Floods are nothing new. They’ve happened plenty of times. That’s part of life on Earth. But, these people in Indonesia are supposed to be worried about your carbon footprint
After Indonesia’s deadly floods, few hear climate ‘wake up call’
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Floods that killed more than 50 people in Indonesia’s capital after the biggest rainfall since records began should be a wake-up call to climate change in one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters, environmental groups said.
But, despite the catastrophe in Southeast Asia’s biggest city, authorities see no greater impetus for more cuts to planned carbon dioxide emission reductions or other measures to address climate change.
The floods “should serve as a strong reminder to the government that things can’t be business as usual,†said Yuyun Harmono, a campaign manager at the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, the country’s biggest green group.
With one of the world’s longest coastlines Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, is extremely vulnerable to climate change. The metropolitan region of the capital Jakarta is home to 30 million people and parts of the city near the coast are sinking just as sea levels are rising.
There are no actual measurement stations: how do they know the sea is rising there? Further, it is highly tectonic: could that be a big reason? Oh, wait, sorry, you ate a burger with veggies from California, brought by fossil fueled 18 wheeler. This is your fault.
Social media users criticized the government for not doing enough on climate change after the flooding. Twitter user @wolfiecoconut said: “Indonesia is a country that is prone to disaster but we don’t care about the environment.â€
But the green lobby has little sway in Indonesia.
Only 18% of Indonesians believe there is a link between human activity and climate change, according to a 2019 survey, the smallest percentage among the world’s 23 biggest countries.
You know why? Because the people are not rich or upper middle class like most of the people pushing the Cult of Climastrology. They have real worries in their lives. They don’t have the luxury of being a Climate Justice Warrior.
“There aren’t a lot of people who realize the impact of climate change,†said Nirwono Joga, a researcher at the Urban Studies Center in Jakarta.
“When the flood recedes and people get back to their homes and resume normal activities, flood management or concrete actions to combat climate change will be forgotten too.â€
It’s pretty much forgotten now, too. When people are in the midst of a natural disaster, they don’t need cultists coming in and preaching about taking money away from those affected in the form of taxes and fees, nor removing more freedom, liberty, and choice.
