Those who wake up early in the morning in Jeddah can see a large black cloud enveloping the skies. This, a sign of environmental pollution, is a natural product of the emission of toxic gases emanating from cars and factories. If this is in the skies over Jeddah, then what about the Red Sea? Ecologists have come to believe that the Red Sea is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the region because of the thousands of metric tons of sanitary drainage and untreated industrial waste including toxic waste pumped into it daily. An online study conducted by a group of scientists in London on pediatric leukemia showed that the majority of childhood leukemias are through acquired genetic disease. This means that gene mutations and chromosome abnormalities in the cell are not inherited from parents. They also discovered that pregnant women in polluted areas absorb harmful pollutants and transmit them to the fetus through the placenta which plays a vital role in the development of the baby. For nine months the placenta feeds and nourishes the fetus, so without the placenta the fetus cannot survive. Dr. Ali Eshqi, a professor at the Marine Science College in Jeddah, said the low level of awareness in society is behind several environmental disasters which have an impact on sustainable development. Deforestation and dumping sewage waste into the sea are the result of low environmental awareness, he said, pointing out that marine pollution badly affects fish resources. He bitterly criticized the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) describing its role in the area of enlightenment and precautionary measures to prevent pollution as insignificant. Also, the role of universities and research institutions in the field is below expectations, he said. “These institutions have not helped in preventing the spread of dengue fever and also have not contributed solutions to protect Jeddah from natural catastrophes,” he said. Dr. Ali Daqaq, the well-known economic analyst, said the Kingdom loses millions of riyals because of its weak environmental culture as is manifested in the loss of a large amount of fish and marine resources because of the discharge of toxic and sewage waste into the sea. Dr. Yaqoub Al-Bahussain, member of the Board of Senior Ulema, said the Holy Qur'an has set guidelines governing the attitude of Muslims to different issues, including the protection of the environment. The Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) also touches on this issue, he said. He said the Prophet (pbuh) set a good example as he used to remove anything from the ground that might harm people or animals, pointing out that his followers did the same. __
