Our island features
countless natural treasures.
The land
is graced by nature
from one end to the other.
Above all, countries
having such clean shores
are rare.
You can see
deep inside the sea,
the water is crystal clear.
The land is also adorned
with unique species
of plants.
Mediterranean flora
is quite typical,
but it also features
a vast diversity (of plants).
Hallo, eco-aware viewers,
and welcome to
Planet Earth:
Our Loving Home.
On today’s program
we travel to Cyprus
to meet Dr. Doğan Sahir,
an architect
and the president
of the non-profit
environmental organization,
the Cyprus
Green Action Group
and Dr. Salih Gücel,
director and
assistant professor at the
Near East University’s
Environmental Science
Institute to learn about
this Mediterranean island’s
unique ecosystem and the
environmental challenges
its inhabitants are facing
due to
harmful human activities
and climate change.
We start with agriculture.
Like elsewhere
in the world,
cultivating crops
in a conventional manner
causes long-term damage
to the land upon which
food is grown and
even adversely affects
areas far away from
the farming operations.
We use excessive amounts
of chemical fertilizers
during our
agricultural production.
These chemicals
are under strict control
or completely banned
in many countries, but
we still tend to see them
as very helpful additions
and use them excessively,
despite us having
little land to cultivate.
In a setting where
neither adequate control
nor certain
monitoring procedures
are in place
we are detecting serious
chemical accumulations
in soil.
Certain locations
suffer severe hazards of
accumulated chemicals.
This naturally has
an impact on the crops,
not to mention
the problems set off
when these chemicals
are washed away by rain;
these can contaminate
the ground water
and surface streams
on their route to the sea
and they will cause
more problems in the seas.
We use herbicides
to control the weeds.
We have already
wiped out many
of our endemic plants.
Be it endemic or not,
any plant in an ecosystem
has a role, increases
the biodiversity,
but sadly we have
damaged this as well,
and we keep
cornering these plants
each and every day.
Plants in Cyprus are
the main source of life
in Cyprus, just as they are
all over the world.
As well as human beings,
all creatures benefit
from plants as food,
as sources of food,
or to build shelters
to hide in them,
or to make their nests.
In this respect, plants are
the most important living
resources of the world.
And in Cyprus,
there are around 1,900
different plant species.
Including the species,
subspecies and variants
we have 1,900
different plant species.
Around 10% of them are
indigenous to Cyprus only.
This percentage,
the 10% ratio
of plant species which
are unique to Cyprus,
is primarily attributed to
the geological formation
of the island.
The loss of greenery
across the island is
very troubling to scientists,
environmental advocates
and others.
The effects
of climate change
are exacerbated
without sufficient levels
of plant life,
thus threatening
the future sustainability
of life on Cyprus.
Our island doesn’t have
sufficient vegetation.
It should cover around
30% of the land but
currently only some 18%,
17.8% or 18.1%
to be more exact of
forest land is registered.
But unfortunately
not all of these lands
are covered with forests.
There is a continuous loss
from wildfires.
As a result
of these wildfires,
forest areas in particular
are destroyed.
These negative effects
later combine with the
impacts of global warming
and climate change and
create challenging results.
For example when forests
are destroyed by wildfires,
the land becomes
devoid of vegetation,
soil becomes bare
and becomes vulnerable.
With cloudbursts
occurring as a result
of climate change,
the soil is washed away
into the sea.
So, climate change
combined with
the human impact yields
an increased erosion effect.
So, our actual forest area
is merely 7.5%,
far less than enough.
These days, where
global warming and
global climate changes
are devastating and
destroying our planet,
it is very sad
that we don’t have
the natural, green shelter
on our island to
control the microclimate
or alleviate the impacts.
Bare soil surfaces and
concrete surfaces will
increase the reflected heat
and since there is
not enough vegetation
to absorb it and
to maintain the balance
for oxygen and humidity,
the discharged heat will
warm up the atmosphere,
and this warming when
combined with the effects
of water vapor
from the seas around us,
the greenhouse effect will
be even more devastating
in our country
as we are on an island.
This means
that our island which
is at the most vulnerable,
hottest spot in the middle
of the Mediterranean basin,
which endures the
most challenging impacts
of the greenhouse effect,
will endure even harsher
climate conditions
due to our own mistakes.
If this scarcity of
green plants on the land
expands into the sea,
calamity will be
awaiting us, because
it is a well-known fact
that a great portion of
the oxygen we breathe in,
around 80% of it,
is generated
by marine plants.
Keep in mind a great part
of the oxygen we breathe
is produced
by marine plants, not the
green plants on the land.
If we continue
to overlook this, and
destroy the marine life
to get some water we will
worsen the severity of
the disaster awaiting us.
Dr. Sahir says recycling
and waste management
practices
are not well developed
on the island, leading to
the contamination
of Cyprus’s soil, air
and freshwater resources.
Our wastes are piled up
at certain locations,
the so-called
“unsanitary disposal,”
and from time to time
they are incinerated
openly or
catch fire by themselves
or are allowed to burn,
or the wastes simply burn
out of control.
We have around 100
waste dump sites, and
innumerable chemicals
released by fires can
have direct toxic effects
on humans, or
carcinogens like dioxin
cause even worse harms
in the long run.
These substances,
which have the potential
to harm nature as a whole
as well as humans, puts
wildlife under pressure
and play a role
in the greenhouse effect
when suspended in the air
and also
drop on the ground
with the acid rain, causing
more soil pollution.
On the other hand,
these wastes
can filter into the soil and
pollute the groundwater.
Globally approximately
three billion people
live in areas
where water demand
is higher than supply.
Cyprus is one such place,
causing severe hardship
to island residents.
Today the world
is suffering problems
involving the reduction
of resources, especially
the water resources
due to climate change.
Cyprus is an island.
Water is rather scarce.
We feel the extreme effects
of climate change.
Our country
is unfortunately poor
in freshwater resources.
Since we are an island
we have limited
freshwater springs.
We keep exploiting
the groundwater.
Desalination from seawater
is now being considered.
As a matter of fact,
this method poses a very
serious threat for our seas,
because of the lack
of laws and regulations
or the unfulfilled need
for improved rules.
It's a threat with
a potential to destroy
the biological balance
not only for the sea,
a threat that can bounce
back to hit the people
on the land as well.
Dr. Sahir believes
that the people of Cyprus
must take
constructive action now
to assure a better future
for their island
as well as the planet.
There are several things
that need to be done
in our country.
We must at least
prevent these effects.
Waste materials
must be recycled.
Since we are
a small country
such an effort
may not promise
a significant income.
However the harms
caused by these substances
directly on human health,
on soil,
in our groundwater,
which is already scarce,
as I've just said, and
the secondary damage
and pollution
on the agricultural lands
as they are washed away
by surface streams
and rainwater
are immeasurable.
We have to
recycle the wastes
in a proper way.
An effective and
environmentally-friendly
way to secure
water resources
is by harvesting rainwater.
However an examination
of meteorological data
reveals that although
we have decreasing
precipitation rates,
if we could harvest
8.5% or 10% of
the average precipitation
in our country
we will have more water
than the amount we are
readily consuming.
If that portion of rainwater
could be harvested and
made available to people
with a sanitary method,
we wouldn’t be speaking
of the scarce
water resources problem
I mentioned.
There are simple
and effective actions
we all can take
to aid our planet
at this critical time,
namely following
an animal-free diet
and leading
an Earth-friendly lifestyle.
Earth's diversity
belongs to the Earth.
We shouldn’t think
that Earth's diversity is
at man's disposal,
we shouldn’t think
that humans are
the exclusive owners
to enjoy this.
For that reason,
when we are enjoying
the biodiversity around us,
we should keep in mind
that other living things
need it too,
benefit from that too,
and act accordingly.
If we can change
some of our habits,
we can survive this.
We can keep the balance
from worsening, the
system from falling apart
and ensure our survival
and surely the survival
of our children.
In our country we have
a customary habit.
Everyone, at the weekends,
is accustomed
to making kebab.
We eat meat, we are
mostly meat eaters.
However a grave fact
stands out.
One of the key drivers
of global warming,
is the livestock industry,
consumption
of animal products;
i.e., meat consumption.
Methane gas emitted
as a consequence
of the livestock industry
has serious impacts.
The figures given are
terrifying and if we can
simply prevent this,
we should never say,
"There is nothing
we can do."
If we can stop this alone,
and be vegetarian,
indeed we will be able to
save the Earth.
Yes, let's be vegetarian
and save the Earth.
Please, play your part
in saving our planet
by adopting
a vegetarian diet.
We sincerely thank you
Doctors Doğan Sahir
and Salih Gücel
for informing us
of the pressing
environmental issues
facing Cyprus and
for sharing your
concerns and solutions to
the climate change crisis
affecting the island
and the rest of our planet.
May we all quickly adopt
the organic vegan lifestyle
to forever ensure a safe
and beautiful world.
Be Veg,
Go Green
2 Save the Planet!
To contact today’s guests,
please visit
the following websites:
Dr. Doğan (Cyprus
Green Action Group) :
www.Facebook.com/group.php?gid=51585678216
Dr. Salih Gücel :
www.CYEF.net/en/node/741
Thank you
for your kind company
on today’s edition of
Planet Earth:
Our Loving Home.
Up next is
Enlightening Entertainment
after Noteworthy News.
May the magnificence
of Heaven’s creation
enlighten your days.