Paradoxes of national pride and garbage
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Jane Tuna
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Kasım 15, 2008 00:00
The flag of our Republic flies with dignity above the town of Fethiye. According to legend, the red symbolizes blood shed by soldiers who sacrificed their lives to liberate Turkish soil. Ataturk is said to have seen the crescent moon and star reflected in pools of blood after the battle of Sakarya in 1921.
It is a paradox that 87 years later we fly our flags enthusiastically and sing our Turkish national Anthem patriotically on the one hand, but so thoughtlessly discard our rubbish with the other. One explanation is that we feel no ownership of the land. If the number of flags is anything to go by, I don’t think that is the case.
Many foreigners visiting Fethiye relate with delight their experiences of Turkish hospitality; the beauty of their surroundings and the profusion of antiquities, but "It seems like people around here just don’t appreciate how lucky they are to live in such an amazing environment," said one tourist in the village of Kaya, saddened by the litter. "Are they lazy or is it that they don’t know any better?"
A decade ago there was less waste. Cans were recycled as flowerpots and bottles were used to preserve vegetables and fruit. Shoppers re-used their shopping bags. Now they use plastic bags and these, together with the packaging that invariably accompanies the produce, is thrown away without a second thought. Organic waste and peelings, once fed to goats and chickens in the country, in the towns are put into plastic bags and left by the side of the road or thrown randomly in the direction of a municipal bin.
To show our love for this country we must start to take responsibility for it. Turkish houses are kept tidy and clean but the moment we leave our homes we lose interest Ğ or rather we forget that "outside" is ours to protect and care for, too. Rights, privileges and responsibilities are important features of democracy. What can be done to address these issues and to encourage a different attitude?
Education is an obvious starting point. School children can be taught that rubbish disposal is something to be done with respect for the environment. If necessary they can pass on this knowledge to their families and friends. Learning about these things can be fun.
Shopkeepers can be discouraged from handing out a bag with every small purchase or, better still charge for bags, thereby encouraging people to bring their own. Re-usable bags bearing the names or logos of responsible and environmentally aware shops can be given to loyal customers or sold to cover costs. Failure to do so is an immeasurable cost to our environment. These bags can become "the must have" accessory for people who love their country.
A cost benefit analysis is an economic exercise that quickly reveals that the short-term costs of introducing such a system are quickly outweighed by the benefits and positive public relations. Far from leaving the local economy out of pocket, the economy could well increase, have the opposite effect and become a role model for other towns in Turkey and beyond.
Politicians in the area that I’ve spoken to about this don’t seem to be remotely interested and even went so far to suggest that I was na?ve to think that anything should, or needed to, be done. Sadly, environmental awareness among our politicians seems to be about what money can be made from our soil, without any thought for the detritus left lying on top of it.
Can we make money from garbage? Can rubbish make Fethiye famous and an environmental success? Can rubbish increase the numbers of tourists? I see no reason why not. We must challenge the apathy of those who think nothing of throwing their rubbish onto our beautiful countryside and streets and the cynicism of those who believe that there is nothing we can do to change the national mindset.
This is an adaptation of a talk given to the Rotary Club of Ölüdeniz on Nov. 6.
Many foreigners visiting Fethiye relate with delight their experiences of Turkish hospitality; the beauty of their surroundings and the profusion of antiquities, but "It seems like people around here just don’t appreciate how lucky they are to live in such an amazing environment," said one tourist in the village of Kaya, saddened by the litter. "Are they lazy or is it that they don’t know any better?"
A decade ago there was less waste. Cans were recycled as flowerpots and bottles were used to preserve vegetables and fruit. Shoppers re-used their shopping bags. Now they use plastic bags and these, together with the packaging that invariably accompanies the produce, is thrown away without a second thought. Organic waste and peelings, once fed to goats and chickens in the country, in the towns are put into plastic bags and left by the side of the road or thrown randomly in the direction of a municipal bin.
To show our love for this country we must start to take responsibility for it. Turkish houses are kept tidy and clean but the moment we leave our homes we lose interest Ğ or rather we forget that "outside" is ours to protect and care for, too. Rights, privileges and responsibilities are important features of democracy. What can be done to address these issues and to encourage a different attitude?
Education is an obvious starting point. School children can be taught that rubbish disposal is something to be done with respect for the environment. If necessary they can pass on this knowledge to their families and friends. Learning about these things can be fun.
Shopkeepers can be discouraged from handing out a bag with every small purchase or, better still charge for bags, thereby encouraging people to bring their own. Re-usable bags bearing the names or logos of responsible and environmentally aware shops can be given to loyal customers or sold to cover costs. Failure to do so is an immeasurable cost to our environment. These bags can become "the must have" accessory for people who love their country.
A cost benefit analysis is an economic exercise that quickly reveals that the short-term costs of introducing such a system are quickly outweighed by the benefits and positive public relations. Far from leaving the local economy out of pocket, the economy could well increase, have the opposite effect and become a role model for other towns in Turkey and beyond.
Politicians in the area that I’ve spoken to about this don’t seem to be remotely interested and even went so far to suggest that I was na?ve to think that anything should, or needed to, be done. Sadly, environmental awareness among our politicians seems to be about what money can be made from our soil, without any thought for the detritus left lying on top of it.
Can we make money from garbage? Can rubbish make Fethiye famous and an environmental success? Can rubbish increase the numbers of tourists? I see no reason why not. We must challenge the apathy of those who think nothing of throwing their rubbish onto our beautiful countryside and streets and the cynicism of those who believe that there is nothing we can do to change the national mindset.
This is an adaptation of a talk given to the Rotary Club of Ölüdeniz on Nov. 6.