Pelangi Island (above)

Yet today, distinguishing Indonesia from its neighbors is not a simple task for the average Westerner.

Photographer Moonstar Simanjuntak hopes to make his country more of a destination and less of a curiosity. Simanjuntak’s photos reflect Indonesia’s natural beauty and history, proving that there is much to be discovered along the 17,508 islands that make up Indonesia.

All photos by Moonstar Simanjuntak. Indonesia map courtesy of CIA Factbook.

Mendut, a Buddhist temple built in the 9th century.

Left: cover of Band Aid's 1984 charity song (Credit: Columbia Records). Right: Live Aid poster.

I'm often told by friends that American media is short-sighted and doesn’t always cover major world issues. In this case, I think they’re right.

A BBC investigation published this week reveals that charitable dollars given in the 1980’s to stave off famine in Ethiopia was obtained by rebels to buy weapons. How did they do it? The rebels posed as merchants to get the money, according to the article. One rebel leader estimated they were able to collect 63 million pounds (95 million USD).

Is this ringing any bells to children of the 1980’s? Live Aid, in my view the most famous concert fundraiser of all time, was set up for that exact purpose—to feed the starving people of Ethiopia.

Should owning a Great Dane make you as much of an eco-outcast as an SUV driver? Yes it should, say Robert and Brenda Vale, two architects at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, who specialise in sustainable living. In their book, “Time to Eat the Dog? The real guide to sustainable living”, they compare the ecological footprints of popular pets with those of various other lifestyle choices - and pets do not fare well.

As well as guzzling resources, especially eating processed meat which requires a high input of resources, cats and dogs devastate wildlife populations, spread disease and add to pollution. It is time that we recognized the ecological footprint of our pets.