PLASTIC PROBLEM
With a population of 260 million people, Indonesia is the fourth most populated country in the world. Within a short time, it has grown from a developing country to an emerging economy with huge potentials. However, there are numerous problems that come with this progress. Indonesia is the second largest polluter of plastic waste in the world’s seas. While visiting the capital of Jakarta, we were more than shocked to see a city where up to 10,000 tons of waste is produced on a daily basis, piled up along the road with a disgusting smell and a terrifying example of how we slowly destroy our planet. It also shows the importance of education and how much the conscious use of our natural resources will be in the future. Each of us can contribute to avoid this problem. Little changes can have a huge impact. If every person on this planet has access to knowledge about what they can do to have a positive impact, or on the other side, what they shouldn’t do, it would be a big step in the right direction. We don’t have to be perfect human beings to change things. To sit in an airplane once in a while is part of my job and I might not be the perfect role model for being eco-friendly but I can do my best to be carbon neutral at the end of each year by planting trees for every trip. Right now, around 7.5 billion people live on this planet and countless other creatures depend on this place that we call home for a certain time. All together we could move mountains if we use our natural resources a bit more carefully. We could start by using less plastic in our daily routine and realize the power each of us has to work for a better planet or against it.