VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Earth Day, which is celebrated every April 22nd, aims to raise awareness and human appreciation of the planet, Earth. Its history dates from 1970. At that time, many environmental issues surrounded American soil, as well as student movements against the war. Environmental issues and student movements inspired Senator Gaylord Nelson who announced the idea of ​​national environmental education in the mass media.Hearing the idea of ​​Senator Nelson, on April 22, 1970, about 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums, demanding a healthy and sustainable environment. Who would have thought, all parties showed strong support and gave birth to the Department of Environmental Protection in the United States as well as some laws related to the environment.Earth Day has long become a global annual warning. The general public and stakeholders are requested to again show their support for a sustainable environment. Religious leaders are also invited to protect the creations of God, namely, the living, the environment, and the planet Earth.Earth Day is celebrated every year in various ways. Some groups chose to take peaceful action to again demand more environmentally friendly policies and to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting the Earth. Some prefer to take direct action, such as cleaning the environment, planting trees, and making bio-poreus. Earth Day 2018 theme set by Earth Day Network is "Stop Plastic Pollution". The anti- plastic waste campaign again reminds of the dangers of plastics to the environment. Moreover, according to Earth Day Network reports, of the 9.1 billion tonnes of plastics produced, only nine percent are recycled. Meanwhile, the remainder is dumped on the ground. Earth Day Network estimates that about 13.2 billion tons of plastic waste will be dumped on the ground by 2050. In the same report, Indonesia is named as the 2nd largest country that does not treat plastic waste well.Thus, any individual is invited to perform five "R" ie "reduce" or, "refuse", "reuse", "recycle" and "remove plastic usage. In addition, individuals are also invited to record and calculate the use of various plastic products throughout the year. In Indonesia, the 2018 Earth Day celebration has been prepared since January. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry launched the Three Months Clean Trash (TBBS) program. It is run through a circular of the Minister of Environment and Forestry sent to regional heads. From 21 January to 21 April, local governments have been instructed to increase waste management.In addition to the government, various organizations and groups in Indonesia also have their own way to celebrate Earth Day. Wahana Lingkungan Indonesia (Walhi) chose North Sumatera Province with a series of events such as the Earth Day Carnival and also a dialogue about the environment. University of Surabaya students also made a map of Indonesia from hundreds of bottle caps of mineral water. Music concerts were presented in various regions in order to commemorate Earth Day.