We're 9,000 kms apart! Ten time zones!! Ten hours difference!!!

Teacher: Svetlana Dedjukina

Class: 10th form: Ecological problems

Online venue: Skype

Topic: Environment in Portugal

Questions:

1) What is your teenager's attitude to Nature? Are they environment-friendly?

2) What ecological problems do you have in Portugal?

3) What conservation organizations are there in Portugal? Their role?
4) Endangered species and plants?

What is your teenagers' attutude to Nature? Are they environment-friendly?

1) I have been retired for 5 years, so I'm somewhat distant from the Portuguese teenagers. However, I can say that in the last 15-20 years there has been a significant attempt to raise the awareness of our youngsters in schools to the problems of the environment. There are many projects and field trips dedicated to the environment. Many schools also have recycling trash cans near the main gate so that students gradually become conscious that they need to separate trash into paper, plastic and glass, for example. And they can remind their parents of doing the same at home.

I think it's fair to say that nowadays Portuguese teenagers are much more conscious that they need to protect the environment. It belongs to all of us. However, there's a lot of work to be done, because "chronic" bad attitudes don't change overnight.

What ecological problems do you have in Portugal?

2) We have air pollution problems around a few industrial cities in the center and north of Portugal, but it isn't a major problem and I don't think the air is ever unbreathable. Air pollution is also controlled in the big cities, because cars use unleaded gas.

There are some areas where water pollution, especially in rivers, can be serious at times, especially due to industrial and agricultural waste. But this doesn't occur on a regular basis. There are also problems along our coastline, which runs along half of our territory - west and south. I'm referring to normal pollution in oceans. The Atlantic Ocean runs along the western coastline of Portugal. There is also a much greater awareness of people in the beaches during the summer. There are lots of trash cans spread along beaches and plastic ashtrays that people can take with them and put back when they leave the beach.

 I don't think that sound pollution is a problem. Drivers used to honk the horns a lot., but not anymore. 

What conservation organizations are there in Portugal? Their role?

I believe that one of the oldest and most active organizations is Quercus. It's the National Association for the Conservation of Nature, founded in 1985, to preserve Nature, natural resources and the environment in general. They also attempt to enforce policies in defense of a sustainable development.

There are many other NGOs (see a list of them in this site in Portuguese).

Endangered species and plants?

Species

The Iberian lynx from Portugal and Spain, the Iberian Peninsula. It's the most endangered carnivorous species in Europe and the most endangered feline in the world.

The Imperial eagle, a bird of prey, is seriously endangered. Its only place of nidification is Portugal and Spain.

Plants

The Cork Oak where cork is extracted from. According to Wikipedia, Portugal produces about 50% of the world's cork.

We manufacture many different artifacts made of cork. Take a look. They're awesome!

I hope to have answered your questions. There is much more that could be said, but I'm no authority on the environment. However, we're environment-conscious at home. We've been separating waste to be recycled for many years.  :-)