Earth Hour 2019

Today’s  Earth Hour Campaign will see widespread participation of the symbolic switching off, of lights, at iconic sites in major cities, including Gibraltar. This is now an established response to a global campaign. With the acceleration of global warming, pollution hazards and decimation of species, this means that much more has to be done and these campaigns can help by drawing attention and raising awareness.

Gibraltar’s community is reminded to reflect on its own personal use of energy and general environmental impacts by supporting the campaign and switching off non-vital lighting for an hour during 8.30 to 9.30pm.

https://balkangreenenergynews.com/earth-hour-2019-switch-off-this-saturday-march-30-at-830-pm/

You can also carry out many other acts to help our environment, not just today, but every day……each one of us, together, can make a big difference!

CARBON NEUTRAL TARGETS BY 2030

The ESG welcomes the Government statement that it will seek to achieve carbon neutral status by 2030. Understanding the background to Gibraltar’s present energy and carbon footprint, from both the community and economic activity viewpoint, the ESG would be extremely keen to learn precisely how this can be achieved in practice.

With the urgency presented by climate change today we hope to see details released as soon as possible to support the climate pledge announced by Government and that all aspects of our carbon activity will be included in the plans.

Key words:  Youth climate protest/ Monitoring data / DPC and Sewage Plant / Earth Hour and Permaculture

Recent events have illuminated once more how significant our environment is to us all. On the positives is the recent youth protest that took place last Friday by our schools supporting marches taking place elsewhere in the world. These regular protests were started by the very brave and determined young lady from Sweden, Greta Thunberg, who has been nominated for the Nobel peace prize for her sustained efforts on raising support for action on Climate Change. It is hoped their voices will be heard and add more pressure for urgent action from every sector of society especially policy makers and the business community. The ESG supported the march as did other activists and interested parties – good luck to the students in continuing a sustained campaign!

The ESG lobbies for action on climate change year round with our monitoring of the development of renewable energy programme in Gibraltar as well as polluting sources and activity, commonly linked to production of greenhouse gasses. For anyone unaware of our core aims and objectives we invite you to visit our website at esg-gib.net   and click on objectives documents.

The ESG is having a series of mtgs over the next few weeks regarding Gibraltar’s traffic woes, air and noise pollution and more. We await publication of the data being gathered by the mobile monitoring units in place around Gibraltar to shed light on suspected air pollution hotspots. This data is extremely important to provide a broader and more accurate picture of the air quality around us.

Next weeks DPC agenda on Tuesday 26^th March carries a number of important projects for Gibraltar including the presentation on the Sewage, or rather, Waste water treatment plant. The ESG has presented its feedback on a number of aspects of the project so far including some concerns about visual impacts, and noise and air pollution from associated activity linked to the plant albeit sited elsewhere. If you have time why not attend the DPC session where this game changing project for Gibraltar will be debated. That’s next Tuesday 26^th at 9.30am.

Earth Hour, an important global environmental campaign, held to draw attention to energy and other environmental issues, will take place on the 30^th March. As well as the official recognition of this important event, by way of the switching off of lights at our key iconic sites locally, we plan a special talk and clean up for the campaign, and am sure we shall hear about other activity in the coming days. Check out earthhour.org for information on this inspiring campaign.

We would like to also inform you of a very special talk coming up, being given by one of our close colleagues on the subject of Permaculture – a highly interesting and positive approach and answer to sustainable farming – Jenny Brown will be giving her first public introductory talk on the subject on the 1^st April at the John Mackintosh Hall at 7.00pm.  

Thanks for listening. Email us at esg@gibtelecom.net and check out our website at www.esg-gib.net for further information

The ESG looks forward to the debate being held this evening by GBC Viewpoint on Brexit, ‘What If’, and hopes environmental issues such as waste, environmental protection and enforcement will be covered. As well as pragmatic issues of frontier fluidity and efficiency for people, goods, etc. the group is most concerned about cross border environmental issues that will not have much recourse post Brexit and with a major oil Installation and Refinery next door, raises some very serious concerns.

Tomorrow Friday at 9am will see a protest on climate change at Casemates Square by some Gibraltar students, being held in solidarity with similar protests taking place throughout the world each month. Given the urgency of the most pressing issue facing humanity and the planet, with the greater impacts more likely to affect the next generations, it is positive and emboldening to see young people taking such a stand.

The ESG lobbies for action on climate change year round with our monitoring of the development of renewable energy programme in Gibraltar as well as polluting sources and activity, commonly linked to production of greenhouse gasses and we shall be at the protest in support of its message.

(Keywords: Brexit/ Viewpoint/ Climate Protest / Environmental lobbying / Air Pollution, Monitoring and) (Complaints / Onshore power connections / Data / Traffic Issues / Health Impacts from pollution / DPC)

It has been a few weeks since our last newsletter. Clearly Brexit developments continue to dominate many people’s priorities and concerns, and rightly so; it could be a big game changer for Gibraltar, although yesterday’s votes in the UK Parliament may have bought more time and allow common sense and a better outcome to prevail all round.

Tonight sees a Viewpoint at the Leisure Centre with a ‘What If’ scenario on Brexit being debated – should be interesting – look out for it live on GBC at 9.30pm. Hopefully environmental issues post Brexit such as waste, environmental protection and enforcement will come up.

9am this Friday morning will see a protest on climate change at Casemates Square by some Gibraltar students, being held in solidarity with similar protests taking place throughout the world each month. Given the urgency of the most pressing issue facing humanity and the planet with the greater impacts more likely to affect the next generations, it is positive and emboldening to see young people taking such a stand.

The ESG lobbies for action on climate change year round with our monitoring of the development of renewable energy programme in Gibraltar as well as polluting sources and activity, commonly linked to production of greenhouse gasses and we shall be at the protest in support of its message. For anyone unaware of our core aims and objectives we invite you to visit our website at esg-gib.net   and click on objectives documents.

We continue to receive complaints and concerns about noise and air pollution in the south district and are taking this up with relevant agencies. With progress being made at the new LNG Power Station we hope to see this followed by the installation of onshore power connections at key points throughout the port and south mole. This will make the skids currently in use, redundant, and provide vessels with plug in shore power, thus eliminating the need to run engines while berthed. Onshore power is fast becoming a key component of a “Green Port” and Gibraltar should incorporate this as soon as possible.

We also await publication of the data being gathered by the mobile monitoring units around Gibraltar so we can learn more about pollution levels at various hotspots, not presently covered by the major monitoring stations – this data, is extremely important to provide a broader and more accurate picture of the air quality we live in.

Traffic congestion, activity and pollution is also a major factor. We are hoping to meet with Minister Balban in a week’s time where we shall raise various concerns and ask for information in areas of particular interest to us.

Various points in this newsletter refer to pollution of some kind and it is a preoccupation of ours. A report in the global press this week suggests that air pollution has overtaken smoking as the main cause of premature death. This should ring alarm bells everywhere and press societies, governments and policy makers to rapidly clean up the environment as fast as possible.

Look out also for the next DPC meeting in March, which will take place on the 26^th March at 9.30am.

With special talks, clean ups and more coming up it looks like a busy spring – for more information you can email us at esg@gibtelecom.net.

Thanks for listening.