Before we start we have to say that Granada Metro is a sustainable solution. It is true that for the moment it only has one line and that the infrastructure can be improved, but it will always be better than yet another car in the city.
Although this post is a little out of our travel line, it is part of our commitment to enjoy a better Andalusia, more responsible and efficient.
PLASTIC GRASS IN THE GRANADA METRO
Work on the Granada Metro began in August 2007 and the inauguration took place ten years later, in September 2017. Part of the sixteen kilometers of the route runs on the surface. The covering material for the pavements is plastic artificial grass for most of the route. According to the consultation carried out by Trees against Climate Change to the Transparency Unit of the Ministry of Development, 55,799 square meters, almost six hectares, were covered with plastic. Fomento added this reasoning: “There is a commitment to a soft element along practically the entire length of the route, a green tapestry, like a boulevard, that integrates the different components of the system. In this way, their impact is minimized.”
Plastic lawn of the Granada Metro in La Caleta.
During the first years of the construction, were made several unfavorable reports on the use of plastic in pavements. These were issued by the team of botanical advisers of the University of Granada.
WHY PLASTIC TURF SHOULD NOT BE USED
From an environmental point of view, artificial grass is made up of different types of plastics whose raw material is petroleum, that is, a mixture of hydrocarbons that, when burned or transformed, will emit carbon dioxide. Perhaps it is less known that during the use of plastic, it degrades and emits ethylene and methane. The latter is an important greenhouse gas twenty-three times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
But from a health point of view the implications are no less important. In the words of the doctor and researcher Nicolás Olea “we now know that the use of ornamental plastic materials in cities, in football fields or in playgrounds are a real problem for environmental pollution and for human exposure. They contain mainly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, bisphenols and other hormonal disruptors. When we talk about the consequences, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are carcinogenic, endocrine disruptors are linked to a range of hormonal disorders ranging from attention deficit and hyperactivity deficits and behavioral disorders in children to hypothyroidism, obesity, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer or fertility problems”.
What we tell you here is just a small extract of the documentary that we sponsor, we recommend you to see it complete, because it has no waste 👇.
NOTE: The aim of the documentary is not to criticise or judge past actions. The ultimate aim is to contribute to the creation of a constructive public opinion that will condition future extensions of the Granada Metro or its possible reforms.
WORKING WITH LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS
Andalucía 360 collaborates with local environmental associations. With each visit of our travellers we contribute financially to the conservation of the environment and biodiversity. (DISCOVER MORE HERE), but we also sponsor initiatives of these environmental associations from time to time.
Presentation of the documentary Plastic Grass Metro Granada in the Corrala de Santiago.
We consider it a positive and necessary thing that travellers’ stays have an impact on the improvement and environmental maintenance of the places they visit, beyond the purely economic aspect.
THE GRANADA METRO FOR TRAVELLERS
The Granada Metro has a single line connecting the south-western part of the metropolitan area with the northern part.
If you are visiting Granada for the first time, you may not find it a very practical use, as the line is a bit far from the most touristic part of the city. However, it connects the train station with the bus station, so it can be useful to move between the two. Similarly, if you arrive by bus in Granada, you can use the metro to get to the area of Avenida Constitución and the end of Calle Recogidas, areas where hotels are starting to appear.
Granada metro stations.
If you already know Granada the possibilities are extended. The metro connects towns in the vicinity of Granada such as Armilla and Albolote. They may not be the most beautiful villages in Andalusia, but they still have a small historic quarter and some remarkable monuments. In the case of Armilla, you can visit the parish church of San Miguel Arcángel from the 16th century. In Albolote you should not miss a visit to the parish church of the Incarnation, also from the sixteenth century.
We consider a good solution the Granada Metro for travelers, but avoids peak hours, because it is a fundamental tool for citizens who every morning are directed to their work.
Granada train station with metro tracks covered in plastic.
