Did you know that Europe has its very own ‘Amazon’? Polesia is a gigantic labyrinth of bogs, swamps and streams. A major spot for biodiversity, the lungs of our continent. [1]
But plans to build a gigantic shipping channel connecting the Black and Baltic Seas threaten this extraordinary area. It would destroy Polesia’s rivers and wetlands. It would also endanger the survival of already threatened European bisons, wolves and lynxes. [2]
What’s worse, this could be done with European taxpayers’ money. The European Commission is assigning funding for cross-border water transport mega projects, and this one could be in line for it! But unfortunately very few people know about Europe’s Amazon and the risk of its destruction being potentially funded by EU taxpayers.
If the European Commission sees that tens of thousands of people are against it, it could decide not to fund this horror project. Could you please help by signing the petition and sharing it with everyone you know?
Europe’s nature is ready to return. More people, money and effort is being put behind the fight to bring wildlife and biodiversity back to our continent.
But the return of nature will be set back decades if we continue to carve apart places like Polesia. Magnificent bison, lynxes, wolves and brown bears – they all need havens such as Polesia.
This plan to bulldoze through the middle of Europe’s Amazon doesn’t just threaten wildlife – it threatens our ability to turn the tide on the climate emergency. Restored and biodiverse habitats naturally store more carbon, removing planet killing emissions from the atmosphere. [3]
The good news – the ink isn’t dry on the deal just yet. The European Commission can still choose not to release our money to fund this horror project. But with the deadline on that decision coming fast, we need to make our voices heard before it’s too late.
Thank you for your support,
Virginia (Madrid), Tom (Brussels), David (London) and the entire WeMove Europe team
PS. There’s a wide coalition of small and big organizations from Eastern Europe behind this petition. They are pretty determined but need the help of people across the whole continent to prove to politicians this potential disaster is a concern beyond their corner of the world. That’s why they need your signature – take action to supercharge their work!
References:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/the-race-to-save-polesia-europes-secret-amazon-aoe
https://savepolesia.org/polesia/
[2] There are solutions that don’t involve massive damage. Instead of destroying Europe’s lungs, investments could be made in the already existing railway network connecting the Baltic and Black Seas. IIn fact, transport along a waterway would be slower, more expensive, more polluting, and less reliable than electric rail. More details: https://savepolesia.org/the-threat/ and https://savepolesia.org/the-solution/
[3] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/what-is-rewilding-nature/