Worldlog week 37 – 2014

Time is running out for our countryside. And that is exactly what I told our State Secretary of Agriculture last week during a debate on mega stalls. The State Secretary’s policy is causing the Netherlands to turn into one big industrial area with animal factories. During the debate I symbolically gave the State Secretary a first brick and I asked her if it would be a first brick for the construction of a new mega stall, or if it could be a landmark?

Pigs flats and chicken towers are threatening to turn our green into grey. Because of bulk production, farming life has changed into a well oiled machine and trucks are driving from and to the farms with food, manure and cattle for slaughter. All this is made possible by the government’s intention to leave the decision on the construction of mega stalls up to the councils and provinces. In this way they are enabling local governments to routinely grant licences for mega stalls.

The border of a village will change from a field with cows to an area with animal factories. Small family farms will be driven out of business by mega farms. Seven farmers a day in the Netherlands already are giving up their work, and the vacancy of agricultural real estate will be higher in 2030 than that of offices and shops… This must stop!

Good news 🙂 Following our requests, the Netherlands is finally going to endeavour to end the horrific dolphin killings. The State Secretary promised to seize the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to improve the protection of dolphins. Until now only whales have been subject to the IWC’s protection regime, as a result of which there has been a moratorium for whaling for years. The Netherlands is now going to plead for a ban on the hunting of dolphin and small whales.

Our member of the European Parliament, Anja Hazekamp, has also put written questions to the European Commission, which is negotiating on behalf of the EU with Japan on a free trade agreement.

Last Saturday was a special day for us. Philip Wollen gave a lecture in the Lower House for our members. It was a great honour to receive him. Philip Wollen is a former vice president of the Citibank. After he left there, he started to fully focus on the protection of animals. He initiated several projects to help animals in distress. Last year we granted him a Party for the Animals Award for all his fantastic work for animals. Below is a small photo report:

See here how palm oil is destroying our earth: ‘Paradise for Palm Oil: The Greenwashing of Indonesian Deforestation’

Last week it was sustainable Tuesday. Many initiatives were presented in the Lower House for a more sustainable world. One of the great initiatives came from the Technical University in Delft. You can have your petrol car “converted” into an electric one by students from the TU Delft 🙂 Brilliant!

I found a nice cartoon on internet on #greenwashing.

Until soon! Greetings, Marianne