E-mail campaign for Vuotos

This is an URGENT appeal to write an email letter against the plan to build the Vuotos reservoir in Finnish Lapland. At the end there is an example letter and instructions.

The fight between the power company, conservationists and local inhabitants on the plan to build the Vuotos reservoir has been going on for decades. The plan was banned 1982 but revived in 1992.

The basin to be constructed would cause large emission into the air, water and soil. Phosporous emissions would spoil the water downstream as far as territorial waters of Sweden. The planned basin would drown one of the last natural state large river environments, altogether 240 square kilometers.

The methods used by the power company to gain the land in the area have caused several legal complaints. Recently the European Commission of Human Rights made an inquiry from the Finnish Goverment about the alleged human rights violations in the area.

The area is ecologically valuable and shelters many endangered bird species. According to BirdLife Finland the project to build the basin conflicts the European Union Bird Directive. A similar construction plan in Santona, Spain, was banned by EU.

According to the report of Government Institute of Economic Research (1992), the project is not profitable even if all cost of environmental damage is left out. The report by the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry estimated the project most profitable...

If you do write, please WRITE SOON! THE CABINET IS SCHEDULED TO PROCESS THE PROJECT ON NOVEMBER 22 and to decide whether the project application by the state owned power company to start the project can continue in the Water Rights Court process.

Helena Tiihonen
Free Vuotos-movement
FAX: +358-692-812039

(on behalf, Jarkko Lavinen)

INSTRUCTIONS TO WRITE THE LETTER:

Free Vuotos -movement would appreciate very much if you could write a polite letter on the issue. The letter doesn't need to be long, just stating that the huge ecological damage caused by the project is in no way comparable to the questionable economical benefits.

You can write to following persons:

Copies to:

Plase send also copies of your letter to the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, vuotos@sll.fi. One way to do this is to use the carbon copy (Cc: ) option in your email program.

AN EXAMPLE LETTER:

To: Liisa.Jaakonsaari@eduskunta.mailnet.fi (Liisa Jaakonsaari)
Cc: vuotos@sll.fi (Finnish Association for Nature Conservation)
Subject: Absolute NO for Vuotos project!

Dear Minister,

I am writing to you because I am very concerned about the environmental impact of the Vuotos reservoir project and wish to express my strong opposition to the project.

The basin would cause large carbon dioxine and methane emissions in the air and the phosporous emissions would spread as far as the Swedish territorial waters in the Gulf of Bothnia.

The area is one of the few remaining good shelters for over 20 endangered and rare bird species. According to BirdLife Finland, the project is in conflict with European Union Bird Directive.

The calculations on the economical aspects of the reservoir are most contradictory. The basin would destroy one of the two remaining large natural state river environments in Finnish Lapland and this would certainly harm the image of Finland as pro-nature country.

Creating temporary jobs to destroy what little is left of the nature in its original state should not be offered as a solution to unemployment.

Yours sincerely, (your name here)
(your profession if possible)
(your email/mail address here)

Copies to: Finnish Association for Nature Conservation

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