maximize air ventilation with higher velocity. 

The facade design response towards the sustainable passive design, off cut bamboo is used to create bamboo panels that can be interchangeable throughout the year. During the bamboo process, there are a lot of off cut bamboo pieces, which able to reuse instead of throwing it away and became more thrash to the environmental. By using cut off bamboo not only able to use as decorative, it acts as a normal partition wall to the spaces. Hence, the usage of other material such as stonewall or concrete wall able to reduce. 

By designing this factory allows me to developed my knowledge on usage of material and able to explore on the advantages of bamboo. As an architecture student, I learnt how to design a building to achieve sustainable integration between architecture and the materials used. 

Week 9 : It's like it never end

This is a journal blog entry that is about water pollution. I came across of this article published by The New York Times, on 19th April 2017. The world's ocean are covered by millions pieces of litters such as plastic bottles, bags, styrofoam, fishing nets, etc. Let's check out how long of these litters take to decompose in to the environment:

a) Food : 3-4 weeks

b) Paper bag : 1 month

c) Aluminium can : 200-500 years

d) Plastic bag : 20-1000 years

e) Styroforam : 1 million years

Due to climate change that caused shrinking the Arctic sea ice cover, and more human activity increases in this still-isolated part of the world. It creates water pollution which is getting more serious around the world since 1980. “We don’t fully understand the consequences the plastic is having or will have in our oceans”  and  “What we do know is that this consequences will be felt at greater scale in an ecosystem like this”, said by Andrés Cózar Cabañas, the study’s lead author and a professor of biology at the University of Cádiz.

Differences in temperature and salinity around the world are verbalized the deep water global, this particular part is very important in the thermohaline circulation. As the heat brings up to the surface water and the Arctic, those pieces of litters in the ocean seems to be bringing to more densely populated coastlines. 

Our responsibility on this earth is very important, things that we do on land will affect the quality of our water quality, environment and even our health. Litters in the ocean are very dirty and toxic which will pollute the water quality. Such tiny, microscopic toxins can't see by our bare eyes. The polluted water that magnitude the waterways become unlivable for native animals, plants and humans. Therefore, create awareness and make sure everyone understand the importance of the water quality and the ways of keeping the water clean. Such as do not litters and promote recycle, reduce and reuse may help to reduce water pollution. 

Just make sure you care as much about the environment as your own health. Without a healthy and prospering earth, there is no way to keep ourselves in healthy condition too, as well as our future generation's health. 


References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/climate/arctic-plastics-pollution.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FWater%20Pollution&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection&_r=0
http://www.carmel.in.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=182
http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-02/26/content_28060218.htm
http://behealthyandrelax.com/2007/11/how-long-does-it-take-to-decompose/
https://soapboxie.com/social-issues/What-is-Water-Pollution

Weeks 9 : Conservative of historical heritage

“The physical conservation of a building is only the first step. Its usage will either continue its cultural value or destroy it entirely”

Penang George Town is located on the northwest coast in Malaysia. It is at the intersection of Asia's great kingdoms and Europe's powerful colonial empires. Penang is in between Asia's two halves and acts as an important route to the markets of Europe and Middle East. It consist the most diverse, multinational and beautiful cultures. The world heritage site of George Town is one of the food paradise in Malaysia, a fusion of Chinese, Malay, Indian and other races, which has the evidence of diversity from cuisine to architecture. 

I came across with an article which published on 15th April 2017 by Looi Sue-Chern, from The Malaysian Insight. According to the article, George Town's living heritage is under threat due to the demolition of cultural heritage for future development for tourists. However, the authorities should focus on the people who lived and worked in the city over tourists. The authentic values of the city is not replaceable and it is more than a street art destination. There are people who don't know and understand the importance of the intangible heritage.

George Town is a beautiful place where the authorities should appreciate and preserve their cultural heritage for the desire to reinforce a sense of identity. Whereby, the architecture, monuments and symbols of culture tell a story line in times of war and shared roots acquired in the history. Government should preserve and promote living the intangible heritage while they still have the chance before it is too late.

Government and non government organisations should work together to create fund raising or charity events to promote preserving the cultural heritage. The money can be use on those decaying buildings with major cracks in the wall and damaged wooden floors, in order to preserve and conserve the buildings.

The people who lived in George Town should be proud and maintain its special universal values, by preserving and using the heritage structures appropriately. Protecting the architecture of traditional buildings and culture able to provide a more valuable and connotation to the city itself. Where the people should be proud of what they can preserve and pass to the future generation.


References:
https://media.timeout.com/images/101785645/image.jpg
https://nestingonahill.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/173.jpg
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/02/07/finally-penang-moves-to-keep-alive-its-living-heritage/
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/penang-turns-its-focus-on-keeping-its-living-heritage-alive
http://sea-globe.com/penang-georgetown-heritage/

Week 8 : Japanese architect - Shigeru Ban

Shigeru Ban is a famous Japanese architect who won a lot of awards, known for his creative and innovative work with recycled cardboard paper. It is used for efficiently and able to build houses or shelters quickly for disaster victims in Japan. Cardboard paper is one of the cheapest and sustainable material, it is a recycled material which able to save space in landfill, save energy and water, reduce greenhouse gases and preserving resources. People would think that cardboard paper is a very weak material for construct a building. However, Shigeru Ban got the most prominent prize in modern architecture, with his innovative and creativity in use of material who is not only a role model for our generation, but also an inspiration.

In 2004, a strong earthquake shaked the central in Japan with a magnitude 6.8. This earthquake has injured dozens of people and destroyed dozens of home. There are more than 300 rescue workers were rescuing and searching for people who trapped in collapsed homes. No electric facilities due to the damaged of nuclear power plants.

Due to the limited material availability during any disaster, reconstruction of the buildings, houses or infrastructures are the major concern to the people and involves increased market price. Shigeru Ban came out with this idea of using paper tubing as a building material, not only reduce the cost and very accessible. It is also beneficial  for a building emergency shelters, as the paper tubing frames can prevent theft and helped save money.

The paper tubing shelter is made by white cloth as the partitions, joints were made of plywood and ropes were used for braces. This simply yet useful cardboard sheets provide good insulation and create privacy and border between each family with their neighbor. Shigeru Ban is a smart architect who able to adapt the situation by changing the strut beam structure using paper tubes. Indeed, it is hard to estimate the forecast partition demand, low cost and high speed construction were the priorities during disaster period. Shigeru Ban is wise to use paper tubes as a building material, which is sustainable to the environmental.



References:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-23/magnitude-6.8-quake-hits-central-japan/5911732
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/22/world/asia/japan-earthquake/
http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/works/2016_kumamoto-PPS4/index.html
https://makinguse.artmuseum.pl/en/shigeru-ban/
http://www.designboom.com/architecture/shigeru-ban-emergency-paper-partition-system/

Week 8 : Timber as Building Material

I'm taking a subject called Design and Technology - Timber. This subject is to improve our knowledge and understanding of materials, structure and construction is essential to the design and procurement of successful architecture. These are the requirement according to the brief:

•  Development of a comprehensively detailed timber structure to fit within a narrow coastal strip in a heavily built-up region of Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
•  The project focuses on the conception and structural resolution of a series of clear-span timber platforms and associated timber buildings.
• The programmed requires the detailed design and documentation (in drawn and model form) of the significant primary and secondary structural systems employed in your architectural concept. 
• Timber is a very challenging material and this exercise requires a level of resolution much greater than that seen in most architectural studios, both the accommodation and material briefs are prescriptive.
• 
  

This is the final design of my timber deck, the structure design was inspired by the shape of tree called dendriform concept. The fractal skeleton of a tree diverges the heavy wind to lower the impact on its tree-body. The replication and adoption of the treelike patterns create a sense of connectivity between the architectural structure and the nature. 

The interests of responsible and sustainable resource use are applied in this project. The volumes of timber material used in this project should kept to a minimum while satisfying the structure's significant strength and serviceability requirements. The selection of timber species and their supply chains are important as well, because these able to affect the sustainability. 

The timber species used for this project are Tasmania Oak, Red Ironbark and Radiata Pine, which can easily found in Australia. Hence, transportation between the site and timber source would significantly reduce the environmental effect and cost of the project.

As an architecture student, I think that we able to make a difference to the environmental, by selecting specific sustainable materials or the design that we propose, able to reduce the usage of material.   

Weeks 6 : Sustainable energy

THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IS INEVITABLE AS FOSSIL FUELS ARE FINITE - Gawdat Bahgat

This evening I read an article which is about "Capitalism Renewable Energy Roadblock". Sustainable energy is a form of energy that can be used over and over again for our daily's demand of energy needs without putting the environmental in danger. The cost of solar energy had decreased until the point of it is cheaper than fossil or gas. However, there are many other types of renewable energies such as, wind, hydraulic, biomass and biogas, geothermal and wave. 

Sustainable energy produces clean, inexhaustible and increasingly competitive energy. The disadvantages of using fossil fuels with diversity, profusion and prospective for use in the world will effect the greenhouse gases which cause climate change and create a lot of disasters in the world. Sustainable energy is vital for preventing climate change and reduce its demoralizing effects to the people and also environmental. 

The renewable technologies will give a beneficial to the economic consequences through the transition of an energy system. This includes human and natural resources, human labour is required as the productive infrastructure is transformed into energy supplied, which able to increase job opportunities and increase the sale on global markets.   

Indeed, unlike the natural energy sources such as coal, gas, oil and nuclear, they are non renewable and it is limit sources. Sustainable energy is inexhaustible as the sun, water or wind is originate and adapt to natural cycles. This will reduce the mitigating risk to our future generations through the essential element in a sustainable energy system for development today. 

The future of our global is depends on our hand today. We need to disrupt the continuing power of the fossil fuel industry for a better energy system that balance on human need, instead of private profit. 

The international community should understand the obligation to sustain the transition towards a low-carbon economy in order to create a sustainable future. 

References:

https://redflag.org.au/node/5762

http://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/global-governance/un-insider/1064-sustainable-energy-for-all-by-2030-needs-greater-effort

http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/sustainableenergy.php

https://www.acciona.com/renewable-energy/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw5sHHBRDg5IK6k938j_IBEiQARZBJWkiXhPWDU9tXwY_LkrPDmfSJd45bHv0oOroU9NaTbFUaArSr8P8HAQ

Week6 : 'Heart' of the Earth Faces Deforestation Threat

A view in November 2016 of land cleared for palm oil plantations inside the Leuser ecosystem, habitat of the Sumatran orangutan. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

I came across with an article on the newspaper today, it is about the importance of Leuser ecosystem. Indonesia is a country which vital to the survival of wildlife and it is important to people's livelihoods. Leuser ecosytem is a world unto itself which has a rich lowland jungle, cloud draped mountains and steamy peat lands. Leuser's forests are the most ancient on earth where volcanic eruptions, fluctuating sea levels and species migrations occurred throughout the years. 

The Leuser contains plenty of plants and animals abundance, and the clear water able to provide millions of local people with clean drinking water, cooking water and most importantly for agriculture such as rice. cocoa, palm oil and other cultivation vital to local economies.  

Location of Leuser ecosystem in Indonesia

Leuser acts as an important role to control our global climate, it is providing the largest integral forest in Southeast Asia. The forests absorbing the carbon dioxide produced by the people and release more oxygen to the environment, which mitigating the problem of global climate change by reducing the pollution out of the atmosphere in the world.

Unfortunately, the Leuser's forest face a growing threat, due to massive deforestation in Indonesia. It caused unintended change in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, by cutting down massive area of forest without replacing the trees we had removed. Deforestation affect the environmental and increased disasters such as major floods in rural area, landslides and drought in urban city.

As local communities should keep he Leuser ecosystem undamaged and vigorous as a matter of economic survival. The environmental services such as wildlife species, water supplies and various plantations are the dominant needs to the people living around it. To achieve that, everyone in the world should understand and know more about Leuser ecosystem to appreciate its importance to the environmental and global climate change.

We must put on our afford and will be pride in the future for what we can prevent the current crisis facing Leuser, instead of being apologies to our future generations for what has been lost.



References:
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-04-05/sumatras-leuser-ecosystem-faces-threat-from-deforestation
https://www.ran.org/lastplaceonearth
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/01/28/18782330.php
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep18490