The fish are dying. It may be shocking but the truth is, 25% of the world’s known fish species, especially tuna and cod, are at the brink of extinction. The oceanic ecological balance has gone berserk and as a last minute preventive measure, governments have banned fishing in certain areas. Apparently, EU pays 61 million dollars to Greenland every year so that Germany can continue fishing in its waters. Incidentally, Germans like their fish frozen thereby giving fisherman a lot of time to fish and ruin the ecological system even in far off areas.

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Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival which many Indians look forward to as in today’s workaholic life, it sums up ten days of spirituality, fun, faith and socializing around. But what many people fail to admit (although, they know it very well) that the after festival picture is filthy with vast amounts of pollution on the beach and inside water where the Elephant God rests post Visarjan. Such people happily befool themselves giving excuses like, “God will take care of the fishes and the beaches.” But now, thanks to Goa government, this year at least in Goa the marine life will not have to ask God’s help for its survival for the much needed human awakening is already set into motion.

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It’s the same tug-of-war for people of Kenya, which every nation wanting to progress, faces today. The issue being is it development or devastation in the name of development? The recent decision of Kenyan government to approve a biofuel project in the Tana River delta area has created an uproar among people. The biofuel project requires the setting up of a sugar cane plantation in the 80 sq mile river delta. Much of the crop produced at the plantation would be converted into ethanol. This would be done in a nearby purpose-built factory. The factory will provide employment opportunities to the locals. This is the government’s side of story. The other side is provided by the local farmers and fishermen. These people along with the environmentalists detest the approval to the project. The Tana River delta is an area of biodiversity in terms of animal and plant species found there. The land is home to hippos, lions, rare shark species, primates and 345 bird species. It also sustains the local community of thousands of fishermen and farmers. Their protests against this project, it seems have fallen on deaf ears! According to Paul Matiku, executive director of Nature Kenya (a Nairobi- based conservation group), the whole project is an ecological disaster. “It will seriously damage our priceless national assets and will put the livelihoods of the people living in the delta in jeopardy,” Paul said.

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We take inspiration from the post of Polisblog on the first 100 days of the Berlusconi government to express our environmental proposals. We have read the interesting comments after the disappearance of the Greens by Parliament. We of Ecoblog’m glad that everyone has been able to express their opinions in a civil and exchange views despite the heat of the moment after elections.

We then continue with the political discourse, in this case by looking forward and leaving behind what has been. The problems we know all: between the stagnant economy and the need to work and safety, fit environmental issues. Who takes the environment is often accused of not having serious proposals if not those of “no”. We try then to dispel this commonplace.

If you had the possibility of sending a series of proposals for the new government, what do concrete, feasible immediately, rather immediatissimo? For example, as risolvereste emergency in Campania waste? How ridurreste pollution of the city? How favorireste public transport? To you the floor.

Photos | Flickr