Environment: A common concern of neighbors

Environment: A common concern of neighbors

Ros Kelly has been a Labor Member of Parliament for Canberra
since 1980. She was minister for Defense Support from 1987 to
1989 and Minister for the Environment from 1990 until recently.

Dear friends,

The Jakarta Post reported on Aug. 27 a warning by a cancer
expert to Jakartans to avoid the sun, especially between 10 a.m.
and 3 p.m.

This article highlighted the fact that skin cancer in
Indonesia is the third most common type of cancer after uterine
and ovarian cancer and most of these cancers can be avoided.

In Australia skin cancer is fourth after lung, prostrate and
colon cancers. As summer approaches in Australia it reminds me of
how dangerous the sun is here especially to those of us with
fair skins.

Australians have the highest incidence of skin cancer in the
world and burn much quicker than they used to because of the
thinning of the ozone layer.

The ozone layer is a protective layer against the sun rays
which has broken down due to the use of chlorofluorocarbons
(CFC's) mainly found in sprays in aerosol cans.

Hats are compulsory for children in most Australian schools
through summer. My little girl Jessie (11) with red hair and
freckles rarely leaves the house without block out cream on her
face and a hat.

Years ago there was no awareness of the danger of the sun.
When I was growing up I used to be in the sun without protection.
How foolish that seems now.

There are a few important lessons from this message of sun
damage. The first of the global nature of environmental problems
and solutions.

An international agreement (Montreal Convention) has been
reached to phase out CFC use. This has been signed by many
countries including Australia and Indonesia and money is set
aside to assist developing countries to stop the use of CFC's.
Cooperation is important on environmental issues especially
between neighbors like Indonesia and Australia.

A few years ago when I was Australia's Minister for the
Environment, Emil Salim, the Indonesian Minister, asked me and
the Australian government to play a part in the establishment of
the Bapedal, the Indonesian government Agency for Environmental
Protection on the Environment.

I wanted to help a friend and Australia is now providing A$22
million in a five-year pollution Control Project to Bapedal to
develop programs for control of hazardous waste, air and water
pollution and coastal water quality. This project will focus
strongly on East Java.

Senior Indonesian officials associated with the project will
be visiting Canberra, Australia's National capital, this month.
The group will include the East Java vice governor and the head
of the East Java Bapedal Office.

It is important that we share our knowledge and learn from
each others' successes and failures. Especially as neighbors.

Environmental concerns are new to us all. When I was growing
up we didn't think about environmental issues. We just took so
much for granted. The children of today won't let the older
generation forget their obligation to protect the environment.

environmental issues of most concern to Australian children
are clean air and water, protection of forests and coasts and
endangered species and sustainable use of land. Interestingly if
we asked children in Indonesia the main environmental issue of
concern to them they probably wouldn't be very different.

Concern for the environment will undoubtedly bring our
children closer together and motivate us to work together on
solutions. Good bye for now.