Gempa Aceh

Thursday, 12 April 2012

. Ribuan pengendara motor dan mobil memadati jalan raya di Banda Aceh setelah gempa bumi berkekuatan 8,5 Skala Richter mengguncang Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam kemarin. Gempa yang berpusat di barat daya Meulaboh itu menyebabkan kepanikan warga karena diinformasikan berpotensi tsunami. Pada 2004 gempa diikuti tsunami pernah terjadi di Aceh dan menewaskan ratusan ribu warga ACEH– Gempa bumi besar berkekuatan 8,5 Skala Richter (SR) melanda Aceh kemarin. Guncangan gempa menimbulkan kepanikan luar biasa bagi masyarakat sepanjang pantai barat Sumatera, mulai dari Aceh hingga Lampung. Tidak hanya di dalam negeri, getaran juga terasa hingga mancanegara. Saat gempa terjadi, gedung-gedung pencakar langit di Bangkok, Thailand, berguncang. Singapura, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka,Thailand,dan Myanmar segera menyatakan peringatan tsunami atau memerintahkan evakuasi warga. Pusat Peringatan Tsunami Pasifik sempat mengeluarkan peringatan tsunami untuk 28 negara sebelum akhirnya mencabutnya beberapa jam kemudian. Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) juga sempat merilis peringatan dini tsunami untuk Aceh,Sumatera Utara, Sumatera Barat, Lampung,dan Bengkulu.Pada pukul 19.45 WIB peringatan itu diakhiri setelah ada konfirmasi gempa bumi yang terjadi tidak menimbulkan tsunami.“BMKG secara resmi mengakhiri peringatan dini tsunami,” ujar Kepala Pusat Gempa Bumi dan Tsunami BMKG Suhardjono di Jakarta kemarin. Meski demikian, Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) menyatakan telah terdeteksi tsunami kecil dengan ketinggian satu meter di Lahewa Nias Utara dan 1,02 meter di Meulaboh,Aceh,akibat gempa tersebut.“Kenaikan permukaan laut tersebut diketahui dari pantauan terkini pasang surut dari Bakosurtanal yang dilaporkan kepada BNPB,”kata Kepala Pusat Data dan Informasi BNPB Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Hingga tadi malam data kerusakan maupun jumlah korban akibat gempa belum diketahui. Data BMKG menyebut,gempa awal kemarin terjadi pada pukul 15.38 WIB dengan kedalaman 10 km di bawah permukaan laut.Pusat gempa berada di laut 398 km barat daya Meulaboh. Gempa susulan terjadi belasan kali seusai gempa awal. Di Kota Banda Aceh gempa memicu kepanikan. Pantauan di lapangan sekitar pukul 16.15 WIB, terjadi kemacetan parah di beberapa ruas jalan. Warga yang panik terhadap kemungkinan tsunami dengan menggunakan sepeda motor maupun mobil berusaha pergi ke tempat yang lebih tinggi. Selain ke kawasan Lambaro, lokasi yang menjadi sasaran warga yakni Bandara Blangbintang. Kemacetan terlihat di Simpang Surabaya, depan Markas Kodim Banda Aceh, dan Bundaran Simpang Lima. Sebagian warga ada yang menuju ke Masjid Baiturrahman. Aparat polisi dan TNI membantu mengatur lalu lintas dan meminta warga tidak panik. Ribuan warga pesisir Kota Banda Aceh dan Kabupaten Aceh Besar hingga tadi malam masih memilih menjauh dari permukiman mereka di pinggir pantai.Mereka masih bertahan di kawasan yang jauh dari pantai. Ruas jalan kawasan Lambaro Aceh Besar hingga pukul 22.00 WIB masih macet lantaran kepadatan arus kendaraan warga yang meninggalkan rumah mereka pascagempa kuat tersebut. Kemacetan terjadi sepanjang lima kilometer arah jalan keluar Kota Banda Aceh menuju Lambaro, Kabupaten Aceh Besar. Masyarakat yang panik memarkirkan kendaraan mereka di pinggir-pinggir jalan meski sebagian arus listrik di Aceh Besar dan Kota Banda Aceh padam. Wahidi, warga Gampong Lampoh Daya Kota Banda Aceh, menyatakan belum berani kembali ke rumah karena masih trauma gempa.“Saya bertahan di sini (Lambaro) sambil menunggu situasi lebih tenang sebabkami masih trauma tsunami 2004,”katanya. Gampong Lampoh Daya, Kecamatan Jaya Baru merupakan salah satu desa terparah diterjang tsunami di Kota Banda Aceh pada 26 Desember 2004.Masyarakat yang sebagian besar bermukim di pesisir pantai Kota Banda Aceh dan Kabupaten Aceh Besar itu berencana kembali ke rumah hari ini. Kepanikan akibat gempa juga terjadi di Medan, Sumatera Utara. Di Rumah Sakit Umum (RSU) dr Pirngadi, Medan, guncangan gempa membuat panik seluruh petugas, pasien, dan keluarga pasien yang berkunjung di RSU dr Pirngadi Medan. Mereka berhamburan keluar untuk menyelamatkan diri. Tidak hanya di rumah sakit, gempa juga membuat seluruh pejabat, staf di Kantor Pemerintahan Kota (Pemkot) Medan, serta anggota DPRD Medan dan stafnya berhamburan keluar gedung saat gempa terjadi. Plt Kepala Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) Sumut Ahmad Hidayat mengatakan, hingga pukul 19.00 WIB, berdasarkan pantauan serta laporan yang diterimanya, tidak ada korban jiwa di Sumut akibat gempa. Sedangkan dampak kerusakan yang diakibatkan gempa belum dapat dipastikan. Di Padang, Sumatera Barat, ribuan warga menumpuk di kawasan Bypass, zona hijau dari gelombang tsunami di daerah itu, guna menyelamatkan diri setelah sirene peringatan tsunami berbunyi di pusat kota. Kemacetan jalan raya dari arah pusat kota menuju kawasan Jalan Bypass Padang hingga pukul 18.00 WIB tak terhindarkan. Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) Provinsi Sumatera Barat menyatakan tidak ada kerusakan bangunan atau fasilitas umum akibat gempa. Dari Jakarta,Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) di sela pertemuannya dengan Perdana Menteri Inggris David Cameron menginstruksikan Kepala BNPB untuk turun langsung ke Aceh dan Sumatera Utara.Menurutnya, tindakan cepat harus diambil dan memastikan situasi terkendali dengan baik. “Sejauh ini tidak ada ancaman tsunami meskipun mereka terus bersiaga,” ujarnya. ● syarifudin/rarasati syarief/ eko agustyo fb/ lia anggia nasution/jelia amelida/ reza shahab/ siti amelia/ m rinaldi khair (seputar-indonesia.com)

Queensland Water attack

Queensland floods hit the third largest city in Australia resulted in damaged nearby houses and scattered debris, but residents Indonesian citizen at least 97 people in Queensland survived and were displaced and living in refugee camps.

About 1,200 homes in Queensland since the torrential rains submerged occurred last month, 10,700 of which were damaged, officials said. As many as 4,000 people have fled their homes and at least three people were killed. This is the worst flooding in Queensland in recent decades.

At peak flood, an area of France and Germany had flooded flooding for days and more than 40 cities affected by the disaster. Flood losses are estimated at 5 billion U.S. dollars. (Kompas.com)

Natural Disaster Preparations - Survival Tips

For the last few years we have been plagued by natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tropical storms, forest fires and earthquakes. We all hope that there won't be any more but the chance of natural disasters disappearing from our world is little or none. Expect them. Prepare for them. Knowing how to protect yourself and your family after a disaster is essential. All services will most likely be cut off after a disaster. There will be no electricity. There will be no gas. Possibly there will be no shelter. And most important of all-- there will be no clean water! It may take days before disaster relief and first responders can come to your aid. You need to know how to protect yourself and your household for survival during those critical hours or days. We offer here a few suggestions for preparing for disasters.

1.) Prepare a household disaster plan. On a floor plan of your home draw escape routes from each room and make sure that every member of the household is familiar with them. Plan two meeting places in the event that you are separated from each other. One meeting place should be near your home and the second a distance away in case the area near your home is dangerous. Important phone numbers should be posted by the telephone. Make sure your children know how to dial 911. Know where and how to shut off your gas, water and electricity at the main source. Select a friend or relative in a distant community whom you all agree to call to let them know you are okay or to leave messages.

2.) Make arrangements for pets. Make sure your animal companions are micro chipped and have sturdy collars and ID tags Add your pets food to the family emergency supplies. Make a special disaster kit for your pet that includes a strong lead, first aid kit, pet's latest photo, vet's name, medications, copy of medical records, and bottled water. You will need your pet's cage, crate or carrier. It will help calm your pet if you have a favorite toy, bedding, or bowl. If your pet is used to being in a crate he will be less apt to panic. Keep your pet's emergency gear right next to your own or even include them with the family's disaster kit.

3.) Have at least basic supplies in your home, your work place and in your car. Water is the most important and stocking it is a top priority. At least 2 quarts of water per person is need for drinking. Store water in thoroughly clean plastic containers, label them with the date and keep them in a cool dark place. Change stored water every 6 months. Add canned foods, dried food, cans or boxes of juice, cans of ready-to-eat meats, vegetables, fruits, soup, instant coffee and powered milk. You may want to add peanut butter, jelly, low-sodium crackers, trail mix, granola bars and the like. Mark the date on each item and keep the oldest products at the front. Use them and replace them so that the supply is refreshed every 6 months. Don't forget to include a hand-held can opener in your kit. As you may have to leave your home you should have your supplies in a carrier such as a duffel bag or back pack or several if you want to share the load. (By : Anne Reade )

Recycling Boxes: Everyone is Doing the Deed

We now lead a lifestyle that reforms our responsibility to the environment. We tune in to wellness activities which promotes balance unto our lives as well as to our environment. We, thereby, make choices and execute ideas that save, restore and protect.

The most common and utterly regarded method which anyone can practice is recycling.

From the simple segregation of non-biodegradable materials to reusing old boxes for storage and moving, we are doing our fair share of the advocacy. Not only does it help the environment, but it can also cut a chunk to our domestic expenses. Although it is not a big amount, those who favor reusing old stuff for another function is quite happy with the deed and not its monetary equivalency.

Here are some of the reasons why people use recycled boxes for storage and moving:

1. It cuts down on waste because boxes are used more than once. Thus, it can be recycled.

2. Using recycled boxes saves approximately 17 trees and millions gallons of water (U.S. Department of Energy).

3. Recycled boxes has the same quality and strength of new boxes unless it is physically damaged and irreparable.

4. There is a growing demand of old boxes, which can economically benefit social communities or non-profit organizations.

And here are some recycling statistics* gathered in the United States alone:

1. 251 million – tons of trash in the United States

2. 53.4 – percentage of all paper products recycled in the United States

3. 32.5 – percentage of total waste that is recycled in the United States

4. 100 – approximate percentage of increase in total recycling in the United States during the past decade

5. 8,660 – number of curbside recycling programs in the United States in 2006

6. 95 – percentage of energy saved by recycling an aluminum can, compared with manufacturing a new one

7. 4.6 – pounds of trash per person per day in the United States (most in the world)

8. 1.5 – pounds of recycled materials per person per day in the United States

Imagine the product figures if you factor the days and the population in the United States... and what more if you sum it up with the rest of the world.

Thankfully, it is not just us that is doing the share. Companies that manufacture paper products like notebooks, news prints, and corrugated cardboard boxes has taken a corporate social and environment responsibility by manufacturing recycled items for sale.

Companies like Discount Box Supply, a boxes Chicago company engaged in manufacturing and recycling corrugated boxes, packaging boxes, shipping supplies and the likes advocates in the recycling concept and selling it.

Particularly, aside from the environmental benefits, buying recycled boxes is a lot cheaper than buying a new box made with real tree pulp.

According to a representative of the company, their products are called RECYCLED CORRUGATED. And he, Jeff Giedt, shed us an information about the composition of their recycled boxes:

“These corrugated boxes have the image of being 'environmentally correct' because they can be recycled into new boxes and other products. That image is to a large extent justified, since the recycled fiber content of corrugated is

generally the highest of any paper product—as of 1997 it was 66 percent and still climbing. While corrugated products are often reused and the majority is recycled, some corrugated boxes do end up as waste in landfills.

To produce recycled linerboard and recycled corrugating medium, many paperboard mills use both preconsumer and postconsumer old corrugated containers (OCC). Preconsumer waste is corrugated materials such as off-rolls and trimmings from box plants. Postconsumer waste includes boxes that have been used for shipping and subsequently discarded. In 1997, pulp and paper producers used more than 16 million tons of OCC to make new containers, while another 3.7 million tons of OCC were exported.

Standard corrugated boxes are fairly easy to recycle since they are printed lightly and require little or no deinking. The pulp made from OCC needs little cleaning and does not need to be bleached. Unlike many grades of recycled paper, OCC suffers a minimal loss in fiber strength and other physical properties. However, there is a limit to how many times fibers can be recycled. For example, Asian corrugated boxes, which have been recycled many times due to chronic virgin fiber shortages in those countries, tend to be weaker and less resistant to water than U.S. corrugated boxes. The fiber quality of Asian OCC is so low that many American recycling mills exclude it from their processes.”

Indeed, recycling is indispensable. And I do hope that we take part in this engaging and saving endeavor for us, our family and our environment. ( by: Phoebe Elgin )

Kembang Api Letusan Merapi

Kembang Api Letusan Merapi

Rabu, 27 Oktober 2010 11:29 WIB

Joko Widodo

Klaten (ANTARA News) - Kajaiban alam selalu sulit diduga, termasuk meletusnya Gunung Merapi yang berada di daerah perbatasan Provinsi Yogyakarta dan Jawa Tengah, pada Selasa (26/10) sore.

Letusan Merapi pada hari itu mengejutkan warga yang bertempat tinggal di daerah lereng gunung berapi tersebut, karena letusan itu tidak seperti yang terjadi pada 1996.

"Kami takut melihat letusan Gunung Merapi sore itu karena seperti kembang api," kata Mujidarto (50), warga Butuh Kulon, Kelurahan Sidorejo, Kecamatan Kemalang, Kabupaten Klaten, Jawa Tengah yang ikut mengungsi di Posko Merapi di Kemalang.

Menurut dia, pada letusan 2006, Merapi hanya mengeluarkan lahar panas yang langsung mengalir ke bawah. Sedangkan sore itu, api terlontar ke udara, layaknya kembang api raksasa.

Melihat api yang terlontar ke angkasa itu, warga pun, kata Mudjiarto, berhamburan mencari selamat sendiri-sendiri.

"Rumah kami dari Puncak Merapi itu jaraknya hanya sekitar empat kilometer," katanya.

"Saya sangat takut melihat letusan seperti kembang api itu dan terus lari sampai istri anak dan cucu tidak kepikiran. Mereka berpencar ke mana juga tidak tahu," katanya.

Menurut Mudjiarto, akhirnya dia bisa berkumpul dengan istri, anak dan cucu pada Rabu dini hari di Posko Merapi Kemalang.

Jumlah pengungsi di Posko Merapi Kecamatan Kemalang, Kabupaten Klaten jumlahnya melebihi perkiraan.

Sebelumnya diperkirakan jumlah pengungsi di sana paling banyak 5.717 jiwa, ternyata jumlahnya menjadi 8000 jiwa lebih, kata Camat Kemalang Suradi.

Jumlah pengungsi sebanyak itu ditempatkan di tiga posko yaitu Keputren, Dompol, dan Bawukan.

Mereka berasal dari empat desa, yakni Balairantai, Sidorejo, Tegal Mulyo, dan Kendalsari serta dari daerah Boyolali.

"Warga yang mengungsi itu kami angkut dengan truk dan armada lainnya. Yang penting mereka bisa terbawa sampai posko keamanan yang dibantu oleh aparat keamanan baik TNI, Polri, SAR dan lain-lain," katanya.

Untuk warga yang mengungsi ini tidak ditempatkan di tenda yang di pasang di lapangan, tetapi ditampung di gedung-gedung sekolah, balai desa dan rumah.

"Kami tidak berani menampatkan warga kami di tenda-tenda yang digelar di lapangan untuk bermalam, karena sekarang ini cuacanya sangat ekstrem. Kondisi seperti itu sangat rentan penyakit," kata Suradi.

Mengenai masalah makan bagi pengungsi sementara ini masih cukup beberapa hari. "Mengenai makanan bayi tadi malam saya dapat kabar akan dikirim dari Jakarta dan siang ini akan datang," katanya.

Mengenai korban akibat letusan, Suradi mengatakan warga di wilayahnya semuanya selamat, dan mereka untuk sementara belum boleh pulang.

"Tadi pagi memang ada para pengungsi, utamanya kaum pria dan para pemuda, yang pulang. Tetapi mereka itu hanya menengok rumah dan memberi makan ternak saja setelah itu juga ke pengungsian lagi," katanya.

Suradi mengatakan, penambangan paiar juga dilarang semua selama situasi masih rawan.

Kepala SMP Negeri 1 Kemalang Karyanto mengatakan sementara ini belajar mengajar ditiadakan, karena ruang kelas digunakan sebagai tempat pengungsian.

"Tetapi, kalau ini terus berkepanjangan para siswa tetap masuk dan belajar di perumahan," katanya.

The World Needs Environmental Remediation

by: Leo Bone

The planet really needs saving and environmental remediation has played an essential part in it. It deals with the elimination of pollutants of contaminants such as soil, groundwater and sediment and also proper waste management. It's a means to maintain the environment by means of major human intervention.

Environmental remediation aspires to help save mankind from health risks and conserve the ecological system from total degradation. Even though it is the acts of human being that set the environment in jeopardy, they're not usually ready to save the environment from complete hardship. Remediation is a matter of government rules or involvement.

Restore contaminated sites or resources - This is the primary objective of remediation. Restoring a contaminated site to a level that it gets safe for humans and animals is a complex and costly process. It likewise requires some level of risk that is why it's important to have the professionals and the environmental experts handle the works. Positive thing there are several companies these days that manages environmental remediation.

Acts as precautionary measures - At times contamination of a particular site or resource arrived at a point that nothing can be performed to restore it or to a point when renewal becomes very financially demanding. Environmental contracting groups or companies instrument and utilize ways to avoid contamination. As the popular adage says, "Prevention is better than cure". Environmental service companies employ appropriate technology to handle industrial waste just before it goes into the environment. Examples of these preventive steps are soil washing, incineration and precipitation.

Industrialized nations have set tighter remediation standards to help save the ecosystem. In America, there is what is referred to as environmental remediation legislation formed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Planet earth is so impure and contaminated already. Leaving the act of saving it thru goodwill is just like hanging around for it to self-destruct. Many are accountable for its wreckage yet only several are concerned with its regeneration. If perhaps each and every nation gets serious in preserving the world, the dream of making the world a better place to live will not continue to be a dream anymore.

Natural Weight Loss Program|lose Weight Naturally Tips

By : Priya Bhardwaj

You will find thousands of natural weight loss programs and lose weight naturally tips when you do an internet search. With so many weight loss programs in the net, how to you find one that will help you to lose weight naturally that is suitable to you?
Let's cut through the clutter and the confusion. No matter which natural weight loss sites you may come across, the more credible ones will all say the same thing albeit in different form and manner. To lose weight naturally and keep the extra weight off permanently, you must consume fewer calories than you expand calories.

"Huh? Isn't that common sense? Can you tell me something new?" you are probably asking me right now.
Fine, I concede that that statement is common sense, so let me ask you something back. If everyone knows it, then why is it that there are so many overweight people who have tried so many methods to lose weight with numerous weight loss programs failed in getting rid of their flabby tummy and extra body fat?
Even if some of them were successful and managed to shed a few pounds, they cannot seem to keep the weight off for long and soon, the weight that they have lost will all come back to haunt them. Are you one of them? If so, do you want to know why?
The reason why the weight that they loss came back because most people go for quick fixed weight loss solutions. People prefer the no pain and hassle free methods to lose weight such as taking slimming pills, going on fad diets, using muscle stimulators and any contraptions that promise fast weight loss and muscle toning.
The cliché "No pain no gain" is also common sense, don't you agree? And yet people are still falling into the lure of these temporary weight loss advertisements because they are promised that they can lose weight naturally without having to undergo extensive weight loss programs. People will naturally try to avoid pain and try to take short cuts.
So how to lose weight naturally and keep extra body fat away forever? Put into your routine these natural weight loss tips regularly and you will lose pound after pound week after week of extra fat:-

• Eat Healthily to Lose Weight Naturally
Eat healthily. Eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism revving in high gear throughout the day. Drink more plain water instead of soft drinks and sugar laden coffee or tea. Just keep in mind that the amount of calories you eat must be less than what you will use for energy. Simply doing this will help your body burn calories from body fat instead of from the food you consume.