Letter: Our planet is dying

I would like to respond on to a comment made by Ananda (the Post, Oct. 16) on a government move to block a Greenpeace vessel from entering Indonesian territory.

Ananda, the planet is dying. All countries need to do their best to curb human destruction of the small islands that we live on. That is what Indonesia is: small islands with limited resources, including air.

When they are all gone we cannot just hop on a spacecraft and go somewhere else.

Don’t go on about other countries, concentrate on ours. Indonesia has an appalling record. The air in our cities is very polluted. We can boast of the most polluted rivers in the world. The destruction of our forests is happening so fast that we are within sight of total elimination in a couple of generations. In general, all of our resources are being degraded and there is no perceivable benefit for our nation and our people — only for the corrupt.

Look out the window at the weather. Year after year it gets more extreme and unpredictable. Talk to farmers and listen to them describe the effect climate change has had on them.

Tell those whose homes have been constantly flooded that it’s the fault of the west. If you don’t want to leave the comfort of your armchair, just watch the news and look at what is happening all over our country and the rest of the world: The climate is changing right now.

When the last Indonesians — possibly your great-great-grandchildren — take their last breaths on this planet or drink the last drops of fresh water just before they expire, they might gasp “This is the West’s fault, not ours”. More likely they will say: “Our ancestors could have prevented this but they were too selfish”.

I firmly believe that organizations such as Greenpeace do a wonderful job. They act as our conscience and are fearless warriors against those individuals and nations who would destroy anything and do anything for money.

The destruction of the world’s great forests is the biggest environmental problem that the world has ever had to deal with. Indonesia has agreed to curb deforestation. Greenpeace has exposed our government’s lies, which is why they have been stopped from sailing into our waters, because our government does not want the truth to come out.

Didi
Bandung