Amsterdam Airport Schiphol bans Private Jets and Night Flights

Publicerad denFörfattareNoah Duker

The private jet ban is set to into effect at the end of 2025. This will lead to “more quiet, clean and better air travel” an airport official said in a statement. Other than that, larger and therefore louder aircraft like the Boeing 747 should no longer be commissioned to land at the Dutch airport. Local inhabitants and climate activists welcome Schiphol’s move towards better quality of live in the Amsterdam suburb. The wake of this decision now echoing through Europe as more cities want to push for similar policies in the future.
Speaking in numbers, this would mean about 10,000 fewer aircraft per year to land at Schiphol, their flights being cancelled with the ban. Recently the government also implemented directives for the airport to reduce the flights from 500 to 440 thousand flights, cutting an additional 40 thousand flights, starting November 2023. 
“For too long, we have only thought about growth and not enough about the associated costs. We need to be sustainable for our employees, the environment and the world.”, Says Ruud Sondag, CEO Royal Schiphol Group. 
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Lawsuit against guidelines – airlines fear reduced profits
Travel agencies and Airlines have complained about the changes. The Dutch Airline KLM, who’s main airport is Schiphol, was surprised, claiming that they had wished for coordinated action across the entire air travel industry. But the lack of actual plans stemming from big airlines might explain why Schiphol’s decision not to wait.
The shrinking of flight numbers at Schiphol was followed by a lawsuit by KLM and four other airlines in fear of having reduced profits. Early April 2023, a Dutch court now overruled the directive due to an issue regarding formalities in the law-making process. 
Climate activists are disappointed about the court’s ruling, setting back the efforts of CO2 reduction in the Netherlands drastically. Their hopes now lie with the airport’s lone push to at least save a fourth of the CO2 intended by the government.
Private jets as climate killer – Germany to consider ban in the future
German air travel expert Sussane Menge sees private jets as a “great climate injustice” and calls for airports in Germany to implement similar directives to Schiphol to combat rising CO2 emissions. 
“It is no longer plausible that many people are now combating global warming by insulating houses and replacing heating systems, while a small minority is pumping out jet fuel as if there were no tomorrow.” – German air travel expert Susanne Menge. 
Now the German Greens have announced that they are considering proposing a similar with support from opposition party “die Linke” (the Left) though the future of this legislation is unclear.
Most wealth – Most emissions
And the numbers add up, considering that in 2019, a year before the Private jet boom properly kicked off, private jets already accounted for 899,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). In comparison, in the same year, the CO2 emissions on a global average per person accounted for about 4.78 tons per year.
A person with average carbon emission would take more than 627 thousand years to produce the amount of CO2 a billionaire emits in a Year. (Foto: Nate / Unsplash)
Considering these facts, it gets even more baffling when one considers that these 899 thousand tons of carbon dioxide is emitted by just about 22 thousand jets. Meaning that these approximately 22,000 private aircraft owners emit equally to about 188,000 people. And that’s only with their jets, accounting for other luxuries, these numbers can rise up to a staggering 3 million tons per year for the top 1 percent.
A person with average carbon emission would take more than 627 thousand years to produce the amount of CO2 a billionaire emits in a Year. Considering the shrinking CO2 budget, the rising temperatures and growing wealth inequality, considering bans like this might be a necessity all over Europe in the future. Läs mer…

EU Pay Transparency: Companies will have to disclose how they pay employees

Publicerad denFörfattareScoop Editorial

Women in the EU continue to be paid less than men. Not only because they tend to work in lower-paid jobs, but also for the same work in the same sector, women are paid less on average than their male colleagues. Most of the time, women don’t even know how much they are paid less because the wages are not publicly visible. This is now to change: The EU Pay Transparency Directive obliges companies to disclose how they pay their employees. This is to uncover and prevent a possible pay gap between men and women.
On 30 March, the EU Parliament adopted new directives in the fight against salary differences between men and women. The regulations oblige EU companies to be transparent about salaries. In future, all salaries paid by a company must be disclosed. This will allow workers to compare their salaries and identify differences. 
In the EU, women still earn on average 13 per cent less per hour than men. However, the gender pay gap varies greatly from country to country: while it is less than 4 per cent in Slovenia, Romania and Luxembourg, the pay gap is highest in Estonia and Latvia, at around 22 per cent. Austria and Germany are right behind with 18.9 and 18.1 percent respectively.
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Gender pay gap has mainly structural causes
The gender pay gap has mainly structural causes, as women in the EU are more often employed part-time and are less likely to hold management positions. On the other hand, they do unpaid care work more often. Professions in which more women tend to work than men, such as nursing, are also less well paid. But even if one disregards these structural causes, the gender pay gap remains: In Germany, for example, women with comparable qualifications in the same industry earn on average six percent less than their male colleagues.
Companies with more than 100 employees must disclose salaries
The pay gap between women and men is to be closed with the new pay transparency guidelines. The guidelines stipulate that all salaries in a company must be disclosed. Companies with more than 100 employees where the pay gap between women and men exceeds 5 percent will have to find a solution on how to equalise salaries in the future.
The EU Pay Transparency guidelines prohibit recruiters from asking applicants about their current salary. This is to prevent salary discrepancies from arising in the first place.
Social partners are to play an increased role in enforcing the guidelines. Companies that do not comply with the wage transparency guidelines will be fined. This is the only way to ensure compliance with the rules, emphasises the chief negotiator of the S&D group, Evelyn Regner.
EU Pay Transparency Directive: “Transparency of crucial importance”
Regner, member of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and Vice-President of the European Parliament, identifies in a dispatch the crucial importance of transparency for an equal society:
“Without it, it is simply impossible to take action against wage discrimination. “With the new EU rules, workers – and women in particular – will be better equipped to assert their right to equal pay for the same work or work of equal value as men.”
According to Regner, all workers will be able to share information about their pay internally and externally. “This means an effective ban on non-disclosure clauses.” It is also crucial, she said, that it is not women who have to go to court to prove wage discrimination, but companies who have to prove the opposite.
Wage discrimination is a systematic problem, not an individual one. Therefore, it should also be tackled systematically. Läs mer…

Leading lawyers take side of climate activists

Publicerad denFörfattareHarry Markham

As climate scientists offer final warnings on our planet’s future, climate activists are becoming more and more determined to force change – whatever the cost. Their protests are increasingly controversial and disruptive, as those looking to secure the planet’s future clamber for the attention of lawmakers, big businesses, and the public. As protests heat up, so does the risk of legal consequences, but legal professionals are starting to come out in support of climate activists as 140 top lawyers sign a “Declaration of Consciousness”.
On March 29, 2023, a collective of lawyers known as “Lawyers are Responsible” published a “Declaration of Consciousness” stating:
“as a matter of conscience, they will withdraw their legal services from (1) new fossil fuel projects and (2) criminal or civil action against peaceful climate protesters.”
The signatories to the Declaration include 140 prominent lawyers from the United Kingdom and around the world, including many from countries in the Global South who will face the worst impacts of the climate crisis, such as South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Guyana and the Philippines.
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Lawyers recognise complicity in climate destruction
The press release in which the group outlined their intentions highlighted the contribution of the legal sector towards climate destruction. They reference the $1.62 trillion worth of transactions within the fossil fuel industry that were made possible with the support of lawyers between 2017 and 2022.
They argue that not only should fellow legal professionals halt their support for the fossil fuel industry, they should also refuse to help prosecute peaceful climate change protesters – a practice that is becoming increasingly common.
Melinda Janki, Attorney-at-Law in Guyana and declaration signatory, said:
“I beg my legal colleagues to join me and other lawyers who are on the frontline fighting to uphold the rule of law and protect our countries and planet from the killing effects of fossil fuels. Please take a stand and do not be complicit in ecocide and the inevitable destruction of human lives.”
Peaceful climate protesters targeted by police and courts
As groups like Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain ramp up their efforts to garner support for better climate practice, they are often met by heavy handed police and disproportionate legal punishment. Four Just Stop Oil activists, arrested for blocking a London road, were convicted this year of causing a public nuisance. The group of men were sentenced to 260 hours of unpaid work in total, and made to pay a combined £7,500 in prosecution costs.
Earlier this year in Germany, protesters trying to save the village of Luetzerath from its imminent destruction in order to make way for a new coal field were reportedly beaten heavily by German police, with at least 20 ending up in hospital.
One week before the release of the declaration by Lawyers are Responsible, reports from Australia stated that two German students are set to be deported back to their native land for blocking access to Sydney’s seaport. Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, seemingly missing the point, denounced the actions of the two Germans as “attention-seeking”.
As activists across the world attempt to stop humanity’s march towards catastrophe, it is clear that the support of legal professionals, such as those in Lawyers are Responsible, is vital.
Activists and lawyers score victory against climate change villains Shell
Dutch fossil fuel giant Shell, who place 7th in global rankings for greenhouse gas emissions by companies between 1965 and 2018, produced 32,498 million tons of CO2 equivalent during this period. While they claim to be aiming for carbon neutrality through a transition to green energy by 2050, they are accused of greenwashing and playing fast and loose with the truth surrounding their climate practices. While they claim to be working towards achieving net-zero, they contradict themselves through continual new investment in oil and gas projects. The International Energy Agency stated in 2021 that no new oil and gas projects were compatible with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
While Shell claim to be working towards net-zero, they continue to invest heavily in oil and gas. (Photo: Jethro Carullo / Unsplash)
These contradicting practices form the basis of the argument put forward to the English High Court by ClientEarth, a group of environmental lawyers. The group, who are token stakeholders in Shell, argue that the company does not have a suitable strategy to meet climate targets as the rest of the world moves away from fossil fuels. They say that failure to properly transition to clean energy leaves the company at risk of being left behind as fossil fuels are made obsolete – a reasonable argument for an investor to make. The lawsuit, which is aimed at the companies 11 directors, is a landmark case in holding corporate directors liable for failing to properly prepare their company for the net zero transition.
This is an exemplary case of activism and the legal profession working hand-in-hand to tackle climate destruction as opposed to supporting it, and provides hope for further progress in this direction in the future with the help of groups like Lawyers are Responsible. Läs mer…

Portugal caps rents, gives away vacant flats & suspends VAT on basic foodstuffs

Publicerad denFörfattareneuezeit.at

Inflation is driving more and more unexpecting people into poverty. The Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and the Greens nevertheless refuse to take action against the skyrocketing prices. The Portuguese government shows that there is another way: it already capped rents last year. Recently, Portugal has started renting out vacant flats and suspended VAT on 44 basic foodstuffs.
Between 2017 and 2022, rents in Portugal increased by 42 percent. The country is one of the poorest in Western Europe. Although the government only raised it in December, the minimum wage is just 760 euros a month. More than half of workers earn less than 1000 euros per month.
The government of the socialist Prime Minister António Costa has therefore limited rent increases. Landlords can increase them by a maximum of two percent. Costa’s next step is to put about 730,000 vacant flats on the market. If a flat remains unoccupied for more than two years, Portugal will have it forcibly rented out.
Putting vacant flats on the market
Owners of vacant flats receive a rental offer from the municipality, to which they must respond within ten days. If they do not accept the offer, they have another 90 days to rent out the flat or use it themselves. If the owners continue to do nothing, “municipalities proceed with the compulsory leasing”, according to the planned law. In this case, the municipality manages the flat and, if necessary, carries out renovation work to make it habitable. They then put the flats on the market for five years at low rents. According to the government, rents may not exceed 35 per cent of the family income. The income – minus the renovation costs – is paid out to the owners. There is an exception for properties that registered as tourist enterprises or local accommodation establishments. Flats that are currently being worked on or are about to be sold are also excluded.
Austria: ÖVP & Greens fueling inflation instead of relieving the burden on tenants
In Austria, the situation is different. Here, too, the government discussed a rent brake at the end of February. In the end, however, the ÖVP and the Greens opted for a housing cost subsidy. While 250 million euros will be paid out as a one-time payment, the increased rents remain the same or rise further in the future. Moreover, the housing cost subsidy ends up back with the landlord after the rent payment. The inflation rate in Austria in February was 11 per cent. Tenants not only have to pay higher prices for energy and electricity like everyone else, but also higher rents.
Gabriel Felbermayr, head of the Economic Research Institute (Wifo), also criticises the government’s approach. “I thought it was clear by now that more and more new cash transfers can cushion social hardship, but do not dampen inflation, instead they even fuel it”. The state does not have these 250 million euros and has to borrow them on the capital markets; if you put new money into the economy, it drives up prices, Felbermayr said. In his view, the rent brake was a way to get out of the price spiral.
Portugal suspends VAT
The government in Portugal on the other hand, is not only putting vacant flats on the market, it is also curbing rising inflation by suspending VAT. For the time being, it is suspending VAT on 44 basic foodstuffs for six months. If necessary, it wants to extend this period. This measure is part of an agreement with producers and retailers to stabilize prices as soon as possible. The government also foresees financial support for farmers and livestock in this framework. The suspension of VAT will make bread, eggs, meat, oil, yoghurt, fish and cheese, among other things, cheaper and more affordable for Portuguese households.
This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. It can be republished for free, either translated or in the original language. In both cases, please cite https://neuezeit.at / Kasija Milošević as the original source/author and set a link to this article on Scoop.me. https://scoop.me/portugal-vacant-flats-vat/

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“Creating Prosperity Together”: How the social economy model saved the English city of Preston

Publicerad denFörfattareKontrast.at

For a long time, Preston was the centre of industry in England. But when the city’s big companies decided to move production to low-wage countries, the economy collapsed and Preston plunged into a deep crisis. The people of Preston didn’t let it get them down, however, and together they rebuilt their economy. Instead of international corporations and low wages, they relied on local production and co-determination. Thanks to the “communal prosperity” model, Preston is booming again today.
Preston was the economic engine of England for a long time. In the city in the northwestern county of Lancashire, the textile industry boomed in the 19th century. Products from Preston were exported all over the world, and the city grew rapidly. The boom did not last forever, however. After the Second World War, large parts of English industry migrated to low-wage countries. The economy crumbled and with it the city. Just a few years ago, Preston was considered one of the poorest areas in England.
But then came the turnaround starting in 2012. The city reorganized itself to boost its own economy. It was understood that no help would come from big investors or the government in London. The results of their effort can be seen: Unemployment is falling, the city is growing, and the economy is booming. And how did the people of Preston do all this? With an idea called Community Wealth Building.
Community Wealth Building: Business for the People, Not the Corporations
But what is community wealth building? Broadly speaking, it’s an approach that shapes the economy to serve local people, not managers in corporate headquarters or investors in tax swamps. Preston achieves this primarily through four principles:

Working with what’s there
Producing and buying locally
creating good working conditions
Shaping the economy

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Preston’s “Communal Prosperity”: Working with what’s there
Preston knew that no outside savior would come to help the city. If they wanted to change their lot, the people of Preston would have to tackle it themselves. So the first step was to look at how the city’s economy was set up at the time.
While many businesses had left Preston, there were also institutions that were still in town and would remain. These included the local university, a housing cooperative, the pension fund, the town hospital, and the local government. These institutions were called anchor institutions because they were firmly anchored in the city and would not leave.
The anchor institutions spent many millions annually. The hospital needs fresh food and laundry every day, the housing cooperative needs materials and people to maintain the houses, and the local administration needs stationery and furniture. The list goes on and on. These expenses were looked at by the city government. The result: these institutions hardly ever shopped in Preston. Only about 5 percent of the spending was done in their own town. The rest of the money went to other parts of the country and the world.
Produce locally, buy locally
To boost Preston’s economy with the “communal Prosperity” concept, these anchor institutions had to be persuaded to spend more money in their own city. Since they all had a vested interest in seeing the city do well, all institutions were willing to buy more locally. The result of this was that the order books of local businesses filled up. This allowed those businesses to hire new people. Now, more people had jobs and more money in their pockets to spend again. That further boosted the local economy.
Where the increased demand from anchor institutions could not be met by existing businesses, new ones were started. Preston University assisted the start-ups with its expertise. 
By having anchor institutions, such as local government, buy more from their own city, more jobs could be created in Preston. (Foto: pixabay/PaulCosmin)
Co-determining the economy
There was also a plan for when new companies were founded. What should not happen is that all the profits end up in the boss’s pocket and the workers have no say. The people of Preston should decide for themselves how they want to shape the economy of their city and also reap the fruits of their own labour. The solution to this: cooperatives!
The university supported the people of Preston in setting up cooperatives, in which they themselves can determine how work is done and what is done with the profits. This, it said, strengthened co-determination in the city and meant that the profits generated ended up in the workers’ pockets rather than in investors’ accounts in tax swamps. The cooperatives also had another positive effect. Because the workers themselves determine their company policy, their jobs are not outsourced to low-wage countries.
A wage you can live on
It was also important to the people in Preston and its “communal prosperity” concept that everyone should be able to live on their wages. What is the point of working in a cooperative or one of the anchor institutions if the money is not enough to live on? That’s why most local institutions, businesses and cooperatives decided to pay a wage that is above the minimum wage and that people can live well on. Now that people have more money in their pockets, they were able to consume more, and the local economy continued to grow.
At the same time, however, a lot of money was put into providing a good education for the city’s workers. The city’s university provided training and counselling, and other anchor institutions such as the local government and the housing cooperative also invested more in the education and training of the local workforce.
Preston’s “Communal Prosperity” Model as a model for success
Preston’s four principles worked strongly together. Anchor institutions looked to their purchasing not only to ensure that local production took place, but also that companies paid their workers well and gave them a say. While not everything could be produced and sourced locally, the percentage of anchor institutions’ spending in their own cities increased sharply. When the Community Wealth Building project started in 2012, it was 5 percent. In 2016, it was more than three times that, at 18 percent!
That wasn’t the only thing that had improved in Preston. From 2014 to 2017, unemployment was cut in half. At 3.1 percent, it was below the statewide average of 4.6 percent. The city’s economic development was so successful that it became the most up-and-coming city in the country, overtaking the capital London in quality of life.
Mondragón is the largest cooperative in the world. For Preston and Cleveland, Mondragón is a source of inspiration. Mondragón workers built the roof of the famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, for example.(Foto: Unsplash/Jorge Fernández Salas)
Social business: Global trend
Preston’s success has created a buzz and encouraged imitation. Today, there are 20 other cities and communities that also use the Community Wealth Building approach. This approach did not come out of nowhere, however, but has its roots in the U.S., in the former industrial metropolis of Cleveland. Similar to Preston, industrial companies in Cleveland migrated to low-wage countries. The result was a fallow economy and a decaying city. However, through a regional economic plan and the formation of cooperatives, Cleveland achieved economic recovery.
Cleveland, in turn, got its inspiration from the small Basque town of Mondragón. There, the Spanish Civil War had devastated the local economy. Under the guidance of the left-wing priest José María Arizmendiarrieta, a technical college and several cooperatives were founded in the small town. Today, Mondragón is the largest cooperative in the world, with branches in 31 different countries and over 80,000 employees. The entire cooperative federation is democratically run and owned by the workers. Läs mer…

Dutch startup uses air bubbles to remove plastic from rivers

Publicerad denFörfattareneuezeit.at

Dutch startup “The Great Bubble Barrier” has been building “air curtains” and removing tons of plastic from rivers since 2017. The technology is simple and promising. With the help of pipes in the water, a curtain of air is formed. Fish and other river dwellers can swim through it, while plastic waste is intercepted. 
The Amsterdam-based startup has been working on the technology behind the so-called “bubble barrier” for seven years. Initial pilot tests started in spring 2017, and the first filter system has been in place on the River IJssel in the Netherlands since November of the same year. Even tiny pieces of plastic with a diameter of one millimetre can be fished out of the water with it. The startup is currently testing whether even smaller plastic particles, i.e. less than 0.05 millimetres, can be filtered with the air barrier.
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Simple technology, clean rivers, healthy people
The way the air barrier works is simple. Pipes at the bottom of a river or canal pump air into the water. Combined with the current, the plastic pollution is collected together on one bank. From there, the plastic goes into a collection system. Then the trash is separated and can be disposed of properly. The start-up’s invention would also be great outside the Netherlands, because Austria’s rivers are also full of trash.
The WWF reports that almost two-thirds of Austria’s waters need to be “cleaned up.” Only 15 percent are still in “very good” condition, the paper states. Reasons for the pollution include the heavy construction density of some regions, as well as the industrial usage – such as sewage disposal or cargo shipping – of rivers. Environment Minister Gewessler (Green Party) complained about the “littering of our environment and waters”, but the interim report of the “Action Plan Microplastics” is still pending.
A stream of air bubbles propels the trash into a collection bin (Photo: The Great Bubble Barrier®)
Nearly 80 percent of plastic pollution in the sea comes from rivers
The technology from Holland not only holds promise for cleaning up freshwater streams, but also contributes to the cleaning of the oceans. Around 80 percent of plastic in the world’s seas comes from rivers. Currently, it is estimated that there are between 100 and 150 million tons of trash in the oceans. More than three-quarters of this is plastic. Every year, rivers wash between five and thirteen million tons more into the seas. Four million tons come from just ten major streams.
“We tested for six months in Amsterdam, and during this period we removed around 85 kilograms of plastic per month from the water,” say the founders of “The Great Bubble Barrier.
Projected over a year, that’s more than a ton of plastic waste. This is good not only for the environment, but also for people. Because the trash doesn’t just stay in the water. Fish and other sea creatures eat the plastic pollution. These then get back into the human organism via food, and there the – so called – microplastics can even lead to hormonal changes. Clean oceans, intact environment, healthier people – that seems to be the promise of the air curtain technology from the Netherlands. Läs mer…

Royalties for the Environment: Musicians give Earth Songwriting Credit

Publicerad denFörfattareSpeziell.at

Brian Eno has a charity organization called Earth/Percent. It encourages musicians to donate a portion of their earnings to environmental protection. They do this by making the earth a co-writer of their songs. The resulting income is then donated directly to environmental, research and climate protection projects. 
Most people know musician Brian Eno as the co-founder of the band Roxy Music. Still others may know him as the producer of music legends such as David Bowie, Talking Heads and U2. Few may know that he composed the startup music for Windows 95 – ironically, on an Apple Macintosh. 
Brian Eno is and was many things: musician, producer, electronic music pioneer and visual artist. His latest project: the charity organization Earth/Percent.
Earth/Percent: Income from music royalties for climate protection
The charity organization campaigns for more sustainability in the music industry. It collects money to donate directly to climate protection and environmental organizations. The idea behind it is quite simple: 

Musicians make the earth the co-author or co-songwriter of their songs. How much percent they give away, they determine thereby themselves.
The Earth receives royalties, i.e. income from the rights to the songs.
The income is used to support climate protection projects and environmental organizations

The first musicians have already joined in, including Fraser T. Smith, Jacob Collier, Anna Calvi, Mount Kimbie, Erland Cooper, Rostam Batmanglij and Aurora. 
On Brian Eno’s latest single “Line in the Sand, Earth is already co-writer, alongside Hot Chip and goddess.
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Earth/Percent’s goal: $100 million for climate protection by 2030
The organization aims to raise around $100 million for climate protection by 2030. The money will be used to support not only environmental protection organizations and research, but also people who already have to live with the effects of climate change. After all, the music industry still emits too much CO₂, too. 
“Many in the music industry want to do something about the climate crisis, but don’t know how. That’s why Earth/Percent works with scientists and experts to identify and fund the most promising solutions.” Brian Eno, founder of Earth/Percent
The music industry: music streaming consumes an extreme amount of electricity
In the UK alone, live concerts cause around 405,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year. Mainly from transport, flights, consumption and waste. And platforms like Apple Music, Spotify or Pandora also consume extreme amounts of electricity to run their music streaming platforms. 
This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. It can be republished for free, either translated or in the original language. In both cases, please cite https://speziell.at/ / Ingo Geiger as the original source/author and set a link to this article on Scoop.me. https://scoop.me/musicians-credit-earth-songwriter/
The rights to the content remain with the original publisher. Läs mer…

A train collision, a toxic derailment and thousands killed in an earthquake: How cost-cutting led to disaster in Turkey, Greece and Ohio

Publicerad denFörfattareHarry Markham

A train collision in Greece, a toxic derailment in Ohio, and thousands killed under collapsed buildings in Turkey – February 2023 was a month marked by tragedy across the world. What unites those affected by these disasters is a feeling of injustice and a demand for change within the governments and regulatory bodies that they see as responsible. As blame is passed around, the people of these nations see a common theme: cost-cutting, profiteering and a lack of respect for workers rights and civilian safety. 
As the dust settles after a month of tragedy across the world, those left grieving the loss of family, friends and fellow citizens, and fearing what the future holds, are questioning who is to blame for their loss. Residents of Turkey and Syria watched as buildings toppled and crumbled around them, people in East Palestine, Ohio, were left fearing the air they breathe, and Greeks awoke to the tragic news of a train collision which took the lives of dozens. These disasters are varied and spread across Europe, Asia, and North America, but they are linked by a common theme. They were – largely, if not entirely – avoidable. In each affected country, people have come out to protest what they see as government and regulatory failings, blaming a thirst for profit and the cost-cutting which goes along with it.
Neglected infrastructure and outdated equipment in Greece
Last month, in the Thessaly region of Greece, a passenger train and a freight train collided, resulting in the deaths of at least 57 people – many of whom were young students. This tragedy whipped up great anger among Greeks and particularly young people who had lost fellow students and felt a sense of solidarity with those who had been the victim of, as they see it, governmental failings.
Protests broke out as the news hit the population, soundtracked by calls of “murderers!” towards the officials and the centre right government who many Greeks hold responsible. Metro and rail workers immediately organised a strike through their unions, showing anger at a problem that had been placed at their door through years of apathy and neglect directed at their sector.
Those who wish to deflect from the government’s responsibility claim that the tragedy was the result of human error, which is reflected in the arrest of the stationmaster responsible for the affected section of railroad on the night of the collision. But as the unions see it, the people involved were never given a fair chance at operating safely. The stationmaster, Vassilis Samaras, according to his lawyer, shares this view. As they see it, they are partly responsible, but were working under difficult conditions – he was the only staff member responsible for the region as his colleagues had already gone home – and with a barely functioning signalling system.
Protesters highlight outdated rail infrastructure in the Mediterranean country (Photo: Nick Night / Unsplash)
Protesters and unions have called the government out on staff shortages, outdated equipment and underfunded infrastructure, with the overarching problem of cost-cutting at every opportunity. One such protester, Stelios Dormarazoglou, explained how he understood the disaster:
“Everyone knows that if the Greek state had wanted, this accident could have been prevented. My own son worked on upgrading the signalling system – nine years ago. Ever since it’s been stalled because companies are only ever interested in profits.”
The Greek president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, has pledged to do all she can to modernise the Greek railway system and introduce automated safety systems, but for many Greeks this is too little too late.
Overworked railroad workers in Ohio
On February 3, thirty-eight cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train passing through East Palestine – eleven of which were carrying hazardous materials – derailed and ignited into a 48-hour-long blaze. This resulted in toxic and carcinogenic materials being pumped into the air and seeping into the ground and waterways. While people within a one-mile radius were evacuated, this is seen as a feeble response to an environmental disaster which should never have taken place.
The bulk of health concerns from residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area relate to the release of vinyl chloride into the surrounding environment. It is reported that upwards of 40,000 fish and animals have died as a result, including family pets as far as 10 miles away. While no people died directly as a result of the derailment, residents of the town report rashes, headaches and coughs, and live in a state of anxiety surrounding the long-term health and environmental consequences of the pollution.
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Echoing the accusations made by those in Greece, residents of the area and railroad workers argue that this disaster was avoidable and was the result of underfunding, overworking, and a lack of respect for safety regulations. Ron Kaminkow, the general secretary of Railroad Workers United, made clear his feelings of where responsibility lies:
“Without a change in the working conditions, without better scheduling, without more time off, without a better work-life balance, the railroad is going to suffer… it’s just intrinsic, with short staffing. Corners get cut and safety is compromised.”
Between 2018 and 2020, railroad jobs were cut by 40,000. This added great strain to already overworked employees, not helped by the fact that they receive no paid sick leave, forcing workers to either work through illness or lose wages. They can also be disciplined and eventually let go simply for taking time off. This added stress for the workers is even more insulting, as the six main railroad companies in the United States reported $22 billion in profits over 2022.
The toxic cocktail of working through illness, punitive measures for time off, increased workload due to staff cuts, and the resulting low morale, means railroad workers are far from being able to do their job to the required standard. This, evidently, can result in disaster when working with dangerous cargo.
Leo McCann, chair of the rail labor division of transportation trades department, summed up the general feeling, saying:
“The railroads are more interested in profitability and keeping their return on investment up and their numbers down so they can satisfy Wall Street, and they just live behind this shield hoping nothing will happen.”
Buildings crumble and collapse in Turkey
While nothing can be done to prevent the occurrence of an earthquake, the Turkish authorities were not naïve as to the inevitability of such an earthquake taking place. The nation, which straddles the European and Asian continents, is the meeting place of three tectonic plates: the African Plate, the Arabian Plate and the Anatolian Plate. This leaves the area highly vulnerable to severe earthquakes.
85,000 buildings collapsed as a result of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, claiming almost 50,000 lives and injuring and additional 115,000 in Turkey. As the initial shock settled and rescue efforts began, people started to wonder why some buildings collapsed while others stood and saved those within.
Many nations, such as Japan, who are plagued with the same problem take strict measures to minimize destruction and casualties, mostly through building regulations which require contactors to construct earthquake-proof buildings. This was also the case in Turkey until 2019 when the Erdogan government retroactively legalised thousands of buildings which did not meet earthquake construction standards. In order to avoid adapting these substandard buildings and ignore regulations for new buildings, owners and contractors had only to pay a fine to the Turkish government, putting money before the lives of thousands.
Around 75,000 buildings in the earthquake zone had been affected by this change in law, and when the disaster struck many crumbled under the stress, leaving those within or passing by trapped, injured, or dead. Turkish engineers and architects had warned that this relaxation of the law was putting lives in danger, but they were ignored, and their voices drowned out by those who saw only economic growth.
The lax regulations and resulting tragedy are not just the result of profiteering, they are also due to a hunger for political power. A large part of Erdogan’s electoral success is down to his promise of more jobs and more homes for the Turkish people via a massive construction drive. But many of the country’s residents did not receive the homes that were promised – thanks to an obsession with profit and growth and the resulting neglect of regulations and building standards, they received tombs. Läs mer…

A Berliner builds tiny houses and gives them to homeless people

Publicerad denFörfattareIngo Geiger

The association Little Homes e. V. builds tiny mobile houses and gives them to homeless people. To date, it has built nearly 248 of these shelters. In the meantime, 148 former residents have found a real home again. For them, the gift was a turning point. The small houses give them back security, peace and hope. Critics see it only as a temporary solution and worry about minimum standards.  
There is not much space. The 3.5 m² of living space is just enough for a bed, a shelf and a small kitchenette. And yet Uwe S. is happy, because for him, it means security, peace and new hope. For 15 years he was homeless and slept on the streets of Berlin. Then Sven Lüdecke gave him a “Little Home”. He lived in it for two years. In the meantime, Uwe has a flat with electricity and running water again and is standing on his own two feet. The “Little Home” was a turning point.
“Little Homes”: Small houses for homeless people
Sven Lüdecke is the founder of the association “Little Homes e. V.“. Since the end of 2016, he and a team of constantly changing volunteers have been building small houses and giving them to homeless people. Nuremberg, Cologne, Berlin: There are already 248 of these small shelters across Germany. For many, they are a stepping stone back into society: 148 former residents have now found a proper flat. 
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The houses are simply built: Four walls made of pressboard, a lockable door and a small window. They also have a mattress, a camping toilet, a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. There is no electricity, no running water and no heating – only insulation made of Styrofoam. This protects against extreme cold. The residents usually provide their own water, for example, from public toilets or drinking water points. A “Little Home” costs around 1,000 euros. 
One important detail is that the houses are mobile. They are on wheels. If this were not the case, the association would need a building permit for each Little Home. 
Most of the houses are located on private parking lots, but the association cooperates with cities, districts and municipalities. For example, the Berlin district of Kreuzberg provides 40 parking spaces.
The houses are mobile – they are later on wheels and can be moved to different locations. (Photo: Little Home e.v.)
Criticism: The “Little Homes” do not meet the minimum standard of accommodation
Lüdecke’s project is also met with opposition. Critics suggest that minimum standards of housing are neglected. The tiny living space is inhumane and not a long-term solution. 
Werena Rosenke of the association “Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Wohnungslosenhilfe” also takes a critical view of the project. She told Deutschlandfunk that “Little Homes” are not safe. They are often located in remote places. This is dangerous, especially for women. Nevertheless, she thinks it is a good idea to give homeless people some security and get them off the streets for a short time. The goal should be a real flat with a social worker to look after them.
Tiny houses for homeless people: No solution – but a temporary fix
Lüdecke sees it that way, too. He also does not see his project as a solution to the problem of homelessness. That is the task of politicians. The “Little Homes” are only a temporary solution, he says: 
“We are not the solution to the problem of homelessness, but a solution before the solution,” says Sven Lüdecke, Little Homes founder (interview).
There are now regional offshoots of the association in many cities. The simple construction of the Little Homes makes it possible. In the beginning, it was just a matter of building a reasonably safe shelter for homeless people. In the meantime, the association also helps with visits to the authorities, with applications for social benefits or with the search for a job. For this purpose, the association hires social workers or works together with them.
Critics warn that the small houses do not meet minimum shelter standards and could also lead communities to allocate fewer resources to the homeless. (Photo: Little Home e.v.)
Risks: Municipalities neglect their legal duty to help homeless people
In Germany, municipalities are legally obligated to help homeless people. They must provide humane housing for those affected. Rosenke emphasizes that this is a unique selling point that must not be jeopardized under any circumstances. 
As good as the idea of “Little Homes” is, it could lead to municipalities neglecting their duty. After all, people are no longer homeless. 
This concern is not entirely unfounded. You can see this, for example, in the example of the food banks. Food banks give donated food to people with low incomes. The problem is that the state relies too much on the aid and remains inactive itself. The symptoms of poverty are alleviated, but the causes remain. Inflation, poverty in old age and precarious working conditions in the low-wage sector are not being addressed, according to the fears of critics.
Homelessness on the rise in the EU, in Germany and also in Austria
According to a report by the German government, there are about 263,000 homeless people in Germany. According to Amnesty International, there are just under 20,000 in Austria, and more than 700,000 people in the European Union.  
However, the number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher, because many of those affected are not even recorded by the system. They are invisible because they are not registered anywhere, have no social insurance or are staying with friends and acquaintances.
This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. It can be republished for free, either translated or in the original language. In both cases, please cite / Ingo Geiger as the original source/author and set a link to this article on Scoop.me. https://scoop.me/tiny-houses-homeless/
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France: Montpellier makes public transport free of charge

Publicerad denFörfattareIngo Geiger

After two successful test phases, the city’s decision has been made: bus and tram travel will become free for Montpellier’s residents. From December 2023, none will have to pay for public transport. In this way, the city aims to reduce air pollution, cut emissions and support disadvantaged groups. The measure is part of a 150 million euro package that also includes the construction of new bicycle lanes. 
Montpellier’s city government is making public transportation free for all. From December 21, 2023, the city’s 300,000 inhabitants will no longer have to pay anything for buses and trams. In doing so, the city not only wants to reduce air pollution, but also make it easier for socially disadvantaged people to get around.  
The measure is part of a 150 million euro package to make the city sustainable and emission-free. In addition to free public transport, Montpellier plans to introduce environmental zones and expand bicycle lanes.
Residents can register with the “M’Ticket” app to receive the free tickets. To do so, they need a valid ID card and a registration address. 
Montpellier’s Mayor Michaël Delafosse tweeted: “By introducing free transport, we are bold in taking a great measure of social justice, of progress, which works for the ecological transition,”

Par la gratuité des transports, nous faisons preuve d’audace en prenant une grande mesure de justice sociale, de progrès qui œuvre pour la transition écologiqueDès le 21 décembre, les transports publics seront gratuits toute la semaine pour touts les habitants de la Métropole pic.twitter.com/E0r6TWctCT
— Michaël Delafosse (@MDelafosse) February 2, 2023
 
Two successful trial phases: 160,000 people use free tickets
Montpellier has been testing free public transport since 2020. The measure now adopted is the result of two successful trial phases:

Phase: free tickets for residents on weekends (from September 2020).
Phase: Free tickets for young people under 18 and seniors from 65 (from September 2021). 

The first phase already resulted in 12 percent more residents using public transportation on weekends. The second phase was similarly successful: 160,000 residents took advantage of the offer. Even after the end, 60 percent continued to use public transportation. 
Previously, the city supported motorists with free parking hours. The current government abolished this rule and financed the first trial phase with the 1.3 million euros released. 
France: Public transport is already free in 39 cities and towns
Montpellier is not the only French city where residents do not have to pay anything for public transport. Since France handed over traffic management to municipal authorities in 2015, the concept has spread to 39 cities and towns. Among them is the port city of Calais, the Marseille suburb of Aubange and the municipality of Niort. 
Lyon, Paris, and Marseille are still hesitant to implement free public transportation. This is because they are way more dependent on ticket sales to finance their public transport (Photo: Rob Potvin / Unsplash)
Depending on the municipality or city, the measure is financed differently: in Dunkirk, for example, via the mobility tax. In France, private and public companies with more than 10 employees must pay this tax. With 200,000 inhabitants, Dunkirk is the second-largest city in France with free local transport after Montpellier.
Paris, Lyon and Marseille: only partially free local public transport
France’s major metropolises (Lyon, Paris, Marseille) are still hesitant to implement free public transportation. This is because they rely on ticket sales to finance their public transport. The share of total costs there is 25-40 percent. In smaller cities, on the other hand, it is only 10 percent. 
Nevertheless, there are also offers in France’s big cities to relieve the burden on low-income earners, young people and pensioners. In Paris, Strasbourg and Lille, for example, young people under 18 are allowed to use public transportation free of charge. Passengers in Nantes and Rouen can ride the trams, bus lines and subway for free on weekends. Läs mer…