Page - 9 April, 2003
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Greenpeace organizes the international environmental camp on the isle of Olkhon (Lake Baikal) from the 5th to the 17th of August 2002.
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Olkhon Island: pine forests on sand dunes
In this timeframe we plan to collect the garbage on west
coastline 70 kilometers long. We also plan to clean up some illegal
dumping sites on the Isle
Olkhon (including the one near the village Khuzhir).
It is common knowledge that picturesque landscapes, mild sunny
climate and plenty of multifarious archaeology spots make Olkhon
the most inviting sightseeing in the Baikal region. Unfortunately
the lack of competently organised camps results in tourist
carelessness in other words in numerous areas with litter left
about. In the south-western part of Olkhon there is a rather
dense-populated settlement - a village of Khuzhir, besides it along
the coast stretch themselves some other countries. The main problem
the local population has to deal with is a irregular removal of
rubbish. That's why it is not a rarity to come across spontaneously
dumped piles of garbage. Some coastal Baikal territories are
overlittered. For example, at a distance of two kilometres from
Khuzhir there is a whole square kilometre evenly covered with a
layer of wastes. That's why one of the tasks of Greenpeace during
the camp is not only clean up the island, but to help to organize a
system of garbage collection and transportation.
There're several problems linked with the transportation of
garbage from the island. Thus, to transport an assorted and
non-compressed garbage is too expensive. And so Greenpeace has
brought with it a special compressing device which will be left in
the village Khuzhir after the camp's closed. It will be passed to
the local environment organization "Berkut" and will be used by all
people interested in keeping Olkhon a clean and beautiful
place.
It's also very important to make a difference in the
inhabitants' relation to the "garbage problem". Another step in
that direction will be a planned for the 10th of August mass action
of cleaning up the island with active participation of the tourists
and local inhabitants.
We want to help the inhabitants cleanse the isle's coast so as
to bring back its primeval beauty. It is for that reason that more
than 40 volunteers from Russia, Netherlands, Germany and the USA
are making for this unique isle in order to get rid of heaps of
garbage.
The environmental camp lays down the following tasks:
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To
set up jointly with Khuzhir administration a regular removal of
rubbish from peasant homesteads to places that are allotted for
that. Inquiries conducted by a local environment organization
"Berkut" have shown that the dwellers are ready for waste removal
payments provided that they are worthwhile.
- To do away with a forest dump next to the coastline with the
help of all the dwellers on a chosen day-off.
- To clean up the illegal dumping site in the Khuzhir's
vicinity.
- To organize a mass action of cleaning up the coast of Lake
Baikal and neighbouring tourist camps with active participation of
the tourists and local inhabitants.
- To initiate together with "Berkut" a primary processing of
plastics by means of special device for compressing plastics
waste.
- To take out collected and sorted-out waste to Irkutsk for
further reprocessing and utilization.
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