Save our planet Archives: May 2008

  • Green Cities: More local answers to global problems, please!

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    Rating: 4.6/5 with 5 votes

    Published Friday, May 30, 2008 at 16:09
    by Editor in Save our planet (528 views and 1 comments)

     

    Claudio Martini, member of the PES Group in the CoR (Committee of the Regions) and President of the Tuscany Region in Italy, put forward his priorities for the PES manifesto! For him climate change is the most challenging topic to be addressed.

    Which of the sessions of the PES Group meeting are you looking most forward to?

    Claudio Martini (CM): In my opinion climate change is the biggest challenge for government right now and that’s why I am particularly interested in the debate on Save our planet. There is no doubt that we will face very serious problems in the future. I think it is highly important that we not only focus on the environmental problems caused by climate change, but also on the social, economic and geopolitical issues which will follow. Often environmental questions are seen as separate from other political areas, when they are really not. For every policy we need an environmental dimension.

    What is the most important thing local government can do to improve the environment?

    CM: Local and regional governments play an important role when it comes to solving... » read more ...

    Tags: climate change, environment


  • Thoughts on Save our Planet

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    Rating: 4.6/5 with 5 votes

    Published Friday, May 30, 2008 at 12:20
    by jose reis santos Join PES activists in Save our planet (389 views and 0 comments)

    The consultation process is close to an end and PES Portuguese activists will hold two meetings on the “Save our Planet” and “Democracy and Diversity” themes this weekend!

    Paulo Pisco (PS International department) presented some of his ideas on climate change in Sofia, Bulgaria. Check them here!

     

    Tags: blogger of the week, climate change


  • Socialists debate about proposals to be delivered on climate change in Stockholm, Sweden

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    Published Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 15:40
    by Editor in Save our planet (364 views and 0 comments)

    As we mentioned in one of our last posts, the theme “Save our Planet” of the PES manifesto was discussed in Stockholm, Sweden, with an extremely positive outcome! The purpose, obviously, was to add input to the manifesto2009 for the European Elections of June next year

    Fighting climate change with the right attitude

    The seminar on “Leading the fight against climate change: a new European green growth agenda” was held on the 23 May at the headquarters of the SAP, the Swedish social-democratic party.

    Mona Sahlin, SAP party leader and PES manifesto theme leader on “Save Our Planet”, opened the seminar by saying that “problems in our society don’t disappear only wanting to, but taking... » read more ...

    Tags: climate change, transport


  • Into the future ... and Beyond

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    Published Monday, May 26, 2008 at 15:11
    by Duncan Anderson Join PES activists in Save our planet (306 views and 0 comments)

    Sweden's new social democratic modelOkay, so maybe Buzz Lighyear didn't say that, but he might have if he had to write a political manifesto.

    When I helped write the local government manifesto for North Lincolnshire Labour Party I was emphatic about putting in something for the future, in fact many things for the future. This included policies that wouldn't come to fruition until the term after the one we were campaigning to win and consultations that we could turn into policies in the following term.

    Hopefully this gives the electorate a belief in a brighter future with which they have some ownership - and I do believe that we should be looking at the Swedish Socialist principle of helping the electorate of Europe have ownership of policies.

    Most of these longer term items/policies are big issues or because they are big issues it will take longer for them to be resolved. But if we - European Socialists - don't make a start &/or an attempt then how can we - as a political party - claim to be leaders within... » read more ...

    Tags: agriculture, fisheries


  • Zita Gurmai: PES manifesto debate in Hungarian

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    Rating: 4.7/5 with 3 votes

    Published Friday, May 23, 2008 at 11:23
    by Zita_Gurmai Join PES activists in Save our planet (334 views and 0 comments)

    I represent the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) in the European Parliament. MSZP took the PES manifesto consultation very seriously. We have had a series of debates in the country-side of Hungary and invited our activists for an online consultation in their own language, thanks to Edit Herczog, a colleague of mine in the European Parliament who took the leading in the MSZP presidium. I think the Internet is a very important means for reaching our grassroots. MSZP has also sent representatives to Brussels to meet and discuss with PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.

    In the Hungarian debate one very important topic turned out to the environment: how can we ensure more commitment in Europe to make sure that our grandchildren will grow up in a clean and healthy environment? My colleague in the European Parliament, Gyula Hegyi, successfully took the lead on the debate on ‘Save our planet’.

    The MSZP also have a number of other recommendations for the PES manifesto:

    • A high-quality healthcare system which secures citizens good and healthy lives from childhood to pension age
    • Good opportunities for women on... » read more ...

    Tags: activists, environment, political parties, women


  • Watch Save our planet debate online!

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    Published Friday, May 23, 2008 at 08:05
    by Editor in Save our planet (535 views and 0 comments)

    Today from 9:30 you are invited when politicians, experts and PES activists will meet in Stockholm to debate the Save our planet theme of the PES manifesto consultation! If you're living outside Sweden you can follow the debate via web streaming from the website of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. A completely free and eco-friendly way to participate in the PES manifesto consultation!

    Among the speakers are:

    • Mona Sahlin, leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and Chair of the debate on Save our planet
    • Linda McAvan, Vice-President responsible for climate change, Socialist Group of the European Parliament
    • Åsa Westlund, Member of the European Parliament, Environmental Committee, Socialist Group of the European Parliament
    • Svante Axelsson, General Secretary of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
    • Jos Dings, Director, European Federation for Transport and Environment

    Tags: activists, climate change, environment, political parties


  • Local and regional socialists and social democrats debate the PES manifesto in Turin, Italy

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    Rating: 5/5 with 3 votes

    Published Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 10:35
    by Editor in Save our planet (388 views and 0 comments)

    After having held a conference on New Social Europe on April 8, the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions met up again to discuss the three remaining topics of the PES manifesto consultation: Save our planet, European democracy and diversity and EU in the world. The extraordinary meeting was held on 15-16 May in Turin, Italy, at the invitation of Mercedes Bresso, President of the Piedmont Region and President of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions.

    The three discussion panels brought together numerous local social democrats, top decision-makers and experts who committed themselves to help build a coherent socialist and social democratic programme with a distinct local and regional perspective relating to the EU's environmental, institutional and external challenges.

    Major consequences for global... » read more ...

    Tags: biofuels, climate change, CO2, consumer, environment, green cities


  • Corinne Bord: Scandale bancaire sur fond de crise alimentaire !

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    Rating: 5/5 with 2 votes

    Published Monday, May 19, 2008 at 10:00
    by corinnebord Join PES activists in Save our planet (291 views and 0 comments)

    Scandale avec cette dernière campagne de la Deutch Bank. Vous ne rêvez pas, il s'agit bien de proposer de s'enrichir sur l'augmentation des prix des céréales. La formule est claire, faisons de l'argent sur les plus vulnérables, ceux qui n'ont déjà plus les moyens de se nourrir.

    Le paroxysme du libéralisme est atteint ! Produire de l'argent à tout prix.

    35c5ad7659a22e606708b61bb9624fb7.jpg

    Urgent,

    • Il est urgent de demander et d'obtenir un moratoire sur les biocarburants pour permettre de retrouver une cour des céréales permettant l'alimentation de tous.
    • Il est nécessaire de repenser la politique agricole pour permettre de préserver les cultures vivrières.
    • Enfin, questionner nos modes de consommation pour remettre à sa juste proportion la consommation de pétrole.

    Il est urgent sur le PSE condamne ce type de pratique et agisse au Parlement en ce sens !

    Je rejoins en ce sens les campagnes de moratoire menées par Jean Ziegler, conseiller spécial à L'ONU... » read more ...

    Tags: biofuels, blogger of the week


  • Green cities: Putting people first by improving the environment

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    Published Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 17:59
    by Editor in Save our planet (443 views and 1 comments)

    At the end of the day eco-friendliness is all about improving our living conditions. According to Michael Cohen, Mayor of Kalkara, Malta, this is easily forgotten in everyday talk about bans and restrictions which will help us save our planet – but at the same time force us to fundamentally change our way of living.

    Local government is a key factor
    Michael Cohen is a member of the Maltese Labour Party and PES Group Coordinator in the Commission for Sustainable Development. Leading up to the ‘Save our Planet’ event of the PES Group of the Committee of the Regions he shares his thoughts on the PES manifesto and what local governments can do to improve the environment:

    “I think the most important environmental challenge in Europe right now is the high population density. A lot of forest has been burned and there’s not much land anymore. We need to plant more forest and to ensure more open spaces. This is a particular problem for Malta and other small European countries,” says Michael Cohen and continues: “It’s vital to get... » read more ...

    Tags: environment, green cities


  • Corinne Bord: The food crisis - the urgent need to understand, the urgent need to act

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    Published Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 14:35
    by corinnebord Join PES activists in Save our planet (535 views and 3 comments)

    Every five seconds, a child under 10 years old dies of hunger or of its consequences. Who would have thought we were to undergo such an acute food crisis? The increase in prices is worrying but the decrease of the world's food stocks is all too often ignored. The stocks of basic foodstuffs (like wheat, corn or rice) have never been so low for the last 20 years. In 2007, food production decreased in real terms while consumption increased by and large, among others because of a higher industrial demand. At the heart of the debate is the ever increasing use of cereals for biofuel production. This means  in practice that farmlands are increasingly used not for food-producing crops but for the much more profitable production of biofuels.

    Rather than questioning our patterns of oil dependency and overconsumption, the Western World has thrown itself into exploiting technological progress without much caring for its human consequences. The bet was clearly profitable but what is the human and environmental price of such a policy? Within a year, the price of wheat has gone up by 130%, rice by 74%, soy beans by 87%, and corn by 53%. It is therefore necessary and urgent to recall that the eradication of hunger is the first of the Millenium Development Goals. Only... » read more ...

    Tags: biofuels, blogger of the week, food crisis


  • Åsa Westlund: Think global - act local

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    Published Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 12:07
    by asa.westlund Join PES activists in Save our planet (499 views and 3 comments)

    Almost daily we hear alarming news about one of the biggest challenges of our time – the one about the global warming. As citizens and consumers we have a responsibility to act. A responsibility not always easy to handle. Scientific reports from governments, companies and others are sometimes contradictory, and it’s easy to lose hope and feel powerless. This is where the EU, as a big actor on the world wide market has an important role to play. It is here we see the necessity of political action rather than just letting the free market decide.

    But it is not enough- It must also be easier for all European citizens to make environment friendly decisions and thereby taking their own responsibility! The environmental crisis is to enormous and complex to be solved on just one political level. Its first when we act both individually, locally, in larger regions and globally that we can make a change. It does not mean that we can wait for someone else to take responsibility, rather that we all must take action now. We have to act as a united front. Many citizens are trying to take action. With everyday actions, like leaving the car at home and travel by bus, or buying locally produced and bio grown products, everyone can make a difference. » read more ...

    Tags: blogger of the week, climate change, consumer, environment


  • Linda McAvan and WWF: The future is in our hands

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    Published Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 11:23
    by Editor in Save our planet (433 views and 0 comments)

    Socialists are pushing for more action on climate change, since it is necessary to act now, leaving aside the disastrous “business as usual approach”. Socialist MEP Linda McAvan (Labour UK) hosted the WWF debate “EU Climate action : Do 30% NOW!” on 6 May 2008. Here are a few conclusions from the meeting:

    EU has proven to be on the right path in fighting against climate change but more has to be done. Achieving deep emission reductions in Europe by 2020 is not only a question of available technologies but rather one of taking right political decisions. At national level, governments have to create the right incentives to support energy efficiency and promote investments in low carbon technologies and renewables, while at the European level, the European Emissions Trading Scheme should form the central part of the overall European strategy.

    If Europe is quite confident that they will move all together in the same direction, what about the others? We have to bear in mind that even if climate change is a global issue, developed countries have an historical responsibility towards developing ones. Therefore OECD countries have to help developing countries to decouple economic... » read more ...

    Tags: climate change, CO2, development, environment


  • Åsa Westlund: There is more to the environment than global warming

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    Published Monday, May 5, 2008 at 12:22
    by asa.westlund Join PES activists in Save our planet (584 views and 4 comments)

    Sometimes I wonder if we only can discuss one environmental topic at the time.

    Right now we discuss Climate Change.

    It’s great. Combating Climate Change is a matter of survival. We can already see the effects. Heat waves in Europe killing thousands of people. Hurricanes killing thousands people in the US and leaving thousands more homeless. Droughts in Africa and parts of Asia with devastating effects on millions of people and whole regions.

    Still, there is more to sustainable development than combating Climate Change. And sometimes the different topics are linked together. And very often they have social dimensions.

    Let me take three examples.

    Air pollution in major cities kills. Particles and gases in the air get to your lungs and make our lives shorter. Most vulnerable to bad air quality are young, older and individuals already suffering from different illnesses. The EU is responsible for making most of the decisions relating to this cross-border problem. Air pollution also increase the problems created by global warming.

    Chemicals make us and the environment sick. I think » read more ...

    Tags: blogger of the week, climate change, environment


  • Il faut en finir avec les énergies fossiles

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    Published Monday, May 5, 2008 at 11:55
    by FrancoisC Join PES activists in Save our planet (569 views and 2 comments)

    Aujourd’hui tous le monde parle du développement durable pour en faire l’apologie mais peu de personnes savent ce que c’est. Mauvaise traduction d’un développement soutenable, puis concept fourre-tout et maintenant mot détourné. Comme cette croissance doit répondre à l’ensemble des aspirations humaines ont y rajoute au fur et a mesure des cibles alors que l’idée première n’est déjà pas bien assimilée. Ca mise en application concrète est donc difficile. On ne pourra donc pas s’appuyer sur le développement durable comme objectif.

    En outre gouverner c’est ce fixer des priorités et pour préserver les générations futures la priorité est évidente : éviter que le Changement climatique ne soie désastreux. Tout le monde, ou presque, admet que l'excès de gaz à effet de serre modifie le climat. Il augmente la température, ce qui, au mieux, amènera un climat plus dure et moins fertile, au pire, une extinction massif d'espèces, y compris les humains. Mais même le meilleur des scénarios, c'est une production agricole en baise et surtout plus aléatoire, l'épuisement des énergies facilement disponibles, la perte de terres habitables, des... » read more ...

    Tags: climate change, CO2, environment, oil

    File: Il faut en finir avec les énergies fossiles (PSE).rtf