Themes by tag: ecology

An outpatient clinic in Horenka, Kyiv region, was shelled by the russians in February 2022. In November, the work began to rebuild the facility, with the principle of green restoration used in the process. Now the hospital is equipped with a modern heating system with a heat pump and a solar power plant with a battery.

With these innovations, the outpatient clinic has become more autonomous, and now it can work during power outages. In addition, heating costs were reduced by 80%, CO2 emissions decreased, and negative impact on the environment lessened.

• ecology
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine says that according to preliminary estimates, the war has already caused more than UAH 2 trillion in damage to Ukraine’s environment (figures as of early May)

Journalists can learn more about the impact of russia’s full-scale invasion on the environment from experts from the Ecoaction Center for Environmental Initiatives. 

For reference:  The Center for Environmental Initiatives Ecoaction (Ecodia) is a non-governmental organization, whose experts and activists are united by the idea of preserving the environment through influencing decision-making.

• ecology
• russian crimes

Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park together with Green Leaf NGO are holding an awareness raising event “Protect the dolphins — save the Black Sea.” The goal is to educate people about the impact of military operations on cetaceans in the Black Sea.

The park will present the results of its work in 2022. They monitored the death of dolphins caused by the war in the park. According to experts’ estimates, about 50,000 animals died. Hundreds of dolphins suffered concussions, which had never happened in the Black Sea before.

Book “War is the peak of the ecocide of Black Sea cetaceans” by Doctor of biological sciences Ivan Rusev, Head of the Research Department of Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park, and “Black Sea Dolphins” poster will be presented at the event.

The event will take place in Odesa on April 21.

(April 22 is International Earth Day around the world)For reference: The Ministry of the Environment notes that, due to russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, about 600 species of animals and 750 species of plants and mushrooms are currently under threat of extinction.

• animals
• ecology
• russian crimes
• Odesa

On April 22, trees will be planted along the riverfront in Irpin as a part of “1 Million Trees of Life” rally (Greening of the Planet project). The purpose of the rally is to restore the earth’s ecosystem, unite the people of the planet and raise funds to buy 10 drones for the “1000 drones for Ukraine” project. Anica Djamić, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Croatia to Ukraine, and Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, are to take part in the rally.

• ecology
• Kyiv

The operational headquarters of the State Ecological Inspectorate of Ukraine calculated the damage caused to the environment as a result of russia’s armed aggression. Its total amount reaches almost USD 52 billion (February 24, 2022 to March 3, 2023). This estimate includes air, land and water.

Journalists are invited to find out how much of Ukrainian land is polluted with remnants of ordnance, how many oil products were burned during shelling, and how many forests were burned by rockets and shells, etc. In addition, journalists can learn more about the methods that the State Ecological Inspectorate of Ukraine uses to estimate the damage to the environment as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion.

• ecology
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

In one of the villages in Lviv region, refugees (mostly from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts) have set up an eco-farm and are building a house of hemp. In order to implement this project, “Go Friends” NGO had bought an abandoned farm and some land. A hundred people can live in such an eco-house. Currently, the refugees are busy insulating the walls of the future house.

In addition, the settlers have already brought in a hundred different animals to this eco-farm and are planting a vegetable garden. Five lakes on the farm were filled with fish.

The concept of this eco-household is that people work and provide themselves with food. There are also plans to start craft production on site.

• casualties
• ecology
• reconstruction
• Lviv

Ukraine’s oldest botanical garden in Kharkiv has a collection of several thousand tropical plants. Due to russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, it now suffers from constant power outages. To keep tropical and subtropical plants from freezing, workers have to turn on the generator and heat the greenhouses.

For reference: The Botanical Garden of Karazin National University of Kharkiv is a part of Kharkiv’s nature reserve fund of national significance. The botanical garden is a research and environmental protection institution. It was founded in 1804.

As reported, at the beginning of winter it became known that Hryshko National Botanical Garden in Kyiv was taking precautions to save unique plants. Employees were stockpiling firewood to heat the greenhouses. 

• blackout
• ecology
• Kharkiv

How much land is littered with remnants of destroyed ammunition, how many oil products were burned during the shelling, and even how many forests were burned by missiles and shells? The answers to these and other questions can be found in the latest report of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine. The specialists of this institution now continue to calculate environmental losses resulting from russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Journalists can talk to representatives of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine and, among other things, find out what methods they use for calculations and the amount of damage. And see how the experts work, if applicable.

For reference: Previously, Ruslan Strilets, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, stated that the damage to the Ukrainian environment from russian federation’s armed aggression already amounts to more than USD 46 billion. Ukraine will demand compensation for these losses by russia.

• ecology
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Because of the war, Kyiv residents are forced to get rid of plants that have been grown for decades. After all, due to frequent power cuts in the capital city, they can no longer take care of them. For example, a collection of plants grown in the greenhouse for 20 years has been recently brought to the Exhibition of Economic Achievements’ Greenery. And in the spring, the Greenery was presented with a coffee tree, which has already become a part of the exhibition.

For reference: The Exhibition of Economic Achievements’ Greenery is a unique place of the capital city. Here plants of 3 climatic zones — Desert, Tropics and Subtropics — can be found. The main value of the Greenery is a unique collection of plants that were set out more than 60 years ago.

• ecology
• russian crimes

The Hryshko National Botanical Garden in Kyiv is preparing to save unique plants. Employees prepare firewood to heat greenhouses.

In addition, the Botanical Garden launched charitable fundraising for the purchase of pellets for heating the greenhouses. As of December 3, they managed to collect 1 mln hryvnias and procure the first 44 tonnes of pellets. Next week, they plan to purchase another 44 tonnes. Generally, the Botanical Garden wants to collect 10 mln hryvnias for heating the greenhouses.

For reference: the collection of Hryshko National Botanical Garden includes more than 4,000 tropical and subtropical plants that may not survive the winter.

• blackout
• ecology
• Kyiv