Friday 9 September 2011

Waste Collection Sans Frontieres...

Anyone feel like starting this up?
Having just been travelling in the Middle East, I'm amazed at the beauty of the region, the kindness and warm spirituality of the people and - despite all the recent concerns over security - the great sense of peace and quiet there.
Nonetheless, one of the biggest shocks was seeing so much rubbish both in cities and in the desert and sourrounding country - just piled up everywhere. Our guide was careful to warn us not to drink the local water - 'even the locals drink bottled water,' he said proudly. And the evidence to back up this claim was everywhere - even in the smartest streets and locations. And, of course, in poorer parts of the cities and in the rivers - things were far worse. And no one seems to care.
One night we climbed Mount Sinai (took me over 4 hours - even with assistance of v charming young Bedouin) and the scenery by moonlight was amazing. Coming down again the following morning after sunrise, however, I was dismayed to see that, even on Mount Sinai, plastic bottles were strewn everywhere.
It's not just unhealthy, unsightly and generally demeaning - but none of this plastic can be recycled.
We desperately need to help developing countries get access to clean drinking water on tap and clear up all this terrible mess.

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