*[Enwl-eng] Save our trees

[ENWL]

      Europe’s forests are disappearing at an alarming pace - because we 
burn them. The EU calls it “green energy” and gives industry subsidies to do 
it! Now, EU leaders will finally look into it. This is our chance to save 
Europe’s forests.

      Sign NOW


This petition was launched on our YouMove platform by a pan-European 
coalition of green organisations.
We think it may interest you.


“I recently wanted to go for a walk in the forest I know from my childhood, 
near my grandparents’ house. But what I remembered as a peaceful, green 
sanctuary, looked like the picture of misery - stretches of bare tree 
stumps, perfectly healthy trees cut down in hundreds. I felt like crying.”

My colleague Monika shared this story with me and she is not alone. Europe’s 
forests are disappearing at a pace unseen for decades. [1] There is a whole 
industry that cuts and burns forest and the EU calls it “green energy”. We 
even support it with our taxpayer money!

But there is a glimpse of hope: Right now, the EU is looking at how to 
change the law about what counts as green energy and hence receives EU 
subsidies. This is our opportunity to exclude energy linked to 
deforestation. [2]

We know they will hear from some of the world's biggest companies, so let’s 
make sure they also listen to our voices from across Europe.

            Sign the petition, save Europe’s forests!


Across the EU, the subsidies this industry gets from the state are enormous 
and growing. For example, in Germany in 2017 they filled their pockets with 
over €1.7 billion of public funds: this would amount to €20 per German 
citizen. [3]

And it’s not just EU forests that are suffering. The EU imports an 
increasing amount of wood from the US, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, and even 
Brazil - all to be burnt in the EU. [4] One of the world’s leading 
climatologists, professor Bill Moomaw sums up: “I’m at loss to understand 
how this policy went forward unless you discover there was total government 
capture by the forest products industry.” [5]

Rarely a small change in the rules can mean so much for the future of our 
planet. We can save our forests by just removing trees from the list of 
“green” energy sources - so let’s put pressure on the EU to do just that.

            Sign the petition, save the forests!


Our community has come together to save forests before, and succeeded in 
Romania, Bulgaria and Poland! [6] Now is our chance to stand up for all 
forests, in Europe and beyond.

Thank you!
David (London), Marta (Warsaw) and the entire WeMove Europe team

PS: Burning trees also impacts our health. Wood burning is a major source of 
the air pollution that already kills over 1,000 people per day in the EU. 
[7] Sign!



References:
[1] See the findings in “Nature”: Between 2011–15 and 2016–18, harvested 
forest area in Europe increased from 0.76 million hectares to 1.13 million 
hectares. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01848-x
[2] 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12553-EU-renewable-energy-rules-review/public-consultation
[3] See the detailed report: 
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/burnout-eu-clean-energy-policies-forest-destruction-ip.pdf
[4] A recent article: 
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/are-forests-the-new-coal-global-alarm-sounds-as-biomass-burning-surges/ 
and a more detailed report:
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/biosustain_report_final.pdf
[5] 
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/3/4/18216045/renewable-energy-wood-pellets-biomass
[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?utm_source=civimail-34134&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20201217_EN 
[7] https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eca/special-reports/air-quality-23-2018/en/



You Move Europe is an online action platform dedicated to help making Europe 
a more democratic, environmentally and socially just place. You Move Europe 
puts power in your hands. If you have an idea to make Europe a better place, 
You Move Europe helps you make it a reality. Petitions on this platform are 
started and run by civil society groups and members of the public. WeMove 
Europe hosts these petitions and they are in line with our values but they 
are not necessarily endorsed by WeMove Europe.


From: David - WeMove Europe
Sent: Sunday, December 27, 2020 4:32 PM
Subject: Save our trees

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