Voice of Self-Advocates 18 - Protection of Environment and Recycling

SPRING 2015

Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy Issue 18

Topic of the issue:

Protection of

environmentand

recycling

2

EDITORIAL

EditorSenada Halilčević

JournalistHrvoje FornerSnježana KanjirFadil Špuren Nera BajzecGordana HuzekTomislav Ivašković

AssistantsAna ŠirićIvana Poslon HrvojDamjan Janjušević Mladen Katanić

This newsletter was supportedby a grant from the OpenSociety Fundations.

This day is a celebrated as a warning to the importance of protection of nature and the planet Earth. In Croatia there are laws that protect environment and nature.Some of the most important are:

Environment protection ActNature protection ActAir protection ActWater protection Act

Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Tomislav Ivašković,Snježana Kanjir, Mladen Katanić, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT CLEAN

Clean environment is important for health of people, plants and animals.For example if the air in a place where we live is contaminated then we can have lung problems. If the land where vegetables are grown is contaminated then these vegetables will also be bad for health.If we drink contaminated water then we can experience poisoning.

The biggest contaminator of environment is a man.The man uses in his life various things that contaminate the nature.For example man drives a car which emits gases that contaminate the air.Thermal power plants that give us heat contaminate the air.If we throw garbage in the nature we shall contaminate the land. The men need electricity and power plants that produce electricity contaminate air and water.Electricity can be produced by solar power plants and wind power plants.

Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

Dear readers, The spring is here and the nature is awaking.Many of you surely spend their free time walking through the city, going to parks or nature.The nature and environment is everything that surrounds us.They are very important for our life and development.That is why we have to protect and preserve them.Read about how to keep your environment clean in our new Voice of Self-Advocates dedicated to protection of environment and recycling.

PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

Protection of environment is the protection of the natural area in which we live from pollution and contamination.

The pollution of environment means to make it dirty in a way it can be cleaned.The contamination of environment means to make it dirty in a way it cannot be cleaned.

Environment is made of air, water and soil.Water in environment is rain, rivers, lakes and seas.All things in environment are connected to one another.If the air gets polluted that pollution is transferred to rain.When this rain falls it pollutes earth, rivers, lakes and seas.

United Nations Environment Program declared 5 June to be World Environment Day.

3

This day is a celebrated as a warning to the importance of protection of nature and the planet Earth. In Croatia there are laws that protect environment and nature.Some of the most important are:

Environment protection ActNature protection ActAir protection ActWater protection Act


WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT CLEAN

Clean environment is important for health of people, plants and animals.For example if the air in a place where we live is contaminated then we can have lung problems. If the land where vegetables are grown is contaminated then these vegetables will also be bad for health.If we drink contaminated water then we can experience poisoning.

The biggest contaminator of environment is a man.The man uses in his life various things that contaminate the nature.For example man drives a car which emits gases that contaminate the air.Thermal power plants that give us heat contaminate the air.If we throw garbage in the nature we shall contaminate the land. The men need electricity and power plants that produce electricity contaminate air and water.Electricity can be produced by solar power plants and wind power plants.

Voice of Self-Advocates

Dear readers, The spring is here and the nature is awaking.Many of you surely spend their free time walking through the city, going to parks or nature.The nature and environment is everything that surrounds us.They are very important for our life and development.That is why we have to protect and preserve them.Read about how to keep your environment clean in our new Voice of Self-Advocates dedicated to protection of environment and recycling.

PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

Protection of environment is the protection of the natural area in which we live from pollution and contamination.

The pollution of environment means to make it dirty in a way it can be cleaned.The contamination of environment means to make it dirty in a way it cannot be cleaned.

Environment is made of air, water and soil.Water in environment is rain, rivers, lakes and seas.All things in environment are connected to one another.If the air gets polluted that pollution is transferred to rain.When this rain falls it pollutes earth, rivers, lakes and seas.

United Nations Environment Program declared 5 June to be World Environment Day.

4 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

When you buy any device that runs on electric energy it says how much electric energy does it consume.About the consumption of electric energyyou can also ask the salesperson in the store. According to the amount of electric energy that it consumes every device belongs to one of energy efficiency class. Energy efficiency classes are G, F, E, D, C, B, A, A+, A++, A+++.

The best and the highest energy efficiency class is A+++.Devices from this efficiency class have the smallest consumption of energy.This means that you will pay less your electric energy bills if you use these devices. Unfortunately, when you buy this type of device in a store its price is bigger than the one from the lower energy efficiency class.

The worst and the lowest energy efficiency class is G.These devices have the biggest consumption of energy but they are the cheapest.

Sometimes you can see in a store 2 devices that look the same but have a different price.This means that these 2 devices belong to different energy efficiency class.

Energy efficiency is determined for houses and for buildings.Anyone who sells or rents a house or an apartment must have a certificate of energy efficiency. If you rent the apartment you can see from this certificate what the price of the heating will be.

Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Snježana Kanjir, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren

has a great impact on climate change. Due to climate changes the quality of life and survival of living creatures is at danger. Big floods occur because of which people are forced to move.Big droughts occur that destroy the agriculture and cause shortage of food. The work of big factories and exhaust gases from traffic pollute the air what can cause to people various deceases. It is similar with the pollution of water and production of food. At the end pollution of environment is harmful to all living creatures.

4. What can citizens do to protect the environment? Citizens should change their way of living in order to decrease bad influence they make to environment. This means they should drive cars less and use more public transportation and bicycles. This way less energy is used and the air is less polluted with harmful gasses.When you buy a product it is important to pay attention that the product comes in as less packaging as possible in order to decrease production of waste. Paper packaging is better than the plastic one because it is easier to recycle it. In households it is important to separate different types of waste and throw it in proper containers so that it can be recycled. Linen and paper bags should be used instead of plastic ones because it takes few hundred years for a plastic bag to decompose.

5. What are the biggest problems in protection of environment in Croatia?One of the biggest problems is waste. We still do not have good system of waste management. Separately a lot of waste gets collected,but big amount of it ends up in nature at illegal landfills. Big problem is also the street traffic that produces big amount of harmful gases that pollute the air.

Problem is also the wrong energy policy which promotes harmful energy projects that pollute the air, destroy the diversity of plants and animals and affect the climate change.

6. How Croatia protects the environment and nature?Croatia should protect the environment by implementation of laws, regulations and holding educations on the need to protect the environment. Unfortunately, environment and nature are not protected enough because earning money is more important than the clean environment. That is why it is important that the citizens themselves take care of protection of environment and nature.

7. How good are the laws for protection of environment and nature in Croatia? In most cases the laws are not that bad, but their implementation is not good.There is not much use from having a good law if the state does not implement it and does not punish those who pollute.Sometimes the laws bad for environment are passed.This is justified by the wish to stimulate investments.

8. Which are the biggest problems in protection of environment in Europe and the world?The biggest problem is climate change that worsens life of all people.Many activists all around the world fight against this problem.Important event related to climate change will be negotiations taking place in Paris in December this year.Problems in great part of the world are:

shortage of drinking waterpollution of environment with large amounts of waste pollution of air by gases from factories

All around the world more and more people live in very large cities with enormous traffic and problems in managing the waste.

NEWS

The project of Association for Self Advocacy and the Ministry of Social Policy and Youth

Association for Self Advocacy successfully carried outthe first year of the project Decisions is Ours.The project was supported by the Ministry of Social Policy and Youth.

In this project Association for Self Advocacy educated assistants from Centres for rehabilitation Ozalj and Zagreb.During the course of the project 4 workshops were held at which we educated assistants from rehabilitation centres in providing support in starting and leading of self-advocacy groups

Within this project Association for Self Advocacy madean easy-to-read brochure and a leaflet Living and Being Supported in the Community. In this brochure we wrote about:

what is living in the communityrights you have when you live in the communityhow and to whom can you complain if you are not satisfied with your support.what is written in the Article 19 of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

In June the Ministry gave us its approval for continuation of this project for 2 more years.Association for Self Advocacy will educate assistants from the centres for rehabilitation in making of easy-to-read materials.The meetings of self-advocates in centres for rehabilitation will also be continued and the Association for Self-Advocacy will make one more brochure and a leaflet.

USEFUL ADVICES FOR PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

There are some things you can do to save money and protect the environment.For example:

turn off the lights in rooms in which you do not dwelluse cheap electric energy tariffs as much as possible.During summer cheap electric energy tariff lasts from 10 in the evening till 8 in the morning. During winter cheap electric energy tariff lasts from 9 in the evening till 7 in the morning.when you buy a new device pay attention to the energy efficiency class.if it is possible dry your laundry in the air instead of using the drier. do not leave the water running while you are shaving, brushing your teeth or soaping your body when taking a shower.decrease the heating when you are not at home.it is better to decrease the heating a little during winter and put on warmer clothes.do not open windows while the heating or air conditioning is ongo by foot or bicycle if you can instead of using the public transportation.never light fire in the nature.share information on recycling, responsible use of energy and protection of environment with your friends, neighbours and colleagues. encourage public officials to start programmes that benefit the environment.

Written by: Senada Halilčević, Mladen Katanić and Ana Širić

INTERVIEW: BERNARD IVČIĆ FROM GREEN ACTION

1. Please introduce yourself (name, surname, what do you do)My name is Bernard Ivčić. I am the President and a member of Green Action.I deal with various topics of protection of environment.

advocating for better transport waste management stopping harmful energy projects.

2. What is Green Action and what are yours the most important activities?Green Action is the biggest association of citizens for protection of environment in Croatia which has been active for 25 years. We deal with various topics of protection of environment and nature:

promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy sources recycling of wasteprotection of forests and waters fight against coal thermal power plants

In order to achieve these goals we use various methods of work:informing the public organization of seminars organization of protest

Activities that we are currently doing are:campaign against the drilling for oil in Adriatic sea campaign for renewable energy sources and against the thermal power plant Plomin C campaign for recycling of waste and against the construction of incineration plantwe are taking part in a number of campaigns against the privatization of public resources

3. Why is it important to protect the environment?Man is just a part of nature and he depends on the protection of environment. Using fossil fuels like coal and oil

These power plants produce electricity from sun heat or wind and are much better for environment. If we contaminate the environment too much we can destroy life on the planet.Man’s life depends on the life of plants and animals andthat is why we must not destroy them.By protecting the environment we demonstrate responsibility and respect to ourselves and to all other living creatures.


GREAT DANGERS FOR ENVIRONMENT CAUSED BY HUMANS

Acid rainsWhen the smoke from factories, cars and housespollutes the air it can contaminate the clouds from which the rain falls.These rains are called acid rains and they destroy the nature.

If the acid rain falls on plants they can die.The land on which the acid rain falls becomes less fertile.

Acid rains can even damage buildings.The same way the vinegar melts the limestone on dishes acid rains melt slowly the concrete from which the buildings are made.

Acid rains can be prevented.If we clean the smoke from chimneys than acid rains will not even happen.

If we drive cars and buses less and we use bycicles or we walk more there will be much less smoke.++++

RECYCLING

To recycle means to use waste again in order to make new material from the old one.It is done by not throwing all waste into the same garbage container.We individually separate some materials and throw them in special garbage containers. Later new things are made from these materials.

Places where we can find containers for all sorts of waste are called recycling yards.

Recycling is very important for clean environment. Today we recycle more and more because this way we:

save on the materials of which we make new things contaminate less because we make less wastesave time and energy when making new things.

The most recycled waste is: paper glassplastic metal textile electric and electronic wastebatteriesmedications

Paper is made out of wood. The production of paper requires a lot of water and electric energy.Recycled paper is produced by processing paper waste.By recycling paper waste we protect forests and save water and electricity. We throw paper waste in the blue container.

Glass is a material that can be completely recycled.This means that all glass waste can be processed and turned into new usable glass.By recycling the glass waste we save energy and protect the environment.We throw glass waste in the green container.

Plastic waste is thrown in the yellow container.Some plastic bottles can be exchanged for money. Metals, like iron, copper or aluminium, we do not throw in the container but we take them to recycling yards.If we have a lot of metal waste we can sell it in places that buy off metal.

Old clothes, footwear, sheets or towels can also be recycled.We put these things in containers labelled with inscriptions textile, clothes and footwear. These containers can be of different coloursbut it will be always written on them what they serve for.Containers for textile, clothes and footwear are mostcommonly grey, yellow, white or dark red colour.These containers are often left open so thatanybody who needs clothes or footwear can freely take it out of the container.

Electric and electronic waste is for example old computers, washing machines, cell phones, TVs, fridges or light bulbs. This kind of waste is especially dangerous since it contains many poisonous things. That is why we must not throw these things intoregular garbage containers. This waste can be taken to recycling yard orwe can call the service that carries away electric and electronic waste free of charge.

Some letters can also be written below the triangle. If you see these recycling signs you should throw those products in the yellow container.

Paper products have a triangular sign with a number from 20 to 22.Below these signs are written letters PAP. Throw products with these signs in the blue container.

Often in the blue containers can be thrown tetra pak packagingIf it is permitted to throw tetra pak packaging in the blue container then it will be written on it. Tetra pak packaging has a triangular sign with the number 84.

Glass products have a triangular sign with a number between 70 and 72.Beneath these signs are letters GL.Throw products with these signs in the green container. Glass products often do not have a recycling sign. Such products are for example glasses or windows. These products, if they get broken, you should also throw in the green container. Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Tomislav Ivašković,Snježana Kanjir, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren

Energy efficient devices

If we say that the device is energy efficient then it means that it uses less energy than other devices.Devices that use less energy are better for protection of the environment.

We all use some devices or appliances at home that run on electric energy. Those are for example TV, fridge, hairdryer and vacuum cleaner.

Workshops on video activism

Association for Self Advocacy organized 3 workshops on video activism.The workshop was attended by self-advocates and assistants from 7 cities: Belišće, Dugo Selo, Osijek, Pakrac, Pula, Slavonski Brod and Zagreb.

At the workshops we learned about writing movie scripts, filming, editing movies and presenting our movie to the media.The educators were Tomislav Žaja, Davor Švaić, Jasenko Rasol, Branimir Hainš and Diana Dugandžija.

This workshops were held within the Core Grant project supported by Open Society Foundations.

















5Voice of Self-Advocates

Global warmingHumans use factories and machines that produce dangerous gases.These gases cause global warming.Global warming is gradual warming of the planet Earth.In the last 100 years man affects the global warming very much. This is very dangerous for the life on the planet Earth because warming is harmful to plants, animals and humans.

The scientists consider that global warming can lead to:rising of the sea level extinction of plant and animal speciesarid and infertile landheavy and violent storms

Ozone holeThe planet Earth is circled with a gas layer that protects the planet from the sun's heat. This layer is called the ozone layer.Without the ozone layer the sun would heat the planet too much and life on the planet would not be possible. Harmful gases emitted by factories and various machines and devices have damaged the ozone layer. This damage is called the ozone hole.

Ozone hole is very dangerous for the health of humans and other living creatures.

The good news is that the ozone layer is slowly repairing itself because people use lessof some of the dangerous gases in industry.

Written by: Mladen Katanić and Ana Širić

NEWS



























RECYCLING







































NEWS



























RECYCLING







































NEWS



























RECYCLING







































Used batteries are especially dangerous waste because they contain harmful chemicals.These batteries are thrown into the red container.These containers are smaller than the others andyou can find them in big stores or supermarkets.

Old medicine beyond the expiration date that we have not consume can be taken to any pharmacy.

Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Tomislav Ivašković,Snježana Kanjir, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren

RECYCLING SIGNS

Products that can be recycled have recycling signs on them.

You will find recycling signs on the back side of the product’s packaging. Packaging is for example a box or a bottle which stores the product that you buy. For example the packaging of milk is a bottle or tetra pak box, while the packaging of rice is a little bag or a box.

It is sometimes hard to distinguish for example whether the packaging is made of plastic or paper. In such cases the sign on the packaging helps you to know in which container you should throw it.All kinds of products which can be recycled have printed on the packaging a recycling sign in a shape of a triangle with some number in it. This number tells which material the product is made of and in which container you should throw it.

Plastic products have a triangular sign with a number from 1 to 7.

NEWS



























RECYCLING







































NEWS



























RECYCLING







































NEWS



























RECYCLING







































NEWS



























RECYCLING







































ZABAVNIK

NEWS



























RECYCLING







































NEWS



























RECYCLING







































NEWS



























RECYCLING







































NEWS



























RECYCLING






































NEWS



























RECYCLING

























SPORT

UEFA Qualifications for EURO 2016.On 12 June 2015 we played against strong Italy. We scored the first goal at 11 minute. The goal was scored by Mario Mandžukić.Italian player Candreva equalled the score from the penalty shot in 36 minute. Italian goalkeeper Bufon defended Mandžukić’s penalty shot. The game ended in a tie, 1 to 1.Because he committed a foul Srna was punished with two yellow cards and had to leave the game.Kovačić, Olić, Mandžukić i Rebić also received yellow cards.

On the 3 September 2015 Croatia plays with Azerbaijan. We hope that we shall win the match.

Written by: Nera Bajzec

Propagation of hatred at the football match between Italy and CroatiaVery good football match between Croatia and Italy in Split was ruined by one event.At the Poljud stadium field someone drew a big swastika cross. Swastika cross was a symbol used by nazies.Nazies were the political party who ruled the Germany and started the Second World War. They committed horrible war crimes and killed many innocent people: Jews, Romas, homosexuals and persons with disabilities.

Using and showing swastika cross is forbidden by the law because it encourages discrimination, killing, hatred and violence

Written by: Senada Halilčević and Mladen Katanić

b) yellow containera) blue container c) green container

b) used papera) old TVs, computers,

refrigerators, cell phones

c) used bottle

b) wood a) iron c) water

FUN PAGES

QUIZ

1. In which container do we throw glass waste?

2. What is electric and electronic waste?

3. What material a paper is made of?

GOGA’S RIDDLE

I am a forest tree, a white princess and beautiful?

Birch tree



CONTACT US

Bleiweisova 15, 10 000 Zagreb Telephone: 01 553 05 82, Fax: 01 553 05 56E- mail: [email protected]

Visit our web site: www.samozastupanje.hr

or visit us on Facebook

c) green container

WORDSEARCH

MANADRIATICOIL ENVIROMENT WASTENATUREFACTORYEARTH

S

E

A

D

R

I

A

T

I

C

Z

N

R

F

N

A

T

U

R

E

B

V

D

N

A

I

G

D

K

L

P

I

N

A

N

C

A

O

O

F

S

R

M

E

A

R

T

H

L

G

U

O

O

D

F

T

F

O

I

S

S

M

F

W

A

S

T

E

R

P

T

E

O

J

D

K

N

P

L

Y

P

N

I

M

C

O

V

J

E

K

S

T

L

L

B

T

P

M

A

N

Documents

Voice of Self-Advocates 18 - Protection of Environment and Recycling