Who’s that white guy, dressed up Balinese and talking trash?!
Well… let me explain! My Balinese colleagues, Pak Sutama Agung and Pak Ngurah dressed up in matching Sarongs today to present Ecobricks to the seniors, local government and bank sampah members of Sibangkaja village. We were assisted by the pro ecobricking students of SMP3.
The fashion message? That care for the environment and organic living is deeply part of Balinese culture. Indeed, when someone mistook me as a teacher from the nearby Green School (a wealthy international school here) I observed that the local SMP3 public school students in attendance were by far some of the most diligent, passionate and green students of the two dozen schools I have visited in Bali.
Their school has cranked out 2000+ ecobricks and counting. I estimate that is about 1 metric ton of plastic kept out of the biosphere and 3.1 tons of C02 sequestered. And, that’s not counting the inspiration they are having on the rest of the community with workshops like this to show their peers, and their elders, how its done.
While walking home, Gek Dinda, one of the students, was picking up plastic from the side of the road. Nothing like the young generation setting things straight through hands on action.
Bamboo cloth shirt by Georges Beurnier, Balinese Sarong by Sutama Agung, Udeng (Balinese hat) courtesy Pak Ngurah, Green Bag of Sigangkaja plastic courtesy Devi, SMP3 student.
