My Letter to UNEP

December 12, 2011

UNEP Headquarters

Gigiri complex

Nairobi, Kenya

Dear Achim Steiner,

I am sure that you are already aware about the PT Freeport Indonesia case. I, as a citizen of Indonesia, am definitely very concerned about this. My name is Darlene Leon, and I am a student in HighScope Highschool Program. My purpose of writing this is to inform you of what I think is important in resolving about the environment in Papua right now regarding the effect of Grasberg’s mining.

Grasberg mining in Papua has caused the surroundings destroyed and demolished. With all the digging in search for silver, copper and gold, heavy trucks and machines damage everything in the area. With more minerals found, they would want to find more so they dig deeper and wider. In result of their mistreatment, they have left a mess in the environment.

Because of their lack of attention towards the surroundings, it is very important to be aware that nature needs to be brought back; planting more trees and restoring what once was there. Global warming has been a real and serious issue. We wouldn’t want to make the earth’s condition worse than it is now by neglecting what we humans have done. Nature provide for us more than we can ask for. We need to do something in order to rebuild all the greens that we have wiped out.

Let us start here. Let us make a change. Let us restore everything we humans destroyed. I am suggesting UNEP to take action concerning this case by making an official program that will be agreed and executed by both Indonesia and Freeport. To make a better future for our generation, we need to take charge and begin to understand that sooner or later, if we don’t start to plant more trees and care for our environment, it will all disappear. Day by day we owe nature our care for their resources. We can’t just take and not give back. Day by day we are actually killing ourselves by not giving enough attention to our environment. Restoring nature is a must!

Sincerely,

Darlene Leon