Thursday, May 13, 2010

(UPDATE) NUKLEAR: KENAPA RAMAI ORANG MARAH SANGAT NEGARA NAK ADAKAN TENAGA NUKLEAR?

Mari kita sama-sama melihat kembali kecelakaan nulear yang telah berlaku:

Chernobyl 1986


Kecelakaan Jana Kuasa Nuklear Chernobyl 26 April 1986 di Utara Ukraine;

- Dos radiasi yang besar telah menyebabkan pencemaran radiasi ke atas alam sekitar yang dasyat.
- Seramai 28 orang telah mati dalam jangka masa kurang daripada 3 bulan akibat daripada kesan radiasai serta merta ( Acute radiation syndrome ). Lebih 20 orang mati dalam masa 9 tahun akibat kesan-kesan nuklear yang lain.
- Kerahan tenaga seramai lebih 600,000 rakyat Rusia & Ukraine ( Orang awam & tentera ) untuk membersihkan pencemaran nuklear yang berlaku dengan keluasan 35 km luas daripada jana kuasa nuklear tersebut dan ini memakan masa selama 5 tahun.
- Dan 220,000 rakyat sekitar Chernobyl hilang tempat tinggal dan terpaksa hidup merempat.
- Paling menakutkan adalah kesan jangka panjang di mana peningkatan kes kanser , lebih 4000 kes kanser tiroid pada kanak-kanak ( umur 0-18) sekitar 1992-2000 di Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.

Thyroid cancer

Mari kita sama-sama fahami sedikit berkenaan apa itu radiasi?

- Radiasi adalah suatu bentuk tenaga di dalam proses penghataran. Contohnya UV radiasi dan radiasi pancaran television adalah bentuk-bentuk radiasi. Tetapi ia di panggil “non-ionizing radiation”( bermaksud atom yang stabil) iaitu radiasi yang tidak berbahaya.
- Ini berbeza dengan ionizing radiation yang di bebaskan oleh nuklear kerana ia terdiri daripada atom-atom yang tidak stabil yang sifatnya boleh berubah-ubah. Ia amat berbahaya kerana boleh menembusi kulit/organ manusia/hidupan lain. Jenis- jenis ionizing radiasi : Alpha(tidak menembusi kulit, tetapi bahaya jika tertelan), Beta( menembusi kulit dan boleh di haling dengan kayu/aluminium), Gamma (paling jahat dan ganas)

Unit ukuran radiasi ( untuk tambah pengetahuan je, tak ambil tahu pun ok);

Older units of radiation measurement continue in use in some literature:
1 gray = 100 rads
1 sievert = 100 rem
1 becquerel = 27 picocuries or 2.7 x 10-11 curies
One curie was originally the activity of one gram of radium-226, and represents 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations per second (Bq).

BAGAIMANA PENGHASILAN TENAGA NUKLEAR BERLAKU?

Penghasilan tenaga nuklear dari bahan radioaktif dijalankan dalam reaktor nuklear. Bahan radioaktif dibedil(tembak) dengan menggunakan alat khas yang mengeluarkan neutron. Neutron yang terkena bahan radioaktif akan memecahkan nukleusnya untuk menghasilkan bahan radioaktif yang baru. Dalam proses ini tenaga yang sangat kuat terhasil. Tenaga ini dinamakan sebagai TENAGA NUKLEAR. Proses penghasilan tenaga ini adalah proses yang terkawal supaya tidak ada letupan berlaku.Proses ini ialah "Tindakbalas Berantai".Tenaga nuklear yang terhasil boleh digunakan untuk memanaskan air. Stim yang terhasil digunakan untuk menggerakkan turbin penjana elektrik.


APA KEBAIKAN TENAGA NUKLEAR NI?



Tenaga nuklear adalah sumber tenaga yang
selamat, bersih , berkesan dan berdaya saing;

- Tenaga nuklear tidak menghasilkan gas CO2, sulfur dioksida dan nitrogen dioksida. Gas-gas ini adalah punca utama pencemaran alam & pemanasan global. Kaedah penghasil tenaga sekarang menggunakan bahan fosil telah mencemarkan alam sekitar dengan penghasilan 23 bilion ton gas CO2 setahun atau 730 ton sesaat.
CUBA BAYANGKAN?
- Sisa bahan nuklear adalah sangat rendah, iaitu 1 juta lebih kecil berbanding sisa fosil. Ini kerana 1 gm Uranium boleh menghasilkan tenaga bersamaan 1 tan arang atau minyak ( fosil )
- Tenaga nuklear boleh di simpan dengan selamat dan boleh di guna semula untuk menghasilkan lagi tenaga.
- Sisa nuklear di simpan ke dalam geologi dan tidak memasuki bio-atmosfera. Jadi kesan ke atas eko-sistem amat sedikit. Dan sisa nuklear akan lenyap secara spontan ( kerana atomnya tidak stabil ).
- Harga tenaga yang di hasilkan daripada tenaga nuklear murah berbanding ia dihasilkan daripada tenga fosil
- Reaktor nuklear ( Third generation power plant ) boleh beroperasi sehingga 40-60 tahun. Kos mendirikan satu reaktor nuklear di anggarkan USD 1 billion.
- Jana kuasa nuklear boleh didirikan dengan saiz sebesar stadium shah alam. ? Jimat kawasan.

TETAPI: APA YANG BERLAKU JIKA JANA KUASA NUKLEAR YANG KITA BINA MELETUP?

Bayangkan jenis-jenis kategori tenaga yang di bebaskan jika jana kuasa ini meletup:
-
Letupan dasyat : 40-50% daripada Total tenaga ( hancur badan woit)
-
Radiasi Haba : 30-50% daripada Total tenaga ( terbakar woit )
-
Radiasi ion : 5% daripada Total tenaga ( ni pun dah cukup untuk dapat kanser )
-
Radiasi baki : 5-10% daripada Total tenaga ( yang ni kita pi merempat kat tempat lain lah jawabnya)



BERAPA BANYAK RADIASI DI PERLUKAN UNTUK DAPAT KANSER/MATI?

-
100 mSv/tahun : Ini adalah level paling rendah untuk dapat kanser. Makin tinggi, makin meningkat risiko.
-
1,000 mSv keseluruhan : Insiden 5% dapat kanser. Kalau 100 orang kena radiasi ni, 5 orang dapat kanser
-
1,000 mSv : Kena satu dose yang ni boleh jadi muntah-muntah. Sel darah putih menurun ( sel darah putih penting nak lawan kuman)
-
5,000 mSv : Kena satu dose yang ni 50% mati dalam masa 1 bulan ( 100 orang kena, 50 orang mati)
-
10,000 mSv : Kena satu dose yang ni, mampoih dalam masa seminggu saja. Innalillah.



KESIMPULAN;

Justeru, kita tidak dapat mengelakkan daripada menggunakan tenaga nuklear ini demi kebaikan alam sekitar dan manusia. Melihat kepada keseluruhan kebaikan dan keburukan tenaga nuklear ini, sememangnya untuk jangka masa panjang , penggunaan tenaga nuklear amat menguntungkan.
PERSOALANNYA; Adakah Negara kita sudah bersedia?

1. Bersedia dari segi
kepakaran tenaga kerja?
2. Bersedia dari segi
professional, ketelusan, integriti dan bebas rasuah para kontraktor dan jurutera?
- Bayangkan
situasi semasa ; buat stadium, stadium runtuh. Buat bangunan , syiling bocor. Bina empangan , empangan tak siap. Bina jambatan, jambatan runtuh dan segala siasatan tidak di dedahkan kepada rakyat secara terperinci. MAHUKAH KITA BINA JANA KUASA NUKLEAR dan akhirnya seperti Chernobyl?

3. Bagaimana tahap
pemikiran rakyat kita . First class atau third class mentality?

Kita mesti/wajib selesaikan segala persoalan di atas terlebih dahului sebelum membina Jana Kuasa Nuklear Negara kita. Oleh sebab yang demikian, ramai rakyat yang menentang bagi pembinaan Jana Juasa Nuklear Negara pada masa ini.

Wallahu’allam.

My Frontal lobe; Teluk Intan, May 14, 2010.

Rujukan:
1. http://www.ecolo.org/documents/documents_in_english/BENEFITS-of-NUCLEAR.pdf
2. http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/chernobyl/WHO%20Report%20on%20Chernobyl%20Health%20Effects%20July%2006.pdf
3. http://myais.fsktm.um.edu.my/2122/1/H%26N2005PaperAhmad.pdf
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_nuclear_explosions
5. http://nuclearinfo.net/Nuclearpower/TheBenefitsOfNuclearPower
6. http://www.riskworld.com/Nreports/1999/jaworowski/NR99aa01.htm
7. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf05.html
8. http://www.countercurrents.org/hamer040110.htm

NUKLEAR: KENAPA ORANG RAMAI MARAH SANGAT NEGARA KITA NAK ADAKAN TENAGA NUKLEAR?



Einstein said: “I made one great mistake in my life … When I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made”.

Kenapa kita perlu mengulangi kesilapan terdahulu?
Lupakah kita pada Peristiwa Chernobyl 1986?
- Di dalam Peristiwa Chernobyl, WHO menganggarkan radiasi yang terbebas adalah 200 kali ganda dasyatnya berbanding Letupan Bom Atom di Hiroshima & Nagasaki
- Kesannya, lebih 60,000 nyawa di ancam kanser akibat daripada radiasi tersebut.








ANTARA PERSOALAN LAIN ?

1. Adakah negara kita benar-benar sudah bersedia?
2. Adakah " mentality rakyat" sudah mencapai ke tahap First Class mentalty?
3. Apakah kesan terhadap kesihatan rakyat?
- Berapa tahap radiasi yang merbahaya?
- Berapa jarak yang selamat?
- Apakah penyakit-penyakit merbahaya sekiranya terkena radiasi?
- Adakah penyakit yang disebabkan radiasi ini boleh di ubat?
4. Adakah tahap perkhidmatan kesihatan/ kakitangan kesihatan bersedia sekiranya berlaku bencana? seperti Chernobyl?


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

LATEST NEWS: Why British Airways Strike again?



British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. BA has its headquarters in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations. Its second hub is London Gatwick Airport.




Today, British Airways' cabin crew union, UNITE, announced that they will strike for another 20 days in May and June. The strikes will take place during the U.K.'s school half-term and Monday holidays in both the U.K. and U.S., so travellers planning a holiday cruise should check to see if their flights are affected.

According to a statement on the UNITE Web site, strike action will take place on the following days: May 18-22, May 24-28, May 30-June 3 and June 5-9. No details have been released about which flights or routes will be impacted.

The strike follows the union's rejection of a British Airways' proposal to settle the dispute between the two entities. A notice on British Airways' Web site says, "We are currently considering our response so we can minimise any disruption during this strike period."

The latest wave of strikes has been announced by the Unite union of cabin crew and British Airways flights to South Africa for the World Cup are likely to be affected too.

This will see major disruption for anyone travelling to Cape Town or Johannesburg for World Cup matches as this is the start of the tournament.

BA believe that their offer was very fair, but travel perks and disciplinary action against a number of staff are believed to be the parts Unite have objected to.


A previous UNITE strike took place in March, when more than 1,000 flights were cancelled. The cabin crew is striking over working conditions, pay and job cuts.

Reference:

Monday, May 10, 2010

The truth about Prader Willi Syndrome?


What is Prader Willi Sydrome (PWS) ?

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a disorder caused by a deletion or disruption of genes in the proximal arm of chromosome 15 or by maternal disomy in the proximal arm of chromosome 15.



How common is Prader-Willi syndrome?
Prader-Willi syndrome affects an estimated 1 in 10,000 to 30,000 people worldwide.

What are the clinical features of PWS?

We can differentiate the features into 2 categories;
During infant:
- Floppy with poor muscle tones
- Trouble sucking
- Poor growth
- Delayed development



Later stage:

- Short stature
- Poor motor skills
- Weight gain ( obesity )
- Underdeveloped sex organs (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism ).Most affected individuals are unable to have children (infertile).
- Mild mental retardation and learning disabilities
- Strabismus
- Small hands and feet
- Behavioral problems are common, including temper tantrums, stubbornness, and compulsive behavior
- Many affected individuals also have sleep abnormalities





What are the genetic changes related to Prader-Willi syndrome?

Prader-Willi syndrome is caused by the loss of genes in a specific region of chromosome 15. People normally inherit one copy of this chromosome from each parent. Some genes are turned on (active) only on the copy that is inherited from a person's father (the paternal copy). This parent-specific gene activation is caused by a phenomenon called genomic imprinting. Prader-Willi syndrome occurs when the region of the paternal chromosome 15 containing these genes is missing.
Researchers are working to identify genes on chromosome 15 that are responsible for the characteristic features of Prader-Willi syndrome. They have determined that a deletion of the OCA2 gene on chromosome 15 is associated with unusually fair skin and light-colored hair in some affected individuals. The protein produced from this gene helps determine the coloring (pigmentation) of the skin, hair, and eyes. Researchers have not definitively connected any other genes with specific signs and symptoms of Prader-Willi syndrome.
Most cases of Prader-Willi syndrome (about 70 percent) occur when a segment of the paternal chromosome 15 is deleted in each cell. In another 25 percent of cases, a person with Prader-Willi syndrome has two copies of chromosome 15 inherited from his or her mother (maternal copies) instead of one copy from each parent. This phenomenon is called maternal uniparental disomy. Rarely, Prader-Willi syndrome can also be caused by a chromosomal rearrangement called a translocation, or by a mutation or other defect that abnormally turns off (inactivates) genes on the paternal chromosome 15. Each of these genetic changes results in a loss of gene function in a critical region of chromosome 15.

Can Prader-Willi syndrome be inherited?
Most cases of Prader-Willi syndrome are not inherited.


What is treatment for the PWS?
There is no cure for PWS. Growth hormone and exercise can help build muscle mass and control weight.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Chelsea have won Barclays Premiership 2009/10



Chelsea Football Club which were formed in 1905 is crown again as Barclays Premiership champions for the fourth time. The Blues had their first major trophy in 1955, when under manager Ted Drake, they won the league title. Chelsea will be desperate to regain the Premier League crown after finishing second to Manchester United in the last two seasons. Former manager Jose Mourinho, bankrolled by owner Roman Abromovich's millions, brought the first title to Stamford Bridge for 50 years when the Blues lifted the trophy in 2005. Chelsea became only the second team to win back-to-back Premier League titles when they clinched it a year later. Mourinho left the club by mutual consent in September 2007.

This 2009/10 season, they are the reigning Premier League champions, having won the title with an 8–0 win over Wigan Athletic on May 9 2010. The blues had 1 point ahead of their rival Manchester United become runner-up.Chelsea became champions for the first time since their second triumph with Jose Mourinho in 2005-06 - and Ancelotti addressed the Stamford Bridge fans as their new hero after John Terry lifted the Premier League trophy.

The Blues also have won the FA Cup five times, the League Cup four times and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup twice

The Blues's team 1905


PREMIER LEAGUE HISTORY

1992/93 - Inaugural members of the Premier League
1993/94 - Lose FA Cup final
1996/97 - Ruud Gullit appointed player-manger
1996/97 - Win FA Cup
1997/98 - Gianluca Vialli becomes manager
1997/98 - Win League Cup, Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup
1999/00 - FA Cup winners
2000/01 - Claudio Ranieri becomes manager
2001/02 - Lose FA Cup final
2003/04 - Chairman Ken Bates sells Chelsea to Roman Abramovich
2000/05 - Jose Mourinho takes over as manager
2004/05 - Chelsea win Barclays Premiership and League Cup
2005/06 - Chelsea win Barclays Premiership
2006/07 - Win FA Cup and League Cup
2007/08 - Jose Mourinho leaves the club to be replaced by Avram Grant. Runners up in the Carling Cup, Barclays Premier League and Champions League. Part company with Grant. Luiz Felipe Scolari appointed manager in June.
2008/09 - Scolari is sacked in February 2009 and replaced by Russian national coach Guus Hiddink who will combine both roles until the end of the season. Carlo Ancelotti named new manager in June 2009.