Yogya (KU)- To reduce air pollution level in Yogyakarta, Environmental Board of Yogyakarta Special Province in cooperation with traffic police will hold routine emission tests for vehicles starting in April.
“The emission test is conducted as pilot project for four- wheeled vehicles first, then two-wheeled vehicles,†said Head of Air Pollution Section, Ir. Tuti Anuriyah, discussing a book entitled “Global Warming†that took place at the Seminar Room, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, UGM, on Monday (29/3). According to Tuti, the cooperation with traffic police is to enforce law and for vehicle owners in order that they pay more attention to vehicle emissions.
Tuti said that this is planned to give administrative sanctions, possibly vehicle licenses that violate the rules will be confiscated. “We target at people's awareness about reducing air pollution,†she emphasized.
Tuti is concerned about the high pollution level in the province in the past few years as consequence of the increasing number of two-wheeled vehicles. "Here, the increased number of vehicles is in thousands. It is quite difficult to reduce them, because now it is so easy to have vehicles, just like buying fried bananas," she said.
In her presentation, Tuti explained that Indonesia is the third largest country in the world after the United States and China in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. She mentioned the world scientists' prediction of a rise up to 3 degrees Celsius in temperature in Indonesia during this century due to global warming.
UGM's international affairs observer, Drs. Riza Nur Arfani, M.A., said that the United States as the largest greenhouse gas emitter is certainly not going to make environmental issues a priority during President Barack Obama's administration. Moreover, the United States up to now has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol.
Instead, according to the observer, the issue of Islam will become the next priority for President Obama after the successful endorsement of health reform bill. "My prediction is that until the end of his term, it will be difficult for him to deal with the Islam's relationship with the West," he said. This is in contrast to countries such as the European Union and Scandinavia countries that have made serious efforts in reducing gas emissions. "One of them developed energy efficiency technology, such as solar energy," he explained.
For Indonesia, Riza agreed that the use of mass transportation is far more effective in greenhouse gas reduction programs than the government's involvement in environmental issues. Therefore, commitment and synergy between central and local governments are needed.