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)