In today’s edition we shall talk about: Clean up the World/ Power Stations, EIAs and LNG/ a reminder to get your response in on the revised Town Act Participation Drive by the end of this month/ National Day and Balloons/ and the latest Marine Consultation exercise by GoG tackling issues affecting the health of our seas and more.

This years global CUTW lands on the 18th to the 20th September. However in Gibraltar the day of action will be on the 26th September – please make a note in your diary. Please note that on the 8th September we shall be holding a short meeting specifically for team leaders for a briefing on the activity and action planned for the 19th. Venue is the John Mackintosh Hall at 7pm.

While a number of our large hotspots are being tackled and will therefore not form part of our clean up, there are always filthy corners around the Rock that can benefit from our awareness raising campaign –not to mention the benefits gained in general from an energetic once over by our volunteers.

Talking about volunteers, we do have a number of teams signed up already and are currently taking details of new volunteers. Do, therefore, please get in touch asap, with your contact details, team size, rough idea of ages and fitness so we can include you in our planning. This campaign has achieved great results on many fronts since we first started organising the event in 2005. There is still much to be done and we shall use the Clean up weekend to highlight issues, press for the right solutions and engage the community.

You can email: esg@gibtelecom.net with your details. Call 54960000 or 58009259.

There is much discussion at present on LNG, EIA’s and Power Station– the ESG felt pleased at the end of the last DPC session on this issue as GoG, as applicant for the EIA certificate, publicly pledged to meet specific requests made by the ESG for best technology, and to go over and above the legal minimum requirements. In fact the EIA certificate was conditioned subject to it meeting a number of requests made by our group and the petitioners.

However, and the big but here is that we, along with many in the community, are unhappy about the LNG factor, about the lack of reports, the absence of a technical and public presentation on this technology and unhappy about siting the storage at the North Mole. This issue is far from over – we continue to monitor the situation and maintain contacts with both Govt and residents at Waterport Terraces.

Re Planning Matters in Gibraltar – remember the deadline for public feedback to the consultation drive by GoG on the revised Town Act is at the end of September.

With National Day coming up we need to mention the balloon issue again. For some years now the ESG has raised concerns about the expulsion of plastic or latex balloons by the thousands into our marine environment each year. Through our Clean up efforts and research we know only too well the impacts that waste in general has on wildlife and have lobbied GoG to find safer alternatives. We shall join ranks with others in the community to ensure that such alternatives will be in place for 2016. Its not about curtailing celebrations, but about avoiding the harming of wildlife and creating litter in our environment.

Interesting to see a GoG led marine consultation exercise running at present on issues affecting the health of our seas. The ESG will submit a lengthy report with data gathered from a decade of coastal clean ups. We shall share the knowledge we have gained through the efforts of volunteers clearing Gibraltar’s coastline and underwater sites of hundreds of tons of rubbish during our Clean up the World actions.

Thanks for listening. Enjoy your National Day and remember to recycle your rubbish and use the bins!!