Burning off Rubbish, & Dioxins
Mar 25th, 2010, in News, by ET
Raising awareness on Bali of the health effects of dioxins from openly burning off rubbish.
Encouraged by the positive reactions on the article about rabies in Bali I might as well spread my wings and continue with the public service stuff.
Everybody who has been on a Balinese road with a motorbike or bicycle at rush hour in the afternoon, when exhaust fumes from automotive vehicles mix with the smoke of burning rubbish on the roadside or in the gutters, knows what an appalling experience this can be. And I expect situations like this won’t be much different in other densely populated parts of Indonesia. In the name of public health I believe something should be done about it, hence this topic for further discussion.
Below is an awareness sheet put together by Dr. Michael Ricos, in an attempt to improve the awareness of expatriates and local communities alike on the negative effect of dioxins on our environment and ultimately our own health.
His main suggestions for community and individual action in Bali:
- Form a committee to start cleaning up dioxins in your village. Make up a list of other people who should be involved, explain the problem and get the support of your community leaders like the Kepala Desa and leaders in your Banjar.
- Educate your committee first about dioxins and burning rubbish. Give a copy of this information to each of them explain to them the risk, and how we ourselves are responsible for producing them. Tell them that to stop producing more Dioxins we must… STOP BURNING RUBBISH!!! Throw rubbish in the DKP garbage collection system not in the river and do not burn it.
- Have regular meetings to make sure everybody understands what they need to do, and for people to ask question. Everybody must understand this is a big commitment and needs the active endorsement of your whole community.
- Talk to everyone in your village, spread the message about dioxins. Make sure farmers and factories in your area understand, they must keep your village safe too.
- Make a target date by which time all the people in your community must be educated about the problem and what can be done.
- Tell your Banjar security when they see people burning rubbish to stop them and remind them about the risk to their health.
- The leaders of your community must be strong and vigilant. Have a continuing program to find out where the sources of dioxin are in your community, mainly burning rubbish but textile dyes and pesticides made with chlorine increase the levels of dioxin in your community.
- Call GUS for more information. We’ll answer your questions, and help you to Stop Dioxin Exposure in your village.
- Have courage and determination it is a big job but the longest journey begins with one small step. And remember always lead by example!! Remember what you stand to win with a successful Dioxin Reduction Program. Less cancer, less disease, fewer birth defects, and more people who can bear healthy children.
For those who are interested in spreading this message in their respective communities a translation in Bahasa Indonesia Pembakaran Sampah Meracuni Masyarakat (PDF) is available:
However, don’t expect too much enthusiasm when trying to change ingrained, even nefarious, habits. When I tried to explain to an old Balinese lady the dangers of burning waste in the open, she only replied:
And how do you suppose we will have to keep the mosquitoes away?
88 Comments on “Burning off Rubbish, & Dioxins”
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venna says:
If you think about it, this is a problem largely created by western companies in Indonesia. It’s the Coca-Cola’s, the Krafts, The Nestles, and the Danones of the world that brought overpackaging to Indonesia. Most genuinely Indonesian foods and beverages are eaten and drunk from reusable plates and glasses.
_____________And be a part of modern lifestyle. See, even in developed countries, people still use plastic a lot. s It’s almost impossible for not using plastic. The differences are: people here already start to develop better lifestyle and educate the societies. Big groceries offer alternatives to its customer to use recycled/paper bag rather than plastic or reusable bag so they can use it again. Some put recycling machines for plastic bottle and cans that can be used by public/customers. The states have strict regulation on waste management. Even burning household waste or yard waste like leaves and grass at our own yard is categorized as violation, except they have specific permission or the city allows it. The waste management companies have great technology to handle all types of waste and minimize the hazardous impact to the environment.
People who stay in Indonesia need to think seriously about changing the lifestyle (be nice to the environment! I once saw by myself a man dumped a broken sofa into Ciliwung River!) and develop sufficient infrastructure to handle the waste/plastic.
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ET says:
develop sufficient infrastructure to handle the waste/plastic.
Infrastructure by itself is not enough. The municipality of Ubud has begun placing trash bins everywhere on roads and public places but they are still for a large part ignored. I just saw this afternoon a brand new trash bin and right next to it a burning pyre bellowing thick smoke into a warung where a heavily pregnant was eating and a couple of toddlers playing.
What is needed is education and sustained awareness campaigns, like in those times when KB (family planning) was introduced and propagated via wayang kulit. I am not familiar with the Javanese mindset but here in Bali a change of habits seems to be only accepted if brought to the attention with slapstick and laughter.
For education and awareness the necessary infrastructure is already in place in the form of banjars, PKK’s and RT’s. I see the members of our banjar regularly convene but I have the impression that the topics which are treated have more to do with religion and adat than with down-to-earth matters like waste disposal and dog shit. -
Odinius says:
Digestible plastic? No thanks! Probably would be carcinogenic as ****.
Just use glass for drinks, and ceramic for plates!
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diego says:
I see the members of our banjar regularly convene but I have the impression that the topics which are treated have more to do with religion and adat than with down-to-earth matters like waste disposal and dog shit.
Dog shit? Then someone like Harvey Milk is needed in Bali, to campaign for dog-shit free neighborhood (and then followed by gay rights, of course).
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Oigal says:
As more Indonesians abandon their own eating culture for the more “sophisticated” (and vastly less healthy) western way of eating pre-packaged, starchy, colourful, processed turd we can only expect this to get worse and worse.
No, it will get worse until people realise that blaming someone else is just rubbish of a different kind. It’s the west that make us use plastic (and throw it in river??? Say what!), Its the west that makes us cut down our forests, its Singapore that steals our sand, it’s China that floods our market with lead painted toys.
Sooner or later if you want to live an a sustainable environment then you have to take control of your destiny and stop blaming everyone else for your woes.
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deta says:
No, it will get worse until people realise that blaming someone else is just rubbish of a different kind.
What if I put the blame on some folks, regardless of their nationality, who do the trading of Amdal certificate with mansions and expensive cars to smooth their business in Indonesia. Can I do it, please, please? I desperately need someone else to blame beside myself.
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Sure why not, of course one would hope you are going to name the Indonesian Official who took the money, mansion and cars as well.
Seems to me that the official that does that is a far greater traitior to Indonesia than some poor fell who raises a flag and gets a 15 year jail sentence. Blaming external influences for the damage may make us feel better, but the reality is the outside world doesn’t really care. Once its all gone you will get some token “tsk tsk” noises and the world will have moved on.
Of course, those left standing waste deep in plastic (or mud) and not a tree to be seen can stamp their feet and shout “its not fair”
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BrotherMouzone says:
@ Oigal
It’s the west that make us use plastic (and throw it in river??? Say what!), Its the west that makes us cut down our forests, its Singapore that steals our sand, it’s China that floods our market with lead painted toys.
I said it is the influence of western food culture that has led to so much plastic packaging. If Indonesians stuck to their original eating culture (Warungs with glass cups and china plates, drinks sold in glass bottles, etc) there would be less Styrofoam and plastic to dispose of.
What exactly about that observation is wrong?
If you are so touchy that the merest hint of a slight against the West sends you into a tizzy, I suggest you take a deep breath. Of course this is an Indonesian problem, regardless of its cultural roots.
Progressive taxation of the (largely Western-owned) companies that produce this garbage could be a good start. They could be charged per layer/gram of plastic crap they wrap around their products and the revenue used to fund in-school environmental education programs.
It’s all very well getting worked up about how Indonesians should sort this out themselves and sharpish. But we can hardly expect Indonesia to do well what it has taken western nations so many years to do badly…
It would be nice to see the big western companies take a lead on this issue (as they sometimes have done in other countries). But maybe pretending to care about the environment is not yet as politically beneficial for them here as it is back home…
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If you are so touchy that the merest hint of a slight against the West sends you into a tizzy, I suggest you take a deep breath. Of course this is an Indonesian problem, regardless of its cultural roots.
Disagree, just the its “always somebody elses fault” is a somewhat tiresome cliche
Progressive taxation of the (largely Western-owned) companies that produce this garbage could be a good start. They could be charged per layer/gram of plastic crap they wrap around their products and the revenue used to fund in-school environmental education programs.
Agree, I although I wasn’t aware that “Aqu*” and “Ind*mie” were for instance were western owned. I would like to think that the second part would actually occur.
It’s all very well getting worked up about how Indonesians should sort this out themselves and sharpish. But we can hardly expect Indonesia to do well what it has taken western nations so many years to do badly…
Unfortunately “Sharpish” is about all the time the environment in Indonesia has left, yup not fair but thats the reality. Of course, I can only assume you are calling Japan, Singapore, South Korea and even Vietnam western as they are light years ahead of Indonesia evironmentally.
it would be nice to see the big western companies take a lead on this issue (as they sometimes have done in other countries). But maybe pretending to care about the environment is not yet as politically beneficial for them here as it is back home…
Lots of things would be nice but rarely happen. It would be nice to see national companies learn from the mistakes that West made since the industrial revolution. Nice but apparently not likely.
I think you attribute motives to me that are not there. My intention is not to defend western companies but rather to point the folly in waiting for other nations to step in and act. As you say they will do what is in their best interest in most cases. Unless Indonesia acts “sharpish” then they will all disappear once the last tree is felled and the last mineral is ripped all to the crys of “its not fair”
Oh by the way, I find the “oh it took developed nations centuries to do this” as patronising to Indonesia as a whole. This has not stopped any number of emerging countries leap frogging into the future and really does not hold water.
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Laurence says:
Why do indonesians always blame westerners for their problems??? I thought indo was its own country run by indonesians??
Rubbished caused by tourists, yeah right, I was just in Kupang beaches filthy and not a bule to be seen.
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@ ET:
What is needed is education and sustained awareness campaigns, like in those times when KB (family planning) was introduced and propagated via wayang kulit.
_________sustained awareness campaigns, I agree. I barely remember about campaign thru wayang kulit though, but I remember well since my childhood that KB campaigns were everywhere; billboard, tv, radios, community meetings; all bombarded us simultaneously and it changed people’s mindset at some point. I think for Java region and most of areas in Indonesia, it will be effective if we involve the local stakeholders/local leaders to inspire or to mobilize people to do the changes. Problem is, when the leaders themselves are not consistent and not discipline; it’s difficult to expect people to stay discipline.
@ Laurence:
Maybe because everything can turn to be grey area. For some reason, some people interpret everything as an attack to their nationality, to their pride and dignity; and start playing blame and scapegoating rather than listening, digesting, and discussing solutions. Prostitution issue, grey area. Rubbish, grey area. Religion, grey area. Interracial love, grey area. -
Oigal said:
Disagree, just the its “always somebody elses fault” is a somewhat tiresome cliche
But so is “it’s never ‘our’ fault.”
BM is right…the culture of plastics does come from the West. The culture of burning plastics does not.
There’s enough blame to go around, then, isn’t there?
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@ Oigal
Sure why not, of course one would hope you are going to name the Indonesian Official who took the money, mansion and cars as well.
That’s right. It takes two to tango and it takes two to bribe. And as much as I condemn the Indonesian officials who took the money, I denounce the western people with their ‘high moral value’ who do the bribery in Indonesia and probably other less developed nations. They know that money is at the top list of Indonesian officials ‘weakness’ and they take advantage of it to build businesses that create environmental problems, which can lead to putting people’s life in jeopardy.
Sorry, I contained myself not to blame others and I failed.
“Only after the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten” -
Uh, about the littering…. There is no room for Indonesian to blame other countries for this ‘culture’. The effort to change this bad habit has been done by, say, imposing a fine for people who do the littering on the streets, or encouraging people to make compost from household garbage. But just like any other effort ever performed by Indonesian govt, it was only done half heartedly and wasn’t done consistently, and people are welcomed to be back to the bad habit anytime.
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But just like any other effort ever performed by Indonesian govt, it was only done half heartedly and wasn’t done consistently, and people are welcomed to be back to the bad habit anytime.
But this still leaves the question: can’t people see for themselves that a clean, litter-free environment is a lot more pleasing to live in than a stinking diluted garbage dump? There have been several poster campaigns here showing the difference between fore and after, but the littering still goes on. In the end the choice is with the people.
The same with the toilets. It is as if a clean Indonesian toilet has to be a contradiction in terms, making it easy to spot whether a public place is foreign managed or not. -
But this still leaves the question: can’t people see for themselves that a clean, litter-free environment is a lot more pleasing to live in than a stinking diluted garbage dump?
___________
Try to live in a small house in Chicago area (Cikini-Kalipasir-Gondangdia), close to the Ciliwung River and see how fast you’re finally accustomed to the smell, the dumps, dirty/ black water, rubbish, and food that are sold in some warungs around there. It is pretty much cleaner compared to Bantaran Gebang of course, but just want to give an idea about how people adjust and accept even the most extreme environment and stop thinking about improving it. Maybe they were thinking alot, just don’t know how to follow it up. Or maybe they know it, but not sure where and how to start. And if pollutants keep flowing from those big hotels, big buildings, and industries into the river without any sanction, people will think ‘hm, why we cannot do the same?’ -
Aah, finally. It’s refreshing to see that there are still some people that have normal noses and demand the city to solve the problem. Don’t know how long they have to wait and inhale the smell until the waste management company and the city doing their job.
http://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2010/03/30/21193022/Sampah.Masih.Membelenggu.Tangsel. -
@ venna
Try to live in a small house in Chicago area (Cikini-Kalipasir-Gondangdia), close to the Ciliwung River and see how fast you’re finally accustomed to the smell, the dumps, dirty/ black water, rubbish, and food that are sold in some warungs around there.
You are making a valid point.
The littering was the first thing that annoyed me upon arriving here and after 10 years it still does. But I grew up in a clean environment. Therefore it must have something to do with habituation since childhood.
This is very important because now we know which group to target and motivate in the first place. -
@ET
Agree, I although I wasn’t aware that “Aqu*” and “Ind*mie” were for instance were western owned.
Indomie isn’t, Aqua is (Danone).
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After watching Chris Rock’s documentary movie “Good Hair” (I love this comedian…), my friend posted in his fb a…. can I call it another disturbing way to recycle waste? http://medicalethics.suite101.com/article.cfm/human-baby-foreskins-in-cosmetics
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nartoelek says:
@Dikkiman Sujengkol: Western consumption culture does affect the today indonesian’s culture. It is not the matter of protecting ones culture or blaming. but finding the solution since we are living under the same ozone.
western companies should stop persuading indonesian population towards mass consumption stage of development through heavy advertisement on TV or Movie.
western countries consumed 2/3 of of of the global production, now they are aware of their surrounding because they are able to see the bottom.
Has Indonesian population see this? NO.
Does the majority have access to internet? NO
Can they read? yes but the infos they read out there arent the truth.
whats on indo TV? 70%gossip and craps. Injecting the young mind with bogus expectation of lifestyle.If they havent meet their basic need, they wont bother about the world.
Its hard to change all indonesian people especially the one that already have a strong pride of nationalism.
Technology and science is indeed the answer but u have to motivate people with capitalism. Its clearly what people have really learn from the western.
I know that u can generate electricity by burning garbages. Somebody should just bring that technology to indo and buy all the garbages then sell the electricity. Sounds like money to me.
Or change the packaging like lays…something that can decomposed by itself.
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Its hard to change all indonesian people especially the one that already have a strong pride of nationalism.
There is some truth in this statement. Many times when a foreigner tries to change things for the better he either gets ignored or is frowned upon with an air of mind your own business.
Of course this doesn’t apply when the foreigner’s proposal involves receiving money. -
Purba Negoro says:
Actually- your knowledge of chemistry is poor.
Firstly, the EU Waste Incineration Directive, the EU Directive 2000/76/ (OJ L332, P91 – 111),
states:
“temperature must attain 850 degrees Centigrade for two 2) seconds to ensure degradation of dioxins”Germany’s Ministry of the Environment is actively substituting WTE waste incinerators to reduce nett atmospheric pollutants from coal plants. Although in Dusseldorf and the Ruhr- this is very difficult as Krupp is Koenig.
The bulk of visible air pollution is caused by incineration of green foliage and farm waste.
This additionally was not a major problem until industrial era.
It is actually illegal, without special permission.Do not forget China, India and the USA are the worlds largest polluters, and China and India have 100 years to catch up on the USA.
Indonesian pollution as a percentage of global pollution is less than 3%.Also do not forget the deforestation is to feed Western appetite for “green fuel” and cheap lumber.
It is not the Indonesian Government felling trees- but greedy concessionaires who bribe their way out of obeying the laws of the land- or in the case of Boise Cascade, Home Depot, US Paper and other criminals- use US diplomatic pressure for non-accountability.The UNCP has demonstrated that 50% of all illegal logging goes to China, 29% to Taiwan 25% directly to USA. Of the 50% to China, 90%+ is exported to the EU (UK inclusive) and USA, 75%+ exported to EU and USA from Taiwan.
The chemical compositional release is dependent on temperature and oxygen mixture.
Incineration is the normal procedure for refuse disposal in Germany and Japan.
What is required is village empowerment.
Major change to Kampungan “toss anywhere” or “throw it int the river/sea” culture
Routine collection & thorough reclamation of recyclable material
Cheap and low maintenance incinerator which can incinerate above 800 degrees Celsius.
Cheap scrubber or sequestration technology- concrete lined settling pond seems very suitable.I traveled to Dusseldorf and Hamburg as part of a fact finding team on Siemens WTE (Waste-to-energy) incineration fired plants. Particularly interesting was the KEZO (Kehrichtverbrennungsanlage Zürcher Oberland) in Hinwil, Switzerland and the artistically famous Spittelau complex in Wien, Austria.
Additionally, in Brazil, a joint venture between Spain and Brazil has produced an amazing machine which can incinerate via plasma -arc common household packaging (the triplex foil/plastic/paper demon) into CO2, CO, O2 and extracts a re-usable petroleum product (basically heavy oil) from the petrochemical plastics.
Incineration is the future. Just get Ms Raden Ayu Daradjatun to hurry Keppel up.
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realest says:
Don’t you hate it when people make grandiose long statements to look smart only to miss the point at the end?
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Europe, USA, Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea are cleaner, with more forests, clean rivers etc than anytime in the past 100 years.
And yes its all so unfair because they have had the time and opportunity to do somehting about the insane practices of the past.
Meanwhile, Indonesia screams, jumps and stamp her feet about how unjust the world is. The jumping will continue right up until the last tree is felled and the last river dies (about five years at current rate). Morally correct and practically stupid.
Alwasy strikes me as ironic watching the neo-nationalist nutcases waving the red and the white declaring their right to die for Indonesia followed by the mess and trash they leave behind.
Purbi, as usual well out of date. Thanks to the peat burning, forest burning and plain disregard for nature Indonesia is now number 6 polluter in the world and number one in SE Asia.
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Europe, USA, Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea are cleaner, with more forests, clean rivers etc than anytime in the past 100 years.
And yes its all so unfair because they have had the time and opportunity to do somehting about the insane practices of the past.
Meanwhile, Indonesia screams, jumps and stamp her feet about how unjust the world is. The jumping will continue right up until the last tree is felled and the last river dies (about five years at current rate). Morally correct and practically stupid.
Always strikes me as ironic watching the neo-nationalist nutcases waving the red and the white declaring their right to die for Indonesia followed by the mess and trash they leave behind.
Purbi, as usual well out of date. Thanks to the peat burning, forest burning and plain disregard for nature Indonesia is now number 6 polluter in the world and number one in SE Asia.
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Oigal, you are an ignoramus and a fool.
UNCP satellite imagery clearly shows nett forest destruction in each country you mention. Over the past fifty years every nation on the planet bar Russia has had nett forest loss. Siberia was heavily re-afforested with gulag labourers.
– and the barbarian State of Queensland STILL retains a bounty on cleared forests for agriculture.Indonesia is not number 6 polluter- this is a statistical aberration-THOUGH if it were truly 6- it has only been so for less than decade.
Indonesian pollution during that time frame is a minute percentage of even clean EU.The USA and Europe have been dumping tons of CO2 and waste for the past 150 years.
Even CHina and India still have to play catch up to Australian, US, UK and EU waste and pollution totals.Incidentally, Australia is the largest high-sulphur, low calorific-value coal exporter in the world. Prior to China- it used to be the largest consumer of low-calorific-value, high sulphur coal.
Think of Hazelwood (was meant to be decommissioned), Loy Yang A &B, and Collie fields of Q’land.Currently Australia is investing in industrial scale in situ coal-field gasification- which is a nett enormously polluting technology. You have to use energy to superheat the steam to extract the coal-gas (more energy), scrub it (more eneregy) then transport it again more energy) to China.
Oink-gal go back to your asbestos filled Council bungalo, with your Bunnings “Managed Plantation” (fake) teak decking, put your flip-flops on the IKEA coffee table (carbon miles) made from illegally logged Indonesian virgin forest-wood and tune mind off to another Neighbours episode using burn wet brown coal to do so.
To the intelligent reader- the point I make about the forests ios simple:
it is not the Indonesian who is the deforester- but logging concessionaires.
Demand is dictated by supply- the US and Europe want cheap wood- and in reality they don’t care where it comes from or how damaging it is (think of carbon miles) as long as they are not effected at the check-out.
China superficially appears to be the major culprit- but it is merely reprocessing raw product to sate the greedy US.And no I am not a British- what an insult- that was really below the belt Patung- right hook straight to the biji.
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And no I am not a British- what an insult- that was really below the belt Patung- right hook straight to the biji.
Where were you born? What ethnicity by birth are you? If you put your details on the internet….. Don’t worry, not going to call you up on the phone or anything or blow your cover but quit pretending to be Indonesian, or I delete, quit with the anti-Chinese rants, or I delete. Creeps me out PB.
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It is indeed for a large part a cultural and lifestyle phenomenon. If you are in position to afford always eating fresh food or drink clean spring or tap water and fresh fruit juices, plastic packaging would become obsolete. Unfortunately the demands of modern urban lifestyle don’t allow for this.
He who invents a catalyst-induced biodegradable plastic or even digestible plastic certainly deserves a Nobel Prize.