Dear Supporters and Friends
Now that elections are over and a new government is being elected, its the right time to warn you about what's to come. Many of you have asked over and over if the risk of Oil & Gas exploration is really over. To which we have said, that all we have gained is another moratorium in this long 9 years of fighting oil and gas exploration attempts. Its not over! far from it!
But now added to the risk of oil and gas exploration using FRACKING, we have a new risk, mining for minerals to support a Green Energy program that the government also wants to develop.
This means that NOT only is the fight against FRACKING not over, but that we have an additional fight on our hands ... stopping mining attempts for various minerals including Lithium (critical component for EV batteries for example).
If one looks at timelines ... we expect that Fracking will be given the go ahead as soon as the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) is finalised for the Bajouca & Aljubarrota regions, especially once we take cognizance that we have a Minister of Environment that couldn't care less about the environment as we perceive it, rather his focus is on the economic environment of big business interests, as well as that mining for lithium will be fast tracked by-passing many of the European legal requirements. But then what's new in Portugal? A country where ethics appear to be of an elastic kind, and where many examples of corruption is seen daily.
Expect some major developments in both the oil & gas exploration arena as well as in the "lithium" mining front towards the end of the year (keep in mind that governments love to spring unwelcome surprises between Christmas and New Year while most people are enjoying a break). So, be prepared for some nasty surprises.
Not a nice picture, we are the first to acknowledge it! But we have seldom been wrong on our warnings over the years.
Now, this brings us to funding needs. We now have to decide if we are prepared to "invest" our own time and our own money again. Taking into account that we still have outstanding bills to pay from last fight, and that not many people appear willing to assist us in covering it, appearing to want to leave the responsibility of covering the debts outstanding and which were incurred in our endeavor to protect your own livelihood, your family, your assets, your sustainability as well as our local communities.
If we do not get the support we need to cover these debts, I'm afraid that we will just do what the majority is doing ... i.e. do nothing, as we can't get involved in incurring even more debts than these we have already incurred.
So. The choice is yours ... if you want ASMAA to continue to do what we are good at (and we have proved it) - YOU WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM IN SUPPORTING US by donating towards covering our outstanding legal and campaign costs. And as we move forward, in supporting additional costs that we will have to incur.
Here's some articles that will explain ASMAA's position at present.
Why is ASMAA Against Lithium Mining?
http://www.asmaa-algarve.org/en/mining/lithium-mining/lithium-en/why-is-asmaa-against-lithium-mining-in-portugal
Lithium Extraction the New Fracking of our Environment?
http://www.asmaa-algarve.org/en/mining/lithium-mining/lithium-en/lithium-extraction-the-new-green-fracking-of-our-environment
What's behind the Green Energy projects according to the World Bank (report)
http://www.asmaa-algarve.org/en/mining/lithium-mining/lithium-en/what-s-behind-the-green-energy-project-according-to-a-world-bank-report
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In our last broadcast we let you know what is outstanding. THANK YOU to the few people that answered our call, we managed to raise 635€ - 435€ towards legal costs and 200€ towards general campaign costs. Far, far short of what we need to raise if we do not want to sued.
To give you all an idea of the number of hours that just the Galp/Eni legal battle used from January 2017 to July 2019 - Here's the final figures:
J.Palms (Attorneys): 757 hours 40 minutes (Feb 2018 to July 2019)
Other legal experts: 1845 hours (Jan 2017 to July 2019)
Technical experts: 258 hours (Jan 2017 to July 2019)
ASMAA team: 2150 hours (Jan 2017 to Sep 2019) (100% Pro-Bono)
Above excludes many additional costs, like traveling, printing, postage, campaigning, etc.
Maybe now you'll understand why we will NOT venture forward without some serious financial support. We are NOT prepared to continue to work 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, as we have in the past while you could carry on with your lives, knowing that someone was looking after your own personal interests and your future sustainability. In the process the price ASMAA team paid, has been extremely high, not only in monetary terms but also in impacts on our own families, our own personal interests, and on our own health.
If you serious, and want us to carry-on ... here's how you can help!
DONATE FUNDS TO COVER THE OVERDUE BILLS & ACCOUNTS THAT WE HAVE (which is just over 36,000€ currently - and we have to pay at least 3000€ by Friday and we are down to 50€ in our account (again - story of our lives)
DONATE 50€ | 100€ | 200€ | 500€ or any amount you feel is just
You can donate directly via PayPal (including credit card payments) using email info@asmaa-algarve.org
or directly to Paypal via our website: http://asmaa-algarve.org/en/donate
Or via Bank Transfer (EFT)
BANK: SANTANDER TOTTA
ASMAA Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association
IBAN: PT50 0018 0008 02686698020 51
USE REF: LEGAL to help with legal fees outstanding
or REF: ANTI OIL CAMPAIGN to help with other campaign costs
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IF YOU WANT TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD HERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO HELP
Before going shopping in the big stores, check if we do not have what you are looking for ... because you can also assist us by purchasing items from our Charity Shop (which we had to keep closed and was only used to assist families and people in need during the past year because it was all hands on board to help with oil fight)
If you let us know what you looking for, we will post or deliver all items except furniture and white goods.
The shop will not be open to the public currently, so to see what we have join our Facebook dedicated pages, where we will be posting items for sale on a weekly basis. If there's something specific you looking for, drop us a message on Facebook Mesenger and we will do our best to provide it.
Here's the Facebook pages you invited to join:
Vintage Clothing (Female, Male): https://www.facebook.com/pg/asmaavintageboutiquealgarve/posts/?ref=page_internal
Books: (English, Portuguese, Dutch, German and French) - Fiction and Non-Fiction. https://www.facebook.com/asmaabookroom/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Collectables/Antiques: https://www.facebook.com/Algarve-Treasure-Chest-Antiguidades-Vintage-115288063200904/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Home Store: (Furniture, White Goods, Linen, etc) https://www.facebook.com/asmaahomestore/?modal=admin_todo_tour
General (A bit of everything else): https://www.facebook.com/groups/asmaacharityshop/?ref=bookmarks
Kids and Babies (Birth to 12 year olds): https://www.facebook.com/groups/534244950672929/edit/
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Currently over 100,000 people has benefited from ASMAA's campaigns in past 9 years. We extend a massive THANK YOU to the few hundred that has supported our efforts along the way. We can't thank you enough. And a very special thank you to these that have been behind us since the beginning, month after month.
Hopefully we will be able to carry on.
Thank you
Laurinda & the rest of the ASMAA Team
969 320 231 | 282 182 103