Environment: Fires and Fascism film, the truth behind the growth in wildfires

Without any qualifications in film production, Peter crowdfunded £3000 for second-hand equipment and set off to southern Europe to discover how communities responded to wildfires. What he produced was a remarkable 57-minute documentary exposing the links between wildfires, corporations, organised crime and fascism. It showcases how communities are engaging in direct action, protest, rewilding, and combating the uncontrollable fires and the far right.

The film portrays the experiences and actions of 25 people across Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, ranging from scientists, teachers, artists, gardeners, engineers, winemakers, NGOs, and authors.

In the Evros region of Greece, the wall dividing Greece and Turkey cuts through the countryside like a knife. A wildfire devastated the region in 2023, burning down almost 1,000 square kilometres of the Dadia Forest. It was the largest wildfire ever recorded in Europe and took 2 weeks to extinguish. The government laid the blame on refugees who were cooking while transiting throughthe forest – they mentioned nothing of the fact that official firefighting services have been cut to the bone by the far-right Government. Or that climate change has led to higher temperatures and humidity, leading to longer and deadlier wildfires. Refugees are blamed while the Government shirks responsibility.

In Sicily, we see how a wildfire devastated the countryside. People in the film claimed some of these fires were started deliberately by organised crime, which the filmmaker later backed up with academic sources. They burn farmland belonging to local, independent owners. Once their land is ruined, the farmers are coerced into selling it to the wind farm companies, which are controlled by the mafia.

In Portugal, the industrial planting of eucalyptus trees, which burn easily, causes wildfires to start more often and grow much larger. Portugal is Europe’s biggest eucalyptus pulp and paper producer; it has the largest percentage area of eucalyptus plantations of any country in the world. The revolving door between executive positions in eucalyptus companies and government ensures that politicians turn a blind eye to the wildfires, once again avoiding blame.

The most inspiring parts of the film are where Dr Knapp talks to the local people defending their communities. In Portugal, people have uprooted eucalyptus plantations; in Sicily, a landscape gardener explains how wearing hi-vis jackets at locations where the mafia might start a fire has prevented fires from breaking out in those regions. Public assemblies have encouraged people to make their voices heard. Native trees like Walnut and Almond have been planted, which are much less susceptible to fires. Rewilding projects, including reintroducing wild boars, have been successful in reducing fires and increasing biodiversity.

The conversation that followed was about how we can tackle fascism and promote community and resilience here in Sheffield. It inspired people that a better future is possible, and that there are ways to feel hope. Examples included the work of Walkley Anti-Fascists, removing unwelcome flags on their main road, and the newly energised Green Party working hard in wards in the city where Reform is threatening to do well. Hope comes from being active and creating a greater sense of community.

Many parallels were found with our situation here in Yorkshire. The power station Drax continues to burn trees imported from pristine forests around the world, while claiming “renewable” subsidies to the tune of nearly £2 million every day. Grouse moors are drained to create the perfect habitat for Grouse, so that rich people can pay eye-watering fees to shoot them. In doing so, the peat is degraded, and downstream flooding becomes likely.

The possibility of a fascist Government here is more likely, with our out of date first past the post voting system. Reform is funded by extremely rich businessmen like Christopher Harbourne, from Sherif Global, which deals in minerals and coal. Most people are aware of Reform’s cruel policies on immigration, but what about their environmental policies? They plan to

*scrap Net Zero, abandoning efforts to reduce carbon emissions and prevent us reaching tipping points, which could kill billions of people.

*Use fracking to decimate our countryside.

*Abolish the "Precautionary Principle" and over 6,000 EU-derived nature laws, including the Habitats and Birds Directives

*Strip Natural England of its ability to block developments on conservation grounds.

*Remove the Water Framework Directive and "Nutrient Neutrality" rules, increasing sewage and agricultural runoff (slurry/fertiliser) in rivers.

*End Rewilding and Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes that currently incentivise farmers to restore peatlands and biodiversity.

Reflecting on this excellent film, Ci Davis said, “When people become so marginalised, and they are pushed onto the most fragile of environments, both suffer. We need to care for both people, migrants, and nature if we are to prevent the harms, both of which will be so much more difficult if the fascists have more institutional power.”

There is a further chance to see Fires and Fascism on Tuesday 31st March at the Diamond Lecture Theatre followed by a Q&A with Dr Peter Knapp.

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