In May 2008, more than 50,000 volunteers gave up their home comfort to put their hands in the dirt and clean up the Estonian countryside from the illegal waste piled up all over the country.The 2008 operation was a great success with more than 10,000 tons of waste collected in 5 hours and the development of a piece of software designed to localise several thousands of dumping sites. International media welcomed and congratulated the project, which indeed highly deserved it.
A new formula was however imagined for 2009.
Indeed, this first initiative gave a green image to Estonia in spite of the fact the country is still lacking a national environmental policy and awareness still needs to be raised among the population.
That initiative had the guts to bring people together but one issue is still to be raised and solved. What about education? What about those people who still throw away their old tyres in the forest while the others have to clean up for them? Infrastructure is also needed, so the problem is not solved.
This year’s project is more intellectual: a national brainstorming “designed to provide a space and time for people to gather around issues that matter to them”. The topics are pretty wide (city life, family, health and sport, culture…) and do not only focus anymore on environmental issues.
If you are interested to join one of these brainstorming chambers, subscribe here.
2008 was successful and concrete: people were personally involved and the huge amount of waste collected probably raised awareness among some people. After that a move from the government or a powerful association should have happened… in vain.
We are still waiting for any long term vision from ONE country on this planet about ecological issues. Everybody is talking about it but no one is moving a finger. Teeme Ära had the courage in 2008 to plan something big which called up people.
2009 does not have this soul, this core appealing idea. To me Teeme Ära is dead.
4 comments - React:
C'est bien dommage !
"That initiative had the guts to bring people together but one issue is still to be raised and solved. What about education? What about those people who still throw away their old tyres in the forest while the others have to clean up for them? "
Je reprends tes paroles , je suis bien d'accord avec toi , belle initiative , bel élan produit par les 50.000 volontaires ,mais qu'en est il par contre de la "prévention", de l'éducation ?? Apprendre à un enfant dès qu'il est en âge de comprendre (et ça peut se faire très jeune , je l'ai bien fait avec toi dès que tu avais 3 ans )à ne pas jeter n'importe où (c'est la base , après , il y a le tri ...) éviterait à des milliers de gens de ramasser les ordures des autres .....
Merci à Gilles qui abonde aussi dans ce sens dans son article publié hier sur son blog (
grand nettoyage des ordures en Lettonie le 18 avril , 100 à 110 000 personnes y auraient participé ):
"il me semble important de faire participer les jeunes à ce genre d’opération (quel que soit le pays) afin de leur faire comprendre que, plutôt que d’avoir à nettoyer, il suffirait peut-être de ne pas jeter ses ordures n’importe où."
Pardon, Gilles , j'ai oublié de donner le lien de votre blog :
http://gillesenlituanie.hautetfort.com/
I totally agree with Marianne's assessment.
When I see how dirty is the wood facing my building, I think that to clean is not enough! The priority is to educate !
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