Comments for Three theories on the origin of pollution in Kosovo at http://www.newkosovareport.com , comment 1 to 8 out of 8 comments http://www.newkosovareport.com Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:39:48 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080429913/Blackbird/Three-theories-on-the-origin-of-pollution-in-Kosovo.html#comment-1577 Without reading the other comments, I just want to commend your style of writing! It is absolutely fabulous the way you integrate all the sarcasm of the inner vs. outer cleanliness and orderliness that reign in our Kosovar homes. Thank you for this wonderful article! - drensky Wed, 21 May 2008 23:10:47 +0100 http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080429913/Blackbird/Three-theories-on-the-origin-of-pollution-in-Kosovo.html#comment-1565 Bolackbird: u r sooo right for writing the text copied below. the inside of ervey aprtment is spotless, but the stairwells are disgusting. It is amazing to me that people are not embarrassed to live in such retched conditions. they believe the state must clean their buildings. "Leaving aside the terrible chemical pollution, leaving aside the after-effects of war and leaving aside the massive pollution that exists in most places worldwide, there is a tendency among Kosovars to disregard the environment outside of their homes: and I do not believe that it is an insult to anyone to point it out. Perhaps we have lived here so long that we don’t even see people throwing trash from their candy on the ground in the street before us, or emptying the ashtray from their cars on the road in front of us. Plastic bottles and grocery bags don’t congregate along the riverside as an effect of factories and wars. Individual people are the cause. " - jon Tue, 20 May 2008 09:52:28 +0100 http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080429913/Blackbird/Three-theories-on-the-origin-of-pollution-in-Kosovo.html#comment-1502 I hesitate to respond to anything written in an internet forum, but If I say something critical about your country, it doesn’t mean that I hate your country. It doesn’t mean that the place of my birth isn’t flawed. It doesn’t mean that I think that people are hopeless. It doesn’t mean that some of your counterpoints aren’t also true. It doesn’t even mean that I am 100% correct. I have lived in Mitrovicë for over a year and I love it here – I just wish that it were cleaner. If I write an obviously fictional story about your country, it doesn’t mean that I am selling it is as fact. If I post some words to the internet it doesn’t change the world, but your reply doesn’t change your country one bit either. Turn off your computer, go outside and catch a bus to Vushtrri. Take a walk down by the longest river that flows within Kosovo’s border and get a good look at the potentially beautiful but horribly polluted countryside there. If you stay for an hour or two you will see at least one truck pull up and dump bags of waste next to the water. If you drive north towards Mitrovica you will not pass a single section of the river that doesn’t contain empty plastic bottles and grocery bags. The trash there—and in the fields, and in the tiny hidden waterfall I recently found near Bajgora—is horrifying. Leaving aside the terrible chemical pollution, leaving aside the after-effects of war and leaving aside the massive pollution that exists in most places worldwide, there is a tendency among Kosovars to disregard the environment outside of their homes: and I do not believe that it is an insult to anyone to point it out. Perhaps we have lived here so long that we don’t even see people throwing trash from their candy on the ground in the street before us, or emptying the ashtray from their cars on the road in front of us. Plastic bottles and grocery bags don’t congregate along the riverside as an effect of factories and wars. Individual people are the cause. It’s true that there is pollution in the States as well. But there are also vast expanses of unpolluted territories in the States, and I would argue that—comparatively—there is more unpolluted territory. Kosovo is a very small place that does not have the luxury of huge tracts of land to rely on for natural beauty. I hate the pollution in the States, and the size of territory there does not excuse any of it. But Kosovo has approximately two million people in a relatively small piece of land: every acre ought to be precious. A smart native of Kosovo that I sometimes correspond with once theorized that a disregard for public space among the people here might be attributable to a tradition of political disobedience. He gave a specific example that would never have occurred to me, and I had to agree that there may have been something to his point. A tendency to litter might have grown out of political and social circumstances. And long-term cessation of this tendency will certainly only truly come about through further political and social development. But there is no solution in saying that “other countries do it too” and “you’re wrong: Kosovo is beautiful.” There is even little solution in pointing out that “this is the fault of a certain people or institutions.” I complain about the pollution because I think Kosovo could be pretty. And the pollution that I am talking about is not the result of factories or politics: it is the result of individuals walking down the street who—for whatever reason—do not care about their immediate environment and do not understand the impact they are having on all of Kosovo by littering. Littering will stop when it becomes culturally and institutionally unacceptable to pollute, but it will only become unacceptable to pollute if individuals began to take a very strong stand about in their daily lives. - blackbird Thu, 08 May 2008 10:30:31 +0100 http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080429913/Blackbird/Three-theories-on-the-origin-of-pollution-in-Kosovo.html#comment-1470 The still US has its trashy parts, too. People still throw garbage out the windows of moving cars, they still let their trash blow all over their pricey suburbs, they still refuse to recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Part of the problem is when the current "conveniences" are provided to places that barely have what most of us deem necessities (reliable and durable utilities such as water, power, trash removal and sanitation). It's happened in the recent history of the western nations and is now spreading as our consumer culture takes over the globe. Hopefully we'll all be able to address the public education required globally to clean up after ourselves. - BlueMonkey Sat, 03 May 2008 04:48:45 +0100 http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080429913/Blackbird/Three-theories-on-the-origin-of-pollution-in-Kosovo.html#comment-1454 Parallel albanian institutions were established because the kosovan serbs kicked out all albanians from universities and schools. Kosovo Serbian laws established under Milo were discriminatory at best, and down right intended to push the albanians out of kosovo at worst. This is a fact. Not because I say so, but because the UN says so. Law Experts in the UN have brought in UN laws to replace the serbian laws ... the old yugoslav laws are still valid as they were professional but the new serbians Milo brought in when he removed the albanian autonomous status in the late 80's were one sided and clearly made to favour the serbs. The kosovo albanians have some serious problems because of this, as they lack education. It will take some time to rectify this but the EU will do their best. The kosovan serbs also have problems but I think that they are best off staying kosovan, even with the monetary support of Serbia with regards to sponsoring schools ... the risk lie with the posibility of new parallel institutions similar as what the kosovan albanians had. They will then be the ones with the problems later as the rest of Kosovo moves forward and they stagnate. My advice to them is this, stay serbian but in Kosovo. Lots other european countries have minorities which are supported by their native governments ... and this without hate or nationalist movements. They gain the best of two nations and feel at home both places. My best and hopes for a future goes to both the kosovan serbs and albanians. Prosper. - Coolio Thu, 01 May 2008 18:23:04 +0100 http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080429913/Blackbird/Three-theories-on-the-origin-of-pollution-in-Kosovo.html#comment-1447 Mike Z, I have read articles that have said the Albanians rejected all yugoslav institutions and set up their own, with the goal of independence. How can you blame your sorry illiterate state on those institutions in wich you have not participated in almost 40 years? I will tell you how. You are psychotic. Take heart! I am being nice to you and not describing you as criminal. Bush et al., are the criminals that feed your psychosis. They are to blame for keeping you ill. Your individual houses may be tidy, but your streets are filthy. Why lift a finger to do anything that someone else can do ? Why take a moral position when everyone else is acting immorally? Your "Kosova" folly is coming to anend, but sadly your last spasm of violence, that you will deploy in Macecdonia, and Montenegro, and Kosovo will truly be so sad because it is so unnecessary. - tim Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:33:43 +0100 http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080429913/Blackbird/Three-theories-on-the-origin-of-pollution-in-Kosovo.html#comment-1443 Most of the industrialized nations, first was polluted and after learn how to deal with it. Fortunately there are precise methods to deal with it, and Kosova don’t need to start everything from the scratch. As pollution start, then new recycling industries occur to deal with it. These industries will recycle, metals, glass, plastic, paper and cardboard. This technologies exists, and soon will be operational in Kosova too. It is another very dangerous pollution, and very hard to deal with. Depleted Uranium Rounds. - bluerose799 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:48:40 +0100 http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080429913/Blackbird/Three-theories-on-the-origin-of-pollution-in-Kosovo.html#comment-1442 These theories are ludacriss and totally farfetched ! Fisrt of all we need to remember one thing . the government at the time of serbian rule of Kosovo could care less about the 95% majority Albanians living in Kosovo ! Do you think after all the massacres that took place in Kosovo they really cared about the trash in the streets ? The Serbs cared about collecting taxes and sending the proceeds to belgrade ! And lets not forget about the war 98-99 when the Serbs tried to ethnic cleanse all of Kosovo of Albanians, from 1999 to february 17, 2008(Independence Day) Kosovars didn't know which direction they were headed ! Now they do and the world will see what is possible for the world's newborn country! It's like as if your home was under forclosure , would you really starty a remodeling job or buy some more furniture? I don't think you would have that on your mind as a first priority friend! Your main concern would be keeping a roof over your head and protecting your investment ! This article also is pushing the envelope on the reality of pollution in Kosovo, I have been there and it is a beatiful place, as a matter of fact I can't wait to move there in the near future ! - Mike Z Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:53:45 +0100