It Must Be Hard Being An American...

I feel sorry for the people of United States of America. No, I'm not talking about obesity or Bush. It must be quite an embarrassment to admit you are an American nowdays, especially if you are here in Bali and attending the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is perhaps slightly better to admit that you are an Iranian or even Iraqi. At least you are not a citizen of the culprit nation who sabotaging the world from the fast way out of this already-here-and-kicking-global warming. For full report click here.

I know Americans (excluding those named Bushes) have their heart in the right place and yet the representative they chose (twice!) is the biggest mistake ever made for America and for the world. It is quite strange for me, a person watching from outside, of how when Clinton was caught doing (or someone did something to him) improper conduct with his intern, he was impeached. Mean while, there is his reigning successor who decided to thwart a dictator, stubbornly let his soldiers butchered for unclear reason and reject an agreement to save earth from further destruction (which is inflicted largely by the very country he reigned) and the people did nothing?! No impeachment whatsoever. Why? Anyone care to explain this to me?

Anyway after taking a deep breath, I decided that it is not really Uncle Sam who speak in the conference but its evil counterpart. The good one gave a sharp speech full of emotion on how his country “…the United States is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali”. It will be a totally different history if he is the President now. But then perhaps he wouldn’t win the Nobel and becoming The Green Hero. To think that a wrong decision made in States could affect the world, each people in United States must be very careful in the coming election. Whoever will be the next President of United States of America will have the future of not just America, but this world, upon his (or her) hand.

It won’t be the unessential problems of what skin color or who was supported by Oprah anymore. It means a lot to this earth and another nations. America’s choice would influence everyone living in this planet. So, it is true afterall. All those movies where American astronauts (like Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis) were sent to save the earth from armageddon or a Legend to find the cure to human mutation. In the end, it comes to citizens of United States to do the right thing for earth and all the inhabitants, threaten not by alien or virus, but by mankind. God Bless America!

Postcript: USA finally agree to join the consensus of Bali Roadmap after a heavy pressures from the rest of delegates and the sob of Yvo de Boer, the executive secretary of UNFCCC. A baby step toward what everyone hope as a better living earth.

More about → It Must Be Hard Being An American...

The Inconvenient Truth of Our Life

Our days on this earth are numbered. Mostly, it is our own fault or as I prefer it, our government's fault. In Indonesia's case, it is true. I hope I won't get in trouble for blogging this but let me make a small quiz:

*Which government actively involved in illegal logging by becoming the very own people who accept bribes from private companies to cut down the trees in Borneo's forest and corrupted what limited fund they have; also at the same time make their country as 'the number one fastest deforestation country in the world ' deserved to be in Guiness Book of Records?

If your answer is Indonesia, you are right. As an Indonesian, I am ashamed to admit that I didn't do anything to prevent it. Perhaps I used to think it is not my problem. It didn't cause a direct treat to my life. I was wrong. Al Gore said so (by the way, congratulation for the Nobel Prize. It is a good thing you lose the Precidency, seeing what happen with The One Who Unfairly Won nowdays. And look at those candidates racing to be The Next American President. It is overrated. Don't you agree? Nobel is more noble). I was the frog inside a boiling cauldron.

But now I realize I am that frog and the whole country is boiling (say, with all the natural disasters coming our way such as flooding and avalanches). This is about time that all Indonesian should realize that they are all that frogs! I hope it is not too late to wake up now and change all the bad habit of our lifestyle.

So here are some simple idea about what can people (and I) should do to prevent The Ice Age and perish human-kind like it did to dinosaurs:

1. Watch "An Inconvenient Truth" to understand correctly what happen to our earth right now (sadly it didn't make it to our cinema, so it is available for download or lapak DVD near you)

2. Throw your garbage correctly (even a small act like throwing a can of Coca Cola via your car's window COULD affect the environment)

3. Say NO to plastic bag. Next time you go to a supermarket or you buy anything that you able to put in your pocket or bag, tell the Mas or Mbak "NO" when they give you plastic bag (I try to always have a canvas bag with me whenever I go grocery shopping or better yet, use your real or fake Anya's " I am not a plastic bag" to its supposed-to-be-real function INSTEAD of wearing it for the sake of looking hip and cool in Citos

4.Turn off unusable electricity equipment in your house

5. Plant your garden (if your Mother haven't already done that)

For more tips on how to save the earth please click this site.

SAVE THE EARTH, SAVE OUR LIFE

More about → The Inconvenient Truth of Our Life