Oil, Money and Nature in Irkutsk

Like any city in Russia these days, Irkutsk undoubtedly has a raft of serious issues it needs to confront. But it's not hard to see what the major topic for the population is; it's literally written on the face of this beautiful city.

Both the state oil monopoly and the state oil transport monopoly want to build a new pipeline from northern oilfields to the energy thirsty markets in Asia. The big problem, however, is that the pipeline would pass distressingly close to Lake Baikal. So close, according to the population of Irkutsk, that it would needlessly endanger the health of one of Russia's greatest natural wonders. The health of which, it shouldn't go unnoticed, is likely to be critical to the burgeoning tourist trade here.

The kremlin backs the current plan for the pipe. Not terribly surprising since oil, its production, transport and profitability are all inseperable from the Kremlin these days. The powers that be (or the "power that is" since power is still a singularity in Russia) don't want the added cost of rerouting the pipeline and believe that their engineering (admittedly, a redundantly secure pipe) will preclude any accidents.

The prospect of even one such low-probability accident in such and ecologically pure areas as Baikal, however, gives people fits. And they have taken to the streets to say so: mass rallies against the pipeline are common features of life in Irkutsk nowadays. But their effectiveness is questionable. As the attendant at one museum said to me: "Maybe in America you can change things. Here they don't have to listen to us."

So it looks like the protest has taken to the streets in other ways. Well-placed graffiti decries the potential ecological damage with a dramatic picture. An outline of Baikal, bright blue except for the northern third in inky black. It's accompanied by slogans - "No to the pipe" or "And you aren't saying anything?"

My favorite is a rather colorfully, and obscenely phrased one that says "Yes to the pipe - Screw Baikal." It would be a lot funnier if it didn't feel like that was about to happen.