“This country [Portugal] worries me, this country hurts me. And what afflicts me is the apathy, the indifference, the deep selfishness in which this society lives. Every now and then we are a nation of fleeting fires, we burn intensely, but we burn out quickly…” - José Saramago 
 
The photograph is from a few days ago, showing the fire in Amora seen from our farm, but this has been the situation across the country, year after year. 
 
How much longer? 
 
Thank goodness for our firefighters and volunteers, heroes without capes, who risk their lives for our safety and well-being. 
Thank goodness for the Fernandos of this country who do not let fear consume them and grab their tractors to clear brush and prevent the fire from spreading. 
 
We ask again, how much longer? 
 
How long will we continue to allow the unchecked planting and growth of eucalyptus in monoculture for purely commercial purposes? 
It is not ours, it consumes massive amounts of water, has negative impacts on the soil, biodiversity, and the quality of life in local communities. 
 
How many more people have to die?

How many more people have to lose their homes?

How much more of our most valuable natural heritage will we have to sacrifice?

Who is benefiting from all of this?

One thing is certain, NO ONE.

It is said that in the aftermath of calamity and disaster, humanity unites. Let us seize this moment to finally come together, say ENOUGH, and ACT. 
 
Let us not be a nation of fleeting fires. 
 
“Catastrophes are called natural, as if nature were inflicting punishment and not the victim…” - Eduardo Galeano