Belarusian environmentalist urges world to abandon fossil fuels, nuclear energy

March 14, Pozirk. Iryna Paniadzielnik, of the Belarusian Green Network, told a UN forum in Geneva yesterday that the world should give up oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy.

The environmentalist said “the richest countries that are most responsible for historical emissions should become an example to keep us within the planetary boundaries.” “These nations would have to . . . go beyond the GDP and ensure structural change in the economic system,” Paniadzielnik said.

“We do not support the development of nuclear power as an alternative and stand for rejecting it because of its inherent unsafety and the heavy burden that nuclear waste storage places on the environment, biodiversity and communities for thousands of years to come.

“Investments should instead be directed towards the rapid development and deployment of renewable energy sources with a positive impact on nature.”

She called on governments to develop “national climate change adaptation plans.”

“There is a lack of climate education in our region, so we suggest investing in comprehensive programs at all levels of school education and supporting climate journalists to fight misinformation,” Paniadzielnik said.