Pohon mahoni berumur 60 tahun ditebang untuk cegah bencana

Sawahlunto, Sumbar , Badan Kesatuan Bangsa dan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (Kesbangpol PBD) Kota Sawahlunto, Sumatera Barat menebang tiga pohon mahoni berusia sekitar 60 tahun di Jalan Waringin, Kecamatan Barangin.

"Penebangan ini dilakukan untuk mencegah terjadinya bencana, karena pohon-pohon itu bisa saja tumbang sewaktu-waktu," kata Kepala Badan Kesbangpol PBD melalui Kasubid Pencegahan dan Kedaruratan Tarjono di Sawahlunto, Selasa.

Menurut dia, dalam kondisi cuaca pancaroba seperti saat ini angin kencang sering menumbangkan pepohonan. Seperti yang terjadi beberapa waktu lalu, pohon yang tumbang menimpa dan merusak sebuah rumah warga di Lubang Panjang.

"Warga di sekitar pohon tua ini juga mengkhawatirkan hal tersebut terjadi," katanya.

Dia menjelaskan, penebangan dilakukan setelah mendapat persetujuan dari warga.

"Tujuannya agar tidak mengganggu atau menimbulkan bencana bagi pengguna jalan jika terjadi hujan badai di Kota Sawahlunto," katanya menambahkan.

Hal yang sama juga dikemukakan warga setempat, Agus, dimana penebangan pohon tua itu dilakukan atas permintaan warga.

"Kami yang mengajukan permohonan dan sudah ada kesepakatan antara warga sekitar agar pohon itu ditebang saja,"

Harimau Bengkulu mati di TSI Bogor

Ilustrasi harimau Sumatera 

Bogor  Satu harimau Sumatera (panthera tigris sumatrae) dari Bengkulu mati akibat  terluka akibat jeratan, walau sempat menjalani perawatan medis di Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) Bogor, Jawa Barat.

Hubungan Masyarakat TSI, Yulius Suprihardo, saat dikonfirmasi ANTARA News di Bogor, Sabtu, membenarkan berita tersebut. "Saya mendapat kabar pada pukul 08.00 WIB, harimau tersebut dikabarkan sudah mati," katanya.

Yulius mengatakan, tidak tahu persis kapan harimau tersebut mati dan kondisi terakhir sebelum ditemukan, karena dirinya sedang tidak bertugas saat ada perawatan medis itu.

Ia mengatakan, kondisi hewan karnivora itu saat dirawat memang sudah sangat lemah. Luka jeratan yang dialami harimau itu membuat sejumlah jaringan pada tubuh harimau mati, bahkan mata yang terkena benturan kemungkinan mengakibatkan kebutaan.

Menurut Yulius, pihaknya sudah melakukan upaya medis semaksimal mungkin dengan melibatkan tenaga ahli dan dokter spesialis harimau dari TSI.

Pihaknya sudah melakukan observasi untuk menyelamatkan nyawa hewan tersebut. "Informasi yang saya dapatkan, kondisinya memang sudah sangat parah. Terlalu banyak luka di tubuhnya. Jadi sulit tertolong," katanya.

TSI sudah beberapa kali melakukan perawatan terhadap harimau Sumatera yang terluka akibat gangguan manusia. Pada 2010 TSI juga melakukan pengobatan untuk harimau asal Jambi yang juga terluka akibat tembakan.

"Saya belum bisa memberikan keterangan lebih lanjut karena data sebelumnya ada pada humas yang bertugas kemarin Jumat. Nanti ahlinya saja yang menjelaskan lebih lanjut," ujar Yulius.

Harimau Sumatera tersebut terkena jerat di Desa Mangkurajo, Kecamatan Lebong Selatan, Kabupaten Lebong, Provinsi Bengkulu. Terdapat sembilan titik luka parah di tubuh harimau tersebut. Pada saat ditemukan kondisinya sudah mulai lemas.

Harimau terluka itu diterbangkan ke TSI Bogor dari Bandara Fatmawati, Bengkulu, menggunakan pesawat komersial pada Kamis (12/1).

Direktur TSI, Tony Sumampau, saat itu sempat mengatakan bahwa harimau Sumatara dari Bengkulu terluka sangat parah akibat jeratan, sehingga kemungkinan akan mengalami cacat permanen.

"Kaki bagian depan harimau terluka parah karena jerat kawat baja sudah mengoyak sampai tulang, sehingga kemungkinan akan mengakibatkan cacat permanen," katanya.

Harimau jantan yang diperkirakan usianya 5-6 tahun itu memiliki panjang sekitar 1,8 meter. Satwa yang dilindungi itu mengalami luka di kaki depan akibat jerat kawat baja, dan mata kirinya luka sangat parah. Selain itu, di tubuh harimau juga ditemukan tiga luka akibat tusukan benda tajam dengan diameter 15 sentimeter.

Peabody Energy Membuka Kantor Baru di Balikpapan, Indonesia

Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) hari ini mengumumkan pembukaan kantor baru di Balikpapan, Indonesia, sebuah kota pelabuhan di Provinsi Kalimantan Timur. Langkah ini lebih lanjut akan memperluas kehadiran perusahaan sebagai pemasok terbesar di dunia batu bara termal di laut.

     Kantor Peabody Balikpapan melengkapi aktivitas pengembangan sumber daya dan bisnis yang tengah dilakukan di Indonesia dan mendukung kantornya yang terletak di ibukota Jakarta. Indonesia adalah pemasok batu bara termal yang berkembang paling pesat untuk China dan India, dan Peabody menempatkan dirinya untuk membantu para pemasok lokal dalam membawa batu bara Indonesia di seluruh Pasifik. Perusahaan telah menjamin beberapa perjanjian jangka panjang untuk kekayaan sumber daya di Kalimantan Timur.

     Yosef Setiyawan, Direktur Teknik - Indonesia, akan memimpin perusahaan ini dan bertanggung jawab dalam mendukung pengembangan bisnis dan transaksi terstruktur. Setiyawan memiliki pengalaman yang luas dalam teknik pertambangan, layanan teknis dan pengembangan  bisnis dari pekerjaannya di BHP Billiton di Australia dan Indonesia. Beliau melaporkan hasil kerjanya kepada Keith Downham, Wakil Presiden Pengembangan Sumber Daya - Indonesia.

    Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) adalah perusahaan swasta terbesar di dunia batu bara dan pemimpin global solusi batu bara bersih. Dengan penjualan sebesar 246 juta ton pada tahun 2010 dan pendapatan senilai hampir 7$ miliar, Peabody menyumbang sebanyak 10 persen pada daya di Amerika Serikat dan 2 persen listrik di seluruh dunia.

Five wild cat species found in riau province: WWF

Pekanbaru, Riau  The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in a research project conducted in 2011 obtained proof of the existence of five unique wild cat species in forest areas in Riau province, a Fund officer said.

The five wild cat species were the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), stone cat (Pardofelis marmorata), golden cat (Catopuma temmincki), and congkok cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), WWF animal expert Sunarto said here Tuesday.

The five rare cat species lived in an area located between the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve in Riau province and had been spotted by cameras mounted purposely at a number of points in their habitat.

The area where the cats` existence was recorded is known as a wildlife corridor or passage connecting the nature conservation regions of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve.

Sunarto said five different cat species were found in the area but no tiger species except the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae).

"There is no other tiger species than the Sumatran tiger in Riau. But its population number is alarmingly low," he said without mentioning the exact figure.

Sunarto said it was difficult to say how large the Sumatran tiger population now was exactly because a head count of the animals would require an intensive effort covering all natural forest areas in Riau.

"We are not even monitoring them yearly because doing so is quite costly. What we have done so far is just some research and sampling in a few places," he said.

Sunarto said that the main focus of the monitoring effort is in the central parts of Sumatra such as Tesso Nilo and Rimbang Baling, where Sumatran tigers are still found in several regions.

An effort to determine the Sumatran tiger population more exactly was also difficult because of the geographic variations in their numbers, Sunarto said.

Forest fire foreseen until mid 2012 in Riau

Pekanbaru, Riau  Threats of forest fires in Riau Province had been foreseen to occur from January to mid 2012 following above-average high air temperature in the region.

"The forest fire in Riau is expected to happen from late January to mid 2012," the Pekanbaru Meteorological, Climatology, and Geophysics Station`s analyst, Ardhitama said here on Wednesday.

In January, the province is actually still experiencing arainy season. Some local farmers usually burn forest vegetation to expand their plantations.

RI maintains open mind to int`l cooperation to preserve environment

Jakarta Indonesia has always maintained an open mind to cooperation with international organizations to conserve its forests and preserve the environment, presidential aide for climate change Agus Purnomo said.

"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appreciates the many reports on and the results of monitoring of forest destruction and threats to protected animals produced by foreign organizations. The President maintains an open mind to cooperation with international organizations on forest protection and environment preservation," he said here on Friday.

He made the statement to explain what the President had said at a cabinet meeting at Bogor Palace earlier in day with regard to reports about international non-governmental organizations he referred to at his speech on the occasion of Mothers` Day on Thursday (Dec 22).

In the speech President Yudhoyono expressed appreciation for the criticisms international NGOs had made and the objective inputs they had given to the government.

He however also asked the NGOs not to criticize blindly as if Indonesia was a country without a government or people.

Agus said the President hoped cooperation in the field of forest protection, environmental and animal preservation could be done in a an honest and civil way.

He said Indonesia could not be dictated to close plantations and rejected international pressures through boycott of its palm oil products.

He said plantations are important economic activities for Indonesian people who still have a low income. It is impossible to conduct forest protection and environment preservation by destroying people`s economy, he said.

Several heads of state from advanced countries with per capital income of between 40 and 50,000 US dollars had dictated Indonesia in its efforts to improve its economy.

"Right now our per capita gross domestic product is 3,000 US dollars while the per capital income of the people in places where oil palm plantations are located is only 600 US dollars a year and therefore is only enough for food," he said.

He said Indonesia would protect its forests, peat land and animals in its efforts to develop its economy and eradicate poverty.

"So, let us cooperate and continue monitoring us. But do not dictate us to close the plantations which are the livelihood of our people in remote regions," he said quoting the President.(*)

N Sulawesi to host int`l disaster mitigation confab

Manado, N Sulawesi  North Sulawesi province will host an international disaster mitigation conference in March, Governor Sinyo H Sarundajang said here on Monday.

"Thousands of participants are expected to attend the disaster mitigation conference in North Sulawesi," he said.

"The conference will no doubt have a positive impact on each participating country with regard to disaster mitigation," he said.

He said North Sulawesi`s success in organizing international events such as the ongoing ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) at the Grand Kawanua Convention Center (KGCC) on January 8-15, 2012 was inseparable from the Manado city administration`s efforts to keep the city clean and foster harmonious life among city dwellers.

"I believe North Sulawesi province will be successful in organizing other international events. The local people are very hospitable and the city landscaping is very supportive to every event held in this region," he said.

He appreciated the local people for their commitment to maintain security in the province and as a consequence, more and more international and national events were held in the region.

"We hope that the existing harmonious life among city dwellers can be maintained. Preserving security means that we give convenience to all participants who come here for conference," he said. (*)