At around 3.30pm today a major fire broke out at a chemical plant very close to the Refinery. Thick black plumes of smoke were seen steadily rising from the site with social media, telephones, and text messages rapidly signalling an extraordinary situation was erupting across the border.

As videos also came online showing aggressive flames, very close to what could have been fuel storage tanks, it became apparent that a serious emergency was underway. Fears that many of us harbour that the Refinery complex is a time bomb, that one day it could actually blow up, were not too far from our thoughts.

It was under those circumstances of uncertainty that the march coinciding with the handing in of a petition for action on climate change action was postponed.

The ESG was very busy for the ensuing two hours in close contact with NGOs across the border, the local media, residents and local authorities. Good news was that no reports of injuries or worse emerged.

The reports published over how the black smoke was “contaminating but not toxic” has left the group somewhat bemused. The scale of the plume, thick with particulates, was vast and instructions were given not to inhale and remain inside. This ‘avoid if possible advice’ suggests that a common sense approach was being adopted. This is the definition of toxic and we believe it is clear this pollution was toxic to people and to the natural environment. A report from Verdemar that the warehouse was storing PTA further explains the thick black smoke which developed after fierce combustion.

This was apparently the second fire at this plant in as many months indicating that health and safety standards are not up to scratch and given the Consejeria de Medio Ambiente has been disbanded in Andalucía, one has to wonder where accountability for such serious accidents will fall.

https://www.atlanticbulk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/PTA.pdf

ESG Supports Climate Change March

The ESG will be supporting the Climate Change March taking place Tuesday 25^th June, leaving from Casemates at 5.30pm. The group calls upon the community to turn out and support this important event.

The ESG and other NGOs will also be handing in a House Petition to 3 MPs representing the political parties in Parliament. This will take place outside Parliament building during the march. It is hoped that given the Climate Emergency Pledge announced by Government that this petition can be presented with full house support before the end of the present session in Parliament.

The Petition being handed in specifically calls for:-

– An Action Plan to follow the Climate Emergency Pledge

– For a totally independent and funded climate body, with technical and dedicated personnel, to progress an agreed climate change agenda, legally binding, to operate within a strict timeframe, and supported at cross party level.”

Please support the online joint NGOs petition for depoliticised action on Climate Change.

You can find the link here:

https://www.change.org/p/hm-government-of-gibraltar-parents-for-future-climate-change-strike-gibraltar-83455f3a-a779-484c-8343-163a5df81e0b

Please sign and share!

Many thanks.

ESG

The ESG announces a second public meeting for next Thursday 20th June at 7.30pm at the Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall. 

Marches, Government Pledges and Petitions on Climate issues continue and the ESG believes citizen debate is needed to exchange ideas and discuss the challenges facing Gibraltar in its journey towards achieving a healthier and more sustainable environment.

The public is encouraged to share concerns and ideas on key areas which make up Gibraltar’s Carbon Footprint.

A number of NGOs will be represented who will lend different perspectives to this highly important debate.

Meeting will open at 7.30pm.

The ESG has been witnessing the rise of 5G technology in the international public media with growing concern. While the UK Government has dismissed a close to 20,000 strong petition urging Parliament to consider the potential health and ecological impacts of this new phase technology, there are other countries announcing bans on its introduction on these same concerns. Officials from three European countries, as well as a USA State, have called for bans and further research to better understand the fears linked to 5G, and its impact on the natural world and on public health.

The ESG calls on Gibraltar to join Poland, Switzerland, Brussels and Louisiana, in adopting a similar halt of the 5G rollout until further and robust proof of its safety is attained from preferably a non-industry source.

Public statements:

Brussels Becomes First Major City to Halt 5G Due to Health Effects

The statement was made by Céline Fremault, the Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, responsible for Housing, Quality of Life, Environment and Energy. From an interview last Friday, with L’Echo:

“I cannot welcome such technology if the radiation standards, which must protect the citizen, are not respected, 5G or not. The people of Brussels are not guinea pigs whose health I can sell at a profit. We cannot leave anything to doubt.”

– Céline Fremault, Minister of the Government (Brussels-Captial Region), responsible for Housing, Quality of Life, Environment and Energy

Switzerland
This week the canton of Vaud announced it would temporarily freeze permits to install new 5G transmitters. The resolution calls for a ban on 5G transmitter installation at least until the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has finished its study into the effects of the new technology.

Poland
In what is surely an unprecedented and  groundbreaking action, the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, has personally backed an International Appeal to stop the controversial roll-out of 5G electromagnetic microwave telecommunication transmissions.

In Poland, the public are being used as guinea pigs in a 5G experiment to test the efficacy of the technology. The following cities are being used in the trial: Warsaw, Lodz, Gliwice.

Louisiana Becomes First State To Call For A Study On Health Impacts Of 5G

On May 29, the Louisiana House unanimously voted to have the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health study the effects of 5G technology on the environment and public health. The Louisiana legislature passed House Resolution 145 with a vote of 103 in favor and zero representatives voting against the measure. The bill calls for the results of the study to be submitted to the Louisiana House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment as well as the House Committee on Health and Welfare no later than sixty days prior to the start of the 2020 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature.

Please Note; this has nothing to do with Huawey business competition, but the uncertainty of 5G to public health.

“The ESG has noted the sudden build up of seagull droppings on the solar panels on New Harbours Roof, an area whose inherently flat nature has

always been a resting place for the birds prior to the installation of the panels. With the real potential this has of reducing solar capture, and of damaging the

infrastructure, the group would like to know what systems have been put in place by the company to manage this situation during the dry season and

seagull breeding time.

Other areas in Gibraltar have benefitted from the use of falcon kites and perhaps this and other deterrents could be looked at? “

ESG Radio Newsletter June 6^th 2019

Keywords: World Environment Day / Air Quality / Clean up Campaign / World Ocean Day / Climate Joint Petition / Next Public Meeting

Hi, it’s the day after World Environment Day where many of us were busy highlighting environmental issues at Commonwealth Park.

Apart from sharing awareness and information the growing presence of NGOs and individuals dedicating time and effort towards a better environment was clear to see.

Of course the theme this year, is Air Quality, an issue very close to our heart and our displays and activity related directly to our concerns of air pollution in Gibraltar, their sources, and relation to climate change. We engaged multiple groups of children to interact with our giant footprints with a task to select different types of activity tiles such as travel, economy, energy, etc. and place these on a bad larger black footprint, or smaller and more environmental green one. The children responded well to the task and with enthusiasm.

It gave an insight on the areas we need to improve in as a community and we were struck by the questions and comments we received from some individuals despite their age. We hope to repeat these awareness-raising activities during other events or at our Clean up Campaign in September.

We also collected signatures for a petition being run by the ESG, Nautilus, GONHS, Pollution Watch and Sustainable Gibraltar calling for cross party support for an independent climate body funded to roll out a legally binding and timed agenda for action on climate change and in support of the Gibraltar Governments Climate Emergency Pledge. The NGOs will soon launch the online version and will be holding street collection of signatures to be announced.

We now look ahead to World Ocean Day where different associations will be taking on the challenges of cleaning our shoreline and underwater sites. The Department of Environment will be leading at Rosia Bay and is calling for volunteers to help. Other clean ups are planned and the ESG is very happy to be supporting in terms of provision of equipment and time.

With elections looming the ESG is putting together our concerns with a view to call for measures to be included in the next budget and will also be holding meetings with all political parties to discuss our objectives. With this and more public meetings planned to maintain a citizen focus on climate change it certainly looks like a busy time ahead. Next public mtg is scheduled for the 20^th June – more information on this soon.

A reminder that volunteers for September’s CUTW can sign up by emailing esg@gibtelecom.net.

Thanks for listening.