THE AIR THAT YOU BREATHE

On Sunday May 24 there will be a major demonstration in San Roque against the planned A-7 Algeciras to San Roque dual carriage that will cut through the Pinar del Rey. It will start at noon outside of the church in the calle San Felipe then make its way to the Alameda.

The Pinar del Rey is a 200 year old precious woodland that was first planted by the Spanish Navy. It covers 338 supposedly protected hectares that are home to flora and fauna and valuable water aquifers. The proposal is to build a flyover across a section of the Pinar del Rey to carry the motorway that will be used by heavy vehicles travelling to Algeciras port and the industrial zones of the bay.

Not only is the Pinar del Rey an important environmental zone it is also used as a leisure area by many thousands of people from the Campo de Gibraltar and Gibraltar itself especially during the spring and autumn months.

However even for those who have never visited the Pinar and live in the area it plays a major role in their lives. The woodland is a vital green lung in the heavily industrialized bay area – a zone that has amongst the highest number of cancer and breathing related deaths in Spain. Destroy the Pinar and you destroy the quality of the very air that you breathe.

Although the protest is organized by Verdemar – Ecologistas en Acción it is fully supported by the new Partido Popular administration at San Roque town hall but will be a strictly non-political event that can be and should be supported by all who live in the Campo de Gibraltar, Gibraltar and beyond who are deeply concerned about our environment.

So if you care about the air that you breathe the answer is simple – ¡Pinar Si – Autovía No!