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EARTHDAY
2000
The
world conference on environment, held by U.N.O. in Rio de Janeiro in
1992 involved all member Nations in adopting environmental action plans
at a national and local level.
The
European Conference held in Aalborg in 1994, gave the start to the
European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign, joined by numerous
European cities, as well as Palermo. It engaged local authorities in the
starting up of an environmental qualification process called Local
Agenda 21.
Palermo
City Council, thanks to environmental care programmes and to the
development of renewable energies promoted by the
Ministry of
Environment, pledged its engagement in the realisation of a number of
projects aiming at energy saving and environmental care.
Actions,
including the improvement of plants energetic efficiency and solar
energy exploitation, have been set within the new
Municipal
Energy
Plan (M.E.P.).
Law
no. 10/91, as a matter of fact, states that General Master Plans
regarding those Municipalities with a population of over 50,000
inhabitans, must include a specific plan at a municipal level concerning,
among other issues, the use of renewable sources of energy.
M.E.P.'s
main task aims at the integration of the "energy" factor in
the urban planning, pointing out strategical choices in order to improve
cities' environment and to promote the rational use of sources towards a
sustainable urban development. One of its principal objectives is the
rationalization of the use of energy and the development of renewable
sources both in the public and the private sector.
Energy
ambient planning of territory, not only corresponds to a law request but
it also represents an important opportunity within the framework of
national and European directives and funds. In this direction, the
Ministry of Environment in agreement with the Ministry of Industry,
approved a document which points out some strategic objectives that
local authorities must achieve.
Some
of them are:
-
10% reduction of polluting gases (COČ) emission compared to 1990 by
2010.
-
doubling the use of renewable sources by 2010 shifting from 6% to 12% of
national energy amount.
-
over 15% of electrical energy savings by 2010 (equal to 45 TWh) compared
to the present
national electric consumption.
Municipal
Energetic Plan can be
summarized as follows:
-
Territorial Planning: demographic growth, building patrimony, economic
activities in the city.
-
Energy Balance: energy sales analysis, energy demand and offer analysis
per energy source and sector.
-
Analysis of thermic final use in the private sector: energy need rating,
district energy balance, typolagies of intervention, energy saving
potential, economic analysis.
-
Analysis of solar energy potential;
-
Energy-ambient evaluation of urban waste recycling.
-
Analysis of innovative technologies: cogeneration, heating and cooling
network -
Analysis
of greenhouse gas emission. Emission balance in 1990 and
in 1996, emission scenarios
of evolution.
-
Draft of new regulations to be included within "Operating Technical
Regulations" and the "Building Planning of the General
Master Plan".
The
programme of interventions for Environment care turned its attention to
air and noise pollution caused by private car traffic.
Concentrations
of main polluting elements, benzene in particular, have reached, today,
unacceptable levels for health an efficient monitoring system on
environmental pollution, at present made up of
7 air pollution testing stations, continuously analyzing the air
according to the following parameters:
-
Carbon Oxide (CO)
-
Nitrogen Oxide (NO)
-
Nitrogen Dioxide (NOČ)
-
Dust, breathable portion (PM 10)
-
Average value per hour of noise level.
Stations
are managed by the Public Utility for Environmental Care and Waste, to
survey benzene level through testing campaigns with "passive
samplers". These are essentially made of active carbon which
allow the accumulation of benzene during throughout the period of survey.
Through apt lab analyses, the average values of polluting concentrations
are defined in the different sites of survey. Moreover, the monitoring
network is being completed with proper instruments capable of
continuously testing benzene.
In
particular, the carrying out of the
Zeus European project - Zero and Low
Emission vehicles in Urban Society - is an example of the City
Administration's engagement in sustainable urban development. The
introduction of environmentally friendly means of transport (electric
cars and scooters and gas-fuelled buses), the realization of the first
methane and eletric energy stations with solar photovoltaic systems, the
opening of two parking areas for electric cars rental with a
car sharing
system are only some of the actions carried out towards energy saving
and environmental care in our City. |