النهار

What are rock crushers? Rock crushers are machines that break down huge rocks and boulders into smaller rocks, sand, gravel, and minerals used to build homes, driveways, paved roads, and sideways, which shows us the benefit of forming quarries. However, looking at it differently, how can mankind stand aside and watch in full awareness as we destroy the very geography of our world?! Lebanon has over a thousand man-made quarries scattered all over the country, which would be acceptable if it weren’t for the fact that Lebanese mountains are quarried in an unorganized way and without adequate supervision from the authorities. Furthermore, it is due to this lack of supervision that many quarries are formed illegally.

People for years now have started thousands upon thousands of campaigns to raise awareness and heal—or at least stop damaging—our planet, yet there are still few who believe that taking care of our world is not their responsibility. Sadly, those very people seem to believe they are above the law; their careless treatment of the environment has not only led to many deaths in our world but has also altered and wrecked ecosystems for many organisms. Unlike other countries, Lebanon does not have a specific area in which quarries can be found, but are, as stated previously, scattered all over the country at random; however, most of them are found in Mount Lebanon. The quarry owners’ lack of regard for the environment leads some citizens to wonder if they would rather make a profit from Lebanon's ecological sites than preserve them.

In addition to quarries making Mount Lebanon look like a puzzle with missing pieces, rock crushers release dust from the crushing of rocks and boulders, causing pollutants to contaminate our air, cover the neighboring trees, and infiltrate the water of our rivers, lakes, and other water sources. Deforestation, the slashing down of hundreds and hundreds of trees, is another major problem that quarries cause, because the work of these quarries alter the Lebanese ecosystem. Over 120,000 pine trees were cut down by rock crushers in the one Lebanese village alone. Citizens are beginning to speak out over the negative impact on their villages and the land, but action must be taken to resolve the problem before it’s too late. For the time being, however, each person should ask themselves: How can I, a simple, powerless citizen help improve this situation? It’s not as hard as one might think. Try planting a tree. Encourage reforestation in quarried areas, through petitions. Inform people in your community about the problems we're facing; raise awareness. Speak up when you are passionate about a cause. You have a voice—use it!