Архив «Экологической гласности». 1988-2016

I have written and published dozens of studies and books, hundreds of articles on problems related to natural and anthropogenic habitat change. I have participated in dozens of thematic conferences, advised government agencies and legislative bodies of different countries. Participated in international environmental leadership programs, the task of which was to form groups of young people, peers in different countries who know each other personally, are able to understand each other and have a high enough status to enter the circle of decision makers and defend the «global environmental agenda» there.

At the beginning of the two thousandth years, it became clear that the resource state, of which I was a citizen and for whose benefit I worked, needed environmentalists mainly in order to collect environmental payments and fines from owners of enterprises objectionable to the regime and at the same time justify the need for environmental atrocities by friendly resource industries. Of course, such a discovery did not contribute to enthusiasm in the work.

In addition, examples of harassment of environmental organizations, journalists and researchers began to appear. It began to seem that doing ecology in Russia is not only useless, but also dangerous.

Scepticism about the need for my work for my country worsened and turned into complete pessimism in 2022, when it became clear that I, an ecologist with a Russian passport, had no place with my research not only in Russia, but also in many other countries.

At the same time, another global economic crisis loomed on the horizon. Experience suggests that the economic crisis will inevitably give impetus to the development of research in the field of ecology, ways to preserve the environment and the development of new energy sources. So it was 50 years ago, so it will be now. The main thing is not to grow moss during the waiting time and not to lose interest in your work.

Unable to work for the future, I decided to shake up the past – to recall completed projects, reread my previous publications and select from them those that have not lost relevance for future Russian environmentalists.

Unfortunately, there were many such publications. The achievements of the late 80s and 90s of the XX century in environmental legislation, environmental control and industrial environmental practice in Russia were thoroughly «rammed» by the resource lobby. There is nothing to do – you will have to start all over again.