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Catholic priest calls on people to reduce plastic bag use
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Environmentally friendly – Two Manggarai officials show mbere, a traditional bag made from plaited pandan leaves. Manggarai residents are campaigning the use of mbere to replace plastic bags. (thejakartapost.com/Markus Makur)
Indonesians must reduce their use of plastic bags to help save the Earth, a Catholic priest has said.
Rev.Peter C.Aman, director of the Justice Peace Integrity and Creation (JPIC) from the Indonesian Franciscan Order, said all Indonesians, especially those living in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), should begin to use bags made from natural materials. Citing an example, Peter said NTT residents had long used mbere and roka, traditional bags made from natural materials that reflected their respect for nature.
“I’m calling on all leaders to campaign the use of natural materials. Roka is a basket made from plaited bamboo while mbere is a bag made from plaited pandan leaves,” said Peter. He was speaking in a seminar held to commemorate Earth Day at Ranaka Hall in Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, on Friday.
Peter, who is also a lecturer at the Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta, also highlighted the importance of ensuring the fulfillment of people’s access to clean water as their basic and universal right.
“I think we’ve never heard people staging a thirsty strike -- only hunger strike. This is because humans cannot live without drinking water,” said Rev.Aman.
He further said, “We’ve seen wars to compete for and win oil resources. In the future, there will be wars to fight for water resources. Let’s maintain and protect water springs and forests by carrying out tree replanting activities.”
Citing Pope Francis in his encyclical, Peter said the Earth was the sister, mother and the womb of a mother. “If we want to make peace with God, we also should make peace with nature He has created,” he said. The Franciscan priest called for the implementation of ecological education at schools, starting from early childhood education to university level.
“Eco pedagogic should have been implemented in our education institutions. We should learn from education in Germany. School children are taught early on to love trees,” said Rev.Aman.
Manggarai Regent Deno Kamelus said the Manggarai administration would focus its development in the next five years on environment conservation, as stipulated in its regional mid-term development plan. Planting trees in water springs and dry land as well as mangroves to prevent abrasion in coastal areas would be intensified.
“I call on all private institutions to participate in conserving the Earth for the sustainability of human beings and other God creatures,” said Peter.
Speaking in the same event, Manggarai Environment Agency head Silvianus Hadir said his administration was striving to tackle waste problems in the regency. Garbage was one of main problems Ruteng residents were currently facing.
“The number of Ruteng residents has grown to 72,000 people in 2016, raising the volume of garbage thrown by people every day,” said Silvianus. The volume of garbage produced in Ruteng reaches 185 cubic meters every day.
“In Ruteng, garbage is the common problem. Thus, we should continue to campaign the use of bags made from natural materials,” he said. (ebf)
