text by Michele Cempaka

There is no question that Bali is facing an environmental crisis. With last month's UN Global Warming Conference, delegates from around the world came to the island to discuss this very issue about the course of action we all must take in order to save our rapidly deteriorating environment. Every country around the world is now being forced to take a hard look at what they have been doing to contribute to this mess we've got ourselves into.

hello bali sat down with Ibu Cat, Kadek Krishna and one of the coordinators at EcoBali to find out their thoughts on the current environmental situation in Bali and throughout Indonesia. Ibu Cat is an environmental activist who has been writing about environmental issues in Southeast Asia since 1990. Her credits include: Canadian International Development Agency projects, the Financial Post and the Bali Advertiser. She is currently working with a small group of people who want to help Balinese farmers learn how to make their rice fields much more productive.

"When rice farming becomes a respected and prosperous livelihood, people are more likely to stay on the land and value it," said Ibu Cat. Unfortunately with the villa boom in Bali, many farmers have become enticed by the money developers are offering them for their land. Ibu Cat feels that uncontrolled development in Bali is just a part of the problem, because many developers are also draining Bali's resources.

"Many (new homes) use tens of thousands of watts of electricity to run air conditioners, pool pumps and garden lights (the average Balinese compound in Ubud is wired for 400 or 800 watts). Water is becoming a very critical issue all over Bali; water tables and lake levels have dropped alarmingly just in the past few years. And villas tend to use a lot of wood, almost all of which is illegally logged in Indonesia."

Kadek Krishna, an Environmental Engineer and a regular contributor to the Jakarta Post, grew up in Bali and has seen first-hand the negative impact unchecked and unplanned developments have had on Bali's environment. "The biggest concern is when developments cut off the irrigation supply to areas where land owners still want to cultivate crops, because their inability to farm properly creates a domino effect, adding pressure to them to sell their land for development."

While the rapid development of Bali is noteworthy, we have even bigger problems. The toxins emitted from factories cannot be ignored. According to the Departemen Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral' plans are currently underway for the Rembang Coal Fired Power Plant to begin operation in September 2009 for the first stage and December 2009 for the second. The purpose of these power plants is to address the energy shortages in both Java and Bali. There is strong indication that one of the sites for the power plant will be in northern Bali. The estimated cost of these power plants is USD 1.5 billion. If this eventuates, it will have devastating effects on both the environment and the health of the people living on the island.

Coal fired power plants release over 11 million tons of the greenhouse gas CO2 per year, toxic heavy metals such as SOx, NOx, mercury and particulate matter. This is not only detrimental to local communities and wildlife, but also further contributes to global warming. The effects from this type of pollution are devastating, ranging from mercury poisoning which has been proven to impede brain development in children, to respiratory problems which can lead to premature death and finally acid rain, which is caused by sulphur dioxide. The rainfall spreads this acid over entire ecosystems rendering them uninhabitable to fish, plants and animals. This is already a worldwide problem (David Suzuki Foundation).

In Kadek Krishna's article: ‘There's a Change in the Weather', published in The Jakarta Post, December 2, 2007, he mentions a study for the ‘Coral Triangle Initiative' which showed how global warming has been affecting Indonesia for quite some time.

"Effects of global warming are already evident in Java and Bali. Extreme high tide phenomena causing inundation is not only isolated when high tide and rain synergize with the full moon. Just ask the people of Semarang, Demak, Surabaya, Tegal, and Brebes. There, inundation and 15-20cm of flooding can last up to a month, and is becoming more frequent." EcoBali, was founded in 2005 by a small group of people who recognised the urgency of taking action in regard to waste management problems on the island. The main goal of this initiative is to promote waste separation at source as well as increase awareness in regard to Solid Waste Management issues. EcoBali currently collects up to 2.5 tons of dry waste every month from schools, hotels, various businesses, some factories and 150 households in Bali.

"There is a lot of talk these days about the effects of global warming on our environment," states a coordinator from EcoBali. "I know for a fact that coral reefs have been affected; there are many scientific studies that explain how many centimetres the sea level will increase and how many degrees in terms of temperature, and how this will modify the coastal activities and will cause displacement of communities. There will also be decreased periods of rainfall (but rainfall will be heavier) which will increase the chances of flooding and generally the possibility of disasters in relation to health issues, loss of power, etc."

Things are looking dire for Bali and the rest of Indonesia but there is still some hope if we can think of innovative ways of creating power and constructing eco-friendly villas and homes. ‘Kul Kul' an alternative school that is scheduled to open in 2008, follows the principles of creating a community, which is in harmony with the environment. The school is being built with bamboo, earth walls and grass roofs with plans for utilizing a clean energy system called ‘Vortex'. This system works by generating energy through the flow of water, which is then directed to a turbine that spins and creates the electricity.

"If we can demonstrate to the government that there are alternative ways to generate electricity which are clean, maybe they will consider it. We need to raise people's awareness and balance our needs with our responsibility to the environment," said I. Made Chakra Widia, Permaculturalist at Kul Kul.

There are many possible solutions for saving our environment; it is just a matter of thinking creatively and coming together as a community.

"We think its time that individuals and communities worldwide realize how important it is to take responsibility for how we run our lives and businesses by looking for more sustainable ways of living," say EcoBali. "A green revolution (versus the previous industrial revolution), will ensure long term sustainability. We need to start being aware of how we can make a contribution in our every day lives."

There is a clear message being sent to the world right now - act immediately on issues of global warming and protecting the environment or face extinction. On a micro scale this exact sentiment can be applied to Bali, not only are the unregulated developers pillaging the natural beauty of the island but also they are, in turn, raping the culture and tradition of one of the world's last remaining true wonders.

Regulation and education are the keys to protecting Bali but with the ‘every man for himself' mindset that pervades the tourism and villa development industry we have to seriously ask ourselves, do we even really stand a chance?