We Don't Want to Watch the Country Turn to Ashes: It's Time to Say Stop to the Eucalyptus Madness

When heat waves start in Portugal, we feel the same anxiety. However, these huge fires surrounding us are not only caused by hot weather; The real issue lies in what we plant in the soil and how we approach nature.

The Portuguese environmental organization Quercus and the Environmental Paper Network (EPN) emphasized this crucial point and made a very clear call to the government: New eucalyptus plantings should be banned immediately.

Not a Tree, Almost a Living Wick

Everyone knows that eucalyptus means fast money for the paper and pulp industry. However, uniform eucalyptus fields stretching for kilometers turn into a huge wick that carries the flames at incredible speed in case of fire. The days when we lost 119 lives in that great disaster in 2017 and more than half a million hectares of land were ashes are still fresh in our memories.

The danger does not end with fire alone:

It Depletes the Water of the Soil: Eucalyptus literally exploits underground water resources, dries the soil and increases the effect of drought many times over.

It Destroys Our Natural Shield: As this invasive species replaces our native trees such as oak, cork oak (sobro) and chestnut, which are much more fire-resistant, our geography is losing all its resistance to fires.

Profit to the Companies, Loss to the Public: While the money earned by the cellulose lobby remains in their coffers, the cost of the destruction left behind, the destroyed villages and the nature turned to ashes is paid to all of us.

The Demands on the Table Are Very Clear

Without beating around the bush, environmental organizations listed the steps that need to be taken urgently:

Immediate Moratorium: New eucalyptus plantings and replanting of existing areas should be stopped immediately and completely throughout the country.

2030 Target: Eucalyptus-covered areas should be gradually reduced by 2030 and replaced with native trees such as oak and cork oak.

Polluter Pays Principle: Paper and biomass companies, which generate huge revenues from this reforestation, should directly finance firefighting and nature recovery budgets.

Strict Control: Afforestation laws (RJAAR) should be reviewed from scratch, and heavy sanctions should be imposed on those who break the rules.

At the end of the day, the picture is very clear: Either we will continue to watch our country turn to ashes to protect the profits of a few industrial giants, or we will protect our land, water and future and restore our nature.

Source: Quercus

Image Source: Bruno Fonseca