Refrain from driving on Earth Day: Government
Refrain from driving on Earth Day: Government
JAKARTA (JP): A senior government official has suggested that
Indonesians limit the use of their cars and motorbikes for one
day on April 23 to commemorate Earth Day and raise environmental
awareness.
The date was chosen primarily because it is a Sunday, which
means that traffic is usually lighter than on weekdays.
Earth Day itself falls on April 22.
The plan is part of a series of programs organized by the
office of the State Minister and nongovernmental organizations to
raise environmental awareness.
"Many (exhaust gas) emissions from vehicles in the city exceed
tolerable limits, which contributes to the low air quality," Aca
Sugandhy, the state minister of environment's assistant for
environmental management said while unveiling the proposal.
He said there would be an air quality check before and after
the date to see if the program had made a difference to current
conditions.
"If the quality of the air improves, we will consider
continuing the program to reduce the use of motor vehicles," he
added.
But the move appears to be nothing more than a symbolic
gesture; Aca failed to elaborate on how Indonesians were to cope
with their daily lives if they did not use motor vehicles.
He did not say whether there would be any incentive for people
not to use their cars or motorbikes, or whether there would be an
alternative mode of transportation available for those who needed
to commute.
Public transportation drivers in particular scoffed at the
idea.
Several public minivan drivers said the proposal was silly and
impossible to carry out.
"I won't do it," Ai, 39, a driver based in Kebayoran Lama,
South Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post.
"It's impossible not to operate public transport. How will
people go places?" he remarked.
"But it may be possible for private cars. Rich families have
three or four cars and all of them are on the road everyday," he
added.
Earth Day was first held in 1970 in the United States under
the initiative of U.S. senator Gaylord Nelson. It is aimed at
reminding people of the need to preserve the Earth.
Hira Jhamtani, an environment expert from the National
Consortium for Forest and Nature Conservation in Indonesia
(Konphalindo), told the Post she fully supported the idea as a
means of raising awareness.
While conceding that the immediate impact of such a move might
well be marginal, she said, however, it allowed each individual
to make a personal contribution to the environment.
"Earth Day is meant as a reminder that everybody should do
something," Hira said. "Nothing is too small to preserve the
earth," she said.
Other plans for Earth Day include a campaign to substitute the
ozone depleting CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon) with safer substances
such as hydrocarbons (HC).
CFCs are compounds consisting of chlorine, fluorine, and
carbon and are commonly used as coolants in refrigerators and air
conditioners, and as propellants in aerosol sprays.
Aca also said the government would run a campaign against
tortoise exploitation. He lamented that despite efforts to
conserve tortoises, Indonesia still allows their export.
"Our language of agreement is often not the same as the
reality," he remarked. (08)