As the December 17 General Election approaches The Royal Gazette is publishing a comprehensive series of articles on the major issues facing the Island. Owain Johnston-Barnes takes a look at the issue of the Environment in today’s instalment.Energy conservation is at the top of the list of environmental concerns in the coming election for Greenrock president Judith Lansberg.“From the environmental point of view, energy is the big hitter,” she said. “That’s what people should be looking at.“One thing I think the Government has completely missed is that they haven’t put into place recommendations made in the Energy White Paper, which is a very good document with very good recommendations, none of which have been implemented.”She said the high cost of fuel and electricity is weighing down the economy. If energy conservation were supported with the right fees and tariffs, the effect would be positive for both the environment and the economy.White Paper recommendations such as phasing out incandescent lights and requiring that appliances meet energy requirements would lower the energy bills for households across the Island, Dr Lansberg added.Changes in the planning code requiring buildings to meet a greater level of energy efficiency in future developments would also create long-term savings for the public.And while wind power is not really viable for residential use on the Island, she believes the technology could be adopted on a commercial scale.“I know there are companies interested in doing something of that nature,” Dr Lansberg said. “Government should put out a request for proposal. I think they could be much more proactive.”Dr Lansberg also expressed her full support for the Blue Halo and Sargasso Sea Alliance projects, aimed at protecting a massive section of the Island’s exclusive economic zone.While Government has voiced its support for the proposals, she said talk of long-line fishing and seabed mining gave a mixed message.“Long-line fishing is not commercially viable for Bermuda, and neither is seabed mining,” Dr Lansberg said. “The Blue Halo is not only environmentally important, but it’s the right thing to do.“It’s a commitment the Government has made and its something the Government should act on. It’s Bermuda’s heritage.”Conservationist David Wingate said he felt more focus needs to be placed on recycling programmes, which seem to have fallen on the back burner in recent years.“If you think of everything that’s imported, you have to think of the end result and how we can ensure that it doesn’t become trash, whether it’s beer bottles or cans,” he said. “There is nothing more inefficient then KBB having to clean up after litter bugs who scattered trash all across the landscape.”Invasive, feral animals such as pigeons, chickens and cats must be dealt with through legislation that would make feeding the animals a ticketable offence. He acknowledged that the decision would be a difficult one for either party but insisted the issue should be tackled scientifically, not emotionally, for the sake of the environment as a whole.Dr Wingate also expressed concern about the scale of potential hotel developments, given the already high population density of the Island.He said that developers hope to create larger resorts to lower the cost per room but the Island doesn’t have the infrastructure to support them all.“Our roads are already crowded. If all of these hotels came forward, our roads wouldn’t be able to handle it. Our airport wouldn’t be able to handle it,” he said.“The original plan for the Park Hyatt resort in St George’s would have turned the hill into a de facto quarry. They would have had to excavate the entire area. The people who visit would have nowhere to go but urban Bermuda.”Tim Madeiros, CEO of Alternative Energy Systems, said that while Government has made strides in supporting the adoption of renewable energy but more could be done by extending such perks as rebates to commercial customers.“Currently, the Government offers a rebate to residential customers of $1 per watt up to $5,000. It would be beneficial to extend something similar to commercial customers as well,” Mr Madeiros said.“In addition, as suggested in the Energy White Paper, the Government could lower or eliminate land tax for homes and businesses utilising renewable energy.“This may seem to be reducing an income stream for the Government but it’s the long-term financial benefits that are obvious. Decreased pollution from fossil fuel generation leads to better health and quality of life for Bermuda’s population, which in turn leads to reduced healthcare costs.”