Ibiza Ecologic and the evolution of ecology in Ibiza
Since those early years of the global environmental movement, there are more and more inspired people all over the world who have set up local groups dedicated to the study and conservation of our natural environment.
From the first hippies of the 1970’s who 'dropped out' of the man-made rat race of modern society, to the more extrovert individuals who somehow became re-connected to nature, the evolution of ecological consciousness has been gradually reaching out to touch almost the whole population of the planet.
Here on the famous little island of Ibiza in the Mediterranean Sea, the ecology movement was somewhat slow to develop. Only in the late 1980s, when it became painfully obvious to a few of the island’s residents that the rapid boom in tourism and uncontrolled building were having a serious negative effect on the natural environment, were the first moves made to stop the destruction.
First there was only the Ibicenco nature study group ‘GEN’, followed in 1989 by a local branch of the world wide 'Friends Of the Earth' group. After this came the study group 'Ibiza Ecologic' founded in 1996, together with the model ecological centre 'La Casita Verde'. Somewhere along the way, members of 'GEN' and 'Amigos de la Tierra' (Friends Of the Earth) formed Ibiza’s first green political party, 'Els Verds', and did very well in the local elections of 1995. However, due to some disagreement inside the party, one of the members left to found another 'Green Party' called 'Grupo Verde'. Although 'Els Verds' won some seats in the 1999 elections and formed part of the new multi-party government, the action of dividing the green vote seemed to weaken the public opinion of 'Green politics' and neither party gained enough votes to be re-elected during the following elections of 2003.
In 2001, the study group 'Ibiza ecologic' came up with an extremely popular 'symbol' for ecological consciousness, which manifested itself as a green heart with a yellow border. This new invention soon became the most popular 'car sticker ' in Ibiza and now begins to spread out to other countries around the world, representing a symbol of love and respect for our planet Earth as it touches the 'Green Hearts' of many awakening human beings.
Meanwhile, here in Ibiza, the cement mixers continue turning the island into a huge real estate offer, and the urgent issue of Global Warming threatens to take us all to the brink of environmental catastrophe. There is fortunately a new possibility to reverse this destructive trend, as more young people decide that it’s 'time to change' and begin searching for more ways to improve their own ecological impact, helping to secure a more sustainable future for themselves and all those who follow!
For further details please contact Chris Dews.
