These are the results of the survey that we have been carrying out for the last 2 weeks. We are grateful for the more than 400 votes cast by the readers of Ballenita Sí online, which helps us to have a clearer vision of the public perception of this problem in our Province.
POLLUTION BY THE OIL INDUSTRY, obtained the dishonorable first place, with a majority of 153 votes (37 %); followed by SOLID WASTE ON BEACHES, with 117 votes. (28.6%).
The problems of deforestation and industrial overfishing together accounted for a total of 159 votes, representing around 35% of the total.
AND NOW WHAT? Well, it's simple: the fight to demand a change of attitude from those who, with their disinterest (those who pollute) and with their omission (the "control" agencies), has only just begun.
We know and are aware that a survey will not make the disinterested polluters and the omitted controllers change their ways. But it does give us an idea of the trend in the population's perception of the problems that must be addressed.
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| In La Libertad, Petroindustrial daily pours thousands of liters of hot water with a strong smell of hydrocarbon and with an oily appearance directly to the sea. Freedom, The Carioca, Captive, Chuyuipe and Ballenita are affected. |
In the first case, we have noticed that even very close to the La Libertad Refinery, and in places where there has been and is oil exploitation, there is still no awareness among the population of the health problems that this type of activity brings. For example, people bathe in the sea just a few meters from the effluent outlets that Petrocomercial releases directly into the sea, in La Libertad, without any warning from any authority (neither from the Environment, nor from Health, nor from Tourism) about the possible consequences that this could have. Despite the many calls that have already been made previously.
As part of our action to socialize with the local, national and international community about what is happening here, we are preparing the Forum: "Impacts of the Chemical Industry on health and tourism activity in Santa Elena", about which we will inform you later.
The second most voted problem in our survey is that of SOLID WASTE ON BEACHES. We have been emphatic in stating that the legal competence in this aspect is of the Municipalities. We firmly believe in awareness, so for this 2011 season, we will implement in Ballenita as a pilot, an Environmental and Tourist Information Center, information that we will also expand on in future editions.
We would also like to clarify that these are not the only environmental problems we have in the province. Readers have shared with us experiences such as the one in which the Environmental Directorate has already issued a judgment on the Aguapen case, and they have also mentioned homes, apartment buildings and hotels that dump their waste directly into the sea, among others.
We therefore once again invite the authorities in charge of regulating and controlling these activities that constitute violations of the citizenry to carry out the work for which we pay them. 3 years is actually not a short time.
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