Welcome to Ubud 🙏
the spiritual heart of Bali 🌴
a place you might associate with peace and tranquility 🌅
Think again!
Watch this 1min film and you will understand immediately...
Why is this happening?
The illegal sandstone mining along this river has dramatically increased since Bali's tourism boom turned it into such a desirable product:
it is a soft rock, which makes it easier to cut.
it is very porous, so plants are able to attach themselves to the sides, making any building or temple look organic and natural very quickly.
it is desirable as a product across Asia so it is now exported too. Singapore is a large customer.
Here you can see my son Esteban enjoying the ambience of this porous rock!
Before the tourist boom
Hand tools were used to cut the sandstone blocks for the local temples in the past.
Today however things have changed. Not only are the tools different but the end destination of the rock is different.
Just 40 years ago a picture from this angle above Kuta on the south coast of Bali would have shown you nothing but rice fields and beautiful green perfection.
Source
Now it looks like this.
The majority of this illegally mined rock is used to construct huge tourist resorts, intent on one goal: MAXIMUM PROFIT!
Since arriving here in Bali 2 years ago it has become clear to me now that something must be done. Before it is too late!
IT IS ILLEGAL YET IT CONTINUES!
Bribery is common practice here in Asia and the mine owners simply pay off the police who permit this rape of the land in exchange for cash. Untaxed & under the table, this is a crime which must be addressed for the benefit of all who live on this little island.
The Effect
We all know you cannot mess with the natural balance of nature.
There is a complex ecosystem at work in this jungle valley.
And it has been working in perfect symbiosis for thousands of years.
To cut away at the side of the valley in such a vicious manner will bring only imbalance to this natural order, leaving the luscious farm land of future generations as a wasteland of rubble upon which their crops cannot grow.
Even the flow of the river itself is being restricted more and more each year as the disregarded irregular shaped boulders are thrown into the water, building up over time.
On top of this, there have been deaths working in these mines because there are no health and safety standards. And the minimum wage they are paid is ridiculous when compared to Western standards.
THE SOLUTION
The building of awareness is the first step towards a solution. Not many people know about this!
I recently walked down to the mine and shot a bunch of footage from which I have made a film.
It is my hope that this coming film in combination with the help of this amazing supportive Steemit community, I will be able to raise money which can be put towards existing campaigns - to be outlined in later posts.
What can you do?
Resteem this to get the word out there. I will be posting here regularly to update you with images, statistics and progress reports on the solutions which are moving towards us now as i write these words.
See how they are literally cutting chunks out of the side of the land!
How long can this continue?
It is clear from the above image that if this is not stopped, eventually there will be no more land left to mine!
With your help we will build awareness and put an end to this madness, finding alternative, eco friendly jobs for all those who rely on this type of work to make a living.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and if you feel it stir something in your soul, you must respond to this feeling!
....and share this message far and wide, with your focus upon the SOLUTION.
Blessings to you all 🌿
