EcoLur
EcoLur continues its series of interviews on climate change problems with Armenian culture and art figures conducted in the frames of “Climate and Culture” project. This cycle is called “Climate Change: Personal Viewpoint” and this time we present Emmy, Singer Armenian Representative at Eurovision 2011.
Which environmental problems are you most worried about in Armenia and in the world?
The biggest problem we have at present is few forests and it would be much better if we took better care of our forests. Green plants can absorb not only bad air, but also bad emotions.
Thanks to God, our city is rather clean at present. Each community tries to do better than the other, but I can’t say the same about regions. If each town and community took care of cleanliness, the whole planet would be much cleaner.
Are you inspired by nature and environment in your creative activities?
I am glad when it rains or snows, as I have got the feeling rain or snow cleans everything. Recently I had a photo shoot and I watched weather forecast as I wanted the shoots to take place on a rainy day. One of the clips is about a girl in a bad mood, as her beloved is in sorrow. We found the solution in rain.
Politicians, scholars etc speak about climate changes and predict disasters. Do you feel these changes and how they are noticeable for you?
You shouldn’t be a scientist and researcher to notice everything has changed in the world. Today the whole world is shaking from earthquakes and floods with human losses and people become homeless. The weather in Armenia has also changed. When I was a child, I knew it must snow in December. Now it’s winter, but the weather in Yerevan is sunny and warm without any snow. The climate has changed.
We – people are to be blamed for this. I can understand business is good. Everybody wants to live well, to have good things, a good car, huge rings, but this is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to live this life. Stop cutting down trees. Stop taking everything from nature. It’s high time to return at least something to nature.
I advise everybody to watch films by Albert Gore which say what to do to make ecology better.
How can art and culture contribute to the preservation of environment?
I have a very vivid example of Michael Jackson. His “Earth Song” clip has shots how trees are destroyed, about earthquakes and floods, about everything that is bad. He is the only and irreplaceable person on the planet who alone called for the nature to be preserved. He was alone, but we are many and we also can call on this. I would like to ask everybody interested in this issue to hold huge events. Collect people from different corners of Armenia, both I and my colleagues are willing to give free-of-charge concerts. We are willing to call so as to have better Armenia in environmental sense and to show the whole world: we are few, but we also take care of nature.
To what extent are you willing to change your lifestyle in order to preserve nature?
Since my childhood I love spring as we plant trees in spring. If we go to our yard right now, you can see trees which I and my friends have planted. Each year in spring we always clean our yard, perhaps very few clean their houses the way we clean our yard.
I can’t change anything alone. I am willing to sing more and to present people good mood, but let’s join and try to make our lives better and cleaner.
January 26, 2011