#actualidat

Las asociaciones vecinales zaragozanas se han convertido en puntos de recogida para las personas afectadas por las inundaciones en València. Se anima a la gente a donar comida no peredecedera, también productos sin lactosa y sin gluten. Además, también se necesitan productos de limpieza, de higiene personal, compresas, pañales, etc. Recogerán productos toda esta semana (2-8 de noviembre 2024)

El ayuntamiento de Zaragoza también recogerá donaciones en el Refugio (C/ Tomás Crespo Agüero, 1,5)

Otros puntos de recogida en Aragón:

Zaragoza

C/ Predicadores, 28. Horario: 9h-14h; 17h-19h (Sede de Chunta Aragonesista)

C/ Antonio Rocasolano, 3. Horario: Lunes-Jueves, 18h-20h (Casa de la Comunidad Valenciana en Zaragoza). NO RECOGEN ROPA

Zeeman Siresa. C/ Monasterio de Siresa 13-15

Hotel Ilunión Romareda. C/ de Asín y Palacios, 11.

Peña los Goyescos. Camino las flores, Juslibol.

CEIP Dr Azúa. C/ Pedro III El Grande, 4

Cuarte de Huerva: CEIP Foro Romano. Horario: A partir del lunes 4 de noviembre, 8:30-17h.

Azulejos Moncayo, Carretera Valencia km 8700

Ejea de los Caballeros: Recogida de alimentos no perecederos, Plaza de Toros. Horario: 10-13h; 16-18h, 4-8 de noviembre. (Organizado por el ayto.)

Uesca

Costanilla Ricafort, 9. Horario: 9h-15h (Sede de Chunta Aragonesista)

Alcampo de Uesca- Avenida Martínez de Velasco, s/n. Horario: Lunes-Jueves, 19:30-20:30. (Organizado por Alcorazados S.D Huesca)

Mercadona de los Olivos-Avenida de los Monegros, 8-10. Horario: Lunes-Jueves, 19:30-20:30. (Organizado por Alcorazados S.D Huesca)

El Hada de la Fortuna. Plaza Santa Clara, 3

Balbastro: Pabellón del Recinto Ferial. Horario: 10-13h; 17-20h. Alimentos no perecederos, material de limpieza e higiene (compresas y pañales en especial)

Binéfar: Centros educativos y Recinto ferial de la Algodonera, nave derecha. Horario: 16-20h. Alimentos no perecederos y productos de higiene y limpieza

Chaca: Bajos de la pista de hielo. Horario: a partir del 4 de noviembre, lunes a viernes 11-13h; 17-19h, sábados y domingos 10-13h.

Colegio Escolapios. Av. Perimetral, 2

Fraga: Pabelló del Sotet. Horario: 10-13h; 17-20h.

Comarca del Sobrarbe: nave de Protección Civil, polígono de Troteras. Horario: 5 y 6 de noviembre, 11-13:30h; 16-18:30h.

Teruel

C/ San Francisco, 29. Horario: 9h-15h (Sede de Chunta Aragonesista)

A.C. Amigos Soga y Baga de Teruel, en la Plaza de Toros-Patio de Cuadrillas. Horario: 4-7 de noviembre, 19:30-21h.

La Escuelica. C/ Eras de Montalbán, 2 bajo.

Centro de ocio jóven. Plaza Domingo Gascón

Calamocha: La Base (antiguo casino). C/ Cañizarejo, 10

The Matarranya river as it passed through Vall-de-roures today.

It was the 19th of January of 2019 when a VOX rally (Spanish fascist political party) took place in Zaragoza, and although many people attended the meeting, many more also protested against it. Six young people were arrested in that protest, and the policemen accused them of public disorder. The only other evidence submitted, some security camera footage, was rejected, as "they weren't recognizable", and so, their innocence could not be proved.

In 2021, 4 of them faced 6 years in prison for it, 3 for public disorder and 3 more for an attack to authority. The other two, being minors, were fined with an 11.000€ fine each.

Now, in 2024, their sentences are of 4 years and 9 months, and they will be admitted to jail between tomorrow and the day after (15-16 April 2024), unless they are pardoned. Yesterday, a protest took place in Zaragoza, led by the families of the people admitted into prison, along with the parents of another young antifascist from Badalona also in prison for protesting against fascism, and the Altsasu Gurasoak platform from Euskal Herria.

The "most progressive [Spanish] government in history" will be the one to decide if these people are indulted, after having received support from over 10000 people and organizations signing the petition for a pardon.

The platform "Libertad 6 de Zaragoza" is also raising money to pay for the fines that go along with the prison sentences.

Ánchel was born in Alcoleya de Cinca in 1942. He was an active memeber of the PCE (Communist Party of Spain) in the last years of the dictatorship, and he was also a History teacher in L'Aínsa. It was there that he published one of his most well known poetry books, No deixez morir a mía voz. In the first edition of the book, he thoroughly insisted that Aragonese was a language that was useful for things other than speaking about cows, sheep, and sheepherders.

He was also a founder of the Consello de Fabla Aragonesa and the Aragonese magazine Andalán, where he published articles, including some in Aragonese. On top of this, these last years he was also the director of the Institute of Aragonese, where he helped approve the now official Aragonese orthography.

Thanks to him, a whole generation of Aragonese people learned to love and appreciate their language and culture, and the mark he left on the Aragonese speaking world will not go unnoticed. ¡Muitas gracias per tot, Ánchel!

The town of Tarazona, and the villages of Torrellas, Los Fayos, and Novallas have been affected by a gastroenteritis outbreak due to the drinking water from the Queiles River being infected with a protozoa. In these three weeks, over 500 people have been infected, and the outbreak might reach neighboring towns in Nafarroa and Soria.

The Aragonese president, Jorge Azcón, and his government is apparently too preocupied with what is going on in Zaragoza (even before Pilares they had not shown any concern) and in Madrid to even show any concern of the situation. Hopefully now that the protozoa has been identified, a solution can be found soon.

Today (24 May 2023) national newspaper ABC* published the incoherencies carried out by the "green" power companies that are working in Aragon. In some cases, the same companies carrying out the environmental impact evaluations required by the Aragonese government, are the same companies that also work for Forestalia, one of the companies that build solar and wind power plants. Another tactic that Forestalia has used is to split up the power projects, since everything above 50 MW (MegaWatts) has to be approved and processed by the national government. By having smaller projects, of usually 49,5 or 49,9 MW, they can circumvent the national government's laws on this. As comparison, 96% of presented wind and solar power projects in Aragon have been approved, compared to the 71% in total in Spain. This way, there are 60 wind and solar power megaparks, and over half of them are split up, making up 171 different projects.

This has made the newly-formed political group Aragón Existe to present a formal denouncement against the corruption going on. They have also highlighted that there are parks projected to have 8000 MW in places where only 75 MW would be necessary, clearly with the intent of exporting the energy to places where it's more profitable than the scarcely inhabited places where these projects are set up in.

On the map in the news pages below, everything in dark blue is the current wind power plants, and in light blue, wind power plants in process of approval. Red is solar power plants, and light red, solar power plants in process of approval.

image sources

*ABC is a right-wing newspaper with a long history associated to fascism, so take everything with a grain of salt.

The 'sustainable' megaproject of Aragon: 4.3 km of cable car in a mountain valley on its way to protection

A great sustainable project for some. An environmental disaster and investment destined for failure for others. The already old desire for Aragon to have the biggest skiable domain in Spain, and one of the biggest in the world, entails the construction of a cable car of 4.3 km (2.6 miles) through a mountain valley on its way to being a protected natural space. That, alongside the non-stop warnings on the progressive reduction in the amount of snowfall, awakens many environmental doubts around the project.

The obstacles, however, don't stop the determination of the government (centre-left and right wing), who are clinging to the hope of internationalizing snow tourism in Aragon and compete with the big alpine stations. They also base this on the fact that this sector makes up 7% of Aragon's GDP and employs arounds 14000 people.

On this basis, on the 25th of January, the Aragonese Consejo de Gobierno gave the green light to the colaboration agreement ratified by the autonomic executive, the Diputación Provincial de Huesca (DPH), Aramón (group collectively owned by the Aragonese Government and Ibercaja by 50% each, and who controls most of the ski stations in the region), Formigal, and the Valle de Astún ski station. The final agreement will be signed on the 14th of February, and the DPH will be the one to develop the investment.

Podemos and Chunta Aragonesista (who form part of the 4 governing parties of Aragon, alongside PSOE and Partido Aragonés- PAR) have shown opposition to this agreement.

More than 26 million euros of the European funds to build the biggest skiable domain in Spain

The project consists of the union between the Tena and Aragón valleys, which entails, on one side, the union between the Astún and Formigal ski stations, and on the other, the union between Astún and Candanchú. In total, around 300 km of snow, the total amount of the current capacity, since in theory, they assure that no new ski stations will be built. It would become the 10th biggest skiable domain in the world and would lead the ranking in Spain

It's not a novel objective. In 2013, with PP ["Popular Party", the right-wing party] and PAR in the government coalition, the administrative process for the Declaración de Interés General [General Interest Declaration] project was started.

After years of slumber, it's now under way thanks to the concession of 33.7 millions of euros to the Aragonese government for the development of five Sustainable Touristic Plans. They are wholly financed by the Next Generation EU funds of the Plan for Recovery, Transformation and Resilience. The help requisites require that the project be finished by 2025.

From the total amount, the biggest cut will be given to this union of ski stations (26.4 million euros). And it's calculated that 8 million more will be given from the autonimical government's pockets.

The protection of Canal Roya

Certainly, the biggest controversy around the project is the 4.3 km cable car which will cross the Canal Roya valley to join Astún and Formigal. It will take 14 minutes to cross and it will transport 2400 people each hour.

The controversy arose because in 2006 (with PSOE [socialist centre-left] and PAR in the government) decreed the start of the approval procedure for a Natural Resources Order Plan in the Aragon and Tena valleys, which would entail, among others, Canal Roya.

This planning [...] textually states: "During the processing of this plan, no acts that supose an appreciable transformation of the biological and physical reality will be allowed to be carried out, that could make it impossible or significantly hinder the achievements of its objectives."

Furthermore, it adds that "until the final approval of the Natural Resources Order Plan, no authorizations, licenses or concessions will be able to be carried out, without a favorable report from the Environmental Department"

The development of the Natural Resources Order Plan requires the creation of a consultive council. And that was what happened. In that same legislature and the next (2007-2011, with PSOE and PAR once again), the project (slowly) continued, with public involvement.

[...]

Ecologist groups think that the Government will have to return the funds and will ask Brussels for help accelerating its protection.

The five national ecologist organizations (Amigos de la Tierra, Ecologistas en Acción, Greenpeace, SEO/BirdLife and WWF) have positioned themselves completely against the station union. In the coming months they will try to put pressure in Brussels so the development of the Natural Resources Order Plan is sped up, and that way avoid that the creation of this skiable domain.

[...]

They uphold that "it's disguised as sustainable tourism, but it doesn't comply with the principle of 'Do No Significant Harm'. This is a condition established by the EU for European fund allocation, that makes people justify that the financed projects won't negatively impact any of the six environmental objectives defined by the EU"

Is there anything left for the snow business?

Apart from the six already mentioned, which includes the creation of the bigger skiable domain, Aragon will manage a few other Sustainable Tourism Plans from 2021. In total, around ten touristic projects which entail over 63 million euros. Of those, 53 million (over 84%) will go to snow tourism.

A complete bet on this sector, which seems to clash with the scientific warnings of the increasing snow scarcity.

[...]

This is what ecologist organizations are clinging to. In the statement already mentioned they also state that the union of stations "should not be carried out due to its negative environmental impact. But also because it would continue an unsustainable development model. A bet that doesn't generate quality work positions and that is destined to dissapear due to meteorological conditions caused by climate change"

In this same line, Paco Iturbe, representative of the Plataforma en Defensa de las Montañas de Aragón [Platform for the Defense of the Mountains of Aragon], explains that the Pyreenean valley of Canal Roya is "a sanctuary" because of its flora and fauna: "It's onoe of the only places in the Pyrenees which is unspoiled. Destroying it is like losing one of the identity marks of Aragon. On top of that, for nothing, just for an activity which will be unsustainable in 10 or 20 years tops.

[...]