As an Indonesian, I am concerned about the rising rates of land, water and air pollution in our nation.
Our skies are being polluted with smoke from an increasing number of cars and motorbikes. The beautiful night skies are being distorted by the hazy clouds of smoke from factories.
The rivers are being used for waste disposal. Clear blue streams have turned murky with garbage. Our land is filled with either plastic bottles or plastic bags. Indonesia is a country of immense natural beauty, but unsightly pollution is having an intolerable effect on nature.
A change of government has not changed the situation. Some organizations have made efforts top put up roadside posters and campaign to educate the public to keep their surroundings clean. Unfortunately, these actions have not led to significant improvement. Moreover, the situation has turned into a crisis here in Indonesia.
The people might not realize it, but right now Mother Nature is in peril! The disastrous consequences of pollution have been affecting the human beings.
Clean drinking water is scarce, the air has become toxic, and if the situation continues in some countries, gas masks must be worn in order to stop individuals from choking to death.
Furthermore, emitting high amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere retains heat. People in Indonesia must have realized by now that the rainy month of October has turned into the worst summer one could ever go through. The roads will be invariably lined with tons of garbage as landfills fill up again! These are not exaggerated, they are the cold hard truth.
To prevent our lives and the lives of succeeding generations from falling into a pit of complete darkness, preventive action must be taken now! More public transport should be used in order to reduce the amount of cars on the roads. The streets should be kept clean to provide ourselves with a clean and healthy environment to live in.
The deviant act of littering must be banned. Fines should be imposed for such crimes. Some might think these new rules are cruel and will cause discomfort to our daily activities.
This is not the attitude that we should develop, even though it might be hard at the beginning; as the days pass these actions will become a way of life. Many countries have already taken these actions and have benefited hugely. One must not just keep rambling on about these problems here in Indonesia.
The silence must be broken and the voices must be heard. A ray of hope is always present in everyone's hearts and when these little beams of light are joined together, the whole nation can be lit up in a blinding glow.
Here I end my argument and I am sure it will be picked up by many others. Whatever troubles we might have gone through or will face, our destiny is one and only one: one green planet.
Prasanna Lakshmi
Jakarta
