9607 Marche vs. Abruzzo governance.

I cannot comment on Abruzzo, but we do have forum members who live there who could, as for Marche, planning and building regs are very strict, which can only be a good thing for the environment (and I can see this thread turning into one of our forum "lively debates!)
A

just a thought, but no news may not always be good news. While it does seem from reading these forums that there are several major environmental issues in Abruzzo, this may (in part at least) be due simply to the forum menbers from that region being more switched on to what's happening near them, and/or more public spirited in posting about it here to raise awareness?

[quote=pigro;90087]just a thought, but no news may not always be good news. While it does seem from reading these forums that there are several major environmental issues in Abruzzo, this may (in part at least) be due simply to the forum menbers from that region being more switched on to what's happening near them, and/or more public spirited in posting about it here to raise awareness?[/quote]

Although as far as i know it may not be quite as bad here in the marche there are nevertheless some quite serious issues.Recently i signed a petition sponsored by most environmental groups here in the marche the specific issue was/is the destruction of the countryside by the increasing urbanization which is creeping, it appears, inexorably up the valleys inland from the coast the building appears to be more or less of a speculative kind together with the infamous white sheds which many local municipalities brandish about as meaning employment but in reality very few are seriously productive units mainly commercial stuff or warehousing.all this appears to come out of the fact of the conflicts of intent/interest ETC between local authorities,comuni,provincie,and regional government so in the confusion...
i recently saw in umbria they're trying to do the same thing along the axis -foligno-spello- bastia umbra- perugia...

[quote=pigro;90087]just a thought, but no news may not always be good news. While it does seem from reading these forums that there are several major environmental issues in Abruzzo, this may (in part at least) be due simply to the forum menbers from that region being more switched on to what's happening near them, and/or more public spirited in posting about it here to raise awareness?[/quote]

Hi Pigro
Are you suggesting that us folk in Le Marche dont know whats going on around here........well let me tell you, that woman at number 42 ................:laughs::laughs::laughs::laughs:

[quote=patch2277;90080]Having looked quite extensively at the two regions I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the governance of Marche. I find several aspects about Abruzzo worrying when it comes to planning a long term future there e.g. oil exploration, toxic dumping, environmental issues etc.

I have not come upon anything like this in Marche (which obviously does not mean that it does not happen there) but Marche appears to be governed more with an eye to conservation and environmental responsibility.

Is this a correct observation or am I missing something in the plot? Surely nothing in Italy could be this simple?

Is this type of policy execution more an aspect of local commune vs. provincial? What are the Marche provinces approach to conserving Marche?

I wonder if anyone can shed light[/quote]

Can I please ask from what source/s you gleaned your information on the two regions?

[quote=Nielo;90121]Can I please ask from what source/s you gleaned your information on the two regions?[/quote]

Hello Nielo

With all due respect I don't think that that is relevant but a quick look at the Abruzzo forum will highlight the issues there. I have searched extensively and spoken to quite a few people in Marche to get information.

Obviously this is by no means exhausitve but that is why I am trying to find out more here.

I did not wish to start this thread as a "bashing" thread, merely as a way of finding out more information for my decision. I love Abruzzo but I will always be realistic when it comes to such a big decision. I am also not willing to approach italy with the blinkered "la Dolce Vita" approach that acknowledges no wrong.

So in summary, just wanting the facts.

Thank you for clarifying your position.

interesting point and one which cannot be easily disputed.... i think a lot of it comes down to geographic position and the relationship with that on the well known north south divide here...which some may well want to dispute....

people of the marche and the region as a whole is regarded as a hard working almost boringly so area... by people from Abruzzo... the benefit for that region is the obvious higher investment in commercial enterprises and the maybe more serious political management maybe more concerned with maintaining and improving than with lining ones own pocket along with the rest of your mates... at the expense of just about anything... a typical southern attitude to civil responsibility... almost a racist remark ... but i apply it not to the population in general but to those who serve it badly... a small minority of political and criminal castes that have ruled too long...

so even though maybe for equivalent property you would buy more here ...whats value if you suddenly find out they are planing an oil refinery or that the water company is trying to poison you where you have bought... i guess if one happens to live here there are two methods of approaching life.... pretend things don't exist ... its very easy to close your eyes around these problems... a solution that allows who and what is corrupt to carry on regardless

luckily the Abruzzo population is slowly waking up to its problems and beginning to ask its politicians to answer the awkward questions... hopefully this process will gain momentum as people that love their region who work hard to produce some of the best wine and food ... offer traditional hospitality .. and want to see their area prosper in sustainable ways go against the old castes ....

i see it happening often already... from the geometra that realises that work done well and honestly is better than one quick killing for a short term gain... to the mayors of small towns that are deciding that preserving what they have inherited from the past and promoting it will sustain their populations with work more than building empty ring roads around empty industrial sites because the EU will give you a grant to do so.....

i wouldn't expect anyone to choose to move here so that they could join in local campaigns to sustain their choice..... but i reckon its more fun ...

Hello All

Thanks for the comments.

Sebastiano, do you recall the name of the environmental groups that were circulating the petition?

Adriatica, it is good to hear that it is slowly changing. I just hope that the task is not insurmountable.

I am currently reading a brilliant but terribly depressing book about organized crime in the Naples area and the environmental issues they have caused there. Very sad.

I think that many of the positive points raised by Adriatica apply to both regions. Certainly here in Le Marche I have noticed a change in atttudes during the last few years. I have to admit to knowing very little about the major issues but........at a local level there is a lot more biological food available and some local farmers are rekindling granny's recipies for jams and pickles etc etc. Local councils are also becoming stricter with regards to planning controls and slowly seem to be giving facelifts to their own buildings. Indeed one of the main things I have noticed is that when a local council now creates a new permanent sign or plaque it tends to blend in with its surroundings (stone or iron etc) rather than standing out like a sore thumb (gold aluminium springs to mind).
Also, recently a planning application by a local egg producer was rejected. My knowledge is word of mouth, but I believe that this was the first time that he had ever been refused PP in 60 years. The campaign against the proposal was started by a group of local agriturismi: a group of italians that adore the local countryside and not only because they want to promote their businesses. They truly believe in its beauty and want to protect it. It was an important victory and probably quite a significant sign of the changes that are taking place.
Anybody who has spent any length of time in Italy knows that Italy has certain "problems"! I don't know about other countries, but for those of us from the UK we are often surprised by the lack of environmental awareness (or maybe the lack of application of EU directives----though again this is changing..I suspect that all these local and wonderful festivals are going to see some changes soon...but that is another issue). I regularly "tell-off" som of the elderly men in the village and make them pick up the sweet wrapper that they just threw on the pavement!
On the other hand however there are a lot of locals here that are intelligent, and most importantly, love this area, its countryside, history etc etc. If we find things frustrating...try to imagine how they feel!!! As things begin to change, I think they will change quickly......actually they probably are already doing so as I have only been here 4 years and came out not speaking the language (or any other except english). If I have noticed a difference.........they must be well under way.
I am sure that I will welcome most changes, certainly as far as the environment is concerened (I really don't know anything about oil exploration and as I said before I am writing about smaller local issues (one small local issue is my back garden...If they want to look for oil there........come on down!!)), however I still sometimes worry that I will end up living in an italian version of the UK. For example......in our local festival this year we cannot make and distribute Mistrà freely!!! Some rubbish about health and safety and european directives and criminal proceedings!!!!:winki: Nobody would have brought those issues up a few years ago!!
Taking up the north south divide topic and coming back to Abruzzo-v-Le Marche...I suspect that Le Marche will always remain one step ahead but they will both always move forward............
Jo
[url=http://www.southernlemarche.com]LE MARCHE[/url]