Recycling books

Dear Sir,

In reference to the report, “Meeting to highlight the importance of recycling” (Gulf Times, November 30), I would like to point out that a lot can be done to recycle waste at its source itself.
A student needs books weighing around three to five kilos for his studies for an entire year and most of these, after he she gets promoted to the next class, become useless and  end up in trash bins. One can imagine the number of books that will be end up in trash bins at the year-end in a school with  around 2,000 students. There are over 300 schools in Qatar. Just imagine the “book trash” they produce! There are parents who are very keen to recycle these books.
It should be mandatory for schools to launch their own initiatives to recycle thrown-away books at the end of the year. A collection point  for recycling should be set up in schools to provide a platform for parents to recycle stationery and even newspapers along with schoolbooks.
Schools should encourage students to write on both sides of the paper. There are many companies which do recycling and schools can have a tie-up with them too.
Recycling  books can help reduce wastage piles and reduce pressure on landfills. Slogans on recycling and saving our environment should not just remain on papers; they should be practised too.  
Schools must run regular projects and campaigns to encourage their practice. Promote awareness among students and they will educate their own parents so that a cleaner world tomorrow awaits the young generation.

CV, (Full name and e-mail address supplied)

Urgent efforts needed on Syria

Dear Sir,

Russian President Valdimir Putin has announced a raft of economic sanctions against Turkey and is reviewing its military and ties with Ankara.
The Russian president also wants to increase his country’s military presence in Syria after one of its warplanes was downed by Turkey for violating its air space.
The United States and other Western countries  have accused Russia of supporting the unpopular regime of President Bashar al-Assad which is the root cause of all problems in his country.
It seems Russia is frequently targeting Western-backed moderate opposition groups in Syria instead of Islamic State militants.  Things in Syria are going from bad to worse after the Russian interference. The Assad regime, emboldened by the support of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, keeps targeting innocent people in its relentless bombing campaign. According to latest UN estimates, more than 300,000 people have lost their lives during the last five years of Syrian  conflict. Due to the heavy use of air power, the scale of destruction is extremely high and several areas have literally turned into rubble.
Around 3mn people, most of them women and children, have been forced to leave their homes and migrate to neighbouring countries of Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. A large number of people are living in refugee camps without any basic necessities. Thousands of them are also seeking refuge in Europe, after going through a perilous journey.
The Syrian crisis needs to be resolved immediately and global efforts should be stepped up in that direction urgently.

Khawaja Umer Farooq, (Address supplied)

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