Climate activists took direct action by targeting 10 golf courses across Spain, obstructing the holes as a protest against the excessive water usage required to maintain these courses during a severe drought.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) Spain, joined by other climate groups, accessed golf courses in six provinces, including Madrid, Valencia, Ibiza, and Navarra. Some protesters filled the holes with cement, while others planted seedlings. Signs were also displayed, bearing messages like "Alert: Drought! Golf closed for climate justice" and "water is a common good."
A video shared by XR on Twitter stressed that golf in Spain consumes more water than the combined amount used by the cities of Barcelona and Madrid. XR cited data from the Spanish non-profit organization Ecologistas en Acción, stating that a single hole on a golf course requires over 100,000 liters (22,000 gallons) of water per day for maintenance. XR emphasized that only 0.6% of the population plays golf.
In a statement, XR explained that the action aimed to draw attention to wasteful water usage in the context of one of Europe's most severe droughts. The group wanted to highlight the contradiction of allowing such elitist leisure activities while Spain faces water scarcity, resulting in significant losses for rural communities dependent on water for their crops.
Spain has been grappling with a prolonged drought since late 2022, aggravated by soaring temperatures. In April, Córdoba experienced a record-breaking temperature of 38.8 degrees Celsius, the highest ever recorded for mainland Spain in April. In late June, temperatures soared above 44 degrees Celsius in certain regions of the country.
The drought has had wide-ranging repercussions, including reservoirs dropping to less than 10% of their capacity, millions of hectares of crops being lost, and some towns and villages relying on water deliveries by trucks.
#ImageOfTheDay
— Copernicus EU (@CopernicusEU) June 28, 2023
The entire Iberian Peninsula is facing a severe drought
According to the @CopernicusEMS European Drought Observatory (#EDO),
➡️Between 1 and 10 June, 60% of the territory of #Spain 🇪🇸 was in 'Alert' conditions🔴
⬇️#EDO Combined Drought Indicator data pic.twitter.com/DZ87GaM20g
As per the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, between June 1 and 10, 60% of Spain was under "drought alert" conditions.
XR, which demands restrictions on water usage by golf courses, views their actions as part of a larger struggle against the wealthiest 1%. The group intends to target the use of private jets and large polluting cars, emphasizing that "the rich and their leisure activities that waste essential resources are a luxury that we cannot afford."
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