If an Asian citizen had the consumption rhythm of an American citizen, we would need three to five planets to live. This is a statement made today by Maria de Lurdes Cravo, president of the Quercus General Assembly (Portuguese Association of Nature Conservation), within the scope of the celebration of World Environment Day organised by the Nursing School of Coimbra.
The audience was composed of numerous pupils of the Colégio de São Martinho do Bispo, who, once more, were informed about the consequences of the climate changes.
It is never enough to repeat that 33% of the nature reserves have been destroyed or that two thousand trees are cut down every minute in the Amazon, in order to reflect upon this problem and to adopt more eco-friendly behaviours.
The Quercus environmentalist, therefore, referred to the necessity of managing Planet Earth in a logic of coproperty - the Coproperty of the Earth - and to be co-responsible for its state of degradation, accepting part of the maintenance costs (as if it were a building).
These celebrations were also attended by Dr. Rui Cruz (Local Government of S. Martinho do Bispo) and Engenheiro Jorge Falcão (chief of the Vehicles and Machines Division of the Environment and Quality of Life Department of the Municipal Executive of Coimbra).
Cruz referred to the responsibilities of the local governments in the management, cleaning and conservation of public spaces, whereas Falcão focused on the (environmental and economic) advantages of the use of biofuel, mentioning an experiment carried out with three fleet vehicles of the Municipal Executive of Coimbra.
The celebrations of the World Environment Day were organised by the Scientific-Pedagogical Unit of Mental, Family and Community Health and included an exposition and a theme-related poster contest
The organisation commission was composed of the Professors João Lucas da Costa, Carlos Silva, Paula Vidigueira, Armando Silva and Hermínio Gomes, among others.
The ceremony was also attended by the President of the Local Government of S. Martinho do Bispo, Antonino Antunes.
