Mastodawn

CelloMom On Cars Feb 27, 2024

"Right-wing politicians have launched a bid to block the passing of the #EU’s flagship nature protection law, which scientists have described as a “cornerstone of food security and human health”.

Derailing the law could come at significant cost to farmers, who are facing increasingly uncertain conditions due to climate #breakdown and #biodiversity loss."

https://www.desmog.com/2024/02/23/scientists-condemn-last-minute-push-to-overturn-eu-nature-law/

Scientists Condemn Last Minute Push to Overturn EU Nature Law

At the eleventh hour, right-wing politicians have launched a bid to block the passing of the EU’s flagship nature protection law, which scientists have described as a “cornerstone of food security and human health”. The pro-nature plan, which could see as much as 90 percent of damaged ecosystems repaired across the bloc, is due for […]

DeSmog

CelloMom On Cars Feb 27, 2024

IT PASSED!
The European Green Deal is saved.

However, the law was weakened considerably. More when I can find a news piece in English.

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/02/27/europarlement-keurt-veelbesproken-natuurherstelwet-goed-a4191400

Europarlement keurt veelbesproken natuurherstelwet goed

De stemming, die tot op laatste moment spannend was, is een opsteker voor de Green Deal. Wel werd de wet flink afgezwakt.

NRC

CelloMom On Cars Feb 27, 2024

"The European parliament has given the green light to a watered-down law to restore nature, after weeks of fierce protests from farmers and a last-ditch attempt from rightwing parties threatened to sink the deal.

The nature restoration law was subject to an intense and negative media campaign before a key vote last year. In an open letter, 6,000 scientists criticised opponents of the law for spreading #misinformation."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/27/european-parliament-votes-for-watered-down-law-to-restore-nature-farmers-protests

European parliament votes for watered-down law to restore nature

EU target aims to restore at least 20% of land and sea ecosystems by 2030 despite farmers’ protests and rightwing opposition

The Guardian

CelloMom On Cars Feb 27, 2024

"The new law sets a target for the #EU to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

EU countries will have to make progress in two of the following three indicators: the grassland #butterfly index; the share of agricultural land with high-diversity landscape features; the stock of organic #carbon in cropland mineral soil."

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240223IPR18078/nature-restoration-parliament-adopts-law-to-restore-20-of-eu-s-land-and-sea

Nature restoration: Parliament adopts law to restore 20% of EU’s land and sea | News | European Parliament

The new law sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

CelloMom On Cars Feb 27, 2024

" EU countries must restore at least 30% of drained #peatlands by 2030 (at least a quarter shall be rewetted), 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050 (where at least one-third shall be rewetted)."

Plus:
An additional three billion #trees to be planted.

"Member states will also have to restore at least 25 000 km of #rivers into free-flowing rivers and ensure there is no net loss in the total national area of urban green space and of urban tree canopy cover."

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240223IPR18078/nature-restoration-parliament-adopts-law-to-restore-20-of-eu-s-land-and-sea

Nature restoration: Parliament adopts law to restore 20% of EU’s land and sea | News | European Parliament

The new law sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

CelloMom On Cars Feb 28, 2024

Farmers' anger at green rules are frequently cited as a reason for watering down the EU environmental law.

BUT
If you ask *farmers*, in France this is what they say:

"62% of farmers believe that the ecological transition is a necessity and 23% even consider that it is an opportunity : the refusal of the ecological transition is therefore today largely in the minority among farmers (15%)."

Here's the survey report:
https://www.bva-xsight.com/sondages/crise-agricole-sondage-bvaxsight-collectifnourrir/

h/t @BrabantsBurgerplatform
https://mastodon.social/@BrabantsBurge[email protected]/112002388637564310

Une nouvelle étude BVA Xsight / Collectif Nourrir / Terra Nova pour éclairer la réalité de la crise agricole - BVA Xsight

A la veille du Salon de l’Agriculture et suites aux annonces en conséquence des mobilisations agricoles, le Collectif Nourrir publie les premiers résultats d’une enquête...

BVA Xsight

CelloMom On Cars Feb 28, 2024

When you see images of "angry farmers" protesting green policies(and their visual presence is bulked up by their tractors, even before they set fire to stuff), remember this:

That's a small number of farmers.

"Farmers" have a diversity of opinions.
We need to ask HOW MANY farmers are so hot about hating on green policies.

Turns out:
Among Dutch farmers, 84% are prepared to invest in sustainability if they are assured returns on that investment.

Eighty four percent!

https://www.nieuweoogst.nl/nieuws/2022/08/13/driekwart-van-de-boeren-wil-verduurzamen

Driekwart van de boeren wil verduurzamen

Nederland heeft geen stikstofprobleem. Dat vindt 66 procent van de boeren en tuinders. Wel vindt 74 procent dat de agrarische sector moet verduurzamen. Dat blijkt uit een representatief onderzoek van Nieuwe Oogst onder bijna 1.400 boeren en tuinders over verduurzaming van de landbouw.

Nieuwe Oogst

CelloMom On Cars Feb 28, 2024

Farmers are smart, and they are savvy businesspeople.

A majority see clearly that clean energy, for instance, is great for their business, as it can save a large amount of money and has fewer wild price swings.

Last year I talked to a Dutch vegetable grower who recently switched to industrial waste heat for his greenhouses, supplemented by solar energy. He's never going back to gas.

What farmers want most of all is a solid and steady government policy to steer by.

https://www.consultancy.nl/nieuws/49944/boeren-willen-investeren-in-duurzame-energie-maar-lopen-tegen-belemmeringen-aan

Boeren willen investeren in duurzame energie maar lopen tegen belemmeringen aan

De meerderheid van de Nederlandse boeren wil best investeren in duurzame energie, maar tegelijkertijd zien ze nog de nodige beren op weg.

Consultancy.nl

CelloMom On Cars

"Last month, the bill was adopted in European Parliament by a 329-275 vote.

The change of heart follows weeks of relentless protests from farmers across the bloc.

https://apnews.com/article/eu-climate-nature-protection-farmers-protests-7b222f346d4898e32766b230da781385

A SMALL MINORITY OF FARMERS snatched nature restoration from all of Europe.
Surveys show that 62% of French farmers and 75% of Dutch farmers are into sustainable farming.
See posts above, in this thread.

A major European nature protection plan stumbles at the final hurdle. 'How could we give that up?'

A major European Union plan to fight climate change and better protect nature in the 27-nation bloc has been indefinitely postponed. The member states were supposed to give final approval to the bill on Monday following months of proceedings. A Belgian regional climate minister who chaired the meeting of the EU environment ministers said there was no qualified majority of 15 of the 27 member states to support the bill after Hungary changed its vote. The change of heart follows weeks of relentless protests from farmers across the bloc who have argued that reams of environmental laws governing the way they work are driving them toward bankruptcy.

AP News

CelloMom On Cars Mar 26, 2024

I'm angry about this failure.

It's a failure from - SOME - farmers who don't have the farsightedness to see this law is good for their farms.

It's a failure from politicians to communicate to all farmers what's at stake (everyone's farms!)

It's a failure from all the parties involved so see that pressure came from only a handful of very loud mouths. A failure to find a spine

And this scotches this law for all of Europe?
I'm angry.

Europarliament elections coming up, friends: Vote GREEN!

CelloMom On Cars Mar 27, 2024

And still - SOME* - farmers are not happy.

"Farmers threw beets, sprayed manure at police, set hay alight, threw e-bikes off a bridge and set the entry to a subway station aflame on Tuesday as hundreds of tractors again sealed off streets close to the European Union headquarters.

The farmers protested what they see as excessive red tape and unfair trading practices as well as increased environmental measures and cheap imports from Ukraine."

https://apnews.com/article/eu-farmers-protest-climate-change-a97ef80dd7ef7adfc6ded4506bef1ab0

*See posts above

With blaring horns rumbling engines, farmers in tractors block Brussels to protest EU policies

Dozens of tractors have sealed off streets close to European Union headquarters where the 27 EU agriculture ministers are planning to the crisis in the sector that has led to months of protests. The farmers are protesting anything from what they see as excessive red tape to increased environmental measures, cheap imports and unfair trading practices. Authorities in Brussels asked commuters to stay out of the city on Tuesday and work from home as much as possible. With protests taking place from Finland to Greece, Poland, and Ireland, the farmers have already won a slew of concessions from EU and national authorities, from a loosening of controls on farms to a weakening of pesticide and environmental rules.

AP News

CelloMom On Cars Mar 27, 2024

Again:
"Hundreds of tractors sealed off streets close to the EU headquarters to protest what they see as excessive red tape and unfair trading practices."

https://www.dw.com/en/brussels-farmer-protests-turn-violent-as-eu-ministers-meet/a-68675827

Without their tractors, hundreds of farmers would look like a smallish crowd. Nothing like the Fridays For Future demonstrations where tens of thousands take to the streets.

And nobody at Fridays For Future throws Molotov cocktails.

Brussels: Farmer protests turn violent, as EU ministers meet

Police fired tear gas and deployed water cannons to keep protesting farmers at bay as agriculture ministers from the bloc met a few steps away to revise proposals to ease the crisis.

Deutsche Welle

CelloMom On Cars Apr 11, 2024

Over 80% of the #EU’s farming subsidies support #emissions-intensive animal products – new study

"These products overwhelmingly drive the EU’s food-related greenhouse gas emissions, #biodiversity loss, #water consumption, #AirPollution, water pollution and more.

These subsidies are also influencing production and consumption in other countries that import food from the EU."

https://theconversation.com/over-80-of-the-eus-farming-subsidies-support-emissions-intensive-animal-products-new-study-226853

Over 80% of the EU’s farming subsidies support emissions-intensive animal products – new study

Meat is cheaper than it should be – and alternatives are more expensive.

The Conversation

CelloMom On Cars Jun 17, 2024

UPDATE:
EU Nature Restoration Law PASSED.>

" After months of setbacks and difficult negotiations between the EU Council and the European Parliament, environment ministers voted today in Luxembourg to pass the Nature Restoration Law.

“This law is pivotal to combat climate change. We need to ensure legal certainty for people using soil and land,” Austrian climate minister Leonor Gewessler said during the debate."

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/06/17/nature-restoration-law-gets-green-light-after-austria-flips

Nature Restoration Law gets green light after Austria flips

After months of setbacks and difficult negotiations between the EU Council and the European Parliament, environment ministers voted today in Luxembourg to pass the Nature Restoration Law. #EuropeNews

euronews

CelloMom On Cars Jun 19, 2024

Apparently the Austrian climate minister, Leonor Gewessler (Green party), cast her vote without the approval of her government.

Which has said it would try to annul the vote. Even though the Belgian presidency said the vote was binding and the Nature Restoration Law is now a law.

https://www.ft.com/content/7175b191-04a2-406f-8149-cc1974d5b308

EU approves nature law in face of Austrian legal threat

Vienna contests move by climate minister Leonore Gewessler to back environmental protection bill

CelloMom On Cars Jan 10, 2025

Good debunking of a talking point used a lot in Europe around agricultural #climate policies, The threat of high food prices is overblown:

“Climate policies aimed at reducing emissions in #agriculture often raise concerns about rising food prices, particularly for consumers. Our analysis shows that long supply chains of modern food systems buffer consumer prices from drastic increases, especially in wealthier countries.”

https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/growing-divide-agricultural-climate-policies-affect-food-prices-differently-in-wealthy-and-poor-countries

Growing Divide: Agricultural Climate Policies Affect Food Prices Differently in Wealthy and Poor Countries

01/03/2024 – Farmers are receiving less of what consumers spend on food, as modern food systems increasingly direct costs toward value-added components like processing, transport, and marketing. A new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK shows that this effect shapes how food prices respond to agricultural climate policies: While value-added components buffer consumer price changes in wealthier countries, low-income countries – where farming costs dominate – face greater challenges in managing food price increases due to climate policies.

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

CelloMom On Cars Jan 13, 2025

"Greenhouse gas #emissions in German #agriculture could be significantly reduced in a socially equitable way through a climate fee on food, combined with climate dividends. This is the key finding of a study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)."

https://phys.org/news/2025-01-climate-fee-food-effectively-greenhouse.html

Climate fee on food could effectively cut greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture while ensuring a social balance

Greenhouse gas emissions in German agriculture could be significantly reduced in a socially equitable way through a climate fee on food, combined with climate dividends. This is the key finding of a study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

Phys.org

TurningLeaf Mar 27, 2024

@CelloMomOnCars Fridays for Future is also not directed and inspired and funded by the Russian government. Much of this farm disturbance is driven by the Russian initiative of asymmetric warfare which aims to destabilize the EU, undermine Ukraine and of course, push fossil fuels forever.

CelloMom On Cars Mar 27, 2024

Really?
You're saying these particular farmer protests were instigated by Russia? Would you have a link to that? I'm genuinely curious. If that were true, surely the MEPs would take it into account in their vote.

TurningLeaf Mar 27, 2024

@CelloMomOnCars Actually proving funding and direct involvement in instigation is difficult but it is often discussed. That they are behind efforts to amplify the protests across social media isn’t as difficult. Here is s good article on it.

https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-farmer-protest-russia-war-propaganda/

Europe’s farmer protests have been fertile ground for Russian propaganda

While starting at the grassroots level, the protests have been keenly exploited by Russia to sow division and undermine popular support for Ukraine’s defense.

POLITICO

Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈Mar 27, 2024

@CelloMomOnCars Far Right protests get so much leeway with the Police, haven't we all noticed that?

All these wild protest laws used against children protesting for a Future and yet nothing on Farmers, their tractors and their explosives....