Coal pollution has no borders — no matter where it is burned, its pollution affects us all. It starts with local destruction but eventually it spreads across land and air until it reaches our atmosphere, making our planet’s climate warmer and more dangerous.

The power plants in Muğla, Turkey are no exception and have been causing destruction to local communities for decades, in addition to polluting our planet. But last week, the people of Muğla made their will very clear: they want to be free from fossil fuels:

Villagers near Yatağan coal complex in Muğla had their photos projected in front of one of the local coal plants

The struggle in Muğla is one that we all are part of. Stand in solidarity with the people of Muğla who are bravely resisting coal and fighting for climate justice — send them a message of support.

The symbolic action in front of the coal plant in Muğla is dramatic for two reasons: for one, the villagers came together to send a message after the Turkish governments decided to extend the license for the coal plants to operate for another 30 years. Secondly, the fossil fuel industry has a record of intimidating people standing in its way. So rather than standing physically at the coal facility, the villagers decided to get creative and projected their photos and their call for a #FossilFree Muğla.

Their message came just a few days before a comprehensive report on coal impacts in Muğla was released, highlighting facts that the villagers know only too well: coal poisons the soil and air, makes people sick with irreversible conditions and makes it impossible for people to live off the land — in the case of Muğla, villagers have watched their centenary olive trees die off every year.

But the report also provides shocking data on how extracting, transporting and burning coal is making it harder for us to stay below 1.5 degrees in order to avoid catastrophic planetary breakdown. With the life of the coal plants in Muğla being extended for another 30 years, the villagers are not only at risk of displacement and serious health impacts, but our planet is at stake too.

The struggle in Muğla against coal is one that belongs to us all. Send a solidarity message to the villagers and show your support. We’ll be delivering these solidarity messages to the people of Muğla early next month.

None of us is alone in fighting climate change. This planet is our only home, and its climate struggles are our own.