The Civic Eco-Lab at the Public Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development will test the UV protection level of the sunglasses of the citizens of Varna and the guests of the city free of charge. This will take place on June 26 between 11 am and 2 pm during the Green Revolutin (Green Revolution) festival in front of the Varna Festival and Congress Centre.
The last such public survey was carried out by the Civic EcoLab six years ago in Varna. Back then nearly 85% of the tested glasses showed good UV protection and only 15% had insufficient protection. The level of protection does not depend on the price you paid for your glasses, was one of the conclusions the specialists drew then. A £200 product can have ‘dings’, while one for £10 provides 100% protection, with the caveat that how it is stored is also very important. Even a scratch imperceptible to the naked eye can prove insidious. Poor UV protection for the eyes subsequently leads to eye diseases such as cataracts, for example.
At the stand of the Civic Ecological Laboratory this year, residents of Varna can also get advice from a specialist on the health risks of excessive and intense sun exposure during the summer months, as well as additional exposure from artificial sources such as tanning beds.
Prolonged and uncontrolled sun exposure can build up over time and lead to skin swelling, headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances, photodermatitis, sun eczema and allergy, photophthalmia and cataracts of the eyes, various skin cancers, etc. To avoid the risks, lighter-skinned people, adults and young children need protection as early as 10 am in clear sunny weather. The use of protective creams, hats and light-coloured clothing is recommended. At midday, health experts recommend avoiding going outside and standing with protective gear even in the shade.
Properly dosed, however, sunbathing has a very good curative effect on anaemia and general weakness, diseases of metabolism, respiratory, skin, chronic joint and muscle, gynaecological diseases and even infertility, bone-joint tuberculosis, rickets, functional disorders of the nervous system, etc.
During the Green Revolutin (Green Revolution) festival, experts from the Public Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development will also present the possibilities of studying environmental parameters, such as noise, dust, radiation, GSM- and UV-radiation, as well as the equipment with which this is done.
On the first day of the festival – 25 June (Friday), the ecologists’ stand in front of the Festival Complex will host the Green Fridays and the “Take Back a Bottle, Take Back a Book” campaign, which have become a tradition. Between 1 and 5 pm on Friday, every citizen of Varna will be able to choose a forgotten edition of a favourite book in exchange for a glass bottle of perfume or cosmetics, as well as to leave a symbolic donation of BGN 1.
The cause of Green REvolution Festival is to support environmental youth activities in the Northeast region. Funds raised during the festival will be used for specific activities to be determined and administered by the Leaf Fundraiser.
The Leaf Fund is an initiative of the Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, whose mission is to make environmental conservation everyone’s self-interest.
Green REvolution Festival will be held on 25 and 26 June in Varna. Workshops, stands of eco-initiatives, eco-growers and traders will be located in front of the Festival and Congress Centre. Before the start of the festival, on June 24 at 1 pm, a regional meeting of living places and living sustainably will be held.
The first edition of “Green REvolution” in Varna is organized by the Environmental Association “For the Earth”.