LET US
PROTECT
THIS
BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY…
“LET US
KEEP OUR HOUSE CLEAN”!...
The
sensitivity of mankind towards its environment is increasing
especially in recent years. Nevertheless, it has been
difficult to create public awareness regarding environmental
problems until the last couple of years because many people
did not even take this issue seriously. Today however,
everyone can personally experience by their five senses that
some things are going wrong: air, water and sea pollution as
well as diminishing forests together with all its
inhabitants… and the changing climate as a result of all of
these problems. On one hand we have extremely high
temperatures, and floods on the other…
This severe
situation in mind, as the Azerbaijani Turks, we should all
have the common desire for the rational and cautious use of
resources granted by nature for the prevalence of the
natural state of South Azerbaijan… The desiccation of South
Azerbaijan’s life-giving sources, the disruption of the
balance of nature and environmental pollution are the
obvious results of the insensitivity and uncaring practices
of the ruling ones towards South Azerbaijan.
As Our
South Azerbaijan staff, the most important reason for us to
think this way is the fact that “our sacred country’s
surroundings have never faced pollution as severely as
today”. As a result of the government’s prejudiced and
uncaring approach to the people of this region, South
Azerbaijan’s all natural resources have become unusable all
the way from our rivers to high mountains. For example, due
to dam constructions of the government which lack planning,
the Urmia Lake, crucial to the region, is drying up and
South Azerbaijan is threatened by the loss of this
ecosystem…On the other hand, the cutting of trees in
Sardasht forests, known as the “lungs of South Azerbaijan”,
are causing a big disaster.
Our South
Azerbaijan website intends to be the forerunner in the
issues regarding the establishment of sanitary cities and
villages, environmental protection and restoring natural
balance. It supports the creation of public awareness
towards this injustice before it is too late.
The South
Azerbaijan people have never been an impassive society and
have always been able to put forth its own will in every
issue in the most democratic way. Up until now, it displayed
strong criticism, addressing oppressions, the difficulties
of receiving education in the mother tongue and the practice
of rights as mandated by the constitution. Now, as Our South
Azerbaijan staff, we are expressing our discomfort regarding
the contamination of cities and villages we inhabit and
believe it is time to show the necessary awareness regarding
“environmentalism”…
As Our
South Azerbaijan website, we believe that we should hold
back from the mistake of “believing the efforts we plan to
undertake will be small and thus deciding to do nothing”. We
believe that reaction must be shown towards environmental
pollution, the contamination of cities and the reckless
consumption of our natural resources by the administration
in S.Azerbaijan. This is why we want to do something about
these and have some suggestions regarding the establishment
of environmental well-being which is threatening this sacred
Turkish nation. We believe that the effort to protect our
environment could appear as a voluntary movement with
specific methods, objectives and principals deprived of any
political motive.
Well then,
what could we do to protect our environment, to keep our
house, South Azerbaijan, clean and to show the people ruling
us how much we love this country? Here are some suggestions:
Like we
have done in our marches to the Babek Fortress, we could
unite to do the following:
We can organize “afforestation campaigns” in order to
prevent air pollution and erosion
We can mount campaigns to create public awareness regarding
South Azerbaijan’s comprehensive sanitary conditions.
We can prepare educational mottos and slogans to prevent
environmental pollution in South Azerbaijan and could
display these views in permanent places where everyone can
see them.
We can organize panel discussions, conferences and meetings
on environmental issues and environmental protection.
We can give support to environmental organizations that are
still active and assist their activities.
We can help public awareness efforts regarding grouping the
contents of garbage in our houses and set an example in this
respect.
We can draw attention to the neglected situation of our
streets and avenues and set up campaigns to collect
unhealthy materials such as paper, plastic bottles and bags.
We can organize drawing and poster contests and help public
awareness efforts by displaying these works.
We can use public transportation rather than personal cars
in large cities facing air pollution like Tabriz, Ardabil
and Urmia by also considering the gasoline problem.
