The Cerano coal power plant of Cerano, near Brindisi, releases into the sea billions tons of hot water every year, and is also responsible for about one third of Italy’s carbon dioxide emissions.
The hot water has changed the surrounding sea environment, creating a different ecosystem which is occasionally populated by sharks. A 2015 study by the CNR (National Council of Research) estimated that the power plant is directly responsible for as many as 44 deaths every year, and is located right in the middle of a deeply agricultural region that suffers from extremely high rates of cancer and other environment-related illnesses.
In 1987, a referendum on its construction was held in the surrounding communities, with 88% of people voting against it
Salento – 14th of August
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