Keep our sky blue<\/p>\n
Without much fanfare, State Minister of Environment Sarwono
\nKusumaatmadja launched the Blue Sky program in Semarang on
\nTuesday which aims to improve the quality of air in Indonesia's
\nbig cities. Two major sources of pollution are identified by the
\nprogram: industrial plants and motor vehicles.<\/p>\n
With the country's industrialization program moving full steam
\nahead, and with more city folks owning and driving cars, there is
\nevery reason to be concerned about car exhaust and the emissions
\nfrom factory chimneys. The launching of the Blue Sky program, the
\nresult of a four-year study by the Environmental Impact
\nManagement Agency (Bapedal), could not have come at a more
\nappropriate time.<\/p>\n
Though high in ambition and long on rhetoric about the harmful
\neffects of air pollution, the Blue Sky program is short on action
\nplans and targets. The measures it proposes are limited, casting
\ndoubt on the program's ability to arrest the deteriorating air
\nquality in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya where it is
\nbeing implemented.<\/p>\n
In the case of Jakarta, we should be talking about improving
\nthe quality of air, and not simply arresting the current trend.
\nThe air in the capital is already full of toxins, and in some
\nparts the sky is no longer blue due to thick layers of smog.<\/p>\n
The Blue Sky program appears to be banking on the public's
\ninitiative and participation. It refrains from introducing strong
\nregulations and means of enforcement. Its success in controlling
\nair pollution from industrial plants and motor vehicles also
\nrelies heavily on the cooperation of provincial administrations.<\/p>\n
In dealing with industrial pollution, the program has enlisted
\n43 companies, which have signed a commitment stating that their
\nemission levels will not exceed official standards. The program
\ncalls for closer monitoring of industrial emissions and stricter
\nstandards in the future.<\/p>\n
In dealing with pollution from motor vehicles, the program
\nencourages motorists to switch to environment-friendly fuels such
\nas compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas; it calls for
\ncontests among car manufacturers to tune up their engines; and
\nagain, somewhere down the line, it hopes to see such noxious
\nbeasts as the bajaj and bemo phased out completely.<\/p>\n
While Bapedal must be commended for coming up with the
\nprogram, the measures it proposes once again reflect the limits
\nof this particular government agency in the face of big
\nindustrial lobbyists. A relatively new agency with good ideas,
\nBapedal has virtually no power to ensure that industries comply
\nwith the government's environmental regulations. Its role has
\nbeen relegated to that of a toothless watchdog, which has been
\nBapedal's biggest handicap to date. For example, the ongoing
\nClean River Program, launched two years ago to control industrial
\nwaste discharged into rivers, only rates companies in terms of
\ntheir performance.<\/p>\n
While Blue Sky is a good start, the time has come to review
\nthe role of Bapedal and the Office of the State Minister of
\nEnvironment. Both must be given more power to ensure that we
\nprotect our environment, for our own sake.<\/p>\n
It will take a lot more than mere appeals to the conscience of
\nfactory owners and car owners to maintain the quality of the air
\nthat we breathe. Stronger laws and regulations, in addition to
\nmeasures to ensure compliance, are what Jakarta and other big
\ncities need to keep the sky blue.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/keep-our-sky-blue-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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