Key words: Voluntary clean ups continue/ Presentations/ ESG Aims and Objectives/ Cross Border / Community Support / Fireworks
Hello there- here is our first newsletter for 2018! Good to be back on air after Christmas and New Year. While taking a break ourselves we have still managed to maintain links within the community regarding presentations, receiving reports and even carrying out clean ups. Yes, the festive season brings about an increase in outdoor social littering too and when this affects coastal sites, it becomes a serious problem. So it was rewarding to be able to work with a group of young students in early January where we gathered several bags of mainly plastic waste and filled one ton sacks of assorted large items fly tipped into a green area on the east side of the Rock. What a shame to see such wanton dumping. We live in an enriched environment blessed with wildlife and beauty and we must make greater efforts to instil its value into every citizen. It is also important to have more visible signs urging people to protect and not litter their environment. The ESG will follow up with its recommendations to the authorities as it does after every major clean up, in the hope that more and more of these will be absorbed into day to day practice.
We have more presentations planned in the coming weeks that will also involve outreach components to engage those interested in volunteering and helping out in our projects.
As many already know our focus is not only in cleaning up our environment, important though that is – we also monitor and lobby for cleaner air and improvements in our traffic and transport system which impacts so heavily on our health and on our quality of life. We have engaged in many meetings with the authorities during 2017 pressing for best practice in every sphere of industrial activity and we shall persist in these aims.
Gibraltar is also too small to allow unlimited vehicle numbers and movement and we shall make efforts this year to ensure the powers that be take on this complex issue to deliver real results for the benefit of all. Businesses must also get on board and consider the impact their activity is having and set targets to limit their pollution too.
At cross border level we shall embark with a fresh impetus to re-examine the status of the chemical industries and Oil Refinery across the border and explore all mechanisms to see these better regulated.
As a non-governmental organisation we rely very much on contact and support from the community and look forward to working together in the coming months for a better environment. The ESG would also like to give tribute to other local NGOs who passionately follow their interests year round – they do invaluable work.
On a less positive note we wanted to mention that we share concerns voiced by many about the overwhelming impacts from fireworks during the New Year period. It is not about stopping the fun, or not appreciating how much people enjoy it. It is also about the very real and negative impacts noisy and sudden bangs have on the frail and the vulnerable. We are a caring community as well as fun loving and it is very important to be inclusive for everyone to enjoy this special night. Silent fireworks yes please – bring them on!!
For those who follow development issues in Gibraltar the next DPC mtg is set for the 24th January.Visit our website: esg-gib.net or email us at esg@gibtelecom.net for more information.
