Gibraltar, 10 January 2013
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| Gibraltar waterfront |
On January 2, 1991, the first round the world rally set sail from Gibraltar, the local government having given its full support to a global event that had never been attempted before.
22 years later almost to the day, I am back in Gibraltar and, just as before, the offer of support for the Blue Planet Odyssey was immediate and enthusiastic. This may not be too surprising in a place that throughout its long and eventful history has always been associated with the sea and sailing.
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| Working session with officials of the Gibraltar Tourism Board, and Departments of Education and Environment. |
But the main reason why the Blue Planet Odyssey was met with instant approval became clear at a meeting with the Hon. Neil Costa, Minister of Tourism and Ports, who explained that his government was engaged in an ambitious environmental policy with the aim of the Rock becoming carbon neutral by 2020.
The aims and potential of our own event were therefore immediately recognized, with the Departments of Education and Environment also expressing an interest in taking part in some of the Blue Planet Odyssey projects. We are already exploring the possibility of some of the local middle schools (8 to 12 years old) being actively involved in the Blue Planet Odyssey as it makes its way around the planet.
From sunny and warm Gibraltar the scene will now change to wintery Toronto for the Canadian launch of the Blue Planet Odyssey, the first round the world event to start in Canada and also the first to transit the Northwest Passage.
