Otto gives Soni Keraf 100 days

Otto gives Soni Keraf 100 days

By Rita A. Widiadana

BANDUNG (JP): Environmental awareness begins at home, said
Otto Soemarwoto, the environment guru from the University of
Padjadjaran in Bandung, West Java.

The 74-year-old man used to accompany his grandchildren
walking to school, which is only a half kilometer away from his
house on Jl. Cimandiri in Bandung.

"I always encourage my family and my friends to take a walk or
ride a bicycle to schools, offices, mosques, markets or other
destinations less than five kilometers away," Otto said.

By walking and cycling, he said, they would be healthier and
more importantly contribute to reducing air pollution, which had
reached an alarming level.

He has always taught his grandchildren, who are now living
with their parents in the United States and in the Netherlands,
how to plant trees and flowers in their homes, to save paper,
water, electricity and other energy sources.

His vigorous environmental campaign for children has been
documented in the award-winning book Jaring-Jaring Kehidupan, the
Nets of Life.

"It is parents who are responsible for increasing their
children's understanding and awareness of various environmental
issues," Otto insisted.

Born in Purwokerto, Central Java, in February l926, the father
of four -- the second son died in childhood -- graduated from the
School of Agriculture at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta in
l954. He obtained his doctorate degree from the University of
California in Berkeley in the United States in l960.

Upon his arrival in Indonesia, he was appointed professor at
Gadjah Mada University's School of Agriculture and Forestry.

Otto held several important posts including director of the
National Biology Institute in Bogor, West Java, director of the
Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) and
director of Biotroph. Otto led the Ecology Institute at the
University of Padjadjaran.

He has written a number of books including, Indonesia in the
Global Environmental Issues, The Alang-Alang Problem in
Indonesia, Problems of High School Biology Teaching in Indonesia,
and Ecological Aspects of Development.

He belonged to some prestigious world environmental bodies as
a member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute
for Environment and Development in New York and London (l978), a
member of the Executive Board of the International Union for
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in Switzerland
(l976).

In his retirement, Otto is writing a number of books, articles
for international newsletters, local newspapers and browsing the
Internet to get the latest information on environmental issues
worldwide. "Such activities keep my brain working well," he said.

During a visit to Otto's house in Bandung last week, he shared
his views on various environmental problems including the
appointment of an "outsider" as the new state minister of
environment.

Question: How do you view the appointment of Soni Keraf as the
State Minister of the Environment?

Answer: I personally don't know Soni Keraf. I have never heard
of his involvement in certain environmental projects or
activities.

But I am not against his appointment. I am of the opinion that
we, environmentalists both in universities and non-government
institutions and as individuals, must give him a chance to let
him work, and, if possible, to help the new minister work well
because our environment is now in a catastrophic condition.

Because a ministerial post is a political appointee, not a
professional, she or he does not have to be a person with a
related profession or educational background.

Remember, our former state ministers of the environment did
not come from this field. Emil Salim is a professor of economy
and Sarwono Kusumaatmadja is a civil engineer. Yet, people know
that they were good and capable in handling environmental issues.

As long as the new minister is willing to learn and has a
strong commitment to the environment, that is fine.

Emil and Sarwono were known as credible and committed
ministers of the environment. Compared to his predecessors,
Panangian Siregar (previous state minister of the environment)
had neither a willingness to learn nor a commitment to the
environment.

Q: With such a serious level of environmental damage, do you
think a minister with no environmental background and who is not
familiar with environmental affairs could deal with and solve
such huge problems?

A: For the time being, Soni Keraf is probably an appropriate
person to become state minister of the environment. He graduated
from a School of Philosophy majoring in business ethics ( Flores-
born Keraf graduated from Drijarkara School of Philosophy in l988
and took a Doctorate Degree at the Higher Institute of Philosophy
Catholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, with a thesis on
business ethics in the free market -- ed.).

For more than four decades, our forests, marine, mining and
energy resources have been handled by people with less moral
principles.

They (forest concession holders) have excessively cut trees
and set fires to our forests, but did not feel guilt over their
wrongdoings.

Large-scale companies polluted our environment -- rivers, seas
and ricefields -- because of an uncontrolled waste management
system. The owners barely apologized to the public, let alone pay
any compensation.

Most violations in the environment and in other fields as well
rooted from a lack of moral and business ethics. Now, it is the
right time for Keraf to practice his knowledge in office in
dealing with various environmental issues.

But, before he applies this to other people or parties, he
must prove himself as a minister who has high moral ethics.

Q: What do you mean by that?

A: As clearly conveyed by Gus Dur (President Abdurrahman Wahid)
and Mbak Mega (Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri), the basic
requirements for the Cabinet members are that they are clean,
modest and honest.

As an expert on business ethics and a graduate of a reputable
school of philosophy, Keraf could become a role model for other
ministers, especially those who used to lead luxuriant lifestyles
paid by state expenses and foreign loans.

First, he could show that he is really a modest man by
rejecting his official Volvo car, a symbol of the New Order's
feudalism and snobbism. This luxurious car is not an
environmentally-friendly one. It is so expensive and absorbs a
lot of energy.

If he does this, he will give a positive signal to his
opponents and the people that he is the right man for the job.

People will clearly witness the changes in the Cabinet
members' behavior. Indonesia is already bankrupt. By maintaining
these ministers' privileges, the government (in this case the
president) is not willing to show its sense of crisis, sense of
solidarity and lack of morality with the suffering people.

I am eager to know how these ministers feel when they look
through their Volvo windows and watch hundreds of malnourished
children begging on the streets.

Q: What should be the priority of the new minister?

A: As he has no technical background in environmental science,
Keraf must choose competent figures to work in his office. I
suggest he invites credible economists like Srimulyani Indrawati
from the University of Indonesia, Anggito Abimanyu from the
University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta and many other reputable
economists as his advisers or assistant ministers.

It is important to have these experts on his side because
environmental problems are closely linked to economic issues.

The other important steps are to select qualified experts on
environment and industrial technology to help him with numerous
technical and operational jobs.

What is needed from Keraf is his strong leadership and wisdom
in supervising his staff and making the most of their expertise.

Input from various sources such as from NGOs and academics
could further his environmental knowledge.

Q: What are the other significant steps that the minister should
take?

A: He has to change the old-style approach in handling problems.
In the past, the government, in this case the state ministry of
environment, had always acted like a police officer -- too rigid
and unsympathetic.

For instance, companies were forced to build waste processing
plants and to save energy. But the government rarely gave
explanations on the economic benefits from such policies.

It would be more easier to ask businessmen to, for instance,
to audit their waste management and energy systems. Show them
that the audits would improve their factories' efficiency and cut
production and operational costs which would in turn save a huge
amount of money, increase their profits and competitiveness in
both local and international markets.

The government should convince them that by being
environmentally friendly companies, they would gain a lot of
benefits. More importantly, they would not pollute our
environment. So far, these businessmen have been chased and
punished like criminals.

Q: How much time would you give the new government to really show
its commitment to the environment?

A: Usually we give 100 days for the new minister and the
government to adjust or to improve the existing system. I would
really like to know Keraf's proposals for handling air and water
pollution and traffic, forest and industrial pollution.
Coordination with other ministries and institutions is a must.

Above all, dealing with environmental problems is not only the
minister's job. They are our problems and must be solved
together.