Oleh Nikodemus Niko (Tanjungpura of University, Pontianak West Kalimantan)
mimbaruntan.com– I was born in a remote village. The village which is far away from the big city. Pejalu is the name of my village. There is no electricity flowing in my village. When night falls, my house only in lighting by ‘pelita’ (the kerosene lamp). Finally, I’m forced to settle in the city to attend school. I’m not used to the life in the town. Every man require electricity to support his life. However, it never i feel in my village. Electric was one of the component of many very role in the life of a people and even for every human being. Almost all areas of human need employment of electric power. Housewife cannot cooking and washing clothes without electrical energy. In indonesia is currently being in crisis electrical energy. It is ironic, a country that has its natural resources abundant, was now crisis energy. I believe the whole world feels thinking about and energy crisis. The core of the world’s energy problems is the imbalance demand and supply as well as access to energy resources.
The electric turning off severally is government program that has no end in indonesia. Daily power outages this program continues. Why not because of an awareness of ourselves to save energy? Why should be in government programs. We can save energy every day. Uses electricity when needed, walking, and etc. However, basically all started by ourselves. Special in the state indonesia i can’t ensure that society his frugality energy. Because every day, big cities in indonesia had been bogged down. This is because many private vehicles as on a motorcycle and cars. Of course in the use of the vehicle to fossil fuel. It like this the energy crisis hit the world. We need to hold a government regulation to stop imports of vehicles. As a citizen who cares for and love with Indonesia should be unwilling to cooperate with the government in solve problems related to energy crisis this.
I think development of alternative energy very important start now considering reserves of fossil which have been reliably for power generation are very limited. Any various of alternative energy sources that can be used, among them are hydro-electric, geothermal power, mini hydro, micro or biomass, solar and wind power and nuclear or uranium. Energy sources will include into renewable energy. As an alternative energy that fits over indonesia I think is probably use nuclear power plant which has its very large, besides that also clean and green energy or environmentally friendly.
Nuclear power plant is technology based energy. Nuclear reactor is using the raw material of uranium. Uranium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol U and atomic number 92. A heavy metals, poisonous, colored silvery-white radioactive, and natural uranium including the actinide series. Their isotopes used as nuclear reactor fuel and nuclear weapons. Indonesia has reserves of uranium that can be used for raw material of nuclear power plants. National nuclear energy agency (BATAN) recorded 29.000 tons of uranium reserves are in the land of my birth, west kalimantan. My expectations, the government can use of natural resources that left it with the best performance. Don’t let it happen like the case in papua, natural resources drained but its not very prosperous society.
Even though potential of renewable energy, solar energy, very many the wind, micro hydrolab, nuclear, geotermal, until biomass. Indonesia is very minimal take advantage of this energy to meet the need for electricity. I think, with increasing depletion of petroleum reserves in Indonesia, the utilization of alternative energy nonfosil should be improved. And I think nuclear energy should be implemented because the only power source that doesn’t emit greenhouse gases-glass, that can effectively replace fossil fuels. Besides we expect natural resources available, we should also always take part in the change of the country. Save energy only comes from our private respectively.
Though many benefits in the implementation of nuclear technology could only be in our hearts there is still a feeling of anxiety. How when there is a leak as happened in japan lately? What the hell with the waste? Actually every work containing risk. Whatever we do if we are not careful then going to be a disaster. Learn from the country of Canada, on the issue of discharge has been found a way that is safe and permanent. The nuclear waste buried deep underground in the lining of a stable granitic rocks. Geologic research shows that rock formations granite could steady up to 1.5 million years or even more.
Nuclear is remarkable, boons the lord we should be grateful for its existence in West Kalimantan to save Indonesia from the energy crisis. This should be used to increase human well-being. I hope nuclear can role in help resolve the crisis national energy today. Nuclear energy are necessary for national security supply in support of the realization of sustainable energy (energy security of supply). Appreciation should to indonesia because at the 8th asean science and technology week in the philippines ( 2008 ); indonesia have been appointed to be the focal point (state of locomotion) for the issue of safety and security of nuclear weapon in the region of southeast asia.
Nuclear potential in indonesia sustainably can strengthen security of the energy supply countries, and the balance of payments opening many jobs, alleviate poverty, to launch universal economic growth and also to quell the emission of greenhouse gases. So prospective nuclear energy needs to take care of the world community. A total of 439 nuclear reactor is operating in 32 countries. The question now is how the readiness of indonesian human resources in develop nuclear reactor?
The answer is education. With adequate education in Indonesia, then Indonesia will be ready to manage the nuclear power plant. Education played an important role for us to get live in the modern now. People from around the world can only griped society their high and only hope that someday they shall be like them. We tend to keep silence and so what’s in front of our eyes should be belonging to someone else. If I were to become a minister who handles energy issues in indonesia I want to prosper people who are in the remote areas, as the border region of a country. I want them to realize and feel how big the benefits if we have education so they can develop and manage natural resources which are not in the environment around us. Unwittingly, this is being reserves in areas of energy is very abundant. As in the county of sintang, district sanggau, and district melawi located in the border zone directly with malaysia. If the government does not act quickly, then neighboring easily could have to approach the border, with the community and then claimed that energy.
Border issues should never be released from the issue of education. I am very concerned with condition of a community border far from peace. At the level local problems by the border area is marginal, such as arrearage, poverty expensive prices of goods and services, infrastructures and facilities limitations (services), public infrastructure low quality human resource generally, and spread the unequal. Of several things are very important being questioned in the border area is a condition low education. See the existing problems, how can communities be ready to face the transformation of energy, at some time going to happen in their own country. Not just like education condition in the border area can be seen by a rise in the number of children drop out of school in the border area; starting from the ground level to an intermediate degree upon. This condition caused by several factors, some of them are still the magnitude of the poverty rate and expensive educational in the border area.
Then how overcome this? I think people would not move alone without assistance hands of the government. Therefore, the Government’s commitment is in need in dealing with the border region. Don’t get natural resources we have managed by foreigners, and we just be a spectator course. Lest they low education level is getting trigger we to idleness. When his we into action, to toward Indonesia more advanced, and less from the energy crisis. Everything is in our hands, hanging we want to think or just settles course.