Animals forced to live in deplorable conditions in many of our zoos.

Yes, indeed!. Where are the animal lovers NGOs?. So sickening. I just visited a Zoo over the weekend. Even the kids were not fazed. A four year old kid just wanted to go home, and you know what he said ?. Why they(the animals) look sick!. Oh well, nowadays kids are not like yesteryear's kids, they are far more advance in thoughts!. Their innocent judgment speaks volume!. I felt bad. Infact knowing all too well what can be expected from our zoos, i allays did not want to go. I really felt sad for them, its like seeing them through these sort of deplorable conditions makes you feel guilty for visiting. Pls, if the authorities cannot provide a good conducive environment and care for these animals, pls make the thing called zoos a thing in the past. As human beings better have some compassion towards these god created animals for God sake!

Osama bin Laden is dead

United States has conducted an operation that has killed Osama bin Laden — the leader of al-Qaeda and a terrorist. He is said to be responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Mitsubishi Quietly Cleans Up Its Former Refinery

Rahman Roslan for The New York Times

Lai Kwan prepares to bathe her son, Cheah Kok Leong, who was born with severe mental disabilities. She believes that his condition is related to the radioactive exposure she received while working at the Mitsubishi Chemical’s refinery in Bukit Merah.

Lai Kwan, aged 69, still recalls how she cheerfully moved in the 1980s from a sawmill job to a better-paying position in the refinery that involved proximity to radioactive materials. She remembers that while pregnant, she was told to take an unpaid day off only on days when the factory bosses said that a particularly dangerous consignment of ore had arrived.......(Full article Here)
Mitsubishi Quietly Cleans Up Its Former Refinery-NYT

Radioactivity in Food: “There is No Safe Level of Radionuclide Exposure, Whether From Food, Water or Other Sources. Period.”

“There is no safe level of radionuclide exposure, whether from food, water or other sources. Period,” said Jeff Patterson, DO, immediate past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “Exposure to radionuclides, such as iodine-131 and cesium-137, increases the incidence of cancer. For this reason, every effort must be taken to minimize the radionuclide content in food and water.

“Children are much more susceptible to the effects of radiation, and stand a much greater chance of developing cancer than adults,” said Dr. Andrew Kanter, president-elect of PSR’s Board. “So it is particularly dangerous when they consume radioactive food or water.”

“Reports indicate that the total radioactive releases from the Fukushima reactor have been relatively small so far. If this is the case, then the health effects to the overall population will be correspondingly small,” said Ira Helfand, MD, a member of the Board of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “But it is not true to say that it is “safe” to release this much radiation; some people will get cancer and die as a result.”

Japan's troubled plant to discharge contaminated water into Pacific

TOKYO, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant said Monday it planned to discharge contaminated water into the Pacific, in an attempt to speed up work to tackle the crisis at the troubled complex.
Japan's troubled plant to discharge contaminated water into Pacific

i wonder how much of damage this ongoing problem will do to the environment and the environmental cycle and the food chain?.

Fukushima marks a 'nuclear ice age

Takashi Hirose, a well-noted Japanese writer on nuclear problems, has pointed out there are about 3,000 tons of highly radioactive used nuclear fuel stored in Rokkasho that could overheat and catch fire if the cooling systems fail. This amount could spread nuclear fallout or "ashes of death" to the whole world, he said.

read the whole stuff here!     
Fukushima marks a 'nuclear ice age

SRS concrete pump heading to Japan nuclear site

If this is the case , looks like the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant will be entombed forever!.  

SRS concrete pump heading to Japan nuclear site

Protest outside Parliament over rare earth plant

I have heard about it, honestly i have no idea that there is a lot of 'environmental and health issues associated with rare earth refinery until i decided to read the article that was published front page in New York Times-Taking a Risk for Rare Earths. that geve me the goosebumps after reading it.!. 
Today, concern affected residents held protest  in front of parliament, against the upcoming rare earth refinery at their backyard!. Protest outside Parliament over rare earth plant

As a human being, not only we should have right to good health and goold life, above all the right to a peace of mind, are we getting that?. Is  it not enough that we are already have to deal with enough pollutants , so do we need this?. 

Japan crisis: Germany to speed up nuclear energy exit 

-Mrs Merkel told parliament that the goal was "to reach the age of renewable energy as soon as possible.....

I say that is the way forward!. The present crisis is a clear indicator how things can get terribly bad?. I mean when ever we are going to learn?. 

It is high time to conserve, not just energy but all other resources, re use and go for renewable and safe clean  energy.  (Nuclear energy should not  be an option any more.) I mean the whole world should go towards this direction. 

Nuke plants: M’sia toying with ‘fire’

-If you are in Malaysia can you digest this facts?. Original article HERE

A former nuclear engineer said that the Malaysian government was ‘toying’ with a force it cannot possibly contain with its nuclear power plant ambitions. - Ahmad Bungsu Hamid Tuah, 63

-To generate electricty, uranium-235 rods are pumped into uranium-238 cylinders to create fission (nuclear chain reaction),

-Several by-products are created and one them is plutonium-239, the most toxic material in the world

-Plutonium-239 is also one of key elements used to produce nuclear weapons

-In the US, the plutonium and other toxic waste material from nuclear plants are buried deep underground in the deserts of Nevada. Where and how does Malaysia propose to dispose of these toxic materials, especially plutonium-239?

-If you take one gram of plutonium, divide it into one million pieces, the one millionth of a gram of plutonium is enough to cause cancer in an individual.

-When great powers such as Japan and Russia are not able to contain a nuclear crisis, how will a developing nation like Malaysia be able to handle a nuclear crisis?

-And if our neighbour suffers another volcanic eruption like in 1883, our nuclear plants will be damaged

The original article can be found here

Household powered by solar energy

Have u notice Malaysians living in high rise apartments or condominiums still dry their cloths at the balcony albeit decently? Not many have install a electric dryer! Sun is ample in Malaysia and even in shades the cloths get dried!.

Were there is a will there is way, and the way is definately not powered by nuclear plants!.

I stumbled on this article

(How many solar cells would I need in order to provide all of the electricity that my house needs?)

that gives an idea how a household can be powered by solar energy. The article was written for countries in the northern hemisphere, dont tell me its so impossible out of the world  to work it out in Malaysia, a country that sits close to the equator and receives sunshine all year around?.

In my understanding, when there is a demand, all the attention will be there, meaning the focus will be directed towards the technology  in demand. Just like how today there is new generation  nuclear plants, i am sure there will be new effective and efficient solar cells will be developed over time?.

Instead of setting up large areas of solar power stations, why not go on a smallers scales @household to install solar panels on a roof or compound? @ we should push for more green homes.

Goverment can provide the incentives to developers, and for individual that comes as tax relief for expenses incurred inmaintaining the solar panels for new homes. For an existing housings , a similar tax relief and incentives can be given to individual who opt to use solar energy. Provide the know how, where to get info, run a campaign to encourage people to opt solar energy. Government or private provide the necessary support.

Probably the one downside is the maintenence may be costly, but i belief that if the technology itself can improved i think it would be feasible in the long term.

Any money that we save cannot buy back our health and that of future generations - Sun2Surf - Better a nuclear free Malaysia

Japan is one of the most technologically advanced and efficient countries in the world and it has not been successful in averting the threat of nuclear disaster...........
Any money that we save cannot buy back our health and that of future generations........ - Better a nuclear-free Malaysia Sun2Surf

Japan nuclear health risks low, won't blow abroad, experts say

Health risks from Japan's quake-hit nuclear power reactors seem fairly low and winds are likely to carry any contamination out to the Pacific without threatening other nations, experts say Read More

Threat from meltdown only minor: Ziggy Switkowski

The impact of any meltdown in Japanese nuclear reactors damaged by the recent earthquake will be small compared to the devastation caused by the quake itself and the subsequent tsunami, Australia's best-known nuclear power expert says. Read More

Hoax SMS warning!

I received this from my contact  clearly a Hoax SMS warning

A nuclear power plant in Fukumi, Japan exploded at 4:30 AM today. If it rains tomorrow or later, don't go outside. .....(the rest of the text was missing)


So i decided to check it out if others received it and yup sure they did!. Its on the net you can check it out .

As much as its so insensitive of ppl to circulate this sort of sms's, I am pretty sure its hoax, whoever created this sms is clearly creating unnecessary anxiety amongst the masses.

Nuclear plants face risk of tsunamis

Malaysia is a relatively small country with Peninsular Malaysia having a land area of 132,090 sq km. The scale of nuclear risk can be comprehended by comparing this will the total area – 150,000 sq km – contaminated by the Chernobyl, Russia, fallout (IAEA, Chernobyl FAQ).

Coincidently, the reactor that blew up in Chernobyl has a capacity of 1,000MW, similar in capacity to the one planned here.......Continue reading this article here.The Star : Nuclear plants face risk of tsunamis

Will the government will ever care on this basis, where will they will evacuate us in a wake of a nuclear disaster since our country is small, swim out to the sea? I understand all was fine with the Japaneses Nuclear plants for the past 40 years the plants in operations until this Tsunami and Earthquake. Lucky for them they build it to withstand a 7.scale earthquake and yet, thank god, the plants stayed when the 9 magnitude earthquake struck!. We need to explore others ways for our energy needs, and i also  understand within the SEA region, there are plans to build nuclear plants by Vietnam, Indonesia and also, Thailand. 

So, its just not Malaysia, Malaysia need to work with its regional counterparts to ensure that the SEA region remains Nuclear free. It pointless if Malaysia withstand from building a nuclear plant yet its neighbors don't, since the risk of a nuclear fallout does not stop at borders!. Read HERE  Asian Nations Closely Monitor Japan's Nuclear-Plant Problems

Nothing Happens for no reasons, all happens for a reason and this case its a timely lesson. The nature is becoming very unpredictable and volatile.
I hope countries that are ambitious about building its first or new and increase its nuclear plants will take cue of the nuclear crisis in Japan.

 

Malaysia has no need for nuke plants, says EPSM

The Star: Malaysia has no need for nuke plants, says EPS

Malaysia should seriously reconsider Nuclear as source of alternative energy.

I urge the Malaysians Government to strongly reconsider any decision to go ahead with nuclear power as a source of energy. What is unfolding right now in Japan's Nuclear plant after a devastating earthquake and tsunami should sound the sirens in everyone's ears of the dangers of this sort of energy. Not only Malaysia should scrap the idea, all other nations in this word should do away with this nuclear power. To me, its nothing more than a 'time bomb' that can be detonated by either nature, terrorist attack, massive technical glitch or human negligence. Perhaps nature is telling us something, do we get the message?.

Chernobyl like nuclear meltdown possible in one of Japans nuclear plants?.

Chernobyl like nuclear meltdown possible in one of Japans nuclear plants? Just the thought of it is terrifying, only hours to come will determine that. Pray, God forbid, this will be contained. The fact is, earthquake and tsunamis, or other natural disasters will not go away, no one can ever predict when is the next big one, we are always in the mercy of mother nature. No matter how advance we feel we are, we can never conquer nature nor tame it at our will. My heart goes out to the people of Japan, at this times. A questions that we have to ask ourselves is, are we totally insulated from it?. I guess not.

Cold, Wet and Soggy Cameron Highlands Trip

Cold, wet and soggy to describe my overnight trip to Camerons over the weekend!. I regretted for being there, with not enough sight seeing all hampered because of rain!. When I got there and checked in at a hotel it was raining/drizzling light / heavy. At night, it was so cold to sleep as it was raining too. I doubt I saw any sun shine while i was there. Sigh. And than at Lata Iskandar falls, huh, I thought it might be suicidal to go in as the water was so cold. However all is not lost, if the weather is bad, some of the abstractions are like the butterfly farms, strawberry farm, the tea plantations there has got very nice scenic cafes, the vegetable stalls and with an umbrella stroll the markets, its pretty fun too.However,  I hope to visit Camerons again in future, on a sunshine day! Yup  definitely.  

Thaipusam Batu Caves 2011

 Thaipusam @ Batu Caves 2011

A love and hate relationship with Camry?

I want to get a Camry, but hesitant to do so. Their dashboard is like from blast from the past. Wood furnishing, can you belief that?. I feel the  interior just okay but more on the dull site  compare to the bright and luxurious feel of the Teana and the class interior of  an accord or the out of the world feel interior of the Sonata which is simplify mind boggling!. On top of that, Sonata and Accord comes with latest features than a Camry. The Camry don't even have a USB port to start with!. The Camry's exterior styling is not that desirable in the sense that, it just looks huge and massive and i love the  glow like CS pearl White paint but not that impressive compare to other more stylish cars in comparisons. Having said all that, the Camry's advantage lies in its quality and reliability which explains for its better resale value and easy on maintenance than its counterparts. Anyway , i am looking forward to the new Accord that is said to be launched early  2011, i am sure it will be dashingly hot, and the Camry takes awfully two years or so for a replacement model to come out. With fast changing technology in the auto world, i hope the new Camry will have the latest features and comes with a bright interior of a Teana do away with the ugly wood furnishing, have a sexy body like a Sonata and comes with a sunroof, and a handsome cockpit'  like an accord. I will than scramble for a Camry albeit higher price.  Even if i end up with a Camry that is not enhanced to my likings than its only going to be a love hate r/ship with Camry. But for now my options are open.

Cool Days

'The Malaysian Meteorological Department said the weather pattern was a bit erratic and the cool weather was expected to continue into the Chinese New Year.' According to the star online it was 26 C in the afternoon as shown in the clock tower along Jln Tun Razak.
Certainly its nice, i remember it used to be cooler when i was young :) Unlike now, its impossible to be under the sun!. Yeap going to enjoy this weather till it last.