Liberals - The Ends Justify the Means > EU subsidizes left-leaning groups to lobby itself; Greenpeace lawsuit forces Netherlands to cut nitrogen use

 

Enviromental(sic) groups got EU subsidies to lobby for Timmermans' green plans: report

NL Times

The European Commission has been paying subsidies to environmental groups with the condition that they lobby for the Commission’s green plans, the Telegraaf reports based on a subsidy contract with one environmental group that it has in its possession. Environmental organizations also got subsidies to promote the green plans of former European Commissioner Frans Timmermans, according to the newspaper.

The money came from a pot for climate and environmental subsidies, and many came with conditions, the newspaper wrote. For example, the European Environmental Bureau - an umbrella organization of green organizations in Europe, including Milieudefensie and Natuurmonumenten from the Netherlands - was explicitly instructed to provide at least 16 examples of how the European Parliament has made green legislation more ambitious thanks to their lobbying. The umbrella group also promoted Timmermans’ Nature Restoration Act and had to steer the farmers’ debate in the green direction, according to the contract the Telegraaf has in its possession.

As a member of the budget control committee, NSC Member of the European Parliament Dirk Gotink and several colleagues are now investigating the subsidy contracts with environmental groups. “There were even lobby lists with names of politicians who had to be approached,” he told the Telegraaf. “This is not a smear campaign against the environmental movement. Of course, they are allowed to lobby. I am targeting the European Commission. This seems to be a highly orchestrated interplay between a green coalition led by Timmermans and a left-wing majority in the European Parliament.”

Timmermans is now back in Dutch politics as the parliamentary leader of GroenLinks-PvdA - the biggest opposition party to the Schoof I coalition, which includes the NSC.

“I want to know whether this also applies to other themes, such as migration,” Gotink said. “Brussels is the lobbying capital of Europe: is this a bad apple or is it a widespread practice?”

The European Environmental Bureau responded to the Telegraaf’s accusations with criticism. “A flourishing democracy requires resources that enable the voice of citizens to reach decision-makers,” Secretary General Patrick ten Brink said in a written response. “Unlike actors with much resources, such as foreign governments and multinationals, European citizens and their civil society organizations often do not have sufficient resources. EU support is needed to ensure a level playing field.”

Did the farmers have a level playing field, or were they plowing uphill all the way because you supported the green madness that farmers are a major factor in climate change?

Dutch government ordered to cut nitrogen emissions

by 2030 or face $10M penalty

By Chris Benson

Members of Greenpeace protest in front of the court in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Wednesday. A judge ruled for Greenpeace Netherlands' merits against the state. Greenpeace demands that nitrogen emissions be drastically reduced to protect nitrogen-sensitive nature. Photo By Phil Nijhuis/EPA-EFE

Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A European court has ordered the Dutch government to cut nitrogen pollution in designated protected areas or face a $10 million penalty, according to new information.

"This ruling is a celebration for nature, and finally there is clarity," Andy Palmen, director of Greenpeace Netherlands, said Wednesday.

The non-governmental organization revealed in November its intent to take the administration of Prime Minister Dick Schoof to court due to "excessive nitrogen emissions" and over the government's "inadequate nitrogen approach," arguing that the "most vulnerable" parts of Holland's nature preserves were "in danger of being irreparably damaged or even disappearing if no action is taken quickly."

The Hague verdict will require Schoof's government to make certain at least half of the country's vulnerable habitats fall below a harmful nitrogen threshold by 2030.

Palmen says the ruling means the government will have to "come up with proposals that will finally give farmers clarity and support them in a fair way in the necessary transition to ecological agriculture."

However, an appeal on Wednesday's ruling is viewed as likely.

Excessive nitrogen emissions, meanwhile, are largely caused by livestock farming mixed with transportation and industrial pollution.

This follows similar efforts in nations such as France, Germany and Ireland.

A 2021 ruling by the European Union's Court of Justice determined that Germany had for years "systematically and persistently" violated pollution limits and allowed excessive nitrogen dioxide to be emitted across German cities such as Berlin, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Cologne.

On Wednesday, Palmen added that the Netherlands has been "postponing" measures that left society, particularly Dutch farmers and companies, in a state of "uncertainty," he said, after a series of 2019 rulings trigger a wave of new measures which lead to massive farmer protests.

It arrived after Schoof's right-wing Cabinet in June last year slashed a more than $25 billion transition fund put in place by ex-Prime Minister Mark Rutte. That fund was designed for supporting sustainability efforts and buying land.

Schoof instead opted to focus on tech solutions or other voluntary measures hoping to cut back on nitrogen emissions without stoking civil unrest in parts of the small European country roughly the size of Maryland.

Greenpeace, however, requested that the court test the government's nitrogen policy against the European Birds and Habitats Directive. The Netherlands has roughly 160 spots that could fall under it.

So, it's not the people Greenpeace is concerned about, it's the birds! Perhaps they should drop the "peace" from their name.

The annual cost of damage caused by nitrogen across Europe was between $98 billion and $450 billion, according to a 2011 study by the European Nitrogen Assessment. It concluded nearly 15 years ago that nitrogen pollution at the time was costing each European citizen anywhere from $200 to $1,000 annually.

One would think the EU would notice a line item like that in their budget.

Palmen said that systemically ignoring the nitrogen emission problem has in recent years caused further deterioration in nature.

In November, Greenpeace called it at a hearing the "last chance to save the most vulnerable habitats because if nitrogen emissions don't go down, we risk losing unique plants and animals."

"By not making choices, urgent measures must now be taken," Palmen said Wednesday. "We expect the government to finally take responsibility in the action plan and ensure that all relevant sectors, including agriculture, traffic, aviation and industry, make a fair contribution."

The international environmental action group was born in Canada in 1971 when a ragtag group of anti-nuclear protesters calling themselves the 'Don't Make A Wave Committee' sailed into the Amchitka nuclear test zone in Alaska in an attempt to stop testing.

"It has been so long that the judge has now intervened," Palmen said on the verdict. "It is a celebration without cake, because it should not be necessary for the judge to intervene again."

Without cake - because they need farmers to grow the wheat?

European Politics > Poland turning against government that's only 7 months old

 

Polish farmers march in Warsaw against EU climate

policies and the country's pro-EU leader

Issued on: 10/05/2024 - 16:43Modified: 10/05/2024 - 16:54

Tens of thousands of disgruntled Polish farmers marched through downtown Warsaw on Friday to protest the European Union’s climate policies and oppose the pro-EU government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Story by Tom Canetti.

Dutch Farmer's Backlash Against Climate Change Alarmism

Dutch farmers clog highways in protest at politicians labeling them

climate change problem

© AFP / ANP / Vincent Jannink

Dutch farmers blocked hundreds of miles of major roads with their tractors to protest what they say are attempts to scapegoat their industry and paint them as a “problem” that needs fixing in discussions over climate change.

Up to 10,000 farmers took to the highways in their tractors on Monday to slowly make their way to The Hague causing 620 miles (998km) of traffic jams and the worst morning commute in the country’s history.

Some farmers managed to avoid the traffic by driving along the North Sea beaches to reach the city. 

In a statement, police said they “respect that farmers are standing up for their interest” and that they were trying to facilitate the protest as well as they could, but urged tractor drivers to follow instructions of traffic guides on the routes.

No official measures against farmers have yet been announced, but one party has suggested that the Netherlands should cut back 50 percent on the number of live animals produced every year. A broad package of measures includes a proposal to grant financial aid to farmers who want to cease their operations or adopt greener practices, the Associated Press reported.

“Farmers and growers are sick of being painted as a ‘problem’ that needs a ‘solution,’” Dirk Bruins of industry group LTO said in a statement.

“This is about our families, our future, the future of our children. It’s about our way of life,” sheep farmer Bart Kemp told the crowds of farmers gathered in The Hague and called for a “new era in which the food producers of the Netherlands are listened to.”

The farmers’ protest also comes after a court found the country is in violation of EU emissions rules — and the dispute highlights the dilemma faced by governments eager to pass popular eco-friendly laws and reduce emissions while trying to mitigate the negative effects on those who earn their livelihoods in the biggest emissions-producing industries.

Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten said she was ready to listen to farmers’ concerns and assured them that the country was working toward “a strong agricultural sector with an eye on a healthy environment.”

Police said they detained two demonstrators — one who drove through a metal fence and another who attempted to interfere with the detention.

Agricultural animals are a factor in the global warming debate, perhaps a bigger factor than fossil fuels, producing methane gas that may actually contribute to warming. This, however, can be mitigated significantly by an adjustment in diet. 

While thousands of people are starving to death, this is not the time to cut food production.

Gaza-area Israeli Farmers Sue Hamas in International Court

Jewish farmers fly to The Hague to sue Hamas for

harming civilians and civilian agriculture

Arutz Sheva Staff

A scorched field near the Israel-Gaza borderYonatan Sindel, Flash 90

After many months of incendiary kites and mortar fire, farmers from the Gaza vicinity flew on Monday night to The Hague to file a lawsuit against Hamas with the International Criminal Court.

The lawsuit, which will be submitted through the "Shurat Hadin" organization, will be on behalf of the farmers and another 50,000 people from Israel and around the world who joined the lawsuit against senior Hamas figures.

The suit will focus on Hamas violations of the Rome Statute, including the use of children in warfare, use of a civilian population as human shields, attacking Israel's borders, and the burning of civilians' agricultural fields via incendiary balloons.

At the same time, a special exhibition will be displayed opposite the International Court Building, documenting the damage caused by the incendiary kites and mortar attacks in the Gaza vicinity.

Since March 2018, terrorists from Gaza have traumatized the people living in neighboring communities along the Gaza border, sending incendiary balloons, bullets, and rockets into Israeli territory. These four months have threatened both the Israelis' mental well-being and their livelihood.

Nearly 10,000 acres of farmland have been scorched, decimating the region’s agricultural economy, and there has been a massive increase in the number of individuals experiencing and being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

I think this is a great idea, but I also think that Israel should use drones to capture the kites and return them to Gaza.

Peru's Fujimori Goes Back to Trial for Death Squad Killings

Corruption is Everywhere - Certainly in Peru

By Sommer Brokaw  

Riot police officers blocked the passage of protesters during a demonstration against the pardon to ex-president

Alberto Fujimori, in Lima, Peru in December. File Photo by Eduardo Cavero/EPA-EFE

UPI -- Former Peru President Alberto Fujimori, age 79, will go back to trial on charges related to death squad killings in 1992.

A court ruled Monday that Fujimori could be tried despite a medical pardon months ago.

At issue is the death squad killings of six farmers in Pativilca, a central town in Peru, in January of 1992. Fujimori is now charged with authorizing the kidnapping, torture and killings of the six farmers.

Fujimori had been serving a 25-year prison sentence since 2014 for human rights abuses before a medical pardon was granted in December. These abuses involved authorizing the six farmers' killings as part of a larger conflict with left-wing rebels. Nearly 70,000 people died in the conflict.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski granted the pardon in December, sparking two nights of protests in Lima. Kuczynski cited "low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat" in his decision.

Seriously, I've had that all my life! Kuczynski, himself, has been accused of corruption being named in Brazil's Odebrecht scandal. He has refused to step down.

Another Peruvian ex-president Alejandro Toledo (2001-2006) has also been implicated in corruption. It's almost like a requirement for the job!

Amnesty International praised the court's latest ruling.

"The decision not to apply the grace granted by President Kuczynski to Alberto Fujimori constitutes an important advance in the fight against impunity for the crimes that occurred in Pativilca, and reinforces the obligation of the Peruvian state to guarantee the right of victims to truth, justice and reparation," the statement from Amnesty International reads.

Pativilca, Peru

Rising Suicide Rate for Indian Farmers Blamed on Monsanto's GMO Seeds

Reuters/Ajay Verma / Reuters

Monsanto, which has just paid out $2.4 million to US farmers, settling one of many lawsuits it’s been involved in worldwide, is also facing accusations that its seeds are to blame for a spike in suicides by India farmers.

The accusations have not transformed into legal action so far, but criticism of Monsanto has been mounting, blaming the giant company for contributing to over 290,000 suicides by Indian farmers over the last 20 years. 

The author of a documentary on Indian farmers’ suicides, Alakananda Nag, who has interviewed dozens of the relatives of those who have taken their lives, links the rise in the suicide rate to the use of GMO seeds. She believes small farms are particularly vulnerable. 

“The large farms certainly have the funds to support themselves and get on, but the smaller ones are really ones that suffer the most,” Nag told RT. “Monsanto definitely has a very big hand to play. A few years ago it was illegal to grow GMO crops in India. It’s not like the suicide did not exist back then. It did, but I think there was definitely a sharp rise in the [suicide] numbers once [GMOs] were allowed.”

The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice has estimated that in 2009 alone 17,638 Indian farmers committed suicide, or one suicide every 30 minutes.

Farmers’ widows, such as Savithri Devi from India’s southern state of Telangana, explain just how tough things can get for those trying to grow enough crops to earn a living.

“[My husband] initially put a bore well, then started cultivation, but we didn’t get enough water from the bore well and there were no rains, too,” Devi told RT. “So he again tried to deepen the bore well, but it didn’t work. So he borrowed money. His depression eventually led him to committing suicide. He drank pesticide and died.” 

The legalization of GMO in 2002 has only added to the stress experienced by Indian farmers, according to the head of the Council for Responsible Genetics, Sheldon Krimsky.

“The people would give out the loans if they believed these seeds would give the greatest yields,” Krimsky told RT. “So they are not going to get a loan if they don’t go with the GMOs. And many of them felt coerced to take the GM seeds. The GM crops have not done as well in all regions of India... [That has led to] much greater indebtedness with the GM crops that did not perform as well.” 

Monsanto's ambition, I believe, is to get control of all the seed markets they can and make it impossible to get other seeds or to grow non-GMO crops. Once there, they can charge whatever they want for the seeds, kind of like pharmaceutical companies.

The problem with GMO seeds in India is that they are often “not bred for that area, for rain-fed agriculture, so they fail more frequently,” Dr. Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmental activist and anti-globalization author, told WeAreChange.com.

Isn't the point of GMOs to increase yields and make them more stable? Sounds like a big fail, or at least serious over-selling of GMO seeds in areas where they should not be sold. Monsanto certainly has the ability to determine where their products will work and where they won't; but do they care? Do they have any kind of soul or conscience? 

She also says the problem is most acute in the regions where cotton is grown. Small farms there increasingly have to compete with multinational agribusiness corporations.

Big firms use biotech cotton seeds to gain higher yields, while smaller ones are trying to do the same.

“Generating high yields with [biotech] cotton seeds also requires much higher amounts of water than other cotton cultivars. For farmers who lack access to proper irrigation and whose farms are primarily rain-fed, the crop often fails,” a report by Center for Human Rights and Global Justice says.

Monsanto, meanwhile, denies that its seeds have contributed to the hardships of the Indian farmers.

“Despite claims by those who oppose GMO crops, research also demonstrates there is no link between Indian farmer suicides and the planting of GMO cotton,” the company says on its website, where an article is titled: “Is Bt or GMO Cotton the Reason for Indian Farmer Suicides?”

Research by whom, and paid for by whom? I think we know the answer to that.

The US company cites several studies to support its claim, including a 2008 report published by the International Food Policy Research Institute, a Washington-based think tank. The study argues that there is no evidence for an increased suicide rate following the 2002 introduction of biotech cotton.

Monsanto, which is the world’s largest producer of genetically engineered seed, has been involved in high-profile lawsuits globally over its products.

A number of human rights advocates have warned that GMOs have not been studied thoroughly enough to evaluate their potential risks.

Fears over GMOs possible impact have given rise to a worldwide March against Monsanto movement. Their annual protests against the spread of GMO have seen hundreds of thousands of people on all continents participating.