I was very fortunate to spend some time in Bali before Christmas (following some work with my client in Jakarta) and it is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. The culture and the people are simply amazing - its like being dropped into a world that is much less competitive and materialistic, and much more collective and interdependent.
For some reason, though, it seems like the people and the government of Bali may need to urgently take a hard look at their plastic littering problem - plastic garbage such as bags, wrappers and bottles are everywhere; in the rice fields, in the rivers and the ocean (see this photo I took at our hotel's otherwise magnificent beach). The dichotomy between the holistic and nature-centric lifestyle of the Balinese people and the garbage problem boggles the mind, at times, and is really the only thing I don't fondly remember from my Bali trip. Someone told me that over 800 tons of plastic is being dumped into rivers and the ocean in Bali every day - how can I help to tackle this issue?
Should plastic bags be banned? Seems like a good first step to me.
Update: Tide of Plastic (The Guardian)
Gerd Leonhard
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It's such a shame that people litter and pollute so much. I don't hink banning plastic is the answer. We need to restore the decency to take care of one's own mess and have the forethought that everything we do affects generations to come. People not caring is the problem.
Posted by: Mike Stahl | January 08, 2012 at 06:30 PM