Vladimir Putin puts in a word for the Baikal Pulp and Paper Plant and polar animals.
Vladimir Putin, who had already established his credentials as a defender of tigers and leopards, yesterday turned his attention to polar bears. "They must survive not only in the zoo, but also in the wild," the prime minister said, setting a new goal for the protection of the species. The Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society earmarked 4 million roubles for saving the population of polar bears. Another 46 million was divided up among other fields of research, including the programme to preserve the Lake Baikal ecosystem.
The country's political and business elite suddenly developed an interest in geographical issues in November when the Russian Geographical Society, until recently surviving on a shoestring budget, got a Board of Trustees headed by none other than Vladimir Putin. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu was elected President of RGO, as if to declare that the field of geography in Russia is facing an emergency.
The enlarged meeting of the RGO at Moscow University's Asia and Africa Institute was attended by luminaries from the Board of Trustees. Businessmen Alekperov, Deripaska, Usmanov, and Prokhorov and a number of their less prominent colleagues gathered to discuss ways to save bears, Lake Baikal, the historical monuments of the Russian North and other problem spots. In addition to members of the scientific community and officials (including Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov), the heads of some media organizations were also present. This came as no surprise, seeing as the RGO will need massive media support.
One hundred applicants (both individuals and research institutes) competed for the 50 million roubles awarded by the Board of Trustees for grants, and there were just 15 winners. The chairman of the RGO panel of experts, Russian Academy of Science (RAS) member Nikolai Kasimov announced the criteria by which the winners were chosen: relevance, as well as scientific, educational and public significance. The final decision was taken by Putin, Mr Kasimov said.
Among the projects that were awarded grants, the prime minister singled out the programmes to save the polar bear and, of course, Lake Baikal, which he personally visited last summer to study the environmental situation there. The latter project was dubbed "Baikal Through the Prism of Sustainable Development." The grant, the memorandum says, will be used to find middle ground "between environmental concerns and the economic development of the territory in the interests of the local population."
Putin recalled the row over the impact of the local pulp and paper plant on Lake Baikal. The prime minister, however, does not consider it to be the main threat to Lake Baikal: "This is not about taking something away from somebody. I have talked with RAS members, and they made it clear to me that there have been no negative changes because of the plant." According to the prime minister, this does not mean that the problem does not exist, however, other enterprises pollute Lake Baikal much more heavily than the pulp and paper plant. He cited some figures to prove his point: the much maligned plant discharges 27,400 ton of waste, while the water supply and drainage system of Irkutsk discharges 106,000 tons and the Gusinoozersky industrial hub discharges 442,000 tons. The air pollution situation is similar. "One should look at everything from the viewpoint of the state," the prime minister said. "Let's say, the enterprise was shut down. But it is integrated into the fabric of life in the region, involving social issues." So the researchers will most likely have to forget about the pulp and paper plant and look for new ways to save Lake Baikal...
Tatyana Zamakhina
