Pastika asked to support World Silent Day

Ni Komang Erviani ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Thu, 02/19/2009 2:13 PM  |  Bali

As public support intensifies for stronger action on climate change, the Collaboration for Climate Change (KBPI) has urged Governor Made Mangku Pastika to support World Silent Day.

"The governor's leadership is urgently needed right now to get the Balinese people moving on this movement," KBPI coordinator Hira Jhamtani said at a meeting on Wednesday with top provincial administration officials at the governor's office.

World Silent Day is a solidarity movement where people are expected to completely stop all activities that use energy, for one day of each year.

The day is supposedly inspired by the Balinese Hindu celebration of Nyepi. Observers mark Nyepi by remaining totally silent, refraining from travel and, at nighttime, remaining in total darkness. Most Balinese stay indoors and tourists are asked to keep a low profile.

The idea behind World Silent Day was first proposed by representatives of the Balinese public at the UN International Forum for Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) that took place in Nusa Dua, Bali, in December 2007.

Supporters of the movement have campaigned for the need to scale back on the use of items that emit greenhouse gas emissions and items that use electricity, such as radios, computers, cell phones and television sets.

On World Silent Day, marked every March 21, people are expected to suspend any energy-consuming activities for four hours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event was first held last year.

This year, Nyepi will be observed on March 26.

Hira urges the governor to order all government and private institutions to support the movement.

"We hope the governor will be kind enough to make a letter of order, so all official institutions support this movement," she said.

She also said he expected the governor to campaign for energy conservation during this year's World Silent Day.

"He can make small gestures such as riding a bicycle to his office or turning off the air-conditioning," Hira said.

She added the KBPI was currently galvanizing more support to have the UNFCCC recognize World Silent Day as an official movement to roll back climate change.

Hira said his organization was trying to gather 10 million signatures for the proposal. The organization has 6,000 signatures so far.

The governor did not give an official response, but Putu Gde Wardhana, head of the Bali Environmental Agency, declared his support for World Silent Day and urged all institutions to support the movement.

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