Local elections are coming up next month in Turkey, and so far we've seen politicians' opponents accuse them of grandstanding for votes by storming out of a debate in Davos and speaking Kurdish in Parliament.Rival political parties have complained about each other distributing everything from appliances to coal to thepoor as a way of getting votes. But, one of the most surprising aspects of this campaign season have beenthe calls--faint as they are--for a greener, not just cleaner, election.
Environment Minister Veysel Eroglu ?rst brought up the issue earlier this month, asking the leaders of thecountry's political parties to avoid the unnecessary use of bulletins, brochures, and envelopes and refrainfrom throwing election materials en masse out of vehicles. The chairman of the Environment, Culture and Solidarity Association (ÇEKÜD), Süleyman Yorulmaz, added his voice to the appeal saying, "Mayoral candidates should avoid items that can only be used once, and instead should choose materials that can bereused or recycled after the elections."
Eroglu also called for the omnipresent ?ags and banners to be recycled, and offered the suggestion of using electronic technology to distribute messages instead of printed materials. This raised my eyebrows at ?rst, since only around 10 percent of Turkish households have access to a computer, but cell phones are ubiquitous, and you can already get advertising, news feeds, and receipts and con?rmation numbers fortickets purchased on your cell phone--even a text message when the delivery guy is waiting outside. So whynot campaign messages too?
Greenpeace weighed in on what politicians can do after the election, launching an initiative called "Mayorsfor the Sun" [in Turkish] to help local of?cials develop more climate-friendly policies. The effort targets mayoral candidates in the 47 cities where new coal-powered plants are scheduled to be built, as well asthose in Istanbul and Ankara, which have both been plagued by problems with dirty air. Greenpeace says 25 candidates have expressed their support so far.
Source: http://www.treehugger.com/?les/2009/02/calls-for-eco-elections-turkey.php