BY: M. TOMOSKI
Environmental activists known as Agents Environnement (AE) have dyed rivers across France fluorescent green. The organization is made up of workers at several government agencies, including all employees in national parks services and protective marine services.
“It’s to show the path pollution takes in the water. It’s a strong visual, but it’s completely safe. The fish don’t even notice,” Yannick Pognart, an Environmental Inspector, told the newspaper Le Figaro.
Photos of 12 rivers across the country were widely shared on social media, including fountains around Paris and the Seine flowing in green around the city’s iconic monuments.
Photo: Agents Environnement / Facebook
The action, known as Operation Green Rivers, was meant to catch the attention of government officials after five years of protests to increase funding for environmental protection. In an open letter to the government AE insisted that the environmental concerns in France have been put on the back burner for 15 years with less funding and resources being provided each year.
“Right now, the environment is very à la mode, everyone knows the consequences and that it’s something very important,” Pognart told Le Figaro. “On the other hand, we have more and more missions and less and less means to accomplish these missions.”
