Polluted atmosphere

Polluted atmosphere

I am alarmed by the noxious and harmful atmosphere in Jakarta.

How come the Indonesian government and the citizens of Jakarta
allow bajajs and public buses to spew out so much gray exhaust?
The two biggest causes of air pollution, automobile and
industrial fumes, must be legally controlled by the government,
even if burdens are imposed on citizens. It might be egoistic of
developed countries to say, "Regulate air pollution for the
future of the earth, instead of considering the country's
profits, gained by industrialization and modernization." However,
I'd like to point out that developed countries were and are still
suffering from pollution-related diseases and environmental
destruction. The whole earth is sliding into an environmental
crisis nowadays.

I think the citizens of Jakarta have very little interest in
their own environment, although they are living in the world's
third most polluted city. They do not react to air pollution
problems. The actual situation of Jakarta's air pollution must be
given wider publicity, by devoting more newspaper and TV space or
holding a symposium. Your newspaper can and should play an
important role in reporting to the citizens the importance of
protecting the environment and educating them how to protect it.

TAKASHI ISHIKAWA

Jakarta