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