Greens accuse government over golf courses

THE GREEN Party yesterday accused the government of planning to bypass environmental and town-planning procedures for desalination units to ease the way for more golf courses in Cyprus.According to the party’s general secretary, George Perdikis, a bill submitted by the government to the House Environment Committee provided the cancellation of environmental studies and town-planning procedures for those interested in building desalination plants.But Perdikis said this was a back-handed way for the government to allow the operation of golf courses.“The government’s attempts to cancel all environmental and town-planning control over the creation of so-called small desalination units are scandalous,” said Perdikis. “The government is essentially offering natural resources to the capitals of private businessmen.“We say the control proceedings should be sped up and not cancelled.”Parliament has already told the government that this will lead to a huge environmental scandal, he explained.“Those whose applications for golf courses were rejected by the Exemptions Committee will, based on this bill, be able to go ahead and build them.”
(Cyprus Mail)

Say NO to the use of Lannate

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Demetris Christofias and Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Mr. Michalis Polynikis signing the petition against the use of Lannate.

The campaign by the Cyprus Green Party is still on and we would be greatfull if YOU fill the following petition form and send it back to us at greenparty@cytanet.com.cy or post it to:

Cyprus Green Party
P.O. Box 29682,
1722 Nicosia

NAME: .......................................................................

ADDRESS: ..................................................................

Tel. No: ..................................................................

and send it to email

COME AND ENJOY A MEAL COOKED WITH SOLAR ENERGY!

The Cyprus Green Party’s Limassol District Committee is organising the following activities at Gregoris Auxentiou Square (Dioikitirio) to celebrate the World Environment Day:

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Display of the mechanism of solar furnaces

Andreas Fasoulides and Kyriakos Antoniou from the Techonology Workshop Re-New will present furnaces that operate with sunlight to bake food.

4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m: Workshop with recycling material and children’s painting workshop. Sun will be the day's theme.

In the afternoon children of all ages will have the possibility to draw pictures inspired by the sun or to work together to create a recycling bin with recycled material!

Journalists are invited by the Limassol District Committee to lunch with them. At 12:00 p.m. we will serve “sun” roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables.

Intense concern on the developments on the Cyprus problem

The political committee of Cyprus Green Party having studied the latest developments occurred from the meeting of President Christofias with Mr. Talat and their common announcement and having in mind the briefing of the party’s Secretary General, Mr. George Perdikis, expresses its intense concern for the future of the Cyprus issue.

The intense concern was created due to the inclusion of different terms and statements in the common announcement. These terms are considered very risky as we are certain that they will be used by the permanently deceitful Turkish side and the well known involved countries which are always supporting Turkey despite the honest willingness of President Christofias.

Besides all above, we consider that the non inclusion of statements concerning the important facts of the Cyprus problem, such as the settlers, properties, security and guarantees and focusing on every day matters, are creating a negative environment for the negotiations which cannot allow us to be optimistic.

The Cyprus Green Party calls President Christofias to continue the resistance to the unacceptable demands of Mr. Talat and to avoid direct negotiations before real progress is obtained by the committees and especially by the working groups. We also ask President Christofias to insist on the principles of the solution of the Cyprus problem as they have been expressed by him during the pre-election period.

In this difficult attempt, the Cyprus Green Party will stand and support President Christofias in an effort to obtain a just, right and viable solution for the Cyprus problem.

Informative campaign and signature raising against the construction of nuclear stations

Recently, we had a great number of discussions regarding the construction of nuclear stations in Greece and Cyprus. One of the basic arguments presented, was that, since a lot of neighbor countries have announced their intension to built a nuclear stations, and since we will be in danger anyway, why not building one of our own? The absolute insanity! Should we put a bomb in our house, if our neighbor is willing to do so and we will have the consequences, anyway? Of course not. We shall try to obstruct him in every possible way. In this respect we ask for political initiatives on an International level to block the nuclear threat.

The International Network, Mediterranean No Nuclear Neighborhood-ΜΝ3, is organizing a campaign for raising signatures under an article which you can find on the following addresses: www.mn3network.org and www.manw.org. You can also find a form which you can print and raise signatures. On the form you can find the address to which you should send the forms.

The Greek effort is supported by the Mediterranean No Nuclear Neighborhood, the Greek office of Greenpeace, WWF (Hellas), SOS Mediterranean Network and the Greek network of Ecological Organizations (Pandoiko). In Cyprus, the campaign was undertaken by the Cyprus Green Party and the Ecological Movement.

We need your participation. We need your support. It’s the only certain way to avoid the construction and settlement of new nuclear stations.

NUCLEAR ENERGY IS NOT A SOLUTION. IT IS JUST ANOTHER PROBLEM!
Active citizens against radioactivity!
Sign NOW and promote this campaign…

Concerns on statements about creating a Nuclear Station in Cyprus

The Cyprus Green Party expresses its great concerns for statements of the Director of the Energy Department of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, who expressed his positive opinion on the idea of constructing a nuclear factory in Cyprus.

Adopting nuclear reactors is a significant social decision, because possible dangers directly affect the population outside the country’s territories. Unfortunately, society and expert scientists more often than not have a limited say in such crucial decision-making processes, while the final word belongs to corporations and technocrats.

The biggest, unresolved issue of nuclear energy is the accumulation of nuclear waste from the reactors. The radioactivity released by thousands of tons of nuclear waste is exceedingly dangerous, has a vast durability over time and its handling is terribly expensive.
The Cyprus Green Party asks the Cyprus government to fully evaluate the effects of all factors and to be more than careful when dealing with such serious topics. Even minor announcements and statements can create unfortunate controversies, while at the same time they dynamite every action and attempt of preventing the construction of nuclear factories in Turkey’s southern coastline, which can endanger the entire region.

We need greater focus on solar power

CYPRUS needs to make better use of solar power, according to Green party leader George Perdikis last night.Perdikis was speaking at an event organised at the House of Representatives in anticipation of the European Solar Power Day which is tomorrow, Friday.“Although Cyprus has done well to make use of its 300 days of sunshine per year in heating water for home use,” it has failed to use solar energy to produce electrical energy, Perdikis argued.He went on to say that his party has, “asked, on more than one occasion, for the development of a rounded social dialogue which will lead to fundamental changes in energy policy.” He thought that, “the recent introduction of a compulsory energy plan in building design was a positive step.“However, the matter of saving energy in the transport sector remains. Any change in this sector goes hand-in-hand with deep-rooted changes in transport policy,” he added.He also expressed his party’s line on EU energy policy aims.The EU partially describes its energy policy via its ‘20-20-20’ slogan: the aim is to reduce energy consumption by 20 per cent and increase renewable energy use by 20 per cent by the year 2020.Perdikis was negative about this, saying that it does not go far enough, while he was aware that others thought that it is unachievable.

(Cyprus Mail 2008)

Greens blast plans for nuclear plant in Turkey

THE CYPRUS Green Party and the Commissioner for the Environment Charalambos Theopemtou are warning about the risks involved in the planned construction of five nuclear power stations and a nuclear technology centre in Turkey. The Greens are calling the state to intervene to prevent the operation of the nuclear plants, particularly at Akkuyu, which lies in a seismogenic area, as Cyprus would also be affected by a possible nuclear catastrophe.“The construction of a power plant at Akkuyu brings the nuclear nightmare to our doorstep,” said the Greens. “The exceptionally dangerous seismogenic area of southern Asia Minor, the problem of safety in the area, the lack of experience and expertise and more, make the plans for the construction of a nuclear power plant at Akkuyu the biggest threat to life and the safety of people in our area,” the statement continued.The Commissioner for the Environment Charalambos Theopemptou also pointed out the serious risks involved, including the lack of specialised personnel to staff the plants, the management of nuclear waste, the risk of leaks of nuclear waste, and the fact that the area where the plants will be built is seismogenic, which increases the risk of accidents.Theopemptou pointed out that plans for the construction of a nuclear technology centre were also alarming, as it could be used for the development of nuclear weapons. “It is well-known that countries with nuclear energy later get nuclear weapons with radioactive waste, particularly those countries with the type of plants Turkey is promoting. “The new trend is for low intensity nuclear weapons that destroy areas and not entire countries. So the decision to use them is easier! What will happen in our volatile oil-rich region with its chronic conflicts and guerrilla wars and the water shortage which could be a cause of war?” Theopemtou said.
(Cyprus Mail 2008)

Greens blast golf course ‘scandal’

THE GREEN Party condemned the supply of water for the maintenance of golf courses, calling on the government to stop granting licences to create more greens.

The Green Party called a news conference to continue “exposing the big scandal of the golf courses”, adding that “the creation of golf courses was the excuse that cunning developers used, in order to purchase rural land for ridiculously cheap prices with the intention of converting it into building plots with the excuse that tourism would benefit.” Green Party Leader George Perdikis described the issue as an “economic scandal”. “We are against the creation of golf courses because they destroy the natural environment and scenery while wasting public resources of water for the maintenance of these golf courses.”Perdikis asked the government “to stop granting and approving licences for golf courses and halt the water supply in the existing golf courses”. The Greens are calling on the government to stop procedures for handing out new golf course building licences and to limit the water supplied to the existing courses and facilities. According to Green Party leader George Perdikis, a total of 14 golf courses are on the cards for the island.“Nothing will stop us from telling the truth, as we have been doing for the last 20 years concerning the golf courses. “All these constitute an economic scandal, which proves that the entire golf courses issue serves the interest of certain people, who make millions and billions, with the water and the land of the people and this country.” Perdikis said he considered it a “scandal and mockery for the public to suffer from water restrictions and a travesty for our farmers that see their plantations get destroyed because of lack of water while the developers take comfort in acquiring their licences and build villas which have already being sold.”The golf courses were built for the purpose of extending the tourist season. Numerous developers have profited at the expense of this tourism proposal, with hundreds of villas, estates and land already sold to foreign investors. However, tourism has not improved, the Greens point out. “This has already happened in three cases in Paphos, while a fourth course is under development.”Perdikis said: “The argument that supposedly some of these golf courses are irrigated by bore holes and that the water resources are not influenced is ridiculous… The claim that some of these golf courses are privately irrigated by private dams is also ridiculous.”

(Cyprus Mail 2008)

Ban Lanate and Stop Animal Poisonings in Cyprus

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8555489146

Save a dog!!!

20 pure breed dogs are given away - boxers, labradors, colleys, poodles, puppies of all ages, at the Aradippou shelter.

They will have to be put down in a week.

Tel. 99023462 - Toula

BI-COMMUNAL EVENT ORGANISED BY THE PEACE PLATFORM ON MAY1st 2008

The Cyprus Green Party honour's the struggles of the working people over the years. We must remember that the rights of the working people enjoyed by us today are not to be taken for granted. Many people have lost their lives, for us to be able today to enjoy a better quality of life.
Rights are contested, earned and preserved with continuous fights and efforts. Like the workers in Chicago who gathered together to resolve the problems facing their lives and to organize their common struggle, so we should do the same today, following their example of unity, determination and dynamic fight.
The Cyprus Green Party together with other organizations and parties in Cyprus - Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot – honour's the sacrifice of those people who fought for the rights of the working people and sends the message that the struggle for freedom and justice can be supported once again from all of us, ordinary people, who care to achieve a better future and a better life.
Let us all be united, loving and strong for a better quality of life, for a better tomorrow, for a united home country.