6 Serious Office Health Risks

by Althea Chang
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

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Sitting at a desk all day can be hazardous to your health. Back pain, eyestrain and sleep problems can all be results of increasingly sedentary yet stressful work environments.

The number of physically demanding jobs has dropped to less than 10% from 20% in the 1950s, according a study published by economic and social policy researchers at the Urban Institute, meaning the number of jobs that require some exertion were cut in half, leaving more Americans susceptible to desk-job-related health problems.

Here are six office-related maladies and how they can be prevented.

©MGSpiller

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Problem: Any motion that is repeated over and over again can cause injury or pain, according to occupational-health-focused Denver Chiropractor Dr. T. Randall Eldridge. But carpal tunnel syndrome isn't just pain or soreness from too much typing. It's the tingling, numbness, itching or even sharp pain caused when a nerve that runs through the forearm is compressed by swollen ligaments and bones in the wrist, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Prevention: Before you're forced to treat carpal tunnel with acupuncture, drugs or even surgery, stretching and other exercises may help release tension in the wrist, the NIH says. And, contrary to what many believe, your wrists shouldn't actually rest on those cushy wrist pads that sit below your keyboard or mouse pad. They should actually be used as a guide for how high your wrists should be, according to occupational therapist to Marji Hajic. Hajic says hands should hover over the wrist rest and it should only be used as a rest in between bouts of typing.

©Yugenro

Lower-Back Pain

Problem: Sitting for hours on end, particularly if you have bad posture, can be devastating to your body over time if you don't get moving on a regular basis. And back pain is actually a major reason for missed work for adults of all ages, according to the Georgetown University Center on an Aging Society.

But bad posture at your desk goes beyond the obvious slouching. Sitting up straight but curving your back too much can be a cause of lower-back pain as well, notes the NIH.

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Prevention: Besides being better aware of your posture as you're sitting at your desk, getting regular exercise including abdominal strengthening activities should relieve some of the pressure on your lower back.

Having too fat a wallet in your back pocket can be a bad thing as well. Sitting on a large wallet can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, which can cause sharp back pain, according to UAB Health System in Birmingham, Ala.

Other Joint Problems

Problem: The human body is meant to move, and staying in one position for too long can make joints feel tight. Sitting at a desk especially shortens and tightens the hip flexors, the muscles than help pull your legs toward your body, according to the Yoga Journal. And tight hip flexors can actually contribute to back pain as well since tight hips force the pelvis to tilt forward, compressing the back, Yoga Journal says.

Prevention: Besides getting up from your desk at regular intervals and walking around a bit, the Mayo Clinic recommends a number of stretches that can help loosen up your hips.

©Just A Prairie Boy

Eyestrain

Problem: Office workers who spend hours a day staring at a computer screen might tell you that after a certain amount of time, their vision gets blurry and their eyes generally become more sensitive. Those symptoms (as well as too-watery or too-dry eyes, a headache or a sore neck) could be indications of eyestrain, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Prevention: To prevent eyestrain at your computer, increase your font size so you don't have to squint, suggests Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT - News) (though the font on this informative page might cause readers to do just that). You may also want to rest your eyes frequently by looking away from your computer screen and reducing any glare on your monitor, the Mayo Clinic suggests.

Bacteria

Problem: "The desk, in terms of bacteria, is 400 times more dirty than your toilet," University of Arizona microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba told WebMD (NASDAQ: WBMD -News). "People turn their desks into bacteria cafeterias because they eat at them, but they never clean them. The phone is the dirtiest, the desktop is next, and the mouse and the computer follow."

But bacteria problems at your desk could be more severe than Gerba thinks. Breadcrumbs and other food remnants get can get in between keys on your keyboard, attract rats and lead to unintended exposure to their germs. What's more, many raw and cooked foods need to remain refrigerated, and leaving them out for two hours or more is a food safety no-no.

Prevention: If you frequently eat your lunch at your desk, you may want to make sure you have hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes to wipe down your work surface daily. That can also protect you from germs sprayed into the air by your coughing and sneezing coworkers.

If your office has a communal kitchen sink with a sponge, the American Dietetic Association suggests using paper towels instead, just to stay safe from bacteria.

The association goes as far as recommending that those who eat in the office bring a refrigerator thermometer and a meat thermometer as well.

©Adikos

Stressful Situations

Problem: Stress can be a problem at work regardless of how physical your day-to-day activities are, but those who do exert themselves on the job can actually use some of their activities to ease their stress. If you're chained to a desk, however, you may be even more likely to have stress-related outbursts.

About one-sixth of workers said anger at work led to property damage, and 2%-3% of workers admit to pushing, slapping or hitting someone at work, according to Reuters.

"With roughly 100 million people in the U.S. work force ... that's as many as 3 million people," Reuters reports.

Additionally, about 22% of U.S. workers say they've been driven to tears because of workplace stress and 9% say that stress has led to physically violent situations, reports RJC Associates, a career development firm.

Prevention: Smaller stressors can be handled with breathing and relaxation techniques at your desk or a break outside of the office, but some conflicts may call for mediation by an unbiased party.

And believe it or not, video games have been suggested as a method for easing workplace stress, according to CareerBuilder.com. With the job market recovering and more companies hiring, however, it's starting to look like new job prospects could be a promising way out of stressful work conditions as well.

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/109579/serious-office-health-risks?mod=career-worklife_balance

Jakarta dan Bali di Daftar Terbaik Asia 2010 Majalah Time

Jakarta dan Bali di Daftar Terbaik Asia 2010 Majalah Time

Majalah Time menempatkan sebuah spa di Bali dan pengamen Ibu Kota dalam daftar pengalaman terbaik Asia 2010. Spa St Regis Remède di Bali memiliki ritual Bloody Mary. Bekas manajer spa St. Regis di Bali, Shanti Krishna, melakukan penelitian dan memutuskan bahwa mengoleskan bahan-bahan cocktail Bloody Mary ampuh mengobati hangover.

Perawatan itu diawali dengan sesi lulur menggunakan campuran tomat, nanas, dan wasabi, diikuti body wrap berbahan tomat, tanah liat Prancis, dan vodka. “Vodka punya efek menghangatkan,” kata Krishna, “itu bisa memperbaiki sirkulasi darah.”

Lalu, perawatan berlanjut dengan pijatan menggunakan biji anggur dan minyak almond yang sudah dicampur dengan parsley dan, lagi-lagi tomat. Perawatan masih belum selesai. Selanjutnya ada rendaman larutan garam mineral dan vermouth, dan ditutup dengan tiram yang direndam dalam air tomat dan ketumbar.

Time juga menyebut ribuan pengamen Jakarta sebagai orang-orang yang bekerja paling keras di dunia hiburan Indonesia. Ada ansambel gitar, biola, ukulele, dan tamborin, dan anak-anak yang menggunakan ember plastik atau batang kayu yang ditempeli tutup botol minuman. Para pengamen ini menyanyikan lagu-lagu John Denver atau lagu-lagu hit top 40 Indonesia.

Para pemusik ini hanya mendapatkan pemasukan yang tidak seberapa. Kualitas mereka juga beragam. Kebanyakan dari mereka datang dari perdesaan, dan hanya memiliki sedikit atau bahkan tanpa pendidikan musik sama sekali. Tak sedikit dari mereka yang bermimpi sukses besar. Time mencontohkan Januarisman yang, pada 2008, memenangkan musim kelima Indonesian Idol. Menurut Time, mendengarkan pengamen tradisional dengan kecapi, sambil makan nasi goreng, dan jus alpukat, seperti mendengarkan, mengecapi, dan meminum jiwa sebuah bangsa.(Time)

http://mim.yahoo.com/yahooindonesia/p/UpRo6Jp/?cid=idtd

Protes Berlanjut Pada Ajakan Boikot Facebook

By Indra Darmawan, Harriska Farida Adiati - Senin, 17 Mei

Protes Berlanjut Pada Ajakan Boikot Facebook

VIVAnews – Protes terhadap sikap Facebook yang mengabaikan perlindungan atas hak kerahasiaan pribadi penggunanya, semakin marak.

Seperti dikutip dari situs BBC, para senator di Amerika Serikat mengeluarkan seruan publik kepada Facebook untuk memikirkan ulang kebijakan perlindungan privasi para pengguna Facebook.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) bahkan mengeluarkan petisi yang ditujukan kepada pendiri Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. ACLU meminta Zuckerberg untuk menyediakan cara untuk mengontrol semua informasi yang di-share pengguna melalui Facebook.

Badan resmi yang mengurusi proteksi data konsumen juga menyebut perubahan kebijakan privasi Facebook sebagai langkah yang tidak bisa diterima.

Sorotan tajam tengah dialamatkan kepada Facebook karena jejaring sosial terpopuler itu tak memberlakukan opsi privasi Opt in. Dengan demikian secara standar default, informasi pengguna seperti postingan, foto, serta data-data profilnya akan bisa dilihat secara publik.

Beberapa waktu lalu, fitur baru yang diluncurkan Facebook, Instant Personalization, juga memicu terungkapnya data-data pribadi para penggunanya. Data-data pribadi seperti email pengguna Facebook bisa dijebol dengan metode cross site scripting melalui lubang yang dijumpai dari situs Yelp.

Selain itu percakapan pribadi para Facebooker yang menggunakan chatting box di Facebook juga sempat bocor dan dapat diintip oleh para pengguna lain.

Ini memicu para pengguna Facebook melakukan protes. Charlotte Crockett, pemuda 29 tahun asal Belanda, adalah salah satu dari lebih dari 100 ribu pendukung grup yang menamakan diri "Facebook, Respect My Privacy!" yang dibuat oleh organisasi MoveOn.org. Grup ini mendesak Facebook untuk juga melakukan perubahan pada kebijakan privasi.

"Saya sangat prihatin terhadap orang-orang yang tidak mengerti bagaimana sebaiknya mereka membatasi informasi yang mereka share di facebook. Rekan-rekan seusia saya saja masih banyak yang belum mengerti, bahkan contohnya orang tua saya," kata Crockett kepada abcnews.

Untuk memancing kesadaran para Facebooker lain agar lebih perhatian dengan hak kerahasiaan data pribadi mereka, sebagian pengguna Facebook juga membuat sebuah situs parodi bernama Youropenbook.

Di situs itu, ditampilkan postingan-postingan lucu dan memalukan dari pengguna Facebook, yang mereka siarkan secara tak sadar karena mereka tidak melakukan penyetelan privasi secara benar.

Misalnya saja postingan seorang karyawan yang mengaku bolos dari kerjaan mereka, atau status yang memuat pengakuan tentang seorang karyawan yang mengerjai atasannya, dan lain-lain.

Bahkan perlawanan para pengguna Facebook berekskalasi pada rencana untuk memboikot Facebook. Para pengguna Facebook mendirikan gerakan Facebookprotest.com, berencana untuk memboikot Facebook pada 6 Juni 2010 mendatang.

Pada hari itu, para pendukung gerakan ini meminta kepada para pengguna Facebook untuk tidak sign-in ke Facebook sepanjang hari itu, untuk mendukung gerakan mereka.

Ketidak-sensitifan Facebook menanggapi keresahan para pengguna Facebook akhir-akhir ini memang memicu gelombang gerakan antipati terhadap situs jejaring sosial itu.

Bila seseorang mengetikkan kata-kata "How to quit..." di kolom pencarian Google, secara otomatis mesin pencari akan meneruskan rangkaian kata tersebut menjadi kalimat "how to quit Facebook" di barisan teratas.

Hal itu disebabkan banyaknya pencarian di internet tentang cara untuk berhenti menggunakan Facebook. Di bawahnya, baru hasil pencarian lain mengikuti, seperti cara menghentikan kebiasaan merokok, cara berhenti dari pekerjaan, dan cara berhenti mengkonsumsi minuman beralkohol.

Belakangan beberapa Facebooker berpengaruh seperti Peter Rojas, Matt Cutts, Leo Laporte, Cory Doctorow juga memilih menutup akun mereka di laman jejaring sosial itu. (hs)

http://id.news.yahoo.com/viva/20100516/ttc-protes-berlanjut-pada-ajakan-boikot-078ed6a.html

Tanam Pohon Untuk Melawan Pemanasan Global

Antara - 1 jam 2 menit lalu

Tanam Pohon Untuk Melawan Pemanasan Global

Jakarta (ANTARA) -- Menanam pohon adalah upaya awal untuk mengurangi pemanasan global, kata Direktur Public Affairs PT Djarum Suwarno M Serad pada acara penanaman pohon Trembesi di Kecamatan Karang Anyar, Kabupaten Demak, Rabu (12/3) lalu.

Oh ya? Ya, karena dengan semakin banyak pohon yang tumbuh, lingkungan semakin sejuk, kata vokalis band Nidji, Giring Ganesha, yang turut menyemarakkan acara yang merupakan rangkaian kegiatan tanggung jawab sosial PT Djarum dalam memerangi pemanasan global melalui penanaman pohon di sepanjang jalan raya Semarang-Demak-Kudus, Jawa Tengah.

Bagaimanakah kaitan antara penanaman pohon dengan mengurangi pemanasan global?

Pemanasan global adalah kenaikan suhu udara rata-rata di seluruh permukaan bumi. Kenaikan suhu udara ini terjadi karena semakin banyak gas-gas rumah kaca di atmosfer bumi. Gas-gas ini antara lain uap air (H2O), karbon dioksida (CO2), nitrous oksida (N2O), dan gas metana (CH4), bersama dengan gas-gas lain menyelimuti bumi yang disebut dengan udara.

Gas-gas ini memiliki efek rumah kaca, sehingga sinar matahari bisa masuk menembus kaca, namun panas dari rumah kaca tidak bisa keluar karena tertahan oleh kaca, sehingga udara di dalam rumah kaca lama-kelamaan menjadi lebih panas. Hal seperti ini dilakukan petani di daerah beriklim dingin untuk meningkatkan dan menjaga kestabilan suhu di daerah pertaniannya.

Demikian pula gas-gas rumah kaca di atmosfer bumi. Sinar matahari mampu menerobos lapisan gas ini sehingga mencapai permukaan bumi. Sebagian sinar itu diserap bumi, lainnya dipancarkan kembali ke atmosfer (udara) dalam bentuk panas. Panas ini akan diserap gas-gas rumah kaca, kemudian dipancarkan kembali ke segala penjuru arah, termasuk sebagian besar ke arah bumi. Panas yang dipancarkan kembali ke arah Bumi inilah yang menyebabkan suhu udara di permukaan Bumi menjadi lebih tinggi.

Sesungguhnya keberadaan gas-gas rumah kaca ini sangat elementer sehingga bumi bisa dihuni mahluk hidup termasuk manusia, sebab kalau gas-gas ini tidak ada maka suhu permukaan bumi akan sangat dingin dan tidak memungkinkan mahluk hidup bertahan hidup.

Peningkatan konsentrasi (jumlah) gas-gas rumah kaca ini di atmosfer dengan sendirinya akan meningkatkan jumlah panas yang terperangkap di lapisan udara permukaan bumi. Dalam jangka panjang hal inilah yang menyebabkan pemanasan global.

Di antara gas-gas rumah kaca, jumlah gas karbon dioksida adalah yang meningkat signifikan, terkait dengan peningkatan aktivitas penggunaan bahan bakar fosil (gas, minyak dan batubara) untuk berbagai kerperluan seperti transportasi, industri dan rumah tangga, dari zaman pra-industri hingga zaman modern saat ini. Jumlah gas metana juga meningkat karena aktivitas pertanian, namun jumlahnya jauh lebih sedikit dibanding gas karbon dioksida.

Setiap pembakaran bahan bakar fosil akan melepas CO2 ke udara sebagai sisa pembakaran dalam jumlah yang sebanding.

Pemantauan di observatorium Mauna Loa, Hawaii, konsentrasi CO2 meningkat secara konsisten dari sekitar 318 ppm pada 1957 menjadi sekitar 387 ppm pada tahun 2010. Sementara itu, panel ahli antarpemerintah mengenai perubahan iklim (IPCC) mengungkapkan bahwa suhu permukaan bumi meningkat 0,6 derajat Celcius dari tahun 1861 hingga pada tahun 2001, dan saat ini diperkirakan suhu permukaan bumi meningkat sekitar 0,74 derajat Celcius.

Dampak negatif dari pemanasan global ini sudah disuarakan banyak kalangan sejak beberapa dekade lalu, namun komunitas dunia terutama kalangan industri baru sadar dalam beberapa tahun terakhir setelah lapisan es di kutub mulai mencair. Pencairan es di kutub dikhawatirkan akan menaikkan muka air laut, yang bisa menenggelamkan pulau dan sejumlah kota di tepi pantai, serta segala aktivitas masyarakat di kawasan pesisir.

Dampak lain dari pemanasan global yakni terganggunya pola iklim. Pola iklim yang tidak teratur membuat pola tanam pertanian menjadi kacau, bahkan bisa berakibat pada gagal panen yang bisa mengakibatkan kelaparan bagi manusia.

Sebagai contoh, selama ini musim hujan di Indonesia dikenal pada periode September hingga Februari, dan musim kering (panas) pada bulan Maret hingga Agustus. Dengan pola ini, biasanya petani menanam padi pada bulan Desember (puncak musim hujan) dan rencana panen pada bulan Maret atau April (awal musim kering). Karena perubahan iklim, musim hujan berlangsung hingga bulan Maret, maka padi tersebut akan hancur dan tidak bisa dipanen.

Selain itu, meningkatnya suhu udara bisa memunculkan berbagai penyakit baru yang sulit ditangani, karena belum sempat dilakukan penelitian.

Para ahli memperkirakan apabila suhu udara meningkat dua derajat Celcius, maka perubahan ekosistem bumi yang terjadi tidak akan bisa dipulihkan (ir-reversible), mahluk hidup banyak yang akan punah.

Oleh karena itu, untuk menghindari malapetaka karena kenaikan suhu tersebut bangsa-bangsa di dunia sepakat untuk mengurangi emisi karbon ke udara mulai tahun 2020.

Ada beberapa cara untuk mengurangi jumlah gas CO2 di udara, antara lain mengurangi penggunaan bahan bakar fosil dan menanam pohon/tumbuhan/tanaman untuk menyerap CO2 dari udara.

Mengurangi penggunaan bahan bakar fosil bisa dilakukan dengan efisiensi penggunaan energi dan atau menggunakan sumber energi lain seperti energi nuklir, tenaga matahari, tenaga air dan lain-lain.

Sementara itu penyerapan CO2 dari udara dilakukan tumbuhan (pohon) melalui proses fotosintesis di dalam daun. Atas bantuan energi dari sinar matahari, air yang diserap tumbuhan dari tanah akan bercampur dengan CO2 yang diserap dari udara untuk menghasilkan gula, yakni bahan organik yang diperlukan untuk tumbuh dan berkembang.

Semakin banyak tumbuhan (pohon) akan semakin banyak pula daun yang menyerap CO2, sehingga konsentrasi CO2 di udara bisa berkurang. Demikianlah proses penanaman pohon bisa mengurangi pemanasan global.

Proses fotosintesis sesungguhnya merupakan salah satu mekanisme alam untuk menjaga kesetimbangan konsentrasi CO2 di atmosfer, selain larutnya CO2 di lautan karena terbawa angin dan hujan, serta karena proses pendinginan udara. Di sinilah fungsi hutan menjadi penting.

Berkurangnya areal hutan karena pembabatan dan konversi untuk kepentingan lain seperti pemukiman dan kawasan industri, menjadi faktor yang mempercepat peningkatan konsentrasi CO2 di atmosfer dalam beberapa dekade terakhir. Oleh karena itu penanaman pohon dan penghutanan kembali areal kritis merupakan langkah penting mengurangi pemanasan global.

Gencarnya pemberitaan mengenai fenomena pemanasan global dan dampaknya telah memunculkan kesadaran di berbagai kalangan masyarakat di dunia untuk berpartisipasi melawan kenaikan suhu bumi ini.

Pemerintah Indonesia mengadakan program penanaman satu miliar pohon untuk mencapai target pengurangan emisi CO2 sebesar 26 persen pada tahun 2020.

Kebijakan ini ditanggapi Pemerintah Kota Bekasi dengan menanami pohon di sepanjang jalan raya, serta meminta setiap pelajar di daerah ini menanam satu pohon produktif di areal sekolahnya.

Di Missisippi, Amerika Serikat, masyarakat berlomba-lomba menanami bambu, selain untuk mengurangi pemanasan global juga untuk menghasilkan bahan bangunan dan kerajinan. Bahkan kelompok masyarakat ini melakukan berbagai penelitian yang menghasilkan jenis bambu dengan umur panen lebih pendek.

Di tingkat korporat, kegiatan produksi yang ramah lingkungan banyak dijadikan sebagai keunggulan bersaing dengan menghasilkan produk-produk berlabel ramah lingkungan (eco-labelling). Walaupun masih dipersoalkan, baru-baru ini perusahaan produsen barang-barang konsumen terbesar di dunia, Unilever, menolak minyak sawit produksi salah satu anak perusahaan Sinar Mas Group karena dinilai proses pertanamannya merusak lingkungan.

Sejumlah korporasi juga mengarahkan program kepedulian sosialnya (CSR) untuk turut berpartisipasi melawan pemanasan global, antara lain program Djarum Trees For Life dari PT Djarum. Lewat program ini akan ditanami 2.767 pohon Trembesi di sepanjang turus jalan Semarang-Kudus, Jawa Tengah. Setelah ini selesai akan dilanjutkan di daerah lain kawasan Pantai Utara Jawa.

Pohon Trembesi dipilih selain karena memiliki kemampuan sebagai peneduh, juga merupakan pohon dengan serapan CO2 tertinggi. Hasil penelitian Dr. Ir. H. Endes N. Dahlan, dari Fakultas Kehutanan Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) satu batang pohon Trembesi (diameter tajuk 15 meter) mampu menyerap 28,5 ton gas CO2 setiap tahun. Sehingga penanaman pohon jenis ini secara luas dapat menurunkan konsentrasi gas CO2 secara efektif dalam waktu yang lebih singkat.

Sementara itu dipilihnya jalan raya sebagai lokasi penanaman pohon atas dua pertimbangan, yang pertama bahwa jalan raya merupakan kawasan emisi CO2 yang besar karena banyak kendaraan bermotor yang lalu lalang, sehingga tumbuhnya pohon Trembesi di sepanjang jalan akan efektif menyerap CO2 buangan kendaraan bermotor tersebut.

Yang kedua kampanye perang melawan pemanasan global. Dengan menanam pohon Trembesi di pinggir jalan raya, diharapkan semakin banyak orang yang peduli dan melakukan hal serupa untuk memerangi pemanasan global.

PT Djarum sadar bahwa perang melawan pemanasan global bukan hanya tanggung jawab pemerintah atau para pemilik modal, melainkan tugas bersama seluruh umat manusia. Oleh karena itu harus semakin banyak orang yang diajak berpartisipasi.

Oleh karena itu, dalam rangkaian program penanaman pohon Trembesi ini PT Djarum melibatkan banyak kalangan, mulai dari pemerintah daerah Jawa Tengah, Kepolisian, kelompok tani, artis, lembaga swadaya masyarakat (LSM), perguruan tinggi, blogger, dan pelajar.

"Kami ingin menularkan kepada semakin banyak orang keinginan untuk menanam pohon. Kami ingin agar semakin banyak orang yang berpartisipasi melawan pemanasan global," kata Suwarno M Serad di hadapan ribuan warga masyarakat yang menantikan aksi kelompok band Nidji, di Karang Anyar, Demak, pekan lalu.

Dalam rangkaian program Djarum Trees For Life, secara bergelombang sejak bulan Maret, penyanyi Nugie, selebritas Luna Maya dan kelompok band Nidji, melakukan penanaman pohon Trembesi di daerah Karang Anyar, Demak. Acara puncak akan menghadirkan Iwan Fals pada 27 Mei mendatang di Demak.

Sambil menghibur para penggemarnya, para artis ini menyuarakan ajakan untuk menanam pohon untuk melawan pemanasan global demi masa depan bumi dan manusia.

"Mari menanam pohon, karena semakiin banyak pohon lingkungan semakin sejuk," kata Giring ketika menghibur ribuan warga di alun-alun Kecamatan Karang Anyar itu.

Sesungguhnya penanaman pohon tidak sekadar membuat udara menjadi lebih sejuk, seperti diungkapkan Giring, tetapi lebih dari itu, secara tidak kita sadari tindakan itu berkontribusi terhadap perang melawan pemanasan global sehigga bumi dengan segala mahluk di dalamnya terhindar dari kepunahan.

http://id.news.yahoo.com/antr/20100517/tpl-tanam-pohon-untuk-melawan-pemanasan-cc08abe.html

8 Tips to Survive Your Drive

• by Reader's Digest Magazine, on Thu May 6, 2010 9:36am PDT

By Fran Lostys

Do you know what to do in a dangerous driving situation?

Survive your drive with these tips from Walter Irvine, an instructor at the Skip Barber Racing School, in Lakeville, Connecticut.

What If...?

… a car is heading straight toward you in your lane?
“Try to get their attention [honk, flash your lights], but also look ahead and plan for an evasive reaction. Do not stare at the oncoming vehicle,” because your car follows your line of sight. “Look where you want to go, not where you are heading.”

© Jupiterimages/Creatas/Thinkstock

...a car is tailgating you and honking wildly?
“Pull over and let it by.”

PLUS: 11 Crazy Things We Do While We Drive

… a car is swerving ahead of you and the driver is clearly impaired?
“Give him room, do not tailgate, and, again, do not fixate on him.”

… a deer darts in front of your car?
“Calmly attempt to avoid it with as little braking and steering as you can.”

PLUS: The 7 Deadliest Roads

… you come to a four-way stop?
“Always try to establish eye contact with drivers waiting to proceed. If you see them looking at you, you know it is safe.”

… you’re blinded by the sun?
“Don’t overreact by slamming on the brakes or swerving. Continue on your path so you are predictable to other vehicles.”

PLUS: The 5 Best Roads in America

... you get a yellow light as you approach an intersection?
“You should never go through a yellow light if you have the ability to stop safely.”

… you’re about to be rear-ended?
“Take your foot off the brake. If the car behind you hits you, the impact will be lessened if your car can roll forward.”

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/8-tips-to-survive-your-drive-1410116/

Could Online Hackers Steal Your Cash?

Saturday, May 15, 2010provided by

When you access your bank account online you probably don't think that at that exact moment there may be a hacker, somewhere in the world, trying to steal your bank information and your money.

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Your bank offers secure online banking, so why should you worry, right?

Despite banks' efforts to protect accounts from the online crooks, hacker attacks remain a serious threat that cost Americans millions of dollars each year. The Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that Americans lost about $559 million to Internet thieves in 2009. That is more than twice the 2008 figure, when $268 million was stolen on the Internet, according to the center.

"Last year there were more online bank robberies than there were actual on-site bank robberies," says Sean Sullivan, a security adviser at F-Secure, an Internet security firm. "Banks have become very proactive in protecting accounts from hackers, but it's still quite a large problem. We see all types of new attempts every day."

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Biggest Threat

Banking Trojans -- malicious code specifically designed for banking fraud -- are one of the biggest threats to consumers who bank online, Sullivan says. They are invisible and can steal multiple types of data, including passwords. Some more advanced types of Trojans can make fraudulent transfers and drain your account while you are logged on to the account online, he says.

Is Your Bank Safe?

The more questions and passwords you are asked to enter in order to log in to your account, the safer is your bank's website.

If your bank only asks you to enter a username and password to log in its website is not as secure as it should be, Sullivan says.

Some banks require customers to create a username, a site key name and use personalized pictures or symbols that appear during the login process. In addition, banks should ask customers to answer a security question before gaining access to their account.

"The more layers you have before you get to your account, the safer you are," Sullivan says.

Who's Liable?

In the event you become a victim of online theft, act quickly and know your rights. The general rule for consumer checking and savings accounts is the bank is liable for most of the damage, as long as you report the illicit transfer in a timely manner. But if you have a line of credit account or a business account, you need to be extra careful, because the bank will not always be obligated to pay for your loss.

"It is based on whether the customer's conduct with respect to security was reasonable," he says. In that case the court will ultimately determine who was more at fault for the breach -- the bank or the consumer.

Business Accounts

Business accounts are the most vulnerable to hacker attacks and the least protected by the law. Hackers are much more inclined to break into a six-figure business account than a consumer account with a few thousand dollars, Sullivan says.

"There are hundreds of cases of thefts of money from small business deposit accounts each year," Johnson says.

Business accounts are regulated by the Uniform Commercial Code, or UCC, which requires banks to maintain "commercial reasonable authentication security procedures," in any kind of wire transfer, he says.

"If the bank can show the breach was caused by something the customer did the bank is not liable," Johnson says.

California attorney Nada Alnajafi says most small businesses don't understand the risk they are taking when they use wire-transfer accounts.

"I don't think a lot of them understand they are taking almost full risk for any potential issues," she says.

She is representing a small Los Angeles business owner who lost $50,000 after a hacker committed a fraudulent transfer from his Bank of America account to a Croatian Bank. She filed a lawsuit on behalf of her client against Bank of America in February because the bank refused to take responsibility for the theft, she says.

Bank of America claims it is not liable for the illicit transfer. The lawsuit is pending.

How to Help Protect Your Account

• Don't access your account from a shared computer.

• Be certain your computer has anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware programs, including security software with automatic updates.

• If you are using wireless service, check the settings on your computer to make sure the connection is encrypted. Don't connect to your account using a public network, like the ones you find at a coffee shop or at the airport.

• Review your statements regularly and carefully, and report any suspicious activity to your bank immediately.

• Use a strong password with letters and numbers combined. Don't use the same password for multiple accounts.

• Log out after every session.

Copyrighted, Bankrate.com. All rights reserved.

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgetingk/article/109549/could-online-hackers-steal-your-cash?mod=bb-checking_savings

Internet Use Makes Us Happier, Says Mental-Health Study

AFP/File – A Saudi university student is pictured checking out his internet blog on a laptop at a cafe in Riyadh. …

By TARA KELLY / LONDON – Sat May 15, 1:55 am ET

When it comes to mental health, the Internet gets a bad rap. There are countless studies that suggest regular access to the Internet is linked to stress, anxiety and addiction. But before you stop tweeting and toss out your iPhone, it turns out that spending time on the Web could actually be making you happier.

A May 12 report by British researchers from the U.K.'s Chartered Institute of IT (known as BCS) have found a link between Internet access and well-being. But some benefit more than others from tapping into the information superhighway, including those with lower incomes or fewer qualifications, people living in the developing world and, perhaps most surprisingly, women. (See the 50 best websites of 2009.)

Overall, the study found that access to the Internet leads people to feel better about their lives. "Put simply, people with IT access are more satisfied with life even when taking account of income," said Michael Willmott, the social scientist who authored the study, at a press conference. "Our analysis suggests that IT has an enabling and empowering role in people's lives, by increasing their sense of freedom and control, which has a positive impact on well-being or happiness."

Few studies have been done on how Web access directly affects happiness. So researchers from the Trajectory Partnership, a U.K.-based think tank that carried out the study on behalf of the BCS, analyzed data from 35,000 people across the globe who took part in the World Values Survey from 2005 to 2007. Looking at a number of social and economic factors that determine happiness - including gender, age, income and education - the survey showed that Internet use empowers people by increasing their feelings of security, personal freedom and influence. (See pictures of what money can buy.)

"The results ... are very plausible," says Carol Graham, chair in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and author of Happiness Around the World. "If you introduce a technology [in the developing world], whether it is the Internet or the cell phone, that allows people to reduce their very high [constraints] of getting through daily life, it has a tremendous well-being affect." (Comment on this story.)

The survey showed that the correlation between Internet access and happiness does not appear to increase with age, meaning it's not just kids who get something out of surfing the Web. "Whether young or old, we're all social beings, we all have a need for the things IT access facilitates," Paul Flatters, a partner at the Trajectory Partnership, told reporters. (See 10 tech trends for 2010.)

But the researchers weren't expecting to discover that women gain so much from technology, given that it's such a male-dominated industry. Although the report didn't explore why women reap more happiness from Internet access than men do, the report hypothesizes that because women tend to be at the center of their family's social network, the Web is a tool to help them keep their home lives organized. According to the Brookings Institution's Graham, while the findings may surprise initially, they do make sense. "Particularly the [results on] gender and lesser developing countries, if you consider that women in many of these contexts are either isolated or repressed in a way," she says. "IT gives them communication with the outside world, access to networks and so on. Friendships are very important to well-being as well, and one can imagine e-mail and IT being a good way to maintain those, particularly in contexts where telephones and transport are far from ideal or reliable."

The Trajectory Partnership says that the survey's results have motivated them to go further in trying to answer the question of why some people benefit from Web access more than others. "We hope to establish why this works and in particular how is it working with women and disempowered groups," says social scientistWillmott. (Read "Welcome to Googleville?")

With burgeoning interest in finding ways to measure progress beyond GDP - Bhutan has its index for gross national happiness and the U.N. produces a Human Development Report each year - countries could usefuture studies like this one to help form government policy. The BCS hopes its report will play an important role in shaping how the technology industry develops its products and works toward bridging the digital divide. "The more we can make technology work for humankind, the better," says Willmott.

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View this article on Time.com

Related articles on Time.com:

• Internet Use and Well-Being: U.K. Web Study Shows Link
• Laugh and the World Laughs With You: How Happiness Spreads
• It's a Glad, Sad, Mad World

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100515/hl_time/08599198924400