Letting in the light
July 29th, 2009
This week I am opening a new section of my website devoted to environmental indicators from around the EU. The figures are very up-to-date, and taken from the latest information available at the European level. I hope it will serve as a useful resource.
It’s easy to use – click on the map on a country of your choice, and you arrive at a fiche showing a profile and a range of indicators for the country in question. You can check how your country is faring in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per capita, the direction of the trend, the sort of cars that are being bought, and get an overview of air quality, waste production, and even the percentage of agricultural land given over to organic farming.
Transparency is particularly important in the field of the environment, for the simple reason that “sunlight is the best disinfectant”. Citizens need to know how their country is doing, and they have a right to see how they doing compared to other countries around the world. For things to change, public opinion needs to bring pressure to bear on public authorities. And this can be done most effectively when the public has the information they need.
These figures can also be found in the Environment Policy Review the Commission produces each year. The events of last year – above all the adoption of the EU’s climate and energy package – will have a major affect on European policy at least until 2020. But this latest edition is much more than overview of our institutional achievements. It also focuses on the opportunities of greening the economy and other challenges for the years to come.
Looking back on the last few editions of the Review, we can see significant steps to improve our environment and enhance the quality of life of European citizens, thanks to legislation like REACH, the Air Quality Directive and the expansion of the EU-wide network of protected areas under Natura 2000 legislation. Many further improvements are still needed, but we shouldn’t lose sight of how far we have come in recent years.
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August 4th, 2009 at 11:56 am #
The Third Button,
Thanks Stavros for the new information on the Environment!
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My country: United States of America
August 5th, 2009 at 12:09 am #
Thanks! Enviroment is what we really should take car of! European Union should not stay behind.
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My country: Sweden
August 10th, 2009 at 10:17 am #
PDF files are useful!
Where can I locate more useful EU info?
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My country: United States of America
August 10th, 2009 at 11:02 pm #
Dear Environment Commissioner,
One of the regular reports presented at the main Environment Policy Review page (linked above) needs rethinking - or, most likely, scrapping. _Natural disasters linked to climate change_ gives an overview of such disasters in the EU since 1980. Its numbers are taken directly from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED).
There are three problems with the report.
First, the choice of disasters is somewhat arbitrary. For example, droughts are included but not wildfires, floods but not ‘mass movement wet’ (mudslides).
Next, the report doesn’t include disasters that didn’t happen. This might seem like a peculiar complaint but surely any serious attempt to quantify the impact of climate change on disaster trends in the EU would include estimates for disasters that were prevented by climate change.
The third problem is fatal. ‘Natural disasters linked to climate change’: linked by who?
CRED doesn’t say how many of the disasters in its database can be linked to climate change. This is because it doesn’t know. Nobody does. CRED monitors disasters, not climate change. Many non-climatic factors contribute to disasters and their costs. Many of these non-climatic factors are many times more influential than anything that climate change has exhibited so far. The CRED database is totally unsuitable as a source of historical information about the impacts of climate change. This is why Al Gore recently stopped using it in his famous slide-show. I respectfully submit that your department should also stop using it.
Regards
– VB
PS The disclaimer tacked onto the end of the report acknowledging the importance of non-climatic factors only makes things worse. It shows that someone in your department knows that the numbers are meaningless.
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My country: United Kingdom
August 12th, 2009 at 6:49 pm #
Hello Stavros
If you clikc on the map - you get a page load error, you may want to check this.
Craig
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My country: France
August 15th, 2009 at 2:35 pm #
Dear Mr. Stavros,
The Maritime Industry as it appears has over the last decade lost its touch with times. This segment of the industry which includes the Oil & Gas sector is still in the ‘Preventing Pollution’ mode when the rest of the developed and developing economies have moved to the more significant ‘Environment Improvement & Energy Conservation’ role. Please do see the views on
http://greenseasandships.blogspot.com/
I do hope that the December 09 UNCCC COP15 does come out with a comprehensive and structured mechanism for the EU Shipping and Oil and Gas industry so that the same trend could be followed by the Maritime Regulators.
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My country: Singapore
August 19th, 2009 at 2:11 pm #
Indicators are excellent, thanks.
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My country: United Kingdom
August 20th, 2009 at 1:05 am #
Mr. STAVROS
All former sources of energy can be removed from our planet wth a new dynamic FORMULA
and that is FORMULA (<><>M= -0+) which uses gravity fusion, especially the necessary to
verify the teoretical, plus if get the correct answer from the theoretical Stavros and his
academic experts I pay them to spend time.
Stavros if your acedemic experts feel “inefficient” let them pay the European Union.
Stavros remain awake happy.
Hello to all commentators.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:51 pm #
DEAR MR DIMAS:
Thanking you so much for your estimable atention and time, I would like to share with you the concern and sadness of the situation regarding the fire and the uncontrolled wind now in Greece.
I know from France, Spain, Turquey it is being sent lots of seaplanes,
helicopters and all the human resources working 24 hours are not
efficient enough. We all know It is being a serious problem in most of the Mediterranean countries during summer time.
I would like to ask you Sir, as you are the highest responsable of the environment in Europe… what is now the most needed resource to stop this devasting situation in Greece? To calm down the wind and rain water ?
What would it be the most needed miracle to stop it Sir?
How much is the estimate loss in euros? how much does it cost to each country this kind of desaster?
Let me know please if I am wrong. What would you do if nature would be in our side?
With Warmest Regards
Izaskun Lekuona Aduriz
Sönam Chödrom
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My country: Spain
August 27th, 2009 at 6:34 pm #
DEAR MR DIMAS,
WHAT ARE THE PROGRAMS OR WHAT ARE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES GOVERNMENTS DOING OR PLANNING TO DO TO PREVENT DESERTIFATION?
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ESTIMABLE WORK AND ATTENTION,
BEST REGARDS
IZASKUN LEKUONA ADURIZ
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My country: Spain
September 11th, 2009 at 12:30 pm #
Congratulations on a really nice blog site
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My country: Turkey
September 14th, 2009 at 10:16 pm #
Firstly, the map doesn’t work, I get a “Server not found” error.
However, as a frequent visitor to Malta I cannot believe that nothing whatsoever has bee done regarding polluting commercial vehicles. Most of the buses are more than 40 years old and emit thick black smoke. Malta generally has narrow streets and is the most densly populated country within Europe. The current situation is quite untenable. The ADT (local transport department) continue to ignore the problem and it is seriously affecting the heatlth of everone, particularly children. It is not a situation that I envisaged would still be in existence several years after Malta had joined the EU. What can be done to get the situation rectified within a matter of months because that is the only timeline that is acceptable when peoples health are seriously at risk. Who can I talk to directly regarding this problem?
I can take photo and video evidence and can dedicate some of my time free of charge to do this. Help is required urgently.
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My country: Malta
September 16th, 2009 at 4:47 am #
The important thing in life is to have a great aim, and the determination to attain it.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:57 pm #
Great site-enjoyed reading very much. Check it out-Google CEO Schmidt says punching down into the earth to capture natural and clean geothermal energy could help move the United States away from it’s dependence on petroleum.Dec.16,2008-Betty http://www.geothermalquestions.net
September 21st, 2009 at 11:49 am #
Your article is nice.Thanks for your sharing,it helps me more.I will look forward to your more wonderfull articles.Have a good time.
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 pm #
Great news worth taking a look at-Geothermal pumps are the most green and efficient heating and cooling systems on the PLANET today-this is very exciting!Francis http://www.geothermalquestions.net
October 5th, 2009 at 9:27 pm #
(((dearest dear thanking for you and the enviroment plans we re ))))
greatest
thanking
walking talking love
on earth to earth
on sea to sea
on heavens to heavens
has none
than He who keeping keeps earth alive . Felix Mierke
be well fine healthy happy blessed
(((kind regards in a great hug))))
ys,kika
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