Young innovators propose new ways to save the earth
Young innovators propose new ways to save the earth
Using a plant as a botanical pesticide may sound like a novel
idea to most people, but not for Rina Rachmawati, a student at
the Bogor Institute of Agriculture.
Saddened by the negative impacts of modern farming practices,
Rina conducted research to find a botanical pesticide that would
not adversely affect the environment.
After some laboratory tests, she discovered that a weed,
Tembelekan or lantana camera could be used as a botanical
pesticide to control potato tuber moth Phtorimae opercullela.
"My work has been inspired by my grievance over the extensive
use of synthetic pesticides," she said on the sidelines of Eco-
Innovate 03, a forum for young eco-innovators from the Asia
Pacific region to exchange ideas on sustainability issues.
Her work The implementation of simple technology in
sustainable agriculture was selected as one of the winners for
the Eco-Innovate 03, sponsored by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), the University of New South Wales and Bayer.
Sylviyana Caroline Margaretha from the University of Indonesia
got another slot at the Eco Innovate 03 for her work on urban
greening to guard against the dangers of pollution and flooding
in a big city like Jakarta.
Aged between 15 and 23, innovators from Asia Pacific countries
including Rina and Sylvia were selected for their outstanding
ideas for resolving sustainability issues in their neighborhood
and surrounding areas.
These young eco-innovators gathered at the University of New
South Wales campus in Sydney last week to exchange ideas to
promote sustainability issues. They also learned from people in
the industrial sector how to develop their innovative ideas into
commercial applications.
The following is a summary of a selected number of works by
these young innovators:
* Photocopier of the new era, by Tai Jo Fen of Singapore.
Paper usage has been on the rise. However, massive consumption
of paper will lead to more trees being cut down, and this could
lead to deforestation.
There are a lot of solutions to this problem, and Tai Jo Fen
offered one of the solutions, that is through her photocopier of
the new era.
Her idea basically would be to modify photocopier machines so
that the photocopier can remove the ink on paper, so that the
printed paper can be reused.
"My concept relies on the photo-conductive property of the
drum in the photocopying machines," she said.
She is now working with her professors at the National
University of Singapore to patent her work.
* Butterfly-shaped roof by Sylvia Bay of Singapore
Sylvia Bay's idea is the architectural design of a butterfly-
shaped roof that allows rainwater to be channeled, collected and
reused.
As part of her overall design, the water collected can be
reused in a reflective pool, as well as more functional uses like
flushing toilets and irrigation.
"I estimate that this butterfly-shaped roof can achieve water
savings of up to 30 percent," she said.
Her proposal is especially relevant in cities where the
collection of rainwater is not optimized in individual buildings.
* Biotechnology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by Lamuel Non
of the Philippines
Lamuel Non proposes the use algae to convert carbon dioxide
produced by industries into sugars and oxygen through the process
of photosynthesis.
The idea is basically to redirect the carbon dioxide exhaust
to algae pools or to compartments with films of algae growth.
Through light supplied by light bulbs, photosynthesis takes place
among algae utilizing the carbon dioxide from the exhaust and
water from the pool to convert them to oxygen and sugars, mainly
glucose.
Not all carbon dioxide molecules are used up in this setup, so
an array of moist films that can hold algae are placed above the
pool to convert the remaining carbon dioxide to oxygen and sugar.
"The cost of installing this technology is compensated for by
possible economic benefits such as new jobs and income from
selling harvested algae and collected oxygen gas," said Non, a
graduate of the Mindanao State University.
* Cement from sugar production waste by Bonar Laureto of the
Philippines
Bonar Laureto put the byproducts of sugar plants to good use
by transforming the sugar waste -- filter cake and bagasse ash --
into cement.
These two wastes contain complimentary chemicals that can be
used as raw material for cement production, he said.
Laureto, a graduate of the Central Mindanao University and an
awardee of the Worldwide Intellectual Property Organization, then
designed a method of purifying these wastes to achieve maximum
percentage composition of the desired chemicals. Then, they are
proportioned to specific amounts that, when allowed chemically to
react, forms cement compounds.
"Cement produced from sugar wastes has strength comparable to
that of Portland cement," he said.
* Sustainable Energy Generation by Matthew Bishop of New Zealand
Matthew Bishop, a mechanical engineering student at Canterbury
University, sought to investigate ways to improve the efficiency
of energy use, and is involved in a project to build a household
wind turbine, capable of supplying the entire energy needs of a
single house.
Working with Windflow Technology Ltd, New Zealand, Bishop's
technology does not allow more efficient power generation as
power generation efficiency increases with size. Rather, a small
wind turbine allows more options for a household, especially for
folks in remote or windy conditions.
* Reducing Computer Garbage by Yue Dong of China
Yue Dong, a second year Environmental Engineering student at
Shanghai Jiaotong University, has investigated the reduction of
computer garbage, offering an Internet-based exchange and sales
system for used computers.
His proposal is to build a platform on the internet to collect
and dispatch used computers. Owners of used and left-unused
computers can register on the website with information on the
computer. Whoever wants a computer urgently can search for the
information they want on the website.
For distribution between suppliers and buyers, the website
manager can either render agency service. The website can serve
to promote the donation of used or spare computers to poor
regions and serve as a coordination and transfer center.