TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Volume 3, No. 15 November - December 1998
| 5
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From
One Catastrophe to Another Editorial, by Najib Saab |
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6 |
The
Environmentally Friendly Driver Practical tips to reduce car
pollution |
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16 |
Cover
Story: The Green Car · From Scientists' Imagination to 21st
Century Roads · Environmentally Friendly Cars · Kuwait
Shifts to Unleaded Gasoline |
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32 |
Socotra:
The Virgin of Yemen A unique biodiversity that qualified this remote
island to be a world natural reserve |
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36 |
Expo 98: The Oceans - A Heritage for the Future The greatest
exposition of marine sciences and technologies |
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44 |
Integrated Waste Management in Kuwait The municipality strategy for
household and industrial waste management |
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| 48
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Urban
Planning Reducing pollution and preserving resources |
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52 |
Acid
Rain Poisoned air, lifeless lakes and deadly chemicals crossing
continents |
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58 |
Home
Gardens in Cities Successful models in Riyadh |
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Arab
Environment News, 10 - World Environment News, 28 - Environment Market,
42 - Consumer Tips, 50 - NGO News, 56 - "Return to Nature"
Environmental Contest, 57 - Green Library, 60 - Calendar, 61 -
Environment & Development Forum, 62
The Environment Club
1 Ammar in Toyland (short story)
2 The Environment Club (TV Programme)
6 Get to Know Your Environment
7 Fun with Nature
8 Green Bandar (comic strip)
FROM THE EDITOR
From One Environmental Catastrophe to Another
by Najib Saab
As fires were devouring Lebanese forests, reducing millions of trees to
ashes in one of the most outrageous environmental and natural disasters
in the country, the Ministry of Environment was vocally celebrating Arab
Environment Day on 14 October, publishing a newsletter about its "achievements",
and declaring 16 November a national environment day. It seemed that the
priority during this hellfire was to create another occasion for public
statements and speeches.
Among the publicized "achievements" was a $2.5 million
project to manage three natural reserves and a study on biodiversity,
which was a repetition of previous studies, complete with dozens of
invitations to generous banquets and eloquent speeches all over Lebanon.
As much as we support natural reserves and biodiversity studies, we are
worried that all of those may, in the near future, become a section in
natural history books, speaking about species that once existed and were
destroyed by fires. Before spending millions of dollars from
international funds on studies with no focus and biodiversity banquets,
did the Ministry identify priorities for basic environmental needs of
the country, and was forest fire protection strategy among those
priorities? Or was it occupied with subjects as the "Emergency Plan
for Metn", a study commissioned last year which ended up with
recommendations such as proposing fire-escape stairs for buildings? Are
projects being planned to meet national requirements or to suit local
opportunists and "environmental orientalists" from
international organizations?
Forest fires
occur in countries of nature and climate similar to Lebanon, during
dry season and heat waves. The scandal lies in the absence of this
issue from the priorities list of the government, and specifically
the Ministry of Environment, which is supposed to be the authority
for environmental planning, supervision, coordination and pressure
on other ministries. Who has set priorities for the natural reserve
projects, biodiversity studies, climate change, ozone and others?
Why should environmental priorities of a country building its
infrastructure after 20 years of destruction and stagnation, be
dictated by "global experts", who often promote ready-made
solutions of their agencies at the expense of actual local needs.
And, finally, who decided that the purchase of four-wheel-drive
automobiles, often used by senior and junior officials for show-off
driving inside the city, and the employment of private drivers and
entourage staff from public funds, are more important than the
simplest measures to protect forests? What are the achievements of
those who roamed the world, at the expense of international and
local public funds, to attend workshops on conserving forests?
Where are the plans which they were supposed to develop and
implement?
Or is it within forest protection priorities to construct a
palace-like mansion for an NGO in a remote mountain area, with
international funds and the active support of the Ministry of
Environment, under the title of forest development? Wasn't it more
sensible to use public funds in a humble and efficient way, and
develop?
Meanwhile, in the midst of the forest fire foray, the Ministry of
Environment declared that it has completed the installation of a
biofilter plant costing more than $4 million, for treating stinking
odors in the Quarantina composting complex at the outskirts of
Beirut. Following public protests against the stench, the biofilter
was marketed as the only and final solution to the problem. However,
news are being circulated today that the smell will remain, because
it comes from other sources. It was known from the outset that the
basic problem was in the design of the aeration system and the
capacity of the composting plant. This cannot be solved by fixing a
biofilter. Such an advanced system comes at a later stage, after
solving all other waste problems, including collection, separation
and treatment. Its application today is restricted to countries with
advanced environmental technology. Using it now for Beirut wastes
is like spraying costly perfumes on a baby before changing his dirty
diapers.
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Who
has set these emergency plans, and according to which technical
considerations and priorities? Shouldn't those problems have been
foreseen before? When statements by officials encouraged neighboring
residents to destroy outdated waste incinerators just refurbished with
millions of public funds, did they have the viable alternative? After
all, who are the waste management experts who decided to adopt
landfilling solution only, and not an integrated approach which
includes: reduction, re-use, re-cycling, composting, incineration and
landfilling? Does the World Bank loan which is restricted to landfills
include reserve funds for their treatment in the future? And on which
basis was it decided to drop emissions of cement and chemical plants
from priority issues, and concentrate on quarries only? Is the real
crisis, in waste management, forest fires and general environmental
policies, one of resources or that of knowledge, will, management and
institutions?
In the aftermath of the fires, there were calls for an emergency plan.
We hope it will be different from the waste emergency plan, and the
emergency title will not be used as a pretext for duplicate studies
accompanied by declared and concealed contracts.
We need to develop from a state governed by occasional power
conglomerates to a state of institutions. Otherwise, all solutions will,
at best, remain first aid experiments, leading from one environmental
catastrophe to another.
To Discuss This Topic, Write to nsaab@mectat.com.lb |