*[Enwl-eng] Stop burning our forests
ENWLine
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Our forests are being burned at an alarming rate. The Finnish government is pushing to burn even more trees. Today we have a chance to expose their green lies. |
This campaign was launched on our YouMove platform by the 2Celsius (RO), Clean Air Committee (NL), Estonian Forest Aid (EE), ROBIN WOOD (DE), WOLF (SK) and Workshop for All Beings (PL). We think it may interest you.
Hi,
When most of us think of Finland we think of the northern lights and beautiful sprawling green forests. The country has built its reputation on being “green,” drawing nature lovers from across the globe.
Yet in many ways, the Finnish government is the worst enemy of these forests. It supports and enables the burning of these sacred forests while calling it “green energy”. [1] And right now the government is lobbying the European Commission to allow even more trees to be burned. [2]
EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen has promised to plant trees in Europe and protect “precious nature and animals”. [3] But at the same time, she is bowing to the Finnish lobby and allowing the forests to burn.
Right now the Finnish government is holding the opening ceremony of the EU’s “Green Week”. Their reputation as a “green country” is so important to them, so they’ll be talking about “zero pollution in Europe”. But they’ll forget to mention that Finland is cutting down forests and that the EU Commission allows it to continue.
So let’s remind them! Just imagine the pressure we’ll put on them when the official event hashtags on Twitter are taken over by all of us from across Europe, tweeting about this greenwashing! Let’s show them today that burning trees is not green!
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The Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, is lobbying the EU Commission to allow even more trees to be burned. [4]
This could be one of our last opportunities to make a lot of noise before the EU Commission makes a final decision on whether burning trees is acceptable. [5]
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Our community has come together before to save forests across Europe – from Romania to Bulgaria to Poland! [6] Now is our chance to stand up for all forests in Europe.
Burning forests is bad for nature and for the climate. Let’s stop Europe's worst lobbyist on deforestation: the Finnish government. Share your voice via Twitter or email – it can make all the difference.
David (London), Annemarie (Berlin) and the entire WeMove team
P.S. Did you know the indigenous Sámi people have inhabited the forest for thousands of years and are fighting to protect the last remaining natural forests in Sweden, Finland and Norway from logging? Please send a tweet or email.
References:
[1] Around one-fourth of Finland’s total energy
consumption is produced by the burning of wood. The energy produced from
different wood fuels makes up around 74 percent of total ‘renewable energy’ in
Finland.
https://mmm.fi/en/en/forests/use-of-wood/wood-based-energy
[2]
The Renewable Energy Directive itself is causing a great deal of harm, as it was
one of the first pieces of legislation to define wood burning as carbon neutral
and encouraged it as a means of generating heat and electricity. A proposal for
a new Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) will be presented by the Commission on
July 14th – so far, burning of forests is still included. Right now, nearly €7
billion per year are being spent on subsidizing the burning of wood in Europe.
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2021/02/11/time-end-subsidies-burning-wood-forests/
[3]
https://www.ted.com/talks/ursula_von_der_leyen_europe_s_plan_to_become_the_first_carbon_neutral_continent/transcript?language=en#t-106710
[4]
Letter by the Finnish and Swedish government to the European Commission
https://twitter.com/LBurnelius/status/1395357238794018823
[5]
The Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) will be revised in the next 12 months
but the Commission must present its proposal on July 14th
[6] Romania:
https://you.wemove.eu/campaigns/romania-save-europe-s-last-large-virgin-forests,
Bulgaria: https://act.wemove.eu/campaigns/Save-the-Kresna-Gorge,
Poland: https://act.wemove.eu/campaigns/defend-forest
WeMove Europe is an independent and values-based organisation that seeks to build people power to transform Europe in the name of our community, future generations and the planet.
WeMove Europe is funded by donations from our community across Europe. Can you chip in with a few euros a month and help make sure we can move fast to win the campaigns that matter to all of us? Donate
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