Watering golf courses has irked many elected officials

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While the drought continues in France, a select number of environmentalists and activists have condemned the watering of golf courses, which is allowed despite the weather conditions (picture taken in Guyancourt, near Paris, October 2017).

Environment – ​​“ Why can we give water? Green Golf when everyone runs out of water? ” When Third summer heat wave Now landing in France, several left-wing personalities including the Grenoble eco-mayor Eric Biol Concerned about one particular situation: watering golf courses.

From July 30, various elected officials NUPES Indeed, he shared the city council member’s concern Hendrick David, was elected vice-president in Marseilles in June. In a series of tweets, he decried the disparity in treatment between golf courses that are banned from filling swimming pools and those that benefit from concessions.

A concern that found resonance among many of the elected official’s colleagues, especially the leader of the rebel group in the National Assembly, Mathilde Panot or even. Alma DufourThe Seine-Maritime MP is very invested in ecological issues.

A “class ecology” symbol

Both thus denounced “class ecology”.

” This is the mindset that keeps us protecting the rich, the most powerful. Emmanuel Macron’s decree has been a symbol of this for five years “, supported Eric Piole on the microphone of BFMTV since July 30, surprised that irrigation was prohibited in many cases, but not so Green Golf.

It is important to note that there is no unified rule for the entire territory regarding the irrigation of golf courses, but it is the departments that set the rules.

A specific treatment for golf courses

Thus, the controversy was first born in some areas, Haute-Savoie etcAuthorities have decided to limit the possibility of irrigation there Green At the same time, it banned other practices that consume less water (for example, watering individual vegetable gardens), which provoked anger and incomprehension among local elected officials.

And for good reason: In most fields, including those particularly affected by drought, golf courses actually benefit from specific treatment compared to other activities, such as filling swimming pools or cleaning personal cars and boats. For example, arrangements to allow a continuous supply of water even in the event of a severe drought Green and departure points.

A situation in which professionals reason. ” Repeat a Green Cost a fortune “, explains a Breton golf for example From our colleagues telegramadding that ” If there is no golf course GreenThe essence of the game disappears “So that golf can be done” Place the key under the door “. In the same way, in Maine and Loire want Franche-ComteMany golf courses present a function based on water recovery, economic management of the resource and individual irrigation system.

But this is not enough to satisfy the lack of understanding of a section of the political class, while drought and rising temperatures caused by global warming have dramatically reduced the flow of rivers such as groundwater. To date, 93 of France’s 96 departments are experiencing drought warnings, and 57 are in a “crisis” situation.

See more HuffPost: Faced with drought, “environmentalists” try to conserve water