Poland's
transition to a market economy and a democratic
government, creative/energetic/idealistic leaders in
1999, coupled with a main watershed covering 53% of
the country and most of its industrial center, and
that it was the last unregulated in Europe made the
country very open for Sharon Moran's doctoral
research. The country's location between
Germany and Russia also means that the borders have
shifted a lot over the years. Despite this,
there is a great sense of national pride--especially
for the communal opposition of Nazi occupiers.
Reconstruction in Warsaw used authentic building
techniques so that new building are almost
indistinguishable from the originals. New
signs now mark the site of the Warsaw ghetto that
housed Polish Jews during that time.
Municipal Waste
Management during the Early Part of the transition
from a welfaristic to a neoliberal orientation.
She found great variation in the incentives to
improve water across the country: better
quality for profit, a brewer subsidizing projects,
commercial interests.
Local perception
of drinking water: Warsaw has cheap filtered
tap water, commercial bottled water is available but
not frequently purchased. It also has >100
deep wells throughout the cite fed by a common
aquifer, drilled by the government in late 50s in
so that good quality drinking water would be
available should bombing resume. Workers would
bottle their own and bring this great tasting water
home. Many of the wellhouses are open 24/7.
Wells are tested periodically, and local variations
due affect quality and individual wells may be
closed temporarily.She expected that this practice
developed because it was cheaper than commercial
bottled water. Instead, she heard that the
water tastes wonderful, and that its safe
(respondents would know if it were otherwise, and
"they" would close). Further, most of the
interviewees were unaware that the filtered river
water from their taps was actually still
contaminated.
Lunchtime Learning Seminars are offered by the
Office of Multicultural Affairs.
