Money buys silence. Typically, major polluters have much deeper pockets than the whistle blowers who uncover environmentally offensive practices. Retaliation can take the form of lawsuits, torture, and in some cases death. There are heroes all over the world who have tried to cover or blow the whistle on environmental polluters, and their advocacy can sometimes take an expensive or deadly turn.

Mikhail Beketov, Russia
Defender of Khimki forest just outside of Moscow, his car has been set on fire, a libel case has been brought against him, and he has been beaten and left for dead, losing the use of his leg and several of his fingers.

Joey Estriber, Phillipines
After criticizing logging activities in his area, Joey was kidnapped by four men in 2006 and hasn’t been seen since.

For more stories of the reporters who blow a lid on environmental issues every day, check out this article by Reporters Without Borders.

Tags: environmental activism, environmental bloggers, environmental journalists, reporters without borders, whistleblower journalists

No Comment