Brockovich urges global partnership to save Earth<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Parapat<\/p>\n
\"The environment is the place where mankind lives. In dealing
\nwith the environment, we have only two extreme positions: Ally or
\nenemy. If we take care of it, it will take care of us and if we
\nabuse it, it will abuse us,\" visiting American environmentalist
\nErin Brockovich said in an interview with The Jakarta Post after
\ndelivering her address to the Lake Toba Summit in Parapat, North
\nSumatra, recently.<\/p>\n
She insisted that a country could not fight on its own for a
\nbetter environment and against environmental destruction, and
\nthat all humankind and every countries needed a global
\npartnership to salvage the planet from further environmental
\ncatastrophe.<\/p>\n
\"All nations, whether big or small, have to work hand in hand
\nto create cleaner air, to support reforestation programs in
\ntropical and subtropical countries, and to comply consistently
\nwith all the agreements they have made.<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise, we will become enemies, the environment will be
\nfurther destroyed and the planet will not be a pleasant place to
\nlive for the next generation,\" she stated.<\/p>\n
Erin expressed her disappointment with the U.S. government's
\nrejection of the Kyoto Protocol, but said that more and more
\nfederal states were expected to follow California governor Arnold
\nSchwarzenegger's move to accept the international agreement so as
\nto reduce to a minimum the greenhouse gases they produce.<\/p>\n
The United States is the highest greenhouse emissions producer
\nworldwide, she said, and it needed to set a good example for
\nother industrial countries by accepting the protocol and showing
\na commitment to minimizing the greenhouse effect and supporting
\nother federal states in implementing the protocol.<\/p>\n
\"I know the US government has not yet signed the protocol;
\nhowever, I want the (American) people to know that state by state
\nin America, they are contributing, they are making changes and
\nthey are getting involved and more are getting on board,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Referring to the summit's conclusion, she emphasized the
\nimportance for all governments at the regional level to continue
\nenhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation to exchange
\ninformation, human resources and technology to implement the
\nsustainable development concept.<\/p>\n
Brockovich, who is also the vice president of environmental
\naffairs at Los Angeles-based Save the World Air, Inc., said she
\nwas here to join in showing international solidarity for
\nIndonesia and not to promote her film Erin Brockovich, starring
\nnoted Hollywood actress Julia Roberts, who bears a striking
\nsimilarity to her.<\/p>\n
\"I come here because I love Indonesia, its kind people and its
\nunique environment. I'm representing the American people in
\nconveying their sorrow over the recent earthquake and tsunami
\nthat devastated Aceh and Nias.<\/p>\n
They (American people) have been showing genuine sympathy and
\njoined the international solidarity to contribute to the disaster
\nvictims and help the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction
\nwork,\" she said, adding that the disaster occurred only weeks
\nafter her visit to Bali in November, 2004.<\/p>\n
She said that natural disasters provided sound lessons for all
\nhumankind about the importance of taking care of the environment.<\/p>\n
\"We give our deep empathy to all the victims but I am opposed to
\nactivities that degrade the environment; all nations should pay
\nattention to this in an attempt to make the Earth a safe place to
\nlive in.\"<\/p>\n
She said she would continue campaigning for a better
\nenvironment and against air pollution through films, books and
\ncountry visits worldwide as part of a global attempt to make the
\nworld a better place for the next generation.<\/p>\n
She said she was proud of the film not because it won five
\nGrammy Awards in the United States but mainly because it has
\nraised mankind's awareness of the importance of the environment.
\nThis was especially true having regard to air pollution, which
\nhad reached alarming levels in most developed and developing
\ncountries with high levels of industrialization and large numbers
\nof motor vehicles.<\/p>\n
The film depicts how Brockovich, played by Roberts, was
\naffected by a deteriorating environment. Since then she has
\ninitiated a global campaign against air pollution.<\/p>\n
She said air pollution was a genuine cause for concern as
\nnumerous studies showed that it triggered cancer and other health
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
Brockovich and her organization are still holding discussions
\nwith the Yogyakarta Governor, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, and Gadjah
\nMada University on how to reduce air pollution in the city, which
\nis home to a very large number of motorcycles.<\/p>\n
She said her company would introduce an affordable special
\nproduct for motorbike owners to use in local campaigns to reduce
\ncombustion emissions.<\/p>\n
\"From Yogyakarta we will move to Jakarta, and West and East
\nJava, where industrial and vehicle densities are very high. Air
\npollution in Java has reached alarming levels and it has affected
\npeople's health as the small island is overpopulated and many
\nindustries that use environmentally unfriendly technology operate
\nin industrial zones on the island,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Brockovich also called on major developing countries like
\nIndonesia to start promoting the use of liquefied natural gas as
\nan alternative energy source to replace polluting fuels.<\/p>\n
\"Resource-rich Indonesia should start promoting the use of
\nliquefied natural gas as alternative energy in its transportation
\nsector because it has enormous gas deposits,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/brockovich-urges-global-partnership-to-save-earth-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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