“We have been talking about it openly in Poland for some time now, and are not even afraid to use the term ‘eco-terrorism’. Because this terrorizes society and economies, first using environmental organizations, then the media, if that doesn’t help – then border and foreign local governments, and finally: European institutions, the European Commission, the CJEU. It’s an escalation ladder, just like in war. Only in a civil war, because there is a civil war going on right now. The Polish economy is in the crosshairs and environmental issues have been held hostage by the dispute, says Dr. Grzegorz Chocian, president of the Foundation for Constructive Ecology “Ecoprobono”, against the portal wPolityce.pl.
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wPolityce.pl: The German MEP Sergiej Lagodinsky, born in Russia, wants to file a complaint with the European Commission against Poland in connection with the work carried out by our country on the river Oder. It also demands sanctions if Poland does not stop this work. To what extent is it about ‘ecology’, to what extent is it a blow to our economy?
Dr. Grzegorz Chocian: I don’t want to believe it’s just about caring for nature; it’s a different, more hidden goal. We see it more and more clearly, we have been saying for years that environmental issues are hostages of completely different disputes, behind which other principals, other interests, in this case major economic interests, are related to the will to block inland navigation in Poland, as one of the all-important Polish transport elements, ultimately intermodal transport, in which goods are transported along the north-south axis, which is very important for Poland.
In my opinion, the river Oder and the deep-water port in Świnoujście should be considered together as two elements that are consistent with each other, because from this port it will be possible to continue to transport goods to the south.
The Germans do not like it, because it is not only about the port itself, but also about moving the cargo out of the port. The war and the huge traffic jams in Gdynia, this huge railway hub around the port of Gdynia, show that we also need the possibility to introduce sea freight by water, further inland, to further distribute goods there. For example, if an inland port were built in Tczew, it would help improve the work of the ports.
A new thread that never ends is the question of Polish mines, both coal and valuable raw materials such as gold, silver and copper. Poland is currently the largest silver producer in the world and it is also very dissatisfied.
Sure, it has an impact on nature, but that’s what we have in mind to minimize this impact, not to eliminate important elements of Polish industry, transport and economy. Naturalists should therefore help minimize negative impacts as much as possible, and investors should choose such naturalists for collaboration, which will actually make it possible to deal with negative environmental impacts in the best possible way, and not those who do want. protest in the interest of foreign economies.
Perhaps these are two different issues, but can we talk about a new version of the dispute over the ecological catastrophe on the Oder River, which happened a year ago?
The dispute over the poisoning of the Oder River last year was actually used to attack river transport in Poland. This is not to say that river poisoning and catastrophe did not occur. Of course she was, but the question was how she was used. What you say is another act within the same data exploitation story. On the same principle: “If they could not defend the Oder against golden algae, how can we allow them to build a waterway? Then they destroy everything.” So says Brandenburg.
Even though the German scientists’ report also stated that the cause was golden algae?
In addition, the discharge of pollutants, especially this year, also came from Germany. This is admitted. Apparently their sewage and pollution are ‘better’ or ‘more democratic’ than ours. And this is the huge environmental hypocrisy.
We have been talking about it openly in Poland for some time now, without even being afraid to use the term ‘eco-terrorism’. Because this terrorizes society and economies, first using environmental organizations, then the media, if that doesn’t help – then border and foreign local governments, and finally: European institutions, the European Commission, the CJEU. It’s an escalation ladder, just like in war. Only in a civil war, because there is a civil war going on right now. The Polish economy is in the crosshairs and environmental issues are hostages of the dispute.
I bet someone will say, “Chocian says there was no contamination.” Of course it was. Only that to effectively create disinformation, a civil war, there has to be a credible element. This credible element was the actual pollution of the Oder and a real ecological disaster for the river.
Now you can “whipping” with it, as used to be done with Rozpuda, and use it to beat Poland for ten years. This is how this mechanism works and either we are aware of it and we are doing everything we can to minimize certain risks and not fuel them for these wars. There is still something to do on the Polish side. Unless we think it’s conservation, we are “are”, and everyone around has the right to lecture us. Then it is best to close KGHM and all mines, liquidate all professional reservoirs and preferably import everything from abroad, and when it comes to storing water for periods of drought and reducing the risk of flooding, maybe it will work somehow.
The German media has been reporting for some time that Poland is becoming increasingly competitive when it comes to investments, such as ports. Is it just fear of competition, or is there more to it?
I think economic competition is paramount, because they are really afraid of the deep water port of Świnoujście. But when I hear that the Moscow-Berlin axis is functioning again, I am not surprised.
Since 2018, January’s memorable speech by the late editor Sebastian Rybarczyk in PR24, I’ve been telling how it’s been prepared, and it’s been more or less prepared since 2016. It was then that river protection organizations were established and the funding structure was built.
We wake up a little late when the milk spills. And this is my only comment on current state structures. When I brought up this topic at the time, even with journalists associated with the “good change” camp, I was even ridiculed at times.
It was not noted at the time that these were not Chocian’s private battles over old airport cases (the ongoing 2011-2012 wrongful allegation compensation process), but that, based on my company and foundation’s experience, it drew attention to preparing a vigorous struggle against Poland, which has blossomed over the past 2-3 years. And it will stay that way, because we are still structurally unprepared to solve this problem.
We act reactively. There is a hit and something needs to be done about it. Then the minister comes out and says, “We will not let go, we will do our job.” Okay, but this is a response, and it’s about acting on facts and also making it difficult for the other side to create facts.
Creating facts was certainly a change in Świnoujście’s fairway approach. We have done our job in the territorial waters for which we are responsible, so that the Germans would not accuse us of anything. This is the art of creating facts and paying homage to them, but such activities are few and far between. We often fear protests from NGOs, complaints from the European Commission to the CJEU. We are changing the law, but too weakly and tactically, not strategically, in addition to introducing provisions that facilitate protests and impunity for protesters. And impunity is shameful. Today, for example, such a maneuver in the case of the Oder River, as was used for digging the Vistula Spit, is impossible.
That is why we made absurd rulings at the Provincial Administrative Court in the Odra case. The same was true for Turow. The mines of the Polish Mining Group have just been blocked with impunity. Things happen and what you said at the beginning about the German Green MEP Sergei Lagodinsky, born in Russia, is the unveiling of a new layer of the same matryoshka doll, painted in “care for nature”. That was easy to predict. It was expected and prepared for action.
Thank you very much for the interview.
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Source: wPolityce