By: Spletni časopis
“The new government, headed by Golob and the Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda) is, in many respects, far worse than the previous, Janša one, in terms of its treatment of the environment and nature (and more), whether you
are willing to admit it or not. It has decided to take an even more cruel step against the environment; it wants to hand the environment over to the polluters – the energy industry! If we do not stop them this Sunday, we may be saying goodbye to the last of Slovenia’s wild river stretches, because the only value for the energy industry, which has found itself at the top of the political ladder, is money,” the non-governmental organisation Balkan River Defence recently wrote on its Facebook page, which also published a call against the dismantling of the Ministry of the Environment through an amendment to the Government Act, which would subordinate the field of environmental protection to the energy industry.
In their post, they are calling for people to reject the amendment to the Government Act at the upcoming referendum, and this call has been signed by a number of important individuals.
Professor Dr Mihael Jožef Toman, Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana
Professor Dr Peter Trontelj, Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana
Professor Dr Dušan Devetak, Bachelor of Biology
Dr Aleš Snoj, scientific councillor, Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana
Associate Professor Dr Maja Zagmajster, Bachelor of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana
Associate Professor Dr Nejc Jogan, Bachelor of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana
Associate Professor Dr Cene Fišer, Bachelor of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana
Associate Professor Dr Damijan Denac
Damjan Vinko, Bachelor of Biology, Professor of Biology, Member of the Council of the Minister for the Environment and Spatial Planning for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations for the Field of Biodiversity
Marjana Hönigsfeld Adamič, Bachelor of Biology
Mateja Sattler, environmental activist and member of the Eko Anhovo Association
Andreja Slameršek, professor of Chemistry and Biology, member of the Slovenian Native Fish Society
Slovenian Native Fish Society (Društvo za preučevanje rib Slovenije – DPRS)
Morigenos – Slovenian Marine Mammal Society
Herpetological Society – Societas herpetologica slovenica (Herpetološko društvo)
The Association for the Study and Conservation of Butterflies of Slovenia (Društvo za proučevanje in ohranjanje metuljev Slovenije)
The Tular Cave Laboratory, Society for Cave Biology, Kranj (Jamski laboratorij Tular, društvo za jamsko biologijo, Kranj)
PIC – The Legal Centre for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (Pravni center za varstvo človekovih pravic in okolja)
The Youth for Climate Justice (Mladi za podnebno pravičnost – MZPP)
Lutra, the Institute for the Conservation of Natural Heritage (Inštitut za ohranjanje naravne dediščine)
EKO Anhovo and the Soča Valley, Association for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection (EKO Anhovo in dolina Soče, društvo za naravovarstvo in okoljevarstvo)
Moja Mura – The Associations fo River Conservation and Sustainable Development along the Mura River
Museum of Madness, Trate
Balkan River Defence
The Leeway Collective
The Balkan River Defence’s full statement
“As you may have noticed, after the “protest” year of 2020, when we threw ourselves passionately and with good intentions into our work in order to protect nature, we have pulled back a bit and are no longer the workhorse of all kinds of (political) activism. Our purpose is to save rivers from unnecessary destruction, not the very modern agitation which almost always ends up benefiting opportunistic political parties. But this time, we will not be silent. It is time to face the truth. The new government, headed by Golob and the Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda), is, in many respects, far worse than the previous, Janša one in terms of its treatment of the environment and nature (and more), whether you are willing to admit it or not. It has decided to take an even more cruel step against the environment; it wants to hand the environment over to the polluters – the energy industry! If we do not stop them this Sunday, we may be saying goodbye to the last of Slovenia’s wild river stretches, because the only value for the energy industry, which has found itself at the top of the political ladder, is money. We are talking about the referendum on the amendment to the Government Act. If the amendment is adopted, it would be the final blow to the environment; the energy industry would also take over the management of administrative procedures and would issue its own consent for decisions that affect the environment. Interesting and very democratic, isn’t it? To put it in political terms: if you are not in favour of the government handing the environment to the energy industry, vote AGAINST in the referendum on the amendment to the Government Act. Think and act according to your conscience, of
course. More information, arguments and a list of signatories of the call can be found here: https://www.dprs.si/…/236-proti-izrocitvi-okolja…”