ADVERTISEMENT

Bye Bye Plastic Bags On Bali

Bali Needs You! Can two girls, aged 11 and 13, get Bali’s Governor to ban plastic bags?

Australian surfers love Bali but do we care about it? Can we make an impact on its escalating garbage problem? Can two girls, aged 11 and 13, get Bali’s Governor to ban plastic bags via an online petition?

These questions are hovering around cyberspace right now. They will be answered in the coming months by a number. If one million people sign up to the Avaaz community petition (see below) Bali’s Governor, Made Mangku Pastika, has said he will ban plastic bags across the island. It won’t come close to ending Bali’s garbage problem but it will be a significant step. In addition it will be an encouraging sign about the ability to harness people power in the information age (hey, even 11 year olds can do it).

If the number falls short, however, than Governor Pastika will have an excuse to do nothing. And if it falls way short than he might he even figure that locals and tourists alike aren’t that concerned by Bali’s many environmental problems. There is the potential for backfire. In a way it’s a referendum on what we value about Bali.

The petition was started by local girls Melati, 13, and Isabel, 11. They’ve already had a win by getting the governor to back their proposal. He’s set them the figure of one million petitioners before he’ll ban plastic bags. It sounds a lot until you consider that seven million people soak up the good times on Bali every year. Surfers, of course, where among the first to really embrace the island in the modern age and world class surf continues to be a major drawcard.

So far the petition is chugging along but it’s short by about 945,000 signatures.

You can hurry it along by signing here: Sign The Petition

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SUBSCRIBE TO TRACKS
A bi-monthly eclectic tome of tangible surfing goodness that celebrates all things surfing, delivered to your door!
SUBSCRIBE NOW
HAPPENINGS
Your portal to cultural events happening in and around the surfing sphere.
Find Events
SUBSCRIBE TO TRACKS
A bi-monthly eclectic tome of tangible surfing goodness that celebrates all things surfing, delivered to your door!
SUBSCRIBE NOW
HAPPENINGS
Your portal to cultural events happening in and around the surfing sphere.
Find Events

LATEST

Ellie Harrison's dream CT debut just got a whole lot more dreamy.

Pairing Italy's famous delicacies with a healthy dose of barrels.

The formation of Goons of Doom, why you should get pissed at their gigs and what a band with Occy, Steph Gilmore, Yago Dora and Jacko Baker would sound like.

ADVERTISEMENT

PREMIUM FEATURES

Bestowing the highest praise upon a surfer.

An edited extract from ‘The Immortals of Australian Surfing’ by Phil Jarratt.

How a land-locked mainlander chased ocean dreams to the North Shore lineups and beyond.

TRACKS PREMIUM

Get full access to every feature from our print issues, read classic Tracks issues from the 70s, 80s and 90’s, watch all of our classic films & more …

TRACKS PREMIUM

Get full access to every feature from our print issues, read classic Tracks issues from the 70s, 80s and 90’s, watch all of our classic films & more …

CLASSIC ISSUES

A threat to Angourie, the death of vibes, and a tongue in cheek guide on how to become a surf star.

PREMIUM FILM

YEAR: 2008
STARRING: JOEL PARKINSON, MICK FANNING AND DEAN MORRISON

This is the last time the original cooly kids were captured together and features some of their best surfing.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

PRINT STORE

Unmistakable and iconic, the Tracks covers from the 70s & 80s are now ready for your walls.

Tracks
Kandui Resort Interstitial