The greening plan presented by the Mayor of Nice on Thursday evening could not go unnoticed by environmentalists.
In these times when the environment has become one of the key factors in the economic model and political governance, activists and leaders of the green parties face the risk of being excluded from the debate in the name of “we’re all for ecology, so… we no longer need environmentalists!”
This explains the reaction of the departmental spokespersons of EE-LV, Laurent Lanquer Castiel and Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux (municipal councilor in Nice), who want to make their voices heard.
The Mayor of Nice is engaging in a major greenwashing operation by celebrating nature in the city.
While continuing his work of land artificialization in the Plaine du Var, Mr. Estrosi celebrates a domesticated nature, an element of urban decoration placed on concrete.
For the climate, we need a comprehensive ecological policy, not a marketing policy of greening.
To go further…
Due to human activities, biodiversity has suffered a loss of 70% of insects and 30% of birds over the past 30 years. The climate change we are facing will slow down the economy, disrupt social balances, increase risks, and lead to unprecedented population migrations: this is how humanity is in danger.
The planet is becoming a furnace. A real greening of the city can help reduce the temperature by 2°C in the summer and thus reduce the use of energy-intensive air conditioning.
In Nice, as in the entire Metropolitan area, it is necessary to preserve carbon sinks and the rainwater retention capabilities that trees (both in the city and outside) and natural and agricultural areas provide. Isolated rows of trees are useless and serve only as decoration; to fulfill this role, thickets planted directly into the ground are needed.
The Mayor wants to celebrate spring by presenting a city greening plan. So, are you ready?
The environmentalists address him: “If you truly want to celebrate nature, stop the concreting in the Plaine du Var, implement a program to restore agricultural areas, plant clusters of trees instead of decorative palm trees, develop urban vegetable gardens, restore the natural character of beaches and stop their artificialization and privatization, replant all streets with shade-giving trees like plane mulberry trees, abandon the mega-port project that will destroy marine flora, and make rooftop greening mandatory!”
