Kesegaran di Jantung Manhattan (1)

Central Park bak oase di tengah belantara pencakar langit New York City. Keteduhan dan kecantikan lansekapnya memikat hati puluhan juta pengunjung.

Belvedere Castle Lake

Wajah pengantin perempuan bergaun putih panjang itu, secerah mentari yang bersinar terik pada Ahad siang di musim gugur lalu. Sambil menggenggam buket bunga mawar, mulutnya tak henti menyunggingkan senyum dan melontarkan tawa.

Keceriaan ikut menjalar ke kerumunan kerabat di sekeliling sang pengantin baru. Rombongan kecil ini kemudian bergerak perlahan menuju gerbang keluar yang mengarah ke W.100th Street, Central Park West. Mereka menunggu mobil jemputan untuk pulang.

Tak lama berselang, terdengar keriuhan dari gerbang yang sama. Ratusan orang berkostum dan berpita merah jambu berjalan keluar. Beberapa poster bertuliskan solidaritas untuk para penderita kanker teracung ke langit.

Saat barisan panjang ini mulai terurai, saya melangkah masuk ke gerbang Central Park. Beberapa meter di sebelah kanan gerbang, puluhan anak balita berlarian kian kemari di area taman bermain. Tawa mereka nyaring terdengar, meski tetap tak sanggup membangunkan beberapa bayi montok yang tertidur lelap di dalam kereta bayi.

Makin lama menyusuri jalanan ke dalam, kesunyian mulai terasa. Hembusan angin musim gugur membawa serta alunan lembut saksofon. Nun di kejauhan, di bawah pohon rindang,  tampak dua pemuda, satu menggesek contrabass dan satu meniup saksofon. Dari sanalah musik merdu itu mengalun.

Beragam aktivitas tadi, biasa terjadi di Central Park setiap akhir pekan. Taman kota seluas 841 hektare ( sekitar empat kali luas Taman Monas Jakarta) ini memang menjadi tempat favorit warga New York City. Warga Amerika dan turis asing juga menyukai taman berbentuk persegi panjang ini.

Menurut data Central Park Conservacy, perusahaan swasta nirlaba pengelola taman, setiap tahun, sekitar 35 juta orang datang berkunjung. Jumlah ini membuat Central Park tercatat sebagai taman paling populer di Amerika.

Mengapa begitu banyak orang jatuh cinta pada Central Park? Ada berderet alasan. Seperti yang tersirat dari nama, lokasinya tepat di tengah Manhattan, jantung kota New York. Taman rancangan duo Frederick Law Olmsted dan Calvert Vaux, meski sepenuhnya buatan manusia, tapi terlihat alami dan sangat indah.

Sebanyak 24 ribu pohon beraneka spesies tumbuh memenuhi area taman. Kerindangan pepohonan ini mengundang 275 spesies burung singgah di Central Park saat migrasi tahunan menuju Atlantik.

sign of autumn

Terdapat tujuh danau dan kolam, padang rumput, 21 taman bermain, kebun binatang, tempat es skating, lapangan tenis, basket, sepakbola, dan voli, kastil pengamatan burung migran, teater, dan kebun bunga. Tersedia juga tujuh area khusus untuk para pencari ketenangan, misalnya di Strawberry Field dan East Green. Tak boleh ada alat musik dan aktivitas olahraga apapun di wilayah ini.

Khusus untuk pehobi sepeda, jogging, sepatu roda dan rollerblading, tersedia trek sepanjang 10 kilometer di dalam Central Park. Sedangkan total jalan setapak yang disediakan untuk pejalan kaki mencapai nyaris 100 kilometer. Karena itu, sebelum menjelajahi Central Park, bawalah peta yang tersedia gratis di bagian informasi taman ataupun di hotel-hotel.

Keindahan taman yang resmi dibuka tahun 1859 ini juga memikat para sutradara beken. Ratusan film sudah dibuat dengan berlatar Central Park. Contohnya: Serendipity, When Harry Met Sally, Home Alone 2, dan Enchanted.

Harleem Meer Lake

Para pemusik tenar pun menjadikan taman ini sebagai lokasi konser akbar. Yang paling fenomenal dan tercatat sebagai konser terbesar sepanjang sejarah adalah saat penyanyi country legendaris Garth Brooks manggung Agustus 1997. Penontonnya 980 ribu orang!

Walau menyediakan puluhan tempat beraktifitas, masuk Central Park bebas biaya alias gratis. Taman ini buka setiap hari sepanjang tahun mulai subuh hingga pukul 01 dinihari. Tak perlu khawatir soal keamanan, karena ada banyak petugas keamanan dan aturan larangan minum alkohol di dalam Central Park.

Spring in Indonesian Green Crafts

Environmentally friendly trend affects furniture and handicraft industry. Eco-label is the key to win the world market competition. Do not forget to register copyright.

Furniture and handicraft industry will continue to shine bright, despite the global financial crisis still encompass developed countries. This confidence is held by Teguh Ambar Tjahyono,  Chairman of The Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Association (Asmindo).

Ambar's belief is based on the success of the Indonesia Furniture and Craft Fair (IFFINA) 2009, which ended last Sunday. Five-day exhibition at the Jakarta Fair area, recorded sales transaction around US$ 170 million. This figure will increase, since the buyers will visit directly to industrial centers of Indonesian furniture and handicrafts, after IFFINA 2009.

Trade exhibition held by Asmindo this time involving at least 311 participants and 2,000 buyers from 94 countries. "The biggest transaction still come from the USA, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, and Middle Eastern countries," said Ambar.

IFFINA's good achievement gives fresh wind into huge campaign of Indonesian creative industries. Since the government set the year 2009 as the Year of Creative Industries, many groups pay attention directly to the 14-sector of creative industries.

This year, creative industries contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) growth is targeted to increase 6%.Higher than the average contribution of the creative industries for the years 2002-2006, only 4.74% or equivalent to Rp 79 trillion each year. Its target also create employment for 5.4 million people ( more detail see table).

Furniture and handicrafts, along with fashion, design, and advertising, is the largest contributor in the creative industries. Every year, average growth of export value for furniture and crafts is 7.5%. The export market and craft furniture targeted to reach U.S. $ 2.7 billion during this year.

Sure,it takes hard work and the right strategy to achieve this target. Speaking the strategy,  related parties in the furniture and handicraft industry are likely agree to choose environmentally friendly theme. Evidence can be seen in the series of exhibitions held during next month.

After IFFINA 2009 brought "The Gateway of Green Rattan Furniture & Lifestyle" theme, Inacraft  2009 did not want to lag. Exhibition held by the Indonesian Handicraft Exporters and Manufacturers  Association (Asephi) on 22-26 April at the Central Council of Jakarta Convention Center will pick a theme "Inspiring People to Care about the Environmentally Friendly Handicraft".

Ambar explained, they selected green products theme with primary consideration that it is the best way to win the competition. Indeed, Indonesia is still superior in terms of quality, material, color, ethnic characteristics, and price when compared with similar products from other Southeast Asian countries.

However, green products could fail to penetrate American and European market that looked important for environmentally friendly products certification (eco-label). Those labels are meant as a sign to inform that the wood used as a based material of the product came from a manageable forest which was run accordingly. In other words, the wood used is not the result of illegal logging. "We must prove that products of Indonesia, in addition to high quality, also environmentally friendly. Even some of the exhibitions transaction is allocated to forest conservation," explains Ambar.

To help 2000 members get a green certification, Asmindo formed a new unit Asmindo Care Certification (ACC). It receives support from Senada (four-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development – USAID) and is on duty giving the consultation mechanism to gain certification.

The establishment of ACC was in accordance with the needs of the furniture and handicrafts entrepreneur. There are 40 companies that have used ACC services and successfully obtain eco-label.

Strict green certification requirements at the same time opening new opportunities for products of Indonesia. Previously, in a separate occasion, the Director of Indonesian Republic Handicraft's Development  Association (APIKRI), Amir Panzuri, ask the entrepreneurs or prospective employers of handicraft products to take this golden opportunity.

He said, eco-friendly crafts not only related to the wood raw material. But also forbid to use scarce goods raw material, not renewable goods, and mineral obtained with destroying the environment.

Although the rules seemed to limit creativity, in fact there are many types of green materials. For example, pandanus leaf fiber, water hyacinth, bamboo, sengon, mahogany, and sonokeling wood. All of them are fast growing trees and not rare trees.

Such restrictions can also trigger the creativity of the craftsman. Look at APIKRI movement to develop pandanus leaf fiber crafts. When developed, it will produce high quality products and saleable in the market. To encourage the use of pandanus fiber, APIKRI has pilot project in Congot Beach, Yogyakarta. Since May 2008, as many as 5000 pandanus seeds spread along the coast. These plants can be harvested in two years.

Other creativity also came from other local craftsmen. They use waste raw materials. When combined with innovative design, good marketing, and tenacity, their products can be successful in the domestic market, even to the world market.

Processed steel waste product made by Yeyen Komalasari is one good example. Woman who live in Cilegon, Banten Province, has made steel waste plates into bag, mobile phone hook, mat, table decorations, and helmet.

Around 600 residents in the Bojong Genggong, Bandung regency, hang up the pot of rice on textile factory waste. They weave yarns into cloth plate, mat, and table cloth. Every day, hundreds of dozen products made by Genggong Bojong weavers spread to various cities in Indonesia. "In fact some of them are exported to Brunei Darussalam," said H. Eli Sadeli.

Eli, who has 30 traditional weaving equipment and 40 employees, admitted that the form and design of his products are simple. Yet, the results could adequate family needs. Only from cloth plate sales, Eli earns income Rp 80 million per month.

Success of the simple design of the product also occurs in the Magno wooden radio made by Singgih Susilo Kartono, 40 year old craftsman lived in Kandangan village, Temanggung, Central Java. Magno has long list of achievements since first market entrance in 2004. The latest was chosen as champion of Brit Insurance Designs of the Year in 2009 for product category. This annual event was held by Design Museum of London. One month earlier, Magno awarded the Design Plus Award in 2009, in Germany.

The radio which consist of three series: WR01A radio-2B, WR03-CUBE/4B table radio, and  WR03-RECT/4B table radio, also attract music lover in the United States, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, and several other European countries.

Sales record in USA has reach 250 units every month. In Japan as much as 50 units/month, and tens of units/ month to Europe. According to Singgih, Magno prices vary. In the United States it sold US$ 47.5 to US$ 80, in Japan at 17,500 yen, and in Europe at 160-240 euros. However, on the on-line market, one site in USA offers the simplest Magno model at price US$ 200.

American market enthusiasm began a years ago. Singgih got order 10,000 units worth Rp 4.9 billion.  Unfortunately, this order can not be immediately fulfilled. Because the production capacity of Magno who supported 30 employees, only about 150 units per month.

Therefore, Singgih said he could meet the request in one year. Now the production capacity in the  studio Piranti Works, reach 300 units per month with 50 employees, all citizens Kandangan. Its turnover increased to Rp 750 million per month.

Father of two children started to design radio to as a final task to get  bachelor degree from Design Products Department, Faculty of Visual Arts and Design Institute of Technology Bandung, in 1992. He chose the theme ''Radio Receiver Design using Indonesian Craft Technology".

After graduated, he still unsure whether stay in Bandung as a product designer or back to his hometown to start up his own business. Then, he worked as in house designer di Bandung for 3 years before he went back to Kandangan and established woodcraft production named  Aruna Aruntala.

Aruna Aruntala main products are wooden toys. Actually, he was interested in developing Magno which successfully got second winner International Design Resource Awards (IDRA) in 1997 in the United States. Unfortunately, he face two main constraints : lack of capital and market demand.

Opportunity opened when a new partner from Japan interested in buying Magno wooden radio in 2004. Singgih assisted  with his beloved wife, Tri Wahyuni, and four employees began to make Magno under the new company, Piranti Works. A year later, the radios made from ebony wood and pine, cruise to Japan market.

Magno design is simple, cute, and unique. This is in accordance with Singgih's principles to produce handicrafts using wood at least, but can generate as many jobs for the local community. He called this concept as: less wood more works, cut less plant more. He is sure, with quality of highly skilled craftsmen, it is possible to sell products with a good price and achieve market stability.

Nevertheless, using fewer materials is not enough. Kandangan's condition is molt. Almost of its trees were cut down for tobacco farming. So, in order to maintain environmental sustainability, Singgih launch replanting program since November 2007. “I replanting every single wood that I've used from the forest,” said Singgih.

Currently, various young trees such as sengon, sonokelings, and pines are planted around 2000 square meters in the surrounding Piranti Works studio. Singgih also collaborate with environmental activist, Mukidi, and junior high school children to grow  1,000 tree seeds. These young trees ready to be planted around the school area and on the slopes of Mount Sumbing in Central Java.  All this activities are funded through a part of Magno's sales income

In addition to saving the environment, the future of this program can also maintain the supply of raw materials of wood Magno radio. So that the business was still survive, and even can be a living object of Kandangan. "I hope, soon my company can accommodate up to 1000 craftsman or a quarter of the population Kandangan," said Singgih. What a noble wish!

Astari Yanuarti

Box:

Do not Forget Copyright

As a country blessed with rich biological resources and biodiversity, it is not easy for Indonesia to guard them from stolen by foreign nations. Evidently, many native cultures and products being recognized by other countries. Starts with batik, continued with tempe (meat substitute made from cooked soybeans), Toraja coffee, Gayo coffee, and Reog Ponorogo.

The product theft is carried out in accordance with the path of law, that is, register the product copyright to the WIPO, the UN agencies that handle intellectual property rights. Gap in the registration process allows the first parties who register become the copyright holder. So often, it negate the fact of the local cultural heritage.

Annexation like this could aggravate  the business, because of the rejection for assumed similar product   entering the international market. For example, it happen to the artificial crab chairs export made by Suhud a craftsman from Jepara, Central Java, which denied to enter China's market, in October 2008. The reason is a similar product already patented by Chinese local entrepreneur since 2002. So that Suhud's crab chair is not allowed to entry. In fact, Suhud already produce crab chair since 1990 and market it o China.

Many Indonesian craftsmen do not paying attention for patent, particularly the small scale business. The main reason is cost. Tricky bureaucracy is  the next reason. Adding the extra cost will make their products more expensive, so it more difficult to compete with competitor products.

Head of the National Export Development Agency (BPEN), Bachrul Chairi, said that copyrights and patents are very crucial matter in the creative industries that have the main asset of ideas and innovation. Therefore, BPEN have helped 700 products of creative economy get patents from the Department of Trade and the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. BPEN also manage nine Indonesian craft's copyright registration to gain recognition from UNESCO's seal of excellence.

The government also continue the process of identifying Indonesian products that have not yet registered. This proactive step is done to prevent theft by other countries. In addition, copyright protection can trigger the development of creative entrepreneurs to create niche products with high-value sale.

Astari Yanuarti

*translated from original article: Musim Semi Kerajinan Ramah Lingkungan, published in Majalah Gatra No 19/XV 25 Maret 2009 

Belajar Menjaga Bumi dari Robot

WALL-E
Pengisi suara: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, dan Kathy Najimy
Sutradara: Andrew Stanton
Penulis skenario: Andrew Stanton dan Jim Reardon
Rating: Anak-anak
Produksi: Walt Disney Picture dan Pixar Studio, 2008

WALL-E, yang minim dialog, tampil menjadi film animasi memikat yang membawa pesan penyelamatan lingkungan. Mengemas kisah kehancuran bumi dengan bingkai aksi kocak robot pembersih sampah yang kesepian. Layak masuk daftar film animasi terbaik sepanjang masa.
 
Bumi, 700 tahun mendatang. Gedung-gedung pencakar langit menjulang tinggi. Sekilas, mereka terlihat megah, walau tak gemerlap. Ketika dilihat dari dekat, ternyata pencakar-pencakar langit itu tersusun dari balok-balok sampah padat.

Di antara gedung-gedung itu, bertebaran tumpukan sampah aneka barang. Di sana, tampak sesosok benda kotak bergerak kian kemari. Dia adalah WALL-E, robot pembersih sampah bertenaga matahari.

Tugas WALL-E memilah-memilah sampah, memasukkannya ke perut untuk dipadatkan menjadi balok sampah. Lalu WALL-E menumpuk balok-balok ini hingga menjadi gedung pencakar langit. Dia bekerja sendirian selama ratusan tahun, karena hanya WALL-E dan seekor kecoak yang masih bertahan di bumi. Semua penduduk bumi lainnya memilih hengkang ke luar angkasa ketika planet biru ini penuh tertutup sampah.

Suatu hari, rutinitas WALL-E terganggu oleh kedatangan pesawat luar angkasa raksasa. Sesosok robot putih mengilap berbentuk telur keluar dari badan pesawat. Robot bernama EVE ini bertugas memeriksa apakah sudah ada makhluk hidup lagi di bumi.

Kehadiran EVE menjungkirbalikkan dunia WALL-E yang selama ini hanya punya teman sang kecoak. Saking penasaran pada makhluk baru itu, WALL-E melupakan pekerjaan utamanya dan diam-diam mengikuti ke mana pun EVE terbang.

Aksi ini membawa WALL-E terbang ke luar angkasa menuju Axiom, pesawat pesiar super-raksasa yang dihuni penduduk bumi. Di sini, semua manusia memakai seragam sama, hanya beda warna berdasarkan jenis kelamin. Wajah mereka nyaris serupa, karena semuanya bertubuh sangat tambun.

Setelah 30 menit nyaris tanpa dialog sekecap pun, adegan di Axiom menandai berlangsungnya percakapan dalam film sepanjang 103 menit ini. Keramaian yang berlangsung di Axiom terasa begitu kontras dengan kesunyian bumi.

Seperti film-film animasi PIXAR lainnya, gambar indah dan fantastis juga tampak di sepanjang film yang digagas sejak 1994 oleh sutradara dan penulis skenario Andrew Stanton ini. Lihat saja keindahan aneka planet, bintang, dan galaksi yang mengundang decak kagum. Lihat juga arsitektur Axiom yang terbilang sempurna menyajikan imajinasi kehidupan masa depan.

Pujian patut diberikan kepada para animator PIXAR. Mereka sukses memberikan kepribadian kepada para robot di WALL-E. Alhasil, sosok WALL-E --dan robot-robot lain-- tampil sangat ekspresif, meski tanpa dialog. Kebahagiaan, kesedihan, kesepian, bahkan kejailan WALL-E bisa terlihat dari bahasa tubuh dan kedua mata yang terbuat dari lensa video.

Tak mengherankan bila adegan 30 menit tanpa dialog ala film bisu zaman dulu malah menjadi salah satu keunggulan WALL-E. Walau tanpa kata-kata, anak-anak yang terbiasa dengan suara dan adegan seru film aksi tetap bisa menikmati. Selain karena kekayaan emosi yang ditampilkan, kekuatan karakter pada WALL-E juga didukung sound effect yang mengagumkan.

Dari sisi cerita, lagi-lagi WALL-E menjadi bukti pembeda PIXAR dengan studio animasi lainnya, seperti Dreamworks (pembuat film serial Shrek). Film-film PIXAR lebih memilih mengusung materi kebenaran universal daripada guyonan bernuansa kultural atau etnis.

Statemen WALL-E menentang konsumerisme begitu kuat dan efektif. Mereka mencoba membangkitkan kesadaran para penonton, terutama generasi muda, tentang kerusakan lingkungan yang bakal terjadi di bumi bila budaya konsumtif yang kini menjangkit tak segera dihentikan.

Pesan seperti ini tercatat sebagai terobosan baru dalam sejarah film animasi. Sebab, sejak beberapa tahun terakhir, ada kesamaan skenario dalam film animasi buatan Hollywood, yaitu: kamu bisa menjadi siapa pun yang kamu inginkan. Bahkan film animasi terbaru dari Dreamworks, Kung Fu Panda, masih dibalut skenario seperti ini.

Jadi, dengan segala kelebihan itu, WALL-E, yang mencatat rating 97% fresh dari situs kritik film terkemuka RottenTomatoes, diyakini akan masuk nominasi film terbaik pada ajang Oscar 2009. Saya pun termasuk barisan yang yakin WALL-E akan berbicara banyak di ajang penghargaan film paling bergengsi di Amerika itu.

Astari Yanuarti

Saving Trash Harvesting Rupiah

Gemah Ripah Bank provide unique services of garbage. It has successfully increased environment awareness of Badegan Village residents.

Mounting piles of burlap sacks occupy one corner of Gemah Ripah Bank office in Badegan village, Bantul, Yogyakarta. It's not contained with piles of bank notes or coins, but a farrago of waste which are classified according to type. There are cardboard, plastics, paper, bottles, and cans.

Gemah Ripah Bank was not just any bank. The Bank, established in February two years ago was only serving garbage from customers savings transactions. It also has limited operational hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 16:00 pm to 18:00 pm.

According to Bambang Suwerda, founder of the trash bank, Gemah Ripah is shorthand for "gerakan memilah sampah dan resikel sampah (the movement of waste sorting and recycling )". The initial goal, to overcome the problem of garbage and waste in the Village Badegan being infected with dengue fever. "Thus, the economic motive was the second priority," he said.

The mechanism of the banks that have capital initial 500,000 Rupiah ( US$ 50) was similar to commercial banks. Each customer has a savings book and account number. "Every customer deposits recorded in the books of the banks," said Bambang who works as lecturer of Yogyakarta's Health Polytechnic.

Books usually placed in the teller's desk is open and can be seen by all customers. Waste deposit is labeled with customer name, amount, and when handed. Later collected in accordance with its type in the locker bank. The customer and the bank holding the note delivery.

At this stage, the calculation of the conversion of waste into the currency value has not been done. The calculation will be done at harvest time, which on average carried out once a month. When customer's saving already mounting, the bank will call the collectors. It is them who determine the price of each type of waste.

Waste paper collectors purchase HVS paper with the highest nominal, 1500 Rupiah/kilogram. Tin cans 1,000 Rupiah/ kilogram, used boxes 900 Rupiah/kilogram, and the used paper other than HVS 300 Rupiah/kilogram.

Nasrullah, one of bank's collectors, was benefited by the waste management model that applied by Gemah Ripah Bank. Besides being a guarantee of supply, as well as the trash has been classified according to their kinds. "Moreover, the deposits continue to rise and consistent," said Nasrullah, who give the bank a bonus 14-inch television as a form of satisfaction with the bank's cooperation.

After the transaction the bank completed by the mediator, the bank recorded the rupiah value of the customers waste saving in accordance with the records in the ledger. Bambang explained, every harvest, banks can reap the results of 300,000 Rupiah to 500,000 rupiah. Banks set aside 15% of the crop for operational costs of the bank.

Each customer can only take the savings every three months. The reason, wait for adequate amount of customer savings. "So far, the highest record of a customer is 200,000 Rupiah," said Bambang.

The customers did not mind taking it over a period. According to one customer, Panut Susanto, who has saving of 150,000 Rupiah, "It's not bad for extra money," smiling Panut said.

At this time, this trash bank has 118 customers, comprised of individuals, families, neighborhood (Rukun Tetangga), and institutions. The number of bank employees as many as 12 persons, who work voluntarily. While balance position of Gemah Ripah Bank until the end of January has reached 2 millions Rupiah.

***

Though now the bank got good response from Badegan villagers, Bambang admitted at the beginning was not easy to convince residents. That happened because the Badegan villagers which located not far from Yogyakarta city, has rural-urban transition character. Suburban communities are so hard to get. "I prefer city or village not that in between," said the man who was born in Sleman, July 9, 1969.

But, Bambang not losing his mind. He is targeting children to teach how important is a good waste management. How it's done? By making the kids name on behalf of family account.

The trick worked. Now there are 40 families accounts using child's name. Children are happy because they felt had a bank book. They were diligent in coming to the bank to save waste.

In addition, Bambang diligently went to schools around Badegan to teach on how to manage the waste. The result, three kindergartens and a school has become a customer. Another way that Bambang do to arouse awareness of protecting the environment is a social gathering, from door to door and go around the village by car with loudspeakers.

The results were not disappointing. Twelve neighborhoods ( Rukun Tetangga) at Badegan already have an account at the bank. In every strategic place in each neighborhood trash cans placed three different colors for different types of waste. Green for cans and bottles, blue for plastic, and yellow for the paper. "Indeed there are still people who piled up and burned trash in the yard of the house," said the father of three children.

***

After the second birthday, Bambang plans to widen the types of services the Gemah Ripah Bank. It offers a residual waste management that is all types of waste that can not be saved and can't be calculated by the collectors. Rubbish include baby diapers, sanitary napkins, batteries, and glass.

The service that collaborate with Department of Public Works (DPU) of Bantul, has aims managing residual waste easily, cheaply, and do not contaminate the environment. Unlike the previous garbage service savings, this service does not convert the waste into rupiah. Conversely, each family actually pay 8000 Rupiah/month. This price is still cheaper than a monthly subscription fee of garbage workers who reached 20,000 Rupiah.

According to Bambang, the distribution of funds cash from the residents is 30% for Rukun Tetangga and 70% for the bank. In order to lessen the cost of bank charges to the DPU, residual waste is delivered every two weeks pedicab driver. "So, this will make employment as well," Bambang added. Pedicab fare for only 20,000 Rupiah.

Not only the waste residues will be processed the bank. Organic waste were not spared from its attention. They began to make compost and biopori around bank branches. They also develop a disinfectant with a simple water filtration system.

Actually all various types of waste management for the benefit of residents carried out before the official stand Gemah Ripah Bank. Bambang include it in the Environmental Health Workshop Program which is his practical work field as a lecturer in 2008.

The first workshop program is manage the cork waste and grated coconut. Two of these materials, when mixed with cement and sand, can be a raw materials for brick and made to various crafts. For example souvenir, flower pots, and place the flag.

After the cork waste, Bambang Badegan invites residents to process plastic waste, especially packaging beverages and snacks. Some residents who seriously follow the program given the training. The result, plastic-plastic sewn into bags, backpacks, and small containers. The price starts from 3,000 Rupiah to the most expensive, the 60,000 Rupiah for the backpack.



Box

Mothers Creativity in Processing Waste

Rini Sampah's name sounds familiar to the ear Krobokan villagers, Semarang, Central Java. Even the name of this beat her real name: Emiliana Suci Suborini. No wonder, because 47-year-old woman had been tens of years hanging out with the trash ( sampah in Indonesian language).

Her modest home filled with hundreds of crafts made from trash. There are dolls made from perfume bottles decorated with dried leaves and coffee packs. There are also wall hangings from seeds bay, where the tissues of used boxes, sandals, and a shopping bag of instant noodle packages.

Rini recycling expertise nurtured since high school. Since then, she made hundreds of works which are often displayed in various exhibitions in Semarang. Rini also shared her knowledge to the neighbors, by providing free training making crafts from waste.

To get a supply of garbage, Rini with Ning Ahmad, the Krobokan village chief's wif, initiated garbage charity program. In regular meetings every week, all villagers shall have sorted garbage charity. The waste is then processed PKK who guided by Rini and Ning. "If I had been hard to find trash, now neighbors who give us a lot," said smiling Rini.

Plastic waste is processed into handicrafts, while kitchen waste, except green onion and egg shells, processed into compost. The method used is the composter with the jar. How made it fairly simple. Filled the jars with 1 cm thick sand, the remaining vegetables, and calcium oxide. After closing for three months, the compost can be used as natural fertilizer.

Mother creativity of waste recycling was not spared from Unilever monitoring, a consumer goods manufacturer who became one of the main sources of producing plastic waste. Since nine years ago, mothers in Surabaya households received information about the segregation of organic and inorganic waste of a biggest consumer goods companies in Indonesia. They also received training to make compost and crafts from plastic waste.

Initially, Green & Clean Surabaya programs that have only two cadres. After five years, to 5,000 cadres environment. Green & Clean Surabaya success is ultimately inspire people in other cities to create a clean, green, and comfortable.

At this time, it reached 100,000 people, scattered in various cities, such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Makassar, Medan, Bandung and Banjarmasin. Recycled product of the mothers were given a brand, Trashion. Distribution of the goods has been expanded to various cities and reaches a variety of levels of society. Thanks to these works, the housewives had managed to keep the their kitchen runs well.


* it has been selected as a Finalist in the 2010 Developing Asia Journalism Awards (DAJA) Competition, Tokyo, Japan. Originally published in Bahasa Indonesia with title "Menabung Sampah Menuai Rupiah" at Majalah Gatra Volume 17/Year XVI, 10 March 2010

Belajar Menjaga Bumi dari Robot

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Animation

"WALL-E, yang minim dialog, tampil menjadi film animasi memikat yang membawa pesan penyelamatan lingkungan. Mengemas kisah kehancuran bumi dengan bingkai aksi kocak robot pembersih sampah yang kesepian. Layak masuk daftar film animasi terbaik sepanjang masa."

WALL-E
Pengisi suara: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, dan Kathy Najimy

Sutradara: Andrew Stanton
Penulis skenario: Andrew Stanton dan Jim Reardon
Rating: Anak-anak
Produksi: Walt Disney Picture dan Pixar Studio, 2008

Bumi, 700 tahun mendatang. Gedung-gedung pencakar langit menjulang tinggi. Sekilas, mereka terlihat megah, walau tak gemerlap. Ketika dilihat dari dekat, ternyata pencakar-pencakar langit itu tersusun dari balok-balok sampah padat.

Di antara gedung-gedung itu, bertebaran tumpukan sampah aneka barang. Di sana, tampak sesosok benda kotak bergerak kian kemari. Dia adalah WALL-E, robot pembersih sampah bertenaga matahari.

Tugas WALL-E memilah-memilah sampah, memasukkannya ke perut untuk dipadatkan menjadi balok sampah. Lalu WALL-E menumpuk balok-balok ini hingga menjadi gedung pencakar langit. Dia bekerja sendirian selama ratusan tahun, karena hanya WALL-E dan seekor kecoak yang masih bertahan di bumi. Semua penduduk bumi lainnya memilih hengkang ke luar angkasa ketika planet biru ini penuh tertutup sampah.

Suatu hari, rutinitas WALL-E terganggu oleh kedatangan pesawat luar angkasa raksasa. Sesosok robot putih mengilap berbentuk telur keluar dari badan pesawat. Robot bernama EVE ini bertugas memeriksa apakah sudah ada makhluk hidup lagi di bumi.

Kehadiran EVE menjungkirbalikkan dunia WALL-E yang selama ini hanya punya teman sang kecoak. Saking penasaran pada makhluk baru itu, WALL-E melupakan pekerjaan utamanya dan diam-diam mengikuti ke mana pun EVE terbang.

Aksi ini membawa WALL-E terbang ke luar angkasa menuju Axiom, pesawat pesiar super-raksasa yang dihuni penduduk bumi. Di sini, semua manusia memakai seragam sama, hanya beda warna berdasarkan jenis kelamin. Wajah mereka nyaris serupa, karena semuanya bertubuh sangat tambun.

Setelah 30 menit nyaris tanpa dialog sekecap pun, adegan di Axiom menandai berlangsungnya percakapan dalam film sepanjang 103 menit ini. Keramaian yang berlangsung di Axiom terasa begitu kontras dengan kesunyian bumi.

Seperti film-film animasi PIXAR lainnya, gambar indah dan fantastis juga tampak di sepanjang film yang digagas sejak 1994 oleh sutradara dan penulis skenario Andrew Stanton ini. Lihat saja keindahan aneka planet, bintang, dan galaksi yang mengundang decak kagum. Lihat juga arsitektur Axiom yang terbilang sempurna menyajikan imajinasi kehidupan masa depan.

Pujian patut diberikan kepada para animator PIXAR. Mereka sukses memberikan kepribadian kepada para robot di WALL-E. Alhasil, sosok WALL-E --dan robot-robot lain-- tampil sangat ekspresif, meski tanpa dialog. Kebahagiaan, kesedihan, kesepian, bahkan kejailan WALL-E bisa terlihat dari bahasa tubuh dan kedua mata yang terbuat dari lensa video.

Tak mengherankan bila adegan 30 menit tanpa dialog ala film bisu zaman dulu malah menjadi salah satu keunggulan WALL-E. Walau tanpa kata-kata, anak-anak yang terbiasa dengan suara dan adegan seru film aksi tetap bisa menikmati. Selain karena kekayaan emosi yang ditampilkan, kekuatan karakter pada WALL-E juga didukung sound effect yang mengagumkan.

Dari sisi cerita, lagi-lagi WALL-E menjadi bukti pembeda PIXAR dengan studio animasi lainnya, seperti Dreamworks (pembuat film serial Shrek). Film-film PIXAR lebih memilih mengusung materi kebenaran universal daripada guyonan bernuansa kultural atau etnis.

Statemen WALL-E menentang konsumerisme begitu kuat dan efektif. Mereka mencoba membangkitkan kesadaran para penonton, terutama generasi muda, tentang kerusakan lingkungan yang bakal terjadi di bumi bila budaya konsumtif yang kini menjangkit tak segera dihentikan.

Pesan seperti ini tercatat sebagai terobosan baru dalam sejarah film animasi. Sebab, sejak beberapa tahun terakhir, ada kesamaan skenario dalam film animasi buatan Hollywood, yaitu: “kamu bisa menjadi siapa pun yang kamu inginkan�. Bahkan film animasi terbaru dari Dreamworks, Kung Fu Panda, masih dibalut skenario seperti ini.

Dengan segala kelebihan itu, WALL-E, yang mencatat rating 97% fresh dari situs kritik film terkemuka RottenTomatoes, diyakini akan masuk nominasi film terbaik pada ajang Oscar 2009.

Astari Yanuarti