Meriahnya Raya Tanpa Hutang

Apabila puasa menjelang, ramai masyarakat sudah menghitung hari lebaran Aidilfitri. Bahkan, ramai keluarga sudah menghitung bajet perbelanjaan pada hari raya yang bakal tiba. Bermula dengan pakaian serba baru, juadah di hari raya hingga ke kelengkapan rumah yang baru. Memikirkan kos perbelanjaan hari raya yang melonjak tinggi ditambah pula dengan kos sara hidup masa kini boleh menyebabkan seseorang itu untuk bertindak di luar batasan. Sesetengah individu sanggup untuk bekerja lebih masa sepanjang Ramadhan manakala sesetengah pihak pula sanggup mengambil jalan pintas iaitu dengan meminjam duit daripada peminjam yang tidak bertauliah atau Ah Long.

Modus operandi peminjam yang tidak bertauliah ini semakin menjadi-jadi. Mereka bukan sahaja lagi mengedarkan dan menampal risalah-risalah mereka di kaki lima bangunan bahkan kini mereka berani untuk menawarkan pinjaman  secara terbuka melalui media sosial seperti Facebook dan melalui kiriman pesanan ringkas (SMS).

Bagi individu yang terdesak, sudah pasti pinjaman yang ditawarkan oleh Ah Long umpama penyelamat keadaan. Tawaran mereka mungkin kelihatan menarik pada awalnya namun sebagai pengguna yang bijak, harus berfikir dengan lebih panjang dan memikirkan akibat yang akan timbul di kemudian hari. Pengguna yang bijak adalah pengguna yang berhemah dalam perbelanjaannya dan belanja mengikut kemampuan diri. Bak kata pepatah, “Ukur baju di badan sendiri”. Perbelanjaan di luar kemampuan hanya akan merugikan diri sendiri dan orang sekeliling.

Oleh itu, dinasihatkan para pengguna untuk berbelanja secara berhemah dan mengikut kemampuan bukan mengikut hawa nafsu. Disarankan juga agar pihak berwajib untuk meninjau dan memantau sebarang aktiviti pinjaman secara haram di media sosial bagi mengelakkan para pengguna daripada terpengaruh dengan tawaran pinjaman daripada peminjam tidak bertauliah.

Forest is Our Lung. 

Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on 22^nd of April. It is held to increase the awareness of people about the importance of environment safety as well as to demonstrate the environmental protection measures that need to be undertaken by all parties. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.  Earth Day is entered its 46th anniversary last 22nd of April 2016. According to Earth Day Network the theme for this year is Trees for the Earth. It estimated that by the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day, there should be about 7.8 billion of trees that have been planted worldwide.

Forests cover one third of the Earth's land mass. Furthermore, according to the journal Nature, the world is home to more than 3 trillion trees. However, people cut down 15 billion trees each year which is equivalent to 56 acres of forest every minute. The global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization, about 12, 000 years ago. Forests are cut down for many reasons but the major reason is for agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock. Countless trees are cut down every year for wood and paper products. Trees are very prominent and crucial for ecology. They store huge amounts of carbon, which is essential for the cycling of nutrients, for water and air quality, and for countless human services. The significant loss of trees results in a critical impact to climate change, biodiversity and human health.

Deforestation accounts for 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Fewer forests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. As greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, the heat will be trapped. This increased heat leads to changes in climate patterns causing global warming. Trees play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and convert it into clean oxygen and carbon. Trees will release the oxygen gas and store the carbon. However, the deforestation of trees not only lessens the amount of carbon stored, it also releases carbon dioxide into the air. This is because when trees die, they release the stored carbon. Apart from global warming, deforestation has also major impact on water availability in the forest.

Another impact of wide-scale deforestation is the loss of habitat for million of species. Seventy percent of terrestrial species of animals, insects and plants live in forests, and many of them are unable to survive due to deforestation. When forest cover is removed, wildlife is deprived of habitat and becomes more vulnerable to hunting. Each species of animal and plants plays a vital role in the food chain that could make a significant difference in animals and humans survival in the future. Deforestation has brought some of the animals, insect and plants to the brink of extinction as they need to adapt themselves with the new environment. Some animals and plants can only survive at a certain climate thus migrating to new habitats with different climate can have a negative impact on their survival.

Deforestation also has negative consequences for medicinal research that rely on the plants in the forests for medicine. Forests are rich with rare and bizarre species of herbs which can be used for treatment. Herbal medicine is used to treat many conditions, such as allergies, asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, menopausal symptoms, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, and cancer. Herbal medicine is an alternative to treat certain illness. Apart from that, a less-recognized fact is that deforestation can also give an adverse impact to human health. Maintaining forests can prevent the emergence of infectious diseases. A number of infectious diseases associated with deforestation are yellow fever, dengue and Lyme disease. Many of the diseases linked to forest loss are transmitted by insect vectors such as mosquitoes but others are spread by direct contact.

In conclusion, deforestation is necessary for country’s development. However, wide-scale deforestation only leads to the destruction of the environment and ecology of the forest.  Deforestation and logging activities should be reduced and the authorities should always monitor them. The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees, but financial realities make this unlikely to occur. Hence, a better solution is by re-planting the trees. Every person in this world should plant at least one tree so that by the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day the number of trees planted is 7.8 million. Save the forest, save the Earth.

Waste Food Waste Money, Bye Environment

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimate, that about 795 million people out of 7.3 billion people in the world were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2014-2016. Yet, about a third of the food worldwide goes to waste. Food waste or food loss is food that is discarded or lost or uneaten. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous, and occur at the stages of production, processing, retailing and consumption. In developing countries, most loss occurs during production, while in developed countries much food is wasted at the consumption stage. Most Malaysians waste food at the consumption stage especially during festive season or any occasions. Most of people would prepare or purchase in excess to ensure food does not run out during the event. Then, the leftover food would be end up in the bins. According to Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Malaysians waste about 15,000 metric tonnes of food daily and out of this, 3,000 metric tonnes are untouched and edible leftover food. It is equivalent to three decent meals a day for 5.3 million people.  Meanwhile, according to National Solid Waste Management Department, about 31% - 45% of an average of 36, 000 tonnes of garbage generated annually. It is estimated that the volume of food waste in Peninsular Malaysia by 2020 is enough to fill up 16 times Petronas Twin Towers. Surprisingly, the largest contributor of solid waste comes from households.

Wasting food is not only an ethical and economic issue but food waste also giving an adverse impact to the environment. Specifically food waste deteriorates the quality of the environment, has negative impact on food security and depletes the limited natural resources. Food wasting not only wastes money but it also causes water wastage. Agriculture sector uses a vast amount of freshwater to supply adequate water to the crops. According to the World Water Assessment Program the sector accounts for 70 percent of all water use around the world. Also, food preparation needs a plentiful amount of water to wash the ingredients and the dishes.

Furthermore, farm equipment that is used to feed and maintain livestock, plant and harvest crops use diesel fuel and other fuel sources which come from fossil fuels. When people waste meat and vegetables, these fuels as well as fertilizers, are also wasted. So food wasting causes energy wasting. In fact, food processing also use a lot of diesel fuel. The food and beverages industry is the highest energy consumption industry compared to other industries. They operate day and night everyday. In addition, food waste needs to be transported to waste treatment plants or incinerators hence more fuel is needed for transportation. So the more food is wasted the more fuel is wasted for transportation and for food processing. According to Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) the embedded energy costs of producing, packaging and transporting the food is equivalent at least 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

Moreover, the disposal of food waste at landfill sites is actually the largest source of harmful greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the country thus it makes a significant contribution to global warming. Rotting food release methane gas, which is one of the most harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Methane is 23 times more potent than CO₂ as a greenhouse gas. Surprisingly, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), less than 3% of food waste was recovered and recycled in 2010. Thus the other 97% of food waste will remain at dump site, releasing more methane gas. Reducing food waste has clear benefits for climate change mitigation. According to WRAP 2015, an astonishing 7% of all global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), or 3.3 billion tonnes per year, are due to food waste. WRAP estimates that by 2030 GHGs could be lowered by at least 0.2 and possibly as much as 1 billion tonnes per year through food waste reductions.

Reducing food waste is good for the economy, good for food security and good for the climate. Reducing food waste is one of the steps to reduce ‘carbon footprint’ as we cut down the methane gas released by food waste. Food waste reduction must be undertaken by all.  In fact, it should be started at home since the majority of food waste occurs at home. There are number of tips that can be taken by the consumers in order to prevent from food wasting. For example, make a list of meals weekly in mind before shopping and cook in the exact quantity. Furthermore, government and business entities need to plan the best strategy to address the problem of food wastage. Educational programs and awareness campaigns should be implemented more actively so that consumers will be alert on the impact of food wastage to the domestic economy.