"The ecological transition cannot remain a slogan for press releases and declarations of principle. It must translate into concrete, coherent, and above all educational choices."
Christian Mulas , a majority municipal councilor and president of the Environment Commission, has taken a critical stance on the purchase by the Municipality of Alghero of synthetic Christmas trees intended for the city's schools .
In recent days, the Administration approved spending over €16,000 to purchase plastic Christmas trees, a decision that, according to Mulas, "raises legitimate questions about the true desire to promote sustainable lifestyles and the example it intends to set for younger generations." In Mulas's opinion, "Before proceeding with such an expenditure, it would have been appropriate to consider solutions more consistent with the principles of the green transition. The same resources could have been used to purchase gardening equipment, such as shovels, rakes, and topsoil, to be made available to schools, involving students in maintaining the green spaces on campuses and in decorating a real tree, either already present or to be planted in the school grounds."
A living tree which, underlines the president of the Environment Commission, «would not only be a Christmas symbol, but a concrete gesture of environmental education, destined to last over time, to produce oxygen and to contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide».
Among the missed alternatives, Mulas also cites the possibility of creating Christmas trees through the creative reuse of waste materials. "We could have funded workshops to build trees from recycled plastic, paper, wood, or metal, promoting the circular economy and the active involvement of students, turning Christmas into a genuine educational opportunity." He also reflects on the method: "Being part of a majority," he states, "also means participating in government decisions and being involved in decision-making processes. No consultation with the Environment Commission was planned for this initiative. This is a shame, because I could have offered both an institutional and professional contribution, especially given my experience as a socio-pedagogical educator."
