Protes Energi di Argentina Berubah Anarkis

Demonstrasi di Argentina semakin menjadi setelah YPF, perusahaan energi yang dikuasai negara, dan konglomerat minyak internasional Chevron menyepakati proyek pembangunan senilai 1,2 miliar dolar. Lebih dari 5.000 aktivitis anti-fracking turun ke jalan-jalan, memblokir sebuah pembangkit listrik milik YPF dan memaksa aparat keamanan menembakkan peluru karet ke arah kerumunan orang banyak.

Demonstrasi-demonstrasi itu merupakan manifestasi dari berbagai pendapat berbeda-beda tentang bagaimana sebaiknya Argentina membangun Vaca Meurta, salah satu tempat cadangan hidrokarbon nonkonvensional terbesar di dunia. Banyak warga negara menentang proyek penambangan yang disokong oleh modal swasta asing di masa lalu. Namun, perlawanan-perlawanan ini muncul “satu demi satu,” ungkap Carlos Villalonga, Presiden Los Verdes, salah satu organisasi lingkungkan. “Mulai dari demonstrasi menentang tenaga nuklir hingga waduk hidroelektrik. Dan karena kekurangan energi, pemerintah jadi putus asa.  Jadi bergerak cepat dengan konsensus minimum, sehingga meledakkan konflik. 

Presiden Christina Fernández de Kirchner telah gagal menguraikan rencana jangka panjang infrastruktur energi yang pasti, dan sebagai akibatnya, penduduk berusaha keras untuk mempercayai pemerintah.  Sekarang untuk membangun Vaca Muerta, Argentina memerlukan pemasukan 37 miliar dolar dalam lima tahun ke depan, dan yang menjadi pertanyaan adalah: apakah warga negara yang tidak senang tersebut akan membayar tunai? Atau apakah pemerintah dipaksa untuk mencari modal swasta asing?

Provinsi-provinsi di Argentina, bukan negara, mempunyai hak atas cadangan minyak dan gas di tanah mereka. Para politisi harus meloloskan undang-undang yang memungkinkan YPF mengeksploasi Vaca Muerta. Perjanjian Chevron yang berisi 115 kegiatan operasional fracking – tidak meminta persetujuan provinsi.

Fracking adalah metode baru yang kontrovesial untuk mengekstraksi gas dari batuan serpih.  Para pecinta lingkungan siap melawan potensi efek jangka panjang akibat memompa ribuan galon bahan-bahan kimia yang tidak dikenal ke permukaan tanah. Villalonga dan bahkan beberapa pendukung Presiden Kirchner telah mengritik „kesadaran lingkungan“ sang Presiden yang dianggap kurang.

Para pemerintah (negara-negara Amerika Latin) yang dianggap progresif telah mengambil peranan pasif sebagai pengekspor (sumber daya) alam,” seru Enrique Viale, seorang pengacara terkemuka Argentina spesialis bidang hukum lingkungan. “Kita telah pergi dari Konsensus Washington ke konsensus komoditas.”

Perekonomian Argentina telah berkembang pada tingkat rata-rata tahunan sebesar 7,2% selama dekade terakhir. Sekarang, bagaimana pemerintah dapat memenuhi permintaan energi dari rakyatnya yang terus meningkat?

Bergantung pada sebuah sumber energi tidak dapat menimbulkan efek yang diinginkan, namun baru bisa kalau ada keseimbangan antara energi terbarukan dan ide-ide yang berbeda. Oleh karena itulah NRGLab telah mengumpulkan tim ahli yang tepat dari berbagai latar belakang seperti lingkungan, ekonomi, politik, dan energi. Kami mempunyai tujuan yang sama: memastikan masa depan yang ramah lingkungan bagi seluruh umat manusia.

Kami telah menginvestasikan jutaan dolar selama bertahun-tahun untuk mengembangkan proyek energi inovatif. Dimulai dari gasifikasi biofuel seperti limbah padi dan pertanian hingga generator listrik portabel yang dayanya dari inti polikristal, kami menawarkan serangkaian solusi untuk berbagai masalah yang terjadi saat ini.

Untuk informasi selengkapnya mengenai SV-Turbine, SH-box, dan sejumlah proyek energi NRGLab laginnya, silakan lihat situs web kami di nrblab.asia

Bergabunglah bersama kami untuk memastikan masa depan yang ramah lingkungan. Anak cucu Anda akan berterima kasih kepada Anda.

Diterjemahkan dari Bahasa Inggris, artikel asli di publikasikan tanggal di 29 September: http://annie65j.blogspot.com/2013/09/energy-protests-in-argentina-grow.html

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Volunteering can add years to your life and the planet’s!

Some people volunteer because they have great big hearts. Others volunteer to look good. Some are forced to work off a court-ordered sentence. But, according to a recent study published in the BMC Public Health journal, volunteering can actually ensure you live longer!

Researchers at the University of Exeter reviewed dozens of academic papers and discovered that subjects who volunteered in their free time were a fifth less likely to die within the next four to seven years than the average person. They also rated their feelings of depression lower, while claiming to enjoy a greater overall quality of life.

So check your local newspaper. Do your homework. See what organizations you can get involved with. Better yet – if you don’t find an organization that suits your style, start your own! Then get out there and make a difference.

Volunteering isn’t relegated to hospital visits, either. You can be outside enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while picking up litter, for instance. Or, start a compost heap. Start a community garden. Start your own garden. Don’t have a yard? Try growing your own pot of tomatoes on the windowsill (You’ll see how much better they taste than the ones you buy at the store!). There are tons of environmentally conscious projects you can get involved with. Stop wasting time watching that TV show for the millionth time. It’s time for a change.

Old, young – doesn’t matter! Volunteering is about trying to make yourself a better person. And while you’re at it, why not make the Earth a better place, too? Volunteering is great because it keeps you socially active, thinking, and exercising. It even reduces blood pressure! The BMC’s study showed a distinct correlation between High School students and improved cardiovascular health.

It’s estimated that 36% of people in Australia dedicate at least some portion of their free time to volunteering, compared to 27% in America and 22.5% in Europe. Those numbers need to go up!

“Our systematic review shows that volunteering is associated with improvements in mental health, but more work is needed to establish whether volunteering is actually the cause,” says Dr. Suzanne Richards, the study’s head researcher. "It’s still unclear whether biological and cultural factors and social resources that are often associated with better health and survival are also associated with a willingness to volunteer in the first place."

NRGLab has dedicated years to developing technology that will “give back” to millions of people around the world. From the portable, carbon-free SH-Box generator to the innovative SV-Turbine for gasification, the green energy revolution is about to score a major victory. The question is: what sideline will you be standing on when the first bomb drops?

To show your support for a better tomorrow – a greener future – follow us on Facebook or visit nrglab.asia

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Energy questions from a new friend

When people find out I work in green energy technology, I’m immediately bombarded with questions. “How can I cut down on my utility bills?” is the one I get the most. Well, the other day, I made a new friend. We went out for lunch and got a chance to know one another better. Turns out, she and her husband are looking to buy a new house, and they’re concerned with energy efficiency and being “eco-friendly,” as she put it.

Here a couple of questions she asked:

What are some specific warning flags to look out for when taking a tour of a house?

Realtors usually try to show you the parts of the house they want you to see. Make sure you ask them about the air conditioning and heating systems. How old are they? How much energy do they consume during peak months?

Outside, take a look at the landscaping. Are there native plants? Do they require a lot of water? Is there a sprinkler system? If there is, make sure you check for leaks.

If you get the opportunity, ask the previous owners if you can take a peek at their utility bills. How much water and electricity does the house consume on a daily, monthly, annual basis?

Although going green is always easier when you’re starting from the ground up and building your own home, you can always make upgrades to greatly increase an older home’s energy efficiency, not to mention your property’s overall value.

What upgrades can I make if I do decide to buy a less-than-efficient house?

Tons! Here’s a quick breakdown of the easiest do-it-yourself upgrades you can make, but trust me, there are many more:

-      Replace old windows with energy-efficient versions.

-      Using duct tape, seal air leaks around doors and windows.

-      While you have the tape, grab a ladder and seal the air ducts too.

-       Add more insulation.

-      Swap out water-thirsty plants in the yard with ones that require as little water as possible. Cactuses are nice and prickly.

-   Install barrels to collect rain runoff. The water can be used to irrigate your landscape and lawn, so you won’t have to use the hose.

-      Replace incandescent light bulbs with more efficient fluorescents.

-      Check the EPA's Energy Star rating and replace your old appliances. Go ahead, you deserve it! Throw out that old coffee maker. Better yet, donate it. Then go out and buy yourself something nice. Spend a little now, save a lot later…

What’s the most important piece of advice you can offer an energy novice like me?

Stayed informed! Watch the news. Read. Instead of wasting time online with mindless games, Google your environmental and energy questions. Stay inquisitive. Check out the EPA's Energy Star website, EnergyStar.gov. Get acquainted with calculators and other useful tools that can help you manage your carbon footprint.

For example, you might not think of your home as a carbon-emitting source, but it is! It’s a major contributor, in fact. The energy you use for cooling, heating, lighting, and general power are, more likely than not, connected to a dirty main source. A coal-burning facility. A nuclear power plant.

To start, visit nrglab.asia. We’ve got a slew of green energy projects in development that are sure to change the way the world looks at energy. Waste-to-fuel gasification. The polycrystalline SH-Box generator.

The future of energy independence is coming. We’re ushering it in. 

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