GOLDEN AGE Fails, Levada Repair Initiative, Laurissílva Overload, Asma ID Cards
‘Doctors Disassociate Themselves With The GOLDEN AGE – The luxury residence was transformed into a health hotel, but is lacking liquidity. The unhappy partners sell their stakes’. The idea of a group of 56 doctors to invest €33 million into creating a luxury home to look after those in old age, has turned sour. The ‘Golden Age Residence’, in the tourist area in Funchal, has not given sufficient returns after two years of operation, and the owners are now trying to sell the building after the banks refused further funding. They are hoping that a hotel group might purchase it.
‘Regional Government Restores Agricultural Levadas – The secretary for the environment has set aside €5 million to intervene in 100 watering channels in 7 districts’. The strategic plan that the Regional Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources wishes to implement, especially in the southern part of the island, will bring improved irrigation resources to our farmers. The works will focus particularly in Calheta, Ponta do Sol, Ribeira Brava, Câmara de Lobos, Santa Cruz and Machico.
‘Environmentalists Fear Excessive Human Pressure In The Laurissílva’. Both Quercus and the Association of Friends of Ecological Park, believe that the plans for planning and management of the Central Mountainous Massif and the Laurissilva of Rabaçal are risking damage to the ecosystem. A public discussion on the two matters, which ended yesterday, was held to discuss public opinion, suggestions and complaints, and clarify doubts about the plans. A spokeswoman for Quercus on the matter of the new cable car at Rabaçal said “These plans are going to add yet more human pressure on the spaces that are protected, and this increase is a threat to the existing biodiversity”. The environmental impact study reports that the cable car will be able to carry 180 people per hour from Paul da Serra to Rabaçal, and it is possible that in just 3 hours the load capacity of the Rabaçal route (in nature conservation terms) will be exceeded.
The secondary school Francisco Franco held a demonstration of robotics on Tuesday, with the challenge to make three robots perform different tasks through instructions given by the operator. The demonstration was held mainly for the benefit of students in information technology, to provide some real life experience of programming languages. The tasks were to design geometric figures, negotiate a series of obstacles, and interact with the presence of students.
The Funchal Search and Rescue Unit rescued a fisherman in their Merlin helicopter near Porto Santo on Tuesday morning, after a suspected heart attack. He was flown to Funchal central Hospital, but unfortunately died.
In total 140 tonnes of anonas have been exported this year, when in 2008 it was just 80 tonnes. No wonder the price has gone up for my favourite fruit, I reckon by about 40% in just two months.
Between 10 and 15% of Madeira’s population suffer with asma problems, but only 20% of them receive treatment to prevent seizures. As a result, the Regional Program for Prevention and Control of Asthma are to issue sufferers with identity cards to highlight their situation in the event of an emergency. The announcement was made on Tuesday, to coincide with World Asthma Day.
When cetacean experts gather in Madeira ahead of the 61st International Whaling Commission meeting (22-26 June) they will share information about the health and population size of the whales of the world’s oceans. The data is usually dismissed as fanciful by one side or the other, because of the commercial whaling dispute, and is also seen as unreliable because each country has its own way of counting.
