ESG Radio Newsletter

In this newsletter we shall aim to inform you about various items of environmental news we hope you will find of interest. We would like to start by mentioning the sharp increase in air pollution we are currently experiencing locally due to the balmy weather. It will have been plain to residents close to our power stations that conditions are worsening due to rising temperatures and we have considered it necessary to issue a press release on this issue this week. You can find this in full on our website: esg-gib.net. The ESG will continue to campaign for action on this matter as it remains a top priority with us.

On planning issues, a reminder to those interested that the next DPC public meeting will take place on the 24th May at 9.30am at the John Mackintosh Hall. For details of the agenda which we understand will contain interesting projects, please visit website: gibraltar.gov.gi/dpc closer to the date when the agenda will be posted by the Town Planners. Remember, the community has long called for transparent planning practices – why not make use of the open planning policy we have today by attending a public session?

A reminder that a useful number to make a note of is 56001652 –this is for the Bunkering Superintendent for the Port who is happy to take your calls and reports on a 24hr basis if you consider there is a problem with air or sea pollution emanating from a port related activity. Having given this number out a few times this week we thought it useful to remind listeners in case you need to make a similar report yourself sometime – so that’s 56001652. The ESG will soon meet with the Minister for the Port, the new Captain of the Port and various officials to discuss issues of concern to the ESG and its members. More news posted soon!

Moving on to CUTW news and progress – we are delighted to welcome the return of a Litter Committee on the Rock to review and monitor all aspects of littering in our home town. CUTW goals have been widely published based on countless discussions and debates with community leaders and ESG members. The ESG fully intends to table these goals at Litter Committee sessions also. It has to be said that slowly but surely, these shared goals are slowly coming to fruition but there is still much work to be done. The decision by the Minister for the Environment to revive the Litter Committee, last active nearly 20 years ago, is strongly welcomed as a huge step in the right direction.

For more details on our CUTW Campaign for 2012 plse refer to our website, news section – that’s esg-gib.net/news.

ESG Press Release
Sewage threat on the rise?
6th June 2012

With bathing season upon us, and the community heading for the beaches it is important to remain vigilant and aware of the continued actual and potential threat of the sewage pollution affecting the northern beaches of Gibraltar from La Linea town.

If one checks the Environmental Agency website today it appears that Western Beach could be safe for bathing. However, a word of warning that the sewage is now being displaced towards eastern side beaches rendering the ONLY two beaches in the whole of Andalucía to be out of action for bathing purposes. These beaches are located immediately to the north of Eastern Beach and the ESG is calling upon Govt to increase sampling as a matter of urgency to verify water quality closer to the airport runway. Marine and ambient environments do not recognise frontiers.

It is also reasonable to think that the displaced sewage could return to Western Beach at any given moment if pressure to open east side beaches grows, or if sudden rainfall were to occur. Therefore Western Beach should, in the groups view, remain closed until such time as La Linea has addressed the existing and very real problems she has in this regard, fully explained in the links included in this statement.

Just this weekend Spanish press carried two articles which show an increasingly deteriorating situation, and one, that we, in Gibraltar, need to take heed of if we are to afford maximum public health protection (see links below).

Last week the ESG received updates from both the EC and Sir Graham Watson on their efforts to secure some kind of resolution from the Spanish authorities to this problem. Now two years on and counting the ESG affirms it will continue to lobby as much as it can on this issue until this is resolved.

• For current Gibraltar beach data visit:
http://www.environmental-agency.gi/environmental_monitoring.htm

• See latest articles in Spanish press on this issue:
http://www.europasur.es/article/lalinea/1274606/los/vertidos/y/escapes/fecales/son/problema/endemico/la/linea.html

http://www.europasur.es/article/lalinea/1274605/la/orografiacutea/la/antiguumledad/la/red/y/las/injerencias/causas/problema.html

Heat increases pollution at Power Stations

photo Ecologistas en Accion

ESG is most concerned about the lack of a definitive announcement from Government on how it intends to proceed with the now stalled replacement power station.

The recent, visible and increased pollution from all power stations indicates that this problem is going to make itself felt for some time to come. The ESG has, for the past decade, pressed the previous administration under the GSD party to take urgent action on this issue believing it to be as much a public health and quality of life issue as it is about providing a secure electricity supply.

It is notable that the Chief Minister has frequently stated that the energy issue is a top most priority for his cabinet – we sincerely hope that a decision on the way forward will be made public without further delay.

Rising temperatures are always followed by increased and severe pollution from the stations on a daily basis. Fumes from these stations exacerbate various health conditions, all too real for those affected and a decision followed by necessary action cannot come a day too soon.

>Heat increases pollution at Power Stations

16th May 2012

ESG, CUTW and the Litter Committee

Last week saw the revival of a Litter Committee for Gibraltar as announced by the Ministry for the Environment. A similar committee existed back in the early 1990’s.

Since 2005 and our involvement in the CUTW Campaign, the ESG has called for a resumption of this committee. The group strongly believes in the need for collaboration and coordination between all relevant agencies to effectively manage Gibraltar’s busy, physical environment and all the waste and littering issues that arise from our community. Coordination is essential to ensure clear areas of responsibility, monitoring and response, and we believe that accountability can then be better measured also. A round table, Litter Committee set up where such issues can be jointly discussed is therefore critical.

Enforcement of litter and fly tipping fines is a clear goal of ours which we think is way overdue and badly needed. We shall continue to place our concerns before the Committee and the Ministry which is the best place for progress on these issues and others to be achieved. We welcome the Minister’s decision for taking this forward.

More on CUTW 2012 goals:

• Litter Committee
• Eco Park and 24/7 facility
• Litter Wardens and enforcement and fines -ie prevention
• Enclosure at the city dump
• Increased Recycling qties and streams
• Assess gaps in maintaining Gibraltar’s environment as its clear that there is still work to be done here
• Use of signage and a sustained campaign also required
•
The ESG recognises the hard work done by the many agencies to try and keep Gibraltar clean and believes that with enforcement and fines, their work can become easier as civic pride increases and less littering and dumping takes place.

The ESG understands that bullfighting has been a huge part of Spanish culture but knows that today it has become a contentious issue, even in Spain.

The group spoke out because we act to protect and promote the living environment which therefore includes standing against unnecessary cruelty to animals in any form.
The ESG has no political axe to grind with respect to the bullfighting issue. Rather, we wish to enhance freedom of speech by having issues debated in a balanced way – so for the Institute to hold several talks as was planned only promoting the positive sides of this blood sport was not acceptable.

The group met with the Institutes’ Director yesterday and had a constructive discussion. We were also very glad to hear the Director apologise in a GBC interview for offending people’s sensibilities on this issue and for stating that the Institute itself does not endorse bullfighting in any way.

The Director has further offered to set up alternative talks to focus on the antibullfighting position.

At this stage we do not think we can ask for more to be done and thank the Director for understanding local sensitivities.
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ESG is receiving a growing number of complaints from residents near port area and we are directing them to the official complaint route which is:

Bunkering Superintendent, John Ghio 56001652

ESG invites the public to also notify us when making your call to the port official, call 54960000.

ESG Press Release 2
4th May 2012

Dead Fish Story

The ESG is concerned to note the “phenomena” of numerous dead fish appearing on the same day (2nd May 2012) at two separate locations in the Bay.

One sighting was at Camp Bay in Gibraltar, the other a few kilometres away in the Rio de Palmones area in Spain. The ESG believes this is too much of a coincidence and calls on the Gibraltar Government to look into the matter further. In Spain concerned witnesses had been enjoying the abundant marine life in the same strip of river which, only one day later, on the 2nd May, held the distressing sight of numerous dead fish.

This raises chemical pollution as a potential cause as well as those others offered by marine expert Dr Eric Shaw of discarded commercial catch or sudden swell up.

The Spanish Environmental Ministry is investigating potential causes and the ESG urges GoG to similarly follow up the matter. If any chemical spill is verified, this could affect our water intake systems as well as marine life but whatever the cause we hope that samples can be tested in a laboratory to confirm either way.

ESG Press Release
4th May 2012

No to Bullfighting Talks

The ESG wishes to add its voice to those opposing the talks on Bullfighting to be held soon at the Instituto de Cervantes. This sport, while heavily immersed in Spanish culture, should nevertheless have been banned as bloody, cruel and outdated. It is the view of the group that the Gibraltar Government should intervene and stop such talks from going ahead in the name of culture. This bloody sport continues to be practised widely in Spain today, in spite of growing national opposition to it. The ESG strongly believes that as a responsible member of the European Union, Gibraltar should prevent any soft promotion of this barbaric sport which could in any way encourage this activity further.

ESG Radio Newsletter Thursday 3rd May 2012

Today’s radio Newsletter is busy with lots of different items of environmental news so hope you find something that will interest you.

• the ESG is now launching its CUTW 2012 Campaign and is asking volunteers to register directly with us. You can do this via email, at esg@gibtelecom.net, or by calling 200-48996 and mobile 54960000. Since we began our Clean Ups in 2005, much has been achieved, and a lot of awareness raised. The Campaign remains vital as a focal point in the year when new projects can get a big push with help from our volunteers, and these then continue on through the year we hope with a greater chance of success. Education is central in encouraging respectful behaviour towards our environment and so once again we aim to work closely with all our schools. The date for 2012 CUTW is Saturday 22nd September. Plse contact us with any questions and we can provide you with more information.

• For those of you who enjoy your fruit and vegetable the next item should interest you. An environmentalist and good friend of the ESG, Simon Cooper, has together with a colleague, embarked on a farming project with a difference these past two years. The result is a steady crop of organic fruit and veg which they now deliver on a weekly basis to customers in Gibraltar. The reason this is so exciting is that Local Organic, as the Farm is called, produces entirely organic produce at an equitable price to local supermarkets for non-organic fruit and veg. The range of produce is extensive and the guys running this project are extremely helpful. If you are interested and want more details plse contact Simon and James at Local Organic on their email: local.organic.gib@gmail.com. You can also find them on Facebook. Sustainable farming at long last!

• Moving on we need to mention the great effort made by volunteers at the Northern Defences last weekend. This area is also known to many as the Jungle. Three hours of backbreaking work ensured that several hotspot sites within this great, unused resource of ours, were left pristine. However, without steps taken to avoid the usual and gradual degradation that follows a cleanup of this type, the area will soon revert to the filth that confronted volunteers on Saturday. There are also harder to get at areas within the “Jungle” also being accessed by some and left predictably trashed. This must be tackled by the authorities. The ESG shall be taking the matter up with Government.

• The ESG notes that sewage contamination of the eastern and western coastline of La Linea is being reported almost on a daily basis in the Spanish press. With our own data showing high levels of sewage at Western Beach, this does not bode well at all. We are following up with Brussels and trying to raise the pressure there too. We shall also press Govt to erect a fence at Western Beach to make the official closure more visible to the public. Yet another of our resources out of reach for the community

• The ESG helps many in our community by providing information and advice on local environmental issues or problems. As an NGO and registered charity, we also need support from the public so plse, join up and help us continue to do our important work. Go to esg-gib.net for a membership form today!

Thanks for listening!