One of the partners of the Patagonia Campaign, CRBM (Campaign for Reform of the World Bank) recently launched new actions in Italy to help us stop the potentially disastrous HidroAysén dam scheme in Chile. You can support this “Italian front” of our Patagonia Campaign by joining our online action against Enel!
Enel, a giant Italian electric utility company, owns a controlling interest in the European partner for HidroAysén.
The dams would displace families, disrupt livelihoods, thwart local tourism businesses and destroy thousands of acres of rare and endangered Chilean forests. The transmission lines for this hydroelectricity would provide no benefits to local communities, but would require extensive clearcutting of Chilean native forests. It would be one of the world’s longest transmission lines to date, clearing a more than 2,450 km swath through national parks and wilderness reserves. All of this destruction would threaten aquatic, bird and mammal species already at risk. Species such as an endangered Chilean deer – the huemul – of which less than 3,000 survive today.
The CRBM postcard (see below) invites people to “Come to Patagonia before it’s too late.” It lets people know that when they pay their utitility bills, they’re helping Enel fund plans to destroy Patagonia. The postcard recommends that people enjoy the beauty of Patagonia while they can, before it’s destroyed by HidroAysén’s dams and transmission lines.
Take Action! Write a letter to Enel demanding that they use their power to protect Patagonia!
