Ignorance delaying action against air pollution

Ignorance delaying action against air pollution

JAKARTA (JP): Noted health expert and member of the House of
Representatives Nafsiah Mboi said ignorance is one factor behind
the delay to solve air pollution here.

Nafsiah told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that ignorance,
mainly of the effects of lead on human health, is one reason
behind the lack of public pressure to phase out leaded gasoline.
She was participating in a seminar on Greater Jakarta at the
Regent Hotel.

State-owned oil company Pertamina introduced unleaded gasoline
last year. But the gasoline -- called Super TT and priced at Rp
1,000 (43 US cents) per liter -- has yet to attract consumers,
who mostly choose regular gasoline at Rp 700 per liter.

"Babies can be born with defects, and intelligence levels of
children can deteriorate," Nafsiah said, mentioning some of the
effects of lead.

John E. Walton, an environment specialist at the Jakarta
office of the World Bank, cited studies revealing that over 70
percent of slum residents here have been found to have high
concentrations of lead in their blood, reaching 30 micrograms per
deciliter.

Meanwhile, earlier studies suggested blood lead levels in
children of 10 micrograms per deciliter, causing impaired
intelligence and other problems, he said.

The city's center for urban environmental research pointed out
earlier that private vehicles are the major source of pollution,
including lead.

Nafsiah said the fact that poor people are more easily
affected may also be another reason why repeated calls to phase
out leaded gas is receiving such a slow response.

"I can just sit in my car and turn the air conditioner on with
closed windows," Nafsiah said.

Poor people, particularly women, are more affected as their
health is also worsened by household pollutants, particularly in
slum areas, she said.

She said that as development should be people-oriented, people
-- with assistance from the government -- should decide what kind
of development they want.

"They must decide what kind of environment they want" and
support necessary actions for a more livable city, she said.

Another reason in the slow shift to unleaded gasoline is the
reluctance of officials who may know of the effects, but are not
powerful enough to influence stronger measures, Nafsiah said.

Nafsiah said she did not see any grounds for fears that the
unleaded gas required engine additions called catalytic
converters and that the measures to produce unleaded gas by
refineries may be more expensive for both producers and
consumers.

"Thailand and other poorer countries managed in five years,"
she said, stressing the long-term benefits to health.

Walton cited experiences in other countries where unleaded
gasoline was gradually made cheaper than leaded gasoline.

Switching the subsidy for leaded gasoline to a subsidy for the
unleaded type would be one of the possible measures, he said.

He also said at least 30 countries -- including Brunei
Darussalam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and
Taiwan -- have set lower limits on the permissible lead content
of gasoline in phasing out the leaded type: 0.15 grams per liter,
compared to 0.4 here.

Experts are divided on the benefits of unleaded gasoline.
Earlier, Kardono, a scientist at the Agency for the Application
and Assessment of Technology, has said there are still
environmental hazards attached to unleaded gasoline. (anr)