Worldlog week 18 – 2013

It’s been a busy time full of fun activities. Last Thursday we launched the ‘Growing Resistance’ campaign. We did it because the National Forest Service (the Dutch organisation that manages large swathes of natural areas) is selling nature out. The National Forest Service is going to use an auction house to sell chunks of nature to the highest bidder. This means hunters can add to their hunting grounds, and farmers and speculative builders could buy natural areas, which jeopardises nature’s future. This sale is down to drastic cut backs to nature-based spending made by the previous cabinet. The National Forest Service still needs to remit 100 million Euro to the state treasury during this government’s term of office.

We cannot let this nature sale happen! Together we can buy nature its freedom and secure its future. We cannot afford to lose a single square metre of nature. The Netherlands has but 15% of its biodiversity left. Nature, with its variety of plants, animals, and ecosystems is the most valuable thing we have – it is the foundation for all life. That is why those who protect animals, nature, and the environment need to join forces to prevent nature loss.

We are going to work together to buy as much of the nature that the National Forest Service is selling as we can. We shall of course keep these natural areas in their original state! To be continued.

Our second promotion last week was to adorn the facade outside our party office with a generous gesture to our new king. People could send in their advice to the upcoming king about his exemplary function and what position animals hold in our land. The best submissions are listed on our website. The funniest and most original submissions are also in the draw to win a dinner party, a vegetarian cookbook, or a plush toy cow.

This Saturday sees the première of our documentary ‘De Haas in de Marathon’ or The Hare in the Marathon in Istanbul. We’re really looking forward to it! We were invited to Istanbul by Hayvan Partisi, a group of Turkish animal rights activists who have set up their own party for animals and who aim to have animal rights included in the constitution. The Hayvan Partisi will be an encouraging agent so other political parties give priority to animal welfare issues in parliament. We wanted to bring like-minded individuals together this weekend to talk about animals, nature and the environment in Turkey and the Netherlands. Both the film screening and the lecture are organised by the Animal Politics Foundation, the foundation that houses our international activities.

Fortunately seal hunters came away empty handed last week at the European Court. They broached the European trade ban on fur and other seal products. Wonderful!

Unfortunately the Netherlands has a majority for starting to drill for shale gas. Click here to see why this isn’t a good idea. We are against drilling for shale gas and will do everything in our power to stop the drilling.

And finally I would like you to see these gorgeous photos of Earth Day 2012. Earth Day 2013, which was last Monday, was also a raging success too!

Greetings, Marianne