I really fear of climate change, nowadays, in Jakarta, every time rain comes, it is accompanied by heavy wind, like cyclone. I could not remember we ever had cyclone like in 5 or 10 years ago. We only heard or saw cyclone through radio or television but now, we are experiencing it.
Trees fell all over every where. They hit cars, billboards broken and fell on cars. It has become normal scene after the heavy rain in Jakarta.Â
People start taking out trees to prevent them from falling in the next rains. Just like burning chicks or birds or poultry whenever someone's died. Then the deforestation is not only happening to the rainforest but also the city trees.
If to prevent our car from being hit by trees is taking the roots of the tree itself, then what will be left for our children? I feel pity for them, they will not just ask what chicken is but also what were trees looked like.
Can we have new perception in our mind now that the rain forest is very important to our life, for mankind. If we don't stop the deforestation, sooner we will have desserts in Indonesia. With this unpredictable weather, soon the agriculture industry will be in trouble, harvest failure in major rice supplying regions of Indonesia, famines will be everywhere.
If now, we have already started to import rice, I cannot imagine in few years to come. Import means spending more money, do we or, be specific, does the government of Indonesia have money to buy some rice from other country? Perhaps not, too many goods to be imported, not enough money left.
We must import oil and gas, while our nation known for its wealthy of mineral reserves. We must also import sugar, whilst we are considered as one of the biggest agricultural countries in the world. Maybe, next we also have to import fresh water because most fresh water springs are polluted or not much water can be reserved under the ground because not many trees left.
There are major factors affecting the climate that lead to global warming we are experiencing now, namely green house gas emission and deforestation. Green house gas emission has caused among other things, air pollution, climate change and global warming. Deforestation has caused the reduction of oxygen supply. We need more oxygen to maintain the harmony of ecosystem.
The biggest challenge for the government of Indonesia might be the effort of stopping the deforestation. The dilemma faced by the government, is it money or mankind on the other side, to be chosen.
Anyway, if the government chose money over mankind, seems the government has failed to serve his fellow citizen. In my personal view, the government should choose mankind over money, they still can generate money from other justifiable sources rather than selling our grand children's lives.
Rasuna, 25 November 2007
Nela Dusan
Note:
This article was firstly  published in Jakarta Post during Bali Climate Conference, December 2007.
