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About the Nonsense of the EU’s LNG Import Plans (Part I)

By Frida Kieninger

FoodandwaterEuropeFridaKieningerTruthTellingThe European Union is one of the biggest importers of fossil fuels in the world and the second largest importer of natural gas. Norway and Russia are currently the most important exporters of natural gas to the EU. Beyond the political and economic pitfalls of such dependence, climate science is clear that we must keep the vast majority of fossil fuels in the ground. The European Commission, however, is holding up liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the answer to the question of how Europe will meet its energy needs. This is short-sighted and wrong.

LNG is super-cooled natural gas, condensed to 1/600th of its volume so that larger amounts can be transported and stored. The “EU strategy for liquefied natural gas and gas storage” was presented by the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, and it is quite disturbing.

I decided to examine more closely their mantra of “security of supply”, “flexibility”, “diversification of supply”, “competition” and “sustainability”, and sure enough, if you look at the truth behind the much-praised LNG imports, the strategy unravels. Unfortunately, the majority of Members of the EU Parliament seem to have a largely uncritical stance towards LNG, happily repeating the Commission’s claims.

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Spit It Out – ExxonMobil!

By Frida Kieninger

HoldExxonMobileResponsibleSignthePetitionIn the 1950s, the tobacco industry made us believe that smoking “[r]enews and restores bodily energy” and one particular brand’s ads told us “[n]o other cigarette approaches such a degree of health protection and taste satisfaction”. Claims like this would be impossible nowadays, thanks to a successful fight against the cigarette lobby’s misleading campaigns.

But what about statements by the oil and gas industry, calling natural gas a “clean fossil fuel”? We still have a way to go until everyone immediately sees how obviously wrong this statement is, thanks to the continued efforts of oil and gas giants to hide the truth from the concerned public. The fossil fuel industry gave more than $30 million to climate denier think tanks and politicians, telling us that their activities do not pose a threat for the global climate. For years they have earned billions by contributing significantly to global warming while not taking any responsibility for the damage to our environment, economy and society.

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Assessment of the Impacts of TTIP on Health, Environment and Human Rights

By Frida Kieninger

Say no to TTIPWhen negotiating major trade agreements, the European Commission seeks formal input about the impact of these agreements on the economy, human rights and the environment. It does so by commissioning a Sustainability Impact Assessment. For the ongoing negotiations about the EU-US trade deal, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), they entrusted Ecorys with this task. The consulting company just recently published its draft Interim Technical Report on the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA).

We had a closer look at this report and there are several things in it that we are quite concerned about.

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Strong European Fracking Opposition Produces Further Successes

By Andy Gheorghiu

Food & Water Europe You Can't Frack HereSome folks might still think that the people can’t really change politics or don’t really have an impact on the decisions of politicians and companies. I don’t! Not because it is easy to work for a change but because it is hard. Not because I like to negate the reality of the political and economical interlinkage but because I know that the people always have the ultimate power … if they were only willing to exercise their power more frequently.

Well, I can tell you that the European fracktivists did exercise their power to change more than once. And they are still willing to do it over and over again.

Yes, our fracking struggle isn’t over yet and it’s still a rocky road to climb until we reach the mountain top of a frack-free globe. But the latest good news from Europe again shows that it’s definitely worth the trouble.

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You Said It: Factory Farms Have Got To Go

By Eve Mitchell

ChristinafromOrkneyonFishFarmingFoodandWaterEuropeI asked for it, and I got it. Lucky me!

I asked people all over the UK what they think about factory farming. From Orkney to the Isle of Wight, you’ve got stories. Some of them are sad, and some of them are wise, but all of them show why we need to make sure the last factory farm to get planning permission really was the last factory farm.

Too cruel

We’re known the world over as a nation of animal lovers, and boy did you tell me that rules out meat factories. Christina from Orkney tells it like it is: “Factory farming is cruel; really cruel.”

Eva from Cambridge knows it’s also about respect for the animals. She says, “Their lives are very short compared with the lives of their wild counterparts. If we take their lives at an early age, the least we can do is give them a good life while it lasts.”

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Quiet Win Keeps Factory Farms in Check

By Eve Mitchell

We're Stoppint Factory FarmsUK Government silliness just took a big hit. Thank goodness.

Those of you with long memories will know about ongoing UK plans to let business regulate itself. From the Business Focus on Enforcement, to the Red Tape Challenge, to the current Cutting Red Tape project, it’s pretty much the same story: The government asks Big Business if it would like less enforcement of fewer regulations, and, no surprise, Big Business says, “Yes, please!”

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