Pope Francis' anti-Polish encyclical? Criticism of coal burning in Poland.

According to a poll by Pew Research Center, only 19% of Poles responded that climate change is a serious problem. Only the Chinese care less.

President Andrzej Duda said talking about anti-carbonisation is heresy and anti-Polish. He went on to say Poland has 90% of Europe's coal reserves and that's why de-carbonization is only possible in the sense of reducing CO_2 emissions, not reduction of coal mined.

He didn't mention 5000-7000 Poles die every year from diseases caused by burnt coal. Poland might gain from cheaper energy, but will have to spend extra on healthcare. Also, less developed countries use Poland's stance as an excuse to keep burning coal.

And it's not just coal. Under the new minister of environment, Jan Szyszko, the region of Puszcza Białowieska is to rise wood cutting limits fivefold. Puszcza Białowieska is the last primal forest in Europe, it's on the UNESCO list. Back when Szyszko was minister of environment during previous PiS rule, he also wanted to approve a highway running through Rospuda valley, where many unique and endangered forms of life live. I remember signing a Greenpeace protest petition when I was on a nearby festival.

If the trees are replaced in a sustainable way, forestry is a perfectly legitimate use of resources.


No-one is talking about felling ancient tree stands. If any government tried to touch the protected part of BNP, the global scientific community would go ballistic.


Unfortunately, accountants run the world, and this figure would be considered a price worth paying.

And would you bet on that ?

Puszcza Białowieska is an area protected by the EU Natura 2000 program. European Commission only just dropped its legal case against Poland for breaking the tree cutting directives. The forest is on the UNESCO list of humanity heritage. It's a primal forest. How do you replace a primal forest in a sustainable way ? This can make Puszcza Białowieska lose its UNESCO status, which would be a big diplomatic blow for Poland.

When polish forests were last managed by Jan Szyszko, the new old minister of Environment, the state run company Lasy Państwowe became indepted for the first time in decades. He's also the man who ordered investigation of 'chemitrails'. Do you think he's too competent to do this ?

Parts of it are unspoiled remnants of lowland primieval forest. These parts are not under threat.


I don't think any of them are competent to do anything, but I do not fear for the protected parts of BPN. I live in the area, and have, or have had, dealings with the Mammal Research Institute in Białowieża and many other bodies and scientists entrusted with the forest's well-being. In the strict reserve they don't even move trees that fall across paths (they cut a path-width section out if they really have to), so I can't see them cutting down five-hundred-year-old oaks any time soon.

As I understand it, the problem is that in order to protect the original forest, it would be best to have a large buffer zone and to allow that forest to become wild and unmanaged too. But PiS have had an obsession with the areas for years - it's not about economics (it wouldn't cost much to provide alternative employment opportunities there!) - but about something personal.

The problem is that this Minister is very much in the hunter/forester tradition, which means having a rabid hatred of biologists and conservationists. It's a huge problem in Poland, and often not spoken about in the media.

I don't feel like creating a new thread for relatively minor thing.

Szyszko, minister of Environment, decided to take down some waste sorting "advertisment" videos. The offending videos not only promoted waste sorting, but also showed a prominent gay man / culinary critic Maciej Nowak. Naturally, he was outraged and said ministry of Environment won't spend money on promoting "gender" ideology.

It's nice Polish minister of Environment knows his priorities.

i don`t know for coal but Pope Francis is true Christian Pope. Serbs love him