My Serbian Lobby Campaign
Everyone who's read Desperate Serbwife for a while knows that there are a few things that drive me crazy around Belgrade; the double parking, smoking EVERYWHERE, and the stores closing so early on the weekends. However, I have finally decided on the one thing that I am going to start to actively lobby on....improving the air quality.I have heard that Serbia already has laws on the books which mandate that all cars meet "Euro II" emmission standards - which from what I've read means that cars need to be relatively clean-running (not as clean as EU countries, but still, clean). But c'mon, anyone who has driven on the streets of Belgrade has been stuck behind some car or truck spewing the thickest black cloud they've ever seen. These disgusting cars can not possibly meet the "Euro II" standard, but there are still thousands of them on the roads today making the lungs of Belgrade residents black and the building facades dingy grey. If there is a law against these, then why are there so many still on the roads? Because there is weak enforcement of the law!! Therefore, today I begin my campaign to lobby for better enforcement of the emission standards in Belgrade.
Now I know there are many laws that should be enforced, but I don't think any of them would be so easy to do and result in such an improvement for ALL citizens as cleaning up auto emissions. By requiring cars (especially older cars) to undergo yearly emission standard checks you would be sure to weed out those cars that can no longer pass. And if the police were allowed to pull over and ticket those cars that can not prove that they have passed the emission tests, the problem will begin to be reduced.
Further, if the government sticks to it's committment to ban leaded fuel by 2010, then within the next 3.5 years Serbia's air will improve dramatically. (By the way, did you know that Serbia is one of only 3 countries in all of Europe that still allows lead in their petrol? The other two are Bosnia and Albania. Lead is bad because when it is inhaled, as it is when it spews from the car tailpipe, it can cause learning disabilities in children and brain damage to babies being carried by pregnant women).
I know people are going to tell me that it is expensive to buy new cars and repair old ones; that people only drive old, poison-spewing cars because they can't afford anything else. However, at some point, Serbia is going to have to clean up its cars - why not start now?
To those who agree with me, I invite your suggestions as to ways to get the government to enforce the current laws. Perhaps we could start a write-your-MP campaign to show that there is voter support for this type of action. Do you do that here? How do citizens get their voices heard here in Serbia anyway?
posted by Brooke @ 3:41 PM
33 Comments:
I am with you!! You re so right--i mean bulgaria was so bad, 100 times worst than serbia just few yrs ago and they made it to change it and so serbia can do it too! We just need someone that will start with it and shows us how and to care enough.. Poor our citizens..and plus, I am ok with smoking in general but in serbia it is TOO MUCH!! i am serbian and i cannot stand that smoke in my face all the time..I wish we make some laws to reduce it or to have some public places for non smokers... Brooke, there are some things I wouldnt agree with you but on this one I am 100% with you. Whatever you re doing, sign me in--lets do it!
Brooke,
It's really touching that you feel at home at BG, and that you want to make changes. However, people over there are rather financially depleted and any change would have to be financially within people's reach. I don't think that anyone in Serbia is making a concious decision to "pollute," but countries like Serbia have become the "dumping ground" for everything that can't be dumped or sold to the rest of Europe (like leaded fuel for instance). Regarding smoking, you should pay a visit to London -- you'd be really surprised at the number of smokers and people blowing smoke in your face here -- but no one dares accuse Brits of being "primitive."
best,
Milica
I think there are more pressing problems in Serbia than emissions.
Canada has only had emission testing for the past decade, and we have a lot more money than Serbia to put something like that in place.
I think Serbia has to deal with their displaced refugees, and employment problem before they can shake their residents down for emission testing fees.
I think what you're suggesting is years away for where you're living.
It's naive.
I'm surprised...I mean, you're living there...don't you see what Serbias priorities are?
she sees it, radmila but she wants to start something usefull too. it all ll come together at the end. brooke, just go for it..pay attention on your project and slowly others will too. and yet, other problems leave to other people to deal with it--you stick with yours.
Yes...but all things in their time, and first things first.
Go ahead and frustrate yourself if you please Serbwife.
But there are more pressing issues, as Milica points out.
So cynical, Radmilla! You're right that Serbia has so many problems to solve but I don't think one can easily dismiss the problems associated with the awful pollution here in Belgrade.
It's terrible here and clearly one of the worst, yet solveable problems. Respiratory illnesses are rampant and the pollution makes all the buildings turn awful colors. It's one of the reasons foreign companies don't want to invest here. Sure other cities have pollution problems, but at least they're trying to do something about it. Serbia's not doing anything.
As for other problems - there are many. But Serbwife would be banging her head against the wall trying to solve those too. People use the 'financially depleted' arguement as an excuse against any progress over here.
Funny you should bring up London Milica. I lived there for a year too and you can ask my friends, I wouldn't shut up about the disgusting amount of smoking there either. The only difference is that I wasn't subjected to other people's smoke in their offices, during meetings or in taxi cabs and I could usually find a non-smoking section of resturants(so at least it was somewhat avoidable). However, the smoke in the pubs was absolutely disgusting. But from what I understand there is a smoking ban in place (or soon will be) and at least the smokers of London realize that the rest of us find it extordinarily rude to subject us to their bad habit.
there are reasons why some people smoke a lot too due to bad condition of life. americans again, can be drama queens about tiny smoke..and serbs smoke too much. however, it is amazing how brooke managed to live almost everywhere in the world! and you re only ..what 30?? can we please, see your picture here? what exactly do you do when you get to live everywhere? what was your major in college? how much more can you take it to live in belgrado? hehe sorry for all these Q's but I find you very interesting and so I would like to know more about the author since I read all these stuff from you. It makes more sense to connect the readings if I know bit more about you.
I bet you'd think air pollution was a huge problem if you lived here. It is terrible in Belgrade.
whats ur point milos? that has been said already.
hey brookie,can we get more of "you know you re becoming more of serb when you.."??pleasee ..can you observe more and write it down for us?? i know that are more funny stuff out there..
Just a forwarded note to Millica,
you say no one dares acuse the brits of being primitive - well we aren't, not only does the uk have one of the lowest smoking rates in Europe (23% - down from 50% just 30 years ago), Smoking will be banned from all public places across the entire UK from next summer! It is also already banned in offices, hospitals, on public transport and most shopping centres. Now not many countries can boast of such things!!!! (Just the clubs and pubs to go)
Dave
Brooke, it is admirable that you’d like to take action. Air pollution, as well as smoking, are really big problems in Belgrade and Serbia. Yes, there are other, perhaps bigger, problems, but we certainly cannot wait for one to be resolved before working on another.
I also understand people don’t have money to buy new cars, but I absolutely agree that restrictions on emissions should be imposed. People who cannot afford to buy appropriate cars can use public transportation (so can those who CAN). They will save up on petrol costs AND reduce pollution. Maybe access to central areas should also be limited for cars, like in London, where you have to pay for it. There have been initiatives like the Park and Ride system, but they haven’t really realized their potential.
I think your campaign should include several points: legal regulations on emissions, imposing legal regulations, limiting access for cars to city center and improving quality of public transportation as a viable alternative to cars.
The main problem, in my view, is that all governments have so far shown that they do not actually want to resolve traffic problems for good, but occasionally impose these laws, just to raise some money. That has so far been the case with seat belts, yellow lanes and pedestrian crossings. There were campaigns, fines, and just as people start to respect these regulations, everything stops. Until the next hole in the budget.
Yes..I am a cynic.
So, I agree...let's impose expensive emission testing so that people who need to get around for work stop driving...and companies close down because they can't afford to transport goods and food.
Yes, I agree!!!
This is an excellent idea!
The economic climate can get worse, but, hey! At least the air will be cleaner...and then we can work onbanning drinking and smoking in a culture that is depressed.
It's a proven fact that during war, and poor conditions addictions of all sorts increase...people need to escape from their circumstances.
But yes!
Take on this lobby...it's an excellent way to pass the time until you get to go home to your own country, and leave those that have to deal with it behind.
Yes, Brooke - please stop coming up with ideas that might make life better around here. No one wants that.
We'd rather be depressed and smoke all day.
Whoa! I'm not talking about imposing any new impossible standards that will throw most cars off the roads, I'm talking about enforcing standards that are already supposed to be enforced and taking only the worst polluters off the roads while the majority of people with perfectly acceptable emission standards keep going about their business.
Right on Brooke! Good god, if Bulgaria could do it (and their economy didn't collapse) then I believe Serbia certainly can!
I'm a fan of clean air, but you need to bear in mind a few facts. Bulgaria hasn't been through a war AND twenty years of sanctions. Bulgaria isn't supporting a hell of a lot of refugees from Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. Bulgaria isn't having to spend money to rebuild bomb damage -- to name just a few differences.
Before you can get officials in Serbia to enforce laws that are already on the books about emissions, you need to get rid of the quislings in power OR ELSE have the quislings' American rulers instruct them to enforce emissions laws. There, THAT might be the way to go...
Milos...thanks for joining me in some traditional Balkan sarcasm.
LOL.
OK,
First, it's rather unbecoming to refer to me as "London Milica" --I'm a Serb-American living in London. I'd appreciatte a bit less sarcasm here, if it's possible at all to have a respecful dialogue.
Second, I'm not disputing the fact that something needs to be done in Serbia -- but it should be started from the top, not the bottom, and ordinary people shouldn't be made to suffer and be forced to take public trasportation. Has anyone here really seen what the public transportation looks like?
Thirdly -- to the anonymous Brit who posted here -- Was smoking EVER really allowed in the hospitals in the UK??? If it was then the situation here's much worse than I've ever imagived.
Greetings, peace etc. to all
Milica (only in London temporarily)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Coming back to air pollution in BG- I'm with you 100% !
It's bad. But I think a lot of it is also due to the heating system. A lot of buildings/people still use fuel to heat in the winter time -the smell in the winter - agh! There was/is some kind state sponsored incentive to encourage people switch from fuel heating to electric (smells less, pollutes less, does not blacken buildings so much) but it looks like many didn't take it up. ( I don't know the exact details, but basically some of the cost of switching was born by the state). You might want to look into what was done there, why is didn't work as well as it could have, and how to improve on the communication of a sponsored change. In any case, you will need some kind of financial incentive for changes to take place be it for traffic pollution or heating.
I think it could work - look at the gem of a parking system, and the fact that if you don't pay you get fined. Look at the really high sidewalks they have built in the centre so people cannot park on them without ruining their cars... little by little, things are improving.
P.S. sorry removed previous comment- my text went a bit funny!
Can I please get a little benefit of the doubt Milica? I forgot a comma, I wasn't trying to offend. The first line of my comment should have read, "Funny you should bring up London, Milica."
And FYI - I took the bus for the first 3 months I lived here and my husband takes it everyday, it's really not bad at all...
you guys stop saying so much s... about belgrade..stuff like public transportation: you should try San Francisco public transportation and then you will appreciate more Belgrade. In SF,it takes forever to come.., it is more expensive and half of people who ride them are homeless and dirty and smell horrible!!
There really is no need to be THAT cynical.
Nobody is talking about banning cars altogether or banning delivery trucks and the like…
I just suggested that more people could use public transport. Is that such a strange concept? At least within city centers where congestion and pollution are at their worst. It is quite a decent way of getting around. People can, believe it or not, get to work, without an automobile. If you look at the streets in Belgrade, most cars you’ll see have one or perhaps two passengers. If half of these people decided to taka a bus/tram/trolley/train the number of cars would be cut in half. Even with crappy cars it would be an improvement.
And I absolutely do not agree that everything should start from the top. Sure, those at the top have more power/responsibility and need to do their jobs properly, but that doesn’t take responsibility away from the rest of us. If we want things to get better we have to work a bit harder. Hopefully this country won’t be a post-war depression zone for ever. One day we will have more money and better cars, but wouldn’t it be good if by then we learn to think responsibly and consider our impact on the environment and health of other people and ourselves.
Milica,
A brief history of tobacco:
Europeans discovered it in the 1600's; until the early 1900's europeans felt it had medicenal products; then in the 1950/60's scientists discovered it was a carcinogen.
Therefore it was banned in hospitals in most countries including the UK. Before that time you could smoke in any hospital in the world - and in some countries you still can!!! Why not hire a 1930/40's film and check it out for your self?!
From Dave
Born and bred in London
P.S. If you want any more medical history then ask away - as medicine is my life!
P.S.S. I am not an anonymous brit - I went to uni with Brooke in London!
P.S.S.S. I just did a little research - Serbia has one of the highest smoking levels in Europe - over 40%(from the bbc).
That statistic might well be true, but the BBC is not to be trusted on anything it reports on Serbia. In my opinion, and not mine alone, the BBC has so distorted Balkan events to become so anti-Serbian as to have ruined its once-venerable reputation.
As for smoking in hospitals and such in Britain, my husband's research colleagues at the scientific labs where he worked in London were still smoking -- in the labs! -- until about 20 years ago, when it was finally banned.
Hi everyone,
I didn't intend to start a "heated" discussion here, I simply volunteered a few observations. PS, PSS and PSSS Dave -- thank you for an abbreviatted history of tobacco and its use -- it's rather common knowledge. Binge drinking on week-ends, however, is not, so perhaps you can explain that phenomenon to us to??
You are "anonymous" to the rest of us, since your comment here was listed as by "anonimous."
And just what "born and bred in London" is supposed to signify? Does that mean that the rest of us who weren't, can't have an opinion? Brooke lives in Belgrade, and as an observer, she is able to notice many things that people who were born there got so used to they don't even register. The most important point that Brooke brought up here is how one really goes about changing things in Serbia. The government still seems to be this rather removed and unreachable entity.
Milica
whoa it got heated up in here. i don't have much to offer because i'm passionate about "nothing" - but if you are passionate about this Brooke.. go with your gut and do what you can.
One problem amongst many that bother me about Serbia and Montenegro. There is only one bone density machine (sorry I don't know what they're called) to test bone marrow for osteoperosis. If that machine brakes down, which it has in the past, a person traveling from Montenegro, must return home and wait for the machine to be fixed.
How is the health care system over there and do the doctors and hospitals have enough medicine. How do they get their medicine? I know when I was in Montenegro, my daughter received great care from a well known doctor in Podgorica for a cold.. and I had superior care for a bad case of food poisoning. We only received such good care because we had the money to pay for it.
Ahh, the list goes on...
Well, I didn't have any intentions to join this discussion (its much more comfortable to follow it) but I beleive that one point needs to be stressed. I can agree that Well, I didn't have any intentions to join this discussion (its much more comfortable just to follow it) but I believe that one point needs to be stressed. I can agree that Serbia has more problems that the air-pollution but if someone is willing to start a campaign which contributes to common benefit the only thing is to say: Way to go!!!
Serbs are so famous about their skepticism and pessimism that any good initiative is so hard to get through. In that sense, please free to support one of us to lobby for all of us.
Well I've disagreed with you before Brooke but on this we are in total agreement.
The pollution in Belgrade is truly awful and getting worse from year to year. Stats are available from the REC.
Lets put a bit of context on this - we are talking about children here as the most endangered group of primarily vehicle pollution.
And lets also remember that Serbia has been exposed to depleted uranium and goodness knows what else during NATO bombardment. Add to that Serbias diminishing population, a high rate of abortion, increasing amount of chemicals in fruit and vegetables. Well ok Im painting a bit of a nightmare scenario but the problem is very serious. The reason why Serbia cant wait for technological advancement and economic growth before it settles its environment problems is because Serbians are being exposed to much higher levels of differing types of polltuion than the average country did in the past or today.
The envrionment is one of my passions. We have a right not to be poisoned by others and wherever necessary can make compromises bearing in mind the fact that Serbia is a country in recovery.
Good topic.
Milica,
How long have you actually spent in the UK? I am starting to wonder if you actually live there at all? Do you know any british people? If you did they will happily explain why binge drinking is a huge problem, not so much in London but is a huge problem else where. Do you really want me to explain binge drinking? You would be the first American I have known not to understand where it originates from.
Another thing which makes me think you are not in london is that you dont understand the saying "born and bred!!!". I can't explain its meaning as "its a saying", but I am in complete bemusement you have never heard it before!
I am guessing you have been in the uk for less than 1 year, or less than two years but have rarely left the M25 area, and know only a handful of Brits. As your random comments dont really reflect someone that has spent much time in london or the rest of the uk which is a whole different ball park.
Dave
Dave,
I've been in London for 14 months now, I live in Richmond, and I have a lots of British friends, none of whom are as aggressive or angry as you seems to be. My English is fine too -- I understand perfectly what "born and bred" means -- I have a degree in English from an Ivy League University.
Binge drinking, as well as smoking are serious problems here -- perhaps you should read the newspapers. Anyways, I'll leave this discussion-- it's been rather unpleasant dealing with you, since you seem unable to discuss anything without trying to insult whoever disagrees with you.
I would just like to point out to you that this is not your blog, but Brooke's and you're making people here feel uncomfortable.
best,
Milica
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