Tehran.
The lack of an
adequate drainage and sewage system and wasting the rain water or other surface
running water.
The lack of a
proper waste disposal policy and adequate segregation and recycling of the
civic waste (Domestic, Industrial, constructional and medical).
The lack of a
programme for renovating and refurbishing the drinking water purification
plants and the sewage system.
Serious shortage of green space (Less than 1.5 Square meters per person in
Tehran) and the lack of adequate recreational and sporting facilities, particularly
for women and the youth.
Unstable socio-economic
and political conditions which have lead to massive unemployment or mendacious
jobs, mass poverty (According to the regime’s own statistics, more than 80%
of the population live under the poverty line), increase in crime and disrespect
for others’ property, criminal offences, bribery, increase in the use of narcotic
substances, AIDS, psychological and physical disorders including infectious
diseases such as Cholera are all to mention but a few which continue to descend
the social human and personal values manifesting themselves in other social
problems such as children, particularly the girls, having to leave their homes
prematurely, adding to the number of homeless children, prostitution and other
socio-cultural perversions amongst the Iranian society.
B- Impaired
environ-industrial conditions
Severe air
pollution and smug caused by excessive and irresponsible use of industrial
fuel at and around production processing plants.
Water pollution and the shortage of it and shortage of electrical power stations
needed for industrial purposes.
Unhygienic soil and earth pollution as a result of lack of proper solid and
fluid waste disposal control system.
Various
pollutions caused by improper placement of industrial and manufacturing centres.
The use of non-standard
and unapproved outdated machinery in different sectors of the State owned,
semi-private and private industries.
The lack of essential
and scientific disposal facilities for toxic and dangerous material waste
generated by various industries including the hospitals.
Inefficient
extraction and use of the natural resources and energy for the production
of various industrial products.
Shortage of adequate
public transportation services and suitable roads and the lack of a systematic
traffic control.
Environmental
mismanagement and inefficient deployment of traditional means and methods
of labour.
Shortage of labour
and trained personnel (Technicians and specialists), particularly in the field
of environmental pollution control and Health and Safety at places of work.
The long term
effects of the environ-industrial related pollution on the humans and the
socio-economic consequences of it.
C-
Impaired natural and rural areas environments
Rural population
growth: Today, the rural population of Iran is in excess of 40% who are believed
to be migrating into the cities in growing numbers.
Lack of appropriate
and necessary facilities to engage in agricultural, cattle breeding and forestry
activities.
Migration from
the rural areas as a result of poor socio-economic conditions, in particular,
migration of the peasants inhabiting in desert fringes as a result of desert
expansion due to the destruction of the green life surrounding these areas.
Destruction of
the forests due to fire and frequent military manoeuvres in the perimeter
of the forests and national parks.
Excessive, frequent
and spurious flood water flow as a result of obliteration of the forests and
the destruction of the green zones.
Destruction of
the agricultural areas and farms due to the shortage of adequate cattle breeding
facilities and grazing land.
Deterioration of the
soil due to alkalization and landslips.
Immethodical
and uncontrolled use of pesticides, chemical and animal fertilisers in the
agricultural lands and landscapes.
Shortage of water
and other utilities needed for irrigation.
Inadequate sanitary
facilities, shortage of medicine, medical care and nourishment.
High levels of
illiteracy, shortage of teachers and schooling to promote literacy and training
facilities to improve agricultural and cattle breeding as well as forest protection
techniques.
Destruction of
reservoirs, diversion of the streams and the rivers and disturbing the natural
conditions of the Biotops for the purposes of erecting buildings and constructing
roads by the profiteering companies, state men and other elements connected
with the regime.
Lack of proper
care for hunting grounds, disrespect for protected natural resources, including
National forests and parks and the deterioration of the wild life and other
rare and hard to find plantations.
D-
Specific Impairment of civic, industrial and natural environment
Chronic pollution of the hidden
waste and derelict cemeteries in the cities such as the abandoned and derelict
cemetery of “Abali” in the south east of Tehran.
Abandoned and
derelict industrial units as well as those belonging to the private sector,
particularly chemical and biological plants to mention but a few.
Abandoned and
evacuated garrisons and military stations.
Accumulation
of the scrap material inherited during the war and the presence of millions
of live landmines and ammunition still buried in populated lands.
Lack of credible
technical and safety standards, legal, scientific and practical trained personnel
with necessary experience to manage the nuclear energy plants and the atomic
waste.
Various dangerous
wastes generated in the processes of manufacturing and the maintenance of
military weapons including chemical and biological wastes during the construction
phases of nuclear power stations in Boushehr, Isfahan, Natanz and Arak.
Chemicalpollution
and the rising of the surface level of the
Caspian Sea.
Pollution of
the Persian Gulf caused by industrial waste, oil spillage by the tankers and
the consequential pollution caused by recent wars in the region.
Gradual precipitation
and drying up of the rivers.
Destruction of
the International reservoirs and the degeneration of the marine life and other
sources of marine food and protein.
The use of carcinogenic
Asbestos material in building construction projects and the use of asbestos
pipes in the drinking water supply networks in the cities.
Radioactive pollution
of the regions of “Sabalan” Mountains as a result of excavation and extraction
of Uranium carried out by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran and other
foreign subcontractors which has resulted in an increase in the number of
people diagnosed with Leukaemia and cancer of the abdomen (In the cities and
surrounding villages of Ardabil, Sarab and Meshkin Shahr).
Radioactive pollution
of river “
Aras the waterfalls in the Caspian Sea region and other
populated areas of the Northern provinces.
Spread of Avian
Influenza in
Tehran and other Northern provinces including
Azerbaijan and tens of other worrying cases which
would take many years to contain and to bring under control. Such dangerous
and comprehensive impairments would take many years to deal with and cost billions
of Dollars to overcome.
From what has
been said so far, we can only draw the conclusion that under the Islamic Republic’s
Regime, the ecological damage to the environment has already exceeded the
critical levels to the point that it leaves no room to take on any further
risks with Atomic projects and its associated dangers such as radioactive
leaks, etc.
This would necessarily mean that
we ought to be looking for potentially available renewable forms of energy
which exist in numerous forms in Iran.
Those elements
or organisations who do not take the already catastrophic ecological damages
to the environment under the rule of the Islamic Republic seriously, and consciously
or naively consider the enrichment of Uranium by the Islamic Republic to be
a “justified right” of the Iranian Nation (i.e. sharing the same aspirations
as the regime’s), ought to know that presently, along with the world economy
transition towards the globalisation of the capitalist economy, Iran is considered
as one of the world’s prime sources of natural and ecological wealth.
Iran has massive
sources of hydrocarbon and has the second largest natural underground gas
reserves in the world. Natural gas, as an ecologically preferred type of Hydro
Carbonic fuel, is in much demand by the current technologically advanced and
other developing countries.
In addition, bearing in mind the
immensity of the size of Iran and the natural diversities in different resources
across its regions, plus its crucial and important geo-political situation,
all are in favour of a nation to establish a free, modern and ecologically
friendly Iran.
Undoubtedly,
should
Iran be governed by a democratic and popular
regime, as well as the efficient and sensible use of the revenues generated
by the fossil fuel resources which would provide long term employment particularly
amongst the women and its youth, would also invest in the use of other renewable
energy sources in tandem. These include wind energy, solar power, geothermal
energy and the use of techniques related to Hydrogen Fusion and many more.
With the help and the co-operation
of many sympathetic scientists and experts in these fields as well as other
conscientious political activists and liberty seeking forces of Iran
every effort can be made to establish an sustainable and environmentally friendly
Iran.
These types of safe energy have
huge endemic sources and could also be exported to other parts of the world
in vast volumes. Therefore, the claims made by the Islamic Republic of Iran
over the need for nuclear energy for peaceful purposes have no foundation
other than their desire to develop nuclear weapons!
This becomes
even more apparent when considering that due to its serious dangers on humans
and the environment plus the need for heavy investments and gaining very little
returns in comparison, Atomic energy programmes are nowadays considered as
counter-productive around the globe and therefore, would not be either the
correct or a forward thinking option in Iran.
Already, some
western countries such as Canada, Germany and others have formally decided
to completely abandon the use of their nuclear power generators by the year
2020.
