How Europe is choking itself - and the world

[cal04]

Europe's claim to the moral high ground over the environment has been comprehensively challenged in a devastating report on its failings in the battle against global warming and pollution. It says Europe is devouring the world's natural resources at twice the global rate. Climate change on a scale unseen on the European continent for 5,000 years is now under way, according to the report, which warned yesterday that at current rates three quarters of Switzerland's glaciers will have melted by 2050.

Urban areas of Europe will double in size in just over a century, as life expectancy rises and more live alone. Increasing urban sprawl means that in 10 years, an open space in Europe three times the size of Luxembourg has been built on. Air travel is likely to double by 2030 and marine ecosystems, water resources and air quality are all threatened. Though the European Environment Agency assessment praises many environmental initiatives, it makes it clear that much more needs to be done if a crisis is to be avoided.

Britain, while doing well in some areas, was criticised for the increase in the generation of municipal waste, just 14.5 per cent of which is recycled or composted as opposed to a target of 25 per cent. But the document, a five-year assessment across 32 countries, concentrates on the threat from climate change. It points out that the four hottest years on record were 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and that 10 per cent of Alpine glaciers disappeared during summer 2003 alone.

Jacqueline McGlade, the agency's executive director, said: "Without effective action over several decades, global warming will see ice sheets melting in the north and the spread of deserts from the south. The continent's population could become concentrated in the centre." She said the spread of tar and cement across former greenbelt areas was recreating many of the mistakes that led to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, where wetlands were built over. "Even if we constrain global warming to the EU target of a 2C increase, we will be living in atmospheric conditions that human beings have never experienced. Deeper cuts in emissions are needed."

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article330224.ece

[JDPriestly]

1. We all seem helpless to stop the devastation.

No matter how much you as an individual want to recycle and cut down on consumption, the society around you does not think that conservation and recycling make financial sense. I can't ride a bike any more, and there is no bus route that will take me to work so I have to drive and burn gasoline.

As for recycling paper, plastic and cans, I do it, but I suspect that a lot of what I put in the recycle bin ends up in the landfill because it is not manufactured to be recyclable, and that much of the rest of the stuff I put in to be recycled is also dumped because it isn't financially feasible to recycle it. What can I do?

[mermaid]

3. Off Topic

Had to comment on your handle. Interesting you should pick the handle you have, enviornmentalist that you appear to be. I'm sure you are aware that Jospeh Priestley was the discoverer of oxygen.

As to recycling, you do what you have been doing. You're doing the right thing. You cannot control what is done with it after you have correctly separated and disposed of it. It is out of your control. You have done what you are able to do...and more than many Americans would do, if their local/state governments didn't force them to.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. More like a reference to J. B. Priestley, I'd have thought

Author and broadcaster, who did much to articulate the reasoning behind socialism in Britain during World War 2.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jpriestley.htm

His play "An Inspector Calls", with the themes of personal responsibility in a capitalist society, is excellent - well worth seeing, especially by a professional cast.

[JDPriestly]

21. The internet just refers to Joseph Priestly.

I had heard JD Priestly. Maybe I'm wrong about the D. Jefferson wrote to Priestly and about Priestly.

This is irrelevant to this post, but his letter to Priestley on March 21, 1802 is just wonderful.

"What an effort, my dear Sir, of bigotry in politics and religion have we gone through? The barbarians really flattered themselves they should be able to bring back the times of Vandalism, when ignorance put everything into the hands of power and priestcraft. All advances in science were proscribed as innovations. they pretended to praise and encourage education, but it was to be the education of our ancestors. We were to look backwards, not forwards, for improvement; the President himself declaring, in one of his answers to addresses, that we were never to expect to go beyond them in real science. This was the real ground of all attacks on you. Those who live in mystery and charlatanerie, fearing you would render them useless by simplifying the Christian philosophy, -- the most sublime and benevolent, but most perverted system that ever shone on man, -- endeavored to crush your well-earned and well-deserved fame. But it was the Lilliputians upon Gulliver. Our countrymen have recovered from the alarm into which art and industry had thrown them, science and honesty are replaced on their high ground; and you, my dear Sir, as their great apostle, are on its pinnacle. It is with heartfelt satisfaction that, in the first moments of my public action, I can hail you with welcome to our land, tender to you the homage of its respect and esteem, cover you under the protection of those laws which were made for the wise and good like you, and disdain the legitimacy of that libel on legislation which, under the form of law, was for some time placed among them."

Excerpt from the letter printed in Larson, Martin A. Thomas Jefferson, The Essence of Jefferson, Joseph J. Binns, Publisher, 1977.

I love Jefferson. I don't care what the critics say. This letter is still relvant to events in our time, although the attacks on reason and science have not yet been turned back.

[JDPriestly]

15. Thank you for mentioning the oxygen. You were the first

to say anything about the name. Priestly not only "discovered" it, but several other elements. He was also a Unitarian minister and a philosopher who was read and discussed by Jefferson among others around and after the American Revolution.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. Oh, I was wrong

Was 'D' Joseph Priestley's second initial, then? I looked him up in a dictionary of biography, and it gave no second name at all. That's why I thought of the author, since he was normally known by his initials.

[mermaid]

19. You're Welcome

As a Unitarian Universalist myself...and in a congregation which is a member of the Joseph Priestley District...I would be remiss, indeed, if I had not known all that about Joseph Priestley.

You mean to tell me no one else here EVER mentioned the oxygen thing? Possibly one of the most popular things on the planet?? Let's face it, we all love oxygen!!

Priestley was also involved in the beginnings of what has now become UUA, the Unitarian Universalist Association of North America.

[NPBA900]

12. Shrinking/Devastating the World

When I look at the plight of the worlds environment/eco-system, I believe it comes back religion, corporate greed, wealthy elitist families, and the populations around the world in general who are out of step with the delicate balance of the planet.

Religion is implicated in devastating the environment due to religious beliefs and controls over reproduction. Cultures who are heavily religious and agricultural base existence or economy who do not believe in contraception and population controls, quickly over populate and deforest the environment. The use of pesticides and fertilizers gradually kill natural minerals in the soil as well as pollute ground water and surrounding ecosystems. As populations increase in these heavily over populated agricultural communities, more land is required to farm which eventually cause the permanent lost of animal habitat which leads to extinction of thousands of species.

Corporate greed is complicit in devastating the eco-systems around the world thru over mining of the worlds natural resources and polluting the environment with the use of chemicals used to extract the resources.

The human race around the world are their own worst enemy. We as human beings are the dominant occupiers of the earth and should be stewards of this planet. Either we take care of our planet, or eventually mother nature will strike back and put her house back in order thru the means of record setting droughts, floods, ice age winters, and category 5 tornadoes, earth quakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.

Remember, humans are only occupiers and appointed stewards of the earth; but Mother Nature Will Always Have the Final Say in the End.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. Fighting American culture

All that, is just American culture spreading to Europe. Europe has been fighting American culture for many years, and losing. I've noticed the changes. For example, years ago in Spain there were huge, round, spaceship-like receptacles where empty wine bottles were thrown to be recycled. Now those are nearly gone. Throw-away wine bottles are available. Years ago, people bought fine leather shoes, repaired the soles and heels when they got worn and wore them for decades. Now there are cheaper shoes, and shoes get worn and thrown out when fashion dictates, rather than repaired and worn again. Years ago Christmas was for kids only, so there wasn't this massive, capitalistic, corporate Christmas. Now that's changing too. And so on, and on.

American capitalism spreads like an out of control cancer.

[mermaid]

4. And Losing

yes. A CANCER is a great way to describe American capitalism. It is a cancer, destroying all we love, cherish, and value, in the name of the God-Almighty buck.

It has turned us into heartless, cold, unfeeling, uncaring bastards...it has created preventable deprivations. It is a cancer that one day will kill us all off, if we do not stop it. It is out of control, and needs to be reigned in, and made more equitable and fair.

[back2basics909]

5. I don't think you can blame just America in this case..

.. i think it's more complicated than that. Humans are humans and our road is not the easiest or cheapest... if everything changed overnight it could be the cheapest. If we bored holes to use geo-thermal power and localised energy production more (the wastage delivering power is oover 10%), used solar and wind more, we could probably save some money. Thats a perfect world and implementing slowly, changing slowly is more complex and time consuming.

Moral is, we need somebody VERY in to what needs to be done. Enough to commit.

[K-W]

8. American capitalism was invented in europe.

This is not American Culture spreading to Europe this the same European culture that started colonies in North America. In modern times the US has taken the lead in consumption and domination, but Europe has never been far behind.

[cliss]

6. I'm not sure if Sweden should be included in that report....

we spent almost 1 month in Stockholm last summer. The environment & recycling is huge over there. At the grocery store, I had to pay a deposit on any plastic bottles, not just soda bottles. Even vegetable oil, shampoo bottles. They have made recycling into an art over there.

When we went down to the garbage dumpster, we had to sort our garbage into groups. Tin cans, newspaper, plastic and so on. In Stockholm, they're trying very hard to get rid of cars. Gar is unbelievably expensive; if you insist on driving in the city, they will nail you with fees, permits, parking tickets are out of this world.

And really, there's no need to drive. The city has been designed into smaller neighborhoods where you can get almost everything. There are subway stops, bus service, even trams that go around.

And everywhere you look, there are people riding bikes. Even in winter. People sit right in the middle of this metropolitan city and go fishing. You can catch nice fish, right off the steps of the Stadshuset where they give out the Nobel prizes.

I understand Germany is even more fanatical about recycling than Sweden.

[NPBA900]

13. Sweden A Model for the World

Interesting report.  Stockholm really sounds like an amazing
city, I bet the air there is fresh and clean.

Countries like Sweden, Norway, and Finland are definitely
stewards of the environment and humble ambassadors of the
world in terms of not meddling or exploiting the sovereignty
and resources of the nations around the world.  Do you think
this is why you seldom if ever hear of terrorism,  problems in
these countries. Have you noticed how/why american military
bases have never occupied Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

The afore mentioned countries government and corporations also
believe in social stewardship and responsibilities too it's
citizens in regards to health care, education and employment
and paying their fare taxes to support the
"COMMONS".  The Norwegian countries index for
poverty, drug abuse, crime and various social dis-orders are
very low in comparison to other industrialize nations around
the world.

America can learn allot about improving and enhancing our
democracy and governance of our own citizens and country by
studying and embracing how the Norwegian countries lead and
govern.

[cliss]

22. Yes, very true.

Hi, and welcome to the DU, NPBA900!!! :smoke:

Very nice post.

[rman]

7. So, no climate change in the US,

and the US is not consuming a disporportionate amount of resources?

Could have fooled me.

Not that i think Eu does have the moral high ground on the environment - at best they're a little less bad then the US.

[K-W]

10. I dont think the article implies anything like that about the US. EOM

[TreasonousBastard]

9. Did they forget about China and India, and...

Brazil cutting down the rain forest. Or Africa? And us, of course.

The article is written by a European for European consumption, but everyone who cares knows it's really a worldwide problem.

[htuttle]

20. True, but...

The root causes of rain forest destruction, even in the case of individual farmers slashing and burning rain forest, come from the west.

Probably almost hundred years ago, western agri-corporations like United Fruit, etc... took all the best farm land in a lot of those regions to be used for 'export crops' and pushed family farmers into the jungle (where they use slash and burn agriculture to survive). Getting fresh fruits and vegetables to New York and London during the winter is very costly, environmentally and socially speaking.

In China and India, there's a different story -- China can only blame China for burning so much coal -- but in Latin America and Africa, western agricorps are the main cause of rain forest destruction, either directly or indirectly.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

14. The stupidest thing the Europeans have done is allow the proliferation

of short-haul airlines.

I have periodically visited an airline evaluation website when looking for flights to various places, and it's shocking how many people report flying from Manchester to London (is that even 100 miles?) or from Munich to Vienna or from Paris to Amsterdam, all trips that could just as easily and more ecologically be made by train.

A whole slew of budget airlines have grown up to promote this kind of wasteful travel.

That makes no sense at all.

[rfkrfk]

16. it makes perfect sense to me, airline fuel is virtually untaxed

compared to fuel for a bus {aka motorcoach},
or train,

airline fuel is essentially free {in Europe}

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. But environmentally irresponsible compared to trains

and even in comparison to cars. :-(

[BlueEyedSon]

23. Twice the global rate is good, the US is using stuff up at 5x the global

rate. (US is 5% of world pop., uses 25% of all resources)

[Sarah Ibarruri]

24. No doubt... in the U.S. corporations are the govt.

They're destroying our own country, and the world.