Dutch earthquakes: Oil giants facing more legal action

Oil giants Shell and Exxon Mobil are facing a new legal battle with residents of a province in the Netherlands.

Earthquakes, said to be caused by drilling for gas, have wrecked hundreds of homes.

The people of Groningen are demanding the government take more action to limit gas production.

Read more: Dutch earthquakes: Oil giants facing more legal action | Netherlands 2017 News | Al Jazeera

Sustainable Energy: Netherlands One Of Least Sustainable EU Countries. How Did The Dutch Get Their fake Green Image?

The Netherlands is the country where all passenger trains are powered by wind energy, where your groceries can be delivered by all-electric vans, and where people cycle over solar bike lanes, so the Dutch must be sustainability champions, right? Absolutely not.

The fact of the matter is that the Dutch are not, not even close. Compared to its fellow EU member states, the Netherlands comes in at an embarrassingly low 26th position in terms of the share of renewables in the energy mix. In 2014, 5.5% of the Netherlands’ energy was generated sustainably.

Out of the 28 EU countries, only Malta (4.7%) and Luxembourg (4.5%) performed worse. But those have very few inhabitants and small territories, Luxembourg being a landlocked city-state and Malta a densely populated island with a much lower per capita income than the Dutch.

By other measures, the Netherlands is not doing any better. In a 2015 report by the European Energy Agency, the Netherlands was found to be the only EU member state who was not on track for reaching the EU-wide targets set under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which is the European Commission’s program for ensuring the EU as a whole will reach 20% renewable energy by 2020 and 27% by 2030. According to the same report, the Netherlands is falling increasingly behind, as a year before there were still several other countries that were below their trajectory for reaching the RED targets.

The targets themselves are different for each member state, depending on what can “realistically” be achieved from the nation’s starting position. As depicted below, the Dutch target is already substantially under the 20% average.

Read more: Netherlands One Of Least Sustainable EU Countries. How Did The Dutch Get Their Green Image? | CleanTechnica

Denmark in the top ten of world’s best counties to be an immigrant Nordic neighbour Sweden in first place - by by Ray W

Denmark and its Nordic cousins are some of the best countries in the world to be an immigrant, according to a study complied by U.S. News and World Report.

The study looked at measures such as economic stability, income equality and job markets to create its list, using a survey of the opinions of more than 21,000 people from all walks of life.

Nordic Sweep: Sweden was number one, but Norway, Finland and Denmark also took places in the top 10, largely due to favourable perceptions about their economies and commitment to income equality.

Read more: Denmark in the top ten of world’s best counties to be an immigrant Nordic neighbour Sweden in first place

European Health: Majority of Europeans face risk of Cancer because of Alcohol Abuse – by Sarantis Michalopoulos

A new report has linked alcohol consumption in the EU to an increase in cases of digestive cancer and warned policymakers to take immediate action.

According to the World Health Organisation, some 3.3 million deaths around the world – 5.9% of all premature deaths – result from the harmful use of alcohol each year. Europe has the highest consumption rate of alcohol worldwide.

United European Gastroenterology (UEG) published a report last week, warning that the alarming alcohol consumption in Europe is linked to a rise in digestive cancers.

The report gathered the opinions of leading European digestive cancer specialists and focused on the impact of alcohol on this type of cancer.

UEG President Michael Manns stressed that despite the EU’s efforts to tackle the impact of alcohol on health, consumption remains higher than in the rest of the world and simultaneously, the incidence of alcohol-related digestive cancers is on the rise.

“We urgently require a focused multi-dimensional approach from policy and decision makers to dramatically increase public and healthcare professional awareness of the dangers of alcohol […] and strategies to reduce alcohol intake and the resulting incidence of digestive cancers,” Manns emphasised.

EU citizens consume an average of two alcoholic drinks per day. According to the report, drinkers face a 21% increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, in addition to other digestive cancers.

The survey found that all EU countries had a ‘moderate’ average daily intake of alcoholic drinks, meaning between one and four drinks per day. “This places these citizens at a heightened risk of both colorectal and oesophageal cancer,” the report stressed.

Regarding ‘heavy’ drinkers or those who consume four or more drinks per day, the report stressed they were found to be at an increased risk of pancreatic, liver and gastric cancer.

Read more: Majority of Europeans face risk of digestive cancers due to alcohol, report claims – EURACTIV.com

Car Industry: Dutch authority suspects emissions fraud in Suzuki car - by Peter Teffer

Dutch car type-approval authority RDW said in a report, out on Monday (10 July), that “it seems” a Suzuki diesel passenger car with a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) engine contained “an illegal defeat device”.

RDW said it is suspected that the Suzuki Vitara has an emissions control system and its effectiveness is dependant on the amount of time the engine is running – something the Dutch authority called “impermissible”.

 

Read more: Dutch authority suspects emissions fraud in Suzuki car

Britain - Saudi Arabia Relations: Hypocrisies abound as report highlights Saudi links to UK extremism

While Saudi Arabia accuses Qatar of aiding extremism, a think tank report released Wednesday said Riyadh was funding hardline Islamism in the UK. But with the British government refusing to release its own report, immediate answers seem unlikely.

Read more:Hypocrisies abound as report highlights Saudi links to UK extremism - France 24

G20: US contributes nothing positive to G20: "communique exposes divide with U.S. on climate policy" - by P. Carrel and N. Barkin

The final statement from Group of 20 leaders on Saturday exposed a divide between the United States and other G20 members on the Paris accord aimed at combating climate change.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hosting the two-day G20 summit, said she was pleased all club members besides the United States had agreed the Paris climate accord was irreversible.

"I think it's very clear that we could not reach consensus, but the differences were not papered over, they were clearly stated," Merkel told reporters at the end of the two-day meeting.

She said she did not share the view of British Prime Minister Theresa May who said on Friday she thought Washington could decide to return to the climate agreement.

In the final communique, the G20 leaders took note of the United States' decision to withdraw from the landmark accord.

"The leaders of the other G20 members state that the Paris Agreement is irreversible," the statement read.

On trade, another sticking point, the leaders agreed they would "fight protectionism including all unfair trade practices and recognize the role of legitimate trade defense instruments in this regard."

Trump, who on Friday found chemistry in his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, congratulated Merkel on her stewardship of the summit.

"You have been amazing and you have done a fantastic job. Thank you very much chancellor," he said.

Read more: G20 communique exposes divide with U.S. on climate policy | Reuters