In recent days, observing what has been reported on television and read on social networks, one really feels saddened. It feels as if…

People were just protesting outside ministers' offices, loudly demanding money for doctors, medical staff, and the entire health sector. Which is right! As one lady said to the ministers – forgive me, I don't recall her name, but it went something like this – if a person doesn't have their health, they aren't interested in anything else. Absolutely nothing. Not potholed roads, not the quality of education, nothing. At that moment, I thought about my migraines, when my head feels like it's splitting open, as if my eyes are going to pop out of my forehead – and if there were no help for that, what then? If I couldn't even go and get medicine, if no one helped. Honestly? I would care about little else. Not to mention that, within the 'range' of serious health problems, a migraine is essentially a fleeting 'nothing'. Right, but that's not what this is about.

So – there is no money in the budget. More is needed. But where to get it? Someone will shout to stop stealing, catch the thief, reduce the number of MPs, etc., but at the same time, they will stop at slogans alone; not a couple of days will pass before the urgency fades and life returns to its daily rhythm. Wood, fence, window, work, grave. But seriously – what are the solutions, real, implementable options? It makes me sad to look at my grandmothers, whose pension is around 150 euros… 150 euros! Of course, we – sisters, brothers, parents – help them with transport, food, medicine, utility bills, etc. But shouldn't they have fair pensions for a lifetime of work? Who will give them back what historical events took from them? No one. And no one will give them anything today either. That’s the harsh reality. There is no money in the state budget for that. Sorry!

You know, when I first heard about the state's idea to cut more trees, I thought: Are you serious?? The environment is already 'messed up', where is the world heading… I first heard about this grand state idea only a couple of days ago from an old friend (if you can call him that – we studied together, hadn't met in about 5 years, but I know everything because there is such a thing as invisible Facebook stalking), when we bumped into each other in the eternal post office queue. The superficial conversation drifted towards current affairs, and then the topic got around to how the state wants to almost fell Latvia's forests, take out all the trees and sell them, just to make a profit – we have to fight to stop this from happening, we can't allow it. Ugh, at one point I even got worked up with anger – how could they? The state, doing this to its own forests! I went home angry. Really angry! But then – gender equality can kiss my cheek, because I'm not made of glass. I have an opinion, and I wanted others to… I wanted to write an angry article about protecting our nature.

The more I wrote, the angrier I got, and the more I started looking for various articles and evidence of how filthily a state can act with its own nature. The more I searched, the more I read, the more it all started to not add up… I reached published data on forests in Latvia, as well as the hashtag "#nekoptsmežs" (untended forest) and then "#koptsmežs" (tended forest). After I had laughed for about 30 minutes reading those tweets, I thought it would be an ideal slogan for a beauty salon. Men's back hair removal at half price, only now, only in January, #nekoptsmežs! Those who posted pictures with ladies 'outside of a bikini' – the joke of the day, like!

But if you scroll further, it's actually not bad at all - coherent texts can be found from all sorts of forestry people and advocates. One sad entry on Twitter (with exactly zero likes and/or shares) said that forest people live in the countryside, not on Twitter. Against this backdrop, it looks like a sad #truestory. Cool, you're getting trashed online, but you don't even know it because there is no forest on Twitter. In the forest, there is no signal for your phone in many places. Twitter, ha! The second thing I couldn't help but chuckle at – one post had an entry saying: "Why do trees even have to be cut in the forest?" … No, well! Where then, in a park?? Or can you chop down your own apartment's Yucca palm?

So as not to be too long, for those whom this topic has addressed or infuriated, I offer my personal conclusions. I should point out that I am neither an environmentalist nor a forester, and my favourite subject was never biology (though it certainly wasn't trigonometry either).

- Protecting nature is important even if you don't like insects, spiders, or snakes in your own home;

- Overdoing environmental protection when it's really out of place is overrated;

- If you can earn in taxes by simply cutting 1 and planting 2 trees in its place, why not – for health, pensions, teachers, oh, how it will come in handy!

- Don't fall for cheap hype (intense, strong, not always accurate publicity), check the facts (Twitter facts – double-check!)! Preferably – yourself!

- If the rules don't actually lead to a significant increase in felling, but more and more new trees are added, where is the real problem? A species of beetle or earthworm isn't going to go completely extinct just because a couple of % more trees are felled to plant new ones in their place.

Let's end fake news, talk to each other, protect nature, and take care of our pensioners and children! May there be peace in Twitter-hearts and mouths, for a well-maintained environment, amen!

P.S. It seems that for the most active friends of nature, the principle in this story is just to prove their righteousness and the green movement as such. The main thing for them seems to be a decent life for insects – and as for the pensioners and doctors, let them fend for themselves. Yeah…

zemeunvalsts.lv note

The article appeared in the Twitter jungle and diversity on the first day of February like a breath of fresh air on city asphalt or fresh water in cupped hands on a hot day. Thank you!
The style has been fully preserved in the text, some commas have been added and missing letters corrected. Some words have been explained (in parentheses), original brackets – have been preserved.