Solo Rower Launches Europe Trek to Expose Pollution of Waterways

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Solo Rower Launches Europe Trek to Expose Pollution of Waterways

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AFP-Jiji 16:07 JST, May 12, 2023 WARSAW (AFP-Jiji) An intrepid French traveler embarked May 1 on a solo rowing expedition from Poland to France to shed light on the pollution of waterways of Europe. Christophe Gruault, 58, set off from Polands capital Warsaw in a customized rowing boat 6 meters long and only 60 centimeters wide, with hopes to reach Paris on June 18. His intended route of 2,023 kilometers will lead through five countries Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France and along 22 of the continents rivers. The aim of the game is to show that whats beautiful is fragile, and whats fragile needs to be taken care of, Gruault told AFP shortly before departing from a bank of the Vistula River. Gruault plans to raise awareness by meeting high school students along the way and to contribute to scientific research on what is polluting Europes rivers and causing them to dry up. Im going to take environmental DNA samples that Ill pass on to the scientists, Gruault said. The journey is supported by the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, where researchers will study Gruaults samples and observations. For Denis Duclos, the museums director of European and international relations, the expedition offers insight into the condition of Europes main waterways. It will be interesting to take samples before the major cities on the route and after the major cities on the route, in order to see whether the cities have any consequences on the treatment of pollution, Duclos told AFP. To facilitate the task, the explorers team equipped his boat with a system for reversing the movement of the oars, allowing the rower to face forward, a system which is unique in the world, Gruault added. He plans to row up to 50 kilometers a day, which he said had required improving his physical fitness. First of all I needed to balance my body and work on the muscles to create strength, to put on a bit of bulk, Gruault said. And then work on the heart, its an important engine after all. Pollution in Polands rivers came into the spotlight last year when nearly 250 tons of dead fish were recovered in July from the Oder River that runs through Poland and Germany. Polish authorities later said toxic algae was to blame, ruling out industrial pollution as the cause. But German authorities called it a man-made environmental disaster, saying the algae growth had been sparked by the introduction of salt into the waters. JN ACCESS RANKING The Japan News / Weekly Edition Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting, readable fomat. Read more 2023 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun