It is unfortunate that at the time I am writing these lines, my beloved compatriots at home are in more than one way waiting to breath. While politics is the focus of our nation, one must not forget the importance of our environment and its state of health.
Today, the entire planet is at risk of serious and perhaps irreparable damage as a result of gross mismanagement of our industrial waste and, dare I say, collective shortsightedness. Typical of our overall behavior as members of the human race, we tend to react more often than we preempt. In the case of our environment, there are so many factors to consider, should we seriously decide to maintain its delicate balance.
While we cannot ignore the importance of our technological and industrial advances and, at times, their adverse impact on our planet, I believe that, despite our population growth and energy demands, we can still find ways to assist nature in its recycling process and wisely manage our resources, thereby causing minimal harm to our environment.
Sadly, as in philanthropy, the incentive to be environmentally friendly, does not seem to be a high priority. Meanwhile, we are running out of both time and excuses. Most people start to actually fathom the consequences of environmental disasters when they begin to think about their impact on their children and future generations. In some cases, our habit of reacting rather than anticipating keeps us one step behind.[photo]
As someone who truly cares about our environment, I am an advocate of taking immediate actions rather than standing by as a passive observer, just shaking my head. The world media show us time after time the depletion of the ozone layer, the atrophy of the polar ice cap, the deforestation of the Amazon basin, the consequences of erosion and its ecological impact, the serious pollution problem of 10 million-plus cities around the globe, not to mention additional problems of a medical nature which are the inevitable side effects of pollution.
The following articles, address some of the problems which have been a source of preoccupation for a long time for many of us. My intention is to start from my own country, Iran, and further heighten the awareness of my compatriots about the immediate environmental problems we face at home today. Despite the efforts of many concerned citizens, both at home and abroad, and despite the acknowledgement of this problem by the current government, the problem itself has not dissipated; in fact, it is getting worse.
The issue is important enough that it must transcend any other considerations. As Iranians it is one of our duties to address this issue, which has become a matter of life and death. In this, we are not alone. Many people, organizations and governments around the world are increasing their focus on the subject. Awareness is not sufficient. We must immediately take initiatives; namely, we must come up with solutions and implement them quickly.
I therefore invite my fellow compatriots as well as anyone who is concerned about this vital matter, to join this process of putting on our collective thinking caps and cooperate with all our might in dealing with this issue. I know that there are many pro-active Iranians at home who are highly dedicated to this matter, both in terms of their studies and research as well as in their actions and initiatives. BUT THEY NEED RECOGNITION AND HELP!
We must persistently maintain pressure on the current government to take meaningful steps and further indicate what sort of additional help is needed to overcome problems they have yet to resolve through entities such as the “Environment Protection Organization”. I know we can come up with good solutions and plans when, as a nation, we deal with such problems collectively.
I invite all of those who are concerned to voice their opinions and recommendations. I hope to hear especially from our compatriots at home and the various groups and experts associated with the environmental issues. It goes without saying that I’ll be glad to share all the information and/or debates and post them on my site, with the hope of further raising awareness on the subject and beyond.
Reza Pahlavi
