'It's become a habit in the family'

The Jakarta Post

The commemoration of Earth Day, which fell on April 22, was all about raising people's awareness of what they could do to help the planet. The Jakarta Post asked residents what they have done for the environment.

Nanik Purwanti, 25, is an administration officer. She lives in Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta:

I've never joined any campaign to "save the earth" or joined any other programs to do with the environment.

But I've always tried to be wise in everyday life, by doing things such as switching off the light and the air conditioning whenever I go out of my room. I also follow my sister's habit of separating plastic from other garbage. We've got two separate containers at home. Even though it wasn't easy at first, it's become a habit in the family.

Rita Suryani, 29, is a human resources officer. She lives in Cilandak, South Jakarta:

I've been taking part in environmental activities since I was in high school, and I became more active during my university years. I've taken part in many campaigns to protect the environment, from basic ideas such as cleaning up daily waste to protesting against global warming.

It's fun being part of a community that can do things to protect our earth. I try to broaden this environmental consciousness to my family and friends, and ask them to start with basic things such as throwing their garbage away where they're supposed to. I've also introduced the eco-friendly lifestyle to my son. For his first steps, I've been teaching him to love nature and animals. I've taken him to the zoo once, and he loved it.