There are so many things happening with Greenheart Ibiza and Casita Verde, Ibiza Fènix and Ibiza Limpia, it’s difficult to begin telling the story.
It seems that the summer season jumped forward into September during the middle of August, with some heavy rain and a welcome change in temperature for a few days at least. This gave everything a good wash and watered the whole centre, so now it’s beautiful and green, just as we like it!
Casita Verde Granada
During the last week of August, I managed an interesting visit to Granada, in order to to help our friend Cubanito with the organisation of some eco-tourism projects which should provide a reasonable income for the new centre, plus raise the level of ecological awareness in the area around the new Casita Verde Granada.
The study mission for this project was actually a great pleasure, since it meant that we had to go out walking in the area, experience visits to the local hot springs, the wild rivers and the mountain tops, local farms and other places of ecological interest, plus of course try some of the local restaurants!
We also managed a visit to the ‘Cannabric’ factory in Gaudix near Granada city, where we met with Monika Brummer, the inventor of the ‘Cannabric building block’, made from hemp and lyme. This was a specially interesting meeting, since our ‘Eco Construction’ branch of the Ibiza Fènix group is planning to work together with the local building company ‘Ramos Obra & Deco’, making new constructions of houses and eco-toilets using this 100% ecological building material which could eventually be produced on the island.
From the end of October this year, Casita Verde Granada will welcome skilled volunteers, to help with the development of the main centre, so if you’re a builder, carpenter, or gardener type and would like to lend a hand, then please get in touch with Rey Aldana (El Cubanito), on 722500588 – email reyaldana32@gmail.com and see what’s happening over in this beautiful part of Spain. You can also check out the facebook page here:https://www.facebook.com/asociaciongranadaecologica
Meanwhile, back in our main centre at Greenheart Ibiza, we’re all very busy preparing to clean the whole island on the 15th of this month, together with other ecological organisations and entities also working in waste management projects. This first big clean-up campaign can be seen as a first step in raising the local awareness towards maintaining our islands beautiful and free from unsightly rubbish, including plastic and paper litter on highways, country roads and footpaths, plus the more serious piles of discarded building waste, which seems to be a regular feature of our otherwise unique and beautiful countryside.
It really is time to change our habits and begin cleaning up the mess we’ve made of our little island paradise during the last century. This of course will need ALL of us to participate in a coordinated action, which could radically improve the situation in a very short time if we can get enough people involved in this ambitious but very necessary project.
World Cleanup Day Ibiza – 15th of September
Ibiza Limpia, Proartso and Plastic Free Ibiza and Formentera would like to invite you to take part in the World Clean Up Day, the biggest global civic action that will attempt to clean the world from all type of waste in a single day.
The 15th of September, millions of people in 150 countries will stand up against the global mismanaged waste problem.
The newly formed Plastic Free movement in Ibiza and Formentera and its members Ibiza Limpia and Proartso are joining the ‘Lets Do It World Clean up’ movement, aiming to raise awareness about waste and plastic pollution, as well as promoting alternative solutions.
This day is an opportunity to become aware that the islands of Ibiza and Formentera, (with a permanent population of more than 150,000 inhabitants), have to deal with the continuous growth of waste in a finite natural environment.
A recent study from the Nixe III project, showed the presence of 147,500 pieces of plastic particles per km2 in the Mediterranean. The situation is even worse in Ibiza and Formentera, where the plastic concentration is multiplied by 30 and reaches a maximum level of 4,576,115 pieces of plastic per km2.
On this day, we will be organising a massive clean up of Ibiza and Formentera for the first time ever. We are attempting to unite all the people who care about the islands, to clean the beaches and coastal areas, the sea, the countryside, the forests, village squares, country roads and streets, plus every place where there is discarded waste.
It’s quite clear that we all need to start changing our everyday habits, avoiding single use products, as well as drastically reducing our consumption of plastic. In addition we need to reuse and recycle as much as we can.
Every year, 8 million tons of garbage is added to our oceans and 80% of it comes from mainland waste. (That’s like dumping over 112,123 Boeing 737 airplanes into the ocean each year). Our islands and the planet Earth simply cannot cope with the amount of garbage our modern societies generate.
Citizens, local governments, NGOs and companies are already getting involved and joining forces to fight against this waste pollution, so how can YOU join the World Clean Up Day in Ibiza?
1 – Download the app: When you see trash in Ibiza, MAP IT. Until the 15th of September we aim at mapping as many ‘trashpoints’ as possible around the islands. You can download the World Cleanup app on your phone. (available on Google play and the App store)
2 – Form a local team and choose which area you would like to clean. If you have a business, or if you are part of a public institution, a school, or neighborhood association, you can build a team with your colleagues, and/or your family and friends, then choose an area you would like to clean. It can be a beach, a forest area, an urban area, or even the street or road where you live. Then please communicate with us via email: worldcleanupdayibiza@gmail.com or Whatsapp: +34 615078989 (Carlos de Andres – Spanish and English). We will then send you more detailed instructions for the 15th of September.
3. Spread the word! – Download the APP and share it with your friends – Please like and share our event on Facebook: World Cleanup Day Ibiza – Sept 15 2018
– Follow us on the socials Casita Verde Ibiza for more information The World Cleanup Day Ibiza 15 September 2018
Eco-radio Ibiza and Formentera
If you haven’t tuned in yet, please check out Eco Radio Ibiza and Formentera on FM 90.0Mhz. This new radio station, operated by Augustín Prades and Merche Martínez, is dedicated to all the ecological happenings and news from environmental groups from Ibiza and Formentera!
For the moment, the frequency is being sponsored by the ‘Transparent Communications’ branch of the Ibiza Fènix NGO, but we’re hoping to find another organisation or private individuals to help us sponsor the evolution of environmental consciousness on our islands and beyond.
So, if anyone has something to say about environmental issues, they are warmly invited to speak on this radio station and should get in touch with Giada Forneris, the secretary of the ‘Transparent Communications‘ branch of Ibiza Feníx on 691935161, also directly with Agustín Prades on 670305188, or Merche Martínez on 630728740.
Finally, we’ll be doing a beach clean-up, together with Ibiza Limpia and our friends from the organisation Proartso, on Wednesday 5th of September from 18.00h on the seafront next to Cafe Mambo in San Antonio. The clean-up will be filmed by the German TV company SAT1, as part of a programme about Ibiza. They will also be filming in Casita Verde on Sunday the 2nd of September, when Gypsy Moreno from the famous band Gypsy kings will play in our garden from 2pm. They will also film our activities on Tuesday the 4th of September for most of the day, so we’ll advise you on Facebook when the programme will be live on TV, in the case that you’d like to watch it.
Also, we invite you all to our monthly celebration on Thursday the 7th of September at Casita Verde, when after the networking meeting from 19.30 until 21h, we offer a vegan dinner, plus natural local juices and sangria, follwed by Cumbia music and dancing with our favourite DJ Dr Cubano until around midnight.
If you have any questions about alternative lifestyle techniques, or want to know how you can e a more eco-conscious citizen, please come and see us on our weekly open day each Sunday or Thursday evening at Casita Verde.
You can also get in touch by email, sending your request to info@casitaverde.com, or calling our main office on 971 187353 / 608838190.
With warm greetings from Casita Verde, Chris Dews – coordinator https://www.facebook.com/CasitaVerdeIbiza/ https://www.facebook.com/ibizafenix
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