July 9th, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
THIS is in response to the letter ‘Stench still there” (GDN, July 2) over sewage or chemicals being pumped into Tubli Bay. Bahrain is a highly-polluted country and this is a known fact. So, it is not surprising that there are foul smells in different areas. Didn’t you notice that for this reason, there are no public beaches anywhere near the populated areas? The authorities know what they are doing and do not want water diseases to spread. This situation is not going to change unless something dramatic is done. So, the best thing perhaps is to find an apartment in Zallaq, if you intend to hang around in Bahrain for sometime. Zallaq is a sorry strip of wasteland by the way, but it’s much less polluted than the other places.
Ahmed
July 7th, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
A PRESENTATION will be conducted by Diyar Al Muharraq at the Bahrain Society of Engineers (BSE) tonight. The presentation on environmental monitoring and management initiative will be given by international design and engineering consultancy Scott Wilson Bahrain principal environment scientist Justine Carr. It will begin at 7pm and will detail how to put together a comprehensive cutting-edge environmental plan in urban developments. Diyar Al Muharraq chief executive officer Aaref Hejres said that its mixed-used development project was a story that deserved to be told to benefit industry specialists and others because it involved the best international consultancies and local expertise. “The presentation will showcase an advanced water quality monitoring system designed by Scott Wilson specifically for Diyar Al Muharraq,” he said. “We have allocated over BD3 million for our environmental programme.” The event will be open to the public free of charge
July 7th, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
Impose fines
THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Too lazy to even use rubbish bins’ (GDN, June 30). The photograph doesn’t fit the article. What I see is garbage bags surrounding these overflowing garbage bins. What is needed in this area of Muharraq are extra garbage bins. But I have actually seen open garbage bins (in other areas) which are half full and garbage bags kept outside the bins! What does it tell us about the people of Bahrain? They are simply too lazy to push the pedal of these new garbage bins, so they are permanently left open until the workers empty them. We will never see any improvement in cleanliness unless fines are implemented seriously.
Aclean expat
July 4th, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
Iam feeling vindicated, as should anyone who has been wandering round, shaking their head and muttering: “I’m sure it’s hotter than it usually is !”. Now weathermen tell us we have just been through the hottest June in the 107 years since Bahrain started keeping records. Two things surprise me about this; one that Bahrain has been keeping weather records that long and, second, that it can actually get any hotter out here. One thing we do not need is more heat. I am already sweltering and finding it far harder going than ever before in my 20-odd years here, something I had initially put down to getting older. So in a sense I am pleased that it actually is hotter, as opposed to me becoming increasingly less able to cope. It is, we are told, the result of ‘inadequate’ monsoons over the Indian sub-continent and if, like me, you are wondering what that means, it’s simply that the monsoon season has not yet properly set in and we are caught in the chain reaction. But is this climate change? Is this the global warming that the doomsayers fear and that will one day melt enough of the ice-caps for the global sea level to rise and swallow up Bahrain? Probably, since unseasonal weather –once blamed by my mum on “meddling Russians” – is popping up all over the globe, signalling that our abuse of the environment has finally gone too far.
Bahrain is already talking about building sea defences into any new coastal projects, yet they have probably got the message a little late in the day, with so much development going on already which would definitely get a little wet around the foundations. That we will be an early casualty of global warming is without doubt, for we have ignored the warnings for decades, happily sweeping away forests of palms to make way for highways or tower blocks and land reclamation on an unimaginable scale has destroyed much of the marine environment.
We also have some of the most polluted air in the world, thanks to heavy industry and a soaring car population– so if the rising sea doesn’t get us the poison will. And we call it Bahrain – pearl of the Gulf !
lhorton@gdn.com.bh
July 1st, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
A NATIONWIDE recycling initiative plans to donate more than a million dollars to local charities and community needs by March next year.
Recycling for Charity aims to collect waste paper, plastic bottles, metal cans and white or coloured glass, recycling them, selling them, and in turn donating around BD450,000 to the local community.
The Manama-based German waste management firm Arteko is providing the bins and much of the technology for the recycling process. It collects the recyclables by encouraging people to deposit them in various containers (recycling bins) across the country.
The containers are provided and emptied free of charge and the recyclables are transferred to a recycling factory in Sitra. The initiative, which is the first of its kind in the GCC, was launched in March this year.
The containers are already in 30 locations, mainly in schools and supermarkets, and 10 to 15 more are planned this week, but the goal is to have 100 locations, said Arteko managing director for the Middle East Boris Uhlig. He said the company had already collected between 800 and 900 tonnes of recyclables and planned to start selling them in various countries in the Gulf, as well as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The company, he said, aimed to collect 30,000 tonnes of waste by March 2010 and for each tonne collected and sold it would donate BD15 to local charities and community needs, which would come to a total of BD450,000.
The money donated would be divided as follows: 30 per cent to the 86 charity funds located across Bahrain; 30pc to student scholarships; 20pc to emergency cases in the community; and 20pc to events such as awareness.
campaigns and environment activities. “It’s a customised programme to convince people to protect the environment,” Mr Uhlig told the GDN.
“We spent one year studying to create a concept that would be suitable for Bahrain.
“We have been approached by the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to have a similar concept there but we are doing this gradually and starting with Bahrain.”
Mr Uhlig said the response from the community had been positive, with the bins needin to be emptied every day, or every other day, compared to once every five days in Germany. He said majority of those who were recyclingwere expats, but about 20pc were
Bahrainis.
Within two years, he hoped 80pc of people in the country would be using the bins for recycling.
“We are confident this will work out,” saidMr Uhlig.
“There is awareness among the younger generation so it is not a problem to convince them, it is not even a problem to convince the older generation but we must educate them.” He said New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Adliya, which joined the initiative yesterday was the first university to introduce the recycling bins and Bahrain University in Isa Town and Sakhir would follow soon.
“We will definitely want locations in all schools by the end of next year and universities are important because awareness of the people there is bigger.
“Most of those going to university have a car and it is easy for them to take their recyclables to the bins.
“We encourage the PR (public relations) awareness campaigns that are being conducted in NYIT, Alosra and the Crowne Plaza.”
NEW York Institute of Technology (NYIT) launched a recycling campaign at a ceremony held at its Adliya campus yesterday.
The campaign includes the establishment of an environment group and launching the Recycling for Charity initiative. Staff will pass out flyers in the classroom and participate in recycling, while students will volunteer as members of the newly formed Environmental Club.
The club will promote NYIT’s recycling location to local businesses as well as the campus community among other activities.
“I was interested in bringing it to NYIT, but also in a broader perspective getting students involved in putting the message out to the community and educating businesses to get involved,” said NYIT dean Reginald Braggs. He said everyone was invited to use the recycling bins, which are located at the main entrance of the NYIT and various smaller bins were around the campus.