ESG Radio Newsletter 12th June 2014
Key Terms: Commonwealth Park, Renewable Energy Project, Eco Wave, National Day Balloons, Improved NW Monitoring
At today’s formal opening of the Commonwealth Park, it was at last possible to get a real sense of how truly pleasant it will be to spend time there. The open water and new trees planted in this part of our city will be a great bonus in the hot summer months and is seen as a very positive Government investment and community resource. The ESG urges the general public to help keep the park clean and to take pride in what is one of hopefully further green areas to appear in our urban environment.
The ESG is also delighted to see the first renewable energy project to be formally established on the Rock with a contract signed by Government this week for Eco Wave technology. The group is aware of this particular system and endorses and supports Government’s decision in this commission. The group further wishes this pilot study every success and hopes it heralds the significant beginnings of Gibraltar’s trajectory towards greater alternative energy use away from fossil fuel reliance.
We wanted to raise the issue of National day balloons because it is of concern to our group and has been raised in the wider community. We have also discussed this a number of times with government in the past.
The “biodegradability factor” of these balloons does not make them any less harmful at the immediate stage and breakdown can be indefinitely delayed in different environments. The ESG urges Government, who last year indicated that research into alternatives would take place, to take the significant, yet simple step, of cancelling the annual balloon release and replace these balloons with an alternative symbolic expression of our identity that does not involve damage to the environment.
The ESG supports the views of Blue Planet Society and other international environmental organisations that are working to protect our living environment. So please, government, not in our name.
Moving on to recent waves of pollution experienced by a number of residents in the NW of Gibraltar. While reports have been made and investigated by relevant agencies the fact that these sweeping fumes are once again occurring with some regularity strengthens the need for improved monitoring to be done in this densely populated area. This would assist in targeting and identifying sources of the pollution with a view to eliminating these from the residential zones.
Finally a reminder that Clean up the World is currently being organised and the ESG will be following its outreach programme to engage the community widely. Key date is 20th September although exhibitions, workshops and other activity will be taking place for a week around this key date. More information will be posted on our new website which is being developed especially for the tenth Clean up Campaign but for now, you can get more information about our work at esg-gib.net. Email us at esg@gibtelecom.net . Thanks for listening.
