ESG Radio Broadcast 3rd July 2014
Key Words: Heritage, Budget, Energy, Power Stn and Fuel, Complaint details for air pollution
Today we look ahead to the main planning meeting for CUTW that will take place towards the end of August to be held at the recently refurbished Main Guard of the Heritage Trust headquarters, a partner of CUTW Gibraltar. Team leaders and key partners will be advised of exact dates and times and we hope to be distributing posters with more information around Gibraltar over the next few weeks. We are calling for volunteers to please sign up by contacting 54960000 or emailing esg@gibtelecom.net. We expect 2014 to be a year to remember as the campaign will this year be multilayered seeing electric car rallies, workshops, exhibitions, parades and the all important clean up of our green and coastal areas. It’s a fascinating campaign that globally inspires millions to sign up! Hope you will too!
Of course this week many minds have been focused on the Budget –carrying significance to many in terms of their lives, impacts, and future prospects. As citizens we can see a combination of measures proposed for our community but as an environmental NGO we must restrict ourselves to commenting only on environmental measures. This, however, is no easy task as everyone, from the Chief Minister down, is declaring measures from their ministerial budget that has significance for our environment. So there is a lot to take in, assimilate, and although we have expressed a few words here and there in the media will be making our own overview of how we see this budget improves environmental conditions and therefore, our quality of life on the Rock.
Some measures such as on renewable energy are greatly welcomed, we want more, and faster, but recognise that effort and investment is now underway and this is great news for our community and for the environment.
The new power station is a clear major project for Gibraltar, and both Governments have reserved their right as ultimate custodians of our purse and decision making process, to take a considerable time before making a decision on the critical matter of providing safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy source for Gibraltar.
Gibraltar has limped along, choking and spluttering its way on an increasingly unreliable and filthy system that seriously affects those unfortunate enough to be living alongside. So, yes, we welcome the decision having being made, and the fact that it will be virtually emission free, more efficient, following highest environmental standards etc. But we haven’t yet seen any technical specs to fully appreciate how it will meet these aims. We shall be releasing our own review as our members would expect us to as soon as we have sight of the technical documentation.
On other matters we wait to hear more about transport policy, about sewage, about cross border issues. As advised, we shall make a study on how the current budget measures meets our own wish list; published online and available on our website at: esg-gib.net.
Finally and to clarify, for those experiencing air and or noise pollution you must contact the environmental officer on duty if outside office hours and make a report whilst the pollution is occurring. If it’s bad enough to wake you up, don’t feel bad about making the call. If you make the call and still feel frustrated that you are not getting any satisfaction, please call us and we shall follow up the matter for you. In any case, copy us in on any report/complaint that you file.
Report first to: 200-70620 daytime number (on summer hours)
After hours call 200-72500 and ask for Env Officer on duty.
Email: admin@environmental-agency.gi your complaint in writing and copy us at esg@gibtelecom.net
Wishing you a pollution free summer time. Thanks for listening.
