San Luis - Argentina

Province located in central Argentina, with over 450,000 inhabitants, and an area of 76,748 km ². It was originally inhabited by various indigenous groups.

Founded on August 25^th, 1594, as "San Luis de Loyola Nueva Medina de Río Seco", its geography is characterized by a mountainous landscape to the North, with varying heights (the Agua Hedionda hill is the highest in the province, with 2,150 meters), and a flat landscape, with many lakes, to the South.

San Luis has all climates, with an average annual temperature of 17 ° C, a winter mean temperature of 8 ° C, and 24 ° C in summer. Rains occur mainly in summer. In winter, precipitations are rare, but it may snow at any height, creating stunning landscapes.
The mountain is where many streams and rivers are born. More than 10 dams that supply water for irrigation and human consumption (San Felipe, Cruz de Piedra, La Florida, La Huertita, Potrero de los Funes, Paso de las Carretas Antonio Esteban Agüero, Nogolí, Luján, Villa General Roca) collect water from these streams and rivers.

San Luis native flora includes carob tree, white carob tree, Tintitaco, Caldén, Molle, Peje, Jarilla, Chana,  Aromo or Espinillo, Brea, Cortadera  and Retama. Several of them are endangered. Native fauna features pampas deer (endangered), Skunk, Herons, Male Red Brocket Deer (Mazama americana), Rhea, Creole Hare, Cougar, Fox, Rabbit, Mulitas, Peccary, Partridge, Biguá, Moorhen,  Condor, Weasel, and colorful songbirds.

San Luis is a wonderful natural tourist center, which offers hot springs, salt marshes, abundant fisheries, minerals such as onyx marble, limestone, and slate. There are also cave paintings in the National Park of Las Quijadas, where there is also clear evidence of dinosaurs’ habitat; San Luis has a very special microclimate characterized by high negative air ionization, with a high content of ozone - among other attractions - whose comfortable highways make it easier to visit.

We show our Art

We are organizing this art exhibition for the third consecutive year with the aim of promoting San Luis art expressions, like painting, sculpture, literature, music, dance and other related activities.

This 2010 we have the joy of having been invited to CulTurAr Havana, an international event, which gathers representatives from Spanish-speaking countries in order to talk about Art, Culture and Tourism, three of the guidelines of this magazine. We travel in November with an excellent sampler of San Luis works.

Upon returning, we will all gather to deliver certificates for those who participated in CulTurAr, and to report on the experience of making our culture known to other countries, which will mark the importance of this event and the importance of showing works by the participating artists.

EDITORIAL

More than words ...

This magazine - which I have been managing for more than four years - is alive thanks to the effort and love of its columnists, advertisers and readers, who rely on it as a project that goes beyond communication. Hueney shows Art, Culture and Tourism expressions in different ways, from San Luis to the rest of the country, and to the world. As I always say, making Hueney is possible because people around me are good and noble. Those who are not, exclude themselves from this project, and it is always the best they can do.

We have promoted concrete and effective actions since 2006. One of them has been the 2009 Art Walk, held in Potrero de los Funes. The Art Walk adopted the former scenic overlook as a permanent exhibition spot for artists and artisans. We have traveled around the country to make San Luis known (Córdoba, La Pampa, Buenos Aires, Río Negro, Chubut and Santa Fe). This month, we will be showing San Luis in Cuba.

We are read in Lebanon thanks to Ms. Greta Tawil, we are also read in English-speaking countries, thanks to the translations of Graciela Lucero Arrúa. We also have a very good response in Spain, through Inspiraction and our excellent correspondent, Lorena Avila Cantisani.

We have worked and put forward proposals and projects related to the promotion of our natural attractions. We have conducted projects aimed at benefitting the inhabitants of mountain villages together with Camtur and Foapra. We have taken part in meetings and supported environmental actions for the protection of native forests in San Luis and the country. The Act that protects the glaciers was passed thanks to our participation in the actions conducted by Greenpeace. We have also been part of Inspiraction’s initiative aimed at the relief of the external debt for Haiti, destroyed by an earthquake. We have investigated and reported the failures and losses that the careless passing of the Act that will force us to use low-energy lamps (National Act No. 26,473) will bring for consumers. We have reported the deforestation of the Natural Protected Area "Parque Nativo" (Native Park), and have submitted a sustainable development proposal. We have also conducted multiple drawings for products and services which promote San Luis.

Guía Hueney, together with Camtur, was considered one of the best representatives of Potrero de los Funes in tourism and communication matters by students of the School of Tourism and Communication from the National University of Córdoba, who conducted a field research work on this issue. Likewise, in our province, we collaborate with students of the Teaching Program on Physical Education from  IFDC (Institute for Higher Learning)

"Juan Pascual Pringles".

Hueney is much more than words ... it is the sum of concrete actions that we perform independently, with no subsidies whatsoever. Hueney is only possible thanks to those who trust me and Hueney as a project.

Season’s greetings to everyone. I wish 2011 will be a better year, full of success and happiness.  

I give you as a present a sentence I always say:

“It is worth saving love rather than bitterness  because it is the only thing we will take with us when we die”.

Rights and Disability

The "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" is the first declaration of human rights of the XXI century.

Why should we all know it?

Because it is intended to safeguard the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. It is embedded within what is known as positive law, which means that the rights comprising the Convention must be observed, it requires a "paradigm shift" in attitudes and approaches towards people with disabilities, and it sees the social construction of disability as involving us all.

While there is vast and extensive legislation on these rights, they are not always respected. The Convention is a legally binding universal standard, and it requires each of the State Parties to fulfill their obligations. When the Republic of Argentina ratified the Convention in 2008 (by National Act No. 26378), it accepted the legal obligations the country is responsible for, in order to adopt and issue the appropriate legislation aimed at enforcing the law in all the areas of application.

In everyday life, the Convention promotes the development, dissemination and awareness of the concept of disability, which triggers society’s commitment to make contributions from all sectors, building less restrictive, hindering and limiting environments. It is important to remember that the greater the obstacle, the greater the disability status of the individual. In this sense, the existing places of knowledge construction, such as schools, universities, training institutes, colleges, related organizations, etc. are making people aware of the fact that disability is a changing, dynamic, relational state built by the individual’s conditions and the environment’s possibilities. This new concept contradicts traditional concepts of disability based on lack and deprivation.

The idea is clear for us today.  But is it really clear that disability is not a disease, that it is not a product of poverty or sexual perversion, that disability does not belong to a particular social group, that disability is not the result of divine punishment, or that families are not atoning for sins, nor paying debts?

The law states that a person is always and above all, a person, even before his or her disability status, i.e. "a person with disabilities, or at risk of disability". However, we can still find those who refer to them by saying, the CP (meaning person with cerebral palsy) the DOWN (meaning person with Down syndrome). These aspects will improve as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is known and implemented in the various sectors of our society.

Returning to their importance in everyday life, it is noteworthy that there have been countless verdicts of the national justice based on the effective implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which recognize and order to enforce their rights in health, education, leisure and work, among other areas. Again, find out! Get informed! "If you do not know your rights, you can hardly claim them"

For further information, visit the following websites:

http://www.un.org/spanish/disabilities

www.cndisc.gov.ar/doc_publicar/convencion.htm

http://www2.ohchr.org/spanish/law/disabilities-convention.htm

ASTRONOMY

News from the sky

The sky has always been a source of inspiration for mankind. Observing it has represented the essential principle in the development of scientific thought of all civilizations. Its breathtaking beauty is the result of the interaction between light coming from the universe and the Earth's atmosphere. 

Today, the quality of the sky is affected by artificial lighting, which damages ecosystems and degrades the sky landscape. It is necessary to stop these effects and restore the true night, protecting darkness as a cultural and environmental right, establishing the culture of artificial lighting more efficiently and rationaly with the awareness that "everything is linked to everything” on this planet. 

The sky, our common and universal heritage, is an integral part of the environment as perceived by humanity. Future generations are entitled to an Earth with a clear sky in support of humanity’s history, culture, and social bonds that make each generation and each individual member part of one human family. Three decades ago, the sky of San Luis was among the cleanest in the country. 

November at a glance: 

- On the evening of day 15, the Moon will be very near the bright planet, Jupiter, high in the sky. 

-On the evening of day 21, the full moon emerges from the horizon to the side of a very bright star cluster known as the Seven Sisters, Seven kids or Pleiades. 

December at a glance: 

On the13th day, after midnight we can enjoy a beautiful meteor shower just by looking to the east, at medium height. 

At dawn, the night of Dec. 21st, when summer begins in our hemisphere, there will be a Total Lunar Eclipse. Watch the Moon after three in the morning and enjoy the eclipse; the Moon will pass by the shade that the earth projects into space. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

TOURIST INFO

"My San Luis" 

These images will also be part of San Luis presentation in Cuba. They belong to LOM, an amateur photographer who enjoys observing and recording San Luis’ many beauties. He travels around San Luis province in search of the best landscapes trying to capture them in their natural essence; this is the reason why he chooses not to modify those images.

Native plants

In addition to its originality, native plants bring local communities  great advantages, namely: cultural identity, close relationship to biodiversity and ecosystems; they can also be used as medicines (bark and roots), food (fruits), textile stuff ( fiber) and wood in different applications. 

The current use of native plants in our country is not significant enough because many of them -the most important ones - were treacherously eradicated throughout years of deforestation. However, it is possible to observe well-preserved natural landscapes in the south due to water quality, soil and air, and protective actions. In other forest areas there are high-value species that have evolved under low water availability, semi-arid soils and climate. These plants are vulnerable or are endangered, so they deserve to be protected. 

The native flora of our country, nevertheless, remains rich and varied. It is possible to find friendly animals that pollinate them and others that regulate their growth, reproduction and multiplication by eating them. 

Some native plants like Ceibo (Erythrina crista galli), White Algarrobo (Prosopis alba), Creole Sauce (Salix humboldtiana) and creosote bush (also called carrier’s money) have curative properties,  they are desirable species to grow a park. 

Native plants make our parks beautiful, and help us raise awareness of the need for their conservation. But they also reassess their presence as our own plants. By knowing their origin and characteristics, they can be combined with other species. 

Let’s work on that. 

"Roba Amiga”- Textile Waste

The word "Roba" in Valencian language, means clothing. This textile waste management plan, under the program "Roba Amiga” (friendly clothing), responds to basic social and environmental objectives, which have an impact both locally and globally. The collection (taking) and recovery of waste for re-entry into the market has traditionally been an activity carried out by social organizations that have turned this into an innovative occupation aimed at the inclusion of people at social risk. The growth of this activity and its consolidation in the market have created a new business  called the Third Sector. Roba Amiga is a program of Un Sol Mon Foundation, which belongs to the Charity Society Caixa Catalunya, whose aim is to consolidate and strengthen the work of social organizations devoted to the socio-professional insertion of people at risk of social exclusion. This program was created in 2002,  and it has enabled the creation of more than 40 job posts in all the social entities in charge of the organisation’s management, and employs more than 200 people. The actions and lines of intervention focus on the collection of used clothing  for recovery and retailing, as well as for export, recycling, and social awareness. 

The Rastrel Association is a nonprofit group founded in early 1983 in the city of Valencia which was initially promoted by a group of Christian Communities. This “junkman” work gained society’s recognition over time. It is mainly concerned with the home collection and handling of bulky waste, furniture, appliances, clothing, ferrous metals, etc. At present the Association is composed of thirteen people in stable employment situation, and a group of collaborators who make it possible to continue. One of the Association’s objectives is the creation of new jobs for people with social and work insertion problems. The jobs focus on second hand recycling . 

Similar activities take place in Argentina with an eye on ecology. The tendency is to reuse clothes, as well as shoes and furniture, which are displayed at fairs or markets. At some sewing workshops,  there are more items every day, shoemakers gain more visibility; they ideally fix everything and give the items a personal touch. 

This activity was born many decades ago, but became stronger in the '70s as a fashion for a specific group of people, and it then spread with American fairs and "vintage fashion” shops. 

The phenomenon, that began in Europe and especially in England, spread around the world. In Argentina, more and more people adopt it, some in order to save, others to be original, and others because they value unique garments. Today, social insertion companies have become a strategic agent of transformation of our society. Through their work, they promote values such as social, environmental and economic sustainability. They are therefore a landmark in terms of environmental dissemination and promotion: Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. 

Container of "Roba Amiga" in Valencia streets
- Spain. These people leave the clothes  they no longer wear. Associations are responsible for removing them, cleaning them and mending them. After that, they are taken to “Moda Amiga” shop networks, which sell them. 

Food safety

Those who justify deforestation to expand the agricultural frontier claim that this is done to produce more food. 

However, a recent report by FAO (UN Food and Agriculture) and the World Food Program, reveals that the number of people who do not have "anything to eat," is growing. These figures are the worst in the past 40 years worldwide. 

Every October 16^th the World Food Day is celebrated. This date was established in 1979 by FAO. This year, with the slogan "United Against Hunger", FAO seeks to raise awareness of the magnitude of the problem and draw attention to the importance of food security for all. 

What's happening in Argentina? The UN reported that our country produces 1.61% of meat and 1.51% of the world's grain, amount of food, whicht would be enough to feed 400 million people. It is therefore unacceptable that more than 5 million Argentines suffer from food shortage. 

The meager households incomes do not allow access to the basic food basket. This situation worsens with inflation and the  ever-present speculation, which causes unwarranted price hikes. 

Some argue that countries experiencing an increase in food prices should remember that food is necessarily a matter of national security, because if people lose the ability to get food, they are likely to be at the mercy of the speculative global market, and at the expense of those who produce commodities and condition production in favor of  their own interests. 

 "Food sovereignty" and "food security" are phrases people speak about almost secretly, and little is told about what these phrases mean. To retrace the path, we should ask those who govern the State (national and provincial): what is being done from that  place to favor the return of small and medium local economies, as well as to support them? What is being done for these economies suffocated by large corporations that use natural resources at their will, without protecting the environment? What is being done in the face of this situation, which results in the increasing exodus of farmers, and which involves the dismantling of regional economies? 

It is possible to observe how the government itself in the province of San Luis has set the conditions to facilitate the arrival of investors in the agricultural sector. First, the legislation on Land Management of Native Forests in this jurisdiction was adapted, pretending to comply with the current national law, declaring the two zones with the biggest wooded area as "High Agricultural Productivity" just because it is possible to have water for irrigation in surface and / or underground (but which it would cause more deforestation). 

After this was done senior provincial officials started a built strong bonds with potential investors in the agricultural sector. They were received by government authorities, and were certainly offered big tax benefits. Meanwhile, more and more small and medium farmers settled since ancient times in San Luis are being pushed out. Those farmers work the land themselves, they are the only ones who place value on knowledge of family farming, and highlight the appropriate use of ancestral genetic resource. Native seeds give value to the family farm, and constitute the backbone for the construction of sovereignty and food security.

TIPS: wash fruits and vegetables before eating them, let them rest in water with a few tablespoons of vinegar for a while. Then rinse.
The return to the organic garden is the healthiest and most economical practice for your home and family. 

Helping others benefits us

This edition brings many surprises through concrete actions for San Luis community, which will strengthen the magazine guidelines.

Guía Hueney will sell printed units of the magazine, and will allocate the collected money to FOAPRA.

FOAPRA is an institution that receives neither subsidies nor contributions, and still carries out studies and projects, it files claims, and transmits knowledge to people that benefits our province. The organization has been working in this direction for over 4 years. Please help others...

Buy Hueney printed edition

Guía Hueney costs only $2 and you can find it in participating stores. By buying Guía Hueney you will be helping yourself: promoting a healthier environment and the preservation of our natural resources.

I count on you ...

Guía Hueney Independent Art Walk

We are organizing this art exhibition for the third consecutive year with the aim of promoting San Luis art expressions, like: painting, sculpture, literature, music, dance and other related activities.

This 2010 we have the joy of having been invited to CulTurAr Havana, an international event, which gathers representatives from Spanish-speaking countries in order to talk about Art, Culture and Tourism, three of the guidelines of this magazine. We are preparing everything to travel to Havana, Cuba, with great enthusiasm. We will be there from November 24 to 28, and will show our potential. We will participate in all the activities, and Guía Hueney will have a particular space in representing the province of San Luis, Argentina.

How to participate:

1 - You can travel with Guía Hueney team (all expenses paid by the artist).

2 - We show what you do through different formats: digital, print, photography, collage, videos, etc.. (to be arranged for each individual case, according to the artistic product.) In this case, a registration fee of $ 100 is required (NOT a must), the idea is that everybody can participate.

- In Cuba, a sample book with data from all participating artists will be given .

- A certificate of participation will be issued upon returning from Cuba.

Holiday Sweepstakes, with Guía Hueney

Visit Potrero de los Funes.

Enjoy San Luis.

Earn 2 days for 2 people.

Drawing will be on October 19th.

Write to guiahueney@hotmail.com, or text us to (+54-02652) 548696 until October 18th in order to participate; include your name, the last three numbers of your ID, and place of origin. I wish you all the luck, and I hope you can enjoy the comfort and tranquility offered by Tronco Silvestre hotel.

Last 24/8 we held the draw for a weekend at Cabañas Paihuen, among about 500 participants. The winner was Mrs Soledad Blardone, from Capital Federal, Buenos Aires. She registered via San Luis’ most complete cultural agenda - www.slplqq.com.ar.

We have already contacted her, and she  is planning to visit San Luis soon.

We are waiting for her to show her the best landscapes of our province!

News from the Sky

by Aldo Hugo Olguín

Professor of Mathematics, Physics and Cosmography

aldohugoolguin@yahoo.com.ar

September is the Equinox month on Planet Earth. More precisely, next Thursday 23rd we are having 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness across the globe. The sun will rise in the east and will set in the the west; it will be walking a circle on the celestial sphere, called Celestial Equator.

By observing the position of the sun at noon, we can see our shadow projected from north to south, and if we extend an arm, and rise the other vertically upward, the resulting angle will give us the latitude of the place where we are standing, which for San Luis is over 30 °.

Spring officially begins on September 23rd, but in Argentina, it is traditionally celebrated on the 21st, together with the Students’ Day.

At the beginning of the night, the most populated sector of the Milky Way will be  above us, and we will be able to watch the constellations of Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, etc.

If we look to the South, at the beginning of the night, we will be able to see the Magellanic Clouds, two beautiful sister galaxies in the Milky Way.

On September 11th, the Teacher's Day in Argentina, the moon will be next to Venus at dusk. Look to the West.

On September 20th and 21st, the Moon will be next to Jupiter all night long. Look to the East.

After September 27th and at the beginning of the 28th, at midnight, we will see the old moon rising from the north-east, next to the Pleiades, also called the Seven Sisters. This is a beautiful celestial spectacle. We will see the Moon near these bright stars!

October, may give us a surprise at dawn with a shooting star, so make a wish!

                                                Happy Springtime to you all!

Happy Students’ Day!

by Gabriela Rosell

Special Education professional

Early Learning Specialist

grosell@unsl.edu.ar

In the last few years, young people from San Luis have been taking part of  a reality  that was denied by previous generations. Young people with disabilities were seen with classmates and friends on September 21th in Potrero de los Funes and El Trapiche, two of the villages were students go to celebrate the Students’ Day. These teenagers with disabilities are integrated, and in this way they are paving the way towards inclusion.

This is another piece of evidence showing that the school integration process goes beyond the classroom boundaries, and helps build a more pluralistic and egalitarian society. Even when the international legal framework -as well as the current legislation in Argentina and San Luis - promotes the inclusion of people with disabilities in regular schools, we know that families of disabled people find absurd pitfalls and obstacles every day.

As a society, we need to think and analyze that these limitations are the product of the interaction between the disabled person’s level of functioning and the environment. Each of us is part of the environment, and from our place, we can and we must promote inclusion.

Today, young people at school are going through a positive experience together with their disabled class mates, which positions them favorably in relation to inclusion. While sharing a roast and by offering natural support to the needs of their "peers / friends" with disabilities, they are teaching us through the example of their behaviour.

For kids today, the diagnosis hardly matters; their teammates are, above all, people -"Carlos’, ‘Estela’, ‘Juan", a companion. Just observe these groups full of joy, music and youth, and you will realize that something good is happening to us.

Happy Students’ Day for all!

On the required resources 

Money is one of the obstacles that families and schools face today when it comes to carrying out the process of school integration, which is particularly worrying. Typically, students with special educational needs, their teachers and peer groups require support from a specialized teacher (integration teacher). Some families have the support of healthcare companies -as established by the Act No. 24 901 "System of Basic Benefits in Habilitation and Comprehensive Rehabilitation on Behalf of Persons with Disabilities" -, which cover 100% of the fees corresponding to the integration teacher or team of external support. Some healthcare companies generally ignore or purposefully violate these rights, and often deny full coverage. If families sue them, they win, because the law is absolutely clear in this aspect. Act No. I-0013-2004 (5586), in its article 1, "Approval of the Agreement of Accession between the Board of Comprehensive Healthcare System for Persons with Disabilities and the Govt. of the Province of San Luis" is the legal tool aimed protecting the rights of disabled people. The Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the UN Enforcing Protocol entered into force in 2008 through the Act No. 26,378. It aims at encouraging governments to ensure full and equal rights for people with disabilities. 

It is clear that if people do not know their rights, they can hardly complain about their violation. Get advice for your family. 

For inquiries and complaints, contact 

Red Confluir http://www.redconfluir.org.ar - Phone 011-4343-0243. 

Department of Health Insurance 

http://www.sssalud.gov.ar - Toll free 0800-222-72583 

National Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities 

http://www.cndisc.gov.ar - Toll Free 0800-333-2662 

Tourist Information

From the Heights

That is the way Diego Nicola - a reader of Guía Hueney - enjoys looking at our landscapes, by paragliding. 

He has sent us beautiful pictures that we want to share with you.

The controversy over low energy lamps

by Lorena Ávila Cantisani

Correspondent in Spain

soydeargentinacom@hotmail.com

The market for light bulbs may experience a tremendous growth as a result of the awareness raised by the news on global warming and a possible energy crisis, either through social awareness or particular economy. 

"The promotion of these bulbs is simply irresponsible," said Enrique Perez, president of Arca Ibérica (National Association of the Heritage and Environment of Spain). They are promoted as a possible solution to the problem of global warming, but, in fact, they are causing another (greater) problem: the hyper-contamination by exposure to electromagnetic fields (...) and the one caused by mercury in lamps. " 

Press articles such as "The shift to low energy bulbs can cause health problems" have been circulating throughout different media in Spain these days. 

The Environmental Agency of the United Kingdon acknowledged that both commerce and govenment authorities should make greater efforts to inform the public of how to recycle this type of light bulbs. 

Furthermore, it is not clear whether energy is actually saved by using low energy lamps. Many are wasted in the same way that regular light bulbs. They produce mercury vapor emissions from the very first moment they are used. They also produce radio and ultraviolet emissions, among others. 

Discovery Salud, a journal which can be read online, publishes articles on the damage and diseases produced by these new bulbs. I share with you the link to the article written by the environmental specialist, Roberto Espinosa: www.greenpeace.org.ar/blog/lamparas-de-bajo-consumo-y-mercurio/32/ 

www.dsalud.com/index.php?pagina=articulo&c=162 

Environmental Rights in San Luis

by Paola Irastorza

Director of Guía Hueney

guiahueney@hotmail.com

In the month of August, we traveled to Villa Larca - north of the province- together with FOAPRA (Federation of Environmental Organizations in San Luis) and the Environment Civil Assoc "Peumayen" from El Volcán. We were invited by “Aguas Buenas” Foundation. The lecture in charge of Mr Roberto Espinosa began with an audience thirsty for knowledge. Environmental rights, native forests and mining were discussed for over three hours. Mining was the last item of the speech, and the most disturbing for the audience: the Govt. of San Luis has authorized the prospect and exploration of uranium deposits in the area with a view to their exploitation, which would jeopardize the quality of life, especially the river which provides water to the village’s population.

Did you know that according to international declarations, national and provincial laws, we - as inhabitants of the planet, and even more, as residents of a particular place at risk - have rights and responsibilities concerning the protection of natural resources - for ourselves and for future generations?

"Every person will have the opportunity to participate, either individually or collectively, in the decision-making process directly affecting their environment, in accordance with national legislation”. Likewise,when their human environment has been damaged or deteriorated, people may use the resources necessary to obtain compensation "...

Stockholm Declaration (1972) - Rio Declaration (1992) - National Constitution (art. 41) - National General Environmental Act (No. 25 675) - National Water Act (No. 25 688) - Provincial Constitution (art. 47). These are some laws for information.

SAVE WATER:

Place a 2L bottle of water into the toilet’s cistern. You will be saving this same amount of water every time you flush the toilet. (Placing an object in the cistern takes up space, reducing the water needed to fill it).

Tree means life

by José Luis Coria

Agronomist

joluco_22@hotmail.com

Today, trees are being abused by man through indiscriminate logging, improper pruning, arson and maltreatment, which threatens their conservation.

In San Luis, the protection of urban trees is framed into Act No. IX-0318/2004 -which ratifies previous legislation that came into effect in 1979 - and Art. 2340 of the Argentine Civil Code. Removing, cutting down and pruning tree species is, thus, subject to the provisions of that Act.

Those who have the responsibility to prune trees (municipalities and cities) may prune only when necessary, when they consider conditions mentioned in Art. 9 of ActNo. IX-0318/2004 exist.

Bewildered, we can see how various municipalities of San Luis have destroyed the natural structure of urban trees, they have altered their morphology and their foliage - one of the most important elements in a tree -, which give them the beauty and purpose of their existence in urban areas.

Get advice before pruning and monitor municipal authorities on the matter. In this way, you will be taking care of the air you breathe.

San Luis native flora: 
Algarrobo - White Quebracho - Tintitaco - Caldén - Molle - Peje - Jarilla - Chan - Aromo or Espinillo - Brea - Cortadera - Retama.
Several of these species are endangered

Sustainable Development

by Roberto Espinosa

Writer-Environmental Specialist

jrobertoespinosa@hotmail.com

Through a United Nations initiative, and with the purpose of studying environmental problems of our planet in an interrelated way, the "Brundtland Commission" began its work in 1983. The Commission spent several years travelling around different areas of the planet, interviewing experts, farmers, citizens and rulers. This work finished in 1987 with an important document entitled "Our Common Future", where environmental problems were linked with the international economy and development models.

The Commission concluded that environmental problems should be seen and treated from the point at which they originate, not from their consequences. They also point out that every time causes are dealt with, economic models are always involved . As a result, the proposal "Sustainable Development" has emerged. This proposal "meets present needs without compromising the satisfaction of the needs of future generations." This entails focusing on the social and ecological balance as a guarantee for a planet that needs to develop without endangering humans, who must live in harmony with other people, and with nature itself.

When defining the term "sustainable development", two fundamental ideas worth being remembered are raised:

First of all, the idea of "Needs" (meeting them). You cannot claim or guarantee to meet all the needs of a community, because there exist - in the second place - the idea of "limits", which are imposed by the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.

It could be argued that this capacity is modified by the technology incorporated into the productive activities - which would also allow to continue changing it - aided by the new social organization. Beware of these simplistic arguments!

Biosphere, as a whole, does not have a carrying capacity able support a population that requires water, soil, food and other goods, with no limits; it cannot support a population that produces large volumes of waste and pollutants, either. The use of nonrenewable natural resources (fossil fuels, mining), and the rate at which "renewable" ones are used -which have lost their renewal capacity - is alarming.

The Brundtland Report states that “it is particularly important to meet the essential needs of the poorest, being necessary to give priority to those who still have not satisfied the basic levels of their life quality."

Are we acting in this direction?

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, dealt with the Brundtland Report, and agreed that "all States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of

eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable

development, in order to decrease the disparities in standards of living and

better meet the needs of the majority of the people of the world".

As we have seen, there are limits to the satisfaction of the needs of a community, which is typical of the low carrying capacity of the biosphere, as a whole. The resources that appeared to be inexhaustible are now disappearing systematically.

Then, the logical question that follows is: which needs should be covered first? The ones of those people who already have enough? Or the needs of over one billion human beings in the world, who have not covered their basic needs yet?

Saving Water

Eco-parks

It is neither a place for practising adventure tourism, nor leisure activities to share with the family. An eco-park is a space where home waste which cannot be put into traditional containers is selectively classified.

Garbage like oils, junk, radiographies, light bulbs, ink cartridges, electrical appliances, mobile phones, batteries, paints and debris are deposited in eco-parks. There are also “green spots” for the collection of gardening waste, as well a free of charge door-to-door service for collecting old furniture.

To date, the Spanish government has called for 27 tenders to build eco-parks all over the country. This project aims at satisfying the need to build places where citizens can deposit waste in an organized, selective and secure way, and where residues can be collected by authorized staff in order to be reutilized or eliminated in a controlled way.

An eco-park has about 1,200 m2, it includes a room for educating and lecturing on environmental issues, leisure areas for disabled people, locker rooms, a control booth and a room for storing residues temporarily, as well as a third building for special residues. It also has garden areas, and two more areas: one for big objects (woods, furniture, electrical appliances - white or brown), and another one for conventional residues which cannot be deposited in street containers.

None of these residues are of industrial origin because these “green spots” are thought for citizens’ use. Since eco-parks or “green spots” have rooms for educating students, citizens and housewives, they have a twofold function:  a place for collecting garbage and a training space to accomplish a sustainable development.

Recycling batteries (Part II)

Batteries make using many electrical appliances easier, but once they exhaust, they are likely to end up in garbage dumps if we throw them with the rest of the waste, which will result in the contamination of underground water, the soil, and food chains – which eventually affect human beings- , or in incineration plants - whose fumes produce volatile toxic substances which contaminate the air.

Where should batteries be thrown?

They should be taken to recycling plants where dangerous metals can be properly separated from the rest of the components. Unfortunately, there are very few plants of this type in the world, because the process of recycling is very expensive. Argentina does not have a recycling plant.

I recommend buying products which do not need batteries. Only buy rechargeable batteries, and preferably those made of Ni-MH (Niquel-Hidrato de Metal) or silver oxide and Zinc-Air, whose components have a low toxicity level. Avoid buying/using those with a high content of mercury and cadmium.

As consumers, we must favour practices that do not contaminate. Remember: everything we throw to the soil comes back in one way or another.