This more draft, rant and scream of my soul.
Daily i see overwhelming complaints about electricity, trash, traffic and other issues.
I will postpone traffic issue for now, as things i did on this matter is not finalized yet.
Angered people daily blame politicians about failures on this matter. I dont interfere in Lebanese political life, and view them as pure technical issue that i can try to help to solve.
I tried to research subject, and this is what i found:
Trash
Trash problem exist everywhere. First i thought, wow, that "west" people is so more civilized, problems is PEOPLE!
No. It's not. This iceberg has an underwater part. Many of these "white-toothed rich civilized people" simply export non-recyclable garbage to China, Africa, their semi-colonies and just poor countries. Lebanon can't do same.
After more extensive study, also i realize "civilized" trash "separation" is more based on fear of fines, than voluntary choice. They have even trash detectives, to find and severly fine offenders (1800 euro). It is possible, but do you really want it?
Right now Lebanon at a fork between several directions:
A)Make the state strong enough so that it can bend you and force you to sort garbage, and also impose a bunch of new taxes. So called "civilized" way.
B)Sort trash by yourself. Do you know how much raw metals and other materials cost? As soon as you do that, you will begin to complain that they are ringing you at the door and asking if you have extra (sorted) garbage. :)
C)Keep drowning in your own trash and complaining
I just started, step by step, something that i can do for sure, planning now how to do same with plastics. (I have some types of them collected too and trying to use self-printed parts, made from recyclable PLA, but it is long story).
This - aluminium things (mostly cans) are collected over 6 month, from all my family members.
I really want to hope that Lebanon will show the world how to live and chooses B. It’s
not enough to hope others will do that too, you need to remember every day and every time you hear "one more complaint about garbage" to ask this person - what have YOU done to solve this?
Electricity problem
No miracle here. Even "magic" 24/7 EDZ buy from EDL by subsidized tariffs, as public information says, and when they are not, their diesels are emitting fumes, that will eventually settle in your lungs, food, water. Also those subsidies are major reason of country plunging in debt and can't invest in other, even more critical social issues.
There is no miracle Siemens or Turkish barges that are going to solve problem. They are just interested to sell their stuff to your country. Reality sucks... i dont know why people are so selectively blind on that and keep lying to themself.
So you have several problems there and possible solutions:
A)Cut subsidies entirely and get riots of low income citizens.
B)Make subsidized "social norm" for poor people, and then normal tariffs for those who want to consume more, then you will see tons of cheating on this matter, from those who want to keep sitting on subsidized electricity.
C)Make subsidized "social norm" and fund it by overinflated tariffs for others. Well, it will be more balanced in matters of government debt, but will increase friction between low income / mid/high income population.
None of A,B,C addressing capacity and pollution problem
D)Take initiative in your hands. If you can afford anyhow, go solar/wind.
My installation is still in progress, and i picked _Lebanese_ company who does their own R&D on BMS, and they use quite clever way of extending batteries lifetime, their 3rd party suppliers also lebanese as possible (for me it means supporting LEBANESE inventors and less pollution by dead batteries).
Yes solar might not be beneficial, if i calculate just money, it is not clearly beneficial for me. I can just put up a bigger UPS and solve my problems.
But if you calculate your comfort, predictability of your supply, and most important health of people around you, including your friends and relatives... it is definitely worth it. Same time you address capacity issues and debt of country, and decrease burden on state.
Do it when you can.
I am constantly seeking also energy and cost efficient solutions every day for myself and my clients. I am proud to say now, these are not only empty words and promises, I have already begun to take some steps... what about you?
Again, same reminder, as soon as you see rant, redirect question of person properly:
When you blame others for YOUR problems, what did YOU do to solve them?
and give him suggestions.
And if he doesn't take any efforts to do that or discuss why he can't, next time i will do something that belongs to my culture, but might be considered as impolite in Lebanon. (while... what fantastically complex efforts he need to do, just to collect cans and plastic in separate bags?)
I will just tell: "Shut your mouth, i don't want to hear your useless shit anymore".