Prince Charles, who's well-known for planning and supporting sustainable housing developments, has turned his hand to the ecologically sensitive Galapagos Islands. Developers had been planning a 1000-household mini-city, and conservationists had called in Prince Charles amid fears that the Galapagos Island development on Santa Cruz Island could harm the environment.
Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment to consult on Galapagos Island developments
The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment will set up an office at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island to help create an ecologically-friendly development that works with the land and not against it -- Prince Charles' specialty. According to reports in "The Daily Mail," Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the Galapagos Islands in 2009, but it's not currently known whether the prince will fly out to see what's happening with the project.
The isolated Galapagos Islands which, together, are home to just 23,000 people on five of the 13 islands in the archipelago, inspired Darwin's theory of evolution. The Galapagos Islands were the first ever UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated in 1978 and, of late, conservationists have been asking for a reduction in tourism, as visitors and pollution are starting to erode the once-pristine environment.
Eco-friendly Galapagos Islands project to help protect Darwin's islands
The housing development, El Mirador, would about double the population of Puerto Ayora and would push at the rule requiring only 3 percent of the Galapagos Islands to be developed.
The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment has already held several public workshops on the Galapagos Islands and will advise on eco-friendly alternatives such as large porches to cool air, thus negating the need for air conditioning, water re-use and green sewage systems.
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Source: The Daily Mail; Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment
Get the latest British Royal Family news by subscribing to this column or using the RSS feed. Linda Gentile is the British Royal Family Examiner and you can also follow on Twitter and Facebook to read more about Prince Charles and the Prince's Charities.
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