Firdaus Ali. Ever heard of him?
Well, actually, he's one of my professeur at campus. I attend his Environmental Science class this semester. And fyi, I've always heard that he's someone famous, well, sorta like that, but i never actually know what is that he's famous for exactly (I made a plan to deep-google him ever since). His class, enough said, is somehow motivational and inspiring. He gives us enough detail on how messed up our environmental really is. Well, we surely know it really is pretty messed up, right? But he gives solutions with a rooting explanation. I don't know whether it's just me or not, but i try to decrease the use of plastic bag after he told our class that a single plastic bag needs hundreds of years to decomposed.
Scientists often use respirometry tests; the experimenters place a solid waste sample—like a newspaper, banana peel, or plastic bag—in a vessel containing microbe-rich compost, then aerate the mixture. Over the course of several days, microorganisms assimilate the sample bit by bit and produce carbon dioxide; the resultant CO2 level serves as an indicator of degradation. Respirometry tests work perfectly for newspapers and banana peels. (Newspapers take two to five months to biodegrade in a compost heap; banana peels take several days.) But when scientists test generic plastic bags, nothing happens—there's no CO2 production and no decomposition. Why? The most common type of plastic shopping bag—the kind you get at supermarkets—is made of polyethylene, a man-made polymer that microorganisms don't recognize as food.
I admit, it's a common knowledge, but he asked us to imagine. That was for a single plastic bag. How many plastic bags scattered unused here on earth? In average, we use one per days, whether it's for trashbag or anything else. Well, the calculations are gonna get huge if I continue. And that was for plastic bags alone. What about other "trashes" we produce in everyday life? Plastic packages, cans, cardboards, banana peels, styrofoam, straws, UNCOUNTABLE.
That's what we have inside this tiny earth. Ever heard of
space junk? IMAGINE. Here's a pic to help.
You see, that's our junk in Space. Just great, right? All scattered unused and aimless waiting to lose its gravity and fall back down to Earth. And THAT would really be a day to wait. So you see, if you haven't realized it yet, our life all are threatened here.
This came to a point, which is, do something. Something. Anything. To lower the impact of our previous mistakes ignoring the environment. Our pretty-messed-up earth needs help.
So, I chose to start with plastic bags. Have you ever think about how much we had overused them and how little we actually need them? So, I never really ask for plastic bags when shopping unless I really need one. I dont throw any plastic bags. I just keep it; it might get handy sometimes. Just, DONT throw it. It's not much, well it might as well have invisible impact on this earth, but at least I try. Well, if you all brains go try invent some magic decomposers, or a new bioorganism that could eat all those waste, or duh, something; if you're someone with influence go try talking to the developing world to stop trashing earth with smokes and industrial wastes; and if you have superpowers, would you please kindly go wipe all those space junk off? But if you're on my shoes too, dear readers, just go start with plastic bags.
Anyway I finally googled
Firdaus Ali and here's what i got:
Firdaus Ali: What can't he do?
Alexandra Hansen, Contributor, Jakarta|Tue, 02/09/2010 11:56 AM|People JP/Alexandra Hansen
Environmental pioneer, youth anti-drugs campaigner, conduit of technology to Indonesia, and family man, is there anything lecturer Firdaus Ali can’t do?
He pulls out his mobile phone and points to a photograph of the rear of a red car on a busy highway. “So I was driving along,” he says. “And suddenly I see a water bottle and some rambutan skins flying out of the window of this car. I follow it, trying to make the driver pull over, to tell him off and let him know he should be careful with his rubbish. He shouldn’t just throw it out like that.”
So what did the driver say?
“He got very angry with me, I think. He told me to mind my own business. But I told him that when his rubbish litters our streets and our waterways, it is my business.”
And for Ali, it really is his business. Lecturer in environmental engineering at the University of Indonesia, Ali has dedicated his life to teaching Indonesia’s youth about preserving Indonesia’s precious environment.
“I tell my students this same story, and I tell them that whenever they want to throw their rubbish on the ground, they should think about me, and think again.”
Is ambushing littering drivers something Ali does often?
“Yeah, probably about once a week,” he says.
He has taught environmental, civil and electrical engineering at a tertiary level for 21 years. He obtained his masters and PhD in the US, and says he learnt a lot about the environment there.
“It makes you realize that God gave us an opportunity to live peacefully, to co-exist with our environment, people [in the US] don’t throw their rubbish on the ground or in the rivers. The water and air is not polluted like here.”
He adds that if anything, Indonesians should be respectful of the environment because Indonesia is one of the richest sources of rainforests and natural beauty in the world. It is very important that we instill in the youth of Indonesia a respect for nature and knowledge of how to treat the environment, he says, so as to repair the damage that past generations have done to their habitat.
Teaching is his true passion, as he hopes he — and others like him —can communicate this message to the youth to bring about a significant behavioral change in Indonesia. “People tell me it cannot be done. People say it is too late, they cannot change. But I say; ‘better late than never’, and I truly believe we can change, and we will change. It might take a while, but it will definitely happen.”
Indonesians have to learn from natural disasters caused by environmental problems, Ali goes on.
Problems that include air and water pollution, as well as the rapid destruction of rainforests. “The environment will not support this behavior for much longer.”
Since growing up in Sumatra in the 60s, Ali has had a close connection to nature. He recalls spending many days in the forests there, and in his parent’s rice paddies. “Since my childhood, I’ve wanted to protect the environment, preserve the water and keep everything green.” His childhood passion turned into a more practical, scientific passion when he decided to study environmental engineering at university in Bandung. “My parents always expected me to get a tertiary education, and I expect that of my children also. Without an education, you really have no opportunity in life, it’s very important.” Perhaps it was this ideology that prompted Ali’s relationship with Microsoft. He set up a proposal whereby old, still functioning, computers in the US would be sent to Indonesia so Indonesian students could use them. He formed an alliance with Microsoft to install software on the computers, to bring technology, and the world, to the fingertips of young Indonesians. Because Ali believes technology is very important for the development of young students, he focuses on teaching his students multimedia skills. “I have made my course completely multimedia, which is good for the student’s technology skills, but we also don’t use any paper, except for exams. “When I first tried to implement all soft-copy materials, it was so difficult. Other teachers would ask ‘What are you doing? Are you trying to create something funky?’, but it works very well, and teaches the students a good lesson.”
Another issue close to Ali’s heart is the important issue of youth and drugs. He installed all multimedia systems with anti-drug messages, so children studying information technology also learned a valuable life lesson. “The most frequent age group involved with drugs is aged eight to 35. If we spread the message early, they will hopefully be deterred from ruining their lives with drugs.”
He also works for the Jakarta Water Supply Regulatory Body, which aims to supervise water corporations and strives to maintain a balance between good service and affordable water prices.
As part of this position, he has initiated plans for a new water treatment plant to improve water quality in Jakarta and service more people with clean water.
Between his two jobs, and many passions, Ali says the weekends are all about family. He and his wife and children regularly frequent bookshops or libraries and enjoy eating out at restaurants. “Since living in the US, my daughter has developed a love for Western food,” he says.
Ali hopes his children, along with his students, and the youth of Indonesia will continue to foster his love for the environment and bring about a behavioral change to save the planet.
Source:
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