The Great Stink

The Great Stink -

 

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It is summer 1858. intense heat warms the Thames river and its urban tributaries, encouraging bacteria to grow in the sewers under London . Fouled by human waste untreated, remains in slaughterhouses and other waste stench from below becomes close unbearable for many, while cholera is spreading rampantly. Heavy rain finally brings relief, but something drastic had to be done.

Over 150 years later London and sanitation is modernized. People are educated not to use the streets as a tip over. The laws and regulations are in place to keep it clean, while law enforcement are such that people act accordingly. Although it took a while for the streets and sewers in Europe to get as clean as they are now, it could still be argued that in the fast paced world of today's problems could be solved in less time before.

It is now April 2013. bottles and plastic bags are stacked drains stagnant water, fragrant mountains of waste lead astray graciously rivers during the rainy season, and the smoke from about 15 million vehicles color the horizon each morning and evening . Welcome to Jakarta, one of the dirtiest cities most polluted in the world.

"We are very optimistic Joko Widodo, the new governor of Jakarta," said Ginting Longgena, Greenpeace program manager in Indonesia, "The government must learn from the past and I think it does. It does not sit to wait until the problems are resolved. The main actor to change the government, because thanks to the policy, politics and the law, they can change things. "

Such a change includes the upcoming construction of mass rapid transit to Jakarta, where Widodo is consulting the authorities in Singapore." There must be incentives and disincentives. With safer, cheaper and faster public transport, such as a rapid mass transport system, people are less likely to buy a motorcycle or a car, resulting in less traffic and cleaner air, "added Longgena." All we need is strong leadership and a willingness to change. "

Jessica Tan think it will be more difficult to change the habits of the inhabitants of Jakarta. This young activist runs a website called Tree Let Plant, who donated 50,000 trees to Lebong, Bengkulu last year and continues to inspire people around the world to plant trees and create a healthy environment to live in.

"in a developed country like the United States, government policy may be the solution to the problem. The level of education of the population, the level of trust in government, and the level of effective policies adopted by the government allows developed countries to resolve the issue only by the government. "

She believes that organizations such as Greenpeace and its own are important for people to understand why the government enacts its policies, saying:" With more information displayed about what organizations do and why they do it, people will not only follow government rules, but also to understand why they must follow the rules. "

According to Jessica, it is different in less developed countries. She thinks that the policies are very unlikely to be successful, and therefore rely on organizations to solve problems. "Government policy is successful when forced, and countries such as Indonesia does not have the capacity to enforce these policies. We do not even budget to enforce the basic laws of human right ; how can we expect the government to enforce the laws declaring throw garbage into drains is against the laws "She continues,

" If the government wants to impose a fine for people to throw garbage into? sewers, with what can they ensure that a program with the lack of budget, and the amount of corruption in the political system? "

Teguh Surya, Campaigner for Greenpeace Forest Policy, believes the subsidy on fossil fuel is a big issue." Last year, for example, cost the government IDR 160000000000000. The government uses energy . as a political commodity, and not as a resource for the well-being of the community, "he adds," as many politicians have an interest in the coal and oil industry, which is why it is difficult to move from a fossil fuel economy to the economic renewal. "

Longgena believes a change of habits can change the problems of waste Jakarta faces. He said. "Citarum is one of the most important rivers of Java, but also one of the most polluted rivers in the world" The river plays an important role in supporting agriculture, electricity, fisheries, industry, and more.

"It also provides 80 percent of drinking water in Jakarta," Ahmad added Ashov Birry's remark Longgena. Ashov is Campaigner Toxicfree water Greenpeace in Indonesia and is concerned about the river. "the problem is not only industrial, but also municipal waste. There is a water treatment center just before Jakarta, it looks clean, but we do not know for sure. "

Also Jessica believes habits should be changed, as difficult as it being. she said the public awareness has gotten better over the years, but it is not good enough. "public education must begin very early in the process, meaning that it must be well integrated into the education program. the ecosystem studies must be taught to the entire population if we want to establish a population respectful of the environment. I believe that education is one of the means effective to expand public awareness. "

It seems that everyone accepts the need for change has never been more serious. The next step is the most difficult to agree on the best solution because, as the population in the Greater Jakarta area is growing rapidly, more voices are competing on the right path. Hopefully there will be a consensus between the governing officials soon.

Would not it be nice to think back about 2013, the last year of the Great Stink in Jakarta?

Interested in their work?
Consult their website.
http://www.letsplanttree.com/
http://www.greenpeace.org/ SEAsia / id /

 

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