The subject of the environment is a field of science that is developing with both engineering and other technical expertise, and over the years, it has evolved into a separate topic from agricultural or forestry authorities, taking its place as a distinct concept in government institutions and policies.
Environmental protection encompasses many subtopics such as waste management, recycling, emission control, pollution, etc., and it is a continuous process that happens every moment. In other words, it is not a sector where we can say, "Let's close the factory in the industry tonight, and we'll look at it again tomorrow morning" or "We'll send that work email tomorrow." It is an element that affects every moment of human life. It is impossible to isolate oneself from the environment while walking on the street, driving a car, or sleeping. Therefore, the environment is essentially the very situation we are in at every moment and influences our living space, from health to fine arts.
So, what are we doing about this critically important and intertwined issue of the Environment?
While not an expert on the subject, my managerial observations firstly suggest rules and penalties to prevent environmental pollution. However, the effectiveness of these on the behaviors of citizens and businesses is debatable. Secondly, waste management comes into play. This involves how household or corporate waste will be collected, separated, and transferred, which is one of the main activities of local governments. Thirdly, waste disposal or recycling is addressed. This stage is crucial because the purpose of what we try to achieve in the first two stages is the process at this stage. The recycling of waste materials such as metal, wood, paper, green waste, oil, etc., and offering the products resulting from recycling back to the public use provide effective benefits, not only in protecting the environment but also in economically evaluating the products. For example, the natural process of turning green waste from the garden into compost through interaction and reusing it in the soil for productivity is a natural, economic, and environmentally protective process. Fourthly, the conversion of difficult-to-recycle waste into gas and energy forms through methods such as burning, and reusing them again, is among the considerations.
Developed countries create comprehensive regulations on these issues, ensuring their implementation in daily life, and apply effective measures and high fines for inspection. As the most intelligent beings, we humans can experience a healthier future in proportion to the sensitivity and importance we show to the environment we were created in. Otherwise, it would be a failure with already escalating environmental problems exponentially.
We are the environment, and the environment is not a sector; it is our life.
Dr. Bilinç Dolmacı
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