Portugal Livre de Minas – Aerial Art Action

Join us! Saturday August 24, 2019. Torre, Serra da Estrela.

We are a group of active citizens and environmental associations working towards ecosystem restoration and the regeneration of nature in Portugal. We are alarmed at the recent developments in Portugal to start explorations for open cast mining for lithium and other metals.

Proposals to explore huge areas of Portugal (1 831 420,6 hectares) have appeared without warning and in some cases permission has already been granted illegally. In addition, there are proposals for fracking for oil and gas which are being disputed by environmentalists in other parts of the country.

These extractive industries are environmentally disastrous. Scientific evidence shows that large scale extractive industries such as open cast mining and fracking contaminate the water, deplete groundwater tables and destroy local ecosystems.

Considering that, globally, we are on the brink of environmental collapse, we won’t allow for extractive industries to continue their destructive practices that prioritize profit over people and planet.

Manifesto

We unite to defend and protect these and all lands and waters from further desecration by extractive and polluting industries such as prospecting for minerals, mining and fracking.

We demand from authorities to provide information and transparency about the negative environmental and social impact of these operations, which is currently lacking. We also demand from authorities and industry to take responsibility for the negative impact they are causing to our environment and ecosystem by changing their linear manufacturing processes towards circular closed loop models that are regenerative and don’t require the continuation of resource extraction causing the degeneration of our ecosystem at large.

We demand the immediate protection and regeneration of Nature as an absolute priority on the national and international agendas. Not only for the sake of human survival but also because all species have their own intrinsic value and play an important role in the ecosystem as a whole.

We make a collective stand for Nature, the Earth, the Water and all generations to come. We gather and unite as organisations and individuals to defend the Sacred in a creative display of solidarity, unity and freedom.

Practical Details

Hundreds of Earth Defenders (= you!) will come together to create a huge Aerial Art piece that communicates the message: Não às minas. Water is Life. We need many people to join us for this event in order to create this visual, which will be distributed all over the world to gain attention for the cause, as it has been a valuable contribution in the past, defending other threats towards our planet and ecosystem.

Save the date – Saturday 24th August, 2019

Time: 10.00-14.30

Location: We meet at Torre, Serra da Estrela

Transport

There are coaches arranged to transport people from locations in nearby cities. Reserve your place through the local coordinators below. The coaches will leave Torre again around 15.00. Please reserve your place as soon as possible as seats are limited. Donations are appreciated to help cover the expenses. Of course you can also use your own means of transportation and we encourage carsharing.

CASTELO BRANCO / ALPEDRINHA / FUNDAO / COVILHA

Coordinator: Beatrice Santos – 937 032 880

8.00h CASTELO BRANCO > Estação de comboios ~ Train station

8.30h ALPEDRINHA > Eco-mercado ~ Eco market

9.00h FUNDÃO > Altran Pavilhão Multi uso ~ Altran Market Pavilion

9.30h COVILHÁ . Universidade Beira Interior portas principais ~ Main doors University Beira Interior

VISEU

Coordinator: Diego Garcia – 965 151 1136

Places and times tba

BENFEITA / COJA

Coordinator: Floris – 967651904

8h BENFEITA > Car park

8.30h COJA > Car park

TABUA / VILA DO MATO / OLIVEIRA DO HOSPITAL

Coordinator: Hanne – & Leen 960177636

8h TABUA > Parking Lidl: R. Prof. José de Oliveira e Costa 1

8.20h VILA DO MATO > Pastelaria Finata, R. Escola 51

8.45h OLIVEIRA DO HOSPITAL > Central de Camionagem de Oliveira do Hospital – Av. Dr. Carlos Campos , next to the Bombeiros

CELORICO / CARRAPICHANA / GOUVEIA

Coordinator: Fran – 926587016

8h CELERICO > Minipreco supermercado car park

8.30h CARRAPICHANA > post office/correios

9.00h GOUVEIA > Rotunda de Estrela a lado do Loja Chinés/The Star roundabout next to the Chinese shop

What to bring?

Please bring your own lunch or you can eat at the cafe on site.

Essential to bring a hat and sunscreen/cover up and water bottle.

Please wear as much blue and/or purple clothes as a high contrast base color for the aerial art image we are creating.

Please share this even with as many friends as possible. Together we are stronger!

We have compiled a few of our favorite wild places in the Serra da Estrela which you can visit before/after the event.

Additional information

More information and dialogue about the prospected mining operations in Portugal can be found in the facebook group Movimento ContraMineração na Beira Alta e na Beira Interior

This event is initiated by Awakened Forest Project & Wildlings and supported by Tamera and Teia da Terra.