Climate activists attack golf courses

HOLES on 10 golf courses across Spain have been targeted by climate activists protesting about the use of water needed to maintain these sporting facilities.

In a video posted online on Sunday, July 2, members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) announced their latest campaign. This time their goal was to draw the public’s attention to the huge amount of water consumed by golf courses.

Describing golf as an ‘elitist leisure pursuit’, the activists highlighted the current drought conditions that are affecting large regions of Spain.

Alongside signs that read ‘Drought alert. Golf course closed for climate justice’, its members were shown in the footage plugging holes on a golf course with cement. They also planted seedlings on the green.

Among the courses hit by this direct action cam ­ paign were those in Ibiza, Navarra, the Basque Country, Valencia, Barcelona, and the capital, Madrid.

According to data from Ecologistas en Acción, maintaining just one hole on a golf course in Spain uses in excess of 100,000 litres of water each day.

They criticised the ‘irresponsibility and cynicism’ of continuing to allow this type of elitist leisure while Spain dries up. ‘In Spain, 437 golf courses are irri ­ gated every day’, they detailed.

When adding up the litres used by golf courses they indicated, to satisfy an activity that is enjoyed only by approximately 0.6 per cent of the population, more water is consumed than in the whole of Barcelona and Madrid.

The activists demanded that the government implements legislation on golf courses to restrict them from using so much water.