Kenali Plastik Sebelum Makan

Kelebihan plastik yang ringan,simple, trendi dan fleksible begitu menarik perhatian konsumen. Barangkali itu merupakan salah satu alasan kenapa rantang dan barang pecah belah mulai ditinggalkan.

Hal ini tidak menjadi masalah apabila kita mengetahui secara benar penggunaannya berdasarkan kode plastik resin yang biasanya tertera pada botol tersebut.

Dari beberapa material berbahan dasar plastik yang saat ini marak digunakan adalah Styrofoam. Bahan ini bisa dibentuk apa saja sesuai kebutuhan. Styrofoam terbuat dari polystyrene yang dicampur bahan khusus ( blowing agent ). Polystyrene dihasilkan dari proses polimerisasi styrene monomer. Styrene monomer inilah yang menyita perhatian bertahun-tahun dari konsumen sampai peneliti.

Ketika digunakan sebagai pengemas makanan pada suhu tinggi ( panas) dan lemak bahan kimia monomer dapat bermigrasi ke dalam makanan dan sangat beresiko bagi kesehatan. Terakumulasi di dalam tubuh dalam jumlah besar sangat membahayakan konsumen.

Pada binatang percobaan akumulasi zat-zat aditif yang bermigrasi dari plastik ke dalam makanan menyebabkan kanker, perubahan hormon dan kelahiran baru berkelamin ganda. Bagaimana hal ini jika terjadi dalam tubuh manusia ?

Dari bermacam kode plastik resin yang ada saat ini :

1. Kode 1 ( PET) dari Polyetylene Terephthalate
2. Kode 2 ( HDPE ) dari High Density Polyethylene
3. Kode 3 ( Vinyl )
4. Kode 4 ( LDPE ) dari Low Density Polyethylene
5. Kode 5 ( PP ) dari Polypropylene
6. Kode 6 ( PS ) dari Polystyrene
7. Kode 7 ( Other ) dari Acrylic, Nylon, Fiberglass, dll

Rekomendasi untuk kode 4 dan kode 5 relatif aman digunakan lebih sekali sedangkan kode plastik resin yang lain hanya direkomendasikan sekali pakai.

Ada beberapa cara menghindari bahaya kemasan plastik pada kesehatan manusia. Prinsipnya gunakan produk plastik yang terdaftar sesuai peruntukannya.

Hindari memasukkan makanan panas dalam plastik atau syrofoam.

Dalam kehidupan sehari-hari kita seringkali melihat penggunaan plastik yang tidak semestinya misalkan plastik termasuk tas kresek ) masih digunakan untuk membungkus gorengan, bakso dan soto yang masih panas. Bahkan masih sering dijumpai ember plastik untuk menampung sayur panas dalam jumlah besar.

Produk plastik memang simple dan murah tapi dampaknya tidak sesederhana penggunaannya.

Lebih baik mencegah sebelum terlambat.

( sumber. Harian Kompas )

Read More ..

Norway in a nutshell

Aurlandsfjord 

"You're so lucky!" a fellow traveler from Bergen, Norway, told me moments before the train that was to take me and my companion entered the station of Myrdal to start my "Norway in a nutshell" adventure.

"The weather was really bad yesterday. There was a rainstorm so we couldn't go anywhere. But now the sun is shining and the sky so clear," said the woman, pointing at the panorama over the railcar window pane.

Upon hearing that, I couldn't help but smile. Jokingly, I responded to her and her two friends, "Our presence makes the sun shine." My comment set them off laughing. "Yes, yes... now you can see our beautiful landscape. I hope you'll enjoy it. Have a nice trip!" she remarked.

Our chat had to be cut short, as we were rushing for another train that would carry us to Flam, a town famous for its picturesque railway line. Out in the sunny, yet brisk pre-winter day, we sought information about our next train.

After being notified by station officers that the Flam-bound train was departing within 15 minutes, we hurriedly boarded one of the dark green carriages.

Not long after that, the series of coaches began to move ahead. Around a hundred passengers, mostly comprising tourists, were in high spirits despite the fact that some of them, like us, had just done the five-hours train journey from Oslo.

Over the train's loudspeaker, a woman began describing the stunning landscape along the trip from Myrdal to Flam. Sadly, much of what was said was indiscernible among the steady rumble of train engines.

In no more than five minutes, the passengers leapt from their bright red seats to line the carriage windows. All eyes gazed down from the height of 886 meters above sea level, onto a magnificent vista of steep valleys, snowcapped mountains and rocky waterfalls.

Some of the phalanx of amateur photographers opened their windows to get a better picture, without those annoying pane reflections. The clickity-clack of the train's wheels over the tracks created a distinctive ambience adding to my enjoyment of the awe-inspiring natural beauty.

The train slowed several times as we passed particularly gorgeous scenes. It was then, it seemed, that one side of the carriage was standing room only as camera shutters whirred and clicked, forever capturing the remarkable scenery.

 

As the train crept along near the Kjosfossen falls at the height of 93 meters, it was announced that we were allowed to get off and feel the cool spray that rose from the base of the falls as a fine mist, and settled on our faces.

The journey passes through a number of tunnels, and each time the train would burst into the light, revealing amazing views to be relished by the travelers who had been kept in darkened suspense.

After an hour, the 20-kilometer Myrdal - Flam scenic route was over. Once in Flam, we were guided to the conveniently located (adjacent) port and onto a waiting ship to cruise along Norway's famous fjords.

Aurlandsfjord & Naerofjord

Most of the passengers chose the outdoor seats aboard the vessel, Skagastol, to watch the marine panoramas as we cruised through the fjords. Some struggled to secure their best places for the rare spectacle.

The ship soon left Flam for Gudvangen. On its way, this boat was coasting along Aurlandsfjord and Naerofjord, which are the pride of Norwegian people. They constitute a conservation zone and have been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 2005.

A fjord is formed when a glacier retreats after carving its typical U-shaped valley allowing the sea to fill the valley floor. This forms a narrow, steep sided inlet (sometimes deeper than 1,300 meters) connected to the sea.

Slicing through the turquoise seawater, the cold wind numbed our faces. Protected by my thick wind breaker I managed two hours out on the deck, snapping the splendid features of marine beauty comparable to the ice kingdoms of fairy tales, my mind began to wander back to the days of Vikings and the Ice Age.

The fjord, at times, soared to dizzying heights either side of us, dwarfing our ship and making me feel rather insignificant. The coral mountains, hundreds of meters high, were colored a mottled gray, and partially covered by greenery.

At certain places snow was trapped in crevices. Waterfalls carved into the sides of the fjords over thousands of years gushed down spectacularly. I began to wonder where the water pouring through steep coral mountain slopes had come from.

Away from the fjords, I noticed very neatly arranged housing units of simple architecture, reflecting harmony between rural settlements and their natural environment. But in the several villages we sailed past, I could hardly see any people around.

At Aurlandsfjord port with hundreds of houses in its vicinity, I only spotted three people: a boat passenger and two port officers. Probably due to Norway's small population of 4.5 million, coupled with the approaching winter, keeping people indoors.

The fascinating scenery stretching throughout the journey along the fjords, where the Vikings once roamed, ended in Gudvangen.

 

A view from Stalheimskleiva

Stalheimskleiva Road

Voss was our final destination, and we took the bus. Pressed by time, we had to hurry.

Punctual is the most appropriate word to describe the public transport here. It's praiseworthy although the interval is short, no more than 15 minutes, forcing visitors to rush before it's too late. I chose to sit on the front seat.

Full to capacity, the bus began the trip to Voss. It plied the route via the valley of Naeroydalen. The sightseeing tour gave a heart-pounding experience as the bus was passing Stalheimskleiva, known for its extremely steep road (as if it was sloping by almost 40 degrees!) with 13 hairpin bends.

Unsurprisingly, this is lauded as one of the steepest stretches of road in Northern Europe.

"Wooowww...!" was the humming cry of several passengers. Nearly all those on the bus were looking ahead with their hands gripping the seats in front. I just smiled at their reflex movements, squeezing the seats as if trying to apply the brakes.

It requires a lot of skill and prime vehicle conditions to pass the road. It's scary to think what would have happened if any of the requirements were not met, but I managed to shunt that thought out of my mind.

The bus crept slowly along the narrow asphalt road. In spite of the strong heartbeats induced, the surrounding landscape was too wonderful to miss. The bus also paused for a while before Sivlefossen and Stalheimsfossen waterfalls, allowing us to steady our hearts.

This is only open from May to September. During the winter months buses between Gudvangen and Voss have to take another way.

I was reminded of what the woman from Bergen said in the beginning of this journey. I was lucky to be able to make the trip by mid-October so I could experience the sensation of this well known road.

After about an hour and a half, we arrived at Voss railway station. And we only had about 15 minutes to board the train that would take us back to Oslo.

I spent the little time left to go to a restaurant where I bought a salmon sandwich to relieve my hunger.

After everything was ready we all got on the train bound for the capital of the country boasting its slogan "See this small, but great country!"

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/10/11/norway-a-nutshell.html

Read More ..

Before night falls in Roppongi

Mostly known for its eminent nightlife, Roppongi in Tokyo’s Minato district also bursts with life during the day.

After just a few walks in its parks, a handful of shopping bags and a couple of great museums, the vicinity proves equally fascinating even before the late night drinks and club hopping kick-in.

If you arrive in the city on a late afternoon, there’s no better choice to start the day than getting into
Roppongi Hills’ Tokyo City View. A 360-degree panorama from a 250-meter high observation deck
in Mori Tower is breathtaking, especially at dusk when the capital sparkles. Between Mount Fuji and
other skyscrapers, visitor will be rewarded with a beautiful snapshot of Tokyo Tower, the city’s Eiffel
Tower-esqe landmark.

During our visit, we were lucky enough to experience the Sky Aquarium, an impressive display of water creatures accompanied by a dazzling lightshow. Imagine drifts of jellyfi sh swimming while colorful laser lights fall on their bodies and tentacles. Simply mesmerizing. Do note though that this showcase is
temporary and is set to change in due course.

The recently opened Skydeck in the same tower is hard to miss. Here, the observation deck is brought to a new level, the rooftop. Atop the 52-fl oor Mori Tower, the Skydeck is popular with visitors trying to get a breezy air outdoor and closer to the sky.

Mori Art Museum features contemporary works from around the world. JP/Kenny Santana

Adjacent to Tokyo City View is Mori Art Museum, dedicated to the contemporary art scene. Until November, the museum is displaying art works from Ai Weiwei, a Beijing-based artist. Grab a free audio guide and be enthralled by Ai Weiwei’s philosophy behind his innovative creations.

Moving 1 kilometer away from Roppongi Hills, Midtown is the latest breed of composite city consisting of six buildings and lush greenery. On the backside of the Midtown Tower, people often spend their afternoon in the garden accompanied by the free-to-borrow books and vinyl mats available from
Midpark Project. With a caravan selling nibbles and a cuppa, some sun during a fi ne day and a few
friends, it’s a perfect little getaway tucked behind the Tokyo skyscrapers.

Don’t miss a visit to 21_21 Design Sight situated next to the park. The Issey Miyake-curated gallery is
dedicated to becoming a forum in examining how design impacts our daily lives. Exhibitions are held free of charge, where visitors can ponder on extraordinary design objects for hours. A must.

One of Roppongi’s great shopping destinations, Midtown’s Galleria is a four-storey arcade with many stores and food outlets to go gaga for.

Midtown Tower’s impressive-looking roof construction. JP/Kenny Santana

We loved browsing on the third floor where its interior shops are the perfect source of fi nding
goodies for loved ones back home.

In Style Meets People we found message-engraved plant seeds in a can that grows into a tree after a
few days of watering. Also stop by Idee where they sell everything chic from sofa to ties. A café inside the store is a favorite haunt for many trendy locals.

In the basement, visitors get their caffeine fix at Dean & Deluca, while some with more time to spare can take cooking lessons in English at ABC Cooking Studio. And like any other Japanese department stores, Midtown basement’s food hall has many scrumptious dining options to choose from, including sushi, katsu, tempura and ramen. Those who prefer an al fresco-style long lunch, often book a seat in Union Square Café facing the park.

Take time to browse Muji, a brandless fashion and lifestyle store (soon to open in Jakarta) that’s a hit
for Japanese and travelers alike for its affordable, simple-but-stylish goodies. From snacks to shoes,
aromatherapy to wallets, anything you need or you think you need can be found here at a steal.

In Roppongi Hills, four towers are fi lled with over 200 shops and food outlets. Once your hands are
fi lled with shopping bags from the likes of Anna Sui, Pepe Jeans or Kapital, grab some delicious omelet rice in a bento box from Omtrak Pit and have it in one of the open-area squares, followed by a trip to the nearby swanky Toho cinema, where most movies are presented in original language with English/Japanese subtitles.

Audience is participating in Blue Man show by transporting paper rolls into the stage. Courtesy of Ken Howard

For a two-hour blast, catch the worldwide sensation avant-garde theater of Blue Man Group (www.
blueman.jp) in Roppongi Hills. If you caught a glimpse of them in the Intel ad a few years back, trust us – the real deal is much better.

Three hairless and earless men in blue face-paint make for a rollicking good time, despite only making gestures with no verbal communications. Daily activities from a dinner norm to rock concert movements are stirred by the Blue Man Group with live percussion music, broad comedy and physical activities involving the spectators.

At the performance we attended, they dragged a clueless audience member backstage, and had him
recorded while being hung upside down and splattered with buckets of paint; we were jolted in our
seats. Also imagine our disbelief [and laughter] when they placed a wired mini camera into an audience member’s mouth and went straight inside his colon to be projected on the big TV screen. Was it real or not? That’s the cheeky part.

Audience members in the few front rows were also given ponchos to avoid getting splattered with paints from the stage. While in the fi nale, everyone will get a Blue Man experience by participating in transporting paper rolls from the back of the room to the stage creating somewhat an installation form. At this point, everyone felt they were part of this great show, which really rocks.

GETTING THERE

We flew from Jakarta to Osaka via Manila, with low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air.
For tickets and schedule click www.cebupacificair.com
Osaka and Tokyo are 2.5 hours away by the fast train Shinkansen. To save cost on Shinkansen tickets, buy a Japan Rail Pass before leaving for Japan, available from JaLan Tour (www.jalan-tour.com)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/channel/travel

Read More ..

Planting carrots? Get the tips

Nokia has got it right. Although, as I see it, the leader in mobile handsets has always been ahead on the technology curve, it must have seen that its market share has been eroded by Research in Motion, Apple and a growing number of Chinese manufacturers.
So, a couple of years ago, the Finnish company decided to strengthen its service business to support its handset sales. So far, it has worked well. According to them, Indonesia, along with India, has the largest number of Ovi Mail users. Ovi, as you know, is the mainstay of Nokia’s Internet-based services.
Now, combining their capability in mobile services and their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda, Nokia is going to launch a range of services called Nokia Life Tools in December. The targets? People living in non-urban areas.
“We are pooling together a number of parties to provide only relevant information and tips to these people,” said Jawahar Kanjilal, global head of Nokia Life Tools, Emerging Markets.
The services were first launched in India, and were considered a success. Over there, the users have benefited from important information sent directly to their cell phones.
“These are services designed by us in the Emerging Markets and are primarily intended for emerging markets, although they can be provided anywhere in the world,” said Jawahar in our interview.
These services will be replicated next in Indonesia and perhaps Vietnam. In Indonesia, Nokia’s information and tips can help farmers plan their crops according to the weather, find out selling prices of their harvests so that middlemen can no longer take advantage of information asymmetry to cheat them, and no less importantly, get tips on how to grow their crops.
Advice may be about what fertilizer to use, how much and how long it should be used for to prevent toxic contamination, for example.
When a farmer subscribes to a Nokia Life Tools service, he or she will be asked to provide some information, such as what crop will be planted.
As the accompanying picture of the Nokia Life Tools-ready Nokia 2690 illustrates, the farmer will be able to choose the crop he or she wants to grow — corns, potatoes, cabbages, carrots, bananas, mangoes, etc.
The system, which already knows the location of the farmer from the cell phone number — whether in North Sumatra or in Sumbawa, will send text messages to the handset pertaining to the crop chosen. There will be at least one SMS in Indonesian each day.
Nokia provides the SMS server, while participating content providers work together with content
aggregators and mobile operators to create and send the content to subscribers.
“Nokia helps decide what information to send them, so that they will only get the tips and news they can use,” said Jawahar.
For example, although two farmers — one in Dieng, East Java, and another in Kabanjahe, North Sumatra — are planning to grow potatoes, the tips they will receive may be different. This is because different geographical locations may have different weather patterns.
Nokia Life Tools are not only for farmers. A user can subscribe to the entertainment and education content, too. A student living in a rural area, who wants to get additional lessons in English because he dreams of studying abroad after high school, can subscribe to English lessons. Or, if preparing for university entrance exams, he or she can subscribe to tutorials in various subjects such as physics, math and chemistry. Those who want the latest information can subscribe to detik.com, the number one online news portal in Indonesia.
Who else besides detik.com has joined the bandwagon? The directorate general of processing and marketing of agricultural products under the ministry of agriculture and Synovate have collaborated to provide planting tips and updated market prices for agricultural commodities, while the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics will provide weather forecasts. PT Balai Pustaka (Persero), ELTI — an established English Course, SSCIntersolusi — a private study aid provider, and Grasindo — a subsidiary of the Kompas-Gramedia Group, are providing educational content.
During the showcase of Nokia Life Tools in Indonesia last week, Nokia also announced five new handsets with built-in support
for the service — Nokia 1280, 1616 1800, 2220 Slide and 2690. These are very affordable handsets with prices starting from US$30 for the simplest model.
Access to Nokia Life Tools is now through the handset menu, but in the future, there will be models
with special shortcut buttons.
Three existing models that already support Nokia Life Tools are the 2323 Classic, the 2330 Classic and the 2700 Classic.
One great feature of these low-cost cell phones is their long battery life. Nokia claims the standby time can be up to 22 days, an important feature in places where electricity is still scarce.
Nokia Life Tools for farmers will first be available to subscribers in Java and Sumatra, while entertainment and education will be accessible nationwide. Of course, more content can be provided if the market wants it.
The messages sent by the service may contain icons, tables and graphical elements. I had some concern they would clutter or even fill up the subscribers’ inbox. It turns out these messages will be collected in a separate folder and be easy to retrieve if the users cannot read them right away.
Many efforts to alleviate the digital gaps between the rural and urban population have been made in the past. The implementation of community telecenters, for example, is aimed at giving farmers the opportunity to get online and share information with fellow farmers.
The beauty of Nokia Life Tools is that no searching is required. The services are accessible anywhere and at any time.

The content is relevant, and the services are easier to use, as the farmers are very likely to be familiar with Nokia’s user interface.

Read More ..

House OKs Century inquiry team

On Tuesday the House of Representatives endorsed an inquiry committee into the Bank Century scandal, with the Golkar Party likely to lead the committee and to emerge as the real winner, politically speaking.

The committee, will have full legal rights to investigate the Rp 6.7 trillion (US$710 million) bailout scandal and call witnesses including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani.

As many as 30 legislators will be involved, with Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, the biggest in the House, having eight legislators in the committee, Golkar six, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) five and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) three.

Now that the committee is endorsed, the next item on its agenda is to fill its leadership position. The Democratic Party is likely to throw its support behind Golkar to chair the committee rather than opening up opportunities for the opposition bloc led by the PDI-P.

Golkar, a late comer in Yudhoyono’s coalition, indicated after the endorsement that the party’s secretary-general Idrus Marham will probably chair the committee.

This possibility became clear after Ruhut Sitompul from the Democratic Party said that his party would have no problem with any of the Golkar candidates for the post of chairman, especially with Idrus Marham, who is Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie’s most trusted aide.

“Pak Idrus is a good capable man to chair the committee,” he said.

A number of experts agreed that Golkar would very likely be given the committee chairman post due to its status as the “middle party” in the House and the understanding by the Democratic Party, accused of possibly receiving Bank Century bailout funds, of resistance against it taking the post of chairman.

“The Democratic Party and the PDI-P are standing on two opposite sides in the committee. Golkar, as another party with significant power, becomes the middle party that is acceptable by the two other parties,” an expert from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Lili Romli, told The Jakarta Post.

Yudhoyono’s coalition in the House, also includes the PKS, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP), and the National Awakening Party (PKB), which would tend to be allied to the Democratic Party.

Experts have said that by letting the chairmanship go to Golkar, the Democratic Party could seek a compromise and push the committee not to summon Yudhoyono or to make any move to endanger the President and his family members, increasing Golkar’s bargaining position vis a vis the government.

Burhanuddin Muhtadi from the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) said that he believed Aburizal would gain most in terms of both political and economic advantages by the end of the day.

“There is the possibility for Golkar to be given more ministerial posts during any reshuffle by President Yudhoyono as a bargain for the party’s crucial position at the committee,” he said.

Burhanuddin doubted, however, that Aburizal had a chance to replace Boediono, who is accused of being responsible for the decision to bail out the bank.

He said that having Idrus in the chairmanship would mean that Aburizal could have major influence in determining the committee’s agenda.

However, a number of legislators from other parties doubted Idrus.

“Who is Idrus Marham? What statement has he ever voiced?,” Desmon Mahesa from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) said.

Mukhammad Misbakhun from the PKS said that he would rather have the committee led by anyone from the PDI-P to maintain its soul.

Read More ..