by Kelly Purdy
Ukrainian winters are, in a word, harsh. Temperatures in most of the country drop well below freezing and stay there from early November through March or later. It is a wet cold too, the kind that penetrates deep into your bones. The ubiquitous fur hat is less a fashion statement than a simple necessity for the average Ukrainian. In this climate energy inefficiencies are more than an economic and environmental concern; they are a major health concern.
The vast majority of the country relies on centralized heating systems. The government controls when the heating systems are activated, sending hot water through aboveground pipes to radiators in apartment buildings, businesses and government offices throughout the country. Most city governments activate the systems in mid-October, and in the cold fall weeks leading up to the much-anticipated day, families bundle up in blankets in their homes, office workers wear their coats and scarves at their desks, and general conversation in the streets focuses on when the government will turn on the radiators. In 2003, economic shortfalls forced the city of Dnipropetrovsk (population 1.1 million) to delay heating thousands of apartment complexes until mid-December. Temperatures plummeted and the state-run news ran a shocking report of an infant freezing to death in her crib.
But even when the heat is on, many buildings remain bitterly cold throughout the winter due primarily to energy inefficiency. Windows are universally drafty and nearly all buildings are made of concrete, a legacy of the soviet era. Distance from local heating stations and the size and condition of pipes can be contributing factors, as well. There are no temperature controls within buildings, and larger buildings tend to receive less heat. Schools, orphanages and other large public buildings rarely get warm enough for students to remove their coats and scarves in the winter, and some are so cold that school is regularly canceled on the coldest days of the year.
Better building practices and inexpensive improvements in energy efficiency could cut heating costs an estimated 20 to 40 percent in Ukraine. This prospect of a dramatic reduction in energy profligacy has inspired grassroots activists in the city of Rivne, about 150 miles west of Chernobyl, to develop a series of demonstration projects that have improved energy efficiency in four orphanages, two kindergartens and two large secondary schools. Their goal was to create viable models for weatherization and energy conservation, while protecting the energy interests of vulnerable members of society.
Ecoclub was founded in 1998 as a nonprofit committed to protecting and improving the environment in Ukraine and around the world. In 2001, Ecoclub joined with Ukraine Energy Brigades (UEB) and local Peace Corps volunteers to address energy efficiency and equity issues in the Rivne region. Their project has led to measurable improvements in comfort levels in these buildings and has gained the attention of citizens and government leaders. The average increase in temperature in each building was nearly ten degrees Fahrenheit.
With help from Global Greengrants Fund, Ecoclub and UEB were able to purchase materials and organize volunteers. In Tuczyn, a village of about 2,000 in Rivne Oblast, the team installed 250 insulated windows and replaced and sealed window frames in a local orphanage. A second orphanage in Myrogoscha received a makeover similar in scale. The team has retrofitted several buildings in the city of Rivne as well.
An important goal of the team is to reduce Ukraine’s dependency on unsafe and outdated nuclear energy facilities. In 2003, another grant helped fund a week-long energy awareness tour entitled “Clean Energy for Tomorrow” which visited major cities throughout western Ukraine, including the capital city of Kiev and the northern city of Zhytomyr, both of which suffered immensely from the Chernobyl disaster. Nine volunteers from Ecoclub coordinated with volunteers in each of the six cities to organize press conferences, set up bulletin boards and hand out literature in public squares. Their campaign focused on household energy conservation measures, renewable energy alternatives, and the hazards of nuclear energy.
Ecoclub has networked with several national and international groups to help increase energy awareness and energy efficiency standards in Ukraine. They have organized protests against the construction of new nuclear power stations in the Khmelnytsky and Rivne; they sponsor seminars and conferences on energy related issues; and they publish a bimonthly newsletter called “Nuclear Monitor” to educate the public about renewables and Ukraine’s current energy challenges. In coordination with NIRS/WISE International, Ecoclub is also organizing a major international conference for the 20th Anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to be held in Kiev in April 2006. Ecoclub continues its weatherization program, as well, helping to keep people warm and demonstrating the benefits of simple and inexpensive measures that can help the country avoid further investment in nuclear power.