Concerns Lost in Election Campaigns

The fervor of the elections has come to an end. There wasn't much time spent on campaigning for the candidates of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts, but how much attention was paid to the environmental conditions of the country in their intensive advertising methods? The designated locations for candidates' advertisements on the walls of some streets and alleys in many cities may be the best evidence of those busy days, filled with campaign posters and printed lists of candidates, along with the widespread distribution of their photos and slogans on paper and cardboard. Although the Tehran municipality claimed to have cleaned the cities of any posters, photos, and announcements the day after the end of the advertising period, ISNA reported that many streets were covered with paper on the last night of campaigning. Published photos from Tehran and many other cities during these advertising days show speaking centers, stadiums, and halls covered with election pamphlets and printed advertisements of candidates, covering the ground and their seats. This method of advertising, in addition to increasing the workload of municipal service workers and disrupting the appearance of cities, poses what dangers and harms to the environment of the country? Non-recyclable paper and abundant plastic in advertisements. Ismail Kahrm, an environmental expert and researcher in Tehran who has seen these scenes up close, says that in most cases, non-recyclable white and new papers were used in these advertisements. Nevertheless, it has been repeatedly stated that the process of this election period for the two assemblies in Iran has been different. Some media outlets have reported that even before the campaign fervor gave an electoral atmosphere to the cities, advertising slogans were being circulated on social networks, which, according to some environmental experts, was a more nature-friendly method. Although in this election period in 2015, municipalities designated specific places on some walls for advertising, some sidewalks and boulevards also had white billboards stating that it was a place for election advertising. However, as photos from news agencies show, most of these papers were torn down and scattered on the ground. On the other hand, there are always those who hand out small advertising brochures or printed sheets to passersby, but passersby usually leave the papers in the middle of the street and sidewalk a few steps further. The excessive consumption of paper, which was collected several times by street sweepers until late at night, was not the only concern for environmental activists, as in other election periods. What is the correct advertising method? A method that does not harm the environment and also informs and serves as an advertising method for a candidate? Arash Ghafouri, an electoral advertising expert in the United States, says that common advertising methods there are somewhat beneficial for the environment. Although it is said that the use of social networks in this election period has been unprecedented and incomparable to previous periods, there are other concerns. The aftermath of election advertising has always worried environmental activists in most periods.