Some research conducted by team from ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) found out that the thunder was the biggest and most dangerous ever. According to Dr. Ir. Dipl. Ing., Reynaldo Zoro the striking power was 379,2 kA of the negative stream and 441,1 kA of the positive one. With such a big power, the thunder is able to destroy buildings and other structures.

Some factors making the thunder in Depok powerful are the geographical location of the city, the wind stream contour and the aerial density. So, the thunder did not occur coincidentally. The factors influenced the thunder formation in such a way in which the regional and local wind stream accumulated in the cloud. The regional wind came from valleys and mountainous array of Bukit Barisan in the western part of Sumatera Island. West Java, where Depok city is located, is geographically just straightly in the same line as Bukit Barisan.

According to statistic data, there are 200 days thunder striking Indonesia in a year whereas there only 140 days in Brazil, 100 days in the US and 60 days in South Africa. During 2001, there were 340 positive thunder claps, 8,520 negative thunder claps and 1,151 thunder claps inside cloud in which from all of those thunders, the highest power produced was 290,2 kA. Based on such a reality, Depok city can be classified in a risky area.

Following last year’s climate change conference in Bali, much of the main policy discourse on climate change has been focused on the importance of forests in mitigating climate change, particularly through the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) scheme.

Deforestation releases greenhouse gases (GHGs), of which CO2 is the main culprit, and reduces the forests’ capacity to absorb GHGs. The REDD plan sells itself as a mitigator of climate change through two modes: by reducing emissions and by enhancing the forests’ capacity to absorb carbon. The potential for GHG reduction through REDD, along with other mitigation techniques, is considered very high.

However, emissions from global deforestation contribute only 20 percent of human-generated GHG emissions. Most GHG emissions come from the use of fossil fuels in transportation, industry, domestic and commercial applications and so on.

Therefore, assuming current patterns on the use of fossil fuels stay the same, carbon emissions into the atmosphere will remain high — in short, the roles of forests as carbon sinks are much less significant than previously touted.

To a certain extent, forests do absorb carbon from the atmosphere, but if the CO2 concentration continues to increase (because of the burning of fossil fuels), then forests will become more vulnerable and risk being an additional factor in increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Campaigns have cropped up in both developing and developed countries that attempt to sell the forest solution as a viable offset to the use of fossil fuels. Mass media quote “government officials” as saying forest-related GHG reduction schemes are “the most cost-effective”.

What this means in effect is the economy is always the top priority, and developed countries will not put their economies at risk to deal with climate change.

Reducing the uses of fossil fuel in industry will have a pass-on effect to the economy, especially since “cleaner” sources of energy, although in existence for many years, are not yet cheap enough to be an economically viable replacement for the much cheaper fossil fuels.

It is obvious much work still needs to be done to make renewable energy more accessible and less ethereal. This means that to a large extent the global society will still find the conventional-polluting technologies.

Industrialized nations are reluctant to sacrifice their fossil fuel-based economy, and thus contribute the lion’s share of global CO2 emissions — yet they have the temerity to blame developing nations for damaging their forests.

The United States alone contributes more than 20 percent of global CO2 emissions even though it accounts for less than 5 percent of the world’s population. So it should come as no surprise the U.S. still refuses to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

It is very clear forest-related CO2 reduction schemes are not the answer for climate change in the long term. REDD and other similar schemes should be seen as a transitional phase toward a low carbon economy. The main challenge is therefore how to reduce emissions from fossil fuel use.

This needs commitment from developed nations, the main global CO2 emitters. If they are still reluctant to do so, as many apparently are, climate change and its profound consequences will be felt even harder.

A schematic of modern thermohaline circulation

Million Car Campaign

Join the Million Car Carbon Campaign by purchasing your Earth-Aid kit today.

How can we live lightly on the Earth and save money at the same time? Staff members at the Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental organization, share ideas on how to GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN at home and at work.

Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyone’s “going green.” We’re glad you want to take action, too. Luckily, many of the steps we can take to stop climate change can make our lives better. Our grandchildren-and their children-will thank us for living more sustainably. Let’s start now.

We’ve partnered with the Million Car Carbon Campaign to help you find ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. This campaign is uniting conscious consumers around the world to prevent the emissions-equivalent of 1 million cars from entering the atmosphere each year.

Keep reading for 10 simple things you can do today to help reduce your environmental impact, save money, and live a happier, healthier life.

1. Save energy to save money.
Compact Fluorescent Bulb
Armistead Booker/flickr
* Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
* Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
* Unplug appliances when you’re not using them. Or, use a “smart” power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts “phantom” or “vampire” energy use.
* Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
* Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time.

2. Save water to save money.
* Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.
* Install a low-flow showerhead. They don’t cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.
* Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
* Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.

3. Less gas = more money (and better health!).
Bicycle Commuters
richardmasoner/flickr
* Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.
* Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.
* Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.

4. Eat smart.
* If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it’s even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.
* Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy.
* Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.
* Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain [pdf]. This is especially true for seafood.

5. Skip the bottled water.
* Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.
* Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.
* Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.

6. Think before you buy.
Garage Sale
Michael Reinhart/flickr
* Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you’ve just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.
* Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.
* When making purchases, make sure you know what’s “Good Stuff” and what isn’t.
* Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.

7. Borrow instead of buying.
* Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.
* Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.

8. Buy smart.
* Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.
* Wear clothes that don’t need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.
* Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you’ll be happy when you don’t have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).

9. Keep electronics out of the trash.
1000 Cell Phones
Gaetan Lee/flickr
* Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
* Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.
* Recycle your cell phone.
* Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event.

10. Make your own cleaning supplies.
* The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.
* Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.

Further Ideas about Go Green visit me

Indonesian environmental activists reject a regulation imposing a new scheme of forest exploitation fees on non forestry firms. They demanded the revocation of the regulation since it would encourage more companies to exploit the forests and destroy them after all.

To make use of the protected forests, the regulation only requires companies annual payment of Rp. 1.5 million (US$ 1,500,-) per-hectare for oil and gas exploration, and Rp. 1.2 miilion (US$ 1,200,-) for production forests. “The regulation is legally flawed and must be withdrawn”, said Rino Subagyo, executive director of Indonesian Center for Environment Law (ICEL).

A key 1999 forestry law prohibits open-pit mining in protected forests due to the massive environmental destruction it brings about. Greenomics Indonesia agreed that the new fee-scheme regulation should be revoked. Indonesia which has just hosted world conference on environment seems to have no idea how such a scheme regulation can bring about intolerable destruction not only of environment but of human life sustainability as well.

Euphoria on global warming which narrows down to climate change issue appears to be a mere fuss among the elite. Seminars or conferences are organized just to bargain or make a deal between the developed and the developing countries. Because practically some developed countries are reluctant to ratify the resolution on global warming. If this practice sustains, a real threat to human extinction is just soon to happen.

Following the last year’s Earth Hour in Australia, where 2.2 million Sydneysiders, including cities of Atlanta, San Francisco, Bangkok, Ottawa, Dublin, Vancouver, Montreal, and Phoenix, powered-down for an hour, as many as 30 million people are tipped to switch off lights and televisions around the world on Earth Hour this March 29, 2008. they joined Copenhagen and Aarhus, Manila, Fiji’s capital Suva, Chicago, Tel Aviv, Christchurch, Toronto, Odense and Aalborg, as well as major Australian cities including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and the national capital of Canberra.

Earth Hour invites residents in participating cities to switch off lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour at 8 p.m. to raise awareness of carbon emissions that cause global warming. “Climate change is truly a global issue and people around the world are demanding action” said Andy Ridley, Earth Hour’s executive director.

During last year’s Sydney event, restaurants used candles and other iconic building plunged into darkness including Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the 553-meter CN Tower in Toronto. Essential lights, however, were kept on for safety reason. The event, according to Power provider energy Australia, cut electricity consumption by 10.2 percent.