Target: Bongbong Marcos, President of Philippines
Goal: Neutralize threat of nickel mining to environment and habitats.
Dead coral and disappearing fish: they are quickly replacing the mangroves, old growth forests, and vibrant marine biodiversity that once defined Palawan. This island is part of the Philippines, one of a handful of countries that account for nearly three-quarters of global biodiversity. And this island has become a living test case for the widespread ramifications of unchecked nickel extraction. Mining companies have peppered nickel ore globules throughout waterways, rice fields, and communities, and the impacts are immense and far-reaching.
To make way for the mining, large swaths of forests must be cleared, diminishing habitats and vital sources of carbon absorption. The extraction itself sends poisonous runoff into waterways, which has resulted in blanched, dying coral and diminishing fish supplies that adversely affect both ecosystems and local communities reliant upon fishing. And the consequences of prolonged nickel exposure for human health are concerning as well: neurodegenerative conditions, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic respiratory ailments, among others.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that took aim at the mines’ “serious and irreversible harm” and despite several pending legal directives, these corporations have been granted free passes. Sign the petition below to demand the destructive free rides end.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear President Marcos,
“The last ecological frontier” deserves protection. Yet mining of nickel ore continues unabated, despite objections from indigenous peoples, despite government mandates, and despite a Supreme Court that expressly warned of the “serious and irreversible harm” caused by these mines. Death runs like an ominous thread through every aspect of the harm: death of coral, death of fish, death of iconic forests, and death of public health.
Please protect one of the final bastions of biodiversity on the entire planet and rein in the existential threat to its well-being.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Manugao
