Green Wave

Sociologist Karolina Wigura calls for a move from the pervasive politics of fear which has seen the rise of the far-right to a politics with a positive vision based on hope. Written by Karolina Wigura and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-politics-beyond-fear/ Twitter: twitter.com/GreenEUJournal Facebook: facebook.com/greeneuropeanjournal

The 2017 documentary The Limits of Work (Hranice práce) confronts the viewer with the terrible reality of work for many. Saša Uhlová spends six months working a series of low-paid agency jobs equipped with a camera throughout. Casting a light on the conditions that some endure to keep society ticking on, the release provoked a fresh debate about work in the Czech Republic and received internationa...

Just as the advent of the internet has reshaped the world over the last 30 years, its evolution over the next will also define the society of the future. Digital geek Jennifer Baker tells the story of a Europe in 2049 that has harnessed and democratised the best of the internet, but that to get there had to experience the worst. Taken from the special edition 2049: Open Future. Written by Jennifer...

Many EU policy-makers see precision agriculture as the answer to the question of food sustainability, but agroecology offers a genuinely sustainable solution already at hand. Written by Francesco Ajena and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/agriculture-3-0-or-smart-agroecology Twitter: twitter.com/GreenEUJournal Facebook: facebook.com/greeneuropeanjournal

Are borders really the normal state of affairs? A critical and historical approach suggests this is in fact a very recent development. By recognising this, we can start to open our minds to imagine new ways of including ‘Others’ within our own borders. A radical futuristic plan for a borderless Europe. Written by Robert Menasse & Ulrike Guérot and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.gree...

In a context where acts of terrorism and violence provide justification for increasingly intrusive interference with the rights of citizens, what international frameworks exist to limit government surveillance and how effective are they? What can be done at the EU level to complement those safeguarding mechanisms? Written by Estelle Massé & Fanny Hidvegi and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text versio...

Climate change and digitalisation will shape the 21st century, but society’s ability to determine the future should not be downplayed. Christophe Degryse, head of the Foresight Unit at the European Trade Union Institute, explores how social movements such as trade unions, business groups, and political parties adapt to these trends will be pivotal in constructing the social model of the decades to...

The European transport sector needs a transformation if it is to support a green Europe in 2049. Solutions to transport’s most pressing environmental problems are emerging, but will bring their own challenges. Sustainable mobility experts Ian Skinner, Huib van Essen, and Anouk van Grinsven analyse what the opportunities and dilemmas mean for how we live and move, and outline how policy-makers can...

The rise of populism across Europe and beyond has been widely acknowledged, achieving significant electoral success in recent years, in Germany, France and the UK to name but a few. Amanda Machin and Oliver Wagener explore the lesser noted and intriguing appearance of environmental themes within these populist parties’ manifestos. Written by Amanda Machin & Oliver Wagener and read by Julia Lag...

We are drowning in plastic. It is hard to exaggerate the scale and urgency of the challenge facing the world, to substantially reduce our plastics use, and to ensure we reuse and recycle as much and as quickly as possible. Vicky Cann from the Corporate Europe Observatory details how highly active corporate lobbyists are seeking to avoid binding regulations and are granted the lion's share of acces...

Neonicotinoids are the most popular – and the most poisonous – insecticides in the world. The large-scale collateral damage caused by neonicotinoids, or ‘neonics’ in short, on our ecosystem has been suppressed for years by industry spin doctors and intensive lobbying by producers of this agricultural poison. Jeroen van der Sluijs argues that, although the recent EU ban on neonics is an important s...

The recent IPCC report made international headlines for underlining that countries have as little as 12 years to take steps to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Bert Metz, fellow at the European Climate Foundation, explains what the report means for the planet, the economy, and for Europe. Written by Bert Metz and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-ipcc-...

Instead of policy which pulls in different directions, Europe needs an integrated food policy that supports more local attempts at a sustainable and productive food system. Co-chair of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) Olivier De Schutter explores the urgent need for reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. Written by Olivier De Schutter and read by J...

Environmental taxes advocated by Green parties such as road pricing give rise to social resistance and populist criticism. There is, however, a response to the mistrust of green taxation. Richard Wouters explores the potential of the environmental dividend to drum up support for much needed but controversial green taxes. Written by Richard Wouters and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.gree...

A searing diatribe by a journalist bemoaning the flaws of the ‘Capital of Europe’ sparked much debate on the state of Brussels today, around both its aesthetic attributes as well as the processes going on beneath its surface. Closer inspection reveals how the tangles and disjointedness of the city’s politics are mirrored in its public face, yet some ‘Bruxellois’ argue that the city does not deserv...

Across London and other European cities, a new way of living is taking root: property guardianship. Whilst ostensibly a win-win situation for everyone, this industry is a symptom of the desperate state of urban housing and ultimately reinforces the factors that caused it, as well as normalising lower conditions and precarity. Written by Julia Lagoutte & Samir Jeraj and read by Julia Lagoutte....

With foreign owners leaving the media market, Central and Eastern European oligarchs are buying whatever they can get their hands on. The region is a prime example of how vested interests can create a quasi-monopoly on media and information, cementing control and influence over opinions. Krisztian Simon zooms in on newer EU Member States to see what threats loom for the public spheres of young dem...

In 1997, a declining industrial city in northern Spain, submerged in a deep economic, environmental, and social crisis, opened an innovative branch of the Guggenheim museum. Today, Bilbao boasts an urban landscape that is both considerate of its citizens and attractive to visitors. As a result, the ‘Guggenheim effect’ became a worldwide phenomenon, showing that a large-scale architectural project...

Guillaume Pitron reveals the dark side of the energy transition and digitisation. Rare metals are the next 'black gold': their central role in green and digital technology has important consequences not only for the environmental transition but also for geopolitics and industrial policy in Europe and across the world. Written by Guillaume Pitron and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.greene...

On May 25th 2018, the people of Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of repealing the 8th amendment of the Irish Constitution – the article that had hitherto made it effectively impossible to legislate for abortion even in the most extreme of circumstances. Beatrice White takes us on the road to the historic result that attests to drastic transformation in Irish society that has taken place over...

Edouard Gaudot explores political scientist Ivan Krastev's book "After Europe" to delve into how the refugee crisis and the rise in populism is fast becoming a crisis in democracy for the European Union. Written by Edouard Gaudot and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/after-europe-thinking-about-europe-with-the-help-of-ivan-krastev/ Twitter: twitter.com/Green...

The Western healthcare system is facing an imminent upheaval caused by an ageing population, increase in the chronically ill, technological advances and a shortage of caregivers. Automation of medical work using artificial intelligence is one possible solution to this. But if the patient is the sole manager of their health, what happens to the other workers and stakeholders in the healthcare secto...

Natalie Bennett discusses the hard-won gains and shortcomings of the British legislation banning micro-plastics in cosmetics, the deep-rooted place plastic holds in British lifestyle, and the path to a society no longer needlessly reliant on plastic. Written by Natalie Bennett and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-uk-plas…-unwrapped Twitter: twitter.com/GreenEUJ...

A fixation with growth in economics has seen GDP increase in proportion to environmental damage. As planetary limits draw ever closer and are even being surpassed, such a model cannot be sustained. Riccardo Mastini explains how a job guarantee could open up the way to a sustainable economic model. Written by Riccardo Mastini and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wor...

With tens of thousands of Estonian workers commuting between Tallinn and Helsinki, we look at a snapshot of Estonia’s ongoing struggle with brain drain. Written by Silja Kudel and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/bridging-th…to-finland/ Twitter: twitter.com/GreenEUJournal Facebook: facebook.com/greeneuropeanjournal