Appeal to allies on nature protection: we must stand firm and continue the fight for Life!

Nature protection in the world was already one of the most unpopular causes — few people are interested in the struggle against forest destruction and the extermination of animals. It is “somewhere far away,” while in cities the problems are not visible! And almost no one truly understands what is happening in the wild. Hence the lack of empathy and the lack of desire to fight. It is perceived as “someone else’s problem.” Especially in the context of lost skills and the lost sense of being part of the living world around us.

But today everything has become worse, and the foundation of this struggle is crumbling. Against the backdrop of the race between states and transnational corporations for leadership in the Fourth Technological Revolution, which is based on the need to extract colossal volumes of rare-earth resources from the ground. These resources mostly lie beneath protected areas, which are the last refuges of wildlife on the planet, where animals and plants can still hide from humans.

In recent days, I have deliberately written about the situation, for example, in the United States of America, where the Trump administration is literally rolling over wildlife like a steamroller. Protection status is being stripped from millions of hectares of national forests at once, with open statements that this is being done in the interests of big business. And now roads can be built, logging can be carried out, and the subsoil can be torn open in the sacred refuges of wildlife. In Alaska, which they now want to connect with our Far East by a tunnel in the near future — the agreement has already been confirmed — ancient protected lands are being cut through by a huge industrial road in order to drive natural wealth along it.

On top of this, they are expanding recreational sport hunting, understanding that animals, as a result of the destruction of their habitat, will come out toward people in an attempt to survive. Shooting them before they reach people and attract unwanted attention is an old methodology of “effective managers” in power.

It has gone so far that the Trump administration has even allowed the oil business to “accidentally” kill polar bears during oil extraction, even though they are already on the brink of extinction. No accountability if, suddenly, they “accidentally” have to run them over with heavy machinery or bury a female bear with cubs in a den under the ground. Now it is legal.

They have even removed from the law the definition that strictly stated that the destruction of animal habitat constitutes harm to animals. Now this is gone, and if wild nature is buried under the ground, forests are cut down, and everything is ripped apart with heavy machinery, this is no longer considered “harm.”

People write to me — nature defenders from America — saying that they do not know what to do. They say their hands are dropping and that fighting this is pointless.

And in parallel, in Russia, everything is exactly the same, as if these were the same planned actions.

The foundation of nature protection in our country was built on close cooperation between experts, scientists, and civil society. Moreover, many people inside the authorities helped achieve changes! They supported us in this unequal struggle for Life.

Remember, allies, how many dangerous bills we managed to slow down over the past years. A great many. Attempts to destroy the country’s protected areas alone were repelled seven times in a row. Meanwhile, our allies defending the Lago-Naki Plateau, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and which they have been trying to destroy for years in the interests of big business, joined forces with the regional prosecutor’s office and uncovered a genuine criminal conspiracy. It went so far that lobbyists were falsifying state expert reviews in an attempt to appropriate the protected area, and this was officially confirmed. 

And while they are rushing to destroy the protected Lago-Naki Plateau, lobbying groups are actively pushing through numerous projects that weaken the conservation status of wildlife on a national scale. 

• The direct destruction of any protected areas in the country for the sake of heavy industry.
• The liquidation of the oldest documents on the protection of the country’s protected areas.
• Clear-cutting of mountain forests designated for protective functions.
• The removal of an entire list of hazardous substances from the list of substances banned for discharge into marine waters.
• Clear-cutting of ancient forests around Lake Baikal.
• The creation of a digital system for issuing permits for the “extraction” of animals listed in the Red Data Book, including to entrepreneurs and legal entities.
• The expansion of recreational sport hunting with the constant increase of quotas for shooting animals.

And much more. In other words, everything is exactly like in America, as if a race has been arranged: shoot the animals, destroy the protected areas.

Hundreds of our scientists, experts, and members of society opposed all this. We fought, spoke about the problems, and called for discussion and common sense!

After all, we are talking about the last animals. Let me remind you that, according to data from the world’s scientists, in just the last 50 years the abundance of vertebrate animals on the planet has declined by 73% — meaning that what remains now are the last populations on isolated territories.

And we are talking about refuges, about points of self-recovery for biological systems. About places that must never, under any circumstances, be touched at all.

How do we fight for Life under colossal pressure?

We have faced pressure unlike anything before. All initiatives aimed at protecting the protected-area system have been temporarily shut down. The prosecutors who defended the Lago-Naki Plateau and uncovered crimes were removed from their positions “due to loss of confidence.” Many of our allies have also lost their positions, while those who remain now refuse any interaction in order not to lose their jobs.

This is the fear of speaking the truth. This is the fear of seeing problems and the conscious decision not to intervene, not to try to solve them. Simply to turn away and pretend that nothing is happening.

A blow has been struck against nature-protection experts; I think many already know about this. The situation there is critical. Moreover, scientists no longer risk speaking about problems, let alone backing anything with their names. I am not even talking about any scientific research.

And we find ourselves in a situation where it is not even possible to speak about what is happening, otherwise we fall into the paradox of publicity, and this creates even greater risks for everyone who protects nature.

But are we not right? Should society not identify attempts to destroy nature, pass information “upward,” and seek decisions?

I am carefully studying what is happening in the United States right now. People are in despair. 

And in our country, a blow has been struck in exactly the same way against the very foundation of wildlife protection. Against the foundation of the struggle for Life.

So what should be done?

The struggle is now essentially isolated. There is a risk that all projects will be closed and nature-protection activity will stop. But we must not allow this! We are already looking for ways to continue our work. To do this, much will have to change, and entirely new mechanisms of influence on these problems will have to be developed.

Perhaps we, together with you, allies, will remain the only ones who can act at all. We must withstand this colossal pressure, hold firm, and find the strength not to retreat. There is no one else left to fight for Life.

We have a plan for further action and major changes in the projects. I am looking for serious support in order to change everything and withstand this colossal pressure. If we manage — we will not retreat.

Strength to everyone who continues the struggle.

© PAVEL PASHKOV