In the space of just a few years, the small Central American nation of Costa Rica has become a global laboratory for decarbonisation. Costa Rica is the world's only tropical country that has managed to reverse the process of deforestation: forests now cover more than half its surface. It’s also one of the few countries to get almost all its electricity (99 percent) from renewable sources. Costa Rica's inspiring and bold example reflects badly on major world powers, which have considerably more resources available to achieve their climate goals.
Costa Rica abolished its army back in 1948, and 99 percent of its energy is renewable. The small country is an exception in Latin America. Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada sat down for an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24. Ahead of November's COP26 conference in Glasgow, he laid out several concrete proposals to fight climate change and sounded the alarm, saying: "The biggest challenge of this generation is decarbonisation and fighting climate change."
Read more at:
Costa Rica: A climate success story - Reporters
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
3/20/21
The Environment: In the Netherlands, Workers Are Taking on Fossil Fuel Giants Like Shell - by Malia Bouattia
Protests in forty towns and cities across the Netherlands are highlighting the role of Dutch-based firms like Shell in fueling climate crisis. Workers are at the forefront of the struggle — offering hope for a mass environmental movement that goes beyond the middle class.
So far, the Dutch government, led by the right-wing VVD party, has chosen to prioritize the very big businesses that are most complicit in the climate crisis. In recent times, it has spent billions of taxpayers’ money on bailing out such companies through subsidies, tax breaks, and loans. “In the current situation our tax money is making the climate crisis worse. This needs to change,” explained the Climate Crisis Coalition, which is leading the Alarm protests.
Read more at: In the Netherlands, Workers Are Taking on Fossil Fuel Giants Like Shell
So far, the Dutch government, led by the right-wing VVD party, has chosen to prioritize the very big businesses that are most complicit in the climate crisis. In recent times, it has spent billions of taxpayers’ money on bailing out such companies through subsidies, tax breaks, and loans. “In the current situation our tax money is making the climate crisis worse. This needs to change,” explained the Climate Crisis Coalition, which is leading the Alarm protests.
Read more at: In the Netherlands, Workers Are Taking on Fossil Fuel Giants Like Shell
11/19/20
Canada: Trudeau Government unveils new net-zero emissions plan to meet climate change targets - by John Paul Tasker
Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson tabled new legislation today that would force current and future federal governments to set binding climate targets to get Canada to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Reaching "net-zero" by 2050 would mean that emissions produced 30 years from now would be fully absorbed through actions that scrub carbon from the atmosphere — such as planting trees — or technology, such as carbon-capture and storage systems. The Liberals have promised to plant two billion trees.
Read more at: Trudeau unveils new net-zero emissions plan to meet climate change targets | CBC News
Reaching "net-zero" by 2050 would mean that emissions produced 30 years from now would be fully absorbed through actions that scrub carbon from the atmosphere — such as planting trees — or technology, such as carbon-capture and storage systems. The Liberals have promised to plant two billion trees.
Read more at: Trudeau unveils new net-zero emissions plan to meet climate change targets | CBC News
5/15/20
France - rhe environment: Will cars be banned in Paris after lockdown?
Parisian Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced that returning to a city
dominated by cars post- pandemic is “out of the question”. A special
session was organised by the Paris City Council to look at ways to guide
citizens out of lockdown, where Hidalgo emphasised her stance on
reducing pollution in the capital.
“I say in all firmness that it is out of the question that we allow ourselves to be invaded by cars, and by pollution,” she said. “Pollution is already in itself a health crisis and a danger — and pollution joined up with coronavirus is a particularly dangerous cocktail.” Early studies carried out by Harvard University in the US have found that a rise in exposure to particulate pollution of just one microgram per metre-cubed of air could increase our chances of dying from the disease by around 10 per cent.
Read more at:
Will cars be banned in Paris after lockdown? | Living
“I say in all firmness that it is out of the question that we allow ourselves to be invaded by cars, and by pollution,” she said. “Pollution is already in itself a health crisis and a danger — and pollution joined up with coronavirus is a particularly dangerous cocktail.” Early studies carried out by Harvard University in the US have found that a rise in exposure to particulate pollution of just one microgram per metre-cubed of air could increase our chances of dying from the disease by around 10 per cent.
Read more at:
Will cars be banned in Paris after lockdown? | Living
3/12/20
Environmental Protection: EU declares war on 'throw-away culture' - by Elena Sánchez Nicolás
T
he European Commission has adopted a new circular economy action
plan with measures for the entire life cycle of products, which it says
will strengthen the EU's economy, empower consumers and protect the
environment.
The package of initiatives presented on Wednesday (11 March) sets out a range of actions in those economic sectors where circularity could have a bigger effect - including electronics and ICT, plastic and textile, packaging, batteries, construction and buildings, and food.
"The linear model of 'take-make-use-dispose' has reached its limits as it pushes us to a resource crisis," said the commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius.
"As Europe is not rich in natural resources, [the] circular economy will strengthen the immunity of our economy from geopolitical challenges," he added.
As the core of the strategy, the commission will propose new legislation by 2021 to ensure that all products placed on the EU market are designed to last longer, and are easier to reuse, repair and recycle.
Read more: EU declares war on 'throw-away culture'
The package of initiatives presented on Wednesday (11 March) sets out a range of actions in those economic sectors where circularity could have a bigger effect - including electronics and ICT, plastic and textile, packaging, batteries, construction and buildings, and food.
"The linear model of 'take-make-use-dispose' has reached its limits as it pushes us to a resource crisis," said the commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius.
"As Europe is not rich in natural resources, [the] circular economy will strengthen the immunity of our economy from geopolitical challenges," he added.
As the core of the strategy, the commission will propose new legislation by 2021 to ensure that all products placed on the EU market are designed to last longer, and are easier to reuse, repair and recycle.
Read more: EU declares war on 'throw-away culture'
9/20/19
Germany - Global warming: Merkel's Cabinet agrees climate packet, environmentalists say it's paltry
Merkel's Cabinet agrees 'climate packet,' environmentalists say it's paltry
Read more at:
https://p.dw.com/p/3Pxor
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Support EU-Digest, which has reported the news without any political affiliation since 2004, and opposes those who seek to discredit and even destroy news organizations who believe in the right of a free Press. You can do that by investing in an advertisement in EU-Digest, or by giving a donation to keep our efforts going : to donate or advertise and pay by credit card, click on: https://www.paypal.com/webapps/hermes?token=8BP18304C1657151J&useraction=commit&mfid=1567106786154_8591ae1288ebf
8/10/19
Turkey: Major protests grow around the world against Turkey in relation to Canadian gold mining project Alamos - Kirazlli
Read more at:
https://observers.france24.com/en/20190807-turkey-protesters-canadian-gold-mining-alamos-kirazli
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6/11/19
Plant extinction 'bad news for all species'
Plant extinction 'bad news for all species'
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3/15/18
South America: Corporations, Environment and pollution: Coca-Cola And Nestlé To Privatize The Largest Reserve Of Water In South America
Private companies such as
Coca-Cola and Nestlé are allegedly in the process of privatizing the
largest reserve of water, known as the Guarani Aquifer, in South
America. The aquifer is located beneath the surface of Brazil,
Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay and is the second largest-known aquifer
system in the world.
Reported by Correiodo Brasil the major transnational conglomerates are “striding forward” with their negotiations to privatize the aquifer system. Meetings have already been reserved with authorities of the current government, such as Michel Temer, to outline procedures required for private companies to exploit the water sources. The concession contracts will last more than 100 years.
The first public conversation about this dilemma was scheduled on the same day the process of voting for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff was opened. As Central Politico reports, “This coincidence was fatal for the adjournment of the meeting.”
This issue extends beyond South America, as all humans will be affected by the decision to privatize the second-largest aquifer system in the world. Essentially, the corporations are profiting off a natural resource that should be freely available to all.
Under the Guarani Aquifer Project’s Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Project, known as ANA’s Guarani Aquifer Project (SAG), the aquifer would be managed and preserved for present and future generations. Following the conservatives’ victory in Argentina and the coup d’état, pressed for by the ultra right in Paraguay and Brazil, only Uruguay was left to vote on the privatization of the aquifer.
Approximately two-thirds (1.2 million km²) of the reserve is located in Brazilian territory, specifically in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Future generations will ultimately suffer if this deal goes through, which is why human rights organizations around the world are getting involved.
Read more: Coca-Cola And Nestlé To Privatize The Largest Reserve Of Water In South America
Reported by Correiodo Brasil the major transnational conglomerates are “striding forward” with their negotiations to privatize the aquifer system. Meetings have already been reserved with authorities of the current government, such as Michel Temer, to outline procedures required for private companies to exploit the water sources. The concession contracts will last more than 100 years.
The first public conversation about this dilemma was scheduled on the same day the process of voting for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff was opened. As Central Politico reports, “This coincidence was fatal for the adjournment of the meeting.”
“There must be another list of
projects to be granted or privatized in the medium term, with auctions
that may occur in up to one year, such as Eletrobras energy distributors
and freshwater sources,” adds the news site, translated via Google from Portuguese.
This issue extends beyond South America, as all humans will be affected by the decision to privatize the second-largest aquifer system in the world. Essentially, the corporations are profiting off a natural resource that should be freely available to all.
Under the Guarani Aquifer Project’s Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Project, known as ANA’s Guarani Aquifer Project (SAG), the aquifer would be managed and preserved for present and future generations. Following the conservatives’ victory in Argentina and the coup d’état, pressed for by the ultra right in Paraguay and Brazil, only Uruguay was left to vote on the privatization of the aquifer.
Approximately two-thirds (1.2 million km²) of the reserve is located in Brazilian territory, specifically in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Future generations will ultimately suffer if this deal goes through, which is why human rights organizations around the world are getting involved.
Read more: Coca-Cola And Nestlé To Privatize The Largest Reserve Of Water In South America
2/28/17
Finland: Time for EU to lead on environment- by Peter Teffer
The EU should spend less time drafting new environmental laws and
devote resources to implementing what was already agreed, Finland's
environment and agriculture minister Kimmo Tiilikainen said on Monday
(27 February).
“If all our time is spent on new legislation, new small details, then implementation suffers,” Tiilikainen said in an interview with Bloomberg, Politico, and EUobserver.
Read more: Finland: Time for EU to lead on environment
“If all our time is spent on new legislation, new small details, then implementation suffers,” Tiilikainen said in an interview with Bloomberg, Politico, and EUobserver.
Read more: Finland: Time for EU to lead on environment
11/16/15
Canada: Justin Trudeau gets rock star welcome at G20, faces questions on Canada's role in ISIS fight
Canada's newly installed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stayed focused
on economic growth and climate change at the G20 summit in Turkey on
Sunday, while reaffirming his pledge to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees by
year end and delivering a pointed message that Canada is a country that
defines itself by its shared values, not its cultural differences.
He also found time to greet business executives who gave him a rock-star welcome and sought selfie photos as he made his debut on the world stage, and cracked a couple jokes, including one said to have elicited a chuckle from U.S. President Barack Obama.
In his main remarks, Trudeau told a G20 top-tier business audience that long-term investments in infrastructure and youth are the keys to growth, not a preoccupation with short-term profits.
Canadian Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, was among those in attendance, along with Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Angel Gurria, the secretary general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Trudeau covered ground that would have been familiar to Canadians following the federal election, including his infrastructure spending plans to stimulate growth.
Read more: Justin Trudeau gets rock star welcome at G20, faces questions on Canada's role in ISIS fight - World - CBC News
He also found time to greet business executives who gave him a rock-star welcome and sought selfie photos as he made his debut on the world stage, and cracked a couple jokes, including one said to have elicited a chuckle from U.S. President Barack Obama.
In his main remarks, Trudeau told a G20 top-tier business audience that long-term investments in infrastructure and youth are the keys to growth, not a preoccupation with short-term profits.
Canadian Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, was among those in attendance, along with Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Angel Gurria, the secretary general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Trudeau covered ground that would have been familiar to Canadians following the federal election, including his infrastructure spending plans to stimulate growth.
Read more: Justin Trudeau gets rock star welcome at G20, faces questions on Canada's role in ISIS fight - World - CBC News
2/28/15
USA - the Keystone Project - Obama vetoes world's dirtiest oil pipeline-by Steve Benson
Following through on his vow to drill down and sink the Keystone
Pipeline, President Obama finally did so, justifying its nixing on the
grounds that supporters hadn't followed long-standing procedure for
demonstrating that the pipeline -- a centerpiece of the GOP's devotion
to profits over planet -- was in the national interest.House Speaker John Boehner called the president's move "a national embarrassment." Congressional override is unlikely, since the Repubs need Dems to do it.
The plan for the pipeline was to chug millions of gallons of Canadian tar sands crude some 1,700 miles down through the heartland of America and into the pockets of corporations. Environmentalists said no. Republicans said it was the end of business-as-usual as we know it.
Read more: Obama vetoes world's dirtiest oil pipeline
2/12/15
European Automobile Industry: Is BMW i3 Electric Car Selling Better In U.S. Than Germany? - by John Voelcker
 |
| BMW i3 electric car |
.The little plastic-bodied battery-electric vehicle from Munich, with its odd coach doors and its rear electric motor, sold more than 1,000 cars
a month in four of the eight months last year it was on sale.The total of 6,024 i3s delivered put BMW's first electric car in sixth place among the 21 plug-in vehicles on sale in the U.S.
Among battery-electrics, it won third place, after only the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S--despite being sold for only two-thirds of 2014.
But despite a rumored target of 5,000 deliveries in its homeland of Germany, only 2,128 i3s found homes there during all of calendar 2014.
Read more: Is BMW i3 Electric Car Selling Better In U.S. Than Germany?
1/9/15
Oil Prices: Six conspiracy theories behind plunging oil prices - by Eric Reguly
So it is with the price collapse that sent oil from $110 (U.S.) a
barrel in June to about $50 today. How and why did it happen so fast?
How do you explain the fall when global oil demand is not, in fact,
falling; it continues to rise. Surely, more than simple economics –
supply outstripping demand – is at play.
Easy answer: It’s a conspiracy.
It’s not just the conspiracy nuts who say so. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet meeting that the oil price collapse was “politically motivated” and a “conspiracy against the interests of the region, the Muslim people and the Muslim world” (never mind that the OPEC giant behind the price drop, Saudi Arabia, is rather Muslim).
Russian President Vladimir Putin in effect said the same. “We all see the lowering of the oil price. There's lots of talk about what's causing it,” he said recently. "Could it be the agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to punish Iran and affect the economies of Russia and Venezuela? It could.”
Ditto Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, the OPEC country driven to near collapse because of the price fall. Answering his own rhetorical question, he explained that the low price was engineered by the United States and its allies “to harm Russia.”
Herewith your handy guide to the most popular oil-plunge conspiracies, plus one that I made up – my oil-soaked grassy knoll.
1. SLAPPING RUSSIA
2. SLAPPING VLADIMIR
4. SAUDI ARABIA VS. CANADA
5. SAUDI OWN-GOAL
6. IT’S THE ENVIRONMENT, STUPID
Read more: Six conspiracy theories behind plunging oil prices - The Globe and Mail
Easy answer: It’s a conspiracy.
It’s not just the conspiracy nuts who say so. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet meeting that the oil price collapse was “politically motivated” and a “conspiracy against the interests of the region, the Muslim people and the Muslim world” (never mind that the OPEC giant behind the price drop, Saudi Arabia, is rather Muslim).
Russian President Vladimir Putin in effect said the same. “We all see the lowering of the oil price. There's lots of talk about what's causing it,” he said recently. "Could it be the agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to punish Iran and affect the economies of Russia and Venezuela? It could.”
Ditto Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, the OPEC country driven to near collapse because of the price fall. Answering his own rhetorical question, he explained that the low price was engineered by the United States and its allies “to harm Russia.”
Herewith your handy guide to the most popular oil-plunge conspiracies, plus one that I made up – my oil-soaked grassy knoll.
1. SLAPPING RUSSIA
2. SLAPPING VLADIMIR
4. SAUDI ARABIA VS. CANADA
5. SAUDI OWN-GOAL
6. IT’S THE ENVIRONMENT, STUPID
Read more: Six conspiracy theories behind plunging oil prices - The Globe and Mail
12/28/14
Go green in 2015: : Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again - in Shopping
1. Styrofoam cups
Styrofoam is forever. It's not biodegradable.
Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups.
Best option: Invest in some reusable mugs that you can take with you.
2. Paper towels
Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money.
Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green Pages™ for recycled paper products.
Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse.
3. Bleached coffee filters
Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals.
Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters.
Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters.
4. Overpackaged foods and other products
Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging.
Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging.
Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping.
5. Teak and mahogany
Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth’s surface and are home to over half of the world’s wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world’s oxygen.
Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.
Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood.
Learn how to use Better Paper at home and in your office »
6. Chemical pesticides and herbicides
American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children.
Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth.
Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides.
7. Conventional household cleaners
It’s important to look at the labels of household cleaners. Cleaners can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten hazardous products in the home.
Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners. Where to find them: You can find nontoxic cleaners in the National Green Pages. In addition, you can increasingly find nontoxic cleaners from Green America Business members and from a growing number of mainstream companies at your local supermarket or drugstore.
Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap.
8. Higher octane gas than you need
Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car.
Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner's manual
Best option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.
9. Toys made with PVC plastic
70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children’s toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children’s toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic.
Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as “PVC” or “#3.” Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don’t produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials.
Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children’s toys.
Find safe toys in the National Green Pages™ »
10. Plastic forks and spoons
Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas.
Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose.
Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers.
EU-Digest
Styrofoam is forever. It's not biodegradable.
Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups.
Best option: Invest in some reusable mugs that you can take with you.
2. Paper towels
Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money.
Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green Pages™ for recycled paper products.
Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse.
3. Bleached coffee filters
Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals.
Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters.
Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters.
4. Overpackaged foods and other products
Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging.
Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging.
Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping.
5. Teak and mahogany
Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth’s surface and are home to over half of the world’s wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world’s oxygen.
Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.
Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood.
Learn how to use Better Paper at home and in your office »
6. Chemical pesticides and herbicides
American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children.
Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth.
Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides.
7. Conventional household cleaners
It’s important to look at the labels of household cleaners. Cleaners can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten hazardous products in the home.
Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners. Where to find them: You can find nontoxic cleaners in the National Green Pages. In addition, you can increasingly find nontoxic cleaners from Green America Business members and from a growing number of mainstream companies at your local supermarket or drugstore.
Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap.
8. Higher octane gas than you need
Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car.
Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner's manual
Best option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.
9. Toys made with PVC plastic
70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children’s toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children’s toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic.
Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as “PVC” or “#3.” Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don’t produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials.
Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children’s toys.
Find safe toys in the National Green Pages™ »
10. Plastic forks and spoons
Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas.
Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose.
Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers.
EU-Digest
7/14/14
EU-US Trade negotiations: Germany emerges rightfully as most vocal opponent of potentially "bad" EU-US trade deal
 |
| "Say no to US-EU Trade Agreement" |
To the dismay of many in Brussels and Washington, Germans are now taking a very different view. That is putting Europe's biggest exporter in the unusual situation of becoming one of the most vocal opponents of what is advertised by the US as potentially the world's biggest trade deal.
Today European concerns about the threat to food and the environment have found their strongest voice in Germany, amplified by the country's influential Green party and anger at reports of US spying.
The difficulty of selling the benefits of a deal, which could generate - ( the US says, but nobody knows from which hat they pulled that information) - $100 billion a year in economic growth for both the EU and the United States, is a sign of the challenge for governments seeking to contain a growing hostility to the talks and the corporate influence in this potential deal.
"We do not want this sort of agreement," said Ska Keller, a 32-year-old Parliamentarian who gained prominence at home during European elections in May by putting the trade deal at the centre of her campaign. "I don't expect anything positive to come out of the negotiations," she told Reuters.
The trade deal is bad for Europe. It is advertised as creating more jobs and economic wealth, but nothing is said about where the wealth is going to and the uncontrolled power it is giving to tax evading multi-national corporations ( mainly American) and damage to the health of European citizens by allowing the consumption of genetically modified foods and the use of GM in agriculture and life-stock into this deal. Only five EU countries presently grow GM crops at all — Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia.
Speaking ahead of a protest in Dublin against GM foods on Saturday, an Irish official said that food standards are much higher in the EU than the US.
“You want trade between these countries but our standards are much higher than for the US. In the US the whole thing is run by multinational companies who are really only interested in the bottom line and money.
“The standard of food in Europe is much higher than it is there. My biggest concern would be is that you would have GM products all over the place and no body is going to know about it.
Political parties, focus groups, special interest groups throughout Europe should use every method at their disposal to stop this agreement from being adopted without major modifications, which includes removing corporate influence as part of the political process and decision making in administration this deal, establishing a permanent ban on the use of GM processes and products in the EU, and being far more specific in showing where and how new jobs will be produced and to whom and where the income generated will be going to.
In the case of the NAFTA agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico, similar optimistic predictions were made about economics and job creation, as are being made today in relation to this new potential EU-US trade deal, but the actual results of the NAFTA agreement have been dismal, except for multi-national corporations which are making out like bandits as a result of the corporate loopholes in that treaty.
EU-Digest
5/30/14
Environment: EU should support local solutions to Sub-Saharan droughts - by Roland Bunch.
As the EU continues work and investment in the conflict-stricken Mali,
supporting locally-evolved and adapted solutions can help solve one of
the sources of violence, food insecurity, writes Roland Bunch.
The road north from Segou, Mali, is a breathtaking experience: few other drives show how fertile farmland gradually turns into forbidding desert. The well-kept highway shoots through the Sahel, offering increasingly dry vistas. Segou’s maize fields are soon replaced by millet, which is more resistant to drought, then by thorny scrub. By the time you cross the Niger River at Timbuktu, you have officially entered the Sahara Desert. Nothing but sand and rock remains.
Today, Mali mostly evokes war. Al Qaeda’s push for southern Mali, stopped by French forces, had at least one effect which its commanders surely did not expect: the outside world has become acutely interested in the western Sahel. Large flows of fresh aid money, including 5 billion from the European Commission, have been pledged.
But as I was driving up that road in late 2011, militant Islamists were the last things on my mind. A drought had hit the country earlier that year – and that wasn’t supposed to happen.
The Sahel used to experience droughts roughly every ten years. There had been one in the mid 1970s, and then a terrible one in 1984-85 (that one prompted Bob Geldof to organise Live Aid). Other droughts came in 1994 and in 2003 – par for the course. But then things speeded up. Drought came in 2005 and 2009. Just two years later, we were experiencing yet another.
Over the centuries, the peoples of the Sahel have evolved complex customs to help them survive these occasional catastrophes. Tradition dictates that people must share their food with the least fortunate. Strict rules govern the use of water. Transgressions are harshly punished.
Read: EU should support local solutions to Sub-Saharan droughts | EurActiv
The road north from Segou, Mali, is a breathtaking experience: few other drives show how fertile farmland gradually turns into forbidding desert. The well-kept highway shoots through the Sahel, offering increasingly dry vistas. Segou’s maize fields are soon replaced by millet, which is more resistant to drought, then by thorny scrub. By the time you cross the Niger River at Timbuktu, you have officially entered the Sahara Desert. Nothing but sand and rock remains.
Today, Mali mostly evokes war. Al Qaeda’s push for southern Mali, stopped by French forces, had at least one effect which its commanders surely did not expect: the outside world has become acutely interested in the western Sahel. Large flows of fresh aid money, including 5 billion from the European Commission, have been pledged.
But as I was driving up that road in late 2011, militant Islamists were the last things on my mind. A drought had hit the country earlier that year – and that wasn’t supposed to happen.
The Sahel used to experience droughts roughly every ten years. There had been one in the mid 1970s, and then a terrible one in 1984-85 (that one prompted Bob Geldof to organise Live Aid). Other droughts came in 1994 and in 2003 – par for the course. But then things speeded up. Drought came in 2005 and 2009. Just two years later, we were experiencing yet another.
Over the centuries, the peoples of the Sahel have evolved complex customs to help them survive these occasional catastrophes. Tradition dictates that people must share their food with the least fortunate. Strict rules govern the use of water. Transgressions are harshly punished.
Read: EU should support local solutions to Sub-Saharan droughts | EurActiv
4/22/14
The Netherlands:- Environment: Most of us know we should live in a sustainable way. But it doesn't happen because we don't feel involved.
Most of us know we should live in a more environmentally sustainable
way. But it does not happen because we do not really feel involved.
How can policymakers change the way people think? This is what the InContext project, funded by the EU, hopes to answer. Leading European research institutions in the fields of transition, behaviour and sustainable development are trying to create a manual for change.
This manual should ultimately be developed into a so-called ‘Transition Theory’ that is, as yet, unproven. And this theory, in its turn, should make it possible to change people’s mindset. For example, towards living in a more environmental sustainable way.
A number of pilot projects have been initiated in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The idea was to put this theory to the test, to refine it and hopefully to prove it right. For example, in the Dutch city of Rotterdam a community centre in the neighbourhood of Carnisse was facing cutbacks. It was due to be closed down in January 2012. Drift, the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions, which is a project partner, took it upon itself to help the people of Carnisse save it.
Project leader Julia Whittmayer, researcher and consultant, and other colleagues of Drift invited residents to come up with ideas, and to present them in brain storming sessions. This resulted in a plan of action. This also gave people an opportunity to decide themselves how they could help.
It was expected that this process would provide inspiring examples from amongst the residents of Carnisse to motivate others to spring into action. Thus they would ultimately make a ‘bigger noise’ and save the community center. But to Whittmayer’s dismay, many preferred “to be told what to do!” instead.
It might be true that inspiring examples can help change. But it is just as true that some people rather want to be told what to do, according to behavioural psychologist Max Mulder, who is a market researcher at the Dutch consultancy called Beautiful Lives, based in Hilversum.
Read more: Most of us know we should live in a sustainable way. But it doesn't happen because we don't feel involved.
How can policymakers change the way people think? This is what the InContext project, funded by the EU, hopes to answer. Leading European research institutions in the fields of transition, behaviour and sustainable development are trying to create a manual for change.
This manual should ultimately be developed into a so-called ‘Transition Theory’ that is, as yet, unproven. And this theory, in its turn, should make it possible to change people’s mindset. For example, towards living in a more environmental sustainable way.
A number of pilot projects have been initiated in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The idea was to put this theory to the test, to refine it and hopefully to prove it right. For example, in the Dutch city of Rotterdam a community centre in the neighbourhood of Carnisse was facing cutbacks. It was due to be closed down in January 2012. Drift, the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions, which is a project partner, took it upon itself to help the people of Carnisse save it.
Project leader Julia Whittmayer, researcher and consultant, and other colleagues of Drift invited residents to come up with ideas, and to present them in brain storming sessions. This resulted in a plan of action. This also gave people an opportunity to decide themselves how they could help.
It was expected that this process would provide inspiring examples from amongst the residents of Carnisse to motivate others to spring into action. Thus they would ultimately make a ‘bigger noise’ and save the community center. But to Whittmayer’s dismay, many preferred “to be told what to do!” instead.
It might be true that inspiring examples can help change. But it is just as true that some people rather want to be told what to do, according to behavioural psychologist Max Mulder, who is a market researcher at the Dutch consultancy called Beautiful Lives, based in Hilversum.
Read more: Most of us know we should live in a sustainable way. But it doesn't happen because we don't feel involved.
12/9/13
Netherlands: Fracking - Dutch Town Gives Up on Fossil Fuels
A town in the Netherlands is making history by becoming the first to in Europe to definitively cut ties with fossil fuels companies in a move the industry hopes isn’t going to turn into a Europe-wide trend.
A local court in the Dutch town of Boxtel has raised the stakes for fossil fuels in Europe, ruling against an earlier decision to allow test-drilling for shale, while officials say the town will divest shares in some 200 fossil fuels companies.
Boxtel is a small town in the south of the country and only one of three others where shale exploration was being considered. In August, local authorities asked the court to withdraw the shale gas exploration license of UK-based Cuadrilla, saying too little was known about the potential environmental and health effects of fracking.
The Dutch government was hoping to begin test-drilling in Boxtel and two other locations in the second half of 2014, and had issued a report in August suggesting that risks associated with fracking could be managed under existing laws.
But the local court agrees with the municipal authorities.
In September, Boxtel became one of the first of 100 municipalities to temporarily ban fracking pending further research into the potential impacts. The temporary ban—a minimum of 18 months--came after Dutch bank Rabobank announced it would not lend money to businesses involved in shale gas extraction due to the environmental risks involved.
Read more: Dutch Town Gives Up on Fossil Fuels
A local court in the Dutch town of Boxtel has raised the stakes for fossil fuels in Europe, ruling against an earlier decision to allow test-drilling for shale, while officials say the town will divest shares in some 200 fossil fuels companies.
Boxtel is a small town in the south of the country and only one of three others where shale exploration was being considered. In August, local authorities asked the court to withdraw the shale gas exploration license of UK-based Cuadrilla, saying too little was known about the potential environmental and health effects of fracking.
The Dutch government was hoping to begin test-drilling in Boxtel and two other locations in the second half of 2014, and had issued a report in August suggesting that risks associated with fracking could be managed under existing laws.
But the local court agrees with the municipal authorities.
In September, Boxtel became one of the first of 100 municipalities to temporarily ban fracking pending further research into the potential impacts. The temporary ban—a minimum of 18 months--came after Dutch bank Rabobank announced it would not lend money to businesses involved in shale gas extraction due to the environmental risks involved.
Read more: Dutch Town Gives Up on Fossil Fuels
8/22/13
Poland on collision course with Brussels over ‘illegal’ coal plant
The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has said that he will build the €2.7 billion units in Opole, even though they have not been assessed for CCS-readiness, as required by an EU directive that Warsaw currently faces infringement proceedings for defying.
Any Polish success in facing down Brussels on the issue could affect the fate of other European climate laws which the country has not ratified, such as the renewable energy and emissions trading directives.
Jo Leinen, a Socialist (S&D) MEP, told EurActiv that the proposed build at Opole was “illegal” and should not take place without adequate modern standards for climate protection.
“It is very urgent that the Commission gets active and puts some pressure on the Polish authorities to follow EU rules,” he said. “Opole is a test case for whether our policies are valid or existing only on paper.”
Leinen and five other MEPs from five political groups last month tabled parliamentary questions on the issue to the EU's climate action commissioner, Connie Hedegaard.
Emissions from Opole are expected to top 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 55 years and could prevent Poland from meeting its target of generating 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, according to a study by the Polish Climate Coalition (PCC).
Read more: Poland on collision course with Brussels over ‘illegal’ coal plant | EurActiv
Any Polish success in facing down Brussels on the issue could affect the fate of other European climate laws which the country has not ratified, such as the renewable energy and emissions trading directives.
Jo Leinen, a Socialist (S&D) MEP, told EurActiv that the proposed build at Opole was “illegal” and should not take place without adequate modern standards for climate protection.
“It is very urgent that the Commission gets active and puts some pressure on the Polish authorities to follow EU rules,” he said. “Opole is a test case for whether our policies are valid or existing only on paper.”
Leinen and five other MEPs from five political groups last month tabled parliamentary questions on the issue to the EU's climate action commissioner, Connie Hedegaard.
Emissions from Opole are expected to top 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 55 years and could prevent Poland from meeting its target of generating 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, according to a study by the Polish Climate Coalition (PCC).
Read more: Poland on collision course with Brussels over ‘illegal’ coal plant | EurActiv
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