Golf clubs could continue to spray in France: Climate activists fill holes with cement

It is very dry in France, just as it is in the rest of Europe. In France, July has fallen as the driest month since measurements began in 1958. In more than a hundred municipalities, water no longer comes out of the tap, and people have had to live off plastic water bottles.

It leads to heated debates in the country: because who is still allowed to drink water and who is not?

Under the country’s drought rules, in times of crisis, as now, swimming pools are no longer allowed to be refilled and residents are no longer allowed to water their gardens. But on the country’s golf courses, sprinklers still work.

Unlimited, because water may only be given to vegetables between 8 pm and 8 am and no more than thirty percent of the usual amount of water may be used.

Make greens unplayable

But climate activists in the French city of Toulouse also believe that this goes too far in times of extreme water scarcity. As a result, they filled several holes in two municipal golf courses with cement and damaged the greenery. As a result, it is no longer playable.

“The aim of the measure is to prevent the use of golf courses, so that there is no need to water them,” climate activists told the Le Journal Toulousain news site, among others.

“It is a response to the constant talk from politicians who did not dare to make decisions.”

“Green dies quickly without water”

The French Golf Federation reacted with displeasure with the measure. “A golf course without green is like an ice rink without ice,” Gerard Rogier told France Info news site. He said that Khadra without water would die within three days. He also found that golf courses also provide plenty of job opportunities: about 15,000 people will work on golf courses across the country. If golf courses had to be closed due to a spray ban, all of these people could be left at home.

Earlier this month, the mayor of Grenoble, Eric Peul, raised the alarm about France’s spraying policy. He wants to amend the rules and not allow golf courses to splash in times of the current drought. in a permit “We are calling for austerity in the country but at the same time protecting the practices of the rich,” he wrote.