AKEL on World Environment Day
By combating the roots causing the problem, we can guarantee the continuation of life on the planet in complete harmony with nature
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 5th June 2017, Nicosia
This year’s World Environment Day is marked by the negative consequences of the neo-liberal policies at an international and local level that have a damaging effect on the environment.
The culmination of political and economic arbitrariness is reflected in the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change. AKEL expresses its deep concern and denounces the US withdrawal from this minimum agreement with non-binding terms.
The dramatic climate changes and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather phenomena, the rise in global warming and sea levels and so many other developments occurring every day around us are continuously sending out their own danger signal.
The negative developments in the field of the environment are accompanied by very destructive developments in the economic and social sphere, which exacerbate and fuel these problems. The conditions of poverty experienced by at least half of the earth’s population, the socio-economic inequalities in every part of the world, the lack of drinking water and food, the ongoing conflicts and wars are all manifestations of a system that for the sake of profit is destroying the two wounds of wealth – humanity and the environment. AKEL does not believe that this unacceptable situation is unavoidable, but instead considers that by combating the roots that cause the problem, we can guarantee the continuation of life on the planet in complete harmony with nature.
The vision and goal of real Sustainable Development can be achieved by putting environmental parameters and the interests of the peoples over and above the interests of big capital. The future demands courage, knowledge, a vision and a deep sense of responsibility. The future of the planet and the coming generations is a top priority issue and must not be addressed with the same approaches and policies that have provoked the problem.
The scenarios as regards Cyprus’ environmental perspective are truly a nightmare, given that our country is among those facing the big danger of desertification. Consequently, Cyprus must actively participate in the global effort to end the continuation of environmental destruction and for policies that ensure sustainable development to be adopted and implemented.
AKEL stresses that we must take very seriously into account the difficult position in which our country finds itself and fully comprehend the most difficult conditions in which it will be in the coming decades. We need to develop a new Strategy that focuses primarily on changing the uncontrollable and unplanned growth model that has characterized and is marking our island in the past decades.
The policies with regards the protection of the environment have also fallen victim of the destructive austerity policies which the Anastasiades – DISY government are implementing. It is characteristic that a year after the devastating fires in the Solea valley region, the government has not allocated the necessary resources so as to have sufficient personnel and equipment, while the roads and fire protection zones remain unmaintained.
AKEL’s message for this year’s World Environment Day is nothing more than a message that our environment concerns us all and that we have to fight for it.
