As I watched the events of the Copenhagen conference unfold over the last two weeks, and disappointingly read article after article proclaiming essentially nothing, I had a lot of time to reflect on the situation here. This country is, I believe, at an incredibly interesting stage of development. Of course, my entire experience comes from three weeks in one city as well, as the stories that I've heard in class.

Indonesia is in some ways the perfect example of population pressures on the environment: the population here is the same as the US, but the landmass much smaller and the rate of development much higher (granted, we're already "developed"). Further, the population here is continually growing as many people have large families and birth control is not widely used. While in the US kids are often considered a huge expense, here, for many, they represent a source of stability when old. Like a retirement fund. What all this means is that as the population booms, and people flock to cities, the government has to struggle to keep up. For example, trash and waste management here are still large issues and there are large gaps in infrastructure (never mind the fact that I'm pretty positive recycling is non-existent). The result is that for those who don't have anywhere to put their trash it often gets burned on the side of the street, plastic included (and let me tell you, you don't even want to know how much plastic gets used here). The other option, especially popular in Jakarta, is to toss the trash in the river, which is apparently barely visible as a result. Unfortunately, the troubles are not limited solely to collection; one of my teachers told me an especially grisly tale (NB this is hearsay) of a town about an hour outside Jakarta where much of aforementioned city's trash goes. The trash there was apparently continually placed somewhat haphazardly until it grew into a small mountain. While the smell was certainly not good (nor healthy), the real troubles came one year during rainy season when a deluge caused a "trash-slide" that ended up killing some victims in the town below. yikes.

In any case, the juxtaposition between the haves and the have-nots often seems especially poignant here. While the regional minimum wage is apparently around $75/month, many people make less than that if they are employed by small businesses. At the same time the number of people able to afford motors, or (gasp) cars, seems to be drastically rising as does the presence of fancy shopping malls containing, wait for it, Starbucks. Starbucks seems to me to be, in some ways, the ultimate luxury good. While ubiquitous, Starbucks remains a luxury good in US, selling coffee for a price many people are no longer able to afford, or never were. While the prices remain about the same here, the chain is far from ever-present. Conversely, it is only found in the nicest malls (and loudly advertised). In a country where many people are trying to scrape by and you can get a good meal for under a dollar, asking close to three for a latte seems absurd. Yet, people flock there. Aside from having a nice sitting area in an air-conditioned mall, the cafe seems to represent to many a way to be a part of the America they see in the movies and on TV. Indeed, sitting in the Starbucks on a shopping trip with my host brothers fiancee (who loves Starbucks), it was eerie how similar everything was to Starbucks in the US. For a moment it seemed like I would walk out the door and be back in Philly or Boston.

While I was a bit saddened by this, I also have to ask, why shouldn't everyone want the life they see in American movies? The life where climate in homes is carefully controlled, food is plentiful, and everyone drives an SUV? While it seems easier to deride Americans for being lazy energy hogs, it's harder to tell everyone else that they can't get in on the fun (which is of course, essentially the problem at Copenhagen). I often wonder how, if we as a country are not able to manage to take climate change and emissions seriously, anyone can. People here are concerned with the day to day, and I'm not here to blame them. The thousands of "motors" that have transformed what was formally the 'City of Bicycles' is seen as a sign of progress, and who am I to be saddened by the growing smog, when the way people can live their lives has changed? Motors represent independence in a city where the weather is almost always insufferably hot and public transport is a haphazard and slow.

So where does this monologue bring me? Mostly just to confusion. I know that something has to be done and that the way we (as Americans) are living our lives is unsustainable, but it's also incredibly comfortable for so many and enticing for so many more. The deal made in Copenhagen was disappointing to many (especially those in poor nations that stand to lose the most due to climate change, yet have the least impact in causing it, and thus the least say in changing it). Hopefully stronger commitments will be made in the future before its too late so that we, as a world, can start to really tackle this thorny thorny issue of how to all live together, healthfully, without the ultimate self-destruction of the world we have come to know and love.

I'm done pretending to be a philosopher now, maybe I'll update other topics in the near future as I realize I have been somewhat remiss. I hope that everyone is having a lovely winter holiday and (if in the north east) please build a snow man for me. I'm incredibly jealous of this blizzard business!!