Global warming has been the most popular and the most global problem recently and various ways have been thought, planed and implemented to fight the global warming and in the United Nation Conference For Climate Change in Nusa Dua last week came up with a proposal to adopt Balinese Nyepi (silent day) in which no activity is allowed for 24 hours, no working, no traveling, absence from using electricity, engine and other pollution-generate devices. This proposal seems quite tough to be adopted by the fast-paced developed nation but Nyepi is not the only kind of effort to fight global warming has to offer there are several simpler efforts to preserve the environment and reducing glass-house effect that have been practiced by Balinese for centuries.

Bunut Bolong tree in Denpasar – Gilimanuk road, 86 km from Denpasar, Bali

Balinese have a special ceremony to beg express gratitude to the vegetation and beg for their prosperity to the God so they can always provide their crops for mankind. The ceremony is called Tumpek Wariga or Tumpek Pengatag. Plants are seen as human relatives, as they are also part of God’s family. It is people’s duty to protect plants; moreover Balinese believe that prosperity and comfort will come around whenever the vegetation is protected and conserved.

The prohibition on cutting the big old trees which scattered all over the island due to the socio-religious significant of those trees provides great help to Mother Nature. The big old trees need tens or hundred of years to grow to reach that size, cutting those trees down is like closing a massive oxygen factory which has been operating for more than a hundred years in other words wasting the time and resource which are used by the tree to grow to reach that size.

There are also prohibition against cutting down trees during a week called Taru, this week occur every six week based on Balinese traditional calendar. Balinese believed that cutting down the trees on this auspicious week can bring misfortune and sickness. Prohibition against cutting the trees down also observed on Sunday and an auspicious day called Kajeng Kliwon which occurs every fifteen days.

All those above mentioned strategies for preserving the environment have been practiced by Balinese in their daily life, and we are more than happy to share it with the rest of the world.

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