Sisters to address climate change amid the Coronavirus pandemic [started plastic ban in Bali]

Melati and Isabel Wijsen started a campaign on plastic ban seven years ago in Bali. Now, the sisters are struggling to be activists because of social distancing.

Due to the pandemic, the use of plastic increased significantly. People have been using more plastic for deliveries and protective gear. The good thing about lockdowns is that pollution is reduced, and wildlife has returned to some urban areas.

Climate change affects us like the coronavirus

Melati saw that the government took urgent action when the coronavirus hit the world. She is questioning them why they did not do so with climate change. She said that climate change impacts our lives, just like how the pandemic does.

Even though young, the sisters are poised and practiced speakers. Both are also activists on social media. They grew up surrounded by the beauty of nature and followed the Balinese tradition, so they are used to living in harmony with nature.

Change makers

The sisters attended the Private Green School, which has a mission to teach kids to be leaders and "change makers." The two researched and found that Indonesia was second to China as the world's largest marine plastic pollution source. They also found that many jurisdictions across the globe banned single-use plastics.

Bye Bye Plastic Bags

The two siblings started their campaign, Bye Bye Plastic Bags. They posted a petition online to ban single-use plastics, and they were surprised because they got 6,000 signatures quickly. They found that Bali produced plastic waste that could fill a 14-story building every day. After mobilizing young people, the Wijsen sisters organized a petition drive and beach cleanups. They asked shop owners to go plastic-free, and they lobbied elected officials.

Mountain Mamas

The two also founded Mountain Mamas. The group consists of women who use recycled materials to make reusable shopping bags. Their target is to reduce single-use plastics. They have built up more than three dozen Bye Bye Plastic Bags chapters across the globe over time.

In 2016, Melati and Isabel borrowed a page from Gandhi in frustration with the then-governor, I Made Mangku Pastika. The two vowed to go on a hunger strike to persuade Mr. Pastika to ban plastics. Within the day, Mr. Pastika signed an order to ban not only plastic bags but also plastic straws and Styrofoam on Bali by 2018.

But the two had to make an action for the new governor to enforce the order. Finally, it took effect last year.

Melati had hoped that they could get more support from young people in 2020. Sadly, the pandemic occurred, and they could not proceed with their social meetings and rallies.

Youthtopia

Melati has also been promoting Youthtopia. It is an international network with goals to help young people to become change makers. Recently, she posted a video teaching one to be an activist at home.

She said that this pause allows us to think about how to move forward in our lives. She wants us to decide on what to do once the pandemic is over. She wants to know if the coronavirus was successful at making everyone think that there is another way of living, instead of going back to the normal way.

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