Thinking green at the Olive Press

THIS issue the Olive Press went back to its roots and took a closer look at the environmental issues affecting Andalucia.

There are many reasons to be optimistic and to appreciate the growth in this sector.

But we still need to be guarded as a crackpot scheme to search for oil and gas in Jaen and Sevilla clearly demonstrates.

While the recession is biting, it is all too easy for town halls to be blinded by dollar signs in allowing such speculation.

But surely the chance of short term job prospects would be better served by encouraging local agricultural schemes and supporting green technology.

After all, as the Slow Food Movement insists in our food pages, if all local restaurants and hotels pulled together to buy just local produce we could protect our farmers and create jobs.

Ultimately, there can be no price put on preserving the world we live in.