Simon
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Monica Frassoni, José Bové, Rebecca Harms and Ska Keller are the four contenders in the Green Primary. Read the article: Choose the two green leading candidates for European Elections -
Choose the two green leading candidates for European Elections
Simon posted a article in Business & Politics
The European Green Party, which is a transnational political party consisting of 40 green parties from throughout the European Union, are asking you to choose the two green leading candidates for the upcoming European Elections which are held between 22 and 25 May this year. This is the first ever Europe-wide online election for a parliamentary group in the European parliament. José Bové, Monica Frassoni, Rebecca Harms and Ska Keller are the four contenders in the Green Primary and have participated in live-chats and debates in several European cities, such as Berlin, Prague and London. All four of them are green politicians from across the EU who want to represent the Greens on a European level in the European elections 2014. Before they become contenders of the Green Primary, they were nominated by their national Green party and their candidacy had to be supported by at least four Green parties from across the EU. In an effort to counteract declining trust in the EU, the European Greens wants to give people a stronger voice in European decision-making. And they see the Green Primary as a way to reinvigorate European democracy. “This is an important step in European democracy,” EGP Co-Chair Reinhard Bütikofer MEP said. “Amidst the declining trust in EU institutions, we need new ideas. The Greens are the first to invite citizens to select our two leading candidates in an open Europe-wide online primary. Our innovative e-democracy project promotes the idea of giving Europe back to the people.” Voting ends tomorrow (Janurary 28) at 18:00 CET. So if you are an EU citizen, over the age of 16, and you share “the values, goals and work of the European Green Party” you can help choose the two leading candidates for the European Green Party. To vote, just go to www.greenprimary.eu and register. You will need an email address and a mobile phone. You can also vote with your smartphone or tablet. The contender with the highest number of votes will be elected. The second winner will be the person with the next highest number of votes who is from another national list to ensure that the two leading candidates represent different parts of Europe. Meet the four candidates: Rebecca Harms My political work began in 1975 in the German anti-nuclear movement. As Co-Chair of the Greens/EFA Group in the EU Parliament, I have always fought hard for our ideals and aims. The continuing dispute over energy transition and climate protection tells me that we Greens, being a relatively small party, need not just passion, but a lot of patience for our big ideas. This also applies to Europe. We want and we need to take new steps on the path towards political union. We need passion and patience to regain the trust of the people for this idea. In our European campaign, I want to speak out against shortsighted policies and campaign for sustainability, solidarity and a good quality of life. Learn more about Rebecca Harms. Ska Keller I grew up in the Eastern Bloc, but have lived Europe for as long as I can remember. Anti-racism and internationalism became guiding principles as I worked on cross-border solidarity in my home on the Polish border. Young Greens and Green Parties of Europe spoke to this in a way that never quietened, but still calls me today. For our shared environment, for a united Europe of peace and freedom, capable of facing social, economic and international challenges, for the things that hold us together. A Europe of solidarity of generations and regions; for all people, against austerity. With your support, I will campaign in all parts of Europe to convince people that now is the time to vote green. Learn more about Ska Keller. José Bové Member of the European Parliament since 2009, I am first of all, a farmer of the world. On the Larzac, where I milked sheep for years, I struggled to save my land against the army. From Seattle to Porto Alegre, with NGOs, I claimed that our world is not for sale! Since 1970, when my opposition to nuclear power started, my life has been guided by ecology. I fought GMO with civil disobedience and ended up in jail, but in the end, we secured their banning. Years of mobilisation forced the French government to ban fracking. With the Greens, I am ready to be one of the 2 leading candidates for 2014 for an ecological Europe, the only subversive dream which empowers citizens and protect our planet. Learn more about José Bové. Monica Frassoni To restore our self-confidence and have a positive influence on world affairs, we have to transform the next EP Elections into a real competition. We must do it noisily by stirring controversies and debates with the other parties, by mobilising our members and finding new support. We have to convince citizens that they have a say in EU affairs and that, unless they speak up, EU will split again. If they don't, we will not solve the crisis and our collective irrelevance will be inevitable. My decision to run in this Primary stems from an ambition to participate in a team with the other contenders to make our proposals visible and credible across the EU, well ahead of the EU elections. Learn more about Monica Frassoni. -
It's cold outside, so CNN debates climate change
Simon replied to Green Blog's topic in Climate Change
This is a perfect example of lazy journalism. -
From the album: Random images
From: -
Only a day after legislators and hundreds of farmers from parched districts in Northern California and the Central Valley rallied on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento, Jerry Brown, Governor of California, made an emergency declaration. "We are in an unprecedented, very serious situation," Brown said while calling on Californians to cut their water consumption by 20%. The now three-year long drought has forced cities to cut water use and may leave farmers no choice but to stop planting some crops. Read the article: Governor declares drought emergency in California
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Video China losing appetite for shark fin delicacy
Simon posted a topic in Wildlife and Biodiversity
China appears to be losing its appetite for shark fin, a popular delicacy served at state functions, weddings and business dinners as a sign of wealth and prosperity. A government ban on the controversial delicacy at state banquets and official functions last year is now being adopted by restaurants and hotels. Scientists estimate 100 million sharks were killed for their fins last year earning the trade more than a billion dollars. Al Jazeera's '>Craig Leeson reports from Beijing. Watch the video: -
What kind of experiences made you change your mind?
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West Virginia Chemical Spill; too much time without doing nothing
Simon commented on Mark Piazzalunga's blog entry in The Ecologist Square
Nice post Mark, I've featured it! Here are some friendly tips on how you can make your post even better (and more likely to get featured again): References are important! Add links to news sites, Wikipedia entries, blog posts, etc., that supports the claims you make in your article. Everyone likes photos! So add an Entry image next time. Tags, tags, and more tags! Different categories for your posts are also useful. -
I think you should increase the size of your text, otherwise it's pretty hard to read your post.
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Hello mikegreaves, welcome to Green Blog! :)
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Thank you very much Simon, hope we will connect and do great job.
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Meanwhile here in Scandinavia... Jokes aside, extreme weather is becoming the norm and people and animals are hurting and even dying because of it.
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From the album: Random images
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Hello Rose and welcome to the community!
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I think you are spot on there by linking the deforestation in the Amazon to the global market and the demand for resources from rich industrial cities. It's all about an ecological unequal exchange and historical responsibility. I am not defending the massive destruction of precious rainforest, but one shouldn't forget about the large-scale clearings of European forests a few centuries ago. Deforestation in Europe due to the smelters alone, was approximately 15,000 to 20,000 acres of forest per year. Or 1.1-1.5 million acres between 1450 and 1525. In North America the deforestation was later on done in an even greater extent, and the industrial forest and products industry reached its peak. Timber was transported thousands of miles and over 153 million acres of forest was cut down. Additional 304 million acres were carved also down to make way for agriculture (source p.116-117, 126). I think this quote by Brazil’s former President Lula is a good one. He said in 2007 that “the wealthy countries are very smart, approving protocols, holding big speeches on the need to avoid deforestation, but they already deforested everything." If you want to learn more about globalization and the environment I recommend reading Rethinking Environmental History: World-System History and Global Environmental Change.
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It's a disaster alright! Over 300 000 people without any clean water. And the extent of the damages are still unclear. And no one knows yet how long it will take before people can drink water again. "This could be a matter of hours for some communities, and for other it could be a matter of days," Al Jazeera correspondent Jonathan Martin reported from Charleston.
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Interesting device. Just a couple of questions: It looks pretty big in the video, how big is it? Is it possible to move it around and direct the stream of water? Besides creating awareness, does it have any other water saving features? How is the led readout powered?
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It sounds like you are prepared for the worst! What kind of items and supplies do you think a city-dweller such as myself should stash? Do you have any good recommendations?
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I don't think one can blame the Sahara desert on mankind. The climate and environment in that region has seen enormous natural changes and variations over the last few hundred thousand years. But history does show how mankind have contributed to desertification around the edges of Sahara. Around 2000 years ago, during the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, one can see how large sections of North Africa, which back then served as crucial granaries for the Romans, were reduced to deserts. A growing demand for food led to soil degradation and the production got extended to ever more marginal lands. Forests on steep hillsides were cut down to make room for cultivation which exposed the soil and made it vulnerable to harsh weather elements which easily eroded the precious soil and left the earth desolated. Overgrazing also interfered with the natural replacement of pasture when herbs, seeds and grasses were destroyed. This destruction caused severe and chronic food shortages which in turn contributed to a drop in the population and the weakening of the empire. The erosion caused by all this was so severe that you can still see the effects of it today. All the former great cities in Rome's former North African provinces are now in ruins and surrounded by vast deserts. It's fascinating, as well as scary, to see how the fall of the great Roman Empire can, to a considerable extent, be traced back to environmental destruction. If you are interested in learning more I really recommend The Vulnerable Planet by John Bellamy Foster. It's an excellent book that takes a look on the economic history of the environment.
