Project saves energy

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Several midstate school districts are participating in a demonstration project to save energy being coordinated by PPL Electric Utilities, which has joined with Lutron Electronics Co. Inc. of Coopersburg to install a mix of energy-efficient lighting technologies.

Participating schools include Camp Hill High School, the McGowan Building in Carlisle Area School District, Eyer Middle School in East Pennsboro Area School District and Middletown Area High School.

PPL offered school districts the opportunity to run a demonstration project in two classrooms or in a gymnasium.
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The demonstration includes replacing less-efficient light bulbs and fixtures with high-efficiency versions. Classroom systems will include sensors that automatically adjust lighting based on available daylight, ensuring that lights don't draw more power than needed.

Additional sensors will detect when classrooms are occupied and turn lights on or off as appropriate. Teachers will be able to control lighting. Dan Miller, The Patriot- News

Sumber:pennlive.com

Emas Padma Award untuk Star Energy

JAKARTA, RABU - PT Star Energy memperoleh penghargaan medali emas Padma Award karena dinilai memberikan kontribusi bagi pemberdayaan masyarakat di wilayah kerja Blok Kakap, Natuna, Kepulauan Riau.

Wakil Presiden Star Energy, Sanusi Satar, di Jakarta, Rabu (15/10), mengatakan, penghargaan tersebut akan lebih memacu perusahaan dalam melaksanakan pemberdayaan masyarakat ke depan. "Sebagai perusahan yang masih muda di bidang migas, kami bangga atas prestasi ini," katanya.

Program pengembangan masyarakat Star Energy yang meraih emas Padma Award adalah pembuatan virgin coconut oil di sekitar lokasi Blok Kakap.

Padma Award diserahkan Menteri ESDM, Purnomo Yusgiantoro kepada CEO Star Energy Bret Mattes dalam rangkaian Hari Jadi Pertambangan dan Energi di Bandung, Jawa Barat pekan lalu.

Sebelumnya, Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Panas Bumi (PLTP) Wayang Windu yang dikelola Star Energy juga meraih Proper Emas yang merupakan penghargaan tertinggi pengelolaan lingkungan dari Kementerian Negara Lingkungan Hidup.

Padma Award merupakan apresiasi masyarakat pertambangan terhadap perseorangan, kelompok masyarakat, dan perusahaan yang berjasa dalam pengembangan masyarakat di sekitar lokasi tambang. Padma sendiri merupakan singkatan dari Pandu Daya Masyarakat yang artinya menjadi pioner dalam pemberdayaan masyarakat.

Sebanyak 12 persorangan, kelompok masyarakat, dan perusahaan menerima Padma Award kali ini.

Penerima Padma Award selengkapnya untuk kategori perusahaan migas adalah medali emas diraih PT Star Energy, perak PT Medco EP Indonesia Rimau Asset, dan perunggu PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia dan PT Pertamina UP VI Balongan.

Untuk kategori perusahaan energi dan kelistrikan adalah emas PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy Area Lahendong dan kategori perusahaan pertambangan umum yang meraih emas adalah PT Maruwai Coal (BHP Billiton), perak PT Indominco Mandiri, dan perunggu PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara.

Sedang, kategori persorangan yang meraih emas adalah Noorhayati dari Murung Raya, Kalteng, perak M Yunus dari Berau, Kaltim dan kategori lembaga yang meraih emas adalah BMT Al Falah dari Kalsel dan perak Yayasan Masarang dari Sulut.

Penyerahan Padma Award ini merupakan kedua kalinya setelah 2003.

sumber:http://www.kompas.com

EU, India reiterate commitment to cooperate on energy,clean development and climate change

Malaysia Sun
Monday 29th September, 2008
(ANI)

Marseilles (France), Sept.29 : The European Union and India as key strategic partners, have reiterated their joint commitment to urgently address climate change and deepen co-operation in fields relevant to energy, clean development and climate change.

Both India and the EU also said that they attach high priority to the promotion of energy security as a key to stable and sustainable development, besides recognizing the cross-cutting nature of climate change and its impacts. They agreed that urgent actions were necessary to address all aspects of climate change.

Calling on all countries to initiate urgent action to tackle climate change, the urgency of which was confirmed by the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and outlined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), India and the EU said that the fight against climate change is closely linked to the fight against poverty, inequality and exclusion.

They recognized that the efforts undertaken to move towards a low carbon economy must go hand in hand with development and with improving the conditions of the poorest sections of the population. They also stressed on the need to exploit the synergies between the promotion of energy security, improved air quality and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation and mitigation measures to ensure consistency between meeting the ultimate objectives of the UNFCCC and energy policy, and between economic growth and development goals.

In the context of the ongoing negotiations for a post-2012 regime, the EU and India reiterated their determination to reach by 2009 an ambitious and comprehensive agreed outcome, in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsabilities and respective capabilities, to combat climate change within the framework of the UNFCCC.

To that end, they underlined the importance of attaining results in relation to all the components of the Bali Roadmap adopted in December 2007 (e.g. shared vision, mitigation, adaptation, technologies, financing).

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention in Poznan in 2008 will constitute a critical step towards leading ultimately to the success of these negotiations, both said.

Both also agreed on the necessity to adopt a shared vision that includes a long-term objective to address the IPCC's scenarios.

Accordingly, they noted the desire of the G-8 nations to share with all the parties of the UNFCCC the vision of reducing global emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050.

They welcomed the declaration of the Major Economies Meeting, where leaders of the world's major economies, both developed and developing, had committed to combating climate change in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and to confronting the interlinked challenges of sustainable development, including energy and food security, and human health.

In this context, they noted the EU commitment in March 2007 to reduce emissions by at least 20 percent from their 1990 levels by 2020, which would be increased to 30 percent in the context of a comprehensive and ambitious international agreement. They also noted India's National Action Plan on Climate Change, aimed at further enhancing the ecological sustainability of India's development path and adapting to the effects of climate change.

A statement issued by both sides said the EU-India initiative on Clean Development and Climate Change, the EU-India Energy Panel and the EU-India Science and Technology Steering Committee are the relevant fora under which bilateral co-operation can be advanced on these important global issues.

They also decided to adopt concrete activities and practical initiatives mentioned in the following rolling joint work programme on energy, clean development and climate change:

List of Activities

Co-operation on energy

- Work together to advance co-operation on achieving safe, secure, affordable and sustainable energy supplies under the auspices of the India-EU Energy Panel and its Working Groups.

- Intensify discussions, information sharing and co-operation on coal and the full range of clean coal technologies in the EU-India Coal and Clean Coal Technologies Working Groups.

- Promote energy efficiency and energy conservation through the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Co-operation, complemented by bilateral activities as appropriate.

- Conclude negotiations on an agreement for co-operation in the field of Fusion Energy Research.

Facilitate networking of institutions for research and development in the field of renewable energy.

- Identify joint priorities for future research co-operation under the EU's 7th Framework Programme and seek to launch specific co-operation activities in selected fields of research related to energy, environment and climate change including renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, waste-to-energy and research in Clean Coal Technologies (CCT).

Co-operation on climate change

- Organise climate change workshops in areas such as Modelling Mitigation Options, deployment of climate-friendly technologies and on the future of the Clean Development Mechanism.

- Follow-up on a study on monitoring atmospheric and green house gas emissions realised in 2008.

- Establish a pool of expertise under the Action Plan Support Facility to support capacity building in India on climate change issues.


Private Sector Co-operation

- Use the European Business and Technology Centre as a platform for advancing Private Sector and Research Co-operation in the field of climate change including in the key areas of environment, energy and transport.

- Step up joint efforts to mobilise on mutually agreeable terms European Investment Bank funding to support investment projects in India that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and facilitate in particular transfers of technology for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. y Naveen Kapoor

Sumber:http://story.malaysiasun.com

Energy Deals Are Small, but Potential Is Big

Lower energy prices don’t seem to be sparking major energy deals, at least not yet.

On Tuesday, the energy giant BP took a $1.9 billion bite into Chesapeake Energy, a relatively small step that seemed to reaffirm Big Oil’s wariness of high-priced transactions. While energy prices have slid substantially from their record highs hit earlier this year, energy-related assets may still seem a bit too rich for energy companies, a risk-averse bunch, to make a bold move.

But if energy prices continue to descend, these kinds of small deals may lead to bigger ones.

BP’s announcement that it acquired 25 percent of the acreage in a natural gas play from Chesapeake, a small and relatively unknown energy company, is hardly the type of deal one might expect from such an enormous company. The oil majors, which include Exxon, Chevron, Shell, Total and ConocoPhillips as well as BP, would need to make big-ticket acquisitions if they hoped to move the needle and replenish their dwindling reserve base.

Normally, an exploration company like BP would have drilled its way into replacing reserves by finding more oil and gas on the properties it already owns. That is proving increasingly difficult for all oil majors as their fields mature. It is especially hard for BP, whose main producing region, the North Sea, is experiencing steep declines in production after 30 years of drilling.

So it could make sense for BP to go on a spending spree to replace its reserves and ensure future production. But with natural gas prices still high relative to historic averages, that’s a risky strategy.

In the meantime, some oil giants, like BP, appear to be using small acquisitions as a kind of option on some promising natural gas fields in the United States.

BP has bought small stakes in many of the major “unconventional” natural gas fields in the United States. By setting up shop in these regions and establishing a working relationship with the small companies that own the land, BP could be positioning itself to take over completely when (or if) prices drop and the small companies find they can no longer afford to operate those expensive fields.

The hope seems to be that an oil major’s scale as well as its cost and technological advantages over the smaller players will help it turn a profit if natural gas prices drop substantially.

Of course, prices could drop to levels where even the oil majors will find it hard to squeeze out a profit.

Most of the untapped natural gas fields in the United States are so-called unconventional fields, which are more expensive to operate than conventional fields. If demand and prices for natural gas fall hard, then these fields will be far out of the money.

For a company the size of BP, though, a nearly $2 billion option to gain a foothold in one of the last frontiers in American energy production might seem a cheap way to eventually become the dominant player in the region.

Sumber :http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com

Inilah "Blue Energy" Sesungguhnya

Oleh Awang Riyadi

Lautan Energi
energiterbarukan.net - Ditengah permasalahan energi di Indonesia, “blue energy” yang dikembangkan Joko Suprapto menjadi harapan sebagai solusi alternatif. Konon blue energy berasal dari air laut. Sayangnya, “Bali Magic Fuel” –sebutan Reuters untuk Minyak Indonesia Bersatu yang dipamerkan di konferensi perubahan iklim di Bali– penuh dengan misteri sehingga tak pelak kontroversi-pun merebak. Namun, tak sepenuhnya misteri jika kita bicara tentang energi dari lautan, karena telah banyak negara yang mengembangkannya, termasuk Indonesia. Lautan inilah blue energy yang sesungguhnya.

Laut, Gudang energi
Indonesia adalah negara maritim terbesar di dunia dengan dua per tiga luas wilayah atau sekitar 5,8 juta km2 berupa lautan terdiri dari sekitar 17.504 pulau yang dikelilingi oleh garis pantai sepanjang 81.000 km.

Laut bukanlah hanya sekedar air asin yang menjadi habitat beragam kekayaan hayati, namun ini adalah lautan energi. Air laut, dinamika air laut dan ruang diatas laut memiliki potensi energi luar biasa. Tidak seperti blue energy hasil inovasi Joko Suprapto yang mengklaim menggunakan “teknologi mata hati”, potensi energi samudera kita dapat dipanen dengan teknologi yang dapat dipertanggungjawabkan secara ilmiah dan telah terbukti aplikasinya.

Energi Kimia Air Laut
Yang pertama adalah potensi energi dalam struktur kimia air laut. Air laut terdiri dari ion-ion seperti Na+ dan Cl- yang menjadikan laut seperti baterai raksasa. Prinsipnya sederhana seperti halnya aki/baterai, air laut sebagai elektrolit masuk ke dalam tabung. Dengan memasukkan anoda dan katoda dari bahan tertentu dihasilkan reaksi yang menimbulkan tegangan.

J.R. Pahlano DAUD (Harian Komentar, 2005) menjelaskan sebuah percobaan sederhana, dua liter air laut sebagai elektrolit dialirkan ke rangkaian Grafit (anoda) dan Seng atau Zn (katoda) mampu menghasilkan tegangan 1,6 volt. Bahkan dengan air laut 400 liter, dan accu (aki) bekas 12 volt mampu menghasilkan 9,2-11,8 volt.

Berikutnya adalah energi akibat adanya perbedaan salinitas (tingkat kadar garam). Pada kondisi beda salinitas, berlaku prinsip termodinamika. Dua larutan dengan konsentrasi berbeda pada suhu tetap akan melepas sejumlah energi.

Muara sungai adalah lokasi terbaik. Di muara terjadi pertemuan antara air tawar dan air asin dengan perbedaan salinitas yang besar. Menurut Pahlano, secara teoritis percampuran antara 1 m3 air tawar dengan 1m3 air laut dapat melepas energi sebesar 2,24 MW. Sungai dengan debit sebesar 57 ribu m3/detik secara teoritis dapat menghasilkan 128 ribu MW. Jika hanya 10 persen dari aliran tersebut dimanfaatkan, maka dapat dipanen energi sebesar 1,28 MW.

Berikutnya adalah hidrogen (fuel cel) yang dapat di hasilkan dari elektrolisis H2O (komponen utama air laut). Sampai saat ini teknologi pemisahan Hidrogen dari air masih mahal dan membutuhkan energi yang besar. Hidrogen sendiri sebagai bahan bakar telah terbukti dan sangat bersih. Salah satu alternatif produksi hydrogen dari air laut adalah dengan memanfaatkan energi lainnya (energi matahari, energi gelombang, energi angin) yang juga dibangkitkan dari laut.

Energi Gerakan Dinamis Air Laut
Energi selanjutnya memanfaatkan dinamika gerakan air laut yaitu gelombang, pasang surut dan arus laut. Gelombang merupakan gerakan permukaan air laut akibat hembusan angina. Pasang surut air laut adalah gerakan naik turunnya permukaan air laut sebagai akibat gaya gravitasi bulan. Dan terakhir, arus laut adalah aliran air laut yang terjadi karena perbedaan suhu antar lautan, arus dengan kecepatan besar biasanya di selat.

Gelombang laut dapat dikonversi menjadi energi listrik dengan mengubah gerakan relatif naik turun permukaan laut menjadi gerakan untuk memutar turbin. Menurut Electric Power Research Institute, daerah samudera Indonesia sepanjang pantai selatan Jawa sampai Nusa Tenggara adalah lokasi yang memiliki potensi energi gelombang cukup besar berkisar antara 10 – 20 kW per meter gelombang. Bahkan beberapa penelitian menyimpulkan di beberapa titik bisa mencapai 70 kW/m.

Di luar negeri teknologi ini sudah mencapai tahap komersialisasi. Australia, Scotlandia, Amerika Serikat, Inggris, Jepang, Finlandia, dan Belanda adalah negara-negara yang serius mengembangkan teknologi konversi energi gelombang.

Bagaimana Indonesia? Pada tahun 2003, Zamrisyaf seorang karyawan PLN telah membuat Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Gelombang (PLTGL) di bibir pantai padang dengan daya tiga kilowatt mampu menerangi 20 rumah di desa nelayan. Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi (BPPT) juga telah mengembangkan PLTGL di pantai Parangracuk, Baron, DIY dan berhasil memperoleh daya sebesar 522 watt.

Pada tahun 2005, di di Pantai Tanjung Karang, Mataram, empat anak muda alumni beberapa universitas di Makassar dan Malang berhasil membuat PLTGL. Di Surabaya, Arief Suroso, seorang mahasiswa ITS Surabaya melakukan penelitian peningkatan daya pada sistem konversi energi gelombang laut jenis cavity resonator. Modifikasi bentuk tabung silinder yang dilakukan berhasil meningkatkan daya rata-rata sekitar 90%!

Potensi berikutnya adalah energi pasang surut. Di Indonesia daerah yang potensial adalah sebagian Pulau Sumatera, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Kalimantan Barat, Papua, dan pantai selatan Pulau Jawa, karena pasang surutnya bisa mencapai enam meter. Untuk yang satu ini Indonesia masih ketinggalan. Perancis, Rusia dan Australia tercatat sebagai negara pioneer yang telah berhasil.

Pemanfaatan energi arus laut telah dirintis oleh Kementerian Ristek. Dibawah koordinasi Ristek, Indonesia menjalin kerjasama dengan Italy dan UNIDO dalam transfer teknologi pemanfaatan energi arus laut (Marine Current Energy/MCE) dengan konstruksi KOBOLD. Kerjasama ini ditandatangani akhir Mei 2006 di Jakarta. Prototype KOBOLD yang berada di Messina-Sicilia-Italy saat ini, dapat menghasilkan energi listrik sampai 300 KW.

Energi Perbedaan Panas
Perbedaan suhu air laut permukaan dengan suhu air pada kedalaman 1 km minimal 20 derajat celcius. Perbedaan suhu ini dapat dikonversi menjadi energi dengan siklus Rankine. Pemanfaatan energi ini dikenal juga dengan Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). Prinsipnya cukup sederhana, fluida akan mengalir jika terjadi perbedaan suhu, dan aliran ini dimanfaatkan menggerakkan turbin.

Terletak di daerah tropis, Indonesia sangat cocok memanfaatkan teknologi ini. Lokasi ideal pada daerah antara 6- 9° lintang selatan dan 104-109° bujur timur. Di lokasi ini pada jarak kurang dari 20 km dari pantai didapatkan suhu rata-rata permukaan laut di atas 28°C dengan perbedaan suhu permukaan dan kedalaman laut (1.000 m) sebesar 22,8°C. Menurut Harsono Soepardjo (Kompas, 2003), potensi termal mencapai 2,5 x 1023 joule. Ilustrasi sederhana, jika efisiensi konversi energi panas laut sebesar tiga persen maka Indonesia dapat memanen daya sekitar 240.000 MW.

Perkembangan teknologi konversi energi panas laut di Indonesia baru pada tahap penelitian. Sebuah pilot plant dengan jenis konversi energi panas laut landasan darat dan dengan kapasitas 100 kW dibangun di Bali Utara. Negara-negara yang telah lama mengembangkan teknologi ini antara lain Jepang di kepulauan Nauru dan Amerika di Hawaii dengan kapasitas daya mencapai 1 MW.

Potensi Energi di Atas Permukaan
Permukaan laut yang luas tanpa penghalang dan hembusan angin yang kuat merupakan potensi yang baik bagi pemanfaatan energi surya dan angin. Untuk berladang energi di permukaan laut, Indonesia masih tertinggal jauh.

Negara-negara eropa, Amerika dan Jepang telah lama memanfaatkan ruang di permukaan laut sebagai lokasi pembangkit listrik tenaga angin dan matahari. Sedangkan di Indonesia pemanfaatannya masih terbatas untuk sirkulasi air di kerambah/tambak dengan menggunakan kincir angin.

Berkah Dalam Kesulitan
Naiknya harga minyak sampai 141 US$ saat ini adalah berkah tersendiri bagi pengembangan ”blue energy”. Pemanfaatan potensi energi non fosil selama ini terkendala daya saing ekonomis yang rendah terhadap energi fosil. Apalagi dengan adanya mekanisme subsidi, sulit bagi energi non konvensional untuk bersaing.

Momentum “krisis” harga energi fosil seharusnya dapat dimanfaatkan untuk mulai berkomitmen mengembangkan energi alternatif secara sungguh-sungguh. Sejarah mencatat, Brazil berhasil mengembangkan bioethanol dan menjadi produsen terbesar dunia dengan biaya yang rendah. Brazil yang sangat tergantung minyak impor, pada tahun 1970-an memanfaatkan momentum krisis minyak dunia untuk mengembangkan secara serius bahan bakar alternatif, bioethanol.

Walaupun demikian, akal sehat tetap harus dikedepankan. Jangan sampai kebingungan mengarahkan pada solusi-solusi irasional. Sebut saja sebagai contoh, kasus pencarian harta karun di situs batu tulis bogor untuk menutup hutang luar negeri. Atau fenomena Ahmad Zaini Suparta yang mengklaim memiliki ribuan trilliun rupiah. Dan terakhir tentunya fenomena kontroversi ”blue energy” dari air laut dengan ”teknologi mata hati”.

Alih-alih menghabiskan energi dan waktu dalam kontroversi ”the Bali Magic Fuel”/Minyak Indonesia Bersatu/atau apalah namanya...., toh sejarah akan membuktikan dengan sendirinya. Lebih baik kita rasional saja. Mari kita kembangkan energi dari lautan, inilah ”blue energy” sesungguhnya....

-Awang Riyadi-
Sumber:http://www.energiterbarukan.net

Apa Itu Bio Energy Power ?

Bio Energy Power adalah kombinasi OLAH ENERGI & OLAH GERAK yang khusus dirancang berdasarkan teori medis dengan tujuan membangkitkan / mengoptimalkan kemampuan tubuh dalam mengobati diri sendiri baik fisik maupun psikis yang oleh dunia kedokteran disebut Autotherapy.

Olah energi Bio Energy Power akan melipatgandakan besaran energi di dalam tubuh kita, sedangkan olah gerak Bio Energy Power akan memposisikan energi yang besar tersebut di bagian – bagian tubuh tertentu yang pada akhirnya membangkitkan kemampuan autotherapy.

Bio Energy Power tidak hanya baik untuk diilakukan oleh mereka yang sehat, akan tetapi sangat baik untuk dilakukan oleh mereka yang sedang sakit, karena: Bio Energy Power sinergis dan sangat mendukung pengobatan medis.
Pola hidup sebagai sumber penyakit

Selain faktor genetik, pola hidup adalah penyebab utama kita sakit. Adapun yang dimaksud dengan pola hidup adalah terdiri dari :

1. POLA PIKIR.
2. POLA MAKAN & MINUM.
3. POLA NAPAS.

POLA PIKIR.
Pola pikir yang negatif memiliki andil terbesar yang menyebabkan kita sakit, karena dengan pola pikir yang negatif maka energi yang dipakai menjadi sangat besar sehingga kebutuhan organ akan energi tidak tercukupi, dan pada akhirnya akan menyebabkan organ tubuh kita bekerja dengan beban yang sangat berat.
Banyak buku yang beredar dan hampir semua buku tentang pola pikir mengajarkan kita untuk berpikir postif (positive thinking), bahkan ada juga buku yang mengajarkan kita untuk memanfaatkan kekuatan berpikir positif dalam meraih keberhasilan.
Saya berpendapat pola pikir positif saja tidaklah cukup untuk saat ini, dimana selain pola pikir yang positif kitapun dituntut untuk mampu membatasi pola pikir kita agar kita tidak terjerumus ke hari esok yang masih menjadi rahasia Tuhan dan hari kemarin yang sudah menjadi urusan Tuhan.

• Berdosalah manusia yang pada hari ini hidupnya memikirkan hari esok.
• Merugilah manusia yang pada hari ini hidupnya memikirkan hari kemaren.
• Berbahagialah manusia yang pada hari ini mampu mensyukuri nik’mat dari
Tuhan dan memanfaatkan hari ini dengan sebaik – baiknya.
Cara mudah agar kita mampu mensyukuri nik’mat Tuhan dan memanfaatkan hari ini dengan sebaik – baiknya adalah :
PLAN YOUR WORK & WORK YOUR PLAN
Rencanakan segala aktifitas kita hari ini & kerjakan rencana kita hari ini sebaik – baiknya, kita tidak hanya akan tambah sehat, tapi juga akan bertambah bahagia.
CATATAN :
Rencana hanya bisa dinamakan rencana apabila kita menulisnya di atas kertas, adapun rencana yang kita simpan di pikiran kita bukanlah rencana tapi hanyalah angan – angan.

POLA MAKAN.
Pola makan mencakup 3 (tiga) hal, yaitu :
1. Apa yang kita makan.
2. Kapan kita makan.
3. Bagaimana cara kita makan.

1. APA YANG KITA MAKAN.
Pedoman makanan apa yang baik untuk kita makan adalah yang memenuhi kriteria 4 sehat 5 sempurna. Pada dasarnya tidak ada makanan yang perlu dipantang (terkecuali babi bagi orang Muslim), yang harus dihindari adalah TERLALU (terlalu banyak / terlalu sedikit), jadi makanlah untuk hidup (secukupnya) jangan hidup untuk makan (berlebihan).
2. KAPAN KITA MAKAN.
Frekuensi makan yang terbaik adalah 2 kali dalam sehari, dan waktu yang baik adalah pada pagi & sore hari. Dianjurkan, di pagi hari antara jam 09.00 - 10.00 kita MAKAN (bukan sarapan) secukupnya agar kebutuhan kalori untuk beraktifitas di siang hari dapat dipenuhi dengan baik. Sore hari kita makan lagi antara jam 16.00 - 18.00. Usahakan, jam 18.00 adalah waktu terakhir kita makan.
Dengan waktu makan terakhir kita di sore hari akan memungkinkan makanan dicerna dengan sempurna oleh tubuh kita, sehingga pada saat kita tidur kerja lambung kita tidak membebani proses recovery, sehingga proses recovery akan menjadi lebih sempurna dan tidak akan terjadi penimbunan lemak di perut kita.
Seandainya diantara atau diluar 2 waktu makan tersebut kita merasa lapar, dianjurkan untuk mengkonsumsi buah buahan yang mudah dicerna, seperti, semangka. apel, pepaya dan lain lain
3. BAGAIMANA CARA MAKAN.
Masih ingatkah kita, sewaktu kecil kita diharuskan menelan makanan setelah kita mengunyahnya minimal 30 kali ?
Ternyata alasan orang tua kita menyuruh kita mengunyah makanan minimal 30 kali adalah sbb :
Semakin lembut kita kunyah makanan kita sebelum kita telan, maka akan semakin ringan beban kerja lambung kita dan semakin baik pula kerja enzime di dalam lambung dalam membuang zat - zat yang tidak berguna/berlebihan bagi tubuh kita.
Suatu kenyataan, saat ini kita hanya mampu bertahan mengunyah makanan kita hanya sampai maksimal 10 kali kunyah dan sudah langsung kita telan, dan ini menyebabkan lambung bekerja dgn berat dan kemampuan enzime dalam memilah milah zat yang berguna bagi tubuh kita menjadi kurang sempurna.

POLA MINUM.
Pada dasarnya 70% dari berat badan kita adalah cairan yang berfungsi sebagai pengantar zat - zat yang berguna keseluruh tubuh kita, kekurangan cairan (dehidrasi) akan sangat berbahaya dan dapat merusak organ tubuh kita. Air berfungsi juga sebagai media pembuangan racun dari dalam tubuh (berupa urine, keringat) dimana melalui urine dan keringat, limbah dari tubuh kita dibuang.
Air yang sangat baik untuk kita minum adalah air biasa yang telah kita rebus (bukan air es dan bukan pula air panas), dengan pola minum yang terbaik adalah sebagai berikut :
1. Pagi sesaat kita bangun tidur, sebelum kita kekamar mandi minum 2 gelas.
2. Pagi sebelum kita makan pagi minum 1 gelas.
3. Siang sampai sore sebelum kita makan usahakan kita minum minimal 4 gelas.
4. Sesaat setelah kita makan sore minum 1 gelas.
5. Malam jauh sebelum kita tidur minum 1 gelas .
6. Sebelum kita tidur minum 1 gelas.
Latihan Bio Energy Power disertai pola makan dan minum seperti tersebut diatas akan membuat anda tidak akan mudah merasa lelah, tidak mudah sakit dan bahkan sembuh dari sakit yang sedang diderita.
Pola makan & minum seperti tersebut diatas bagi sebagaian orang pada awalnya akan terasa menyiksa (pagi mencret, dan tidur malam terganggu karena buang air kecil) tapi percayalah gangguan tersebut tidak akan lebih dari seminggu dan selanjutnya anda akan terkejut atas KESEMPURNAAN KITA sebagai mahluk ciptaan TUHAN.

POLA NAPAS.
Pola napas yang baik tidak hanya mampu melipat gandakan produksi energi didalam tubuh kita, tetapi bila disertai gerakan (jurus – jurus) yang tepat, maka energi yang besar tersebut akan memiliki efek pengobatan atau mampu meningkatkan kemampuan tubuh dalam mengobati dirinya sendiri (AUTOTHERAPY), selain manfaat– manfaat lainya.
Bagi paktisi Bio Energy Power, selain latihan jurus dengan rutin, lakukan pernapasan Bio Energy Power sesering mungkin, sedang apapun kegiatan kita. ( sedan bekerja di computer, sedang mengemudi dll ).
Bagi mereka yang belum menjadi praktisi Bio Ennergy Power untuk mengetahui POLA NAPAS yang baik, mari bergabung bersama kami menjadi praktisi Bio Energy Power

sumber:www.bioenergypower.com

Indonesia: Work weekends to save energy

By NINIEK KARMINI
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesian manufacturers are being told to move some of their production work to the weekends as part of a new energy-saving plan, the government announced Thursday, as the capital prepared for two weeks of blackouts because of power shortages.

The government decree aims to increase the amount of power available for commercial centers around Java island, where chronic outages have hurt production and led to protests by Japanese companies, which say they have lost millions of dollars.

Electricity consumption declines on weekends because most offices and other businesses are closed, said the secretary general of the Industry Ministry, Agus Tjahjana. The regulation, which goes into effect in October, will not affect industries that operate 24 hours a day, such as petrochemical companies, he said.

The measure will save energy because utility companies are less efficient at generating electricity at peak demand.

Manufacturers that do not comply could face temporary power cuts, Tjahjana said.

Parts of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country with 235 million people, regularly experience blackouts, usually because electricity demand outweighs supply.

There will be forced power cuts in the capital, Jakarta, and in the nearby industrial city of Tangerang over the next two weeks due to a disruption in gas supplies to two plants that provide electricity for the region.

Business associations, including the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and other ministries are backing the decree in the hope that current planned blackouts will cease.

The government said the decree is to be signed at the end of July.

The planned work schedule changes could involve about 20 million people.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

sumber:www.cnbc.com

Tips Hemat Energi

1. AC
Manfaatkan fitur night set back atau economy mode saat tidur. Fitur ini akan meringankan kerja C secara perlahan tanpa mengurangi kenyamanan dan lebih hemat listrik. Bisa juga dengan mengatur waktu operasi AC, dan AC akan berhenti bekerja pada waktu yang telah diatur di mana suhu kamar pun sudah cukup dingin untuk memberi kenyamanan saat tidur.
Mengatur temperatur agar tidak terlalu dingin. Hal ini akan mengurangi pemakaian listrik karena kerja AC menjadi lebih ringan.

Aturlah fan operation mode pada setting auto. Dengan demikian, jika suhu yang diinginkan sudah tercapai, maka secara otomatis akan mengurangi kerja fan. Jika diatur pada posisi high, akan menyebabkan AC bekerja dengan kecepatan tinggi sepanjang waktu.
Pastikan instalasi AC dalam posisi benar dan baik. Pasalnya, kesalahan instalasi dapat menyebabkan pemborosan energi dan kerja AC menjadi tidak maksimal.
AC dicuci minimal 3 bulan sekali agar tidak bau dan mengurangi terjadinya korosi. Apabila korosi terjadi di bagian evaporator, maka proses pendinginan tidak berjalan sempurna dan ujung-ujungnya akan membutuhkan energi yang lebih banyak sehingga semakin boros.

2. Microwave
Gunakan semacam stabilizer untuk proses on dan off dibandingkan menghubungkan serta mencabut kabel secara langsung. Hal tersebut berpengaruh langsung pada kondisi microwave, di mana berdasarkan pengujian yang telah dilakukan, apabila menggunakan stabilizer akan lebih menjadikan microwave lebih tahan lama.

3. Kulkas
Hindari membuka-tutup lemari es terlalu sering agar udara dingin tidak keluar. Jika udara dingin keluar, kompresor akan bekerja keras lagi untuk menghasilkan suhu yang diinginkan dan hal ini membutuhkan energi yang juga besar.
Jangan mengisi lemari es terlalu banyak, karena akan menghambat proses pendinginan. Kompresor pun perlu bekerja keras untuk mendapatkan suhu normal.

5. Lampu
Matikan lampu saat tidak digunakan.
Gunakan lampu hemat energi.

4. Kabel listrik
Mencabut kabel listrik dari saklar. Walaupun perangkat sudah dimatikan, jika kabel masih tersambung maka akan terus dalam kondisi stand by, sehingga sama halnya dengan mengonsumsi listrik. Hal ini berlaku untuk perangkat TV, microwave, blender, dll.

SUMBER: http://kumpulantipspilihan.blogspot.com

Contingency Plans in Place to Cushion Oil Shock

We cannot overestimate the importance of energy, especially as 96 percent of South Korea's energy supply comes from imports. As crude oil prices approach $150 per barrel, the government announced a series of energy conservation measures Sunday. The steps include compelling civil servants to refrain from diving their vehicles every other day from July 15.

It is timely to initiate the first of four stages of contingency plans, which were originally to take effect after oil prices exceed $150 per barrel. Last week, the price of Dubai crude, the main source of South Korea's oil imports, hit a record high of $140.70 per barrel, a two-fold increase from last year's average price. The government recognizes that the country has virtually entered a third oil shock.

Announcing the energy saving measures, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo said that the central and local governments and the public sector will take the lead in cushioning the oil shock. One of the steps is to make a 30-percent cut in the use of automobiles owned by the state, provincial and municipal authorities and public agencies. The measures also call for half of 15,300 public-owned vehicles to be replaced by smaller fuel-effective ones, or hybrid models alternatively using electricity and gasoline or diesel, by 2012.

The Lee Myung-bak administration is heading in the right direction for early activation of the energy conservation packages in order to head off the looming oil crisis. It seems to be only a matter of time before oil prices will enter the uncharted territory of $150 per barrel. If the prices continue their upward march, they might breach the $170-level by the end of this year. In this case, the government plans to set in motion the second stage of its contingency plans.

The government recommended the private sector take voluntary energy conservation steps. The voluntary action includes no driving of privately-owned vehicles once a week, expansion of car pools for commuters, early closing hours of entertainment facilities and refraining from lighting neon signs. However, policymakers will turn these recommendations into mandatory ones if oil sees further price hikes.

What's more important is that businesses and households should double their efforts to save energy because they account for approximately 96 percent of the nation's total energy consumption. Companies and households are required to follow minimum air-conditioning temperatures set at 26 degrees Celsius in summertime with maximum room temperatures not to exceed 20 degrees in wintertime. It is disappointing that the operation of private vehicles shows little sign of abating despite skyrocketing fuel prices.

South Korea is one of the world's top 10 energy-consuming countries. Furthermore, it is accused of low energy efficiency. That is, Koreans are wasting energy. Regrettably, the country has failed to take sufficient measures to boost the efficient use of energy since the first and second oil shock. First of all, it has to establish an energy-efficient economic structure so that the government, businesses and households can ride out the third oil shock.

Also, the country ought to concentrate on tapping renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. It should spare no efforts to strengthen diplomacy to secure a stable energy supply. It is tim
Sumber :www.koreatimes.co.kr

Top Tips — Easy Actions to Save Energy

Action 1: Install low energy light bulbs.

Identify the rooms in your community building (wherever your group, club or society meets), that use most energy and install low energy light bulbs in them. Begin replacing the other inefficient bulbs with low energy ones when they expire.

Benefit: Energy efficient light bulbs last 12 times longer (up to 8 years!) and each can save you up to £10 a year. Community groups and clubs can save £100s a year this way.

Information: See what energy efficient bulbs are available at your local DIY store.



Action 2: Appoint an energy ‘champion’.

Appoint an energy champion in your group, club or society to remind people who use the building to turn off lights when rooms are not being used and switch off any computers, printers, kettles and photocopiers. Leaving equipment on standby still uses about two thirds of the energy it uses when turned on!

Benefit: Britons waste the equivalent of two power stations worth of electricity each year by leaving gadgets on standby. Gadgets left on standby or left on charge squander over £740 million worth of energy and result in over four million tonnes of excess carbon dioxide each year. This makes a significant contribution to climate change.

Information: Find your local energy advice centre and ask them for energy saving ideas and features for your community group. Find your local energy advice centre.



Action 3: Hold an awareness session.

Hold an energy awareness meeting, quiz or fun-day and invite wider members of your group/club plus friends and families. Invite a speaker from your local energy advice centre or your local council's energy team to come and talk to your group about what more can be done.

Benefit: If everyone boiled only the water they needed to make a cup of tea instead of filling the kettle every time, we could save enough electricity to run practically all the street lighting in the country.

Our pollution from using energy is changing our climate. The ten warmest years on record have all been since 1990. 1995 saw the hottest days in 225 years of daily measurements!

Information: Find your local energy advice centre and ask them for energy saving ideas and features for your community group. Find your local energy advice centre.
Contact your local council’s energy officer. Find your council.

Your local council's energy efficiency officer or your building's energy supplier might be able to help with energy efficiency posters or freebies.




Action 4: Discuss alternative energy options for your community building.

Create a special display, poster or newsletter for your members to tell everyone about the exciting ways you could make your own free energy by installing a solar panel or mini wind turbine on the roof of your community building or meeting place.

Benefit: Installing a solar electricity panel on the roof will save eight tonnes of carbon dioxide pollution over its lifetime. That’s enough to fill 48 double-decker buses!

Information: Solar panels or mini wind turbines provide you with free energy once they are paid for and could even raise money for your group or club by selling spare energy to energy companies.

Remember you need to ask permission from whoever owns your community building or meeting place.

For information about grants for solar panels, mini wind turbines and other green energy equipment, look up the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Find out more about green energy equipment for your building, from the Energy Saving Trust.



Action 5: Turn hot water thermostats down.

Check that thermostats for hot water in your community building or meeting place are turned down to a comfortable temperature.

Benefit: The Health and Safety Executive recommend that buildings used by children and vulnerable people should heat water for hand washing to a temperature of 41º. So as well as saving money this action is also a safety consideration.

Information: Find your local energy advice centre and ask them for energy saving ideas and features for your community group. Find your local energy advice centre.




Action 6: Turn heating thermostats down.

Check that thermostats for heating your community building or meeting place are sited out of draughts, are away from either hot or cold spots and turned down to below 21º.

Benefit: Turning a thermostat down by 1º could save you up to 6% on your community building’s heating bills.

Information: Find your local energy advice centre and ask them for energy saving ideas and features for your community group. Find your local energy advice centre.




Action 7: Keep radiators clear.

Keep radiators in your community building or meeting place clear - don't block them with furniture.

Benefit: Blocking radiators will reduce efficiency and increase your heating bills.

Information: Find your local energy advice centre and ask them for energy saving ideas and features for your community group. Find your local energy advice centre.






Action 8: Put reflective panels behind radiators.
Put reflective panels behind the radiators which are on outside walls — this will reduce heat loss.

Benefit: The cost of fitting reflective foil behind radiators will pay for itself in a year.

Information: See what is available at your local DIY store

Back to top
Action 9: Insulating your hot water tank
Put an insulating jacket around the hot water tank in your community building.

Benefit: Fitting a thick hot water tank jacket can cut heat loss by up to 75% from your hot water tank. An insulating jacket will pay for itself in a year and will save you money!

Information: Insulating jackets for hot water tanks are available from most DIY stores.

If you already have a jacket which is less than 75mm thick, fit another one around it or replace it completely.




Action 10: Eliminate draughts
If your community building or meeting place has extremely draughty and poorly fitted single glazed windows or doors draught proof them with insulation strips. (If you have an open fire, gas fire or boiler with a flue in the room you need to keep ventilation open so get expert advice first.)

Benefit: This is a inexpensive way to reduce the energy bills of your community building / meeting place.

Information:

* See what is available at your local DIY store.
* Find out more at the Energy Saving Trust's website.
* The Draught Proofing Association can help you find a trained installer.




Action 11: Install secondary double-glazing.

If your community building or meeting place has extremely draughty and poorly fitted single glazed windows and your community group, club or society can afford it, install light weight secondary double-glazing.

Benefit: Secondary double-glazing is cheaper to install than replacement windows and still helps save energy.

Information: You will need permission from whoever owns your community building or meeting place.

Your local DIY stores should have secondary glazing kits. Secondary glazing is generally cheaper than fitting replacement windows. You can buy DIY kits with either aluminium or plastic frames fitted with draught proofing strips. You can choose hinged or sliding panes, which are easy to open, close and clean.

Find your local energy advice centre and ask them for energy saving ideas and features for your community group. Find your local energy advice centre.
Back to top
Action 12: Make your own free, clean and green energy.

Make your own free electricity and hot water by installing green energy equipment such as a solar panel or a mini wind turbine on your community building / meeting place. Grants are available from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme or you could hold a special fund-raising event.

Benefit: Installing a roof-top mini wind turbine will save around one tonne of carbon dioxide pollution per year or 20 tonnes over its lifetime. That's enough to fill 120 double decker buses!

Information: Solar panels or mini wind turbines provide you with free energy once they are paid for and could even raise money for your group or club by selling spare energy to energy companies.

Remember you need to ask permission from whoever owns your community building or meeting place.

For information about solar panels, mini wind turbines and grants for these and other green energy equipment, look up the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Why not have a raffle or sponsored event to raise money for your group or club's very own solar panel or mini wind turbine?




Action 13: Work out how much CO2 your building produces.

Use your community building's gas and electricity bills to work out how much carbon dioxide pollution your community building or meeting place is producing and set a target to reduce your energy bills! It's easy to do.

Benefit: Carbon dioxide pollution causes climate change. Every unit or kilowatt hour (kwh) of electricity on your community building's bill produces 430 grammes of carbon dioxide pollution. That's enough to fill 43 party balloons!

Information: Just look up your energy bills for the last quarter or the last year and get yourself a calculator.

Multiply the total number of units (or kwhs) of electricity used by 430. The answer will tell you the total number of grammes of carbon dioxide pollution. Divide the answer by 1,000,000 to get the number of tonnes of carbon dioxide.

For gas, multiply the total number of gas units used (or kwhs) by 190. This will tell you the total number of grammes of carbon dioxide pollution. Divide the answer by 1,000,000 to get the number of tonnes of carbon dioxide.

What do your results mean?

Every tonne (1 million grammes) of carbon dioxide can fill six double decker buses or one hot air balloon measuring 10 metres wide!
Report back the results to your group or club.



Action 14: Soak up and balance out your building's CO2.

Decide as a group, club or society to buy energy saving equipment which can soak up or just balance out the same amount of carbon dioxide pollution caused by your community building's use of electricity or gas (if your building is not already on a green energy tariff)

Benefit: Some figures suggest that planting 15 small tree saplings will soak up 1 tonne of carbon dioxide as they grow over their lifetime (100 years). That makes up for enough carbon dioxide pollution to fill six double decker buses.

Information: Don't forget, saving energy in the first place is better than soaking up or balancing out the carbon dioxide pollution which has already been made.

Make up for your energy bill's carbon dioxide pollution with these green items:

* Swapping a normal 100 watt light bulb with a 20 watt energy saving light bulb will save around 270 grammes of carbon dioxide over its lifetime (8 years) but will produce the same amount of light.
* Some figures suggest that planting 15 small tree saplings locally will soak up 1 tonne of carbon dioxide as they grow over their lifetime (100 years). It could also make your area cleaner and greener.
* Installing a solar electricity panel on your roof will save 8 tonnes (8,000,000 grammes) of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
* Installing a roof-top mini wind turbine will save around 1 tonne (1,000,000 grammes) of carbon dioxide per year or 20 tonnes over its lifetime.

For information about solar panels, mini wind turbines and grants for these and other green energy equipment, look up the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

You can find energy saving light bulbs at your local DIY store.

Find native tree saplings at your local garden centre or go to Tree Appeal to buy trees which are planted elsewhere on your group or club’s behalf.

by:www.everyactioncounts.org.uk

Sunjoy is eco-friendly and energy-efficient, and it is safe and beneficial to health

Sunjoy Heating System is a state-of-the-art heating system that employs the same method as that employed by sunlight, which travels through space in a vacuum and heats the earth. Although the surface temperature of its heating plates is about 95ºC, it is safe. In fact, one can touch the plates with one's bare hand without being burned. Its coil-less, solid-state style and zero-inductance substance enable it not to emit any electronic wave, which is harmful to the human body.

Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System is semi-permanent, light, and easy to install. The material that was used for its exterior design is comparable to all high-end finishing materials for ceilings.
Over 93% of far-infrared radiant heat is absorbed deep into the human body, heating up over 70% of the water in the body. This heightens the body's physiological action and increases the body's temperature, thus making one feel warmer even when the heating system has been set at 3 or 4ºC, lower than in the other existing heating systems.






Sunjoy's heating plates contain a ceramic material, and the far-infrared rays emitted from this ceramic material improve the blood flow. This is believed to be closely related to people's health and work efficiency. In fact, a test result shows that a plant in a room where this product has been installed has a much longer life span and much better health than another plant, which has been placed in a room equipped with the regular heating system (based on heat conduction or air circulation).
1. The radiation scope of far-infrared rays is 4-20 μm. Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System radiates far-infrared rays at a high efficient ratio (93.5%), between 4 and 14 μm. (Tested by KETI)

2. Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System generates heat by delivering radiant heat deep into the human skin, as if you were sunbathing. In other words, there is an effective temperature difference between one who is on a sunny spot and another who is on a dark spot.

3. Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System saves about 50% of the energy that the existing electric heating systems consume, and about 70% of the energy that the existing oil heating systems consume. It is a certified high-efficiency energy device.

4. Unlike heating systems that are based on air circulation or heat conduction, Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System delivers heat to every corner of a room.

5. It does not create noise, dirt, or vibration. Nor does it produce harmful gases or electronic waves.

6. Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System does not cause a lack of humidity or oxygen.

7. The installation costs that shall be incurred by Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System are reasonable, and no additional maintenance or repair costs shall be incurred.

8. Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System is semi-permanent.

9. WIth silver nano and negative ions, Sunjoy Radiant-Heating System creates optimum living conditions.

Sumber: http://www.sunjoy.co.kr

Flashdisc yang Bisa Simpan Energi - Desain Mahasiswa Teknik Industri Ubaya

Tuntutan hemat energi di saat semakin tingginya harga bahan bakar minyak (BBM) direspons mahasiswa Universitas Surabaya (Ubaya) mendesain alat yang bisa menyimpan plus menghasilkan energi alternatif. Seperti yang dilakukan tiga mahasiswa teknik industri (TI) yang memenangi Product Design Contest 2008 yang diadakan Kelompok Studi Teknik Manufaktur FT Ubaya kemarin (13/6).Tiga mahasiswa itu adalah Edwin K. Lunggito, William Firman, dan Yusuf Adi P. Mereka merancang chloro-port alias flashdisc yang ramah lingkungan. Chloro-port tersebut tak hanya berfungsi sebagai flashdisc yang bisa menyimpan berbagai data. ''Tapi juga menjadi indikator daya plus penyimpan energi,'' tutur William, mahasiswa TI semester empat.

Chloro-port memang masih berbentuk rancangan. Tapi, mereka telah melakukan penelitian mendalam saat perancangan, sehingga mereka amat yakin alat yang dibuatnya dapat diproduksi masal.

Secara umum, chloro-port tak beda dengan flashdisc lain. ''Mungkin hanya tampilannya yang unik, seperti gitar. Ini memang terbuat dari kayu,'' imbuh Edwin.

Flashdisc tersebut memiliki tiga fungsi, yakni sebagai penyimpan data, power indicator (mengindikasi daya), dan menyimpan energi. Khusus untuk kedua fungsi terakhir, dibandingkan flashdisc lain, hanya chloro-port yang punya. (ara/ari)

dikutip dari Jawapos, 14 Juni 2008

MOBILE ISOLATION SHAMBERS

Understanding Containment and its Limitations Proper engineering technology and well developed procedures are keys to handling potent compound by Hank Rahe There is increasing concern across the healthcare field regarding the handling of hazardous drugs. The concern is about not only the new and more potent compounds that are being routinely developed by pharmaceutical research, but also a number of compounds that have been in the marketplace for years. For example, estrogens have created challenges in manufacturing and compounding because they have exposure levels of less than 200 nanograms. At that nanogram exposure level, any open operation involving quantities as small as milligrams can lead to potential over exposure. As the older compounds develop a history, we understand more about the negative effects over exposure can cause. For example, estrogen has recently been declared a carcinogen, adding to the list of serious effects that can result from an over exposure to this compound. As we understand more about the many forms of cancer, drugs to fight the disease are being introduced at an increasing rate. Also, other uses for cancer-fighting compounds are becoming more common as researchers discover novel forms of delivery for the compounds. One example is coating stents with antineoplastics to prevent blood vessels from regrowing tissue at a point that would close the blood vessel. Each innovation, while bringing hope and increased life expectancy to all of us, increases the challenges for those involved in developing, manufacturing and delivering these potent compounds. Managing the the risk of potential exposures requires that we understand the capability of the contamination-control technologies and implement the proper technology for containment of these compounds, at all potential exposure points. The potential for contamination includes not only the individuals directly in contact with the compound, but also the casual contact in public places from individuals who were not properly protected in the workplace. For compounds having exposure levels in the low microgram range, enough of the compound to exceed these exposure levels can easily be carried on hands, clothing or personal items commonly present in the production areas if proper engineering controls and procedures are not in place in the workplace. Facilities must be capable of handling potent compounds, from discovery to final delivery of the patient dosage, by developing and implementing proper engineering controls in the work place. Without proper containment, potent compounds are spread to fellow workers and beyond. The engineering technologies developed for containing the risk from powders, liquids and gasses fall into three categories: Exhausting the air from the area that reduces the airborne concentration by introducing air that is free of the contamination. Directionalized airflow that takes the hazardous compound away from the breathing zone of the individual working with the compound. Closed systems that separate the hazardous material from the individual by a physical barrier. Each of these technologies has a band of control that can be expressed in terms of the airborne concentration of the contamination in the area. Airborne concentrations are measured by using industrial hygiene sampling techniques that collect air in the breathing zone of individuals working in the area and from the surfaces with which personnel can come into contact. The sample quantity collected is then measured against the defined level of the hazardous material to which individuals can sagely be exposed without an adverse effect. Most pharmaceutical companies that develop and market the drugs have preset exposure limits for their products and use these standards to monitor the workplace where the drugs are manufactured. Collection, measurement and analysis of hazardous compounds requires a well- designed study that describes the techniques to capture the drug in whatever form - liquid, solid or vapor. Industrial hygiene professionals are trained in these techniques and should be involved in the measurement and establishing of work practices. Important in the selection of a given technology is the understanding of the workplace in which the technology will be applied and the policies and procedures necessary to support the successful implementation of the technology. For example, the containment of hazardous drugs in the pharmaceutical manufacturing area may be different than a laboratory, hospital pharmacy or patient administration. Differences that should be considered are the quantity, form the of the hazardous drug and the operation taking place in the area where the hazardous drug is being handled. The ability of the drug to become airborne is an important factor to consider and individual activities should be evaluated. In the manufacturing setting, operations with the concentrated drug substances such as incoming sampling, dispensing and any operation where the drug is directly exposed to the breathing zone of the operation, present the highest risk. The pharmacies where parenteral antineoplastics are prepared require both ISO Class 5 environment and containment . The typical preparation uses a syringe to extract the drug from a vial and place it into the final patient delivery device, be it a piggy-back or syringe. In many cases, a combination of drugs is prepared. The withdrawal using a syringe and injecting into a piggy-back creates pressure on the liquid and causes the drug to aerosol. Quantities in the microgram range have been measured in the area adjacent to this operation. A study showed that proper technique reduced the amount of materials aerosolized, but not to the extent of reducing the airborne concentration below the exposure limit of many of the drugs in this class of compounds. Patient administration in the hospital, clinic and home creates exposures to the caregiver as well as other individuals that may be in the area of administration. The major exposures occur when the IV set are primed and at the break after administration has been completed. Testing has shown that the site administration levels with the primed sets are below exposure levels, if fewer than ten hook ups are prepared per individual per day. The major issue in the administration area seems to be the surface build-up of the hazardous drugs. This is an area where procedures and spill control would be beneficial. Proper procedures and protocols must be developed and followed, along with a monitoring program that provides a history of the employee's physical well being to support a complete program for safe handling of hazardous drugs. Hank Rahe is director of technology for Containment Technologies Group and is a member of the CleanRooms Editorial Advisory Board.

Understanding an Ecosystem

Understanding an Ecosystem

No one lives in a vacuum, we might say, and the same is true of nature. Just as people need other people to get connected and learn to survive, so do other natural elements in the universe and on planet Earth. While it may be difficult for most of us to comprehend the universe with the naked eye, we can go out and study the world around us without the use of even a microscope as long as we have some idea of what we're looking for. Studying a microcosm, or smaller world of organic activity, can help us to understand larger principles and systems at work on a major scale.


As schoolchildren, we study the basic physical sciences, including biology, physics, chemistry, and geology. College students will learn even more about some of these topics in fulfilling the general education requirements for just about any diploma. Yet, because few of us study all the sciences at length, we often do not understand very much about the way the natural world works. That's why personal study of a nearby ecosystem may help to expand our knowledge base in useful ways.


Start by reading an introductory lesson on the type of system you want to study. It might be about a woodland area, a bog or marsh, a river or pond, or a plain or meadow. You could study a farmer's crop of corn or beans, or a neighbor's trickling stream. Wherever you look in the rural outdoors, you can find a mini-system of natural principles operating to support a variety of life forms. If you have kids or grandchildren, or teach school or children's church, you may even want to arrange a field trip for an hour or so to let them learn about nature the experiential way. Go over the basic guidelines for identifying an ecosystem and how the parts work together to create a system that supports living creatures and plants.


Choose a good-weather day for the expedition. If you plan to investigate a neighbor's property, get permission first. Be sure there are no safety hazards like swampland, ditches, or gas lines that someone could stumble over. Let everyone know the boundaries for the study project, along with an idea of what to look for. Then it might be a good idea to pair everyone in two's to keep anyone from wandering off or getting lost. Another advantage to twosomes is they can check their impressions with each other to clarify findings.


Have everyone describe the terrain, the climactic and environmental conditions, and the dominant weather cycles for the region. They can do this afterward in discussion or take notes while in the field. Then they should look for typical life forms in the area, including species and genus, if they know how to classify organisms. Otherwise, a simple list by common names is fine. They should at least be able to separate insects from mammals, and so on. Animal tracks can be used as evidence in lieu of seeing the actual creature, like deer, for example.


The next step is to find water, air, and food sources that support the living things. Applying known rules or principles to actual observations will provide a rich and personal learning experience. In the notes or via discussion, explain how everything in the area works together to support an environmental life chain.
This type of activity makes a great family excursion or a fun hobby for an individual. Try it sometime to see whether you enjoy reading physical history in the great outdoors.

Study the fascinating aspects of our planet by checking out Ecology Study at http://www.ecologystudy.com

Household Energy Saving Tips

Household Energy Saving Tips

Each room or area of your household, including the outdoors, can contribute to making the process of saving energy an efficient one, with undeniable results.

Thus, the attic, for example, is an area which plays a huge role in the energy management of your home, which is why you have to constantly make sure the door of your attic is well insulated. Keep an eye also on the ventilation system, as it is highly recommended for this space of your house to receive good air ventilation.

Another area of the house which might be causing energy efficiency problems is the bathroom, due to the fact that here the humidity level is always higher. As a consequence, it is advisable to fix any leaky faucets promptly, as studies show that one single leak of one drop per second will in fact waste the huge amount of 250 gallons of water per month, as well as the energy used to heat it. Another tip on saving water is to install water saving shower heads. Obviously, the most efficient modalities of saving both water and energy are related to being self-conscious and taking shorter showers, turning off the water while shaving or brushing your teeth. Moreover, adjusting the water heater thermostat at a temperature below than 120 degrees F will contribute to both reducing the cost of energy spent on heating and to preventing scalding.

As far as the bedrooms go, and especially the ones for guests, it is recommended to turn off the air conditioning or the heating vents in the rooms you do not use. In addition, for these rooms ceiling fans seem to be the best and energy efficient manner for cooling.

All these smart and easy to put into practice energy saving techniques will eventually turn out to be real solutions for lowering the bills and contributing to keep under control the overall energy consumption.

Identify the ways to save energy

Identify the ways to save energy

People have started to be more and more aware about the fact that they need to save energy in their household for a variety of reasons. The first reason, which is in fact the one that mostly affects them, is related to the financial aspect. Thus, by teaching the household members some practical strategies of being energy efficient, the amount to be paid for the utilities bills will automatically be drastically reduced.

On the other hand, due to well organized campaigns and to intensive educational activities carried out by an extremely large number of environment friendly organizations, people have, furthermore, started to place a greater accent on how crucial it is for the future of us all to protect the planet.

Anyways, in order to start being energy efficient, there are a few steps very useful in identifying the problems, in figuring out which are the precise areas of the house where the largest amounts of electrical energy are consumed in vain. Fist of all, one has to know that there two possible ways to identify these areas: one is by means of performing a simple home audit by yourself or by contracting a professional, in the person of an independent energy auditor, who can explain and advice you on these matters.

The questions you have to make sure you do not fail to ask yourself are related to how much you are currently spending on energy; where exactly in the house is the area with your most significant energy losses; what period of time would an investment in a energy efficient method demand before paying for itself in real energy savings; would you have to use the help of a professional or could you implement the system yourself?

Answering all these questions is definitely going to lead to a profound understanding of any energy consumption problems that might exist in your household, as well as to discovering the most recommended techniques that might be able to lead to greatly reducing the amount of energy unnecessarily wasted.

Tips on being energy efficient

Tips on being energy efficient

If you realize the monthly bills that you are paying for energy mainly are tremendously high, then you probably are seriously thinking about identifying the most efficient ways that might eventually lead to reducing your costs.

It is generally accepted that in order to try to identify solutions for any problems it is mandatory to conduct a correct and efficient assessment of the real situation. In this case, in order to correctly identify the issues that might be solved or corrected, you have to know that there are two options available. First of all, you have to know that you can conduct the house auditing by yourself answering a set of questions or secondly, you can turn to a specialist, who can come and carry out the assessment for you.

In case you elect the first option, here are some of the important things that you need to check on your list and which are going to be able to assist you in determining the existence of any problems:

• Verify the level of insulation in your exterior and basement walls, ceilings, crawl spaces, attic and floors. If you are not precisely sure how to do it correctly, contact your local contractor, in order to get professional advice.
• Make sure that there are no holes or cracks in your ceilings, windows, walls, doors, electrical outlets etc., because they can leak air into and out of your home, which makes your house less energy efficient than you actually would want it to be.
• It is also highly advisable to make sure that there are no open fireplace dampers.
• Furthermore, make sure that both your appliances and your cooling and heating systems are working properly and are properly maintained.
• Keep in mind that a lot of the energy that we consume is actually wasted on the lighting needs of the household members. As a consequence, it is strongly recommended to identify the areas in the house with the most increased energy consumption, such as the living room or the kitchen and to replace the traditional light bulbs with energy efficient ones, as for example with compact fluorescent lamps.

Save Energy

Be Power Smart and Save Energy




Before people can be informed on the options that they have when it comes to turning their house into an energy efficient household, they need to know why it is so important to save energy. Unfortunately, most of the time, due to the fact that people are too busy to be interested or are simply overwhelmed with the everyday problems, it makes no sense to them to care about energy saving issues.

However, there are environmental organizations that are doing a great job at explaining to people why we all need to bother to save energy. These groups are frequently organizing conferences and workshops, are publishing brochures and flyers and are trying to offer as much assistance as possible, in order to make people stay focused on these environmental and energy efficient issues, which are many times neglected. Thus, people are clearly explained in which manner saving energy positively affects the amount they pay for the utilities, how it increases their level of comfort and to what extent they can contribute to reducing pollution.

It has been proven that a lot of people believe that being energy efficient is a sacrifice and do not realize that in fact it means getting the most out of every unit of energy that they pay for. Furthermore, it is vital for them to understand that appropriate insulation can contribute to both increasing the comfort level and to substantially reducing the utilities costs. To always stay on the safe side, as far as energy consumption goes, it is highly recommended to only purchase environment friendly and energy efficient appliances.

Easy to follow and to put into practice tips related to saving energy techniques include a special attention, when adjusting the thermostat, which controls the temperature in the whole house. Keep in mind that the house needs time to warm up and setting the temperature at a really high level will not do any good and moreover, you might actually forget to turn it back to the normal level, which will inevitably result into a waste of money and energy.

Energy Efficient

Why Buy Energy Efficient Appliances?

When purchasing a new home appliance, a lot of people have the tendency to go straight to the discount department and select the cheapest models available. Sometimes the difference in price can be indeed significant, but is it really worth it?

You have to be aware that most of the time, the cheapest models of appliances are far from being the most energy efficient ones, which is why is highly recommended to select the model which is likely to produce future benefits, rather than just having a reduced price on the shelf. In other words, if you end up by buying a fridge that is more expensive than the discounted models, but has, on the other hand, the energy saving option available, you will discover that it is worth the extra money because the energy costs will be reduced.

In order to make sure the appliance you are about to purchase has the right kind of features there are some simple steps to follow: carefully read the label or the user guide; try to compare the energy consumption for apparently similar models; do not forget to consider both the price and the estimated energy consumption when deciding on a specific model.

The main reason, however, for which you should turn towards an energy efficient model, is related, first of all, to the amount you pay for your utility bills. However, it is as well, very important to keep in mind the fact that the use of all these appliances help reducing the pollution in the air and conserving natural resources.

Despite the fact the majority of the home appliance brands available on the market do meet energy conservation standards, you have to be aware that some models are more energy efficient than others, which is why you should not hurry into taking any decision, before reviewing all the possible options.

Detailed information about energy saving, including tips on household savings and environmental issues, are available at http://www.energyshack.com/

Smart Energy Tips

Smart Energy Tips

It has become a very common reality for the majority of household owners to spend huge amounts of money on monthly utilities. Most of the time, the most expensive things we all have to pay for are related to heating and cooling the house, but, however, the use of home appliances can also make a difference in the overall cost of living for a common family.

In order to prevent spending unnecessary amounts of money, for a quality of life that we can obtain cheaper, it is always good to keep in mind a series of simple energy saving techniques, which eventually are going to make a consistent difference in the overall utility cost. These techniques or tips can be easily put into practice and moreover, they can be adapted to the necessities of each household, in order to maximize the percentage of energy saved.

Thus, the living room, for example, can be heated during the warm season by simply keeping the shades on the south-facing windows open during the day and closed during the night, instead of using artificial form of heating. In addition, to avoid undesired chilling of the room, make sure the fireplace damper is closed, when the fire is not burning. Moreover, if you never use your fireplace, it is recommended to plug and seal the chimney flue.

As far as the kitchen energy tips go, it is advisable to keep the preheating time of the oven to a minimum and try to open the oven door as few times as possible, because you actually loose heat with every single opening. When cooking, make sure you cover the pots and pans with lids, so that you keep the temperature high and reduce cooking time.

Thinking about minor details, such as switching off the light when you go out of a room and saving water when you brush your teeth, will eventually result into an important difference, as far as the amount of money you have to spend on your utilities bills.

Detailed information about energy saving, including tips on household savings and environmental issues, are available at http://www.energyshack.com/

Energy Plan

Design Your Saving Energy Plan


At least once in a while and most likely when the utility bills are delivered people seriously consider finding a good energy plan that might be helpful in assisting them with implementing some techniques that will result efficient in what concerns reducing the amount of energy consumed in their household.

There are some basic things that anybody can check and fix, if necessary, that can contribute to improving the overall energy saving in a home, which include, for example, identifying any possible cavities in the walls. You should know that wall cavities are actually the prime result of 33% of the overall heat lost in your house, which is why an insulation of the walls might constitute one of the most cost efficient manners to save energy at home. It is relevant to mention that a well-performed cavity wall insulation will have as a direct result a cool house during summer and a warm indoor atmosphere during winter.

Moreover, it is also recommended to check your boiler and its functionality and more than that it would be really good to try to carry out this action during summer time, so that in case you find anything wrong with it you have the time to fix it. Studies show that old boilers are one of the main causes of domestic energy lost. As a consequence, a new and energy efficient boiler might actually result into a real method of saving up to a third of the amount that you are currently paying for your heating bills.

In case you decide you need to purchase any sort of new appliances for your home, make sure you buy only the electrical appliances that have the energy saving logo on them. You should be able to find it on most of the appliances, starting even with light bulbs.

All these small and apparently insignificant details are sure to make a difference in the overall energy consumption of your household, so do not hesitate to keep them in mind!

Detailed information about energy saving, including tips on household savings and environmental issues, are available at http://www.energyshack.com/

Make It Safer

Is Indoor Air Safe? 4 Simple Steps to Make It Safer




It is true that we spend most of our time, almost 80% of it, in indoor spaces. We're used to worrying about the air outdoors. We complain about pollution, gas emissions and smog. However, indoor air can be more hazardous than outdoor air. That is due to the levels of humidity that are created in closed spaces, which support growth of bacteria and intensify the existing pollutants. The concentration of pollutants per unit of air can be 10 to 50 times greater indoors than out. Additionally, indoor air is perfectly absorbed and exchanged with fresh air. That leads to breathing higher concentration of pollutants per breath.
Some of the indoor air pollutants whose existence we know of include:
-Tobacco, which is generally known to cause cancer to smokers, what we don't know is that passive smokers also run a high risk of developing cancer, nose or throat irritations, bronchitis and asthma. Additionally, tobacco smoke, being thick, is not completely absorbed and/or exchanged with fresh air. It becomes smog that sits around the house.
-Volatile organic compounds are regularly used in houses. The name is tricky but the products are simple. Perfumes and hair sprays, various detergents, air fresheners, polishers, fragrance candles... these innocent products can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and nausea.
-Pesticides and other bug repellents cause respiratory irritation, impaired lung function and may even contribute to asthma and damage to the central nervous system.
-Animal dander, dust mites and pollen from indoor plants can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks to people with respiratory problems.
-Various bacteria also exist in our indoor air, as well as mold, mildew and fungi, which may cause eye, nose and respiratory irritation, skin rash and other allergic reactions.
-Some of the most dangerous pollutants indoor are radon asbestos, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and organic gases that cause respiratory irritations, nausea fatigue and headaches, contribute to lung cancer, liver and central nervous system damage.
Along with oxygen, we breathe these harmful substitutes every day. Let's see what we can do to purify our indoor air and protect our health.
-Use air-cleaning houseplants. Houseplants have the ability not only to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen but also to trap and absorb many pollutants through their natural process of photosynthesis. Luckily, plants are very effective at removing gases such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, benzene and cigarette smoke. The best air purifying plants are Aloe Vera, Bamboo palms, Dracaena palms, Spider plants, Philodendrons, Pothos and Chrysanthemums.
-Ventilate your space properly. Air-purification devices can reduce the amount of pollutants found in indoor air. Clean the filters regularly. You can use filters with activated carbon, which is very effective as pollutant gases are attracted by and stick to the carbon.
- Open the windows. That will allow the exchange of indoor air with fresh air letting many pollutants to escape. Create an air cross draft to clean the air faster.
-You shouldn't rely solely only on outdoor air to refresh your space. Outdoor air isn't completely clean; it contains many pollutants as well. The best way to keep air healthy is to eliminate the source of pollutants as much as possible. Be on the lookout and remove all products that contain petrochemicals.
Scientific research has shown increased evidence that indoor air pollution is one of the biggest environmental risks we face. Public-health experts coordinate to bring solutions, but meanwhile, take precautions, such as the ones listed above, to protect yours and your family's health.

Seals Can Sing

It sounds like a side show, doesn't it? It does to me. But it's true; researchers have discovered that some varieties of seals really do sing. Indeed, male leopard seals have been heard singing complex melodies in their lonely search for a mate. Likewise, male Weddell seals, which are a very social creature, lure their mate by improvising original melodies the way a master musician would in front of an audience.

Hearing that seals sing really shouldn't surprise any of us. Music is a central element of life. Walk through the forest at night in the eastern part of the United States and you can't help but be moved by the symphony of sound that is created when each woodland creature sings its part.

Music moves us, often in ways that we don't understand. For example who hasn't been calmed by the sound of quiet singing such as a lullaby? But more than that, who can explain why cows produce more milk and chickens lay more eggs when listening to certain songs like The Blue Danube? I've seen many studies that verify that these observations are true, but none that I've seen fully explain why.

Fortunately, we don't really have to understand why singing and music in general is so central to the world we live in to benefit from it. I doubt that Mozart or Beethoven understood it, but we have all benefited from the works of these two masters, both of whom seem to have benefited from listening to the birds sing. As a matter of fact, many people believe that Beethoven actually stole the opening to his Violin Concerto in D, Opus 61 from the song of the European Blackbird! Maybe, maybe not. But we know from Mozart's own notebooks that he played the last movement of his Piano Concerto in G Major to his pet starling who then sang the passage back to Mozart with revisions that impressed the master. Now that's singing worth noting!

So sing already! Join all of God's creatures in singing and making melody. In the animal kingdom that singing comes in all forms so there's no reason that any of us can't join in. We might as well, the more we learn of the world around us, the more we learn that singing and making music is central to life.

If seals can sing, so can you!