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The environmental warrior

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Eugene Sequeira is an agronomist and has been linked to several Portuguese universities as a teacher . Twice he held the presidency of the League for the Protection of Nature ( LPN ), between 1996 to1999 and also between 2005 and 2009 . Gave impetus to flagship pilot projects of the LPN, such as compatibility of agriculture with protection of birds in Castro Verde, commonly touted as a success story. It had also among other positions, Coordinator of the Working Group Agriculture / Environment of the National Agricultural Research Institute, participated in the preparation of the meeting of Rio de Janeiro ( Agenda 21 ) and in the drafting of the Convention to Combat Desertification , currently being representative of Portuguese Environment NGOs in the National Commission on the Environment and Sustainable Development ( NCESD ) .

How much is it worth nature in Portugal ?
Eugene Sequeira: The survival of man. Our future and our children .

As a member of NCESD noted that there are many studies on soils in Portugal which were not taken into consideration by the laws regarding arrangement of the national territory.
ES : The law on spatial planning is only valid for urbanism and has nothing to do with the land, we attempted to resolve this problem in the cities, but about safeguarding this item there is not a single word about the land use by dams that are good for nothing, it will not have water. The best lands are under water, and when it is build a dam as Aguieira the population only had a solution all emigrate to Switzerland. Another problem is that the good land for cattle, like goats or cows, has only one economic solution eucalyptus. The planning is vital, but it's not just where they put the houses , it is also the site for agriculture and forest . And if we want to save I'm not saying it's over with eucalyptus, but before plant it is necessary to organize first, because in case of fire a zone of oaks and s open area is necessary to slow the fire, or if there is a streams there must be lined with ash trees. At the top, on the slope, or ridge has to be an area of grass with some isolated trees and on one side and the other has to be oaks before planting eucalyptus again, why? If the fire comes from the bottom up, gets up there and is lost before reaching the trees, because it has the open space, functioning as counterfire not burning anything more. If the fire comes from above towards the valley reaches only eucalyptus and it is over, and for that one has to rule the territory. To make this work there has to be people for agriculture to keep livestock in open areas , there must be schools and work to keep young people so they do not go away and only stayed the old who can barely keep these lands clean.

Then the reports of the National Commission of the environment have no effect with the political forces ?
ES : No, because we do not have strength, I was part of the committee and was unable to save any square meter of land for an ecological network . But the low interest is not only by the political hierarchy is everyone's. Note, 30 % of PIB came from construction, is all over now but there are empty houses , more or less 1 million and 200 thousand dwellings and do you know how much Portuguese banks owe from those granted loans to construction companies? 180 billion and the question is who is going to pay? And do you think it stopped the speculation ? I am a witness in two cases in court because you have to stop this madness.

But in this time of crisis there is already a return to agriculture, through private initiatives or public orchards.
ES : Yes, but where is the rock pear, or strawberries as ours ? The cheeses, the meats like black pork, or a mirandesa steak, almost there is none. Why is it that Sintra that had the saloio cheese and a wonderful strawberries, has nothing? When I asked farmers to return to these traditions they almost beat me to death because they wanted to sell the land to make buildings for the tourists. I was told that the land was too much work. I spent a lifetime digging holes and I know it's hard , working in clay, and if they worked like that same people would not have so many diseases .

But in this time of crisis there is already a return to agriculture, through private initiatives or public orchards.
ES : Yes, but where is the rock pear, or strawberries as ours ? The cheeses, the meats like black pork, or a mirandesa steak, almost there is none. Why is it that Sintra that had the saloio cheese and a wonderful strawberries, has nothing? When I asked farmers to return to these traditions they almost beat me to death because they wanted to sell the land to make buildings for the tourists. I was told that the land was too much work. I spent a lifetime digging holes and I know it's hard , working in clay, and if they worked like that same people would not have so many diseases .

Quercus, last year , awarded you a prize for the work of a lifetime for the environment and not only, you also were awarded other prizes out of Portugal and states that despite all this, they do not recognize your merit by the
work done .
ES : In Portugal no, out they gave me an award for my prototype , was the only Portuguese, which is a machine for making soil, which I still have, because I have not sold any, as applicable.

The change then requires education ?
ES : Yes and training, but you also need to let the qualified people to study and investigate .

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