To raise awareness among the public and young generation about various environmental issues that have been occurring recently, the Environmental Engineering Study Program and the President University Major Association (PUMA) of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, President University (Presuniv), held the Eco Brilliant Ideas (EBI) competition. This annual competition for high school students was held partly offline this year, after being conducted online for the past two years.
In his speech, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr.-Ing. Erwin Sitompul, ST, M.Sc., highlighted one important environmental issue, namely carbon emissions. He stated, “There are regulations to reduce greenhouse gases. Given this situation, the ability to count carbon emissions is crucial.” Erwin explained that the industry’s ability to reduce carbon emissions holds economic value. “These carbon emission reductions can be traded with other companies that have not yet been able to reduce their emissions.”
With more regulations encouraging the industry to move towards zero emissions, Erwin emphasized that the ability to count carbon emissions is highly necessary now and in the future. “Therefore, training in Counting Carbon Emissions is very important. Hopefully, all participants can learn this well,” said Erwin.
Meanwhile, Head of the Environmental Engineering Study Program, Yosef Barita Sar Manik, ST, M.Sc., Ph.D., emphasized, “We must protect the environment. We should not let the world we live in be damaged by the rapid development of technology. Today’s young generation must be at the forefront of preserving the environment, even as industrialization progresses rapidly.”
Counting Carbon Emissions
This year’s EBI, themed Sustainable Development Goals, consisted of two competition categories: Quiz and Scientific Paper. Besides holding competitions, EBI also organized a blood donation drive in collaboration with the Blood Transfusion Unit of the Indonesian Red Cross (UTD PMI) Bekasi Regency and a workshop on Counting Carbon Emissions.
In the Scientific Paper competition, several scientific papers were submitted. These papers were then reviewed by the jury. As a result, three best papers were selected. The authors of these papers were then invited to Fabrication Lab (Fablab), President University Convention Center (PUCC), Jl. H. Usmar Ismail, Kota Jababeka, Cikarang, to participate in the final round held on Friday, July 5, 2024.
In the final round, the three top-scoring authors presented their Scientific Papers and prototypes to the jury. After the presentations, while waiting for the jury’s verdict, participants and their companions toured the campus.
After the tour, the event continued with a workshop on Counting Carbon Emissions conducted by two speakers from Jababeka Infrastructure, namely Cinthya Hendrayani and Regi Risman Sandi. Cinthya explained that Jababeka, as the manager of the industrial area, needs to prepare various facilities required by companies from various industries. “We need to ensure that the industries in Jababeka remain relevant to developments. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for future risks, including environmental risks such as carbon emissions,” she explained.
Carbon emissions, resulting from various human activities, accelerate global warming. If this issue is not taken seriously, it can worsen the Earth’s condition. Regi added, “Nowadays, it is easier to count carbon emissions, especially with various applications designed to help count carbon emissions.”
The Winners
After participating in the workshop and Quiz, here are the winners of the EBI 2024 organized by the Environmental Engineering Study Program and PUMA:
Scientific Paper:
- 1st Place: Sunflower Team from SMK Negeri 2 Kraksaan, Probolinggo, East Java.
- 2nd Place: Ainur Pinandita from SMA Negeri 1 Ungaran, Semarang, Central Java.
- 3rd Place: Brilliant Research Club from MAN 4 Bantul, Yogyakarta.
Quiz:
- 1st Place: Chitra Sevanya from SMA Santo Thomas 2 Medan, North Sumatera.
- 2nd Place: Isaura Nailah from SMA Negeri 1 Cicurug, Sukabumi, West Java.
- 3rd Place: Najwa Laili from SMA Negeri 1 Yogyakarta.
(Graciella V, PR team. Photo: Damar Satriawan)