Apsilankymas Alytuje: nuo kietųjų atliekų iki vyno - A Visit to Alytus: From solid waste to sparkling wine

Šiandien ambasados Politikos ir ekonomikos skyriaus darbuotojai dalinasi savo įspūdžiais apie išvyką į Alytų    

Alytaus rajonas

Lietuvos rajonai 

                 

Ambasadorės McCarthy inicijuota išvykų į rajonus programa leidžia JAV diplomatams,  dirbantiems Lietuvoje  susipažinti ne tik su Vilniumi, bet ir su kitomis Lietuvos vietovėmis.  Neseniai mes – politikos skyriaus diplomatė Jillian Schmitt kartu su to paties skyriaus darbuotoju Sam Schmitt ir stažuotoja  Indre Žebrauskaite lankėmės Alytuje, kur susitikome su miesto vadovais, aptarėme gamtosaugos klausimus, aplankėmė rajono atliekų tvarkymo ir Alita gėrimų gamyklas.

Meras Vytautas Grigaravičius ir Vicemeras Tamulevičius susitinka  su delegacija

Meras Vytautas Grigaravičius, Vicemeras Tautvydas Tamulevičius ir mero patarėja Vilija Ramanauskienė papasakojo mums apie Alytaus pramonės istoriją, atgaivintas  žaliąsias miesto zonas ir iššūkius, su kuriais susiduria miestas tvarkydamas nuo Sovietų užsilikusias pavojingas

aplinkai atliekas. 

Mes aplankėme Alytaus rajono atliekų tvarkymo centrą, kuris perdirba kietąsias atliekas laikantis ekologinės pusiausvyros.  Į šį centrą kietosios atliekos atkeliauja iš miesto, turinčio 57,000 gyventojų ir iš šešių aplinkinių rajonų, įskaitant Birštoną, Druskininkus ir Varėną. Modernūs įrenginiai biologiškai skaido organines medžiagas  pagamindami  pakankamai metano, kurio energijos užtenka visam procesui. Miestas taip pat skatina gyventojus rūšiuoti atliekas namuose, jas kompostuoti  ir perdirbti.

Pirmas atliekų tvarkymo etapas      

 

Atliekos, kurių neįmanoma atskirti, 

perdirbti ar biologiškai suskaidyti suspaudžiamos šiukšlių kubais

                 
 
























Mes taip pat pamatėme kaip pasinaudojus ES fondų parama Alytus išvalė ir sutvarkė Dailidės ežerus ir Baltųjų rožių parkus, kurie sovietiniais metais buvo paversti šiukšlių sąvartynais.  

Po vizito atliekų centre mūsų laukė skaniau kvepianti  Alita gėrimų gamykla, kurioje susipažinome su vidiniais  regiono  ekonomikos  funkcionavimo varikliais. Taip pat pamatėme fermentacijos, pilstymo į butelius ir importavimo  procesus.  Alitoje  daromas ir pilstomas platus alkoholinių gėrimų asortimentas  - nuo putojančio vyno iki naminės degtinės.  Gamykla taip pat importuoja brendį ir konjaką iš Prancūzijos.

  Alitos gidė aiškina brendžio ir konjako skirtumus

Ši kelionė mums suteikė unikalią  galimybę pamatyti kaip praktiškai įgyvendinama gamtos apsauga. Miesto valdžia ir ambasados atstovai viliasi dar kartą susitikti Alytuje pavasarį.

***

Today, members of the Embassy’s Political and Economic Section write about a recent visit to Alytus

                                                      

Districts of Lithuania

                                         

   Alytus District

                    

Ambassador McCarthy’s Regional Outreach Program ensures U.S. diplomats serving in Lithuania get to know far more about Lithuania than just its capital city, Vilnius. Recently, we -- Political Officer Jillian Schmitt along with Political/Economic Section secretary Sam Schmitt and intern Indre Zebrauskaite -- traveled to Alytus to meet city officials, talk environmental policy and tour the regional waste management plant and the Alita brewing facilities.  

Mayor Vytautas Grigaravicius and Vice Mayor Tamulevicius Meet the Delegation

Mayor Vytautas Grigaravicius, Vice Mayor Tautvydas Tamulevicius, and Mayoral Advisor Vilija Ramanauskiene spoke with us about Alytus’ industrial history, its revitalized green spaces, and challenges, including environmental hazards left behind from Soviet occupation.  

We visited the Alytus Regional Waste Management Center (ARWMC), which is where the rubber meets the road with respect to sustainable solid waste processing.  ARWMC receives and processes solid waste from the city of 57,000 residents and six surrounding  districts, including Birstonas, Druskininkai and Varena.  These facilities are so advanced they biodegrade organic material to produce enough methane to power the entire operation. The city is also encouraging residents to sort their garbage at home, compost and recycle. 

                   

  

First Step in Processing Waste at the Plant

 Waste that cannot be separated, recycled,

or biodegraded is compressed by the

 Garbage “Cuber”

We also learned how Alytus - with the help of EU funding - was able to clean and restore the Dailide lakes and White Rose parks, which had been hazardous waste dumps during Soviet times.  

The day also included a sweeter-smelling visit to the Alita Brewing Company where we saw some of the inner workings of an economic engine for the region and learned about the company’s fermentation, importing and bottling processes. Alita brews and bottles a wide range of alcoholic drinks from sparkling wine to moonshine.  The company also imports brandy and cognac from France.  

Alita Tour Guide Explains the Difference between Brandy and Cognac

This trip provided a unique opportunity to observe environmental protection in practice. The Mayor’s Office and Embassy delegation hope for a follow-up visit in the spring.  

Reflections of a Fulbright Artist

Today's guest blogger is Patrick Suzeau, associate professor of Dance at the University of Kansas, who spent a semester in Vilnius as a Fulbright scholar in 2007. He was introduced to the Fulbright program by another Fulbright senior scholar, Linda Maxey, who suggested that Patrick and his wife Muriel, also a professor of dance at the University of Kansas, go to Lithuania to offer a different and fresh artistic perspective.

We first came to Vilnius for about three weeks in 2004, around Thanksgiving and we had a superb experience. We enjoyed watching and giving classes at the Lithuanian Academy and the National Ballet School. Muriel taught contemporary dance classes that were very well received; contemporary dance technique was a relatively new arrival to Eastern Europe.  Meanwhile I was asked to teach ballet classes. I thought that it was odd that they would be interested in ballet classes considering that they have a strong tradition in Russian ballet. It became clear to me why when I asked them to execute a certain step, which they did superbly. However, they did it as it is done in Russia.  American ballet has evolved in different directions. That is when I realized why these senior teachers were watching my classes. As a New York City-trained dancer, my background is eclectic, something typical of American artists who have been exposed to diverse techniques and approaches. In addition, as a contemporary choreographer I favor unconventional spatial and rhythmic patterns, something that seemed to have been new and of interest to Lithuanian ballet teachers.