I had just completed and was putting the finishing touches to my article about combating climate change during the live broadcast of Türkiye’s 24 Hours of Reality program with former US Vice-President Al Gore and Yeşilist founder Ergem Şenyuva Tohumcu, when last night’s devastating incident occurred. After the Beşiktaş-Bursaspor match, a car bomb attacked police officers on the road between Süzer Plaza and the stadium. The explosion was so powerful that some even heard it from the Anatolian side. The windows of all buildings in Nişantaşı, especially on the Maçka side, shook violently.
Some windows on the side of Süzer Plaza facing the stadium were shattered. Staff and hotel guests in the building were injured by the broken glass. However, the real disaster occurred outside. Unfortunately, according to current reports, 30 police officers and 8 civilians have lost their lives. There are over 150 injured in total. I pray for God’s mercy upon the deceased and offer my condolences to their families. We are truly heartbroken. I can’t find the words to express it. Terrorism is everywhere now. It’s even infiltrated within our closest circle. We’ll see what happens next, if everything falls into place. In the meantime, we’re doing everything we can.
The cry of our dear brother, who lost his father so dearly, broke our hearts. We are truly heartbroken.
I would also like to share with you (it is impossible not to be devastated) the interview of Berkay Akbaş, a doctoral candidate who lost his life at the age of 19 in the terrorist attack in Dolmabahçe, with his sister Selin Akbaş, who was also a final year medical student:
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kardesim-ve-arkadasimdi-40309365
As you can read in my article below, while we strive to create a more livable world for our own generation and future generations, others are constantly striving to make life miserable for us. Personally, I can say this: I continue my journey as unaffected as possible by current events, dreaming of the bigger picture. That’s why, to move faster and realize my heart’s desires, I left the family business five years ago and started my own renewable energy business. We’re contributing to renewable energy projects as much as we can, contributing to the energy revolution. That’s why we founded TIDER and are doing everything we can to expand our aid efforts to those in need. That’s why I volunteer at conferences as much as I can, giving talks, especially at universities, to inform people and guide young people. That’s why I traveled from Istanbul to Paris to participate in the 24 Hours of The Climate Reality program to explain on an international platform what can be done to prevent climate change. I will touch upon this topic in this article.
Good4Trust
I first met Ergem (Şenyuva Tohumcu), who suggested and invited me to the program, through Good4Trust. Good4Trust is a platform where conscious consumers (or producers, as Good4Trust calls them) connect with those who share their good deeds, work diligently, and produce with respect for nature, guided by the philosophy that “goodness is contagious.” Ergem and I serve on Good4Trust’s Council of Seven, led by the esteemed Uygar Özesmi, along with other valued members, each of whom is a leading figure in their respective fields. (https://good4trust.org/council)
After a successful banking career, Ergem set a different course for herself with the birth of her daughter. Like many concerned people, she believed something needed to be done about climate change, but she didn’t just think about it; she took action. In 2009, she became the Turkish representative of Al Gore’s The Climate Reality Project, an organization dedicated to combating climate change. At the end of 2010, she founded Yeşilist, “a platform for those who care about themselves, their environment, and nature.” Today, Yeşilist continues its work to raise awareness and consciousness on issues such as ecology, life, mother-child, food, cities, and green living. In her own words, she believes that “we can leave a livable world for future generations, and that we can all achieve great things with small steps.” (http://www.yesilist.com)
Picture of Al Gore and Ergem
In November, Ergem sent me a message, and we spoke by phone. He invited me to participate in 24 Hours of Reality’s international live broadcast on climate change. Since the program’s goal was to draw the world’s attention to the climate crisis, which is transforming our planet in all its reality, scope, and dimensions, and because the invitation came from Ergem, I accepted without hesitation. (http://www.24hoursofreality.org)
Live Broadcast from a Rooftop in Paris
Later, the program’s producers called me and asked if I could come to Paris to voice my views live on air. I said I would be there for a day. Ultimately, I organized my schedule and flew to Paris on the evening of 5 December. Although it wasn’t my favorite city, I realized I missed this city, which I hadn’t visited in two years. I booked a reservation at the Sofitel Arc de Triomphe, where I usually stay.
I know the area well, and it was a lucky coincidence that the studio was on Avenue Marceau. I have friends who live on that street, so I found the location as if I had my own way. The live broadcast was scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM Paris time. I arrived at 1:00 PM. After discussing some details with the program’s technical team, I had lunch around that time and then returned to the studio. The filming team told me I would be getting makeup done. I thought they would just apply two powders and leave it on like in Türkiye, but they surprised me by having a skilled makeup artist and a hairstylist work meticulously on my face and hair.
At 3:00 PM, they took me to the roof of the studio where the shoot would be taking place. I positioned myself so that the Eiffel Tower could be seen in the background. According to the schedule they showed me, Al Gore would speak first at 3:00 PM, then I would speak between 3:18 – 3:28 PM, and then Ergem would speak. I listened to Al Gore’s speech, but due to a technical issue, the audio I received was crackling. At 3:18 PM, I realized the program schedule had been changed. First they connected with someone else, and around 3:30 PM, Ergem commenced her speech. Even though the voice was intermittent, I could hear her eloquent speech through my headphones.
An excerpt from Ergem’s speech at the Türkiye Session
My audio connection was then cut off for a while, and then they brought me back on air during the Turkish session. There were still serious audio issues, so I could only hear four or five words of the first question posed to me and began answering the rest by guessing. As I listed the first questions that came to mind, I thought to myself, “I hope I’m answering correctly.” After answering three questions in just five minutes, my portion of the broadcast ended.
I had to squint to adjust to the outdoors because the light was shining in my eyes.
I didn’t realize I was talking to this friend in Cape Town. I answered questions through the headset.
The technical team on the roof couldn’t understand why the program schedule had changed at the last minute. Later, the studio manager downstairs came up to the terrace, explained the situation, and apologized: “There was a sound connection problem between Cape Town and Paris. To fix this, we changed the schedule and brought you back to the broadcast towards the end. However, because the problems persisted, we had to cut it short. We apologize for these inconveniences. We didn’t anticipate this much trouble with Cape Town.” Upon hearing the explanation, I asked in surprise, “Did I speak to Cape Town?” While I was waiting for the connection to the US, they had interviewed me from South Africa. (I thought to myself, “Cape Town again? Oh no!” I’ll be writing my next article about my experiences in Cape Town.)
All in all, it was a very enjoyable program. Even if it was just for a short while, I had the opportunity to share my experiences with the world. I thank Ergem for this. You can find the video of my segment on the program below:
After the program, Ergem and I spoke and shared a joint press release. I’d like to share some excerpts with you to give you an idea of the content of the speeches:
Türkiye Ranks 23rd in Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Half of Türkiye is Becoming a Desert, Solar Energy is the Solution!
24 Hours of Reality, which portrays the impacts of global climate with striking realism to the world, reached millions of people live on December 5-6 this year. The event, organized by The Climate Reality Project, founded by Nobel Prize winner and former US Vice President Al Gore, discussed climate problems and proposed solutions in the 24 countries with the highest carbon dioxide emissions. The speeches, held during Turkish time, were delivered by Al Gore, Ergem Şenyuva Tohumcu, founder of Yeşilist and the Turkish Representative of The Climate Reality Association, and Serhan Süzer, CEO of EkoRE.
Al Gore: Half of Türkiye Could Become a Desert
Al Gore was the first speaker to speak during Turkish time. Noting that Türkiye is 23rd in the rankings, Gore stated that energy is the biggest contributor to emissions, at 73%. Al Gore emphasized the need to reduce emissions in areas such as electricity, heating, manufacturing, and construction, stating that significant steps will be taken with the Paris Agreement, which Türkiye has signed. Al Gore stated that Türkiye, like the rest of the world, is affected by the global climate, explaining that this situation is causing not only heat but also excessive rainfall. He shared images of floods from Trabzon, Bartın, and Edirne. Emphasizing that Türkiye is among the countries facing the threat of drought, Al Gore emphasized that nearly half of Türkiye is at risk of desertification.
Ergem Şenyuva Tohumcu: Clean energy creates opportunities, not costs, for companies
Ergem Şenyuva Tohumcu, founder of Yeşilist and Türkiye representative of The Climate Reality Association, delivered the second speech during Türkiye time. After receiving climate training from Al Gore in 2010, Tohumcu, who has given seminars as a climate leader in Türkiye and many other countries around the world, said, “The transition to clean energy has begun in Türkiye. However, the government’s forward-looking policies on climate change are crucial for accelerating this process. It’s true that climate change is a crisis, but actions taken to address it create revenue opportunities, not costs, for companies. All we need to do is take the right steps.”
Serhan Süzer: We are second in Europe in solar potential
The event, which featured opinion leaders, politicians, scientists, and experts, concluded with EkoRE CEO Serhan Süzer. Noting that Türkiye has the second-highest solar potential in Europe after Spain, Süzer stated that solar alone could meet the country’s entire energy needs. Serhan Süzer, stating that EkoRE is one of the few companies in Türkiye working on this issue, said, “While nature has provided us with such an opportunity, we need to utilize solar energy in the best way possible using the technology we have. As a courageous investor, I initially invested entirely in this field, primarily in Concentrating Solar Power, a solar energy technology. I then sold that technology to a foreign investor and, with the proceeds, founded EkoRE, which develops projects in solar energy, this time in the PV field, and provides EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) services. I believe that by improving ourselves each year through our strategic work, we will achieve our sustainable energy goals.” He concluded his Türkiye time with the following words.
After sending this newsletter, they covered our news in online media. Here are some of the news items:
http://yesilhaber.net/2016/12/09/turkiye-icin-korkunc-uyari/
http://www.borsagundem.com/anlik-borsa-haberleri/20161208131525
http://www.enerjihaber.com/turkiye-nin-yarisi-collesiyor-care-gunes-enerjisinde/4206/
http://www.yeniprojeler.com/enerji-sektoru/turkiyenin-yarisi-collesiyor-care-gunes-enerjisinde
http://www.nakithaber.com/gunes-potansiyeli-olarak-avrupada-ikinciyiz-7960h.htm
http://www.elektrikhaber.com/2016/12/09/turkiyenin-yarisi-collesiyor-care-gunes-enerjisinde/
https://tasimapostasi.com/2016/12/11/turkiyenin-yarisi-collesiyor-care-gunes-enerjisinde/
http://www.turk-internet.com/portal/yazigoster.php?yaziid=54759
Future generations will be the ones who laugh in the end.
I’m delighted to be a part of The Climate Reality Project, which is working to make the world a more livable place. Like our valued friends on the Good4Trust 7s council, our professionals and volunteers working tirelessly for TIDER, my colleagues at EkoRE who are working tirelessly to implement more renewable energy projects and continuously improve technology, and those in the private sector who are doing their best to contribute to civil society, I know many wonderful people who are striving to make this world a more livable place. We will all continue to do our best. In the struggle between those who want to make the world a more livable place for everyone and those who want everything to suit their own interests, we must be more resilient and stronger than ever. Let no one be discouraged. In the end, we will be the ones laughing, and so will future generations.
Tag: ecology
