Colleagues in Brazil are asking for support

With the new legislation, caves in Brazil will lose their protection. Below we display the entire message. If you want your name to be listed in this initiative, send an e-mail today or tomorrow with your name and surname and the institution / association to the address: drops@ufla.br

Dear colleagues,

I hope you are all fine.

Brazilian caves are facing an unprecedented threat. A decree by our current president Bolsonaro was published a few days ago. This document weakens the protection of our speleological patrimony. Caves that are now protected by law and could not be impacted or destroyed (such as the caves classified as of extreme relevance) will lose this protection and could actually be destroyed based on this new decree.

Several environmental organs and the Brazilian Speleological Society are intensifying their efforts and setting new actions aimed at revogating this decree.

However, considering this is an issue of urgent matter and that the current government has not been taking under consideration the consequences and impacts of this decree for future generations, we are trying to plead for more visibility in the media. By spreading this situation worldwide, we will strengthen the movement and will achieve the necessary tools to pressure the current Brazilian government into taking actions against this decree. By that, we may guarantee the protection of such important environments which are already protected by law. By fighting against this decree, we shall be able to safeguard the integrity of our current environmental legislation and the right, granted by law, of preserving caves of extreme relevance.

We wrote a Letter to Science, which is in attachment, and I would like to invite you all to be co-authors.

Considering the urgency, I would like to gently ask you to respond within the next two days.

I hope you will all understand and embrace this cause. Our caves really need it. We have been facing a serious environmental crisis in Brazil, biased by economic and political interest in favoring mining activities at all cost. I hope you shall all understand the relevance and urgency on this matter. We cannot allow this kind of unconstitutional act to go on and destroy all of our environmental patrimony.

Thank you in advance,

Rodrigo

Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira

Centro de Estudos em Biologia Subterrânea