Bali's crumbling environment, poor garbage management, poor city planning, poor infrastructure maintenance and the local government and the people's indifference toward the environment will very soon lead to the demise of Bali as a tourist destination.

Forget the terrorist bombings, forget the world financial crisis, the Balinese indifference toward Bali itself is enough to make Bali an unfavorable destination. Here are a few examples:

At the intersection of Jl. Kuta and the road to Ngurah Rai International Airport, next to the police post, there used to be a big native Nem tree. It had been growing there for no less then 100 years. Its trunk of no less than 130 centimeters in diameter supported shady and graceful branches, giving it a very beautiful character.

In the beginning of April 2008, I found out that the Nem tree is in the process of being cut down slowly, starting from the small branches to the bigger ones. It's done so cunningly that most people but me (I love the tree and have admired it for so long) will not notice that the Nem tree is disappearing just to make way for two giant and ugly signboards.

It is my conclusion that the people, the "honorable" legislature, the government of the city of Denpasar, the regency of Badung, Bali province and PT Angkasa Pura, as the Ngurah Rai airport management, do not care about Bali itself but how to exploit Bali for very short-term income, which will cost Bali tremendously in the future.

When you drive from the airport through Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Krobokan, all the way to Tanah Lot on its bumpy roads with potholes, traffic jams, flooding during rain, you can see piles and piles of trash and garbage along the side of the road, inside irrigation and drainage ditches, and surprisingly in front of five-star hotels and restaurants.

When you drive along the scenic road from Tabanan to Antosari, Belimbing, Pupuan and all the way to Seririt, you can see piles and piles of tree logs waiting to be loaded on trucks night and day.

It is very fresh in our memory how people from around the world came to the earth summit in Nusa Dua to formulate ways to save the earth and Bali. How many thousands of manhours and how many millions of dollars were spent on the event, and did it affect in any way the attitude of the people and government of Bali?

Well, do not just feel your big egos offended. Do something real for once! No more talking.

N. M. WIDJAJA

Jakarta

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