Oil drilling is considered a danger for tourism in the Canary Islands

Pic: Cleanoceanproject

The Canary Islands is one of Britain's most popular holiday destinations. However, these islands may lose their attraction to foreign tourists because of a decision to drill for oil less than 40 miles off the coastline. Local businesses and travel companies believe that there is a risk to the business of tourism in the islands. They see drilling for oil as a threat to tourists who look for the clean beaches and clean water that are found on and around these islands.

More than 2.6 million Britons visit the Canaries every year and the seven islands are famed for their 365 days of sunshine. Repsol, the Spanish oil and gas giant, has been given permission by the Spanish government to prospect for oil near Lanzarote and Fuerteventura despite strong local opposition. The regional government of the Canaries has mounted a legal challenge against the project, saying that drilling for oil threatens its most important industry, which is tourism. This region is Spain's second most popular tourism destination after Catalonia.

Inhabitants and business owners as well as major tour operators have voiced concerns that drilling could affect tourism and wildlife along the famous coastlines, particularly if there were an oil spill. ABTA, The Travel Association, and the UK Tour operators' Federation have also written to the Spanish government expressing concern about the decision.

In a letter sent to Jose Manuel Soria, the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, the organisations voice their 'great preoccupation' about the effects the decision will have on the tourist industry in the Canaries.

The Canary Islands are one of the key tourist destinations not only for the United Kingdom but also for other European countries and the prospecting and possible drilling for oil could cause considerable damage to tourism in this region.

Cyber-bullying: Two teenage girls try to drown themselves

Entrada relacionada: What is ciberbullying? - PAU 2015 Andalucía resuelto   

                      

Two teenage girls in Israel tried to commit suicide because of cyber-bullying by their classmates. During a terrible storm last week, the two girls attempted to commit suicide by drowning themselves in the Mediterranean Sea. The two girls, who are 13 and 14 years old, are from the coastal city of Ashdod. They were found unconscious floating in the water, and they were saved by a local person who contacted the rescue services. One of the girls has been released from hospital, however, the other girl is still hospitalized.

The girls told the police that they are in the same class in Junior High School. They said that their classmates had harassed them for years, face to face and on the internet, mostly on Facebook. Apparently classmates continually spread rumours and embarrassing stories about them.

Ashdod’s Head of Social Services has begun an immediate investigation. The police are currently gathering evidence and intend to press charges.

Hana Levi Julian, a behavioural psychotherapist in Jerusalem said that bullying by classmates does not always take the traditional form of physically being hurt, which we once thought. One of the worst forms of bullying is that of embarrassing or publicly ridiculing another person.

Kids single out and target others very often, especially in school. Cyber-bullying can occur in class as well as out of it. They have plenty of opportunity before and after class, during recess and on lunch breaks to harass a classmate. More supervision is needed during these unstructured times. Also, teachers need to be trained to deal with this problem when it occurs, whether before or after classes, between classes or during their classes.

By Lesley Lanir in Internet (Adapted)