Milwaukee Soldier Turning the Desert Green in Iraq

Vincent High Schoolgraduate Capt.Calvin Fisher is a distinguished U.S. officer participating in anenvironmentally friendly project with Qahtan Kareem, CEO of the Alshefar Group. As the individual in charge of theIraqi-Based Industrial Zone located on Contingency Operating Base Speicher(near Tikrit), Fisher has become a vital link between Kareem and U.S. forces.His efforts have helped further the notion of compressing recyclable waste into3-by-5-foot cubes (rather than burning it) in order to transform waste intochairs and other usable products. While anticipating the arrival of Kareem’s $4million recycling plant purchased from Michigan,Fisher has already encouraged the green movement by inserting more than 30recycling bins throughout the Contingency Operating Base (COB).

Whatworthy developments have occurred within the early stages of this project?

They recently startedcompressing the aluminum cans, plastic plates and utensils. Also, we are addingan additional 45 bins to the COB, pushing the number up to 76 [with a goal of100].

Whatpositive outcomes have emerged?

One of the positives isIraqis have been able to get jobs. They’ve hired 12 additional people, andeveryone’s real responsive, helpful and eager to assist. I have a waiting listnow with about 30 people who want bins, which aren’t included in the additional45. These are people who call me or e-mail me saying, “Hey, we want a bin,” or,“Is it possible to get two?” Also, on Aug. 7 [Kareem] made an Iraqi-widerecycling program which covers eight bases.

Whatdo you hope to see materialize in Iraq’s recycling future?

That, before wetransition, Kareem starts having receptacles in the villages and pushing theneed to recycle in those areas. That’s where it will ultimately benefit[people] and where the most waste and landfills are. It is a health concern aswell. And we could title it as better health, better resources and betterenvironment for all. Also, the more bins you have, the more areas you spread itout, the more people you can employ.

Whatdo you feel is vital about this project and worthy of public acknowledgement?

It’s improving the airquality of the COB for the coalition forces, civilians and army. It’s drasticallyeliminating the amount of waste that goes into the landfills, while showing theIraqis that, “Hey, we can produce things from the things we consume.”[Ultimately, we’re] striving forward to the future, and really showing howwe’ve come over here and stressed the importance of things we do all the time.People [in the United States,for example] don’t see the benefit because it just goes away. You don’t see thelandfills, you are not living in the proximity of them, so you’re not reallyaffected, but here it’s totally different.

How’sit different?

Because there’s avillage out here where you’ll see mounds of trash and a house will be 5 metersaway. Areas that aren’t in the city don’t get the benefit of having the citygovernments pick up their trash. They have to do the best they can with theresources they have. Therefore, Mr. Kareem wants to do a lot of this stuffhumanitarianly, picking it up and assisting them on his own.