Miriam Bahagijo's Portfolio

Currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) at New York University.  

An early career science journalist who pivoted from content/copywriter and is interested in writing about the intersection of climate, biodiversity, ecology, and conservation. 

An early career science journalist from Indonesia

Latest Works

Scienceline •

It’s hard to name a species — and even harder to rename one - Scienceline

How does a blind cave beetle end up being named after a Nazi dictator? Or a fossil after a famous British broadcaster? 
There is no one answer because the process of naming species — for both scientific and common names — is complex and inconsistent and sometimes produces names that, over time, become offensive. 
Here’s what you should know about how species are named — and occasionally renamed:

Why do species have both scientific and common names?
Many species, like the Slovenian blind cave be...
Scienceline •

After the hurricane came more mosquitoes - Scienceline

Super-charged hurricanes not only wreak havoc in the areas they are passing through, but also give rise to one of the deadliest animals on earth: mosquitoes.
As the world is experiencing a warming climate, we can expect more intense hurricanes, which bring about perfect breeding conditions for mosquitoes, namely increased instances of standing water.

Rising temperatures and precipitation patterns will also continue to affect the spread of mosquitoes into more regions. Certain species of mosquit...
The Jakarta Post •

Jakartans skeptical of Pramono’s plan to address air pollution - Environment - The Jakarta Post

With a new governor on the horizon, Jakarta's citizens are doubtful, as the incoming leaders bring neither new nor revolutionary efforts to tackle air pollution.
In the last weeks of 2024, Jakarta received a bright gift of clear blue sky, an unusual sighting in a city often covered by choking smog that made the country’s capital the world’s most polluted city. But the clear horizon may not last long, as it depends on the weather and wind that may change.Jakartans’ hope fo...
Eos •

Mid-Ocean Ridges Could Be Dispersing Thermophilic Bacteria - Eos

When scientists from the University of Calgary recovered samples of dormant, heat-loving bacteria from two locations thousands of kilometers apart in the Atlantic Ocean, they were on a mission to prove something: These two kinds of thermophilic bacteria came from the same place.

Scientists have long suspected that the endospores (a dormant form of bacteria that can survive harsh conditions the bacteria otherwise wouldn’t) at both sites, Svalbard and the Labrador Sea, might share the same warm,...

Articles for Garda Animalia

Garda Animalia •

Konsumsi Satwa Eksotis Berisiko Picu Zoonosis dan Pandemi

Selain itu, flu babi juga merupakan zoonosis yang disebabkan oleh virus H1N1 yang berasal dari peternakan babi di Meksiko pada 2009. [1] Grima, Calandra. Zoonosis and the next pandemic: why hindsight must be 2020.https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/science-communication/2021/06/23/zoonosis-and-the-next-pandemic-why-hindsight-must-be-2020/ . …

Laporan UNEP yang diterbitkan di tahun 2020 menyatakan bahwa 60 persen dari penyakit infeksi yang terjadi pada manusia diperkirakan berasal dari hewan. [2] Unite

Featured Personal Writings

Whiteboard Journal •

Being Independent Is a Defense Mechanism, but It Could Feel So Lonely

If I was told to name one strength that I have, I would go with how independent I can be. But if you ask me how exactly I learned to become ‘fiercely’ independent, I’d have difficulty to pinpoint it.

Perhaps I nurtured it whenever I was trying to be a model student during my school days. Back then, I realized that I was neither pretty, athletic, nor artistically talented. Hence, the only thing I knew I was good at was being textbook smart. I was diligent: I paid attention in class, and I wrote
Whiteboard Journal •

Why Is It Becoming So Difficult to Live with Our Parent as We Grow Up?

One of the things that I learned the hard way is that as we grew up, our house got bigger, but our family got smaller. After my parents’ divorce in 2021, I lived only with my mother and our cats. Everything seemed fine at first, and I assured and promised my mother that I would prefer to live with her rather than with my father. But over the weeks, months, and even years, I learned how difficult it became with only the two of us in this big house.

One of the things I realized is that my love fo
Whiteboard Journal •

I’m 25 Years Old and My Parents Were Divorced Last Year

I think my brother and I kind of see it coming, ever since the repeated fights and how it escalated into something more awful, more frequent, and more upsetting each day.

I remember being afraid to come home and finding out that my parents have just had another fight.

I remember text messaging my brother to ask whether our parents have gotten into yet another argument and thus making the atmosphere at home feels unsettling.

I remember spending Christmas at an apartment with my mother because
Magdalene •

Making Sense of My Mother's Love: Not Always Warm but Ever Evolving

The relationship between parents and children are not all sweet and loving, warm and joyful. It also consists of rage and anguish, tears and regrets. It is a complex and messy part of being human.

Even so, with the realization that all of us are flawed, eventually we learn to come to terms with such condition, just like how I constantly have to make sense of the mother-and-daughter-relationship that I have with my mom.

My mother is not perfect, which is completely fine because growing up made
Magdalene •

Teach the Kids to Fail, And They'll Come Out Stronger

Some time ago I read @humansofny’s caption on Instagram about someone whose mother is a perfectionist. The mother demanded everything to be perfect, so the son always tried to succeed in everything he did.

Then this line struck me, “But one thing I never learned was how to fail.”

Reflecting on that specific line, and my personal experience, it dawned on me that our society is, indeed, too focused on pressuring others to succeed, to the point that we forget to remind them how completely okay it
Magdalene •

Twelve Years a Minority - And Coming Out a More Tolerant Person

I am a Muslim woman who lives in a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world, but I have spent more than half of my lifetime studying in Catholic schools.



After kindergarten, I followed my brother’s footsteps by enrolling in the same private school, Desa Putera, as him. My parents’ decision in choosing a Catholic school was not to expose their children to a diverse environment, at least that’s not the main reason. Rather it was a simple belief that private schools’ quality exce

Advertorial Articles for NOWJakarta!

NOW JAKARTA | Better Management of Used Cooking Oil for a Sustainable Future •

Better Management of Used Cooking Oil for a Sustainable Future

Used Cooking Oil, also called as UCO, refers to oils that have been used for cooking and/or frying for more than three times, and thus is categorized as waste and should no longer be consumed as it poses serious health risks.

The matter of Used Cooking Oil does not end in just stopping the consumption when it’s due; an equally important case that should be addressed lies in how and where do we dispose of these UCOs, in a way that is safe and sustainable for both humans and the environment. This
NOW JAKARTA | Put a Diet into Your Daily Plastic Use: Here’s Why •

Put a Diet into Your Daily Plastic Use: Here’s Why

Did you know that plastics have been found in the deepest part of the ocean, which is the Mariana trench, and on the world’s tallest mountain, Everest? Has it come to your attention how we only use plastic for a short amount of time, yet they took many years to decompose?

As we enter the month of July, we should take part in celebrating the International Plastic Bag Free Day on the 3rd of July, which is a good momentum to start a plastic diet, not just for ourselves, but for the planet. And not
NOW JAKARTA | Managing Waste and Restoring Ecosystem with Waste Credit •

Managing Waste and Restoring Ecosystem with Waste Credit

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day that is celebrated every fifth of June is Ecosystem Restoration, which means “assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact” (decadeonrestoration.org).

Why is restoring the ecosystem so important? Because healthier ecosystems will be able to provide the adequate supports that are needed for life to continue to thrive, making the earth a livable planet not on
NOW JAKARTA | Home Composting •

Home Composting

Every human being will most likely agree that no food should go to waste, yet in reality ⅓ of the food that is produced globally are wasted. Wasting that much food also means that 3.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases were released to the atmosphere, which will only worsened global warming. Moreover, in 2019, around 931 million tons of food waste was generated, and 61% of which came from households (United Nations Environment Program’s Waste Index Report 2021).

In the U.S. alone, 40% of the fo
NOW JAKARTA | Indonesia’s Overcapacity Landfills •

Indonesia’s Overcapacity Landfills

When we talk about landfills, the first thing that comes across our mind will most likely be the infamous Bantar Gebang, which is thought to be one of the biggest landfill in Asia. Every day, Bantar Gebang receives around 7,000 tons of landfill from Jakarta alone. At this rate, the landfill is estimated to reach its full capacity in 2021, which is this year.

Bantar Gebang is not the only landfill that is at the verge of being overcapacity. In fact, several landfills throughout Indonesia are exp

Blog Articles for Waste4Change

Waste4Change •

Getting to Know Furoshiki, The Japanese Method of Fabric Wrapping

It also refers to the art and/or technique of wrapping goods and gifts using cloth and fabric instead of wrapping paper. The term Furoshiki comes from two different words, which are “Furo” and “Shiki” meaning “Bath” and “To Spread”.

Furoshiki cloth is usually made of cotton, nylon, silk, or rayon. A wide variety of designs and sizes are available, so people get to choose furoshiki based on their/the receiver’s own taste.

Furoshiki originated in Japan around 710 B.C. during the Nara period. Dur
Waste4Change •

Fireworks: Pretty for The Eyes, Bad for the Environment –

Who doesn’t love watching fireworks? Burst of colors up on the night sky, a feast to the eye.

However, have you ever wondered about the composition of fireworks themselves? How can a single firecracker emits so many colors, sometimes even in a very elaborate and intricate form, when being lit up?

And what about the aftermath? Do the exploding substances just vanished into thin air? Or did they actually left a mark, one that is invisible to the eye, but is actually concerning?

We’re not trying
Waste4Change •

Rethinking The Celebration: Aftermath of Sky Lanterns and Balloons

Sky lanterns are usually called Chinese lanterns/wish lanterns/flying lanterns, and these lanterns can be traced thousands of years back in both Chinese and Thai celebrations and festivals.

Even so, lanterns are also becoming a popular custom for many celebrations worldwide – weddings, birthdays, music concerts, national holidays, etc.

Lanterns are generally made from paper supported by a wire or bamboo frame with a holder at the bottom for the heat source.

Why Are Sky Lanterns and Balloons D
Waste4Change •

On This Year's World Tree Day, Let's Not Take Trees for Granted – Waste4Change

World Tree Day was made to commemorate and honor J. Sterling Morton, a nature lover from the USA who fought and advocate for the importance of trees and insist that there needs to be a day dedicated to it.

World Tree Day serves as a perpetual reminder that the world needs, and will always need, trees in oder for lives to continue to thrive in this blue planet.

In case you didn’t know, here are some of the benefits that trees provided for us that we might have taken for granted:

Trees remove p
Waste4Change •

Plogging: The New Swedish Trend of Running while Picking Up Trash –

When it comes to balanced and healthy lifestyle, the Swedish people and their way of life is worth your attention. One of Swedish trends that started back in 2016 and is recently gaining popularity is called plogging, and for a good reason.

The term “plogging” is coined from the English phrase “jogging” and “plocka upp”, a Swedish term that means “picking up”. Yep, plogging is the Swedish fitness trend that combines jogging while picking up trash.

Besides plogging itself, there are also other
Waste4Change •

Waste and Health: Skin Disease Suffered by Waste Pickers in Several Landfills in Indonesia –

When talking about waste, we also need to address the social dimension of our waste management system, which is none other than the well-being of waste operators and waste pickers who struggle in managing our waste on a daily basis.

This is the reality for most of the waste pickers in Indonesia: they often work long hours sorting through mountains of waste in landfills without any proper protective equipment/gear. Even without the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia’s waste pickers deal with such risk
Waste4Change •

Polluted Rivers as the Major Source of Marine Debris: A Study Case of Citarum River –

The Problems of Marine Debris in Our Oceans

Ocean plastic pollution has become a global phenomenon that threatens not only the marine ecosystem but also humans as the ultimate apex predator within the food chain.

As many as 700 species of marine wildlife suffer from the negative impacts of marine debris, specifically plastic waste. These species range from seagrasses and algae to whale, seals, and turtles.

Of the 700 species, 17% of them are categorized as threatened according to the Internat
Waste4Change •

What You Can Do During The Physical Distancing Period at Home – Waste4Change

Ever since the COVID-19 is declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11th March 2020, the world has been on high alert and undertook preventive and countermeasures in order to curb the transmission of the Coronavirus.

One of the important measures that have been applied in various countries is called physical distancing, a situation in which people are asked to stay at home if there is no urgent need to go outside, to avoid large gathering or crowds, and to keep th
Waste4Change •

Understanding Medical Waste Management to Curb the Transmission of COVID-19 –

The Outbreak in Wuhan and The Surging Amount of Medical Waste

Wuhan is a city located in Hubei province, China, which becomes ground zero for the COVID-19 virus. With a population of 11 million people, 75% of fatality cases of the Novel Coronavirus are concentrated in Wuhan. In China itself there are more than 80.000 positive cases and more than 3.000 cases that result in death. What’s even worse is that since December last year, Wuhan does not only struggles with the ongoing health crisis and
Waste4Change •

How to Deal with Your Disposable Medical Mask - The Responsible Way –

Amidst the COVID-19 Outbreak, Medical Mask Waste Becomes Our Next Threat

Due to the increasing panic of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of medical masks has increased rapidly in many countries. Unfortunately, in most of the countries, this rise in medical masks demand is not accompanied by better-prepared medical mask handling protocols and education.

It was reported by South China Morning Post (5/03/2020) that due to a lack of treatment facilities, China is struggling to deal with a mountain o
Waste4Change •

True of False? Debunking Myths about Waste – Waste4Change

Almost everyone is familiar with myths, which according to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia V (The Indonesian Dictionary), is defined as the story of a nation about ancient gods and heroes, which includes interpretation regarding the origin of the universe, humans, and the nation, itself as well as profound meanings expressed in a supernatural way.

The definition of myths that exist in today’s society are not limited by stories that revolve around gods and heroes, but also those that revolve in our
Waste4Change •

Jakarta's Regulation on Environmentally-Friendly Shopping Bag: What We Need to Know and Prepare –

Good news came from the capital city of Jakarta at the end of 2019, because Jakarta’s Governor Anies Baswedan has officially implemented the ban on single-use plastic bags by signing the Governor Regulation No.142 of 2019.

Governor Regulation No. 142 of 2019 regarding The Obligation to Use Environmentally Friendly Shopping Bags

The government of DKI Jakarta has decided to issue a regulation to ban single-use plastic bags because many people contributed to the increasing amount of plastic waste
Waste4Change •

Things You Need to Know About the Green Economy – Waste4Change

What is Green Economy and Why?

There was a general consensus that the economic system we are using now is no longer suitable due to the massive and significant negative impacts in both social and environmental contexts.

Governments, companies, as well as societies, are realizing the planetary boundaries that are reaching their limit. This is not only due to greenhouse gasses and global warming, but also because of the extraction of natural resources such as water, soil, forests, and others.

T
Waste4Change •

Popular Travel Destinations that Suffer from Overtourism – Waste4Change

The term overtourism is used to describe the condition of a tourist destination/site that is overcrowded and visited by too many people. The phrase “too many” occurs when there are more visitors than the facilities of a host destination can handle, and when the quality of life or experience in an area has noticeably and significantly deteriorated.

Overtourism has also been used to refer to the negative impacts attributed to the tourism activities that were too massive and intensive in a certain
Waste4Change •

Sustainable Tourism: A Tourism that Does Not Cost the Earth

Boracay is a small island in Central Philippines located in Aklan province. With its white sandy beaches and blue water, Boracay was nominated as the best island in the world by Travel+Leisure magazine in 2012.

Moreover, TripAdvisor also named Boracay as one out of the 25 most beautiful islands in the world, and 7th most beautiful in Asia. Unfortunately, in April 2018, Philippines’ PresidentRodrigo Duterte ordered the closure of Boracay for tourists.

This closure is not without a reason: a vid
Waste4Change •

Decluttering 101: Why and How –

Upon entering both new year and new decade, what plans do you have in store? Is decluttering one of them?

For those of you who are still unfamiliar with the concept of decluttering, the term itself originates from the word clutter, which means anything that one keeps inside their house that does not add value to their life. Decluttering itself is a term referring to the activity of getting rid of those clutter from our house and eventually our lives.

An example of a cluttered kitchen. Source:
Waste4Change •

Throw Party without Throwing so Much Waste: How to Host A Less Waste Party –

Year end is almost always filled with celebration and parties, either at home with families, at the office with coworkers, or even a gift exchange with friends.

People gather with their friends and families to reflect on the past 12 months that they gave gone through, or simply to share laughter, food, and stories with their beloved.

From that estimates alone, we can imagine the amount of waste that will be generated (and will end up in landfill) if every person in every party or celebration e
Waste4Change •

This Holiday Season, Exchange Gifts, not Waste – Waste4Change

The Increasing Amount of Waste during Holiday Season

The month of December means holiday seasons and festivities, especially because it has both Christmas and New Year. From decoration in shopping malls to restaurant menus, all of them are made thematically to suit the holiday spirit. Let’s also not forget about the gifts exchange and celebrations, either big or small, with families, friends, and loved ones.

Of course there is nothing wrong in celebrating such joyful occasions, however, we oft
Waste4Change •

Thrift Shopping: An Eco-Friendly Alternative to Buy Clothes –

What is Thrift Shopping and Why?

Have you ever heard of the term ‘thrift shopping’ before? Thrift shopping is taken from the word ‘thrift shop’, which is a store that sells pre-loved or second-hand stuffs that are still decent and wearable.

For some people, the image of “buying second-hand” can be dreadful and unimaginable. Even so, thrift store itself has recently gained popularity and is considered as an alternative way to shop with its own benefits, especially in terms of the environment.
Waste4Change •

Extended Producer Responsibility and Its Implementation in Indonesia – Waste4Change

Last April, a picture of an instant noodle packaging in Indonesia that was found in Sendang Biru beach in Malang, East Java went viral on Twitter. What piqued people’s interest (and sympathy) was not the fact that someone littered an instant noodle pack on the beach. Instead, it was the inconvenient truth of how the noodle packaging is 19 years old.

According to Fianisa Tiara Pradani, on the instant noodle packaging that she found was a writing that says “Dirgahayu 55 Tahun Indonesiaku” or “Hap
Waste4Change •

5 Movies About Waste That You Need to Watch – Waste4Change

Movies have significant roles in shaping the opinion and thoughts of the general public towards a certain issue, in ways that are not patronizing but instead inviting the audience to think and reflect.

Furthermore, the visual aspect of a movie is capable of delivering messages that cannot be conveyed through written words, including about environmental issues.

If reading books and participating in environmental-themed events are deemed as too bothersome or boring, then watching movies can serv
Waste4Change •

Indonesia’s Waste Emergency: Indonesia’s Landfills are on the Verge of Overcapacity –

All these times we continue to think that TPA stands for Tempat Pembuangan Akhir, or in other words, a final waste disposal area. However, Law Number 18 Year 2008 regarding Waste Management states that the definition of TPA is in fact, a final processing place, not disposal.

Furthermore, TPA is defined as a place to process and safely return waste back to the environment without damaging both humans and the environment itself.

In addition, there is also the term TPS, which should be defined as
Waste4Change •

Thames River: Once was The Cause of Cholera Outbreak and Filled with Sewage, Now Nominated as One of The World’s Cleanest River –

The Thames river is located in Southern England and is 330 kilometers long, making it the longest river in England. The river that flows through the city of London does not only serves as a tourism spot, but also serves as a habitat for 125 species of fish and 400 species of invertebrate who dwell on the surrounding areas.

Even though the Thames is considered as one of the cleanest river in the world, the river’s condition is not always like that. In fact, Thames river was once declared as biol
Waste4Change •

Taking A Peek of The Zabbaleen: The Garbage People of Cairo, Egypt –

Manshiyat Nasser: A City Where 85% of Cairo’s Waste is Recycled

In the outskirts of Cairo, specifically in the base of Mokattam hills, there lies a city named Manshiyat Nasser, also known as “Garbage City”. Manshiyat Nasser is a slum area that became home for 262.000 Egyptian people who live under poverty line. These people are then called as the Zabbaleen People, a term in Egyptian Arabic with the meaning “Garbage People” .

Just like the nickname suggests, Manshiyat Nasser is filled with garb
Waste4Change •

Bulk Store: A Less-Waste Store That is Gaining Popularity Worldwide –

If Indonesian people are familiar with wholesale store whose concept is to sell their products in a large volume/size, then bulk store is what we might call as the next level of wholesale store.

Bulk stores do not only sell goods in bulk, but more importantly is that they also eliminate the plastic packaging that usually comes with the goods that we purchase.

Therefore, customers who want to shop at bulk stores should bring their own containers. Another available option is for the store to let