Jakarta, Sat Apr 18, 2009 The U.S. Embassy organized a day of environmentally-
themed,youth-oriented Earth Day activities for approximately 100 Indonesian
children from East and West Jakarta public elementary schools and Rumah
Kita Indonesian Care for Cancer Foundation.
While Earth Day traditionally conjures images of forests and land-based conservation
efforts, with two-thirds of the world covered in water, and with Indonesia hosting the
World Oceanic Conference (WOC) in Manado next month, this year s U.S. Embassy's
Earth Day celebrations were aimed at calling attention to Indonesia unique underwater
biodiversity.
After making remarks about the importance of preserving the worlds underwater
ecosystems, U.S. Ambassador Cameron R. Hume then dived into the Sea World
Indonesia shark aquarium.
Next month, Indonesia will host the World Ocean Conference and Coral Triangle
Initiative Summit in Manado. The U.S. and Indonesia are working together to ensure that
the rich biodiversity Indonesia enjoys will be preserved for future generations, said
Ambassador Hume.
The United States Government is supporting the Coral Triangle Initiative with a $40 million,
five-year program for improving the management of marine and coastal resources in the
region. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is
a key part of this effort, and already a partner of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and
Fisheries and other Indonesian institutions.
U.S. corporations, including Starbucks, General Motors, Coca-Cola, and McDonalds
generously sponsored the Embassy s Earth Day event, providing transportation,
books, games and refreshments for the participating children.
For more information about the U.S. Embassy's activities please visit
http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/.
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Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan 4, Jakarta 10110, Indonesia.
Phone: (62-21) 3435-9566, Fax: (62-21) 381-0243
