“The Lido is magnificent, but also very damaged”: Joseph Garrigue passing through Sète to launch his appeal from the forest

“The Lido is magnificent, but also very damaged”: Joseph Garrigue passing through Sète to launch his appeal from the forest

In Sète, Joseph Garrigue made a detour via Place Aristide-Briand. Midi Libre – KELMAN MARTI

“The Lido is magnificent, but also very damaged”: Joseph Garrigue passing through Sète to launch his appeal from the forest

But first, he arrived at the Môle around 3:30 p.m. in the company of other walkers. Midi Libre – KELMAN MARTI

“The Lido is magnificent, but also very damaged”: Joseph Garrigue passing through Sète to launch his appeal from the forest

Puis, Joseph Garrigue et les autres marcheurs ont pris la direction du quai Maximin Licciardi, avant de se rendre à la place Aristide Briand. Midi Libre – KELMAN MARTI

This Saturday, environmental activist Jospeh Garrigue marched from Agde to Sète to denounce the government's inaction against environmental attacks. Departing from the Massane National Reserve (Pyrénées-Orientales), it should arrive in Paris on March 1st.

How was this day of walking ?

We left from the Bagnas reserve in Agde, with colleagues from the nature reserve. We were joined by citizens and associations, particularly from Sète. It was a very nice stage. It was nice and not cold. This evening, we are going to go to room 51, where there will be a screening of a film in the privacy of an old forest, then there will be a debate with the spectators around the issue linked to pesticides, because that’s why we marched today.

Also read: Environmental activist Joseph Garrigue arrives on foot to launch his appeal from the forest this Saturday, in Sète

How are the legs after eight days in the field?

We left on January 13 from the Massane National Reserve (Pyrénées-Orientales) where I worked for more than thirty years. After eight days, it's fine. Today the journey wasn’t too long, fortunately. There's nothing to complain about (laughs).

From an environmental point of view, what can you say about the Lido ?

The space is magnificent. We simply regret the proximity to the road. We saw quite a few small birds on the side of the road: gray wagtails, wild pipits and even robins.

Unfortunately the space is very damaged. The dune would need to be able to move forward and backward much more freely. And think about long-term reflections in relation to rising water levels, as well as thinking about the retreat of access routes to make way for nature.

What was the trigger and why did you decide to walk ?

It was the flowering of certain trees during the fall. It almost brought a tear to my eye to know that we have completely disrupted the phenology of the trees. This example reveals the very general dysfunction of what we do to nature.

And I chose walking, because it is the most ecological means of transport and it gives time to share experiences and chat with people. Modern agriculture always wants to go faster, use more machines, but it also needs to take time. Having worked more than 30 years in a forest, time is not counted in weeks or months, but in thousands of years. We are not using the correct time scale.

Stopping pesticides is your main battle. Are people aware of their effects ?

They are aware that pesticides are sal*******, but they are not aware of the effects on nature, on living things, on health. Not everyone knows they have weedkiller in their blood. It’s important to raise awareness among people so that they understand that we must stop this system which is against the living.

According to a recent study by INRAE ​​and Ifremer, we see that pesticides reach the poles several thousand kilometers from us. Antarctic penguins have their fat completely contaminated with pesticides and are starting to have congenital problems.

What reactions do you expect by your arrival in Paris ?

Pesticides should simply be banned. This is something that can be done very quickly. There are plenty of viable agricultural solutions that exist to achieve this. We must help agricultural production to take this step, otherwise it will remain easy.

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