The St. Petersburg Times, December 19, 2000
Green Putin? Why Not Start Now?
We were surprised to learn on Friday that President Vladimir Putin, just 48 years old and in office less than one year, is already thinking about his retirement. In the run-up to his state visit to Canada next week, Putin granted an interview to the Toronto Globe and Mail and Canadian television in which he admitted, "I've often thought about what I should do when my term expires."
Even more surprisingly, it turns out that Putin harbors a secret admiration for environmental activists and is thinking of joining their ranks after he quits the Kremlin. "To be honest," he confessed, "I've always admired people who devote their lives to environmental problems. I've watched with astonishment as a group of people on a little boat tries to oppose a huge military or industrial ship. I must say this inspires only sympathy."
Obviously, we share Putin's esteem for the dedicated people who risk their lives drawing the attention of global leaders - such as Putin - to environmental issues.
Although these statements were just part of a charm offensive designed to take the edge off the ex-KGB agent's Chechnya-frayed image and can't be taken too seriously, the president's image-makers should be more careful to prevent him from looking foolish. Canadians shouldn't be taken in by Putin's sudden desire to paint himself green. After all, Putin's praise for environmentalists in rubber boats has to be taken in the context of his administration's record.
Unfortunately, this record includes abolishing the quasi-independent State Environmental Committee. It includes dogged persecution of environmental whistle-blowers Alexander Nikitin and Grigory Pasko. It includes active advocacy of a controversial plan to import foreign nuclear waste for storage and reprocessing. It includes a Central Election Commission decision last month to invalidate a Greenpeace-led drive calling for a public referendum on that plan.
The president surely understands that activists don't spend their time in rubber boats or hanging from buildings because they think this is the best way to improve the environment. They do so out of frustration because those with the power to really change things usually turn a blind eye to these problems. We are pretty sure that they would welcome the chance to pursue their cause inside the Kremlin or the many international forums to which Putin has access.
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