JP\/8\/EARTH<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The nationwide Green Consumers Movement will, this Monday,
\nhighlight the 32nd World Earth Day, which falls on April 22, the
\ncampaign for which focuses on reducing waste problems rampant in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Initiated by the Indonesian Green Consumers Foundation
\n(Lemkohi), the campaign focuses on Jakarta, as the capital faces
\nthe worst consequences of waste problems, where residents will be
\neducated to manage their own household waste.<\/p>\n
\"If we succeed in Jakarta, the campaign will target other
\nregions, and, hopefully, the government will adopt the green
\nconsumer movement as its policy,\" Lemkohi chairman Syafei
\nKadarusman told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The two-month campaign will be used to publicize the use of
\n\"compostor barrels\" in each household at 50 subdistricts in the
\ncapital. The barrel helps residents to change household organic
\nwaste into more useful compost.<\/p>\n
The campaign is expected to end on June 5, in time for World
\nEnvironment Day.<\/p>\n
Jakarta was recently hit by floods and potentially fatal
\ndiseases caused by waste. Jakarta's 9.2 million residents produce
\nan estimated 6,000 tonnes of waste daily, 65 percent of which is
\ncategorized as organic.<\/p>\n
Syafei expected the campaign would recycle 40 percent of the
\norganic waste.<\/p>\n
\"Almost all diseases, which include the postflood lethal
\ndisease leptospirosis, are caused by uncontrolled organic waste,\"
\nSyafei said.<\/p>\n
He added that the government's policy in providing separate
\ntrash cans for organic and nonorganic waste in public places was
\nnot working, as people still did not separate their garbage.<\/p>\n
Earth Day observance originated from the concern of U.S.
\nsenator Gaylord Nelson about the decrease in environmental
\nquality. His speech in 1969 in Seattle, urging the inclusion of
\ncontroversial issues on the environment in the university
\ncurriculum, moved the grass roots to pay more heed to the issue.<\/p>\n
As part of the movement, dozens of environmentalists
\nparticipated when the Coalition of Indonesian Environment Lovers
\nstaged a peaceful demonstration on Sunday at the entrance to the
\nNational Monument park in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The activists urged the administration to formulate a clear
\nprogram for joint waste management that promoted resident
\nparticipation, rather than simply pocketing fees for waste
\nmanagement without offering any solutions.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp8earth-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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