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.