Pollution
Pollution
As an expatriate there are many new customs and ways one tries
to get used to in another country. Indonesia is certainly no
exception. There is one aspect of Indonesia that I simply cannot
understand -- the pollution. It is rampant and everywhere. It is
not caused only by industry but by each and every Indonesian from
the peasants to the rich.
Litter: Why do people throw their garbage out everywhere? Is
it laziness or selfishness? It is everywhere and makes Jakarta
(and other parts of Indonesia) disgraceful. It takes so little
effort to put trash in its place, yet people appear oblivious to
the filthy rivers, ditches and roadsides that they have created.
For a country that takes so much pride in its independence and
birthday it's difficult to understand why the opposite attitude
is reflected by littering.
The nightly burning of garbage creates a foul odor in the air
and greatly contributes to the smog. Harmful toxins are released
when non-organic materials are burned. They do not simply
disappear but remain in the air and are breathed by everyone and
actually brought back to the earth by rain. Trash collection
exists, why not compost biodegradables and bag those materials
that are true waste. A law needs to be enacted to stop all
burning within the cities.
Vehicle pollution: The pollution from some vehicles, mainly
buses and trucks is atrocious. Pollution controls are readily
available to stop the problem yet there seems to be no concern
over it. Instead of worrying about the safety of passengers,
requiring that bus doors be closed while the bus is in motion,
the government should direct its attention to the back end of the
bus where the greater hazard exists.
This letter is not intended for complaining, I will leave
Indonesia soon and whether it remains polluted or not is of no
consequence to me -- but rather to encourage. If Indonesia is
ever to become a developed country it must be on par with the
environmental standards of first world countries (recently an
article appeared in The Jakarta Post stating that several textile
manufacturers had lost market share for failing to meet
environmental guidelines).
Indonesia must appear not only financially attractive for
companies to want to do business here. I would never have come to
Jakarta or will I come back for Jakarta's sake alone. It has
nothing appealing about it.
It takes very little effort for Indonesia and Jakarta to clean
itself up. Does anyone care enough to make it happen?
ALAN HUURMAN
Jakarta