Young innovators propose new ways to save the earth
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the University of New South Wales and Bayer sponsored the inaugural week-long Eco-Innovate 03 in Sydney last week to provide a venue for leading, young eco-innovators from the Asia Pacific region to exchange ideas to preserve the world. The Jakarta Post's Riyadi Suparno accepted an invitation from Bayer to attend the forum.
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.