Clean up the World news:  

Flat Bastion ‘Over the Wall’ site is one of our CUTW’s hotspots which we have tackled every few years. In the past few weeks however the area has seen unprecedented dumping of household furniture and assorted waste to a level not seen before. The ESG welcomes Governments response in both arranging for Master Services to tackle waste removal in what is a very awkward site to clean, and also to install a camera to deter or catch anyone thinking about fly tipping in this area again.

The site, a vacant Government plot, is a green area visible from various vantage points, with the recent fly tipping eyesore clearly seen by the public and tourists.

The ESG will be monitoring this and other litter hotspots ahead of September’s CUTW action and hopes such acts of illegal fly tipping do not recur and if they do, that perpetrators will be caught and heavily fined.

ESG Radio Newsletter 16^th August 2018  

Hi there. A quick update on issues of interest to the ESG and its members. We start with Clean up the World preparations and can that confirm more and more teams are signing up which demonstrates the interest and concern many of us have for a clean and healthy environment. The date is set for the 29^th September – why so late you may ask? While the global date is set earlier National Day and the Music Festival take up the two earlier weekends and so we have chosen the 29^th as the clearest weekend for our activity. Please get in touch if you wish to volunteer and or help with preparations by emailing esg@gibtelecom.net . Main planning meeting date will soon be confirmed for the beginning of September.

Have to say that once again sea facing estates are being affected by noxious fumes during the very calm and warm nights with complaints being made either directly to us, or, online. We are following up with the authorities but believe that industry must also realise it needs to change and adopt safer working practices that have less of an environmental impact than currently occurring.

We are referring of course to the Dockyard and to the shipping activity in general and the August climate. Heat and lack of wind exaggerates what are already considerable fumes produced by vessels either receiving bunker, or large-scale works carried out at the dockyard. There are a growing number of voices out there expressing concern and anger about this high impacting pollution and it is time for change.

Must say something positive about how beaches are seen to be cleaner this year. One hopes that a combination of growing international awareness about waste impacts on the marine environment, posters and recycling bins provided by Govt and the dedicated cleaning services are all resulting in more responsible behaviour. This does not apply to all beaches and to all beachgoers – the shame is you only need a handful of people to create an eyesore. We urge everyone to please look after our planet and keep our beaches clean.

Planning issues rumble along and are a real talking point on the Rock. Can’t avoid it as we are a very small land area and there are large projects going on in every corner – so, we are all affected. Despite the obvious gains to most of us regarding new schools, enhanced sports facilities, housing, and new power station, the ESG would like to see holistic planning on a short, medium to long-term basis supported by the community, delivering on our needs while maintaining our special character and vistas. This should not be impossible.

News this week of real-time monitoring at the border by the authorities starting in September is good news and welcomed by the group who would like to see similar assessments carried out at various hotspots on the Rock.

Watch out for next DPC meetings in September, as August will not see any meetings held. For more news and press releases please visit: www.esg-gib.net

Thanks for listening.

Hi there.

As Europe very worryingly sizzles, we take a quick look at our environment with air pollution, litter, cleanliness issues and cycle lanes very much on people’s minds at present.

We have rec’d a number of complaints of fumes from residents over the past few weeks from different parts of Gibraltar occurring at different times of the day. Investigations have been undertaken and the ESG is following up on reporting protocols it believes need to somehow be improved together with guidelines provided to the public as to how reports should be filed. This for example could include type of smell (as there are a few)/wind direction as well as time of incident. Gibraltar has a number of polluting sources including immediate, offshore and at cross border level and tracing a particular smell can be very challenging, especially as these are airborne. The group recalls its bucket brigade activity some years ago when we distributed forms to hotspot areas outlining typical chemical smells and other details, which advised the citizen how to submit information in a report. This in turn, could help the authorities respond more effectively. More news on this soon.

The ESG understands progress is being made with respect to real-time monitoring and of a mobile nature, which is positive news, and we look forward to enhanced air quality data to be made available soon.

As many of us are spending more time outdoors we can see the impact this is having as cleaning services strain to keep up not only with the overfull bins but carelessly discarded rubbish. Yes we need more hosing down of pavements and yes we need ALL dog owners to use best practice followed by many and flush and remove their animals’ waste. But we also call for citizen pride and care in helping our town in being neat and tidy by using common sense on placing rubbish at the correct times, folding cardboard and other bulky waste, using the recycling bins correctly and generally being more mindful of how we look after our environment. Enforcement is also clearly needed. Clean up the World Campaign which takes place in September 29^th will be promoting and highlighting these issues. Please sign up by emailing esg@gibtelecom.net. We have seen the ashtray containers available at the lifeguard posts on the beaches and think this is a great idea – hope all smokers avail themselves of this service – butt ends are toxic for the environment too!!

There has been much discussion out there about the proposed cycle lanes for Main Street and Irish Town. We are slowly seeing the measures being put in place and expect to see clear signage informing visiting cyclists of the rules- this is also crucial for local cyclists and pedestrians from a safety angle. The ESG issued a press release on this issue because we support cycle lanes to encourage more cycling in Gibraltar but think the area available and joint use of space in town raises a number of safety issues, and importantly has to be policed etc. Visit our website for full statement on this issue: esg-gib.net.

Lets take heart however that we are still managing to live our lives in relative peace and comfort as many countries around Europe and further afield are literally burning up as temperatures continue to soar. Action on climate change has never seemed as urgent as it does today….

Thanks for listening..

The ESG considers that there are two main issues regarding the introduction of cycle lanes in Main Street and Irish Town:

     1. Whether the initiative can be introduced effectively and safely without causing problems for pedestrians;

2. Whether the initiative will actually have any impact on the reduction of traffic.

The ESG considers that the initiative to open up cycle lanes on Main Street and Irish Town, at prescribed times, will be a welcome step to those who choose the bicycle, rather than a car or motorbike, to get around our heavily congested city. If more people decide to cycle as a result of this concession, it will be a positive thing. Having said this, the ESG has some serious reservations as to the practical applications of this initiative, given how busy both these streets can be, even after 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays and 7pm on weekdays. It is also concerned that some cyclists may not respect the set times.

If these cycle lanes are going to be successfully integrated into our way of circulating, the ESG considers it essential for the police to monitor the system and protocols set and ensure that demarcated spaces are respected by cyclists and pedestrians alike, during the prescribed times. In many cities in the world, pedestrians and cyclists manage to co-exist respectfully. There is no reason why we cannot learn to do the same. However, in Gibraltar we have less space to work with than in most places so in order to avoid accidents we need to get it right from the start.

On the second point, the ESG considers that In order to have a significant impact on reducing car use, which is what is desperately needed in our polluted city, there would need to be dedicated cycle lanes on roads also. This is the only measure that could actually get more people to opt for cycling.