Putin's silent victim

Russian troops are destroying Ukraine's environment -- leaving behind more than 50 billion dollars in environmental damages. If you believe that the severe destruction of our precious Mother Earth should be a crime, join our petition demanding laws against ecocide, starting in Europe and creating a ripple effect to protect nature in the entire world! Dear friends, Russian troops have killed thousands and displaced millions. They are also destroying Ukraine's environment, toxifying its soil, and burning its forests and fields. 600 species of animals and 880 species of plants are now under threat.Altogether, the damage to the environment amounts to over 50 billion dollars. But ecocide, the act of severely destroying the environment, is not considered an international crime.But there is hope: the European Union is about to decide on making the mass destruction of its nature illegal. If they act, it could set an example for the world to follow -- and a campaign supported by 1 million of us would show that people everywhere are against the destruction of Mother Earth.Sign now demanding the criminalisation of ecocide and we'll deliver our voices straight to key decision makers: [SIGN THE PETITION]( Russian troops are destroying Ukraine's environment -- leaving behind more than 50 billion dollars in environmental damages. If you believe that the severe destruction of our precious Mother Earth should be a crime, join our petition demanding laws against ecocide, starting in Europe and creating a ripple effect to protect nature in the entire world! [SIGN THE PETITION]( Dear friends, Russian troops have killed thousands and displaced millions. They are also destroying Ukraine's environment, toxifying its soil, and burning its forests and fields. 600 species of animals and 880 species of plants are now under threat. Altogether, the damage to the environment amounts to over 50 billion dollars. But ecocide, the act of severely destroying the environment, is not considered an international crime. But there is hope: the European Union is about to decide on making the mass destruction of its nature illegal. If they act, it could set an example for the world to follow -- and a campaign supported by 1 million of us would show that people everywhere are against the destruction of Mother Earth. Sign now demanding the criminalisation of ecocide and we'll deliver our voices straight to key decision makers: [Make ecocide illegal now!]( Putin and his cronies are already being investigated and could be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court for their war crimes against Ukraine -- but a lot of environmental destruction doesn’t fit the war crime definition. And it’s not just Ukraine. All over the world, nature is being destroyed -- and stronger laws could be used to protect threatened ecosystems everywhere. From national legislation to the International Criminal Court. Now finally, there is momentum! The leading committee in the European Parliament just voted to criminalise ecocide -- but we still need to get the European Commission and Member States on board. If we win in the EU, this could pave the way for the creation of a new international crime of ecocide. So let’s build a thundering roar to defend our precious planet, and Avaaz will deliver our voices in Europe and beyond: [Make ecocide illegal now!]( Our movement has stood up for Mother Nature, time and again. We have fought against Amazon deforestation, and have funded legal battles in Europe and the US against climate destruction. Now, let’s come together once again to fight for a solution that could protect our wondrous world from large-scale devastation. With hope and fearless determination, Ana Paula, Christoph, Bert, Marta, Nax, Nick and the entire Avaaz team More information: - [The ‘silent victim’: Ukraine counts war’s cost for nature]((The Guardian) - [European Parliament votes for recognition of ecocide, Commission still hesitant]( (The Brussels Times) - [Society Watch: Drive to make ecocide an international crime gains momentum]( (Reuters) Avaaz is a 70-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns [here](, or follow us on [Facebook](, [Twitter](, or [Instagram](. 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