They're all criminals...

At least according to a sign that stood just outside a small mountain village which read: “harming the environment is a crime against the nation”. Only a few meters away, carton boxes, colourful wrappers and Pepsi cans adorned the trees that courageously hung on the side of the cliff. Unfortunately, the scene described here, as become a norm rather than an exception. The only difference being that this was the first, and only time that I saw the accusatory sign.

I’ve stopped counting the times when, perched upon a hill marvelling at the view in front of me, my attention is suddenly caught by a piece of [insert name of any trash item here] nearby. As my eyes follow the trail of debris, I quickly realize that I’m standing in an improvised public dump. I’ve witness groups of teenagers whom, once done with their picnic, leave everything behind. And since they all go to the same spots week after week, it does not take long before the area becomes too disgusting to enjoy a leisurely meal. So, after a couple of weeks, they’ll choose another place and go through the same process all over again. I’ve seen people throw trash outside their car window while driving. Cigarette butts, fast food wrappers, papers, you name it. I’ve even been hit by some of those projectiles. I’ve encountered cars parked at the top of a cliff to unload bags after bags of domestic garbage in the valley below.

Every time I feel like running up to them to say something; except I do not know how to yell in Arabic. Every time I feel like picking it up myself; except it would be a rather inconsequent gesture, they’ll just do it again. Every time, I feel bad for the miserable Sukleen (the Beirut garbage collection company) workers who work day and night picking up what others carelessly throw on the pavement. Although I’m thankful for their presence, sometimes I wish they were not because it would force people to notice the impact of their negligence. Most of all, everyday I am appalled by the inclination of Lebanese to soil their own country and destroy its natural assets.

The individuals are not the only one to blame. Even if you always take the time to throw your leftovers in the garbage, there’s no guarantee they’ll be properly treated since there’s no proper waste management infrastructure. Next to Saida, a hideous mountain of juicy, filthy and nauseating waste keeps on growing. Situated right by the sea, it is not rare to hear reports that a part of the mount fell into the water, spreading its refuse into the Mediterranean. A similar hill can be found nearby Beirut, except that one has now been covered with grass. There are a few incinerators, but not enough to meet the increasing demand. Unlike in Canada, there’s no nation-wide recycling program which could help reduce the amount of garbage which requires treatment. I’ve been told that you can find a couple of recycling garbage bins in Beirut for bottles and paper, but they’re rare and spread out. Not only would you have to find them, but you would also need to have the will to sort your waste and then bring them to the proper bins. It takes much more time and resolve than simply putting them in a box outside your door.

Until now, I’ve only talked about the garbage issue, but a lot could be said about other types of pollution. Often, by the end of the day, you can see a dark yellow film above the capital city and its surroundings. It results from car exhaust and industrial releases. Most people here seem unaware of the impact of driving either a massive SUV or an ancient Mercedes, both of which consume an insane amount of gas. Add to that the time that these cars spend stalled in traffic jams and you get a recipe for disaster. And once again, there’s no public infrastructure such as an efficient public transit system to encourage people to leave their car at home and lessen the amount of car on the roads.

In fact, it would appear that one of the main reason why people are so negligent towards the environment stems from their lack of awareness. A friend of mine, who teaches fourth grade in a school just outside Beirut, is currently on a crusade to educate her students about proper garbage management. Her first surprise was to learn that few of them were actually aware that there was a trash problem. When she showed them pictures of the Saida waste mountain or of the debris left on the Jbeil beach, they did not believe her. A few groups are attempting to make individuals and/or the government realize the destructive nature of their behaviour but so far, their efforts have been met with little success. I just hope that they do before the country drowns in its own trash.