Published Wednesday, July 2, 2008 at 10:01
by
rikkeindenmark 
in In the spotlight (165 views and 0 comments)
Not long ago I learned
about the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions. To be
honest I didn't know about the group's existence until a year ago
(ignorance is not always bliss), but it's a forum for local and
regional politicians to meet and discuss EU politics. It's an
interesting organization because many EU decisions impact greatly
on the local level - and the PES Group is a chance for local and
regional social democrats to meet and work together to influence EU
policies.
I admit that this was a digression from the topic that I actually wanted to address in this post! The reason why I brought up the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions is that the group has its own PES manifesto consultation - and in this consultation there's a fifth point of discussion, in addition to the four 'traditional' themes - namely the gender dimension.
I agree very much with the view-point of the PES Group - that there's a significant gender aspect to all four manifesto themes - and I hope the 'pervasiveness' of gender issues will be taken into consideration when the PES manifesto is drafted over the coming months....
read morePublished Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 09:36
by
Editor
in Save our planet (464 views and 0 comments)
Last months, participants agreed on the need for a radical shift both on the production and the consumption side. The whole exploitation and processing of resources mustbe rethought.
Setting standards for measuring the risk of a pollutant manufacturing process or use of a product was proposed by several manifesto supporters. Another alternative is the use of a 'climate label’ for products which are, for example, produced in climate neutral and using energy efficient processes.
We need to change our consumer habits. According to Carlo Petrini, President of Slow Food, agricultural products should be produced and consumed locally in order to respect the needs of the farmers and the environment.
read morePublished 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 action”. Politics and the market should work together
to build strategies for a sustainable future, enhancing
investments, public incentives for new technologies and
influencing the public. According to her, the EU should go ahead
in the fight against climate change promoting a comprehensive
directive addressing action to be taken in all sectors, a
directive on renewables and EU budget and structural funds to be
used in investing in new technologies.
The need for a shift in consumption and
production
MEP...
Published Friday, April 25, 2008 at 12:30
by
Isabella_Frenning
in Save our planet (596 views and 0 comments)
Published Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 11:30
by
Editor
in Save our planet (509 views and 1 comments)
Sometimes it takes old
technologies to solve the problems of modern life! This is the case
in the Greater Manchester Region, United Kingdom, where good
old-fashioned rail helped the regions out of its problems with
traffic congestion and pollution.Published Monday, March 31, 2008 at 11:55
by
cafeneaua.politica
in Save our planet (608 views and 0 comments)
Sign this petition for promoting in Romania and Europe
the healthy life, increasing the use of bicycles, and in this way
for reducing the locals pollution that generate a global worming
amount. Signing this petition you agreed to promote a law
initiative that will force the all Romanian and European local
administrations to generate special places on auto roads from
inside of the towns and communes in the only bicyclist’s
advantage.
Please forward this announcement to yours friends!
In Romanian:
Va invit sa semnati o petitie in favoarea unei initiative legislative in
Romania si Europa ce sa promoveze concret prezervarea calitatii
mediului.
Va rog sa promovati acest mesaj in cercurile de apropiati in
logica unui efort comun pentru un interes comun!
SorinPLATON
Published Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:40
by
Duncan Anderson
in New Social Europe (367 views and 2 comments)
With the freedom to trade across borders and the freedom of movement you need the related mechanisms of transportation. The EU/European Parliament need to look at European transportation from a strategic level and liaise with national governments, hopefully to achieve a European Integrated Transport System.
At present we have freight travelling by lorry from Ireland, on a ferry to the UK, across the M62 to the Humber, out of the Humber ports and across mainland Europe. I'm not saying this is the worst way, but do we know that it is the best. What about a tunnel connecting Ireland to the UK and connecting into a high-speed, European wide train system? Should there be a tunnel under the North Sea/German Ocean?
This would need to be reviewed from a strategic position and I believe that the EU is in the best position to undertake this sort of continual review.
As more people travel freely across Europe we need to make sure that their is a unified safety system. The first issue that must be addressed is having a single rear fog light on vehicles. Whilst this maybe acceptable within the country where the vehicle was bought, as soon as that vehicle goes to country where you drive on the other side of the road there becomes a danger as the single light is invariably on the wrong side.
Whilst looking at this matter the EU should look at compulsory rear mud flaps, to keep spray down, so making rear lights more visible. Compulsory a third, high level,...
read morePublished Friday, March 14, 2008 at 14:56
by
heisbo
in Save our planet (808 views and 4 comments)
Even though discussion
paper 'Save our
planet' concentrates mostly on energy policy, I would like
discuss also about the influence of the traffic emissions.Published Friday, March 14, 2008 at 11:48
by
AnneSofie
in Save our planet (599 views and 1 comments)
Scandinavian
PES
activists met in the village of Jørlunde, located on the
island of Zealand, Denmark on March 1st and 2nd 2008 to discuss
European democracy, politics and the PES manifesto.
Over sometimes heated discussions, the 80 participants agreed on
a number is issues, which we feel must be included in the PES
manifesto. Here is our suggestions for the theme 'Save our
planet':
Published Monday, March 10, 2008 at 10:12
by
frederic.vareillas
in Save our planet (595 views and 3 comments)
Published Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 14:23
by
Editor
in Save our planet (535 views and 0 comments)
Published Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 10:16
by
frederic.vareillas
in Save our planet (617 views and 2 comments)
Dear friends,
I would like to share two other readings with you so as we're
able to think Europe's near future through:
First: There's a very interesting issue of "L'Ecologiste" #24;
Oct-Dec 2007 (French version of the original "The Ecologist",
London, UK) about the biofuel hoax and slowing our cars' speed.
Also look at the present issue of "The Ecologist": "The end
of food as we know it" (London, 2008). You should also have
a look at the website: www.theecologist.org – it’s interesting
(English and French versions available).
Second: A French essay by Eric Orsenna and Le Cercle des
Economistes: "Un monde de ressources rares" (2008,
paperback, French only). They offer some economical and political
ways to deal with scarcity.
Your friend,
Frederic (Paris)
Published Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 12:40
by
jonworth
in New Social Europe (635 views and 3 comments)
Free trade
between Member States is one of the principles on which the
European Union is founded. I profit from this personally, being
able to sell website services in the UK, Belgium, Germany and
Sweden. It's good that a company from Ynys-ddu can sell its
widgets in Ystad without hindrance.
Europe-wide markets have helped many large firms to develop - plenty of us make calls with our Vodafone mobiles, fly Easyjet and drink beers brewed by Inbev. Regulatory frameworks established by the EU help these firms to develop.
Yet what about services traditionally provided by the state such as refuse collection, water and energy services? Street sweeping in Camden, London, the underground in Stockholm, trains in northern Netherlands, buses in Pontypridd and sewage works in Budapest are all operated by Veolia - a logo that's appearing all over Europe. SUEZ is active in many countries in similar sectors - water, waste, recycling and energy...
read morePublished Friday, February 15, 2008 at 10:50
by
carl0s
in Save our planet (678 views and 3 comments)
Many of our European
cities are blessed with a ring of surrounding countryside, such as
forests and other protected places. These act as a city's lungs and
provide an escape from the urban pace of life. In health terms, I
have never seen an adequate cost-benefit analysis of what this
means for the public.Published Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 10:51
by
Editor
in Save our planet (1111 views and 6 comments)
Sometimes solving one problem brings about another. A recent study by the European Trade Union Confederation looks into the relationship between climate change and employment. One of the conclusions of the report is that prevention of climate change bears the risk of increased unemployment: If economic activities are slowed down in order to reduce energy consumption many jobs will be lost. Especially the energy, construction and transport sectors are in risk of unemployment, if CO2 emissions are cut in a way that might benefit the environment, but not the job market.
The study underlines the need for a European strategy for smart, green growth. We need to consider how to reduce CO2 without loosing jobs. Here the report is optimistic and concludes that with the right political initiatives lowering our energy consumption can even create new jobs. The transport sector is highlighted as an example, where jobs in public transport and rail are expected to increase.
How do you think we can balance fighting climate change with economic growth and high employment?
read more
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