SAYANG KALIMANTAN | Picture This Festival 2018 | Singapore Finalist

SPT Picture This

12 Jul 201807:51

Summary

TLDRIn 2015, Indonesia experienced a catastrophic ecological disaster with fires releasing more carbon than Europe did in a year. The thick haze led to severe health issues and even deaths. Volunteers and locals fought the fires, and innovative solutions like deployable shelters made from sustainable bamboo were developed to protect residents from the hazardous air. The script calls for collective action to combat environmental issues and reverse climate change, highlighting the beauty of Kalimantan when free from haze.

Takeaways

🔥 In 2015, Indonesia experienced one of the largest ecological disasters, with fires releasing more carbon into the air than Europe did in the entire year.
🌫️ The air quality was severely compromised, with air pollution levels reaching up to 60,000 particles per cubic foot indoors, equivalent to smoking cigarettes.
🚑 The health impact was devastating, with stories of children dying on their way to school and adults suffering from strokes, likely linked to the haze.
🌳 Efforts were made to combat the fires, including pumping water into the ground to stop the spread of fire in the affected areas.
🛠️ The government's response was criticized, and volunteers like Wally Tom from the Correct button took initiative to help the affected communities.
🏠 Safe rooms were constructed to protect vulnerable populations, featuring air purifiers and hard walls to keep out pollution.
🌿 A deployable shelter made from sustainable bamboo was designed, allowing villagers to create a safe pocket of air within their homes.
🌍 The script highlights the beauty of Kalimantan when free from haze and fires, emphasizing the importance of preserving its natural state.
🌱 The speaker expresses pride in being from Kalimantan, often referred to as the 'lung of the world,' and hopes for a future free from environmental disasters.
💪 The narrative calls for collective action to combat climate change, urging people to take concrete steps beyond social media activism.

Q & A

What was the ecological disaster that Indonesia faced in 2015?
-In 2015, Indonesia experienced one of the largest ecological disasters in history, with fires burning down vast amounts of forest and peatland, releasing more carbon into the air than Europe did in the entire year.
How did the air quality affect the people living in the affected areas?
-The air quality was severely compromised, with air quality meters reading around 30,000 to 60,000 particles per cubic foot, equivalent to the pollution from smoking a cigarette with every breath. This led to health issues such as throat and nose irritation, and in severe cases, children collapsing and dying on their way to school.
What was the immediate response of the narrator upon arriving in the affected area?
-Upon arrival, the narrator took air quality readings and found the air to be extremely polluted, akin to being in a garage with buses running all day long. This prompted an immediate sense of urgency to address the situation.
What measures were taken to combat the fires and protect the environment?
-Efforts included walking through the forest to fight the fires, pumping water to stop the spread of fire, and providing masks and a drone to the firefighters.
How did the government's response to the disaster affect the narrator?
-The narrator was angered by the government's lack of response, leading them to take the microphone and start an oration about the haze and forest fires, which had been recurring since 1997.
What was the role of Wally Tom, the founder of the Correct button, in this situation?
-Wally Tom came to Palangka Raya as a volunteer and started a partnership to help the people affected by the haze and fires.
What innovative solution was developed to provide safe air for the affected communities?
-A deployable hay shelter was created, made from sustainable bamboo, which could be easily woven and constructed in homes to create a safe pocket of air with the use of fan filters to reduce PM 2.5 levels.
What are the features of the safe room designed to protect people from the haze?
-The safe room features a glass gate to prevent outside air from rushing in, a first-stage air purifier using static to capture large particles, and multiple fan filters to reduce PM 2.5 levels to zero.
How does the narrator describe the beauty of Kalimantan when there are no fires or haze?
-The narrator describes Kalimantan as having blue skies, beautiful green forests, and being a place that cleans the air of the world, often referred to as the 'lung of the world'.
What is the narrator's hope for the future of Kalimantan regarding the haze?
-The narrator hopes that Kalimantan will be free from the haze and that collective action, beyond just social media posts or comments, will help reverse climate change and protect their homeland.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 Indonesia's Ecological Disaster of 2015

In 2015, Indonesia experienced a catastrophic ecological event, with fires destroying vast areas of forest and peatland over three months, releasing more carbon into the atmosphere than Europe did in an entire year. The environmental impact was severe, with air quality measurements reaching hazardous levels, equivalent to smoking a cigarette with every breath. The health effects on the local population were devastating, with reports of children collapsing and dying on their way to school, and adults suffering from strokes. The situation was so dire that some people found it safer to sleep outdoors to avoid the indoor pollution. The narrative describes the efforts of individuals and volunteers, including the founder of the Correct Button, who came together to address the crisis. They provided masks and a drone to help firefighters combat the blazes and started conversations about long-term solutions to the recurring problem of haze and forest fires.

05:01

🏡 Building Safe Rooms for Haze Protection

Following the ecological disaster, the focus shifted to creating safe spaces for the affected communities. A shelter was designed with features to protect against the hazardous air, including a glass gate to prevent air from rushing in, an initial air purifier to capture large particles, and fan filters to reduce PM2.5 levels to zero. The structure was made of hard materials like concrete and glass to prevent pollution infiltration. Additionally, a deployable haze shelter was developed using sustainable bamboo, which villagers could construct in their homes to create a safe pocket of air. These shelters were designed to withstand severe haze conditions, providing a refuge for families. The narrative also highlights the beauty of Kalimantan when free from smoke and fire, and the speaker expresses pride in their homeland. There's a call to action for collective efforts to combat environmental issues and reverse climate change, emphasizing the need for concrete actions beyond social media posts and comments.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Ecological Disaster

An ecological disaster refers to a sudden event that causes extensive damage to the environment, often resulting in significant harm to ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. In the video, the ecological disaster is exemplified by the massive forest and peatland fires in Indonesia in 2015, which released more carbon into the atmosphere than all of Europe did in a year. This event underscores the severity of environmental crises and their global impact.

💡Carbon Emissions

Carbon emissions are the release of carbon-containing compounds into the atmosphere, often as a result of human activities such as burning fossil fuels or deforestation. The script mentions the carbon emissions from the fires in Indonesia, highlighting the environmental consequences and the urgency of addressing climate change. The high levels of carbon emissions are a critical concern as they contribute to global warming and climate change.

💡Air Quality

Air quality refers to the condition of the air in terms of its purity and the potential presence of pollutants that could be harmful to human health and the environment. The video script describes air quality measurements in the affected areas, with readings indicating extremely high levels of pollutants, making it akin to smoking cigarettes with every breath. This emphasizes the immediate health risks faced by the population due to the haze and fires.

💡Haze

Haze is a visible cloud of pollutants in the atmosphere that reduces visibility and can have detrimental effects on health and the environment. In the context of the video, haze is a direct result of the forest fires in Indonesia, leading to severe respiratory issues and even fatalities among the population. The haze is a symbol of the disastrous impact of environmental degradation on human life.

💡Peatland

Peatland is a type of wetland with a water-saturated soil layer composed of partially decomposed organic matter, known as peat. The script mentions peatland fires, which are particularly damaging because they release large amounts of carbon dioxide and can burn for long periods, even underground. Peatlands are important for carbon sequestration, and their destruction contributes significantly to climate change.

💡Deforestation

Deforestation is the large-scale removal of trees and forests, often for agricultural, logging, or development purposes. While not explicitly mentioned in the script, deforestation is an underlying cause of the fires and the subsequent ecological disaster. The removal of trees can lead to drier conditions, making forests more susceptible to fires, which in turn release stored carbon back into the atmosphere.

💡Air Purifiers

Air purifiers are devices that remove pollutants and particulate matter from the air to improve indoor air quality. The video discusses the use of air purifiers in safe rooms to protect vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, from the harmful effects of the haze. This technology is crucial in providing a breathable environment in areas with severe air pollution.

💡PM 2.5

PM 2.5 refers to particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, which is small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, posing significant health risks. The video script mentions reducing PM 2.5 levels to zero using air purifiers, indicating the severity of the air pollution and the importance of effective air filtration systems.

💡Safe Rooms

Safe rooms are secure spaces designed to protect occupants from external hazards, such as severe weather or, in this case, hazardous air conditions. The video describes the creation of safe rooms with filtered air to provide refuge for those affected by the haze. These rooms are a practical solution to the immediate health threat posed by the ecological disaster.

💡Sustainable Materials

Sustainable materials are those that are renewable, recyclable, or have a low environmental impact. The script highlights the use of bamboo, a sustainable material, in constructing deployable shelters. Bamboo's use not only provides a practical solution but also emphasizes the importance of using eco-friendly materials in disaster response and recovery efforts.

💡Community Action

Community action refers to the collective efforts of individuals within a community to address local issues or challenges. The video script calls for community action to combat environmental issues, suggesting that individual and collective efforts are necessary to reverse climate change and protect the environment. This call to action underscores the role of every individual in environmental conservation.

Highlights

Indonesia faced one of the largest ecological disasters in 2015 with massive forest and peatland fires.

The fires released more carbon into the air than Europe did in the whole year.

The air quality was so poor it felt like breathing in cigarette smoke.

Indoor air quality was worse, with readings reaching 60,000 particles per cubic foot.

Children and the elderly were particularly vulnerable, with some dying from the toxic haze.

The haze was so severe that some people found it safer to sleep outdoors.

Efforts to fight the fires involved pumping water to stop the spread of fire in the dry peatlands.

The government's response was criticized for not being adequate to the scale of the disaster.

A partnership was formed to address the haze and help the affected communities.

The idea of building safe rooms with filtered air was conceived to protect vulnerable populations.

Safe rooms were designed with features like glass gates and air purifiers to reduce PM 2.5 levels.

A deployable haze shelter made from sustainable bamboo was created for easy setup in villages.

The shelters were designed to create a safe pocket of air within the house for families.

Kalimantan, once free of smoke and fires, is described as a beautiful green lung of the world.

The speaker expresses hope for Kalimantan to be free from haze and calls for collective action against environmental issues.

The message emphasizes the importance of concrete actions over social media posts or comments to combat climate change.