EU-US Relations: The Total Failure of the Militarization of U.S. Foreign Policy and the consequences for the EU - by RM

The fall of the Soviet Union handed the U.S. a unique opportunity, as the surviving superpower, to lead the world toward a period of greater cooperation and conflict resolution through the use of diplomacy, global organization, and international law. This great opportunity to change US foreign policy doctrine was completely squandered by successive US presidents, who chose "the stick above the carrot" and consequently making the world a more dangerous place today.

The differences between the foreign policies of the EU, based on cooperation, trade , the environment,and Human Rights, and that of the United States became especially aparent during the Trump Administration, when Europe started staking out separate, clashing positions, on everything, from telecommunications to energy. The EU and US both issued sharp disagreements on the basic building blocks of foreign relations—namely, how the international system should work. French President Emmanuel Macron seized the spotlight, and sent the hearts of European federalists aflutter, by calling for “a European way” while raising the possibility of a French-led European nuclear deterrent, a precondition for any true independence from the United States.

If opinion polls are to go by, we are already separated. Nowhere is this felt more acutely than in Germany, the most important country in Europe. In January, Pew Research released a poll showing that 57 percent of Germans hold an outright unfavorable view of the United States. A few months earlier, in September, the European Council on Foreign Relations reported that 70 percent of Germans want their country to remain neutral in any conflict between Moscow and Washington.

For some European, Anglo-Saxon capitalism is seen as ruthless and rootless, mowing down the social order in the service of individual greed. For others, the United States’ dominance of the West breeds resentment, especially in an era of globalization, when even the slightest shocks from across the Atlantic hit the EU's bottom line or derail its diplomacy.

With the US Biden Administration in charge soon, the overall relationship between the two Transatlanic Super Power partners certainly will get off to a better start, but the US administration must certainly not expect that the status quo is re-established. Take note America, your former "lap dog" now considers itself an independent partner with its own voice.

EU-Digest

The Netherlands: 100 million trees to be planted in the Netherlands by 2030

Last winter,1,6 million trees were planted - double the amount that were planted in previous years - as the first step of the new 10-year plan. Trees will be planted by State Forest Management (Staatsbosbeheer) and provinces and organisations across the country in an effort to combat climate change and keep CO2 levels under control.

The plans for winter 2020 will see State Forest Management plant 200 hectares of forest, with 500 hectares planted every winter thereafter. For context: 500 hectares amounts to approximately two million trees. The organisation hopes to plant 5.000 hectares of new forest by 2030.

Read more at:
100 million trees to be planted in the Netherlands by 2030

The Netherlands will give citizens up to Euro 4,000 ($4,400) for buying new electric vehicles

The Netherlands will support greener forms of transport this year by giving drivers money towards the cost of a new electric vehicle (EV). This goes for private buyers of both new and used cars.
 

According to a report from Dutch news organization RTL

 if you live in the Netherlands and buy a new electric car after July 1 this year, you could receive €4,000 ($4,425) towards its cost from the government. If you buy a used, second-hand EV, you could be eligible for €2,000 ($2,211).

Click here to check out the listing and prices of electric cars in the Netherlands
 

Read more at: The Netherlands will give citizens up to $4,400 for buying new electric vehicles

The Netherlands: Dutch economy growing greener

As reported in Statistics Netherlands’ latest publication Green Growth in the Netherlands 2015, the Dutch economy has become ‘greener’ over the past 15 years. Out of the six different themes structured around green growth, progress has been made on five themes. For example, environmental efficiency in the economy is improving, although compared to other European countries the Netherlands obtains a relatively low score on this theme.

Green growth is measured by using a framework of environmental and economic indicators as defined by the OECD. Within this framework, six themes were identified: environmental efficiency, raw material efficiency, natural resources, environmental quality, green policy instruments and economic opportunities. These themes cover a total of 36 indicators.

Over the period 2000-2014, the Netherlands made headway on 22 of the indicators while it retreated on 8. As a result, improvement rather than deterioration can be seen on five out of six themes. In spite of this advance, the Netherlands is in the bottom half of the European ranking on four out of the six themes, and its position has not improved in recent years. Other countries, too, are putting less economic pressure on the environment than in the past.

Read more at: Dutch economy growing greener

Status of the Globe: Scientists say the future for Earth is even more bleak than originally thought - by Richard Hartley-Parkinson

Is the party over ?

A prophetic ‘Warning to Humanity’ giving notice of perils facing the Earth has been issued by more than 15,000 scientists from around the world.

The message, posted online, updates an original Warning from the Union of Concerned Scientists and around 1,700 signatories delivered in 1992.

Today, the global scientific community’s view of the future is even more bleak.

Apart from the hole in the ozone layer, which has now been stabilised, every one of the major threats identified in 1992 has worsened.

Runaway consumption of precious resources by an exploding population remains the biggest danger facing humankind, say the scientists.

They urge ‘scientists, media influencers and lay citizens’ to put pressure on governments to reverse the trend.

A host of environmental calamities are highlighted in the warning notice, including catastrophic climate change, deforestation, mass species extinction, ocean ‘dead zones’, and lack of access to fresh water.

Writing in the online international journal BioScience, the scientists led by top US ecologist Professor William Ripple, from Oregon State University, said: ‘Humanity is now being given a second notice …
We are jeopardising our future by not reining in our intense but geographically and demographically uneven material consumption and by not perceiving continued rapid population growth as a primary driver behind many ecological and even societal threats.

‘By failing to adequately limit population growth, reassess the role of an economy rooted in growth, reduce greenhouse gases, incentivise renewable energy, protect habitat, restore ecosystems, curb pollution, halt defaunation, and constrain invasive alien species, humanity is not taking the urgent steps needed to safeguard our imperilled biosphere.’

In their original warning, scientists including most of the world’s Nobel Laureates argued that human impacts on the natural world were likely to lead to ‘vast human misery’.

The new notice, written as an open-letter ‘viewpoint’ article, won the support of 15,364 scientists from 184 countries who agreed to offer their names as signatories.

The authors drew on data from government agencies, non-profit organisations and individual researchers to set out their case that environmental impacts were likely to inflict ‘substantial and irreversible harm’ to the Earth.

Prof Ripple said: ‘Those who signed this second warning aren’t just raising a false alarm. They are acknowledging the obvious signs that we are heading down an unsustainable path.

‘We are hoping that our paper will ignite a widespread public debate about the global environment and climate.’

Progress had been made in some areas – such as cutting ozone-depleting chemicals, and increasing energy generated from renewable sources – but this was far outweighed by the damaging trends, said the scientists.

They pointed out that in the past 25 years:

•     The amount of fresh water available per head of population worldwide has reduced by 26%.
•     The number of ocean ‘dead zones’ – places where little can live because of pollution and oxygen starvation – has increased by 75%.
•     Nearly 300 million acres of forest have been lost, mostly to make way for agricultural land.
•     Global carbon emissions and average temperatures have shown continued significant increases.
•     Human population has risen by 35 per cent.
•     Collectively the number of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish in the world has fallen by 29 per cent.

Prof Ripple and his colleagues have formed a new independent organisation called the Alliance of World Scientists to voice concerns about environmental sustainability and the fate of humanity.

Source: : Scientists say the future for Earth is even more bleak than originally thought | Metro News

The Environment: Temperatures Skyrocket in Arctic, Prompt Desperate 'Refreeze' Plan

Temperature readings near the North Pole soared to 50 degrees F above average on Friday, as a storm pushed warm air into the Arctic region.

This is the third such worryingly warm period this winter and sea ice figures released last week show the lowest January ice extent in satellite record—nearly 500,000 square miles below average.

The situation in the region is so alarming that a team of scientists from Arizona State University have published a plan to "refreeze" the Arctic in the American Geophysical Union's journal Earth's Future.

The fact that the $500 billion plan, which would use millions of wind pumps to circulate colder water to the surface of the ice, is even being discussed "reveals just how desperately worried researchers have become about the Arctic," reported the Guardian.

Read more: Temperatures Skyrocket in Arctic, Prompt Desperate 'Refreeze' Plan

The Environment: Air pollution in Europe uis getting worse says European Environment Agency

According to the World Health Organisation, this is now the environmental factor causing the greatest concern for our health. The European Environment Agency states that around 90% of the urban population in Europe is exposed to pollutants which are considered to be harmful.

“This hike in pollution is partly due to the increased emissions caused by more heating being used to combat cooler temperatures,” explains weather forecaster Lionel Guiseppin. “Also, other contributing sources of pollution are traffic and manufacturing. These factors combine to create an accumulation of pollution. “

The European Union is trying to find solutions to this dangerous threat. A directive governing national emissions levels has been issued (the PEN directive) and the EU has also set limits, for the first time, on the ambient concentrations of fine particles.

On a national scale, each member state has taken emergency measures to limit the harmful effects.

Many European towns, especially in France, have reduced the speed limit in built up areas from 50 to 30 km per hour. The aim is to encourage the use of bicycles. The introduction of the ruling concerning alternate number plates, although quite efficient, has caused problems for public transport.

“I think it’s a good thing but at the same time it is a bit of a pain,” says French commuter Laurice Harrow. “As it’s free today, people are no longer using their cars but the trains are full and we no longer have any space, it’s a real pain.”

The second solution offered by Public Authorities is to ban vehicles with a high level of pollution. In Germany, ignoring this directive can lead to a fine of up to 40 euros while in Sweden, drivers may have to pay 113 euros. In London, the fines are higher still and can reach approximately 1200 euros for heavy goods vehicles.

Whilst waiting for the benefits of these solutions to take effect, some citizens have already taken measures. Anti-pollution masks are slowly but surely infiltrating the large European towns.

Read more: Air pollution in Europe

The Netherlands, US, Switzerland: The Down-to-Earth Solution to Climate Change - by Ken Roseborro

Research conducted by the Rodale Institute in the U.S., the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Switzerland and the Louis Bolk Institute in the Netherlands has found that organic farming methods are
effective at removing carbon dioxide (CO2)—the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change—from the atmosphere.

The Carbon Underground is coordinating global research to demonstrate the potential of sustainable agriculture and land management to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change.

Read more: The Down-to-Earth Solution to Climate Change

Switzerland votes a narrow 'yes' to cap EU immigration - and shoot themselves in the foot

Switzerland has voted 50.3 percent in favor of limiting annual migration from the EU, thus ending the policy of free movement within the bloc that was established in 2002.

Swiss voters narrowly decided that immigration quotas would be reintroduced, thereby overturning the free movement policy introduced in the European Union 12 years ago. Early results showed the country to be very divided in opinion over the 'Stop mass immigration’ initiative.

‘Stop mass immigration’ was introduced by the nationalist Swiss People's Party (SVP). Its goal is to introduce annual quotas on the number of foreign workers entering the country. The SVP currently has 54 seats in the Federal Assembly, and its vote share of 29% in the 2007 Federal Council election was the highest vote ever recorded for a single party in Switzerland. The SVP opposes governmental measures for environmental protection.. The Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher. 

The SVP adheres to national conservatism, aiming at the preservation of Switzerland's political sovereignty and a conservative society. Furthermore, the party promotes the principle of individual responsibility and is skeptical toward any expansion of governmental services. This stance is most evident in the rejection of an accession of Switzerland to the European Union, the rejection of military involvement abroad, and the rejection of increases in government spending on social welfare and education.

The emphasis of the party's policies lie in foreign policy, immigration and homeland security policy as well as tax and social welfare policy. Among political opponents, the SVP has gained a reputation as a party that maintains a hard-line stance. Most memorable negative of the party is that it denied to condemn Fascism.

Final count: Yes 50.3%(1,463,954 votes) No 49.7%(1,444,438) Turnout: 56.5% 

The result will likely vex multinational companies based there; Roche, Novartis, UBS, and other industry giants frequently utilize foreign labor.

According to the latest data, 23 percent of the country’s eight million inhabitants are foreigners – the second largest proportion in Europe after Luxembourg.

Many fear the initiative would have a negative impact on the economy, which relies on foreign workers for progress and a competitive edge.

Italians and Germans reportedly comprise the largest contingent of immigrants to Switzerland, most of whom seek work in IT, healthcare, and financial sectors.

Severin Schwan, Austrian CEO of Roche Pharmaceuticals, said about half of the employees at the research and development site in Basel, Switzerland are foreigners.

EU-Digest

Almere - the environment: Using sheep instead of grass mowers

Sheep instead of lawn mowers?

Starting today a herd of some 300 sheep will take over from the gas guzzling and noisy grass mowers in Almere Harbor ( Almere Haven) to keep all public "green" areas trimmed and proper during a three year trial period.

The local city council says they believe this is an environmentally friendly way to keep public grass areas not only trimmed, but also to protect certain plant species, which sheep don't eat, from extinction.

The Council also expressed the hope that the grazing sheep will create additional interest among the local inhabitants as to the ecology and wildlife surrounding them.

Almere-Digest