Climate change and the environment: How can we live in harmony with nature?
The young climate activists of Fridays for Future have been shouting it out loud: the planet is getting hot! The way we move around, we produce goods, we obtain energy, we feed and dress ourselves has an impact on the environment. But... do we always realise that our comfort sometimes comes at a very high price? The CO2 we generate causes global warming that leads to extreme weather like floods, droughts and hurricanes, forcing many to leave their homes and to become climate refugees. The use of pesticides, plastics and fossil fuels damage our lands and generate loss of biodiversity. In addition, in the EU, around 87.6 million tons of food is lost or wasted every year between the farm and the fork. An uncomfortable truth that causes huge economic losses and a lot of needless hunger in the world.
The European Union has a plan. It is called the Green Deal. The goal is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Cool, isn't it? But how? We must achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by reducing greenhouse gases and compensating for any remaining ones. In other words, Member States are asked to use the EU’s recovery funds to invest in environmentally friendly technologies, to decarbonise the energy sector and to pollute less. How can young people contribute to this ambitious task? Look around you. What do you see? Is there any step you can take to stop climate change? How can you inspire others to buy less and dispose better? Are we using our resources sustainably, wisely and fairly? Tell us what you think. What would you do? Participate. Have your say on matters that affect your life. Help shape Europe’s future on climate.
We cannot continue with EU CAP direct payments (be they coupled or decoupled) and expect to achieve the necessary incorporation of environmental objectives into the CAP. As a leading institution, the EU has the responsibility and duty to ensure that these immense subsidies are distributed in a manner that effectively incentivises environmental action. It is not sufficient to have a cross-sectional approach where we theoretically 'link' the obtaining of the subsidies on meeting certain environmental conditions. I am currently working on a thesis which alters the conceptualisation of the indicator being used to ascertain the exact remuneration for each farmer (aka currently euros being conditional upon the number of hectares owned... which, for decades, has been proven to be ineffective and I have witnessed first-hand misuse of such subsidies) and truly make the subsidies conditional upon ensuring increased environmental performance (in the sub-category of ensuring improvement in soil quality, and preservation of biodiversity).
Please reconsider such reforms. The current reforms and budget allocations discussed for the EU CAP post 2020 are not truly indicative of the efforts of the Green Deal.
Reliance on NETs can appear promising, but in a large amount of cases it does not amount to the required reductions, and often the inclusion of such technologies in future scenario models is misleading, and not revelatory of the emission reductions needed to be achieved by various industries. Please invest a larger proportion of the EU's budget in research and development on bio and circular economy, and do not rely on intangible solutions.
The solution to all these climate issues is to transform the entire social and economic systems into green eco-friendly systems. Our societies should be run as sustainably as possible and it does not take much only a small effort to shift from harmful practices. For example the simple shift from using plastic bag into reusable ones would prevent tons of plastic waste to oceans. This applies to each of our daily tasks such water waste by innovating in the domain of recycle domestic use water. Our cities should turn more green like plating more trees and plants in the streets and even within the building. Meanwhile, economically, it is also not very difficult to make a shift as the long term benefits override the short term ones. We can produce more sustainably by respecting nature, avoid the unnecessary over-production that uses resources and goes to waste and also we could shift into a more eco-friendly transportation system like the use of renewable energies. We have now more technologies to read news papers or books rather than cut trees for paper. We are able to stop over fishing or poachers.
These are few of the great things we can do to save the planet as Gandhi said "the difference between what we do and what we can could solve all problems".
Maybe we need to legitimise recycling in all EU countries.
but in 2021 science, instead of saying ‘NOW recycling’, has done so in 10. it can find a way to recycle more items such as plastic toothbrush
Promoting the pfand system around Europe. This system is based on a deposit that peoplewould pay when buying bottles, and then it will be given back as a shopping discount when people put the bottles in the machines inside the supermarket/shop. This system is well developed in the North of Europe but not in the South, where few private companies have them.
The pfand system is useful to motivate people throwing their bottles in the appropriate machine instead that on the streets or in inappropriate bins.
We would get the best of both worlds: clean streets and recycling. The EU should invest on this system.
"1 plant for 1 child"
The idea is quite simple : Give 1 plant to 1 child under the age of 7, with his name marked on a bio-degradable paper, so that at his 16 or 18 years old, he'll scratch on his individual tree memories, usually with his loved ones; Memories that he will keep until his old age by protecting his tree that, at his death, will continue to ne protected by members of his family or relatives.
This "1 plant for 1 child" plan doesn't need money invest or political investment : it's a free action for upgrading life expectations in this material world ; A little step for the poorest family of the union, but a Big step for mankind.
Hoping that just a family in this year will garantee the future "family tree" of his child this year...
To further promote reuse, non-recyclable and non-reusable materials can be collected, from plastic to most of them, such as materials from old CDs, broken toys, household articles, etc. and promoted for use in schools and institutions with special needs for construction, naturally after specific decontamination. This will reduce the use of new materials and find a solution for the management of this waste so that they do not end up in landfills or incinerators. In particular, people with disabilities will then be able to sell the materials they make, allowing them to also offer and earn money from society. These materials can be collected either in green areas or directly in schools, institutions and public and private services.
“Promoting a sustainable Erasmus through Transport”
We propose:
1. Offer a sustainable mobility option through rail to those on an Erasmus + stay by providing (at least) a free outward and return journey between the country of origin and the host country during the period of the stay.
2. Include our proposal as part of a ‘pilot project’ involving only beneficiaries who undertake mobility in a neighbouring/border country or for journeys of a maximum of 10 hours, in order to carry out a first survey on the reception of this measure.
3. Create a ‘green transport card’ for Erasmus students, allowing them to obtain significant discounts on other journeys they wish to make during their Erasmus stay, provided that they are carried out using sustainable means of transport such as the train or electric bus (among others). This card could also be extended to all European surveyors (depending on the ambition of the competent authorities).
Proposal prepared by Sofia Carballo, Luisa Ingrid Abrahamyan and Eric Valdivia in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union organised by Team Europe.
You can read the full proposal here: https://equipoeuropa.org/fomentar-un-erasmus-sostenible-a-traves-del-transporte/
Hello,
I have two ideas:
— Limit the production or sale of palm oil for businesses in the European Union.
— Ban cereals that are not produced in the EU.
Best wishes,
Illan.
LESS RED MEAT. Or possibly a campaign to replace traditional cattle with ostrich meat, which is a red meat almost indistinguishable from beef but much more environmentally friendly to raise/farm.
Investment into lab grown meat alternatives is always great too. But regardless of how we change consumption habits, our outsourcing of meat production to countries like Brazil must also end if we wish to keep the Amazon intact.
Give financial support for biodiversity and climate bottom up projects, including an important diversity of stakeholders with high level of participation, because stakeholders participation is the key to success.
And give the competence (through common courses in EU) to project leaders (especially related to EU environmental funded projects) in order to teach them how to delegate/include more to/the key stakeholders in project design and implementation.
Increase monitoring and follow-up when the project is done because achieve sustainability is a hard work and takes a long time.
Being environmentally friendly simply means having a lifestyle that is better for the environment.
It’s just taking small steps towards looking after the mother earth to make this planet a better place for our communities and generations to come.
A good way would be to start with conserving water, driving less and walking more, consuming less energy, buying recycled products, eating locally grown vegetables, joining environmental groups to combat air pollution, creating less waste, planting more trees, and many more. There are a surprising amount of people, businesses, and communities that would like to do more to conserve and protect our natural resources, but they don’t know where to begin with becoming more environmentally friendly.
Understanding what makes each of these aspects of our world part of the process of changing and conserving our resources, and learning how to get started creating a difference is the first thing you have to learn.
I think some flight journey just shouldn't exist, like for exemple Amsterdam- London that can be easily done by train. Those train should be cheaper: there should be some discounts for students or other people with a basic income.
The uncomfortable truth is that our diet is detrimental for the planet. With climate change, pollution and biodiversity costs, the real costs of cheap food become evident. With less meat consumption, less biofuels and less food waste, it could be easy to feed the world's population without harming the environment (deforestation, use of pesticides, etc.). The price of food needs to account for this as opposed to merely accounting for quantity.
We need to educate the young to the old about the value of food and all the work that is behind its production. To encourage citizens to grow their own food or pollinator plants in their backyard, balcony or even windowsill, free seeds could be handed out. This not only increases self-sufficiency, but also reduces the alienation between citizens and the food product.
We need to stop producing/buying anonymous products and empty calories. To serve as a role model, organic, minimally processed food should become the standard in every cantine and any public event.
Instead of building barriers, we need to ease the path for any small-scale, innovative food movement such as urban farming initiatives. Change cannot come from one big corporate company, but many small enterprises.
We have to try to stop some wind farms because they transform the rural economy and the landscape. Rural farmers prefer obtaining money from energy industries rather than cultivate products; an idea that is not convenient for the soil and its properties. Also, animals don't live near wind farms because of the noise and those turbines kill birds.
Therefore, animals invade other spaces because their environment has changed and also the landscape. With that amount of wind farms (specially in the north of Spain) some of our traditions are gone.
On the other hand, having these wind turbines, which only need some maintenance, makes it very difficult for the population to establish on rural areas, losing all our traditions.
“Reducing facilities that encourage depopulation and destruction of the rural environment”
Castilla y León is the largest autonomous community in Europe and the third most depopulated region. For several years now, it has also been filled with wind farms and large pig farms. These two phenomena involve investment and create jobs, but not as many as maintaining and stabilising the population as alternative economic activities such as the traditional farming model and the recovery of extensive livestock farming could do.
Setting up such infrastructure in Castile-Leon may seem to be a beneficial idea in the short term, but it also has major drawbacks:
In the case of wind farms, they significantly transform the landscape, move animals from their natural habitat through heavy noise and kill and damage birds. Moreover, their maintenance is minimal, so they do not set up so much population in the rural environment in which they are established. On the other hand, the installation of these wind farms, although the argument could also be extended to photovoltaics, means that less rural land is used for agriculture, which results in a loss of quality and properties to be sown and harvested. These plants provide the owners of the land on which a number of benefits are installed, but they also cause damage to the natural environment in which they are established.
On the other hand, pig macro farms also transform the landscape on which they are based, as in the case of photovoltaic and wind farms. On the other hand, they cause odours that can be unpleasant if they are located in close proximity to rural urban centres and animal waste can contaminate the soil, underground aquifers and even the crops surrounding the farm. This may lead to a worsening of the soils in the surrounding area and, consequently, to a loss of quality in the crops of that land. Finally, having a farm can generate some jobs, but it is not always guaranteed that workers will live in the locality where the farm is located, thus encouraging centralisation and accusing rural depopulation.
As solutions, more controls should be implemented to obtain environmental permits to build such wind, photovoltaic and pig infrastructure and to try to establish a population in the urban centres in which they are based to try to curb depopulation. Furthermore, these facilities should respect the environment as closely as possible and should not conceal archaeological sites if they find them when they are built.
To turn waste into energy, instead putting it in the sea and land, to educate about the environmental policy already implemented in Singapore and start to implement it into the European practice.
I hope it will be Okay if i write it in my native language- Slovak.
We should massively subsidise and support projects that include green improvements in cities. Green roofs, unmounted meadows, water retention measures, tree planting, bee gardens and many others. There would also be a need for a law that limits logging in forests to a selective management method, as it works in other countries. Our nature is in a very poor state and we need to take active action to change this. We don't have much time.
The EU will give incentives on the water dispenser so that we will generate less plastic. More water fountains can be installed in public places so that the citizens can use a recycled bottle instead of using a plastic bottle.
I think the best idea are the electronic cars and electrical vehicles. Because it can be decreased a carbon-monoxid emissions. I know that these are more expensive than the "casual cars" but in the future will bring back the price. As far as I know we don't have to pay for the electrical energy (lots of Eu's country this energy is free. )
On the other hand the Eu's governments must be producted renewable energy equipment. Instead of harmful emission factories.
I hope my ideas will be succesfull.
Support nuclear power. It is the most powerful carbon free energy source. It's clean and safe. It can do what renewables can't. Support it.
With all due respect, I highly doubt that nuclear power is clean and safe when its waste takes over a thousand years to disintegrate.
It doesn't disintegrate, it stays solid and it decays, and yes it is radioactive but that doesn't mean it's not safe. Reprocessed nuclear waste is less radioactive than raw uranium ore after about 500 years, and we easily have the technology to contain it for that amount of time. If you have this idea that nuclear power is somehow dangerous or polluting, you should learn some more about it's workings.
It really is though, if you think modern nuclear power is somehow dangerous or polluting, you should learn more about its workings
Investing safely, efficiently, urgently and massively in solar energy as a renewable and non-polluting energy.
Transparent farmers because of environmental degradation.
The EU and the member states should invest a lot in the railway because I need lower ticket prices on long distance trains. The train is vers eco-friendly.
I think the focus for the climate change should be moved from the farmers and put on big companies like Nestle, IKEA, H & M etc.
Push for nuclear energy! It's the solution for the carbon emissions problem as it doesn't emit any CO2. The nuclear waste can be stored safely and it's the safest form of energy next to all non renewable and most renewable! France did it and they're doing very well!
We should force on manufactures to providing better quality thinks by increase minimum time of guaranty. Some time to time i fixing something and often the reason of flaw seem to be intencional bad design. Another problem is fact that some compane making updates for older device wich slowing them down .Moreover in modern device there is it is not possible to replace batteries in easy way wich usualy is part wears out the quickest
As with everyone else, I often have to buy things to get through life in general. One big problem I've found is that almost everything we buy is wrapped in plastic, which isn't always recycled or recyclable. Although we try to go for the more sustainable options, it often isn't an option, especially when considering most can't always afford to be sustainable.
If we could set a date within the next five to ten years, within which manufacturers themselves would have to make packaging and certain one use products biodegradable or compostable, that would be wonderful.
Additionally, we could fund research into creating such biodegradable materials.
Clearer guidelines on recycling and a focus on lessening plastic packaging and unnecessary leaflets. Perhaps more promotion at schools on how to recycle properly and the installation of more recycling bins in areas they are likely to be used in.
It might be a far stretch and possibly not one that is reachable right now. However, possibly aiming to have businesses, especially the larger ones that could afford further research, not produce a product to the general market unless they have a sustainable plan on how to deal with the product once it's completed its use. By either making said product recyclable, compostable or biodegradable. Meaning a ban on single-use plastics except where deemed necessary for health reasons. The creation of further rules about a clear demarcation of what they truly mean. This should then be shared with the public and promoted for clarity's sake.
Otherwise, we risk having companies greenwashing products. This makes people think they are doing the right thing when they might be causing more harm than good. It could additionally lead people to dispose of items in the wrong manner.
Clarification could be achieved by :
- creating symbols, which the public should then be informed of
- increase transparency by the companies that create these.
- include information about what recycling options there are in your country for that product/ include information as to whether that particular plastic is recyclable in your country.
- ban greenwashing and fine companies which falsely advertise their packaging or other product as being green.
Having a solid plan for solar panel recycling. We're heavily investing in solar energy but not enough planning is taking place for when their life expectancy is reached.
We could invest in businesses aimed at properly disposing of them. Possibly adding jobs and new expertise in the area.
Instead of focusing on the anthropogenic influence on the climate and making alarmist and dubious claims about the certain, human-induced demise of the planet, we should instead focus on the idea of human flourishing, which is in strong correlation with the amount of energy we have at hand. In my worldview, fossil fuels have been extremely beneficial for human flourishing and the impact on climate which is the product of our using them shouldn't necessarily be stopped. Anthropogenic climate change isn't better or worse than climate change which would have occured anyway for other reasons. In short, what we should focus on is what is the best energy source and how to utilize that source and what is best for humanity. I emphatically disagree with anti-impact ideology because I don't believe that human imapact on climate or the environment is either moral or immoral. Of course, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't care about the environment.
At them moment we are pushed to consume more and more. Doesn't matter weather its material products or energy. This huge increase in production and need is just not sustainable.
Instead of waiting for the next scientific solution to the problem, which may never come or too late, we should start thinking about strategies which support reduction and sharing.
For example, why don't we say everyone should only use 2000 watt every month. This should include energy consumption, the car plus it's maintenance as well as travel. If the person succeeds that amount, it should be VERY expensive to buy more. On the other hand a person how stay under the limit should profit from that and should be able to earn money with that reduction.
As for sharing, does everyone really need a household full of every tool? Why don't borrow the things you only need on rare occasions from your neighbors or friends or online? There are a lot of small projects like this out there, but way to few. It should become way more common!
Correct population distribution is one of the most important factors in energy conservation and not requiring more energy and wasting natural resources. For example, when you build one house and place trees and pools of water around it, the natural temperature will be sufficient, but when you build many houses and place them in one geographical point, then you will not If you can plant sufficient trees and water bodies, then you will have to consume more natural resources. In sum, the correct population distribution is one of the most important factors in order to keep our environment clean and temperatures are moderate.
Simple: Punish and fine firms, people etc who are destroying our envirment. The punisment as to be really serious and not a 5EUR fine.
In order to ensure fair and orderly transition from fossil fuelled power plants in Central European EU countries, safe and green nuclear energy should be included in our new environmental policies. When constructed right they are 100% safe. Moreover, they should all be built only by EU companies using EU-only tech and materials.
The use of nuclear power starting to fall down is not good news. Renewables need to cooperate with nuclear so that the electricity demands can be met without needing to fall back to fossils whenever renewables struggle to keep up. We can not have a smooth transition towards renewables if we get rid of nuclear too fast. Look at Germany for example.
The use of nuclear power starting to fall down is not good news. Renewables need to cooperate with nuclear so that the electricity demands can be met without needing to fall back to fossils whenever renewables struggle to keep up. We can't have a smooth transition towards renewables if we shut down nuclear too fast. Look at Germany for example.
Exactly, Germany is the perfect exemple of (a god try) a bad and too fast transition. But also the EU need to invest in the nuclear fusion, and in water energy (solar and wind power are too toxic for the countries out of EU)
Spread a nuclear acceptance and promotion campaign, bearing in mind that it is the only alternative we have to achieve short-term climate goals without jeopardising the reliability of the electricity grid. A gradual adoption along with the campaign would be essential to realise the idea, with the previous one mentioned first, due to the current reluctance to nuclear energy.
• 14 July 2021
Something about the environment is the climate as I am a climate ambassador with the European Union and, in addition, they retain the title of Ambasadore of Peace worldwide.
• 14 July 2021
Returning more small bowls to the original state and making more water out of basins
• 14 July 2021
I would like to take an initiative to build plastic houses, where we will be able to reduce the plastic already used where we can try to eradicate pollution and in the EU, as there are many people who have difficulties accessing housing in a very cheap way through initiatives from private companies and freeing up issues such as taxes or bureaucratic hurdles where we can decontaminate and construct
• 14 July 2021
The car is now a means we use it every day. Most cars are driven by internal combustion engines. These engines use petrol and diesel to work. I propose frequent checks on fuel quality at filling stations, as an engine working with adulterated fuel emits far more pollutants than if the fuel is correct.
Recycling contact lenses. I am optometrist and there is now a lot of contamination with the disposal of contact lenses and their packaging. I would like to be able to take some action to be able to recycle all this waste.
The EU should apply monetary benefits, towards local businesses, farmers and citizens who use renewable energy, to encourage more people to go "green". In Portugal one of the biggest factors why agriculture, small bussinesses and society in general don't adhere to more ecological lifestyles is simply because they do not have the economical means to do it.
• 15 July 2021
Meteorological anomalies
Meteo impazzito and anomalous with lower temperatures in May than February.
This climate change is a blame for technological progress in part.
The plants flourish and this is the coup of the winter, which is vividly trying to recover at the end of his course, causing more damage than the hail.
Fresh spring with May as a master with violent grandinate.
Finally, the summer seasons with sudden nubiquitous damage make the climate splash.
The fascinating and at the same time paurosis summer times!
This year’s storms are particularly violent with a number of horns and beyond!
It is also close to my country with various damages!
Blame of the man who has increased the greenhouse effect, with factories and cars; sadly talk about it, but the progress has led to this!
If there is no short-term solution, it will be the end for the planet and humanity as a whole!
We are now accustomed to major natural disasters, more than in the past; what is a little to check to say the truth.
You need to return to life as once: with less convenience, more allegry and, above all, more dialogue with little technology; this could be a good solution.
On every new construction must be a photovoltaic system.
• 15 July 2021
Include nuclear power generation, mainly from generation IV fission reactors, in the decarbonisation strategy of the various EU countries and the EU itself, in order to cover the baseload of unsustainable electricity from random renewable sources (solar, wind).
We should pay people to give up on using cars, we can give free transportation for those who sell their car, or give them money to sell their cars.
• 15 July 2021
We need an egulated and high-capacity electricity grid. Excess photovoltaic electricity produced in Spain can then be stored in pumped storage plants in Norway in order to be consumed at night in Poland. A decentralised streaming house makes the power supply less vulnerable and reduces the need for central power plants (atoms, biogas, etc.).
• 15 July 2021
— Investing in emacipating communities on how to grow their foods in a more sustainable way and how to reduce food waste at their homes
— Penalise for bad food production practices and storage, plus monetary incentives to companies that have good practices and cover on their consumers for more sustainable practices.
— Invest on EU literature on the impact of food waste and how to reduce significantly food waste and how to save money that. School educational programmes should include topics on how to grow food, on food poverty worldwide, how to preserve food and prevent food waste. Children are great vehicles to teach their family and close ones to be more sustainable. (Portuguese example regarding Recycling)
• 16 July 2021
To regulate urban traffic, one of the largest sources of air emissions that exist, artificial intelligence applied to traffic lights could be used to optimise vehicle flows.
My idea is divided into several points and is therefore addressed to several institutions. First of all is the school, which is responsible for shaping the minds of tomorrow’s adults. I am 18 years old and my school ‘career’ is accompanied by experiences and interventions by environmental professionals. They taught us to correctly separate waste, not to dispose of it on land, to make simple washbasins to recycle plastic and even to create compost in our school. I am convinced that this is the right direction. If adults were more confident, this would certainly be rewarded. My generation is a living test. We are very attentive to an environmentally sustainable way of life and avoid unnecessary waste. But I am also convinced that the civilisation of individuals is not enough in the face of industrial barriers. Even if they chose to use bikes as a means of transport instead of the car, there would still be industries which discarded their discharges into the sea or into the air. This is where international institutions come into play, which must severely force the industrial sector into downsizing. If you are unable to drastically reduce your environmental impact, you are simply out of date. An interesting solution could be a system that measures annual pollutant emissions from households and industries. Once a precise quantity has been exceeded, it will be in breach of a very high level of penalty. This “system” can only gain credibility through the application of strict laws and punishments, which scared those who are torn of civilisation and a sense of community.
It is more than time that we act seriously on climate change. The floods in Germany and Belgium that happened this summer are proofs. I don't see any strong push in that direction yet.
Where are the thousands of battery chargers for cars, for example, that would convince a lot more of us to buy an electric car?
I lived in Oregon for a while and the State there were setting cars chargers along the highway I-5 back in 2011 already to incentivize people to drive electric cars.
Use renewable energy, make policies so that the non renewable energy has an addional tax.
Have policies to preserve nature such as and not limited to:
beaches, forests
We are living in a capitalist era however we should not let big companies cause natural disasters such as deforestation, oil spills.
Try to ban the usage of single use plastic as it is not beneficial to our oceans and may futurly cause a lot of environmental problems
thank you for your time i hope you consider the suggestions above
My ideas can be used both locally and internationally.
1- Spain is one of the most eating European countries. One of the options we would have could be to reuse your food as much as possible. Many restaurants throw excess food and has not been touched. On the other hand, big supermarkets are squeezed a lot of food that is close to being out of date or that is simply poorly in appearance but not out of date. For this reason, an organisation could be set up to make “harvesting kitchen” and be used for households without resources and in social canteens. In this way, people without resources or homelessness would have the opportunity to have food that is actually in good condition and their dependence on NGOs or altruistic donations would be reduced.
2- Reducing poorly called “organic” farming. Both at European and national level, organic farming, which uses neither pesticides nor chemical fertilisers, is very fashioned. However, this only increases soil, groundwater and air pollution. There are a large number of scientists who dedicate their lives to reducing this pollution using the technology we have and started with the Green Revolution. The solution would therefore be to have science-based agriculture and to do more to scientists who recommend the use of tested and endorsed chemicals than certain people who advocate that ‘natural’ is the best for life.
Encouraging the ecological transition, especially in the field of renewable energy, requires the exploitation and collaboration of the whole area, especially rural areas which suffer from depopulation and which may be adversely affected by the landscape impact of the installation of large renewable energy production parks.
However, the Community institutions, in cooperation with local, regional and national authorities, should understand this situation as a rural energy surplus which must be compensated for by active job creation policies, support for workers in the primary sector, incentives for the creation of innovative projects and entrepreneurs, as well as, of course, decent connectivity and access to energy at lower prices.
It is not a magic way of reversing depopulation, but it is a question of understanding it as a justice mechanism for energy-producing areas, thus encouraging the revitalisation of rural municipalities.
In relation to transport. When a Paris — Brussels train takes only 1: 30, there is no reason why a civilian internal flight should exist, nor for other short journeys.
For other routes such as Budapest — Zagreb, they
are two close capitals but with poor rail connections. I
think we need to invest there (and continue with night trains!). It also includes a budget for nuclear fusion research. Close air lanes with greener and equally fast rail alternatives! It is quick action, giving rail companies an economic gain and a gift to Europeans to discover our continent on land rather than above clouds. Finally, prices will be more competitive with low-cost aircraft.
It is necessary to force states more drastically, especially in the face of climate challenges. CO2
savings, taxation of large greenhouse gas emitters.
Depollution of EU rivers, rivers, sea, coasts and beaches. Smoking bans on public beaches (due to pollution of cubic litres of water).
There is still a lot of work to be done together, but in 2030 it will be too late.
Fund climate journalism. We need impactful climate communication. Citizens will cope with strict measurements if they understand why they are necessary. The more educated the population is, the more it will pressure companies to be held accountable for their environmental impact.
Taxes on kerosine, and investing the incomes in building a strong public transport network, such that public transport becomes the cheapest option, in particular for short distance travel.
It should be possible to travel the entirety of Europe by public transport with reasonable travel durations and for prices competitive to planes.
- Tax kerosene
- Reflect the true cost of air travel and use the surplus to subsidize rail
- Enhance international rail interconnexion
- Develop night trains
Stricter speed limits for ships that transport goods to reduce noise pollution impact on marine wildlife and save fuel (and costs!).
I find plastic pollution one of the biggest environmental threats at the moment and could be improved by the lifestyle adaptation of each individual as well as company that use plastics. Therefore, by replacing single use plastic with glass/wood materials which are known to decompose but also easier to recycle each of us could make a significant change. Moreover, single use plastics that can easily be replaced with other more eco-friendly materials (such as plastic straws with paper straws/ plastic cutlery with wood cutlery/ plastic food boxes with recycled cardboard boxes) should be banned in ALL countries by law.
I have two for Aviation
1. MRT Subsidy
Airline and Airport give a small back amount on airfare for PAX as long as they take MRT to airport.
2. Retailer Subsidy
Encourage retailers in airport using recycling resource to reduce their rental fee.
Enjoy Green Life!
Imagine every product we consume had, in addition to a price cost, a second cost dimension called eco-cost, that quantifies the ecological impact that product's manufacturing throughout the supply chain (including transport). This sounds like a lot of bureaucratic work, but it is worth it. In the beginning eco-cost could be based simply on carbon footprint, and then later expanded to include other negative ecological impacts.
For example, if I had to choose between two pairs of jeans and they cost more or less the same, I would be able to easily choose the more sustainable pair if there was an eco-cost listed on each pair of jeans. This doesn't sound like much, but imagine this effect for ALL products we consume - and the impact would be huge.
I have many friends that would like to become more eco-friendly - but it is just way too much work to research the most sustainable option for everything we consume. Introducing eco-cost would allow every consumer to compare individual items, track their total footprint every month, and self-optimise.
In addition, from the supply side, many products that don't exist yet because they are financially unviable may become viable for companies to produce once such an eco-cost is introduced. Companies would also spend more into R&D for environmentally friendly alternatives.
Capitalism is a self-optimising system, the problem we have now is that certain things are not valued properly. Part of the problem is that we transform multiple dimensions into a one-dimensional cost, the other part of the problem is regulations and compliance.
Introducing a second dimension of cost, the eco-cost to all products can help solve this and can become a powerful tool to decrease ecological impact both from the demand and supply side.
Yours sincerely,
Nithin Ramu
Have more trust the bottom-up approach. Reduce unnecessary administrative restrictions on civil engagement. Streamline the current framework to better enable civic participation. Because there's only so much you can do on regulating businesses, and it's a long-cycle process to impact consumer behaviors and their lifestyles. But letting people build on their initiatives will only motivate them to do more and do better- simply because it's rewarding them directly by turning their own community into a better place, on their own hands, and at a much faster pace.
Vending machines for plastic bottles providing discounts for purchases (such as in Germany). Planting meadows (mixes for pollinators) instead of making discounts in cities (street and ronds).
We have two exits. Or we will start to launch information campaigns about nuclear power plants now and we will build the first reactor by 2030 (in this case we are moving very quickly away from coal and our emissions if a sufficient power plant can be almost zero). If the idea of a power plant, despite awareness campaigns, is generally dissatisfied, funding for renewable energy sources is the second option. This idea is much worse for economic and environmental reasons. It would take many years to move away from coal, which would be much more expensive and less sustainable, as solar panels, and above all, I think about. 50 years change and dispose, but better than aerosols (smog), mining damage and massive cO2 emissions
We need to reduce emission I want to stay on this planet. Please if needed to add more sanctions and fees to force my country to reduce coal production.
In my view, the fight against plastic packaging is one of the main emergencies. Changing our consumption patterns requires a transformation of supply. In particular, food manufacturers must, by all means (including the imposition of European standards), seek to minimise the quantity of packaging of products and the quantity of plastic in them.
In the same way as nutrient scores for food products, the idea of an environmental impact index would be a good way of directing consumers towards more eco-responsible habits. However, this index must be mandatory on all products so that it can not only encourage more virtuous purchases, but also discourage the purchase of products with a significant environmental impact. By making this index mandatory, companies and industries would have no choice but to produce in a more responsible and sustainable way.
The instructions of the experts must be followed at all costs. If the planet is allowed to die, we will die first. Do not think about the profit. Protect the environment NOW!
Systematic integration of Climate and Environment affairs in Foreign and Development policies!
Climate change and environmental disasters impact the world in a wide array of ways. Governments struggle to settle internally displaced populations, scramble to contain climate-driven migration, and buckle under the economic pressure of climate-threatened livelihoods.
Comprehensive and specialised climate and environmental affairs must be systematically included in multilateral and bilateral security agendas.
Protecting and restoring the environment must be non-negotiable conditions when shaping the EU’s diplomacy, instead of being understood merely as issues to be tackled through global accords.
Consider the possibility for Europe to drive the green transition within the Union and through the Eastern and Southern Partnership Programs. That would feed into Europe’s geopolitical security needs, and address the pressing issue of global warming. To enable the EU to achieve such objectives, we must integrate environmental considerations into the runway of foreign affairs policy-making and push for climate change to be included in Security agendas.
Introducing common EU-wide standards for returnable packaging based on the most common systems – reducing the number of packaging types available on the market, e.g. types of returnable bottles. Harmonisation of fees and rules for returning packaging in each country – making it possible to return packaging purchased in other countries. An obligation for manufacturers and dealers to use returnable packaging.
• 13 August 2021
According to a UN report, the meat industry and the production of zoonotic food are responsible for as much as 51 % of all contaminants.
Mandatory climate education should be introduced as soon as possible in all European Union countries. Young people should be convinced of vegetarianism and veganism.
In addition, there should be a VAT on meat products to cover losses to society for meat production.
• 13 August 2021
Light single use plastic and ensuring that it is done everywhere! I have heard so many promising news about new policies that don’t allow single use plastic, but in many countries it is still Widespread...
Cheaper train tickets. Transportation is important not just for travelling, but also for fighting climate change.
And BEG for immediate climate action.
Without it will be no further actions in any possible known field and no future.
Debt is temporary, climate catastrophe is forever for the people and animals that are and will be dying, all countries should invest fully(!) in switching to green energy faster- maximum of 10 years.
The popular idea of halving our emissions in 10 years gives us only a 50 % chance of staying below 1,5 degrees [Celsius], as well as the risk of starting irreversible chain reactions beyond human control.
I am for cheaper and popular electric cars. I am 18 years old and I believe that I should be interested in my future.
I want a better future for the generations behind us!
Stronger strategy for the safety and development if wild life and forest. Focusing and keeping safe existed nature and reforestation as a priority for national authorities, the rest, the locals and citizens will adapt to the culture of green life. Last, but not least, all European aeas shall have access to metro, tram and Train
Planting fruit trees in the parks of our cities and on streets; creating mini forests. This will help enormously with biodiversity as well as the wellbeing of the residents.
Nothing preventing us from reaching the best beside ourselves.
Major reform in agriculture practices:
1- Stop the import of soybean from Latin America. Grow the soybean we need in Spain, the same money we put into importing it can plant more than we need, while having ground cover and carbon sequestration.
2- Increase the taxes on the meat industry; People do not buy locally grown meat for their restaurants saying it cost too much, but they get an awful smelling meat from western Europe for 25% the price.
3- Stop double agents in the European parliament and agriculture lobbying that prevent a positive change.
4- Stop subsidies for degenerative farmers and make it for the regenerative ones, encourage the transition to permaculture.
5- Put in Carbon credit for the farmers who work on Carbon sequestration.
• 20 August 2021
Nuclear energy must be included immediately in the taxonomy for sustainable finance. The JRC report and many IPCC publications speak clearly: it is the cleanest, most dense, stable, reliable and secure energy source that we have, and without it the energy transition will be almost impossible in good time.
As a preventive measure to tackle forest fires, the EU should place the value on pastoralists and their hard work. Artificial intelligence and Big Data could be used so that animals graze in certain areas where the chances of fire are high. A network of European pastoralists could be created, a great way of reaching out to the rural world and helping to preserve our natural environments. #StandForSomething
#StandForSomething | The EU could copy Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME) model at a European level, and not just have the Civil Protection Mechanism (or give it greater autonomy). This would be valid not only for the fight against forest fires, but it could also be deployed to assist in all kinds of natural disasters, such as earthquakes or floods, as those that have recently occurred in Germany
#StandForSomething | The EU should design an application in which you could easily search and buy tickets in all available public transport (urban buses, intercity buses, subways, trams, trains, in which their schedules and frequencies could be included). It should also include all the available charging points for electric vehicles.
The EU should invest in research and development so that synthetic meat becomes a reality, which in the future could coexist on an equal footing with animal meat. In this way, the EU would combat both climate change and animal suffering. | #StandForSomething
Every small European municipality, city or metropolis must become carbon neutral by planting trees within its city perimeter.
A law must be issued and all possible green space must be used, including on the balconies of the inhabitants.
Reduction of freight transport by road (lorry) in favour of rail freight transport.
Implementation of cycle paths and public transport.
Create a very large civil nuclear programme at European level.
Include nuclear power in the green taxonomy in order to reduce Europe's emissions effectively and quickly.
Inclure le nucléaire dans la taxonomie verte européene afin de limiter les émissions européennes rapidement et de manière durable.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through sobriety and electrification of uses.
Preserve biodiversity by prolonging the life of our nuclear reactors (as long as safe operating conditions are ensured) and building new tranches.
The very small area occupied by a nuclear reactor per unit of energy produced, the pilotability and the low carbon content of the electricity produced make it one of the best tools for mass decarbonisation and environmental conservation at our disposal to date.
In addition to a green taxonomy that includes nuclear energy and will therefore encourage investment in sectors aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a black taxonomy should be created to penalise any greenhouse gas emitting industry economically (such as coal, gas, oil, petrol and diesel cars, cattle farming, etc.) in order to force investors in the financial markets to invest even more in industries that are not in the middle of the world. We need to cut food to these industries!
• 23 August 2021
Push EU countries to use nuclear energy, which is very low in CO2 emissions and highly efficient in energy production
Use eco-labeled products!
Buy / use eco-labeled products when you come across them (household cleaning products, paints, etc.)
The choice of biodegradable, recyclable or recycled products is commendable. Eco-labels facilitate these choices. It should be noted that eco-labeled products generate less waste and pollute less than others.
As an example, let's give up disposable bags in favor of reusable or possibly made of material biodegradable!
It is essential for every country to create a clean, efficient and reliable public transportation system. This would have to be well-structured and environmentally-friendly and facilitate its users, which would mean having a reliable timetable, using energy coming from renewable sources (solar, hydro, wind, biomass etc.) so that it can get as close as possible to the zero-emissions target and provide safe journeys to the travellers by having adequate measures in place, such as police and CCTV onboard.
One of the systems that could greatly benefit all the citizens is the railway system, as it is capable of carrying its passengers across vast distances in a comfortable manner, with low emissions, if electricity coming from renewable sources is used. In consequence, car use will also be diminished. Achieving this will require the governments and local authorities to invest in this sector, for example purchase energy efficient engines, improve the railways, as well as the train stations.
In addition, making the trains as inclusive as possible is crucial for the eldelry and disabled to be able to use these modes of transport. Although these things require time, effort and money, if we work towards these goals, we will be able to achieve them.
Some countries in the European Union still have a chaotic economy taking into account statistics on imports and exports of goods.
For example, instead of choosing to buy from local producers, the country imports products at lower prices from other countries. These products, however, can be grown and made on their territory. Therefore, almost everything it produces will be sent for export and that is how a colossal imbalance is created.
Henceforth, citizens find it difficult to find something cultivated or produced internally and are often dissatisfied.
It's time for the national economy to stabilize, because it is dramatic how many tons of food are thrown away or abandoned on the fields, due to the fact that prices are not advantageous enough for the farmer's products to be sold in supermarkets.
First of all, we must pass laws which require that the export price (including transport) cannot be lower than the one on the local market, and that import is allowed only for the products that cannot be made in the country, and for other products, just in extreme cases (huge demand compared to the local production rate, crisis etc).
Second of all, the whole process of selling products is too complicated, for example, for a basic farmer. More storage and sorting centers must be built to make the selling part easier, as well as to prevent the products from being damaged.
In conclusion, we can reduce the food waste and support the local producers by balancing the import-export rate.
My idea consists in the introduction of new rules related to the usage of personal cars inside the city. The prohibition of circulation using cars in certain areas ,for limited periods of time, that can be transformed in areas designated for pedestrians can promote the usage of public transport, bikes and even walking. These locations can be represented by city centers, big avenues in areas where cafes, restaurants and shops are present in hopes of promoting local producers and businesses. Weekends are the best periods of time when the streets can be closed, when people are not working and are willing to relax by taking a walk. Direct results of this action are the drop in CO2 emissions and cleaner air in urban regions.
We need a complete, immediate green transformation. There's so much to do and so little time! Some of the most urgent areas:
* atomic energy as primary source (complementary with green energy)
* widely available public transport (routs covering all of the city, buses and trains accessible for people with disabilities, ticket prices affordable for minimum-wage employees)
* laws preventing corporations from exploitation of natural resources and employees on UE teritory as well as bringing to account those responsible for the highest environmental pollution so far
* heavier regulations on meat production
Nationalize/europeanize critical infrastructures like energy grids and transport infrastructures
to facilitate interconnection between more sustainable energy systems (synergies between renewables)
to make train more competitive and limit flight traffic to destination out of Europe
"From us, for us"
The idea is actually something easy to think about, a practicable thing. I believe that local producers must be supported not only by individuals and tourists, but also by the local representants of big chains of supermarkets or small local businesses.
By buying products from local producers, the pollution caused by long-distance transport disappears and the quality of the products increases. One of the factors that motivates sellers to stock up on products from foreign countries is certainly the lower price. Higher taxes should be applied to those who want to buy products from abroad. Following negotiations, manufacturers and sellers can reach good prices for both parties.
In order to become known as producers, an association with a special site for the sale of products should be created. The details will be published there. In case of unfavorable environmental conditions (drought, floods etc.), taxes for buying abroad can be reduced.
• 26 August 2021
We should eliminate/Abolish ALL plastic from the supermarket and observe the companies to use only covered paper/carton or other safer packaging. For plastic bottles, find an alternative, or sloge every state to install the recycling boxes in supermarkets like in Germany.
I saw in a documentary that Germany and other western countries further shipped this carefully collected plastic to China. Since China stopped accepting it, it now goes to other less developed countries (Malaysia, Ethiopia etc) where it is burned as they do not have facilities to process it.
It is good to collect it, but I think the Europeans should take responsibility of their lifestyle choices and close the circle themselves instead of dumping the problem on other nations and leaving other people to choke on the smoke of our plastic bottles.
In my view, one of the main concerns should be changing our consuption patterns, alongside with our perspective upon recycling the current waste of supplies. We should seek to reduce the quantity of plastic we use in our products, that most of the times ends up being misplaced into certain locations such as the ocean, harming the environment. The sole answer for this major issue is encouraging people to dispense with their plastic products, responsibly recycling them. I could think of several ways to make the idea more popular. For instance, most efficient would be `reverse vending machines` for plastic bottles, which could provide discount for public transportation (also good for the environment), food or water for stray animals (this inovating idea belonging to a Turkish company). I srtongly believe that with the right motivation, people will be more than happy to lend a helping hand to heal the world`s greatest environmental issues.
I think it would be a good idea to use information campaigns to inform the population about pollution levels, the elimination of high-pollution vehicles from cities and, most importantly, the authorities to adapt rules to reflect local factor.
Better air quality for less pollution:
As Covid-19 spread around, we started to wear face-masks in order to avoid getting contaminated with this virus, even in less crowded places, to eliminate the risk of catching it from the air. We've become more concerned with the quality of the ozone layer since we noticed how it can be significant, but also dangerous, for our health.
Consequently, I believe air pollution represents a major issue to focus on, especially outside the pandemic context, considering the fact that more than 10 million people die each year from it, and half a million are from Europe.
Therefore, installing and using "smog towers" in EU countries would be the most efficient and useful solution linked to air pollution. Smog towers are structures designed to work as large-scale air purifiers, usually fitted with multiple layers of air filters, which clean the air of pollutants as it passes through them. However, this method is used just for controlling emissions at the ground level, so we should also take into account reducing the number of emissions created in the future.
All in all, the main purpose of these towers goes to curbing air pollution caused by vehicle exhaust, heavy and small-scale industry or the combustion of waste, providing a better environment and life for citizens.
Raise the cost for cars industries that don`t want to use alternatives energies and keep use fossil fuels. Invest more un eco friendly energies
Taxes on kerosene, then investing the incomes in building a stronger public transport network, so that this type of transport becomes the cheapest option, being chosen mainly for short distance travel. -
Right now a solution for climate change is to develop the infrastructure for hydrogen cars. This way the cost for those types of cars will be lowered and the price of hydrogen will be more accessible. Keep in mind that this is a short-term solution that can offer some time for developing future technologies.
Small bottles of water are the main selling product of water companies and are essentially made of plastic. A customer with his own Reusable bottle that is out on the street walking or shopping etc has no option but to buy plastic bottles of water in order to refuse his empty Reusable bottle. So my idea in order to validate the use of plastic bottles and give certain customers an ecological option when purchasing water, is that Vending like machines should be available in every mini market or kiosk that could offer the amount of water required after the correlation price is inserted. Water in these machines could be stoked in large aluminum boxes so as as water purified through this option is 100 % plastic free. Those aluminum boxes could be placed in the same fridges that plastic bottles are stoked so that the energy consumption for cooling is the same. My idea is added to EU or National policy makers and bottled water companies.
Carbon tax and kilometric tax for all products entering the euro zone!
It must be aggressive so that products that are currently too cheap because they are produced for thousands of kilometres are no longer competitive with local production.
This tax could simply be indexed to the weight of the object and be extremely aggressive for small masses (as this is what the general public consumes most)
Invest massively in superethanol e85. Waste from sugar beet processing is useful for a lot! Above all to make gas... Let’s invest to be independent from Russia in gas. And less polluter!
It is necessary to bring about a radical change in our social and economic political system in order to ensure the survival of the nature system and consequently our own. The production system cannot afford to operate in terms of infinite growth because we live in an environment with ‘finite’ resources, the same is true for the reproduction of our species, since the space in which we exist is also finished. In order to be able to change these paradigms, it is important that politics regain its status by regaining the power to determine the economy and society. it is also important for the education system to form the consciousness that can critically think, other than capitalism and technology for the production of goods. It is therefore imperative from above that politics should distance itself from populism; From the bottom up, the education system departs from training those who are mere producers and consumers. If people are educated, they will not be negatively affected by a policy that will necessarily have to affect people’s daily lives again. It is time to extend human moral constructions to the whole nature system, and also to everything that can perish over time, so that our products also have the dignity of the resources used to generate them.
With new technologies we can have very little impact, but this needs to be politically and economically supported, not least in order to avoid that the deprivation and the cost that we tax on our system is not cancelled out by production in backlog or adversarial systems.
I believe that politics should no longer be accommodative to those productive realities that devastate the planet, but must fight them hard, that it has the responsibility to train citizens who are aware of the world and nature, to limit the production of “harmful goods” and the reproduction of our species.
Our health is the planet’s health.
Radical and drastic decisions should be taken to combat pollution and climate change, this is the most important struggle we have to carry out. We need to return to a healthy and less globalist life that serves nothing. And rethink the focus of money in everything because money has no value in terms of life or quality of life.
To decarbonise electricity generation such as heat and other industrial uses with minimal impact on biodiversity and natural resources, Europe should launch a major nuclear SMR (Small Modularity Reactors) project and vigorously relaunch the production of traditional nuclear power plants.
Elimination of fossil fuels through taxation and switching to more sustainable energy resources. Punishing Member States who do not reach their 2030 EU Green Deal Goals. Preventing intensive farming, planting more trees etc.
We would need to start with a better waste system. The start of production should be such that the materials used to produce the final result are easily sortable and recycled quickly. All packaging should have a similar chemical composition. Alternatively, this group of biodegradable waste may occur. This waste should be generated at an appropriate time. So as not to produce waste that is severely processed. This must be twisted so that one product circulates in the wheel. It would then be necessary to start educating customers. E.g. There should be a minimum mark + eco-adverts on each package. With regard to climate warming, all possible ways of achieving clean and secure energy would have to be used. E.g. Charging stations for electric cars on the motorway, powered by photovoltaics and battery energy storage, so that the same can be charged at night in the absence of customers to the electricity grid.
*Don`t throw away something that can be fixed
*Recycle old mobile phones
*Donate old appliances
*Support businesses that promote climate-smart practices such as carbon-negative firms
*Capture carbon dioxide emissions and turn the gas back into carbon
*Convert captured carbon dioxide into diamonds
*Encourage eco-friendly design in architecture
For practical purposes:
The nature is no more than what it is able to reproduce over the same period.
And we do not impose more on nature than what it is able to absorb in the same period
I think it would be important to introduce a carbon quota on air travel, for example over a period of 3 years, in order to minimise that European citizens fly too often and to promote local or European tourism.
Taxing carbon at EU borders is an emergency. The European Union has the power to encourage companies around the world to comply with its environmental criteria in order to gain access to its market. It also has a duty to act quickly.
Most, if not all ships and boats in the Mediterranean sea are fossil fuel powered. The EU should invest and innovate technology to make these electric, just like land vehicles.
• 05 September 2021
Make a plant alternative mandatory in all schools, company restaurants, etc.
We must invest in community-led projects and local resilience, especially when it comes to crucial sectors such as, for instance, food production.
In this regard, I propose to:
Provide incentives for schools and hospitals to grow their own food:
-hospitals keep their food bill low and give patients healthy meals;
- schools keep their food bill low and teach pupils how to grow food and learn about plant growth and farming.
We should put in place CSA: Community Supported Agriculture
1) Group of individuals pledge their support for a farm operation
2) In return, the farm will share its produce with CSA members
By a Young European Ambassador:
We must invest in community-led projects and local resilience, especially when it comes to crucial sectors such as, for instance, food production.
In this regard, I propose to:
Provide incentives for schools and hospitals to grow their own food:
-hospitals keep their food bill low and give patients healthy meals;
- schools keep their food bill low and teach pupils how to grow food and learn about plant growth and farming.
We should put in place CSA: Community Supported Agriculture
1) Group of individuals pledge their support for a farm operation;
2) In return, the farm will share its produce with CSA members.
By a Young European Ambassador:
Improvise the resilience of the trade system promoted and implemented by the European Union.
In other words: One key criteria of a resilient system is modularity: Imagine a world record attempt at domino toppling. If, the night before the attempt, just one of the millions of dominos fell by accident, months of work would be lost. As a result, the people who create these things leave regular gaps, so that if one domino falls it doesn’t spread through the whole set-up. These gaps are a key feature of the resilience of that system. Rather than being hyper-connected, we should strive for as many elements as possible to be capable of functioning alongside, and overlapping with, but independent from, other parts of the system.
The roofs of large surfaces are often black in colour and this colour stores the heat. The blank reflects heat. It would therefore be interesting if, in the new construction standards, the colour of the roof should be white in order to reduce the ambient temperature of the cities in the summer. This can then be extended to existing buildings during renovations.
Wild (and indigenous) flowers are very useful for fauna (source of food, refuge, reproduction of certain species, etc.) The
requirement for communal services to use at least 50 % wild flower in mass areas would allow cities to host greater biological diversity, even to strengthen the populations of certain species.
Clear and concise: Anti-dumping aid for the installation in all houses and buildings of solar panels, solar roofs and even windows with solar panels that already exist. Making every human surface an energy capture
Recognise cars as climate-neutral
(green methane)
As most European countries have numerous vacant land (that may belong to the town hall or the state itself) and forests inside their territory, some "green areas" could be designated where, by filling in a form, you can claim (for free or for a sum of money) one or more 5x5m areas (just for example) with the purpose of planting exactly 1 tree. Upon receipt of the said site you should also get mailed a complete guide with information regarding the planting of trees. There also needs to be a capable department able to take care of the forms, that should be answered within a day or two at the latest.
Every strategy regarding the Climate Change Action needs to be vigorously promoted in mass-media - this includes newspaper, magazine, radio, TV and social media ads, as well as the usage of some better PR tactics; for example, a lot of popular brand accounts are posting funny, interesting or controversial tweets that go viral, ending up in a big fame boost for said company. Maybe it's just me, but I can't really recollect the last time I saw an ad regarding climate change or the last time a post created by the EU or an EU department popped up in my feed.
There needs to be more and more long-term investments made in NGOs and projects regarding actions against climate change.
To introduce, on food labels, information about the environmental impact required to produce food items. It should take into consideration all steps of the supply chain, and it could be displayed as a “ranking” about the quality of the environmental impact (for ex. From 1 to 5 stars - 5 stars being the best). This in order to make the consumer aware and support the purchase decision and reward sustainable food production.
• 08 September 2021
Eat fresh spirulin
It is really difficult to be an expert in any field and this site will never remain a forum for discussion. I will therefore confine myself to a subject for which it is quite simple to inform yourself properly. If our criterion is to combat greenhouse gas emissions, and if we also seek to secure the energy supply of people in order to avoid a fall in living standards, a good start would be to realise that nuclear energy is by far a more feasible, affordable, ecological and rapid solution to implement than renewable energy. Not that we should not make renewable energy, of course, but the pilotable nature of nuclear power, combined with the fact that leaving the nuclear power plant requires us to set up fossil fuel plants (cf. Germany), clearly indicates that it is one of the most obvious routes to be used now.
Research needs to be continued on all sources of clean energy, but for the time being it is our best option. The problem is not for the end of the century, it is already there, and it is starting to cost economically and humanely.
Ah yes and ban glyphosate!
• 09 September 2021
Connecting countries through a high-speed train network
Put all decisions taken to the vote by Europeans via the internet and remove MEPs who are no longer used to relay lobby
Empowering the youth through sharing of indigenous knowledge
Indigenous agricultural practices adopted by locals largely depend on traditional knowledge. Such knowledge is common in the agricultural system to preserve the ecosystem and biodiversity. Traditional knowledge has proven to be useful in sustainable food production and the support of human and animal health. Farmers possess a vast pool of indigenous knowledge in livestock management which reduces external input dependency by utilizing various renewable farm resources through agricultural practices. Such practices have a bearing on rural development and nature conservation. They contribute to maintaining the ecosystem of the particular area and thus leads to sustainable use of biodiversity conservation. However, such indigenous knowledge is not systematically recorded; therefore, it is not easily accessible to agricultural researchers. Yet these are valuable practices worth considering in farmer-to-farmer training or local technology transfer.
Paul Atsu, the Lead of Green Agro Invest is building the capacity of the rural smallholder farms especially the young people as a contribution to the development of the food system by creating jobs and wealth through the Seed for Food (SFF) programs initiative by Green Agro Invest in partnership with YPARD Ghana and Footprints Bridge International.
In Ghana, several efforts have been made to maximize the potential of the agricultural sector as an engine for industrial growth. The Green Agro Invest, a social enterprise has recognized through its flagship program, Seed for Table (SFT) that enhanced agricultural performance is key to growth and poverty reduction through its direct impact on:
i. Job creation and increased opportunities, especially for women and young people,
ii. Food security and improved nutrition, and
iii. Strengthening resilience.
The objective of this activity is to enable young agripreneurs, university students and young people in general within the rural communities to get familiar with and get connected with the different business support services available for transforming their subsistence operations into commercially viable enterprises. It is also aimed at enabling the youth to learn best practices and incubation models that can be replicated in their respective communities, homes, backyard farming in building a resilience urban farming. The centre of excellence is stationed at Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana.
The program also involves the training of rural farmers and the creation of tools that will contribute to the designing of policies that maintain biodiversity.
The team is passionate about working to change young people’s minds about indigenous agriculture through agribusiness education. Agribusiness education is one of the most important aspects which could be leveraged for the transfer of important ethics in the sector. Other important features of the program are peer-to-peer mentoring and the capitalization of the experiences of rural farmers- particularly the young for the creation of jobs. Hence, it can preserve both indigenous knowledge and biodiversity for achieving sustainable development.
The Green Agro Invest is open to partnership with organizations, institutions and individuals concerned with the generation of innovative finance to build greenhouses within the community. The ultimate is to strengthen the centre of excellence through training sessions, agricultural research and education, and agribusiness incubation models programs. With this more young people will be empowered to contribute to a resilient agri-food system in conformity to climate-smart and urban farming developments.
Encourage and remunerate the storage of CO2 in agricultural soils. Maintain agricultural production to ensure the EU’s food security, but also energy crops to get out of fossil fuels as soon as possible.
It is time to relaunch the thorium industry. It can provide a solution for electricity mass generation with no CO2 emissions relatively quickly.
Old and disused, often already in a crumbling state houses and land should be removed and replaced with a meadow of flowers, a rain garden or trees. Or the possibility of their reconstruction and their new use. If the land under private ownership has been in a desolate state for a long time, it need to send a call to the landowner for the start work on restoration or demolition of the land with handing over the land to the city government or the relevant state. And thus replace such places with green areas.
Undoubtedly and urgently, it is necessary to work on measures against the formation of black dumps in nature and its surroundings. Develop a protection plan to prevent nature pollution and also reprimand perpetrators through fines and other consequences for their trash.
• 11 September 2021
I think it is necessary to introduce an EU-wide uniform marking for packaging materials, providing information on recycling capacity. There are currently a number of different markings from one Member State to another, often unclear or not used by manufacturers.
It would be a great idea to add a QR code to the packaging materials, making accurate and detailed information easily available
• 11 September 2021
Return to rail transport to avoid lorries as much as possible. Take advantage of the highly developed network in Europe. At the same time, this will make it possible to revive abandoned routes and take advantage of their reopening for public passenger transport.
Why by reintroducing gates on roads taxing road transport?
• 11 September 2021
Legislate to impose in collective, private or public restaurants (canteens, CROUS, company restaurants, etc.) at least 1-2 days 100 % vegetarian per week. Flexi to vegetarian food is known to be healthy and economic.