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Michele Angileri

Riu Buddidorgiu

Situated en eastern edge of Quirra plateau, the canyon of Rio Buddidorgiu amazes by its unusual shapes and colors. This is one of the most beautiful and pristine environments you can imagine.

The complete descent of Riu Buddidorgiu requires canyoning gear. However, even with no gear it is possible reaching a couple of beautiful spots of the canyon, like the cascade of left branch and the lowest pools. So hikers do it, and the most adventurous ones reach even the top of the Mushroom, one of the most characteristic spots of Buddidorgiu canyon.

Our trail began from right branch, the most remote of the two branches of the Riu.

Name Riu Buddidorgiu
Area Sardegna, Salto di Quirra
Nearest village Perdasdefogu
Elevation loss 330 m
Length 5 km
Highest cascade 50 m
Rock Limestone, metamorphic sandstone, schists
Rating4
Shuttle Possible
Explored by Michele Angileri, Guido Biavati, Gianluca Masala, Elisabetta Pinna: april 2 2011

 

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What you find in the detailed description

I remember ...

What is reality? how does the perception of reality take form?

Which is reality: the one we observe and experience or the one that is reported by newspapers or is taken from judicial reportings?

Take a look to the photographs: this is among the most beautiful and intact environment you can see. I can witness.
Read the newspapers: this area is heavily polluted, and people living here fall ill and die.
Read judicial reportings: a trial is about to begin for environmental disaster in charge of military officiers of Quirra firing ground.

Big clouds of dust have been kicked up on the so-called "Quirra Syndrome", and soon the case will land in a courtroom. But court's and prosecutor's aims focus on estabilishing whether someone have committed some crime, and this is not important to me.
What interests me is that the area of Quirra has remained globally healthy and uncontaminated, and I'm sure: it has, though probably the shooting areas are polluted ... I'm talking about the yards where explosives and propellants were tested: they are likely to be polluted, but I cannot say if they are more pulluted than other shooting areas.
I do not know if, in carrying out the tests, all precautions had been taken or if someone came into contact with dangerous substances and had got sick for this ... The trial will estabilish the truth ...
But, in my opinion, this has nothing to do with the "Quirra Syndrome", which is claimed to be the heavy pollution of a very large area.

I believe the "Quirra Syndrome" doesn't exist. My conviction is based on 3 kinds of elements.

  1. What I see. Out of shooting areas Quirra looks like a lost paradise. Go and see, if you don't believe me.
  2. The epidemiological data, studies on livestock, environmental analysis. Cancer incidence ranks below the national average, as it's shown by epidemiological data. The analysis conducted by the Sardinia Region certify the absence of contamination in cattle grazing in the area of Quirra. The analysis on spring waters (used to feed the municipal aqueducts) have never shown parameters out of the norm.
    An avalanche of scientific data, coming from a plurality of sources.
    (In addition, in summer 2012 the media have spread the news that the world's longest-running family lives right there, in Perdasdefogu: 818 years is the sum of 9 living brothers age!! certified by the Guinnes World Record!)
  3. News' shape and color. You may not understand ... unsubstantiated news have a "shape" and "color" that allows you to recognize them even without having knowledge of the facts.
    Alarming news spread among the population and the media in very different ways depending on whether they are true or false. Who, unfortunately, like me, had experience of false news with a strong social alarm (the Rignano Flaminio witch hunt, that happened in years 2006-2007) then immediately recognizes them by their "shape" and "color".
    Even a false story can produce heavy real effects, of which our judicial system seems not to have awareness yet.

In june 2014 come the results of the umpteenth expert's report ordered by a court (the Preliminary Judge): the situation in Quirra firing grounds (even in areas of intense military activity), is not comparable to that existing in contaminated sites of national interest, such as Porto Torres, Gela and Porto Marghera.

That's like saying: but you, journalists, attorneys, conspiracy theorists, have you ever seen a polluted place?

More: There is no evidence that the uranium in the samples is different from natural uranium, (...) the values of uranium and thorium inside and outside the Quirra firing ground, are far below the limits (...) And this proofs the absence of a significant radiological risk inside and outside the firing ground, if not even the condition of no radiological significance .

Valeria Gianoglio on La Nuova Sardegna newspaper:
The report required a whole year of work, examinating former reports, new samples and accurate analysis: 129 ground samples (110 inside the firing ground, 19 outside), 7 water samples, 6 core drillings. An amount of work that actually makes Quirra the most analyzed firing ground in the world


Photos by Michele Angileri and Guido Biavati

Copyright © 2002- Michele Angileri. All rights reserved.