Walk in a car-free Tripoli this Sunday.
Be prepared for some carbon monoxide withdrawal in Tripoli: Air pollution is Lebanon is getting bad. Local youths have appealed to the Environment Ministry to close the city to cars this coming Sunday. While it is documented that car-less cities and suburbs like Vauban in Germany may bring other problems for the elderly who need to lug around groceries, over all the sound of a car-less Middle East is music to my ears.
Cars are polluting and noisy. If you live in a healthy city, you don’t need one – just your legs to walk you to the market, or your bike to get you across town.
The Tripoli Carfree City event next Sunday will also be an expose of sorts, the Daily Star is reporting. Environmentally-friendly modes of transport will be showcased, like solar power cars.
The country’s Environment Minister Nazim Khoury blamed transportation for 70 percent of Lebanon’s air pollution problems. A bigger problem is the single commuter: “When you stand in Beirut or Tripoli, it’s clear that thousands of cars pass by with only one person inside,” Khoury said.
Tripoli Carfree City will happen November 12-13th in Tripoli and Mina. Send us photos, dear readers, if you can.
::Tripoli Carfree City
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Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
