The overcrowded earth

Eko Budihardjo ,  Semarang   |  Sat, 06/27/2009 11:02 AM  |  Opinion

"Almost all of the crises that afflict the world economy are ultimately environmental in origin."

- Edward O Wilson

The platforms outlined by the presidential candidates so far in this campaign are aggravating. Why? None of them have mentioned the environment, let alone their vision, strategy or agenda for it.

In his book Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (2009), Jeffery Sachs discusses how almost every crisis that has affected the world economy is basically rooted in environment problems.

This includes pollution, climate change, declining arable land, diminishing ocean resources, declining oil supply, a lack of clean water, an increased risk of pandemics, the spread of extreme poverty, increasing disparities both inside and between countries, etc.

Currently, the earth is populated by 6.8 billion people, a number which will continue to rise rapidly. It is said that God will resume creating everything, except land. Land is fought for as an economic commodity, meaning the environment will be destroyed evermore.

Ironically, most leaders and politicians shrug off these emergencies. Perhaps it is not considered a sexy enough issue.

In a seminar, respected Muslim scholar Ahmad Syafii Ma'arif pointed his finger at a vicious chain between what he called "black businessmen" and "black officials". There is no correlation between these people's words and their deeds; these people, who should protect the environment, are the ones who destroy it.

The environmental crisis is apparent to the naked eye in the form of floods, land slides, droughts, fires, ect. Unless the standard, business-as-usual way, is changed, we should brace ourselves for the ruthless incoming storm.

In his phenomenal book, An Inconvenient Truth (2006), Al Gore harshly criticizes the United States Government's regulations under President Bush, which he judges as environmentally damaging.

Fortunately Barack Obama has taken a far more environmentally-friendly stance, with his intention to reduce carbon dioxide production and greenhouse gases so that this planet will be greener, cleaner and healthier.

A collective effort to decrease the ecological deficit should be made with a business-unusual principle. Thus we need leaders who are not only spiritually and academically, but ecologically intelligent.

They must have the courage to cut the vicious cycle and expose the conspiracy between black businessmen and black officials. For instance, a moratorium on logging and forest conversion should be introduced. Further deforestation will use up what little is left of Indonesia's natural resources and turn create a food crisis and an environmental calamity.

A lot of people state that the reformation in this country has succeeded in defeating the dictatorial New Order, but these benefits tend to go overboard.

The twin sins of the past decade of local autonomy and decentralization are the over-utilization of natural resources and the under-utilization of human resources.

The over-utilization of natural resources was harshly lampooned by satirical poet Remy Silado: "Grass is eaten by a cow. The cow gives milk. The milk was for the kid, but his father beat him to it."

All religions teach that the planet and everything on it belong to the future generations; the current generation is merely borrowing it. But the current generation is robbing the future of its divine legacy.

The under-utilization of human resources is meanwhile shown in the mocking interpretation of the PAD (Indigenous People or, roughly translated "local sons"). Those who fill key positions in various provinces, municipalities and cities are not the best people for the job. Instead, primordial sentiments of racial, cultural and emotional superiority are rising.

Their pro-economy, antiecology mode of operation, which only further exacerbates the environmental emergency, shows that these officials too suffer from "environmental blindness".

We can only hope that humanity, including the running presidents and vice presidents, acknowledge our sin, repent, and set new goals that make the environment the top national development priority.

The writer is Head of the Kalpataru Lestari Family Forum (Fokkal) and a Professor of Architecture and Town Planning at Diponegoro University.

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