Tag Archives: Proposals

Innovative Projects to be discussed at the Ateneu

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Starting on Thursday 3 February is a new series of round table discussion organised by the Maó Ateneu and GOB with the help of the Menorca Preservation Fund. On Thursday we will focus on publicizing innovative projects that aim to raise European Next Generation funds for their execution. These are ideas that can become opportunities in the future for Menorca, opening new economic development lines that can be important both from a social and environmental point of view. The discussions can be attended in person at the Ateneu or can be followed through you tube Continue reading Innovative Projects to be discussed at the Ateneu →

Greetings from the President of GOB Menorca

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I would like to start this salutation by thanking you for the confidence you have placed in me by re-electing me as president to the Menorcan section of GOB. It is a great honour that after four years I am still considered as a person to assume this position. It is a great responsibility that I expect to carry out with diligence. GOB is an emblematic entity within Menorcan society and with the help of all the associated people, the rest of the members of the board and the technical team, I hope we can continue contributing good ideas and experiences to move towards a more sustainable island from both social and environmental points of view. Continue reading Greetings from the President of GOB Menorca →

Land Stewardship Scheme as a solution

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Just three months ago on 29 July, we entered a global ecological deficit. It was called the Earth Overshoot Day 2021. That means that all the resources that we have consumed in the world since that date cannot be regenerated and we are going into the accumulated natural reserves that are diminishing at an alarming rate. It also refers to the pollution produced that cannot now be absorbed into the biosphere.

That organisation that annually calculates when Overshoot Day is reached has chosen 100 initiatives for the entire world that can help delay the date. The solution that they proposed is one that we promote from GOB: the Land Stewardship Scheme.

Specifically, a study has been done on the ecological footprint from the production of beef in the Land Stewardship Farms. They have taken into account factors such as the type of food given to the cattle – if produced on the same farm or, if imported, the distance covered; if the cows are out to pasture or are in cattle sheds etc; the energy resources consumed by the farms – electricity, fuel- and the use of fertilizers amongst other things.

The result has been that the production of beef on Land Stewardship Scheme farms has an ecological footprint up to 64% less than the national average. This is a really significant difference that comes from two factors.

The first factor is the resources consumed with each type of production and the associated pollution. To produce a kilo of beef from the Land Stewardship Scheme requires 15% less in financial resources than that required by conventionally produced meat. This contradicts the theory that to produce organic meat extensively is more costly than by intensive farming.

The second factor is the Land Stewardship Scheme itself. It is that much of the land for the Land Stewardship Scheme would not be considered by conventional farming as giving optimal production value. Land Stewardship farms take advantage of the mosaic landscape that combines cultivated land with areas of wild vegetation for agricultural production. The livestock eats partly from wild pasture roaming through wooded areas and scrubland. Furthermore, this type of management does not deplete the biodiversity but rather encourages it.

In this way, the consequence is not only the kilo of meat that is produced but also there are additional positive results such as the capture of carbon coming from the vegetation of the managed areas.

As consumers, all of us have the possibility to encourage the type of food that respects the ability of regenerating the World. Bear this in mind when you go shopping.

You can consult the available products of the Land Stewardship Scheme sold direct on https://www.gobmenorca.com/productescustodia. You can learn more about the program by watching the videos listed on our You Tube Channel.

You can see news on the Global Footprint network website.

The calculation of the ecological footprint for the production of beef has been possible thanks to the economic support of the MAVA Foundation within the Foodnected project.

We are presenting a People’s Legislative Initiative to Parliament to guarantee the welfare of current and future generations

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GOB, together with other socio-ecological groups, has been working intensively for some time in order to focus collective proposals aimed at an Eco social transition. The law that we are proposing in the Balearic Parliament has as its main purpose to guarantee the welfare of current and future generations. Once the law is admitted for processing, we will start a campaign to collect signatures so that it can be discussed in a plenary session.

We are clear in thinking about the world and particularly about the Balearic Islands that they are heading towards a complex social and ecological scenario:  the climate crisis, the massive loss of biodiversity, the scarcity of resources, require a collective confrontation to a future full of challenges that will change our social and economic organization.

We have no way of knowing, yet, what the magnitude of the changes will be that we as a society need to face. However, we do know that they will have a significant impact on our lives and on that of future generations. We also know that individuals and companies are obliged to rethink the way we live and consume, in order to mitigate economic and social risks and be able to offer a future with guarantees for generations to come.

The main purpose of the law we are presenting to Parliament is to guarantee the welfare of current and future generations, therefore:

  1. Set the objectives to be achieved now for the welfare of current and future generations.
  2. Determine the necessity to carry out an impact assessment report on the welfare of current and future generations, showing the potential impact with positive and negative repercussions on future generations as well as the ability to define a social, economic and environmental model in accordance with the objectives.
  3. Determine the creation of a Commission for the welfare of current and future generations of the Balearic Islands. The Commission will be formed of a President, Secretary and a multidisciplinary technical committee with people who are experts in the fields of education, research and innovation, agro ecology and biodiversity, the mitigation of and adaptation to the climate crisis, social justice, the economic model, urbanisation, land and resources, equality and gender politics, immigration, culture, childhood and youth, public health.

We need an unprecedented legal framework that guarantees the preservation of life. We know that this is the only way out if we want to guarantee the future. We need a change in values and priorities that emanate from a standard framework that permeates throughout all economic, public and private sectors both in social spheres and in the areas of public health, and in the resources and the environment that sustain us. Only this way will life and our future be possible.

What is a People’s Legislative Initiative?

It is a mechanism for direct democracy:  the public can propose legal initiatives without the mediation of political parties. These proposals have to be supported by a number of signatures and, according to the current law in force in the Balearic Islands, 7,500 are required.

What do we want to achieve with this bill?

We want, by law, all these rules, plans, programmes and administrative acts to be assessed for their potential impacts and repercussions, both positive and negative, on current and future generations.  In summary, we want to know how the life of people and the environment will be affected by those projects that, by their magnitude, can decisively condition the environment and social justice.

Process

The proposed legislation has been registered in Parliament and is now pending admission for processing by the Parliamentary Office, as established. From that moment on an intensive, four-month campaign will be launched, to collect and notarise, the signatures required to be able to endorse the proposal. Thus, an intense social mobilisation throughout the land will begin in order to emphasise how the policies of today need to respond for the generations of tomorrow.

Time to impose limits

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Effects linked to the pandemic have provoked a sudden change in the type of tourism. Fewer people require an all-inclusive holiday at a hotel with swimming pool, now there are more who come independently wanting to go to the coves, squares and restaurants. That is roughly how it has been and enough has been talked about it. However, let us profit by analysing the matter further. Continue reading Time to impose limits →

On 29 July, we entered into an ecological deficit. Watch what you eat.

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The Earth Overshoot Day marks the day in the year when the natural resources demanded by humanity is greater than the earth is able to regenerate completely for the year. That day was 29 July 2021, when we humans had consumed the produce and emitted as much pollution as the earth is capable of generating and regenerating during this year. Continue reading On 29 July, we entered into an ecological deficit. Watch what you eat. →

Thursday 17 June discussion on today and tomorrow in the agricultural world

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The difficulties of the milk subsector; the obstacle of amitgeria (the traditional Menorcan deal between landlords and farmers); the costs and the time that the farmers need to invest in the bureaucracy; the opportunities of new markets; the effects of the arrival of new investors; the strategies for improving the cost effectiveness of agriculture; and other interesting aspects, will be discussed this Thursday at an event organized by GOB. Continue reading Thursday 17 June discussion on today and tomorrow in the agricultural world →