Clearly almost anyone following Italian news right now is following stories about next month's election. A lot is stake and there are any number of engaging angles. But there are other news stories in Italy besides the election. One recent bit of news with with intriguing possibilities comes from the Ministry of the Environment.
The vice-minister for Infrastructure, Mario Ciaccia, has just announced a "Piano Città." The initiative means to provide 319 million euros to fund local projects to improve "aree urbane degradate" (deterioriated urban areas). The projects appear likely to be a kind of urban renewal with an environmental orientation. A committee comprised of government ministers, regional officials, and representatives from the Associazione Nationale dei Comuni Italini will screen the proposals. Without being cynical, in Italy's present economic situation this kind of infrastructure spending can only be beneficial. And if the project really do advance energy efficiency and sustainability that's all the better.
Meanwhile, Legambiante, the country's leading environmental organization, has just announced its own initiative called Italia Bellezza Futuro. The objectives here would go much beyond those of the government's Piano Città. But I imagine Legambient would be happy to influence the kinds of projects selected for Piano Città funding.
Legambiente's project starts with the premise that everyone has always appreciated Italy for it beauty -- the countryside, the historic cities, its food, fashion and industrial products, and its people. This, the organization declares, is the country's principal resource, one to be preserved and developed, but developed in a sustainable way.
To promote the project, over the next several months the organization will be participating in events around the country. For example, on the 19th of this month they'll be at Paestum in Campania to support broad protection for the Roman ruins there. Over succeeding months they'll also be part of similar actions at Agrigento, Cinque Terre, Rome, Aquila, Naples, Turin, and Bari where activists are involved to protect natural resources and the country's cultural heritage. They have also drafted a a legislative proposal meant to institutionalize means or protecting the country's cultural and environmental heritage.
More as these project develop -- and get reported on.
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