The 3 R's.

The three R's:  - "reduce, reuse and recycle"  have taken the slow boat to China, or maybe the snail mail slog route, or quite possibly been sucked through a black hole into outer space - they haven't fully arrived in Doha as yet.  The three D's, however:  "dump, dispose-at-will, and damage" are the VIP performers in attendance, or maybe it's "defile, destroy and debase" who have grown fat and complacent over time.

No-one seems to notice, no-one seems to care.  Oh yes, I know there are attempts being made to correct the situation and I know these things take time.  Sheikha Moza and the Qatar Foundation are genuinely making huge strides in the areas of education and science that will surely make a difference in the future.  New construction sites are in the process of building designs that include the latest in vacuum garbage disposal, greener air conditioning systems and rapid transit hubs - cutting edge stuff.   However, there is also a lot of talk:  world-class international companies who do great presentations and photo ops of their sensitivity to the environment and how much they are doing for the local environment and for global warming in general, but whose actual business practice would not just be frowned on, but barred outright in their home countries.   We have reports and articles in the local newspapers that highlight the issues, and attest to the work being done. Unfortunately, I just don't see much of it at my lowly level.

The myriads of construction sites produce gargantuan mountains of rubble, debris and leftovers that go where exactly?  According to the newspapers, 10,000 new cars are purchased every month, but what happens to the umpteen wrecks, not to mention tires of vehicles past their glory days?  A quote from an article I read:  "There is recycling in this country, but it is very piecemeal at the moment.  It seems that actually persuading someone to put their rubbish in a bin out here is quite an achievement let alone having them put it in a special container."  Qatar is the world's wealthiest country and is in a position to develop, and demand greening, environmentally sustainable technology, energy and waste controls.  According to the article, however: "The real obstacle seems to be keeping up with the sheer speed of cultural and societal shifts". No kidding - even the skyline has changed dramatically even in the year since I first viewed it. See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-pellot/environmental-progress-in_b_121517.html  and read the section on Qatar.

On a positive note, Qatar is aware, and is willing.  They introduced the Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR) that "strives for a balance between protecting the environment and resources and also developing better life standards".  It has achieved recognition and implemented changes, but has a long way to go.   The areas they have to tackle are many and the obstacles huge.  There is the disturbance of marine life with dredging for new construction, landfills that must be filling to the brim as we speak, water...the average is about 650litres per day per person (due to the high water demand in agriculture in the desert, and oil and construction mostly), and sewage spilling into the gulf.  We have chemical issues with petrol, gas and cement production.  The air pollution from exhausts,  the air conditioners set at a shivery 20 degrees in every mall and store, and SUV's the vehicles of choice.  Public transportation at this time is almost non-existent when you take the population into account.  A giant leap forward, in my opinion, is Qatar Airways move to have their planes fueled by  a natural gas blend - at least it goes some way to cutting down on air pollution. They made history by being the first to fly without 100% regular aviation fuel. Way to go Qatar Airways!! 

In my own little environment, I despair at the newspapers I chuck out together with all the cans, bottles, and plastics.   A friend made me aware that we still have pop cans with tabs that tear right off, so now she has me bending down too, and pocketing the little menaces every time I see  them winking at me.  (I am getting good exercise this way)  And boy, would I like to be able to return beer bottles to the liquor store - I would even go without the miniscule deposit money, and would be happy to drive somewhere like we had to do in Calgary.  And I really wish I knew I was eating dolphin friendly tuna - I see no pictures and I can't read the writing.   And I wish I had the courage to bawl out" "Pick that up" the next time I see someone litter on the street or throw leftover takeout debris nonchalantly from car windows.  And I really, really miss my blue boxes.  And, and, and...

On the flip side, we have invested in a stand alone water tank in the kitchen to stop using bottled water, and the packers at the supermarket are quite happy to pack my groceries to the brim of my Sobey's bags that I brought with me from home.

Let me get off my little soapbox now - I have said my piece .... for awhile.  However, no guarantee that I won't climb up again in the near future.