Help Save Teghut's Forest From Mining

It's not often that I ask readers to do something for the greater good, especially since a very small percentage of people would even consider spending a minute or two to help save a forest in their homeland. However, I urge you to do just that.

Armenian Copper Program (ACP), with approval from Armenia’s Ministry of Nature Protection, plans to clear-cut over 1,500 acres of Teghut's forest in order to establish an open pit strip mining operation for copper and molybdenum ore.

In addition, ACP plans to create a "tailing dump" in a nearby pristine gorge, where heavy metals and other toxins from mining waste will leach into the ground and into the river flowing through the gorge, ultimately contaminating the local water supply.

I don't think any of you want to see a forest cut down and the environment polluted. Even if you don't care about the animals, trees, and so on, you almost certainly care about the people there who would have a higher risk of disease, birth defects, and so on.

And if you think your voice won't matter, you're wrong: over two years ago, Armenia Tree Project and many other NGOS and international organizations came together to save the Shikahogh Nature Reserve from sure destruction! If it was done before, it can be done again.

I'm starting to sound like a PBS Pledge Drive, so I'll just give you the link: Save Teghut's Forest

Pesticides in Mother's Milk, Fruits, Soil

As Armenia ponders capitalism, issues like this are becoming more common.

A study by a non-governmental organization...has found traces of chlororganic pesticides in soil, vegetables, fruits and even in mother milk, which in some instances exceeded the permitted level.

...the residues of pesticides originate mainly from wrong use of pesticide. She said many farmers still widely use pesticides which were banned years ago. The organization has sent the results of the study to health and agricultural ministries for further action.

Pesticides have been known to cancer, among other things.

Source: ArmenPress

SunChild: Armenia's First Regional Environmental Festival!

SunChild is organized by Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets and Golden Apricot Fund for Cinema Development and will take place between April 1-15 of 2007, in Dilijan, Armenia. Here are some more details:

The aim of the festival is to create a background with suitable conditions for bringing up a healthy and strong generation, taking care for the nature of their own country as well as of neighboring countries and protecting the assets and treasures that were created by mankind throughout thousands of years. In this sense, the festival provides wide opportunities for cross-cultural communication and dialogue.

One of the most important goals of our festival is to develop within the new generation the love, care and understanding towards the nature surrounding them. Our children will inherit this planet, and it is not only important in what condition they inherit it, but even more, whether they will be prepared to live in harmony with nature, to preserve and care for its beauty.

Armenian Film programs from the festival will be screened at different International Environmental festivals worldwide.

Armenia's hippies, unite!

Source: SunChild Festival

Imported Cars Met With Stiff Fees

If you're one of the many people sending cars to be sold in Armenia, have a look:

...26,157 cars were imported to Armenia 7,302 of which of Russian trade mark and 18,855 of foreign mark.

According to the law on environmental payments, 5-10 years old cars have to pay additional environmental fees in the amount of 2 percent of customs duty. Cars 10-15 years old have to pay 10 percent of the amount and 15 and more years old cars pay 20 percent of the customs duty.

The ministry of nature protection explains that new cars are less harmful for the environment and people will be encouraged to buy more new cars, thus causing less environmental damage.

Since when does the Armenian government tax imports to help the environment? I think what they're really doing is promoting the import of newer cars, which in turn means higher customs duty. Regardless of how they may claim to assess duty - and they refused to estimate how much they've collected from imported cars - more expensive cars end up paying much more than their less expensive counterparts.

Source: Panorama

Iran and Armenia to Build Hydro Power Plant on Araks River

The Araks River is 665 miles (1072 km) in length. It flows near Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey.

Armenian energy minister Armen Movsisian said last week the feasibility plan for construction of a hydro power plant on the border River of Araks separating Armenia form Iran was ready. He said the construction was set to start early next year.

He said the hydro power plant, which will be located near the southern Armenian town of Meghri, will have a 130-140 megawatt capacity to generate annually about 850 million kilowatt/hours electricity.

Movsisian said it will be a unique hydro power plant in this region to benefit both Iran and Armenia.

Alternative sources of energy are always great, but we should consider the possible ecological damage of building such a large plant. The same source states that there are 50 small plants already on Araks and 50 more being constructed. This to me is the equivalent of rape of a river's resources, as there are many types of fish that live there including sezan, loko (a kind of cat fish), tolstolobik, karas, tarap, and karmrakhait. There are several other issues with hydroelectric plants, as well, and you can read about them here.

Source: ArmenPress
Source about fishes: ArmeniaInfo