Khazanah Sungai Melaka

MELAKA: Sebuah lagi buku mengenai pembangunan Sungai Melaka berjudul 'The Rejuvenational Of A National Culture Heritage' diterbitkan bagi panduan semua pelancong yang benar-benar ingin memahami proses pembangunan di Sungai Melaka.

Chromium 6 Emissions From ESCO in Portland

This story comes the NW Examiner in the Northwest Neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. http://www.nwexaminer.com/issues/11November2009.pdf

Hexavalent chromium accumulates in organisms and does not break down in the environment. No level of human exposure is considered safe.

The EPA says that the respiratory tract is the major target organ for chromium 6 toxicity, both for acute (short term) and chronic (long-term) inhalation exposures. Shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing were reported from a case of acute exposure to chromium 6, while perforations and ulcerations of the septum, bronchitis, decreased pulmonary function, pneumonia and other respiratory effects have been noted from chronic exposure. Human studies have clearly established that inhaled chromium 6 is a human carcinogen, resulting in increased risk of lung cancer.

Most of the of the 64 toxic substances emitted by ESCO have multiple health consequences. In addition to seven substances known to cause cancer, another 12 are suspected carcinogens.

ESCO is increasingly the topic of discussion among anti-toxics groups in Oregon. Neighbors For Clean Air, the Northwest District Association, and now the Oregon Toxics Alliance are all taking note of ESCO's toxics emissions. Please join these groups to help put pressure on the DEQ to do its job.


sumber: http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org

RM343,087.60 bantu anak angkat zoo

MESRA... Mohd Ali bermesra dengan beberapa ekor
gajah di Zoo Melaka, semalam.

MELAKA: Program Skim Anak Angkat Zoo Melaka 2009 disambut baik oleh 54 syarikat serta badan berkanun di negeri ini apabila sejumlah RM343,087.60 berjaya dikumpul sebagai dana kebajikan anak angkat di zoo.

Sambutan Minggu Alam Sekitar Malaysia

Assalamualaikum dan salam sejahtera,

Alhamdulillah syukur kepada Tuhan kerana Program sambutan Minggu Alam Sekitar Malaysia Peringkat Negeri Melaka 2009 anjuran bersama JAPERUN Pantai Kundor dengan kerjasama Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah, Jabatan Kerja Raya Negeri Melaka, RTM (Radio Melaka FM), Jabatan Hal Ehwal Negeri Melaka, Rumah Ku Syurga Ku, Petronas Penapisan Malaysia, Syarikat Meriahtek (M) Sdn. Bhd dan Polis Diraja Malaysia berjalan lancar.

Program ini dirancang bagi meningkatan kesedaran awam dan pembabitan masyarakat JAPERUN Pantai Kundor khususnya. Program sambutan ini dilakukan selama 2 hari dengan tujuan merapatkan jaringan perhubungan antara masyarakat dengan kakitangan Jabatan serta golongan pemimpin kawasan tersebut.

Move to restore mangrove forests

YEARS ago, the whole of the Pulau Indah coastal area off Klang, was covered with mangrove trees. Now, only about 20% of the trees remain.

“This island used to be covered with 2,000ha to 3,000ha of mangrove forest but now only a small portion of it is left.

“Part of the area, which used to be a forest reserve had been degazetted a few years ago, allowing development but at the cost of these mangroves.

Old and new: A combination of natural restoration and manual planting will yield faster results for mangrove restoration in the area.

“Even areas that were not supposed to be affected suffered damage,” said Global Environment Centre (GEC) director Faizal Parish.

The trees were chopped to make way for development which also involved land clearing to provide access to the site.

Water flow into the mangrove forest was also interrupted due to the creation of an access road and this contributed to the damage.

“Some of the areas are recovering naturally, in others, the damage is still visible,” added Faizal.

In efforts to restore the mangroves, GEC together with the Selangor Forestry Department have started replanting activities in the area.

The first activity was launched on Saturday with about 1,500 bakau kurap (Rhizophora mucronata) saplings planted in the eastern tip of the island.

About 300 people, including the local community and students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Sekolah Menengah Datuk Hamzah, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pandamaran Jaya and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Perempuan Raja Zarina, took part in the exercise.

Starting early: Khairul Nizam Shaiful Bahari, nine, and Norhan Adli Haziq Hasbullah, 10, learning how to plant the mangrove tree during the tree-planting activity on Saturday

In addition to creating awareness on the importance of preserving the mangroves and its eco-system, the programme also hoped to instil a sense of ownership among the participants.