French Environmentalists Dye Rivers Green to Raise Awareness about Water Pollution

A group of environmentalists from France have staged an eye-catching protest by dyeing several rivers across 12 departments of the country green. The stunt was engineered to draw attention to the growing problem of water pollution in the country – as well as the lack of resources devoted to addressing it.

Though pouring chemicals into a river to highlight environmental issues might sound a little like cutting off your nose to spite your face, the campaigners involved were adamant that the dye in question was completely safe for marine life.

A Safe but Stunning Spectacle

Those behind the stunt were hoping to capture the attention of politicians attending the fourth French conference about the environment, which took place at the end of April. They were confident that the ambitious act raised awareness of the problem without endangering any of the species about which they were campaigning.

“We used a colourant called fluorescein that’s totally harmless,” explained Yannick Pognart, one of the men behind the project. “It’s to show the path pollution takes in the water. It’s a strong visual, but it’s completely safe. The fish don’t even notice.”

Pognart works as an environmental inspector at L'Office national de l'eau et des milieux aquatiques (ONEMA), an organisation for preserving good water quality levels in France. As well as finding and implementing the best ways to clean up flooded reservoirs and lakes, ONEMA also works to raise public awareness – something which Pognart believes this latest act has certainly achieved.

“Right now, the environment is very à la mode, everyone knows the consequences and that it’s something very important,” he went on, adding that by dyeing the rivers green, they had shown the path pollution takes, how quickly it can spread and had also brought its immediacy to a wider audience.

An Underfunded Avenue of Environmentalism

Rehabilitating polluted rivers can be lengthy projects which span multiple years and require the processing of millions of cubic metres of dredged matter, as in the case of the clean-up of the Lower Fox River in Wisconsin in 2009.

As a result, such huge projects often require substantial funding – something which is not readily available across France. Pognart has called upon the government to set aside a kitty of €200 million (£157 million) in order to deal with the problem, and stated that its success depends upon the dedication and collaboration of 20 departmental workers in every region of the country.

Meanwhile, his environmental counterpart Patrick Chopin also stressed the need for greater public awareness and improved private funding to make headway with the rising tide of water pollution.

“You can’t say ecology is the priority of the country when we see that our resources are down 10%,” Chopin explained. “We want to alert the public about the need to preserve and strengthen this public service.”

One thing’s for sure – the stunt certainly caught the attention of the public. It remains to be seen whether it also resonated with those in charge of making the decisions, as well.