Greenpeace Romania activists are protesting on Wednesday in the middle of the dried-up riverbed of the Comana Natural Park to draw the authorities' attention to the fact that Romania is currently facing a period of severe drought and that the new fossil fuel projects they are supporting are aggravating the climate crisis and the drought.
According to a Greenpeace Romania release sent to AGERPRES, the protesters are displaying messages to raise awareness on the effects of climate change: "The coldest summer we have left," "The future remains without water," "Stop fossil fuels, protect water," "Who pays?".
"Comana Natural Park, known as the Neajlov Delta or Balta Comana, is the second largest delta in terms of biodiversity and area after the Danube Delta. The Neajlov Delta is home to 141 bird species, half of which are internationally protected, 19 species of fish and 31 species of mammals. Romania is currently experiencing a period of severe drought, with a significant impact on water resources and ecosystems. 658 localities are still receiving restricted water at certain times of the day. Thus, 388 localities with centralised water supply systems receive water at certain times of the day. 270 localities without centralised water systems suffer from drought and have dry wells," notes Greenpeace, which qoutes data published by the Apele Romane National Administration (ANAR).
The environmental activists believe climate change is fueled by greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, mainly the burning of fossil fuels.
"This activity is intensifying not only heat waves with record-breaking temperatures, but also droughts, which are becoming more frequent, prolonged and devastating. The current summer is sending alarming signals and calling for swift action. The European Union has made firm commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and Romania, as an EU member state, must meet these targets. The new fossil gas exploration projects are in contradiction with the objectives of limiting climate change (...) However, Romania supports new fossil fuel projects that aggravate the climate crisis and drought, such as the Neptun Deep project," the organisation notes.
The ERCST report estimates a total carbon footprint of about 209 million tonnes of CO2 over 20 years, which means, on average, about 10.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year, more than the emissions of some countries in a single year.
In this context, Greenpeace is calling on national and local authorities to take urgent action in the face of the devastating impact of the climate crisis.
"We must adopt urgent measures to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and to promote sustainable energy solutions that protect water resources and the environment for future generations," Alin Tanase, campaign coordinator at Greenpeace Romania, is quoted as saying.
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