Opinion
By Panayiotis Kaparis
"Fortunately, crumbs are falling from the tables of the rich, so we don't starve to death," lamented a long-suffering, honest, and somewhat "naive" man. This man, tired of the hypocrisy around him, would sit for hours in a café, sipping his cold coffee on his Minimum Guaranteed Income. Like Pericles in his Epitaph, he would philosophize and share his pain, battling depression while finding comfort wherever he could.
Everyone claims to care about the environment, but it's clear—or rather, they pretend not to see—that the only real solution is planting trees, which are the true factories for cleaning the air and protecting nature. Yet, the so-called green industry, valued in the billions, is again dominated by the wealthy.
We’re being urged to set up composting systems at home, turning organic waste into manure with the help of worms. Some municipalities offer these systems for free, but only those with big yards—i.e., the wealthy—can use them. The smell is unbearable, making them unsuitable for apartment balconies where clotheslines and living spaces are in close quarters. In villages, chickens are the most efficient recycling “machines.”
In Aglantzia, they introduced a "pay-as-you-throw" system with costly purple bags a few years ago. The bins are locked, but magically, there are always cheap bags inside, often left by students, foreigners, and other "shrewd" individuals. Some people just dump their trash in neighboring municipalities’ bins, leading to bins that are stinking, polluted messes.
Tragically, the recycling bins for paper and plastics were removed because people were using them for general waste. Now, garbage bags end up on sidewalks, becoming “toys” for cats and dogs, and turning neighborhoods into health hazards. In winter, the rain helps, but in summer, it’s a breeding ground for disease. The wealthy, with their foreign cleaners, remain blissfully unaware of this mess.
The so-called “green spots” are both a joke and a tragedy. Moving an old appliance or piece of furniture requires paying for a van, costing hundreds of euros. For those in apartment buildings, the alternative is to stash junk on rooftops until something can be done. If you look at high-rise buildings in Nicosia, you’ll see rooftops cluttered with discarded items. A few years ago, old furniture and appliances were left on the street for the municipality or others to pick up. Now, due to fears of hefty fines, everyone hides their junk away.
Incentives for electric cars are equally absurd. The wealthy get “gifts” of up to ten thousand euros to buy these expensive cars. Those with solar panels to charge their cars pay nothing, while poor people and foreigners make do with old, polluting cars. The trend for solar panels is also skewed. The state promotes a “solar for all” program, reducing a monthly electricity bill from 300 euros to just 30. However, in reality, only the rich benefit from solar panels, while the poor end up indirectly subsidizing them.
Ultimately, no amount of wealth can buy happiness or peace of mind. As Yannis Papaioannou said, “Enjoy life, everyone gets a piece of land.”
kaparispan@yahoo.gr
[This op-ed was translated by Shemaine Bushnell]
