Environmental Concerns in Indonesia
Motorcycles - an unavoidable evil!
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There are over 8 million motorcycles in Jakarta. Motorcycles are the main mode of transportation for a majority of the population. They are the most logical transportation option for most people because they're affordable to own and operate. Traffic is bad enough in Jakarta with the current number of vehicles on Jakarta's insufficient road system. A recent study indicated that Jakarta had the worst traffic of any major city in the world. If all people were to drive cars instead of motorcycles, traffic would be an absolute gridlock! Unfortunately, the motorcycle is also a major source of air pollution in Jakarta. Motorcycles are more energy efficient and create less carbon emissions into the atmosphere, compared to the car. They however create far more air pollution in other forms, such as Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Oxide emissions. Motorcycles built today typically have 4 cycle engines and are less polluting than the 2 cycle engines in the past. There are a number of low end motorcycles sold today for about 15 million Rupiahs, or around US$1000. What quality of air emissions does a motorcycle of this caliber have? If motorcycles are of the older vintage, or they aren't properly maintained, they can emit 416% more hydrocarbons, 3,220% more oxides of nitrogen and 8,065% more carbon monoxide, compared to the similar vintage of automobile.
Forest Fires in Indonesia
Fires burning on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, September 24, 2015. (NASA Earth Observatory)
A number of forest fires have been intentionally set and have become uncontrollable in Sumatra. Many fires are set to clear land for palm tree plantations. Singapore and Malaysia have suffered the effects of these fires, with smoke haze and poor air quality over the summer/fall of 2015. Below are Web site links to reports from various news organizations.
Bloomberg Business - How Indonesia's fires made it the biggest climate polluter
Washington Post - How Indonesia's staggering fires are making global warming worse
Nasa Earth Observatory
Bits Of Science - Indonesian forest fires increase global co2 emissions
PBS Newshour - Indonesian Presidential visit Oct 2015
Bloomberg Business - How Indonesia's fires made it the biggest climate polluter
Washington Post - How Indonesia's staggering fires are making global warming worse
Nasa Earth Observatory
Bits Of Science - Indonesian forest fires increase global co2 emissions
PBS Newshour - Indonesian Presidential visit Oct 2015
Burning garbage on the street
Many of Jakarta's residents burn their garbage, in empty fields or just by the curb of their house. No anti burning bylaws are imposed or enforced.
A letter sent to the Jakarta Post regarding burning of trash...
The Jakarta Post - Your letters - Rubbish burning unstoppable
A letter sent to the Jakarta Post regarding burning of trash...
The Jakarta Post - Your letters - Rubbish burning unstoppable
The remains of a typical pile of burnt garbage close to our house.
Garbage flow out to Sea
Vast amounts of garbage from Indonesia ends up in the ocean. Plastic water and pop bottles can be seen floating in the harbor just north of Jakarta. Garbage that makes its way into many of the waterways or canals within the city, flows unrestricted out to sea. Local and distant marine ecosystems are adversely compromised by garbage spilling into the ocean and many times carried thousands of miles by ocean currents.
A short film on what happens to birds on Midway Island, when they ingest plastic garbage that flows by ocean currents from many parts of the world, and is deposited on the island by the tides.
North Sulawesi - Sea turtle hatching.
My daughter had the privilege to visit the island of North Sulawesi, Indonesia for a school project. She visited the Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Centre, and had an incredible experience to watch baby sea turtles hatch on a protected beach, and make their way out to the ocean. Below is a video that she made for her school project, relating to environmental concerns and how marine wildlife is affected in the region.