Join us in the rebellion for peace and the planet this Earth Day

We need to foster international cooperation and solidarity to address environmental challenges collectively, transcending borders and divisions. That is why we are organising a pan-European action.

This Earth Day, let’s stand together as guardians of our planet. Join us in protest, advocacy, and activism to defend the Earth from the ravages of war. Together, we can create a future where peace reigns, and our environment thrives.

Warfare leaves scars on more than just the human psyche. From deforestation and habitat destruction to pollution and toxic waste, the environmental toll of war is immense. Bombs and artillery tear through ecosystems, contaminating land, water, and air. The use of fossil fuels in military operations contributes to climate change, exacerbating natural disasters and endangering wildlife. It’s time to recognize war as one of the greatest threats to our planet’s health.

The escalating genocide in Palestine has now put the spotlight on emissions and environmental damages resulting from war. Reports suggest that Israel dropped around 25,000 tonnes of munitions on Gaza in the first few weeks of the war. The carbon emissions from this would be equivalent to the annual energy use of approximately 2,300 homes or the annual greenhouse gas emissions from about 4,600 passenger vehicles.

On the other hand, in the first eighteen months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, greenhouse gas emissions have totalled nearly 150 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions (tCO2e), according to the report by Initiative on GHG accounting of war; with numbers now being even higher. This is equivalent to the annual GHG emissions from a highly industrialised country like Belgium. Direct GHG emissions from warfare alone have nearly reached 37 million tCO2e, with fuel consumption by Russian troops emitting the bulk of it.

There can be no military victory that will not spawn more suffering, more pollution, more injustices – and, therefore, more violence in the future.

Our call to action

As members of DiEM25, we believe in building a world where peace, dignity and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. On this Earth Day, let’s come together to demand peaceful solutions through diplomacy and conflict resolution, post-war reparations and restoration, environmental accountability, demilitarization of our societies, while promoting nonviolent conflict resolution as an essential step toward a more peaceful and greener world.

Join us in solidarity this Earth Day, April 22, as we stand against the devastating impact of war on our environment. War knows no boundaries, and its destructive reach extends far beyond human conflict zones. Together, let’s raise our voices to protect our planet from the ravages of war and advocate for a future of peace and sustainability.

Let’s make our voices heard! We can build a world where war and environmental destruction are relics of the past.

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