German court paves way for diesel driving bans

Yahoo – AFP, Andrea HENTSCHEL with Michelle FITZPATRICK in Frankfurt, February 27, 2018

Environmental activists, seen here last week in front of Germany's Federal
Administrative Court, have won a major ruling that will allow cities to impose bans
on older, more polluting diesel vehicles in order to combat air pollution. (AFP
Photo/Sebastian Willnow)

Leipzig (Germany) (AFP) - A top German court on Tuesday ruled that cities can impose diesel driving bans to combat air pollution, a landmark decision that plunges millions of car owners into uncertainty.

The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig found that local authorities can legally ban older, dirty diesels from certain zones as part of their efforts to improve air quality -- a drastic move that could reshape inner-city travel and upend the auto industry.

The court did not impose any bans itself, leaving that up to city and municipal authorities.

The judges did however urge them to "exercise proportionality" and said any curbs should be introduced gradually and allow for certain exemptions.

While the legal battle centred around the smog-clogged cities of Stuttgart and Duesseldorf, it could have far-reaching repercussions in Europe's biggest economy.

The ruling is a major blow to the government and the nation's mighty automakers who have long opposed driving bans, fearing outrage from diesel owners whose vehicles could plummet in value.

Eager to reassure them, the government was at pains to stress nothing would change right away and that bans were not inevitable.

"Driving bans can be avoided, and my goal is and will remain that they do not come into force," said Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks.

Chancelor Angela Merkel also weighed in, saying the ruling concerned only "individual cities".

"It's really not about the entire country and all car owners," she said.

But the outcome marks a huge victory for the environmentalist group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), which sued Stuttgart and Duesseldorf to force them to take action against the toxic nitrogen oxides and fine particles emitted by older diesel engines.

German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks, left, said cities could reduce air

pollution without banning older diesel vehicles (AFP Photo/Bernd von Jutrczenka)

'Great day for clean air'

Lower-level judges had already backed their demand for driving bans, but the states of Baden-Wuerttemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia appealed, arguing such curbs should be decided at the federal level.

Judges at the nation's top administrative court again sided with the environmental campaigners.

"It's a great day for clean air in Germany," said DUH chief Juergen Resch.

Almost immediately after the verdict, the port city of Hamburg became the first to announce plans for a diesel driving ban on two busy roads from late April, with exceptions for residents, ambulances, city services and delivery vehicles.

The head of Germany's VDA auto industry federation warned however against "a patchwork" of local measures that would confuse drivers and urged the government to take the lead in drawing up uniform regulations.

Analysts at EY consultancy said only the latest diesel models that adhere to the strictest Euro 6 standards would escape the potential driving restrictions, leaving some 10 million older diesels eligible for bans.

Mounting pressure

Concerns over the harmful effects of diesel have soared since Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to installing cheating devices in millions of cars that allowed them to secretly spew far more nitrogen oxide (NOx) than legally allowed, and other carmakers soon came under suspicion too.

The poisonous gases have been linked to respiratory illnesses and heart problems, leading to thousands of premature deaths each year.

The sales of new diesel cars in Europe (AFP Photo/Sophie RAMIS)

Some 70 German cities including Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne recorded average nitrogen dioxide levels above EU thresholds in 2017, according to the Federal Environment Agency.

Industry giants such as Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler have responded to "dieselgate" by offering software upgrades and trade-ins for newer and cleaner models, but have resisted costly hardware fixes.

DUH chief Resch however said Tuesday's ruling could finally put real pressure on automakers to retrofit older engines with properly functioning emissions controls.

"I now expect the auto industry to deliver," he said.

Markus Lewe, president of the Association of German Cities, urged Berlin to do more to push the auto industry to clean up its act.

"Cities don't want driving bans," he said.

The government, long accused of going too easy on an industry that employs some 800,000 people, last year offered to create a billion-euro fund, partly paid for by industry, to improve public transport and upgrade fleets to electric buses.

Such measures are intended at least as much to placate local officials as well as those in Brussels -- where Germany and a slew of other EU member states risk legal action after sailing past a deadline to reduce air pollution.

Rotterdam to tackle air pollution, ban old cars from city centre

DutchNews.nl, November 28, 2014

Rotterdam council plans to improve the city’s air quality and has drawn up a €12m package of measures which locals will be asked to approve, Dutch media report on Friday.

The plans include getting rid of polluting cars and slashing pollution levels. In addition, the council’s own fleet of vehicles will be overhauled to reduce its pollution rate by 25%. 

The council is also considering financially rewarding owners to get rid of polluting cars. In addition it suggests that no more parking permits will be given for diesel vehicles built before 2005 and petrol-driver cars predating 1992.

More charging stations will be built for electric vehicles and there will be better bike facilities. 

The council also wants to ban lorries from the ‘s Gravendijkwal, currently the city’s most polluted road and a major highway that leads to the Maas tunnel. Transport organisations have already criticised the lorry ban proposal, saying it will force freight firms to use longer, more expansive routes, the Financieele Dagblad reported.

Research shows Rotterdammers live three years less than the average Dutch national, which is partly due to road pollution.

Utrecht and Amsterdam have already taken steps to reduce the number of polluting cars in their city centres.

Thick Haze Returns to Central Kalimantan

Jakarta Globe, Nov 02, 2014

Haze at a airport in South Sulawesi, in this Oct. 6, 2014, file photo. (Antara
Photo/Herry Murdy Hermawan)

Jakarta. Thick haze, usually caused by forest fires, on Saturday made a comeback in parts of Central Kalimantan that had just experienced a smoke-free week.

The Sampit area East Kotawaringin district was blanketed in smoke so thick that flights had to be diverted.

“The air here in East Kotawaringin district was free of haze for a week, but since Saturday the haze has come back and blanketed Sampit,” Sumi, a resident, told state-run news agency Antara on Sunday.

Fadlian Noor, head of East Kotawaringin’s Communications and Informatics Office, said visibility was just 10 meters — a far cry from the minimum of 2,000 meters for safe flight movements.

“The haze seems to have gotten worse — so bad that flights coming here have had to be diverted,” he said, as quoted by Antara on Sunday.

“Yesterday there was even a flight from Jakarta [to Sampit] that had to be diverted all the way to Surabaya [in East Java] because of the haze,” he added.

Jakarta’s Air Quality Takes a Toxic Turn for The Worse

Jakarta Globe, Erwida Maulia, May 09, 2014

A man wearing face mask sleep inside a TransJakarta bus during traffic in
Jakarta, in this file photo taken on June 12, 2013. (Reuters Photo/Beawiharta)

To Tifa Asrianti, the polka-dot fabric mask she carries in her bag is multifunctional.

Inside the overpacked trains she regularly boards to and from work during rush hour, the face mask saves her nose from unpleasant odors released by sweaty, fellow commuters.

On the Kopaja minibuses she takes from the train station to her office, the mask protects her from cigarette smoke casually exhaled by male passengers.

And while waiting for transportation on the side of roads congested with vehicles, she hopes the mask is able to filter the air pollution invading her lungs.

“Not that I believe the mask can really help, but it’s the least I could do,” said Tifa, a 30-something employee of a non-profit organization in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

People wearing face masks were not a common sight in Jakarta six years ago. Then came the H1N1 flu incidents in 2009, at the height of which the Indonesian government promoted the use of surgical masks to prevent the swine-based disease from spreading.

The flu died down, but people became accustomed to the masks and began wearing them in hopes to filter the smog-tainted city air they breathe in.

Now, the sight of half-covered faces is a common one throughout Asia — the light green or blue surgical ones are most used — as city commuters wait at bus shelters, board non-air conditioned public buses or ride motorcycles.

“The traffic jams are getting more inhumane. That’s a clear sign of more vehicles on the streets; more pollution,” said Tifa, a resident of Bekasi, West Java, who has been commuting to and from Jakarta for work over the past decade.

“And I can especially feel how dirty Jakarta air has become after returning from places like Pangalengan or Gunung Kidul, where the air is clean and light,” she said referring to the mountainous regions in West Java and Yogyakarta, respectively.

Alarming figures

Tifa’s assumptions on the state of the capital’s air was not wrong. Official figures show that the amounts of major, toxic pollutants invading Jakarta air have grown rapidly, along with the continuous increase in vehicles crowding the streets.

According to data from the Jakarta Police traffic directorate, the number of vehicles registered in Jakarta has grown by an average of roughly 10 percent every year for the past six years, bringing the total figure to 16 million in 2013 — consisting of 4.1 million automobiles and 11.9 million motorcycles.

The motorbike industry especially has projected a market saturation for Jakarta. But in the mean time, despite public outcry over ever-worsening traffic congestion, the figures are expected to grow.

These numbers have yet to include the number of vehicles registered outside the capital, but regularly roaming its streets.

Along with the alarming growth in vehicles numbers, the concentration of at least four principal pollutants in the air have been increasing as well, according to the city’s Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD).

BPLHD statistics dating back to 2008 show that five major air pollutants regularly monitored by the agency — carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, lead and suspended particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10) — are all still below the hazardous levels specified in a gubernatorial regulation.

However, with the exception of sulfur dioxide, the amounts of these pollutants in the air have continued to increase over the past six years — with the growth of lead and nitrogen dioxide being particularly exponential.

The level of lead, notorious for causing brain and nervous system damage when congested in large amounts, stood at 0.33 microgram per cubic nanometer (mcg/nm3) last year; over 10 times higher than the level in 2008, and one-sixth of the hazardous threshold of 2 mcg/nm3.

The amount of nitrogen dioxide, meanwhile, rose to 74.14 mcg/nm3 last year — three times its 2008 figure and is alarmingly close to the dangerous threshold of 92.5 mcg/nm3. Nitrogen dioxide is known to be poisonous to lungs.

During the same period, PM10 and carbon monoxide levels rose by 86 percent and 60 percent respectively. Major concerns from exposure to PM10 include respiratory illness, damage to lung tissue and cancer. Carbon monoxide, meanwhile, is toxic to blood, and poses a health threat especially to those suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

The sulfur dioxide volume, meanwhile, dropped by 77 percent. But the decline may be attributable to the unavailability of data at some BPLHD monitoring stations, according to an agency analyst who asked not to be named because the person does not have the official capacity to give public statements.

Like PM10, sulfur dioxide also has been associated with respiratory illness and the aggravation of existing cardiovascular disease.

“The main source of these air pollutants are vehicles — the transportation sector,” Rusman Sagala, head of the environment preservation and management division of BPLHD Jakarta, said in an interview last month.

“Industrial activities are another contributor, but there are fewer industries in Jakarta now. Many of them have spread to places outside of the city.”

According to Health Ministry data, the transportation sector contributes between 70 percent and 80 percent to total outdoor air pollutants.

Rusman said although more and more carmakers and motorcycle producers are consciously applying cleaner technology compared to a decade ago, their efforts can’t keep up with the speed at which new vehicles are appearing on roads each year.

This has become particularly obvious in the distressing amounts of lead seeping into the air.

Due to its damaging and permanent effect on the human body, namely the nervous system, kidney function and immune system among others, the Indonesian government introduced a regulation in 2003 restricting the levels of lead added to fuel — the lowest grade of fuel should contain no more than 0.3 gram per liter (g/l).

A regulation issued by the director general for oil and gas last year further reduces the maximum level of lead allowed in fuel to 0.013 g/l.

But as previously mentioned, the lead levels in Jakarta’s air has more than tenfold over the past six years.

“There is less lead in fuel now,” Rusman said. “But accumulatively, amounts of it in the air has risen because the number of vehicles in Jakarta keeps increasing.”

The World Health Organization released an updated report in March saying that an estimated 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2012 were associated with outdoor air pollution.

The number shows a near triple increase from the previous available data in 2008 — although the jump has also been attributed to new evidence made available on the direct correlation between exposure to pollution and illnesses.

In a breakdown according to diseases, WHO data revealed that 40 percent of the deaths connected to air pollution were caused by ischemic heart disease and another 40 percent was due to strokes.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease contributed 11 percent of the deaths, followed by lung cancer (6 percent) and acute lower respiratory infections in children (3 percent).

The March report — which did not mention specific countries but offered data on regions — named Southeast Asia as the second-largest contributor to the deaths after the Western Pacific region — with 963,000 fatalities.

Being the largest and most populous country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is believed to have been a top contributor to the figure.

“The risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart disease and strokes,” Maria Neira, director of WHO’s public health department, said in the statement. “Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution; the evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe.”

Bambang Wispriyono, an environmental health expert at the University of Indonesia (UI), took a particular note on the colorless organic compound benzopyrene. This fuel residue is not among principal air pollutants regularly monitored by BPLHD, but it is a known carcinogen.

Two studies administered at UI under Bambang’s supervision a few years back found that people spending more time on the streets had higher levels of benzopyrene in their blood stream compared to regular office workers.

“Toll gate officers, traffic policemen… they all have more benzopyrene metabolites in their bloods and urine than office employees,” Bambang told the Jakarta Globe. “The effects are not immediate, but these officers working on the streets are facing more health risks, including cancer.”

Solution?

The restriction on lead levels, the introduction of emission tests for vehicles in Jakarta and the addition of air quality in the criteria for the Adipura cleanliness awards given to cities and provinces are some indications that the Indonesian government has been paying growing attention to air pollutants’ impact on health.

But measures taken to curb the effects lag behind the pace of vehicle growth and, subsequently, the increasing number of toxic pollutants we breathe in every day.

Tjandra Yoga Aditama, the health ministry’s director general for disease control and environmental health, said his office is drafting strategic action plans to curb the dangerous effects of air pollution for the years 2015 to 2019, although not much has been said about the plans.

The Ministry of Environment, meanwhile, has been calling for what it calls a “grand design of the national air quality monitoring system,” an effort to improve the monitoring of air quality across Indonesia and, hopefully, measures to tackle issues related to air pollution.

The WHO, in its latest statement on Tuesday, reiterated its growing attention to diseases stemming from air pollutants and calls on individual cities worldwide to take the necessary actions in improving air quality, citing efforts made by Copenhagen and Bogota as successful examples.

The global health agency said these two cities have improved their air quality by prioritizing networks dedicated to urban public transport, walking and cycling.

“We cannot buy clean air in a bottle, but cities can adopt measures that will clean the air and save the lives of their people,” said Carlos Dora, coordinator for interventions for healthy environments at WHO.

In the mean time, face masks can provide a viable option.

“The ones commonly used can protect against PM10, but can still be infiltrated by gases,” Rusman said. “But they can at least reduce health risks.”

Clean, green machines, or smoke and mirrors?

Deutsche Welle, 28 March 2013

On the streets Manila, electric-powered trikes are increasingly being used as the government tries to improve air quality. Environmentalists claim the trend does nothing to address the real issue of climate change.

Alfredo Forelo used to drive passengers through the streets of Mandaluyong City on a conventional old Manila "trike."

It's a motorcycle with an attached sidecar that can weave around traffic and - if need be - go up onto sidewalks. He is amongst the hundreds of thousands of drivers in the Manila metropolitan area who depend on trikes to earn a living.

"I've driven a trike for eight years," says 38-year-old Forelo. "Driving helps me support my wife."

While these old motorbikes are a cheap source of income for poor drivers, like Forelo, Manila's environment is paying the price.

According to the Asia Development Bank, trikes emit an estimated 3.8 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Exhaust fumes from trikes are one reason that the government regularly warns citizens about the capital's air quality, which it links to severe respiratory diseases. Forelo says he knows first hand about that. "I get sick a lot, like from asthma or I often catch a cold or the flu", he tells DW.

The older trikes are linked with
respiratory diseases

Breath of fresh air

But Forelo hopes those days are over. Four months ago, he traded in his gas powered trike for one that runs on a lithium ion battery. His "E-trike" is the prototype of a vehicle that the Asia Development Bank plans to mass produce and eventually replace the conventional motorcycles with. And, in turn, improve the Philippines' environment.

"Electric vehicles will play a very significant role in addressing climate change", says the Asia Development Bank's Sohail Hasnie, who heads the E-trike project. "The Philippines government spends billions on importing oil and there are a lot of inefficient ways this is used by trike drivers."

Hasnie adds that the benefits of E-trikes will be felt across the board. The government will save money and pedestrians and drivers will be able to breathe in cleaner air. The Asia Development Bank plans to put 100-thousand E-trikes on Manila's streets over the next five years.

But some environmental activists in the Philippines are not impressed by the E-trikes. Beau Baconguis, Philippines Project Manager at Greenpeace, claims these vehicles are merely substituting tailpipes for smoke stacks.

"When you plug in these hundreds of thousands of E- trikes, you will be using up a lot of electricity that is very dependent right now on coal," says Baconguis. "While the environmental impact is not direct, in terms of emissions, the emissions are coming from coal power plants when you charge your trikes."

Other observers claim the E-trike's lithium ion batteries are not a realistic energy alternative. "The problem with lithium ion batteries, they cost more and virtually zero after sale service in the country," says Red Constantino, director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities in Manila.

He says that at the moment, the lithium ion batteries can only be serviced overseas. "If one single cell breaks down, the whole battery goes kaput and there is no repair shop anywhere for such batteries."

Constantino adds that the $400-million loan the Asia Development Bank received from the Philippines government to fund the E-trike program, could have been put to better use. He says if officials really want to improve air quality, the government should improve Manila's infrastructure and make it a more pedestrian-friendly city.

"The best mode of transport is walking. If you have better sidewalks, people will walk more. Trikes encourage door-to-door transportation and they are traffic hazards," Constantino says.

A sunny solution

The Asia Development Bank's Sohail Hasnie counters the criticism of the environmentalists. He says even though E-trike drivers will depend on the power grid to recharge batteries, total carbon dioxide emissions will still be at least 40 percent lower with 100-thousand gas powered bikes off the streets.

Hasnie adds that his organization's project doesn't stop with just rolling out the E-trikes. The Asia Development Bank intends to build solar chargers and create an entirely local industry aimed at servicing the vehicles. And that will not only benefit the environment, but also the economy by creating jobs.

"Our project is bringing all these things in together," he says. As for driver Alfredo Forelo, he says he made the right decision to get rid of his old motorbike. He's saving money on gas and transporting more passengers with his E-trike.

"It's really easy to drive and more comfortable," Forelo says. And when asked if he'd ever go back to driving a gas-powered trike, he doesn't think twice about it. "No, not again."

Electric Cars Take Off in Norway

Jakarta Globe, Pierre-Henry Deshayes, May 11, 2011

Christian Blakseth, who traded his bicycle for an electric car, charging
his vehicle's batterie. They speed past big-engine cars in traffic, ignore
congestion charges and mock parking meters: in a country's whose wealth
is fueled by oil, Oslo has become the world capital of the electric car. (AFP Photo)

Related articles

• Electric Vehicle Trial in Singapore Set to Start
• Jakarta Gets First Taste of Car That Aims to Beat Smog, Traffic

Oslo. They speed past gas guzzlers in traffic, ignore congestion charges and get city center parking for free. In a country whose wealth is fueled by oil, Oslo has become the world capital of the electric car.

"There are more electric cars per capita here than in any other capital of the world," said Rune Haaland, the head of the electric car users association Norstart, standing in a city center car park forbidden to other car users.

Almost 4,000 of the small, clean and silent vehicles are on the roads of Norway, although they are found mainly in the cities, and the number is climbing as new models come onto the market.

From the tiny, locally made Buddy, to the sporty Tesla, which can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers (62 miles) an hour in less than four seconds, all sorts of electric cars have taken to the roads of the Norwegian capital.

Norway may be one of the world's top fossil fuel exporters, but it has set ambitious climate policy objectives, aiming to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2020.

"The electric car is a very important tool for that, knowing that 40 percent of our emissions come from the transport sector and 60 percent of those come from road transport," Transport Minister Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa told AFP.

According to some estimates, the country's 3,891 electric cars allow it to save over 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

To persuade drivers to switch to electric cars, Norway has introduced a string of incentive measures.

Electric cars can use bus lanes and thus bypass traffic jams, they don't have to shell out congestion charges and can park for free on municipal car parks.

New father Christian Blakseth traded his bicycle for an electric car.

"It's very advantageous to be able to park for free downtown and to escape traffic jams," the young train conductor said.

"And you don't get drowned in day-to-day spending: it's a car that is expensive to buy but cheap to use," he said.

Charging an electric car's batteries at home costs about two euros ($2.90). Norwegian petrol prices are among the highest in Europe.

With growing demand, car-makers are rushing to put out new models.

And consumers are responding with just as much enthusiasm: in the first quarter this year, an electric car, Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, topped small model car sales in Norway, ahead of all time favorites.

"We were planning to sell 400 units [cars] in Norway this year, and we are already at 700. We think we will ultimately reach 1,000," the head of Mitsubishi Norway Bernt Jessen said.

Despite technological advances, distance remains a problem for electric vehicles, however, with cars only able to go for around 150 kilometers before needing to be recharged.

And with Norway's cold winters slashing battery efficiency, optimal performance is hard to achieve.

To get around this obstacle, Norway has decided to put in place a national network of charging stands across the country allowing drivers to "fill up" their cars in about 20 minutes, just long enough to enjoy a roadside cup of coffee, compared to the seven or eight hours normally needed.

The mountain cottage, sacrosanct for Norwegians, could soon be only a few kilowatts away.

AFP

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City officiates first air quality monitoring station

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 11/29/2009 1:38 PM

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo officiated the first air quality monitoring station on Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta on Sunday.

“This is part of our way to raise the air quality. We will continue to keep on reducing the air pollution in the city,” said Fauzi.

The city spent Rp 5.5 billion (US$ 578,000) to buy the six-meter-square station. The station is equipped with various electronic tools which can measure the air pollution in the area.

“This tool helps us know the city's condition. By measuring the air pollution, we can be more encouraged to solve the problem,” he said.

Fauzi added that his administration was still trying to make preparation for mandatory emission tests.

“Everything must be prepared first," said Fauzi about the mandatory test which had been postponed several times. (mrs)

Bogor administration installs device to monitor air quality

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

In an effort to minimize air pollution, the Bogor administration installed an air quality monitoring device in its office complex Wednesday.

"It will help us monitor and control air pollution and people will be able to find out how bad or good air quality is each day," the head of the Environment and Sanitation Agency, Yus Herdius, said.

The device, which cost Rp 400 million (approximately US$42,500), was purchased by the West Java administration as part of the province's environmental program.

The automatic device works in real time.

Yus said the system reads data according to the Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU), which indicates air quality levels at a particular time and location.

"We know that as the population increases and economic development continues, air pollution will worsen.

"Although we have tried to prevent air pollution in many ways, including planting trees and using environmentally friendly fuels, the monitoring device will help us decide on the most effective policies to control air pollution," he said.

He said the administration planned to procure more of the devices, which would be used in areas prone to air pollution and traffic jams.

Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto said the monitoring device could be used to warn residents when air quality was bad in the city.

He said the administration had issued many regulations to reduce air pollution, such as a ban on smoking in certain places and mandatory emissions tests for official cars.

However, he said some of his subordinates had not complied with the regulations.

"As city officials we should set a good example to residents. I will take back official cars if they don't pass emissions testing," he said.

Balikpapan city tightens up clean air quality control

Nurni Sulaiman, The Jakarta Post, Balikpapan

Balikpapan is one of the country's cleanest cities and is now taking further steps to show its dedication to the environment.

At the start of this month, Balikpapan city administration begun installing air quality control monitoring devices in high traffic areas to detect pollution levels.

"On the first phase, we have installed the device near Plaza Balikpapan area, and then in busy other busy traffic areas, like in front of Rapak Plaza," Balikpapan Environmental Impact Management Agency head Syahrumsyah Setia told The Jakarta Post.

He said the device would help the administration measure pollution levels and decide on preventive measures.

"By learning about air pollution levels, the administration can take the right measures and produce the right development policy to manage air quality and minimize the air pollution that harms people's health," Syahrumsyah said.

He said that by installing the device, both the administration and the public would immediately get accurate information on the area's air quality.

The device is also equipped with five color indicators for easy evaluation -- green for good air quality, blue for average, yellow for unhealthy, red for very unhealthy and black for dangerous air quality.

The agency's secretary Soufian AS said the program was one of the administration's moves to fight global warming.

"Once the device shows poor air quality levels in Balikpapan, we will tighten up vehicle emissions tests in the city.

"In the long term, we might restrict vehicle ages, just like in developed countries, such as allowing only five-year-old cars to operate," Soufian said.

He said the first device was installed last week and its electricity connection would be completed this week.

"Within the next two days, we will be able to see the benefits," he said.

Analysts call for cleaner air

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city seems to have taken up a new hobby: establishing Car Free Days. On Dec. 30 it will celebrate the third such day in four months.

This time it will be held in two areas: Jl. Sudirman and Thamrin in Central and South Jakarta and Old Town in West Jakarta.

The city calculates that during the last Car Free Day in November, emissions decreased by 40 percent.

However, transportation analysts say such events alone will not have significant, lasting impacts on Jakarta's air quality.

"Car Free Day is not enough," said Damantoro, transportation and environment program officer at Swisscontact.

"The idea of Car Free Day is to reduce the use of private vehicles. But if public transportation is not improving, the goal will not be reached," he said.

Bambang Susantono of the Indonesian Transportation Society urged the administration to improve public transit.

He said more people would use it if it were safe, affordable, reliable and comfortable.

In 2005, the city enjoyed only 28 days of good air quality. The number has since risen gradually, with 45 days in 2006 and 60 days until Dec. 27 this year. The administration hopes to raise the total to 100 days in 2008.

To encourage people to use public transportation, Damantoro said the administration should urge real estate developers to provide it in housing estates. Residents there often have no alternative to buying a car.

"Housing estates could be a good place to introduce people to public transportation," he said.

Bambang said the administration should apply a two-pronged, "push and pull" strategy.

He explained that the "push" could take the form of limiting vehicles in the city center, setting high parking rates and using a three-in-one policy. The "pull" would be improving public transportation.

Driejana, a lecturer at Bandung Institute of Technology, said the administration should explore other options to clear the air.

She explained that an eco-friendly building that used natural lighting could also reduce air pollution.

A 2006 study showed that the amount of benzene in Jakarta's air was four times higher than acceptable levels, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution was 30 times higher.

The city administration says 70 percent of air pollution in Jakarta comes from car emissions, and the rest from industry.

On weekdays, at least 2.5 million private cars and 3.8 million motorcycles traverse the city's roads.

Budirama Natakusumah, head of the city's Environmental Management Board (BPLHD), emphasized that besides holding Car Free Day, the administration planned to start enforcing compulsory vehicle emissions tests in January.

'Everything we do can harm the environment'

The Jakarta Post

While Indonesia's climate change delegation gather at the UN conference in Bali, many organizations in Jakarta are holding environmental campaigns, including tree seedling give-aways and planting activities. But while the world is watching the creation of a roadmap for a new international agreement on environment protection, many people continue to disregard important climate change management messages. Much of the city's population continue to dispose of their garbage into river systems, or exploit the city's groundwater, or build commercial premises on water catchment areas. So The Jakarta Post hit the streets this week to find out how to involve more people in environmental and climate change management practices.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo:

Everyone must realize that everything they do may harm the environment.

The impact of climate change is evident ... in floods.

When (the public) litter and thus clog the rivers, they are being harmful to the environment. In consequence, they will be in danger of floods.

The residents must stop throwing garbage into the rivers.

The Jakarta administration itself has initiated environmentally friendly programs by imposing the emission test for vehicles and using compressed natural gas for busway buses.

Wardah Hafidz, urban poor activist:

Global warming has become a problem (and it's) right under our nose. So, ecological awareness must reach ... the lowest level of the society, the poor.

We currently hold an event that also aims to familiarize (the) urban poor with ... global problems and how to deal with (them) (called) Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.

Lia, 34, an employee of a private company:

I think, most people are not aware of preserving the environment (on) a daily basis, let alone knowing about ... the climate change in Bali.

When my father washes his car, he always lets the water continuously run from the tap.

It's true that we do not have to pay for the water because we use ground water, but still, that is not right.

In addition to that, my father also likes to throw trash anywhere he pleases, especially while driving.

The minute I forbid him, he will try to follow my advice, for once. But then he will repeat his violations in other times.

My older sister, a graduate of Biology from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) who is now working as a researcher in a government office, is no different.

One time, when I (prompted a) family discussion on how the industry contributes a great deal of damage to our environment, the two of them simply said, "Well, the industry is important for our country's development."

That's it. They (did not) ... touch ... on the subject I brought up.

Meanwhile, I also regret the waste management at my campus, the Bandung Institute of Technology.

Since two years ago, around its campus, it has provided three sets of garbage bins designated for organic, paper and plastic garbage.

But neither the students nor the garbage pickers throw trash into the right designated bin.

What bothers me most is the fact that when the trash was picked from the three-set-bins, they were just mixed into one dump site.

So, what's the point of distinguishing the bins?

It is also difficult for me to find garbage bins in every corner of this city. The lack of garbage bins at public places, has forced me to turn my pocket and my bag as temporary trash bins.

It's ok if the trash is dry. But it's not ok if the trash is wet.

So, I end up throwing garbage anywhere, with a guilty feeling haunting me.

Elly Kristanti, 66, an employee of a private company:

I have not heard about the conference.

However, I ... heard about the global warming issue (after) I watched The Oprah Winfrey Show some time ago.

And I think global warming has started to happen in Jakarta. Just look at the extreme weather condition nowadays.

When it rains, floods are everywhere, when it's a dry day, it is hot as hell.

All of that happens due to zero awareness to preserve the environment from both the citizens and also the industrial players.

Environment awareness is not something formed in a snap. It needs to be nurtured (from) as early as ... kindergarten level and in the family.

My only hope ... the conference ... can make the entire global citizens simultaneously aware of the seriousness of this global warming condition and act upon a shared-commitment to preserve the environment in every corner of this globe.

Am I hoping too much?

Govt provides free emission tests ahead of UN conference

Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

As part of a campaign to improve Bali's air quality and in connection with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held early next month, the Bali administration and the State Ministry for Environment will provide free emissions tests for vehicles on the island from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2.

"We hope in the future emissions tests will be made obligatory for motorists wishing to apply for or to extend their vehicle registrations," the ministry's Bali and Nusa Tenggara regional office head, Sudirman, said while launching the program in Kedonganan, Badung regency, on Monday.

The surging number of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles in Bali have deteriorated air quality on the resort island.

The administration, while acknowledging the serious problem, has not yet issued a regulation to ease the rise in vehicle ownership in the province, especially in the crowded Badung and Denpasar regencies.

Lacking a reliable public transportation system, Balinese have been forced to use private motorcycles and cars to go to work and school.

The tourism-based economy has also pushed up motorcycle sales on the island as foreign tourists prefer low-cost motorcycle rentals over hotel buses to explore Bali.

The Indonesian Motorcycles Association (AISI) has reported that Bali and Jakarta are two provinces with the most dense motorcycle population, with 2.8 to 3 people per motorcycle.

In Bali, one household could own three to five motorcycles. The number of vehicles on the island was less than 600,000 in 2002 but that figure has today soared to more than 1,400,000.

"We are all worried about the degradation of Bali's air quality," Bali governor Dewa Beratha said in his written statement, which was read by provincial secretary Nyoman Yasa.

"However, we can do something to stop it by conducting emissions tests on vehicles," the governor said.

Yasa said a lack of regulations, which could help slow down the pace of vehicle-ownership growth, was the main challenge for the province to improve its air quality and help prevent global warming.

"We are happy that Balinese people are enjoying economic growth, but we are also aware of its adverse impacts," he said.

He said in the future the administration would issue a regulation to limit the number of vehicles in Bali.

"I can't give you a specific date. But in time it will become necessary to issue such a regulation," he said.

He hinted Bali could possibly implement a progressive taxation scheme in which a person who owned more than one vehicle would have to pay higher taxes.

"This kind of regulation is applied overseas," he said.

The Bali administration has drafted a master plan of an integrated mass transportation service linking Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan regencies.

It is still unclear when the service, which is being referred to as the acronym Sarbagita, would be launched.

Bali is preparing for the UNFCCC, during which delegates of 191 nations would meet to draft the blueprint of a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

All motor vehicles provided by the organizer of the conference in the Nusa Dua resort complex will run on biofuel, which is considered to be more environmentally friendly than regular fuel.

Agus Purnomo, an official from the environment ministry who heads the conference's organizing committee, has assured that tourists staying in hotels in Nusa Dua would not be disturbed by the security arrangements during the conference.