11-11-2014
It was a success! More than 200 people among activists, experts, local administrators and most of all citizens participated to a unique event in Barletta last week end. Speakers such as: Paul Connett, Rossano Ercolini, Enzo Favoino, Mariel Vilella, Agostino di Ciaula and many others coming from all over Italy joined a kind of event aim at stressing the unsustainability of a cement kiln burning waste in the middle of the city of Barletta. Paul Connett, Professor Emeritus at the St. Lawrence University of New York defined cement kilns themselves as a low-tech toilet that burn waste through a rough air control system and that incorporate dust in the clinkers. Once the buildings built with this kind of cement are destroyed we have a big danger caused by the dissemination of dioxin and heavy metals in the environment. Besides it was given evidence that it’s FALSE that the use of waste (RDF) as fuel instead of petrol in the cement kilns is more environmentally sustainable! On the contrary, this way the smog coming out the chimneys of the cement kilns will contain more quantity of dioxin and heavy metals (mercury) compared with the amount given by the use of petrol. Considering that cement kilns are allowed to produce higher level of emissions in terms of acid gases (such as NOx and others) and that produce higher quantity of smog if compared with incinerators, we have a shocking result for the environment and for the health. That’s why during the event the regional Zero Waste associations, Zero Waste Italy and the national movement “Movimento Legge Rifiuti Zero” (promoted a petition to be presented at European level against the fake of RDF the use of which was allowed by the Clini Decree: the previous Italian ministry for the Environment who was arrested just some months ago). All the Italian delegations: Veneto (Monselice), Umbria (Gubbio), Puglia (Barletta e Galatina), Sicily (Trapani), and Lazio (Rome) shared their experience with the International delegations coming from Spain, U.K., Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Japan and USA. At the end they decided to create a manifesto against incinieration and co-incineration, in all its forms. Next International meeting will be held in Catalonia next March. One month before, instead, the Italian realities will meet in Monselice (Padua). Project proposals from all over Italy were explained, especially from Capannori that is involved in a successful and exciting zero waste process that brought its municipally to propose a company which produces mushrooms from coffee ground. “Express Mushrooms” (that’s the name of the company) received an award from Tuscany (chosen among 180 companies) and proves how the ten steps to zero waste work in terms of avoiding environmental and health damages (it’s not the case of incinerators and cement kilns), by also creating job opportunities and promotes local entrepreneurship. That’s a reason why during the international meeting the Sblocca Italia Decree was deeply criticized as through its article 35 wants to encourage the use of incineration going against the European direction towards re-use, recycling, recovery of materials. Zero Waste Italy together with the other local regional groups is preparing other initiatives aimed at promoting the importance of the Zero Waste strategy. This week we can count on other important events on more general topics: such as the environmental global crisis and the safeguard of our food that will be held in Milan, Lecco and Vercelli. Today, 14 November Zero Waste Italy, in cooperation with the local associations and the local municipality will be in Parma for a meeting titled: “No warning”. Special guests: Erik Assadourian belonging to the “Worldwatch Institute” (who accepted the invitation of Zero Waste Italy), Paul Connett, the Mayor of Parma Pizzarotti, the council member Gabriele Folli and Rossano Ercolini. On 15 and 16 November in Moncrivello, province of Vercelli, Rossano Ercolini will present his book “Don’t burn our future”: a chance for the local municipality to give evidence of its zero waste strategy subscription process. Zero Waste Italy, in cooperation with G.A.I.A., Zero Waste Europe and the regional movement “Movimento Legge Rifiuti Zero– Puglia”, with the appreciated patronage of ISDE Italia (Doctors for the Environment), promoted the meeting in Barletta and thank all the realities for connecting at local and at global-international level, for the kind of civic passion showed and for the know-how shared even in details concerning health risks for example, so rich in terms of scientific data and well explained by Doctor Agostino di Ciaula (ISDE Puglia) and by Paul Connett. Extraordinary contributions were given by many local committees and associations represented by Francesco Miazzi from Monselice, Paola Nuti from Gubbio, by the vice mayor of Galatina Roberta Forte, by the committee against the incineration of Massafra, by Antonino Esposito who represented the project “Zero Waste Hotels & restaurants”, by the representatives of “Artemia salina” from Margherita di Savoia and by Massimo Piras (who talked about the petition to be presented at the European Parliament against RDF) and Franco Matrone (who explained in details the article 35 of the “Sblocca Italia Decree”). Thanks to the National Zero Waste Italy staff, composed by: Patrizia Lo Sciuto, Vanessa Sansone and Marta Ferri and of course thanks to G.A.I.A and to all the international delegations. Finally thanks to Sabrina Salerno, Alessandro Zagaria and Francesco Caravella from the regional movement “Movimento Legge Rifiuti Zero–Puglia” for the perfect synergic job that gave as result an effective team at local-global level. To the next initiative.. full of clean energy! ZERO WASTE ITALY
English translation Vanessa Sansone
