Energy Saving Procedures on the Island of Mallorca
Posted on March 4, 2009 - Filed Under Society, Technology, Travel
Almost one year ago, a diver off the coast of the island of Mallorca, spotted a monk seal. What is amazing about this, is that the species was thought to be extinct in the Mediterranean. The monk seal is on the top ten most endangered species of the world. Mallorca is a very popular destination for travelers coming from all over the world to experience the beauty and tranquility of the island, and to have fun in the sun. Jet skis, and power boats fill the waters surrounding the island. Government officials considered a program that would increase and in insure the existence of the seal, however the traffic created by these water sports may provide too much for such a program to be successful. Species entering extinction is just one of the environmental concerns of the the Island and the county of Spain as a whole. In response, Spain has become a world leader, not only in population growth and the economy of tourism in such areas as resorts, spas and 5 star Mallorca hotels, but also in the technology and practice of the use of alternative energy.
The government of Spain has subsidized the building and the operation of energy generating wind plants for just about ten years. The power generated by the wind mills in Spain has just one rival, the country of Germany. The wind plants actually provide a profit every year, and because of this, and the advancing technology allowing the plants to run more efficiently, the government has decided to cut the funding. However the results of such plants and the fact that they actually make money, insures that more plants will continue to be built in the future. At a conference a few months ago, while it was announced that this funding would be cut, the funds available for soar power research and development will increase by more than half.
The capital city, La Palma, of Mallorca became the first city to install energy saving bulbs in their traffic lights. This started ten years ago and to this date, the city is the first to have all the traffic lights so powered. One result this has is that there will now be just about 2,000 less tons of carbon dioxide released back into the environment. And since the lights burn brighter at night, the added beneficial effect has been a reduction in the number of traffic accidents. La Palma has become an example for the rest of the world in that they are a growing community, a very busy tourist destination and they’ve discovered how to operate in a more green way, and made a profit doing just that.
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- The island of Mallorca
- The Salinas Nature Reserve of Formentera
- Fira del Disc in Palma
- Business sees clean energy expansion
- Get as Much Energy from Wind Turbines as Possible
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