69th Venice film festival: green carpet for the greenest movie of the year

 
by Annalisa Tancredi

There’s nothing better than a long-shot by Sergio Leone to represent the endless beauty of wild nature, or a scene of Into the wild to describe the intimate and primitive connection between man and nature. The cinematographic language is perfect to tell so many elements about relationship between man and environment and that’s why during 69th Venice film festival will make its debut The Green Drop Award, born to foster greater environmental awareness among authors and spectators.

The Green Drop Award is organized by Green Cross Italy and Venice City and is a prize for the best movie that “realize ecology values and sustainable development, with attention to the Planet and its ecosystem safeguards for future generations, to lifestyle and cooperation between peoples”. An excellent jury, composed by the director Ermanno Olmi (president), the actress Claudia Cardinale (godmother), the director Ugo Gregoretti, the producer Franco Iseppi, the actress Anita Kravos and the environmental educator Caterina Dezuanni, will meet on Friday 7th September to nominate the winner among 18 movies in competition. The best movie will receive the prize, a green drop glass made with Venetian glass by master Simone Cedenese, in which is preserved an handful of soil symbolizing “rich soil in which future generations will reconcile development and ecology”. Each year the soil will come from a different country and for 2012 edition it has been chosen Brazil, where Rio+20 Onu Conference took place. 

"Cinema is entertainment, but like all fairy tales or the great literature, watching a movie or reading a novel is an identification of ourselves with the stories characters. Highlight the ecological values of a movie means, in the middle of the ecological crisis and climate change, to teach something to the audience without rhetoric instruments - said Marco Gisotti, director of the Green Drop Award and author of the documentary "Cinema & Environment" on RAI History (Science Dixit Cycle). And he said, about the influence of the cinema on the collective imagination: "Movies have a strong evocative power. I’m thinking about 70’s and the effect of a movie like "The China Syndrome" which exposed the risks of nuclear power. It was prophetic because a week after the release of the film happens the accident at the nuclear power plant in Three Mile Island. Another example is given by the movie "Into the wild" or by Ermanno Olmi’s films, or Werner Herzog and even by "Avatar", perhaps the most popular eco-cinema in recent years. Watching films like those ones not only means to have a good movie, but to learn something more about nature, ecology and cooperation between people". 

So this year there’s a long green carpet at the Venice Film Festival ready to welcome the greenest film. Finally, to use the words of Mikhail Gorbachev - Nobel Peace Prize and founder of Green Cross International - "The creation of this award will help directors, writers and actors to become ambassadors of a message of hope for the future of all humanity ".

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EWWR: let’s get it started!

by Francesca Morra



The National Organizing Committee (Ministry of Environment, Federambiente, Rifiuti 21 Network, Province of Turin, Province of Rome, Legambiente, AICA, ERICA Soc. coop., Eco dalle Città), after its meeting in Rome last July 19 at the Ministry of the Environment, officially opened the registrations to the fourth edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction to be held 17 to 25 November 2012.

The EWWR is an environmental communication campaign focused on reducing waste, originated within the LIFE+ project with the primary target of raising awareness among the institutions, stakeholders and consumers about all the strategies and policies for the waste prevention in the European Union, that Member States must pursue, even in light of recent regulatory measures (such as the waste Framework Directive, 2008/98/EC).

Event that has become indispensable for the supporters of a life with less waste, the past three editions have seen an increasing participation: 430 actions registered in 2009, 585 in 2010 and 960 last year! The significance of these numbers is mainly due to the fact that you have to be an institution or Public Administration, an association or a nonprofit organization, a school or a university or a company, etc. to became a project developer. So it is important to emphasize that the "week" works mainly because it is an opportunity to get together and develop action as a group. 

“This year’s innovation is the Italian Award. – Said Roberto Cavallo, President of AICA, which for the fourth year will be the Organizing Secretary- This will contribute to reward the most virtuous actions of each category that will display the reach of the week targets in terms of visibility and communications; originality; content quality and focus on waste prevention; action’s reproducibility and long term follow up”. In addicition, this year, we decided to advance the applications open up compared to the previous editions. 

In order to take part in the “week”and becoming a “project developer”, you have to subject the application form to the National Committee filling the form (Adhesion form), clicking on this link, in addition to the Committee’s other members websites and send it to serr@assaica.org. If the application will meet the European assignements, they will be convalidated by the Committee and will be named “Action for the European Week for Waste Reduction” and will receive the campaign’s kit and obviously the possibility to use the european logo. Also individuals can participate to the week by writing their personal commitments on the website board www.menorifiuti.org: everyone can write down their own waste reduction experience”.

Many other innovations are scheduled for this year edition, so follow the official website www.menorifiuti.org and the Facebook page. Be a part of the week!

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Investigative journalism in pills for italian regions: here comes Laura Conti Days

by Annalisa Tancredi  

The recipe for this summer to fight Ecomafia is the administration of investigative journalism pills, for 4 days, from 12th to 15th July at the Castello dei Principi Capano in Pollica (SA). Legambiente and Editorial The New Ecology prescribed it organizing, during the new event Festambiente and Legality - words, music and food against the eco-mafia, a Summer School for all eco-reporters who want to explore the world of journalism and communication environment.  

During the "Laura Conti Days. Course-workshop survey in environmental journalism and writing", the editors of the magazine The New Ecology will lead a series of editorial workshops aimed at acquiring the basics of investigative environmental journalism. Moreover, in 4 afternoons of summer school, it will be possible to meet prominent journalists and authors of the great eco-Italian investigation as: Domenico Iannacone (journalist, Presa Diretta author, Robinson), Toni Mira (Avvenire Assignment editor), Santo Della Volpe (TG3Assignment editor, Libera Informazione Director) and Giovanni Tizian (journalist, author of Gothic, Enzo Biagi 2012 price). 

The event was organized in Pollica to honor Angelo Vassallo, the former mayor of the Municipality killed on 5th September 2010 probably by Camorra. "The best way to remember Angelo Vassallo and defeat those who sought the death is to consolidate the close relationship between Pollica and the partnership between environment and legality - says Legambiente on its site – From this steams Festambiente e Legalità: four beautiful days to visit the Cilento, Pollica and all the places of Angelo Vassallo memories". 

The Laura Conti Days are also associated with the selection process for access to the XII edition of the Euro-Mediterranean Laura Conti Environmental Journalism Course that will be held at the Campus of Savona from 5th November to 14th December 2012, a landmark for those who want to deepen the teaching in this area. 

Summer School editorial workshops will start at 9.30 am and afternoon meeting at 3 pm. The total costs are 300 euro including training, 4 nights accommodation in double, 4 lunches, bus and Festambiente and Legality shows. 

For information and reservations please call 06.32120126, write at formazione@lanuovaecologia.it or visit the site. To conclude with a quotation of great honor: "Respect law and environment. These are the resources of tomorrow for the construction of a new happiness and a new economy" (Angelo Vassallo).

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"The creativity, sustainability becomes an art exhibition”: in Padua to promote a more sustainable lifestyle.

 

by Valeria Rocca

Arts. Sustainability. Recycling. These are the three keywords of the project “Riciclarti-CANTIERE ARTE AMBIENTALE 2011” that from the 14th to the 23rd June 2012, will guest in Padova, Anna Breda Area, with the show "La sostenibilità diventa creativa ". There will be discovered 8 artists protagonists Fausto Trevisan, Sonia Passoni, Massolin Miriam, Francesco Mangiaracina, Gianfranco Gentile, Isabelle Fordin, Daniela Ferretti. 

We contacted Marisa Merlin, the Venetian artist, who has made recycling the tool to create new languages, as well as the curator of this exciting project.

When was it born, and what is the project “Riciclarti-CANTIERE ARTE AMBIENTALE”? 

The project “Riciclarti-CANTIERE ARTE AMBIENTALE” comes from my work as an artist. The project sees the first edition in 2008 with the aim to involve other artists on environmental issues through the language of art, to promote a moment of reflection on public issues identified, interpreted and developed by artists and designers.

On what values is based this ambitious project?  

 The Review RICICLARTI wants to stimulate the creation of posts, through the privileged language of contemporary visual art, creating reflections on the connection between aesthetic and environmental protection. The project believes in community relations "eco-centric", and to this aim, the artistic research offers important channels of communication addressed to the people, businesses and institutions in a shared environment. The strong cultural background of the project acts as a filter for each proposed initiative.

What objectives does it want to reach? 

The event, now an expected cultural one, intends to establish itself as the "Festival of Contemporary Environmental Art.

In short it will be opened an exhibition space at Anna Breida. What are the expectations of this event? 

Anna Breda Area has selected some artists and designers within the participants Riciclarti-Cantiere Arte Ambientale 2011 for an exhibition that handled with knowledge and generosity. In fact none of the Artists shall be personally present in the show because affected by the earthquake, and Anna Breda will donate the earnings to the earthquake victims Emilia. We expect a large turnout and interest, and I know that the experience and professionalism of the gallery and the quality of the works of her choices will satisfy the expectations of an attentive audience that followed us for years so far with rising curiosity. The exhibition space at Anna Breda is a qualifying moment for the review, and I can say that we close the series with an outstanding Award Show, which has among its intent to exit from the physical and temporal space of the exhibition and to relate the works of artists and designers with other important art and culture and stimulus, going on to a mutual exchange, artistic, cultural, economic and lifestyle.

Are you satisfied with the work done until now? 

I must say I am very pleased and proud of the work done so far, thanks to the collaboration of many people who believed in the project with enthusiasm, being able to relate with different reality as artistic, cultural and economic public and private institutions, we gained the 'interest of opinion leaders from various sectors, and of course the growing globalizing attitude for the quality of works and proposed initiatives. Participants in the exhibition are selected by call for competition by a jury composed of personalities from internationally recognized scientific fields, so the quality of the show is always very high. The Festival has grown so fast that became a Biennale, taking the name RICCAA (acronym for Riciclarti-Yard Environmental Art). The next will be the fifth edition in 2013, and the invitation to participate will be released the next October.

For more information www.marisamerlin.it or www.riciclarti.it (But the site is currently under maintenance) or www.spazioannabreda.com.

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'O Sole mio

by Emanuele Biestro

How the sunbeams become energy? What is the difference between the thermic solar energy and the photovoltaic one? Do the solar panels work even if it rains? the promoters of the European Solar Days, the most important information campaign europeanwide dedicated to the promotion of the use of solar energy as heat and electricity, will answer to all of these and many more questions. The campaign is co-funded by the European Commission within the programme "Intelligent Energy Europe", aiming at living a future energetically sustainable.

The campaign will be held from the 1st to the 13th of May in Italy and in other 16 European countries. In 2012 it will be the 5th edition: the figures of the past 4 ones show that there have been organized almost one thousand events with over 300.000 participants only in Italy. All the events on local, national or European scale dealing with solar energy will be part of the European Solar Days: the past ones were mainly fairs, products displays, workshops for children and students, guided tours to solar installations, training courses, information points, all of them with one aim: free the energy of the sun!

"For this year we expect a wide attendance. It is passed almost a month after the opening of the enrolments and we recorded already 16 events and other contacts for upcoming ones. We are trying to take advantage of the social networks, advertising the campaign on Facebook with a page dedicated to the event" say Concetta Laudicina and Riccardo Battisti, members of the National Secretary of the European Solar Days in Italy.

Actually, the strength of this campaign lives in the difference of the proponents of the events and as a consequence of the ways to communicate: the initiatives will be set by firms, NGOs, local authorities, schools or private citizens and they will be recorded on a list available at www.eusd.it, where through an interactive map we can see all the events programmed all over the Europe, promoted by local and national media.

The event will be organized in association with Ambiente Italia and Legambiente, and the support of Assolterm, Coordinamento Agende 21 Locali Italiane, Gifi, Kyoto Club, Qualenergia and Solarexpo.

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Cycle carnival floats and Horse-bikes in Putignano Carnival

by Annalisa Tancredi

Holidays’ sense is wondering what holidays means. The Carnival has its origins in Greek and Roman pagan celebrations, consisting in abandon daily works to take part celebrations dancing and drinking wine (into bacchanalia). The masks symbolized the established social order subversion to generate, by the kaos, a new phase of symbolic regeneration. In this time, however, it seems that the abundance and the extravagance belong to everyday life and if we want to subvert the established order in occasion of the Carnival, we should dress sustainability and eco-friendly green mask.

This is what has been organized in Putignano Carnival 2012, that is a parade in the name of sustainable development and alternative mobility, programmed from 17th January to 21th February. New green Carnival, promoted by the new president Franco Laera and the Puglia region Mobility department councilor Guglielmo Minervini, will integrate its traditional carnival parades with cycle-lights, 2 carnival floats and 10 horse-bike sharing stations.

"Putignano Carnival 618th edition want to combine the spirit of tradition and innovation - said President Franco Laera - An event to enhance ancient traditions but looking at future modernity, promoting new ideas to grow up our Carnival and to make it more and more sustainable. And it is because in the intention of turning "green" the Carnival and, in general, to promote best practice in everyday life, that we are managing a sustainable mobility project. An opportunity to combine traditional and sustainable Carnival".

During the event, cycle-lights will be powered by alternative energy produced by bike movement like 2 zero impact cycle carnival floats which will generate necessary energy to power music and lights, thanks to a pedal mechanism. “Cycle-carts are the expression of futuristic vision – said Franco Laera – an example of sustainability. An artistic work representing carnival floats’ traditional work evolution. Sustainable mobility project is growing thanks to an hard team work that is like the energy powering carnival floats”.

Additionally will be allocated 4 bike sharing stations with 10 nice bikes masked as horses wich could be rent by visitors during the days of parades. Finally, on Friday 17th February, Putignano Carnival will be part of “M’illumino di Meno” (I will use less light) initiative promoted by Caterpillar transmission on Radio2 and, in the afternoon, there will be a zero impact concert of "A'SUrD Batukada".

More info www.carnevalediputignano.it

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First 10 candles for Eco dalle Città

by Silvia Musso

Envi's editorial staff and AICA are pleased to share an important goal.

Eco dalle Città, on line magazine newsletter for the urban environment, and colleague of many adventures, first of all, the European Week for Waste Reduction, celebrates 10 years of activity.

We interviewed Paolo Hutter, magazine's director.

Eco dalle città has been dedicating to environmental communication and information for 10 years. How has the communication environment changed in this decade?
«First, there are many more sites and more sources of information and communication. Although it is still missing - but it is so even in greener countries than ours - a very influential and recognized voice, a "Sole 24 ore" (Italian economic newspaper) about environment. There has been a development linked to the growth of businnesses that feed the so-called green economy. Then there are the general changes in information and communication, those related to the advent of social networks in general and short messages. There are not all positive changes, there is always the risk of superficiality, of lack of memory. And there is still a lot of ignorance around, people confuse smog and greenhouse gas emissions, for example».

What is the communication campaign or event you are more connected and you keep the best memory?
«The campaign we are most related to is definitely the European Week of Waste Reduction. We have participated since 2008 to the first pilot edition of the event. We are part of the national steering committee and we take care of the Italian official website of the event: www.menorifiuti.org. We believe that the issue of waste prevention must find more and more space among the actors involved in the initiative (institutions, companies, associations, schools ...) but also, in general, among the general public.The need to reduce waste production is a current subject and will continue to be so in the future.The data on waste generation in Europe in fact confirm the need to remain vigilant on the reduction: the European Agency for the Environment in Europe has estimated an increase of up to 558 kg per capita by 2020 (was 524 kg in 2008) unless some effective policies to reduce waste production would be realized».

What are the future plans of Eco dalle Città?
«First, the project to survive is already a big project. We started as a newsletter specializing particularly suited to be "adopted" by local authorities. But in recent years it has become increasingly difficult to receive financial funds by local authorities. And the possibility to finance by ourselves with commercial advertising is very low. We still have to learn to tie ourselves to the growth of the green economy. However, ideas about what we like to do, do not lack, if we find the resources. It would be to better articulate the production and supply of qualified and reliable information, crossing the deepening of the environmental issues of everyday life and a greater ability to find and verify the data of what happens and the terms of the conflicts on the choices on the environment».

To celebrate its tenth birthday Eco dalle Città organizes an eco-friendly aperitif. The event, organized for being coincident with the anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol, will be held February 16th, 2012 from 7 p.m. at BLAH BLAH (via Po 21, Turin).

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Let’s put our bins on a diet!

by Marzia Fialdini

EU citizens produce 2% more waste every year; in Italy each citizen generates on average 10.5 kg of trash per week: quantities that have to be dramatically reduced. For raising institutions’, stakeholders’ and consumers’ awareness about the waste prevention strategies and policies enacted by the European Union, was created the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), this year at its third edition. From November 19 to 27, initiatives will be promoted across the country in order to inform as many citizens as possible about simple everyday actions for preventing waste.

On Sunday, November 27, in Madama Cristina Square in Turin, from 10 am to 6 pm, to the motto: I refuse! - The commitment of all to reduce waste, Amiat and City of Turin will organize a big street party to promote small good daily habits which enable to reduce waste at source and to weigh less down on the environment. Through games, workshops, entertainment and markets, public will be able to understand the importance of using objects for as long as possible, the importance of making separate waste collection and to change bad behavior in order to reduce waste production.

Other organizations will attend the event: the Torino Province which will support the campaign on reusable nappies; SMAT, encouraging tap water drinking through the Water Bar; Coldiretti Torino, which will teach children to transplant seedlings and potted flowers with compost; the Environment Museum, with its Ecological Footprint Laboratory; the Ecologos Research Institute, which has been campaigning on reducing the packaging of communication products and has started a chain of light stores, just to name a few of the many initiatives which are present there.

Thanks to the collaboration of the CSI-Piemonte - Consortium for Information System - an online game has been created. It can be accessed from a mobile phone in order to enable anyone to face the new challenge: the effective capacity of each of us to put our bins on a diet.

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United territory for the environment

by Eleonora Anello

«Even before it started, it is an example of cooperation between public, private and environmental agencies and the territory». These are the words of Cesare Naj, president of the Fondazione per leggere, promoter of Form@mbiente, complex initiative of environmental governance that aims to improve and update the knowledge for implementing common policies and broad participation in the environmental field. The project prepared by the foundation - Biblioteche Sud Ovest Milano, with 45 local municipalities, the Consorzio dei Comuni dei Navigli, AICA, and many other realities (Amaga and E2sco among others), wishes to speak to administrators and operators of public administration, to teachers and to the professional and manufacturing sector, in order to facilitate the creation of a true environmental culture in a participate way.

Form@mbiente is a structured program, sponsored by the Province of Milan and realized with the contribution of Fondazione Cariplo, which is composed of 4 complementary and interrelated actions. It will start with the information training course for local administrators and technicians, together with other similar meetings addressed to high schools and to the private manufacturing sector in order to involve the majority of citizens. Environmental issues like water, waste, energy, air, technology, home and territory will be discussed, even with real lessons on the field.

The second step concerns the drafting of the Action and Best Practices Development Plan, a document drafted in a participated and shared way by those involved in the courses. It will have to be adopted by participating municipalities. This will simply move to the third action, the most pragmatic, which schedules the creation and launch of joint purchasing groups. This is a particularly strategic activity because it give autonomy to the parties involved, building a legacy that will survive even after the project will completed.

The last step is about the communication for encouraging participation. The measures will be preceded by careful spatial analysis in order to modulate the effectiveness. It will then launched an essay and photography contest, especially addressed to young people. Texts and images selected will create a publication edited by the Fondazione per leggere. To stay posted, the citizens will be able to rely on the official website of the initiative and on the Facebook.

Form@mbiente ends May 30, 2013 with a big final event for presenting the results achieved.

«AICA has been involved in a real construction phase of a project with the territory - said the director of envi.info, Emanuela Rosio - starting from local needs. We are confident that this method will allow to develop synergies and to involve local people and institutions in a real change in behaviors and awareness about the central role that communication and participation play in the process of change».

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What’s up with the EWWR 2011?

by Francesca Morra

The European Week for Waste Reduction is proceeding at full speed and just the impetus of public’s will, led the Italian organizers (Aica and the Italian Organizing committee) to extend to 2 November the deadline by when sending the application forms for joining the EWWR 2011.

The goal is to achieve, and why not overcome, more than 600 accessions, thereby exceeding the 585 counted last year in Italy. The Secretariat said that the Italian validated actions and officially registered are more than 370, but many are still being validated. From this point of view, the organizers are very positive and they expect the boom of the arrival of membership cards around November, 1st, in a perfect Italian-style. Participating in a large number is important to spread what the "Week" wants to convey: “You can reduce waste, concretely and simply, by implementing daily measures" as stated in the last press release and as evidenced by the Web Video on YouTube and Facebook.

This spirit of sharing objectives led to plan new common actions across Europe. These initiatives cover several categories: reduction of waste from the food, reuse and repair, reduction of waste from packaging. Each of these actions involves the actual weighing of waste saved by acting as shown in data sheets: organizing a waste-free tea party, setting up sustainable canteens and collecting repair and recovery potential waste for other uses. In this way you can actually see how everyday actions can dramatically reduce the production of waste.

All those who want to keep themselves posted about the European Week for Waste Reduction developments can visit the official website and the Facebook page, with the linked event. Few days remain before the new deadline for joining the European Week for Waste Reduction. The Secretariat (segreteria@assaica.org) is ready to enlist anyone who wants to join in, associations, organizations, administrations, schools, businesses etc. Participation is open to all those who spread the waste reduction goal as the new war on waste. We therefore expect a lot of action accompanied by original and effective communication campaigns which will provide notice in future articles.

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Water relay race: the protest goes on

by Eleonora Anello

The Water relay race goes on, a nation-wide event which is involving a large public. It started on last September, 13, from the Genoa Water Festival and it is going to cross 12 Italian cities for ending in Bari, on October, 17.

At the starting block, as torch-bearer (actually “water-bearer”), there was Pietro Mennea, ex 200 m Olympic record holder. The sprinter travels city by city bringing the water flask, filled at every stop, as a symbolic changeover between the cities involved. Waiting for him at every stage there is Marina Senesi, daily linked to the Radio Due broadcast Caterpillar.

The Water Relay Race, supported by Federutility (Federation of Italian Water and Energetic Companies), tries to promote initiatives for enhancing tap water consumption and for arising citizens’ awareness towards a conscious and correct use of water seeing that Italian water’s quality is pretty high.

At each stage the involvement of host cities’ public water system managers have been fundamental, as planned in the campaign. Anyway not everything went like clockwork: in Reggio Emilia, Ancona and Florence the initiative have been challenged by the “Committees for Public Water”, who accused Federutility for ignoring referendum’s results.

More protesters than participants? Follow the final rush on the website or on the initiative’s Facebook page or even better other information sources.

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Kuminda: a menu of events that satisfies taste and minds

by Francesca Maio

An happening organized to communicate sustainable lifestyles with a festival that talk about food. From 14 to 18 October Cascina Cuccagna - one of the oldest agricultural farms of Milan, near Corso Lodi, behind Porta Romana – will be the location of Kuminda: a Festival about the right of food in Milan by ACRA and Terre di Mezzo.It will be three days of events to tell the food through art, music and drama in perfect harmony with a sustainable place symbol of Milan.

There will be moments with international experts, ethnic and bio happy hours and do not miss a meeting by many voices to talk about punjabi’s culture, migration and integration in Italy and Lombardia , followed by a delicious tasting of Grana Padano and pakore.

A farmers market will be an opportunity to experience a different kind of shopping by purchasing bio-products of the campaigns from Milan.

There's something for everyone, even for children which will be proposed special laboratories that will combine play and education to approach them to food and seasonal food.

Among the many initiatives do not miss the show LABEL, questions of label, which will reveal the background of the theatrical language prying the supermarkets and the way we consume. Lisa Casali blogger of Ecocucina, and her unusual dishwasher cooking workshop will guide us to learn to cook delicious dishes using the dishwasher as the "oven" zero impact. Seeing is believing.

On 17 and 18 October at Anteo Space Cinema, Kuminda will propose a selection of short and feature films from Festival delle Terre in Rome creating the opportunity to learn along with critics and directors, stories of culture and colture told through the camera’s eye.

From 14 to 18 October you are called to be protagonist with food to tell sustainable lifestyles. Don’t miss it! Be there!

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“Recycling Society” as the answer to the Crisis

di Giuseppe Totaro

How much has been done (and not) after three years of the European Waste framework directive? Is it possible to build a dialogue between Europe and Africa about waste prevention?
There are the main themes of the international conference “Recycling Society – Practical implementation of the European Waste Framework Directive at local and regional level”, scheduled on October 26th and 27th in Genoa, Italy, and organized by Acr+ and Aica with the cooperation of the Municipality of Genoa, Amiu Genoa and the support of Cns, Erica and Novamont.

The conference will be held at Palazzo Rosso, via Garibaldi 18. All information, how to participate and the detailed program are available on the official website www.genoawaste2011.eu.

The occasion to debate on the European Framework is the annual general meeting of Acr+, hosted for the first time in Genoa, scheduled at the end of the conference. The participation of several members of the Association, coming from all over Europe and Mediterranean countries (delegations from Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Guinea are expected to come too) will create the possibility to exchange positive experiences at both local and international sides.

Many Italian authorities and experts in the field of waste management are among the speakers, including Daniele Fortini (president of Federambiente); Walter Facciotto (general director of CONAI), David Newman (director of CIC and Solid Waste Italia), Roberto Cavallo (AICA’s president) and professor Walter Ganapini (European Environment Agency).

At the end of the first day, Wednesday 26th at 7pm, the program includes a tour at the new Laboratory of Energy and Waste of Genoa, hosted inside the Magazzini dell’Abbondanza.

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IED for Gaza: future architects build a sustainable school

by Annalisa Tancredi

“Think green, build sustainable”: a didactic structure with reduced environmental impact has been built in the middle of Parco Michelotti in Turin by students of IED- European Design Institute’s Master Course in Sustainable Architecture, during the workshop “A sustainable school”.

The full-scale model of sustainability will be presented to the press on Friday, October, 7 at 13:00, inside Parco Michelotti. During the press conference “Think green, build sustainably” there will be three different speakers: the Turin Environment alderman Enzo Lavolta, the Turin IED director César Mendoza and the Arcò Group – Architecture&Cooperation, which managed the design workshop with his consolidate experience in ecological design for developing countries.

The aim of the workshop in fact was to build up an eco-friendly classroom prototype which will be send to the Gaza Strip area. IED Master Course is directed byMario Cucinella – MCA Firm, whose students had to face a double challenge: designing in a sustainable way and, in the same time, dealing with a territory in which, due to tricky circumstances, it’s hard to estimate available resources.

Therefore, it was necessary to teach students specific construction techniques, considering variables such as poverty, materials’ availability and the workforce on site. Recycling materials is one of the taken techniques: it’s possible, for example, to re-use discarded tires and sandbags to build perimeter walls (already tested by Arcò Group during the "Tyres school" project), or to use wooden and sand beams for covering the building. Moreover, the techniques of assembling low-tech materials, which are versatile and fast with excellent bio-climatic performance, are very important.

For some days, the young future architects modelled with their own hands a smart and functional design project, proving that manual ability has not been replaced by the progress yet. We have to take a new point of view about object functionality, such as converting a tire in a brick.

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Ravenna 2011: waste, water, energy and art

by Eleonora Anello

The “Ravenna 2011” cultural event is full off fringe initiatives. For the fourth year, visitors can admire the “Emergenze Creative” work of art. Many artists will take part in the initiative: Dacia Manto on waste, Elena Arzuffi on water and Massimiliano Pelletti on sustainable energy.

The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Labelab Laboratory, will be an occasion for the artists to share their environmental sensibility with a wide public, promoting a public art path across Ravenna’s historic routes, the same routes which will host the well-known environment festival.

In San Francesco square, among the arcade columns, the “Wood seer” big flattering sculpture will stand out, a piece by Dacia Manto focused on waste issue and in particular on waste materials reusing. The art installation is entirely made of old drawings made by the artist herself or by children involved in the project. The cloud-vegetation-like piece will take shape just in front of the public, who can take part in it bringing the artist their environment-themed pictures on September, 28 and 29, at 5 p.m.

In Piazza del Popolo Elena Arzuffi will work on water’s value,, inviting the public to take part in a kind of “gioco della campana (bell’s game)” with a “water square” instead of the classic “sky square”. Bringing back one of the oldest and most beloved children games, Arzuffi decides to pour the public’s fantasy out asking them three simple questions on water’s color, scent and shape. The most original answers will be edited on the Emergenze Creative website.

Lastly, in Piazza del Popolo we can admire “Rabbits in the sun”, a piece composed by sculptures of full-scale rabbits clustered around some glass jar capturing solar rays. The work of Massimiliano Pelletti shows how to produce energy and use it in a sustainable way. Indeed, during the day the piece captures sunlight to use it during the night lighting the funny rabbits. The recreational nature of this piece is aimed at intriguing young public, educating in the same time at using renewable energies.

We should not miss this interesting mix between art and environment, sharing the contemporary artists’ critical points of view on these matters.

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“Amnisiadi: forgotten waste Olympic Games”: when the game gets green!

by Valeria Rocca

The third edition of "Amnisiadi: forgotten waste Olympic games." will be held on Sunday, Sept. 25, contemporaneously with "Clean Up the World", a historic initiative of Legambiente. The initiative, supported and promoted by the INFEA network (Regione Piemonte project on services for environmental education), by the City of Avigliana and by the Lakes of Avigliana Natural Park, will take place just in the park, in the Little Lake area.

But what is Amnisiadi? We asked Laura Grandin some questions. She is the manager of Antichi Passi, an organization which is in charge of the guided tours service of the Park and manages Institution's teaching programs in schools.

First of all, why did you choose the name "Amnisiadi"?
«AMNISIADI is a word pun. Amnesia is a temporary loss of memory, while "Amnis," is a dialect word to name trash. Using play is a way to alleviate the waste issue in order to make it accessible to all. The question is: “Can we forget about our waste?”».

What are, specifically, "Waste Olympic games"?
«The Olympics are a weird waste collection: a race along different routes in the Lakes area. Participants are symbolically divided into teams and they have to collect as much material as possible along trails, supported by “Antichi Passi”’s guides and by eco-volunteers from the city of Avigliana. Later in the afternoon, there will be different “waste-themed” challenges and, of course, the prize-giving».

Which themes will be addressed during the afternoon and, in general, throughout the day?
«Games tend to emphasize how long-lasting, bulky, dangerous and high-priced waste are. The separate refuse collection arouses problems: the recognition of materials as well as their proper delivery. We are talking about invisible waste too, like insecticides, pesticides, cleansers and urban and agricultural discharges».

Which goals do you want to attain?
«This event is part of a group of different initiatives called "Educational Incursions", addressed to citizens and, in this case, even to non-resident users of public areas in the municipality where activities take place. The equipped area of Lake Piccolo, during public holidays, is normally crowded much more than an ideal Proteccted Area. The problem of waste is only a portion of the difficulties in managing the site. Wildlife disturbance, fires lighting, bathing and surfing bans and public order complication are some of the others. We want to ironically emphasize how important is to prevent waste. Recycle and reuse are not sufficient, we want to integrate the series of best practices on waste management with “R for Refuse”».

In which way did you promote the initiative?
«City of Avigliana press office and Avigliana Park manager were in charge of promoting the event. Furthermore we use mailing lists and you can find all informations on the web».

In brief, this is a good opportunity for walking across the beautiful area of Avigliana lakes and for safeguarding the environment.

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Re Boat Race: The Recycling Race on Lido di Ostia

by Giuseppe Totaro

Creativity, genius and environmental protection: these were the ingredients of the Re Boat Race, the race of boats made entirely from recycled materials, which took place at Lido di Ostia on 19 and 20 June, in the sixteenth edition "From 100 to 1000 Sails - the festival of the sea of Rome".

The idea of eco-friendly first race of Italy came to Sunnyway and was a real hymn to the creative recycling: each team has built for themselves their own boats, and many have chosen to do it directly on the beach the day before the race. The materials used wewrw numerous: plastic, cans's aluminum or Tetra Pak used for milk and beverages.

The communication of the event was particularly effective, considering also the many people who attended it: constant presence among the media dedicated to the world of sailing, funny flyer and poster to promote the initiative and a really complete blog dedicated to the event, www.reboatrace .com. Apart the registration form and a series of images of similar initiatives around the world, were available all relevant information to make a perfect boat with recycled materials and a rich gallery of videos about other races taking place every year especially in the United States.

The Re Boat Race was not the first initiative in this direction. The most recent examples were the Plastiki, the catamaran made entirely of recycled PVC bottles that accompanied the Englishman David Rothschild in solo ocean crossing from San Francisco to Sydney or the Soap Kayak Race, the race with a cardboard canoe which was held in September on the river Adda.

The first "recycled" race is an example of how environmental initiative, created from a simple idea, if is right-communicated can give a big feedback to the themes of communication of reuse, especially if it is associated with a funny event of great impact as the Re Boat Race.
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First goals of the National for the Environment

by Giuseppe Totaro

Positive debut for the newly “Nazionale per l’Ambiente”, the official football club formed by the representatives of ecology and environmental sustainability throughout Italy, under the sponsorship of CONAI, Italian National Packaging Consortium.

The occasion was the triangle "In campo per l’Ambiente", held at the Michele Coppino in Alba, Italy, last Friday as part of the "Festa dell’Ambiente", which saw the "green team" opposed to the National Team of Italian Mayors and a selection of Albese Calcio.

For the occasion, the national "green", led by coach Giancarlo Longhi's, wore a unique shirt, made of fabric, ideal for sports, made from recycled PET flakes from the collection of plastic bottles. Coming to the field, the first challenge for the Nazionale per l’Ambiente was against the National Team of Italian Mayors and saw this one prevail with the score of 5-2. It was Luigi Bosio who got the satisfaction of the first goal in the history of the "green team”, scoring on a a penalty kick at 21 minute.The second goal came thanks to the great technical act of Michele Rizzello, author of a beautiful stuffed with ball into the top corner in the last minute of the match. In the second challenge, the '"Green Team" had to surrender to Albese Calcio, victorious with the score of 5-0. In the third and decisive encounter Albese got the better of measure, 3-2, on the Italian National Mayors.

Afterward, there was held the awards ceremony with prizes for the best fans and for the three teams, who received trophies that were strictly "zero waste".

«The positive values of sport -says Walter Facciotto, General Director of CONAI- blend well with the environmental values of recycling. We wanted to support such an initiative to alert the public of the importance in our society that the collection and recycling for environmental protection have».

A positive opinion also for Roberto Cavallo, President of Erica and captain of the "Green Team": «In this moment when environmental issues are increasingly taking a central role in economic and political agendas, it is essential to increase the channels of communication and awareness citizens.In Italy the idea of combining a popular sport like soccer to raise awareness of environmental issues seems to us winning».

The next match of the Nazionale per l’Ambiente, pictures and any news will be available on site www.nazionaleperlambiente.it or on Facebook page of the team. More...

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European Week for Waste Reduction 2011: in Italy subscriptions are open

by Silvia Musso

Last June 16th, the Steering Italian Committee launched with a press release the opening of the subscriptions to the third edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction (19th al 27th November 2011).

«This year we decided to anticipate and open the enrollment two months earlier than in previous years - explains Roberto Cavallo, President of AICA, which like last year will follow the EWWR secretariat in Italy - The two previous editions have collected also in Italy a high number of actions and many successes at the level of media impact. This year will be the third and last edition of this project and we are very ambitious: we want non only to achieve the results of recent years, but to overcome them in order that the reduction of waste will become a common concept, comprehensible to all».

To promote the EWWR third edition in the best way during the next months the Committee will organise meetings, press conferences and media launchings.

Let’s note that the "Week" was established within the European Commission's LIFE + Programme with the primary aim to raise awareness of the institutions, stakeholders and consumers about all the strategies and policies for waste prevention implemented by the European Union that Member States must pursue, even in light of recent legislative provisions (the Waste Framework Directive, 2008/98/EC).

The aim of the Italian Committee is to encourage as many people as possible - national and local organizations and institutions, local authorities and public bodies, associations and nonprofit organizations, schools and universities, companies and enterprises, associations, etc. (the so called "Project Developer") - to set up initiatives and actions aimed at reducing waste at national and local levels on days 19 to 27 November 2011.


To participate to the "Week" as "Project Developer", you should submit your application to the National Committee by filling a participation form (the Registration Form), available at the following link http://www.ecodallecitta.it/menorifiuti/documenti.php. If applications meet the European standards, will be validated by the organizing committee and will receive the official designation of action for the European Week for Waste Reduction Kit and communication campaign and of course the possibility of using the EU logo of the "Week".

«The week will also see the involvement of individuals in the work of reducing waste - adds Paolo Hutter of Eco dalle Città, media partner of the EWWR. Also this year, in fact, www.menorifiuti.org collects the individual commitments through a bulletin board open to all comments where everyone can write their own commitment to reducing waste reduction in the Week or an experience that already practice every day».

More info are available on www.menorifiuti.org. Registration forms must be sent to: segreteria@assaica.org.

Come along!
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Environmental Festival for ERICA’ fifteen years

by Giuseppe Totaro

Three days of demonstrations, debates, sports and music: this is how Erica Cooperative, a member of AICA, celebrates its fifteen years of activity, with the Environment festival that will be held in Alba (Piedmont) since 23th to 25th June. The president Roberto Cavallo introduces the initiative: «Since 1996, Erica has become a warning point for Italy, and not only, in the environmental field. What once seemed just an idea, now has put legs and head, and deserves to be remembered and meminded, not just to celebrate the results, but also to relaunch the need to put environmental issues at the heart of institutional agenda, both political and professiponal». The environment festival’s programme is very rich: it starts on Thursday, June 23th at 9 p.m. with a torchlight procession in memory of Angelo Vassallo, the mayor of Pollica killed by Camorra, and of all victims of human environment negligence and, in memory of the flood that hit south Piedmont in 1994. The meeting is scheduled for 8.45 p.m. in Vivaro square and at the end of the procession "Our recipe for prevention" will be presented: a series of testimonials from all over Italy.

On June 24th the conference "Green economy and opportunities for development" will be held: the appointment is for 10 a.m. After the greetings of the Province of Cuneo and the Piedmont Region, there will be interventions by Roberto Cavallo, a comparison on "green economy and sustainable development" between the Roberto Della Seta and Andrea Fluttero, both members of the Senate Environment Committee, and conclusions by Edo Ronchi, former Environment Minister and current President of the Foundation for Sustainable Development (SUSDEF). Francesco Gulli, a professor at Bocconi University, will moderate the debate. The evening is dedicated to sport: at the Michele Coppino stadium the triangular football "in the field for the Environment"will take place at 20.30: the Italian National Mayors, the newly formed Environment National and a team from Alba will play.

The Speaker’s corner on organic food, composting and short commodity chain will open the third and last festival day at 11 a.m. on June 25th. The event is realized in collaboration with Slow Food. At 6 p.m. in Chiodi square there will be an environmental literature meeting. During the meeting Roberto Cavallo will present his book “Meno 100 chili. Ricette per una dieta della nostra pattumiera” (Less than 100 kilos. Recipes for a diet of our trash). In the evening, at 9.30 p.m., closing free concert in Duomo Square with the bands Los Refusè e dei Riciclato Circo Musicale.

More information on: www.cooperica.it.
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