Fee for plastic bags was the best environmental action in 2015, says the Quercus – publico

                 

                         
                     

                         

                 

 
 

Quercus – National Association for Nature Conservation, issued on Monday the environmental balance of the year, with good and bad practices of 2015. The non-governmental organization Environment calls for greater ecological responsibility for the Next year, for a more sustainable economic growth.

The imposition of charges on disposable plastic bags under the so-called green taxation, proved to be “effective in minimizing production waste and help to further environmental sustainability. ” Therefore, this measure is first in the list of good environmental actions of the year. The measure passed last year, but only came into force earlier this year. Nuno Sequeira, Quercus, states that “this is a transversal measure to all sectors. Just go to the supermarket and it is easy to see that the paradigm has changed. ” As will be meaningful, on the other hand, an increase of over 40% in consumer trash bags in Portugal but responsible Quercus insists that still have this rate helped minimize waste production.

The recovery of extinct species in Portugal also received positive note this year, after investment in endangered fauna have returned habitats for species conservation status, such as the black vulture which was abolished in Portugal over about 40 years, the imperial eagle Iberian and the Iberian lynx, which now has a population of eleven animals in the country.

citizenship for the environment is still pointing to an important step, and the organization shows the efforts of the citizens of Ribatejo by the movement “Let’s Save the Rio Almonda” as an example of “persistence” in the fight for the river pollution, which led to the suspension of some licensing of discharges of industrial wastewater. The creation of the Platform Algarve Free Oil (PALP), which brings together citizens and Algarve entities to prevent the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the region is also highlighted as a good example of active citizenship for the environment.

The Quercus also notes between good 2015 for environmental initiatives, the climate agreement signed in Paris on Climate cop21 Conference, in which the 196 signatory nations committed themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to keep the global temperature rise to 1.5 ° C .

Bad Practices

But also there was bad environment in 2015. One of the main criticism concerns this year to discharge pollutants in the river Tagus, which, according to Quercus, have formed barriers that prevent migration of fish fauna along the river flow, increasingly degraded . Illegal discharges and dwindling flows leave at risk not only the Tagus basin and water quality, but question the fishing, people’s health and the tourism potential of coastal areas.

Political decisions are also critical target in the balance sheet. Quercus believes that recycling targets, established in 2014 in the Strategic Plan for Urban Waste (PERSU 2020), are “absurd, because oblige the hinterland to recycle 80% of waste in 2020, while the big cities, Lisbon and Porto, just have to recycle between 23 and 35%. ” The organization also warns that the goals of the two cities are not increased, the Community target of recycling 50% of municipal waste will not be met.

The creation, by the previous government , a special regime to regulate the activity of companies with no operating license from the quarries farms, is also pointed out by the NGO as a “green pathway to environmental irresponsibility.” Decree-Law 165/2014, which stipulates the exceptional regime and suspending administrative offenses in force against the companies, had already been pointed out in the 2014 balance of Quercus as one of the worst efforts of the year for the environment.

The new Legal Regime Applicable to Afforestation and Reforestation actions (RJAAR) also on the blacklist of the year. The rampant increase of eucalyptus plantations increases the risk of fire and undermines “brave-pine forests and other formations of our forest,” associated with “incorrect mobilization of soil.” Environmentalists accuse the lack of land-use planning and the lack of investment in other species, since the eucalyptus is already abundant in the country.