On December 5, 2009, YABLOKO’s Political Committee discussed
the ecological policy of the government. The key report was
made by Academician Alexei Yablokov, leader of the Green Russia
faction. After a discussion the Committee adopted resolution
“On the Anti-Environmental Policies of the Russian Authorities”.
On opening of the meeting the Political Committee commemorated
the victims of the Nevsky Express railroad crash and the victims
of the Perm nightclub fire by a one-minute silence.
Alexei Yablokov reported on a bad environmental situation
in Russia dwelling on the most acute ecological problems and
offered ways of their solution. According to the World Health
Organisation, 493,000 people die annually in Russia because
of ecological problems. Thus, life expectancy for men is only
59 years, which is 15 – 18 years less than in the USA and
Japan. And it is even 3 – 4 years lower in the zones of environmental
pollution (about 14% of the territory of the country).
According to Acad.Yablokov, Russia has been demonstrating
a surprising trend: in the period of high oil prices and a
reported economic growth in the country, life expectancy was
steadily falling. “This is due to the grave environmental
problems,” Yablokov noted.
Acad.Yablokov also stated that the Russian authorities have
been conducting a purposeful anti-ecological policy: when
Vladimir Putin came into power, he virtually liquidated Russia’s
environmental legislation, state ecological control, expertise
and monitoring, and the system of ecological education. Also
the state officials have recently formulated the essence of
their ecological policy, “Ecology is for the rich. We shall
take up ecology when Russia gets rich. Yet we should widely
use our natural resources and weaken environmental requirements
so that to facilitate investments [into the country]” (a quotation
from ex-Economic Minister German Gref and Finance Minister
Alexei Kudrin).
However, experience of other countries demonstrates that
stabilisation of environmental situation requires about 2%
of total budget expenditures; whereas slow improvement demands
about 3% and rapid improvement – about 5% of budget expenditures.
Russia’s environmental expenditures amounted to less than
0.1% of Russia’s budget in 2009.
Alexei Yablokov also pointed out that it is impossible to
change Russia’s ecological policy without restoration of elections,
independence of the courts and mass media. He also noted that
the urgent measures targeted at improvement of the situation
should include restoration of considerably weakened environmental
legislation, restoration of the environmental control agency,
return of expertise and control and development of environmental
education.
During further discussion on Acad.Yablokov’s report, Grigory
Yavlinky, ex-Chairman of the party and Political Committee
member, made a statement that Russia has “a political system
which is anti-environmental in principle.” “The essence of
this system is deriving profit at the expense of lives and
health of the people,” he said. He also stressed that “such
profits are largely formed at the expense of thousands of
deaths every year.” “This is an artificial method of reduction
of the costs, however, it will result in its bankruptcy [of
this power].”
Protection of environment is the prime interest of the society;
whereas the state which in our country is represented by a
group of officials who are at same time businessmen can be
interested only in business,” Yavlinsky noted.
Askhat Kayumov, head of the ecological centre Dront, said
that “any state ecological initiatives represent a means of
enriching of the bureaucracy.” YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
characterised the government as follows: “this is a closed
joint-stock company engaged in the sell-out of the country.”
Sergei Ivanenko, Political Committee member supported this
opinion. According to Ivanenko, only transformation of the
socio-political system can change this situation. Lev Fyodorov,
President of the For the Chemical Safety Union added that
“the country will not develop and will be further degrading
if the present policies are maintained.”
In the second part of the meeting the Political Committee
discussed the proposals on the reforming of the electoral
system submitted by Viktor Sheinis and Anatoli Golov, as well
as a number of inner-party issues on the threashold of the
congress.
See also:
YABLOKO
for Environmental Safety
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