Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Dear Editor,

While reading one of the latest issues of the Kyiv Post I was delighted to find the article by Vitali Klitchkowhere he pays a lot of attention to the issue of a potential ecological disaster. At last, thought I happily, the point of nature protection became vital for our top public figures.

Well, my enthusiasm was doubled by that fact that I did my reading in a very cosy Kyiv district park with anabundance of garbage and cigarette-butts on the not-so-green grass and lovely lakes with the not-so-lovely plastic bags, bottles and other rubbish floating in the water. The only comforting thing was a brood of ducks peacefully swimming in the sun. But will they be able to survive in this environment – that is a very disturbing question.

This August will mark 18 years of Ukraine’s independence – a country famous for its beautiful rivers, green fields, blue rivers and deep forests… But ISit famous or WAS it famous? That is the question that should bother all politicians and other authority figures despite their party adherence. We all breath the same air, and in general, eat food from the same supermarkets. It is impossible to hide oneself behind the tintedwindows of luxury Lexus cars even if ones live outside the polluted Kyiv.

Each day in the media we witness dozens of high-profile discussions about entrance to the NATO, about Russian Patriarch Kirill'svisit and whether they found a rope in general [Oleksiy] Pukach's prison cell or not.Sour-faced public figuresand experts blurt out important words of how this or that event will impact their lives.

But as for me, the plain truth is that not only long-term goals influence our life now but so do piles of garbage and cigarette-butts in public parks in Kyiv and other towns and cities in Ukraine. This is partly due to a low level of culture of thosein charge as well as ordinary people who do not care to throw their cigarettes into bins or are too lazy to take an empty beer bottle with them to leave it in a proper place. The conclusion is clear: we do not respect ourselves. Therefore, how could we claim for respect from others?

Over last few years I am shocked how dirty my native Kyiv has become. Even when my office was located in the prestigious district of Podil, the street occupied by respectable restaurants was littered withpiles of household garbage with its accompanyingsmell. Big refuse containers were onlyabout 10-15 meters away… It seems to me that each KP reader has witnessed several such troublesome street dumps.

The recent substantial raise of communal tariffs attempted by mayor Leonid Chernovetskiyimpacted the Kyivans' wallets, but alsoproved to be positive in one aspect:it madeus feel that everything has its limit and price. Water, electricity, paper, rivers, fertile fields –to name just a few -- they also have their limits, and when they run out Ukraine will by on the threshold of environment disaster.

Neither President Vladimir Putin nor President Barack Obama can be blamed forhow theUkrainians live now : they do not make us throw cigarette-butt onto lawns instead of the bin. Neither NATO nor the E.U. will clean up Ukrainian cities if each of us does not take their own responsibility.

Talking about creating a flourishing nation remains empty talk as long asour authorities fail to provide us with a basic things – clean streets. I am deeply confident that this is not the issue of the money but attitude. As they say: it is no need to fight for cleanness, one need only to dust the floor.

Nataliya Rudnichenko,

Scientist and journalist,

Kyiv