Some burning ecological issues:-)

Monika Kupiec: Is Poland dirty from ecological point of view?

Andrzej Jagusiewicz: Poland is not a dirty country ecologically; I can only admit that there are still a lot of discrepancies between the old EU-15 countries and the new members, so called EU-12, including Poland. They stem from the differences between market economy and centrally planned one. Poland has still some homework to do, which is explicitly mentioned in the Accession Treaty. The latter relate in first instance to such areas as water quality, waste management, air quality and industrial pollution.
But going back to your question, the state of the environment in Poland is quite satisfactory as compared to other EU member States, in certain aspects even better, which can be best explained by less intensive socialist economy and by a more environmentally friendly approach to spatial planning. Lower domestic income in the past has proved to be our environment's ally. What is really "dirty" is ecological behaviour from quite large part of our citizens. For example statistically we produce little domestic waste per capita, but if you compare the same quantity of waste to our income then we are the champions among the EU or OECD countries. So we must dispose them somewhere and quite often illegally making your question at least locally founded.

MK: Why Warsaw's inhabitants can't drink tap water? When it will be possible?

AJ: But you can...only it's not tasty, because it's chemically treated. Now seriously, there is a clear link between the quality of the Vistula River and that of the tap water. More pollution load to rivers means more effort to "produce" a tap water. So if we build waste-water treatment for all communes with more than 2.000 inhabitants (equivalent in terms of waste water volume) by 2012 according to the Accession Treaty, one of our homework, and if our rivers achieve according the EU Framework Water Directive a good ecological status by 2015, then I am sure a tap water will be drinkable.

MK: What needs to be done in order to enable Warsaw's inhabitants to separate garbage?

AJ: First of all, I am sure that they are completely unaware that the Warsaw Municipality is ready to fine them for non-compliance with the necessity not only to collect wastes, but to separate and to put them into the right containers (5 different colours for specific wastes). According to my interpretation of the Law on Self-Government and the Waste Act such containers are integral part of the pro-environmental infrastructure of the communes (collectivities) and must be widely available to the citizens. So far I have not seen one neither on the Warsaw streets nor inside the waste rooms of the blocks of flats. So first we are lacking a proper infrastructure to collect let's say separated wastes. Secondly, throwing waste at public places is quite popular and gets so far unpunished. Look at the surroundings of the shops selling beverages, which are polluted by empty cans or bottles, look at the bus or tram stops where you always find domestic garbage and look at the drivers throwing through the windows on the streets their cigarettes. So secondly we desperately need environmental education.
In addition Warsaw Municipality eliminates street containers accusing citizens of not using them properly. Let say differently, they have never been in Warsaw regularly emptied and their density is perhaps good for a small town, but not for the capital city. Another accusation can be addressed towards the cooperatives or collectivities managing the blocks of flats. It's their basic duty to make various containers available in the waste rooms or on the yards for their dwellers. Also numerous supermarkets could play a good educational role, particularly in the first stage of the compliance with the new law. Making shopping may be a good opportunity to dispose in the right way waste. We see a lot of slogans, untargeted campaigns, random billboards instead of target-oriented and educational effort through TV channels or radios. So to sum-up: information, education, proper infrastructure and only then punishment. This is my recipe.

MK: What do we breathe in Warsaw?

AJ: I am sorry to say but we breathe air of a bad quality. Warsaw is a "red city", which means that it exceeds of the EU air standards almost everywhere. The situation is particularly critical with respect to particulate matter of less than 10 microns diameter (PMıo). These particles are directly inhaled to our lungs and can do a lot of harm to our respiratory system. Moreover, they are extremely toxic, because they can carry dioxins, heavy metals and hydrocarbons emitted by combustion processes and transport. The most striking example is the monitoring station located at the crossroad of Aleje Niepodleglości/Nowowiejska where for almost half of a year the air exceeds of EU daily PMıo standards. Warsaw needs urgently an air protection programme. To take seriously the new EU challenge the Warsaw Municipality must do much more to its citizens. In first instance it has to manage better city traffic, introduce clean and silent public transport e.g. buses running on CNG (compressed natural gas), restrict access for private cars to the city center through pay-toll system, establish the pedestrian areas and finally ban coal as fuel for heating and cars not meeting the recent EU emission standards.