#SAYNOTOMINES

THE FACTS

DESTRUCTION OF A GLOBALLY IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE SYSTEM

Barroso is a natural landscape composition of Northern Portugal, integrating part of the Peneda Gerês National Park, where the existing agrarian system is strongly influenced by the soil and climate conditions, with a predominance of smallholdings and cattle, sheep and goat pastoral farming in the region’s agricultural economy, as well as pig farming, which contributes significantly to household economies and plays an important social role.

With human occupation for thousands of years, this area of Northern Portugal presents today a pattern of land occupation marked by human activity for agriculture, forestry, and grazing, while a good number of very significant and relatively intact environmental areas are still found. All of them transpire harmony and quality of life, living for thousands of years within this paradise, transposed to the pure state of its nature.
Now, they see themselves threatened by the mining industry that is getting authorizations for exploration, and exploitation, by the national government.

DRAMATIC EFFECTS ON HYDRIC RESOURCES, BIODIVERSITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Water is essential to life on our planet. A prerequisite of sustainable development must be to ensure uncontaminated streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Mining affects freshwater through heavy use of water in processing ore, and through water pollution from discharged mine effluent and seepage from tailings and waste rock impoundments. Water has been called “mining’s most common casualty”.
The price we have paid for our everyday use of minerals has sometimes been very high. Mining by its nature consumes, diverts and can seriously pollute water resources.
Sadly, we have plenty of pure water fonts which are already in severe danger. Some of our hydric sources, like lakes and rivers, that serve thousands of people from this region, are so close from being used that now integrate their plans for the construction of their mining systems.

PEOPLE LOSING HOMES AND HOMES LOSING PEOPLE

Deserted villages will be more commonly seen here, as capitalism starts to take their places.
People are concerned about the losts they have to face, the end of quality of life, the cease of years of personal projects and dreams about their little, but rich, untouchable paradise.
Marching against a power that is not concerned about the environment, the culture, the wealth that emerges from every piece of this sacred land, seems impossible and many of us are simply leaving for the eternity.
What stays behind will be exchanged by nothing and given to those who will destroy everything for the sake of a fortune that will only be good for them.