30 June 2009
From
MonsterandCritics.com:
Employees of abortion clinics in the Netherlands will hold a minute of silence on July 1 to raise awareness about violence against women seeking abortions and against the doctors and clinics conducting them. The Dutch minute of silence is part of a series of protests being planned by other abortion clinics in France, Belgium, Spain, among others. The staff of Belgian abortion clinics are due to dress in black, while French abortion clinics will hold a strike soon. The international initiative was launched to protest the murder of US abortion physician George Tiller who was killed on May 31.
Abortion clinics have existed in the Netherlands since 1971, but it was not until 1981 that it was legalized. The number of abortions performed in the Netherlands each year remains relatively stable with 33,000 procedures, according to the 2007 Dutch health inspection year report. Nearly 14 per cent of all abortions in this country are performed on foreign women who cannot undergo the procedure in their home countries.
Read the entire article
here.
30 June 2009
From
NRC International:
A Unesco conference in Spain will decide this week whether the Dutch-German area of the Wadden Sea will be added to its list of 878 World Heritage Sites. Those involved in the Netherlands say it would be "a recognition of an area unique in the world" and could bring economic benefits. The Wadden Sea (Waddenzee) is a shallow stretch of sea along the North Sea coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. The Wadden (literally: mud flats) are characterised by a constant change of tides and are rich in biological diversity. The Germans and Dutch want its uniqueness recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
The area up for nomination encompasses the uninhabited parts already protected under national laws: one million hectares of water, salt marshes and tidal flats. The Dutch islands, popular destinations for holidaymakers, are not included, but some of the German islands are.
Read the entire article
here.
28 June 2009
From the
New York Times
Of all things, historical and cultural, that link Amsterdam to New York, there is a particular bond that strikes a personal chord with Carolien Gehrels. Mrs. Gehrels, the deputy mayor of Amsterdam, will be among a delegation of officials from the Netherlands who are flying to New York this weekend to attend gay pride celebrations and to embrace efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in New York State. “We talk about the shared DNA of the two cities, the legacy of tolerance, the openness and the international orientation,” Mrs. Gehrels said in an interview, “and that’s exactly what we celebrate this year.” Mrs. Gehrels brings a personal perspective to the issue: she is married to a woman. She said that while the approval of gay marriage in the Netherlands that took effect in 2001 was “a milestone in equal rights,” even eight years later “equality and freedom are never self-evident.” Same-sex partnerships were legalized in 1998.
She said the legislation pending in Albany deserved a full debate. “This is exactly what happened in the Netherlands before the legalization of same-sex marriage,” she said. “The debate as well as the legal recognition meant an enormous step forward in the acceptance of homosexuality in Dutch society.” On Friday, she is expected to join advocates for gays and lesbians at New York University to mark the Stonewall uprising, which helped inspire the gay rights movement, and to endorse equality for gays and lesbians, including the same-sex marriage legislation.
Her visit this weekend reflects a broader collaboration between the two cities as they celebrate the 400th anniversary of the arrival in New York in September 1609 of Henry Hudson, an English explorer commissioned by the Dutch East India Company. “Amsterdam, like New York, is more progressive than the rest of the country,” Mrs. Gehrels said, “and Amsterdam, like New York, is a gay capital. It’s a key part of the policy of the city, though not every citizen likes it. There’s always a struggle when you are a minority, but Amsterdam has a history as a city of minorities and in Amsterdam almost everyone is a minority.”
Read the entire article
here.
25 June 2009
From
SiliconRepublic.com:
At the IBM-hosted SmarterCities conference yesterday in Berlin, the tech firm announced its plans to collaborate with Rotterdam in implementing the world’s first Smart Delta City. A Smart Delta City is one that will use IBM technology to collect and analyse real-time data on the rivers, ocean, weather and similar data all through one intuitive dashboard.
Rotterdam will use real-time, real-world information to manage city infrastructure related to climate change issues. This means that city councils would be better able to respond to potential disasters like floods or droughts, and monitor changes in water conditions that could harm aquatic life. “We are committed to reducing carbon dioxide by 50pc and reaching a climate adaptive situation, while also strengthening our region’s economic condition by 2025,” said Paula Verhoeven, Rotterdam Climate Office director. The SmartCities conference is designed to make countries around the globe more aware of the environmental issues of growing cities and how green technology can make them safer, more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Read the entire article
here.
23 June 2009
From the
Associated Press:
The White House says President Barack Obama will be meeting next month with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende to discuss bilateral relations and the Netherlands help with the U.S.-led effort to defeat Taliban and al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The White House said Tuesday that the July 14 meeting is designed to build upon the Netherlands significant contributions to the U.S.-directed NATO effort in Afghanistan and it's participation in the alliance training mission in Iraq. It said the two leaders also will focus on the situation in Iran, peace efforts in the Middle East as well as climate change and energy policies.
Read the entire article
here.
21 June 2009
From
LoHud.com:
From Rip Van Winkle to the Roosevelts, America has had a long relationship with its Dutch heritage. That relationship is examined in a brilliant new show at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers that marks the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of the river and region that now bears his name."Dutch New York: The Roots of Hudson Valley Culture" is a terrific art show, with eggplant, emerald and slate-gray galleries offsetting the richness of more than 250 paintings, maps, photographs, posters, drawings and decorative art objects. Text panels in blue and white evoke one of the Netherlands' greatest exports - Delftware pottery.
(...) History suggests our mixed feelings about our Dutch legacy. That ambivalence is suggested by the show's first work, "Henrik Hudson Entering New York Harbor, September 11, 1609," an 1892 oil painting by Edward Moran. Unlike other works on this subject, which give us waving American Indians and smiling Europeans, Moran's painting offers no sentimental perspective. Instead, a lone brave gazes out at Hudson's distant ship, the Half Moon, under a pink and gold sky.
"The American self-image that we revere is more closely tied to the open, entrepreneurial, self-reliant, tolerant, immigrant-driven colony that was New Netherland than to any of the other mythic forebearer colonies from Massachusetts Bay to Jamestown," Michael Botwinick, Hudson River Museum director, writes in the companion book (Fordham University Press). At the same time, Dutch tolerance - particularly when race, slavery and immigration were concerned - was always tempered by commercial interests. If in the early days of New Netherland all people were welcome, it was because the Dutch West India Company, which managed the colony, required all hands on deck. The idea that what you do is who you are would drive New York.
"The Dutch had been forgotten by 1809 so that (Washington Irving) had a blank slate to re-create them," curator Bland says. In "A History of New York From the Beginnings of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty" and in subsequent tales like "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" Washington cast a backward glance at the Dutch that was both amused and affectionate. "There's a kind of country-bumpkin quality about Irving's Dutch," Bland says.
Americans came to appreciate this as they celebrated the centennial of American independence in 1876 with a period of Colonial revivalism. These in turn foreshadowed the Holland Mania of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the passion raged for Dutch ideals as well as Delftware, fruit-embellished Kasts (armoires), solidly carved cradles and chairs and refined silverwork. Holland Mania reached a high point with the exuberant Hudson-Fulton Celebration of 1909, a two-week show that had crowds thronging to such gathering spots as flag-festooned Getty Square in Yonkers. Meanwhile, descendants of the Dutch first families - the Van Cortlandts, Philipses, Vanderbilts and Roosevelts - had become as blue-blooded as those whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower.
Read the entire article
here.
19 June 2009
From
Art Daily:
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Dmitry Medvedev, will attend opening celebrations of the
Hermitage Amsterdam museum on the evening of Friday, June 19, one day prior to the public opening of the museum on June 20, 2009. Other members of the Dutch Royal family expected to attend include Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima. The Hermitage Amsterdam opens with the dazzling exhibition, “At the Russian Court: Palace and Protocol in the 19th Century.”
The Hermitage Amsterdam is the first branch of the magnificent Russian State Museum Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The Hermitage Amsterdam will organize temporary exhibitions chosen from the collections of the Hermitage and other Russian museums. The opening exhibition will feature more than 1,800 objects to tell the story about the court life of Russian tsars, including the Romanov throne, jewelry by Fabergé, gala dresses and the last tsarina’s grand piano.
Hermitage Amsterdam is the only dedicated, independently managed venue in the West of St Petersburg’s magnificent State Hermitage Museum. At the Russian Court — a scholarly researched exploration of the opulent material culture, elaborate social hierarchy and richly layered traditions of the Tsarist court at its height in the 19th century — will remain on show from June 20th in the new institution until January 31st 2010. Hermitage Amsterdam will then stage two large-scale, temporary exhibitions each year, drawing on the encyclopaedic collections and unparalleled scholarship of Russia’s museums to offer cultural riches that would otherwise be unavailable in Amsterdam.
Read the entire article
here
18 June 2009
From the
New York Times
During the summer months, Amsterdam can seem like a whole different city. Sunny days peek through the gray while the long nights of winter are replaced by their daylight equivalents. This Sunday, June 21, the city ushers in the summer with the 2009 iteration of the Amsterdam Roots Festival. Free and always fun, the festival attracts groups from around the world for a one-day display of international music across seven stages at the Oosterpark. And what better day than the year’s longest for the party? The festival begins at noon with the opening of the “world market”: 125 stalls, arranged throughout the park, with vendors selling food and drinks from a number of different world cuisines.
Read the entire article
here.
Amsterdam Roots Festival (Official website)
18 June 2009
From
The Register:
Dutch developer SPRXMobile has created a browser that overlays local information on the camera view, augmenting reality with superimposed information provided by business partners, who pay for the privilege. Android handsets feature a digital compass, which can be used along with GPS to enhance the real world with additional information sourced from cyberspace. Layar (as SPRXMobile titles their browser) isn't the first to do this - Mobilixy's Wikitude has been doing much the same thing for some months - but the company has signed deals with local information providers in the Netherlands to advise on houses for sale and rent, local hot spots and jobs.
Right now the company only has deals in the Netherlands, but is obviously hoping to spread the idea, as well as supporting more platforms. More observant readers will have noticed that the new iPhone 3GS (to be launched Friday) also features a compass and GPS, and SPRXMobile will be porting their application to Apple's platform as soon as they get the chance - Android still being rather a niche proposition.
Read the entire article
here.
16 June 2009
From
AFP:
About 120 original letters by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh will be exhibited, alongside the works he was writing about, for three months from October, the
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam said Tuesday. "The combination of more than 340 works... including paintings, drawings, letters and letter sketches offers a multifaceted and penetrating view of Van Gogh as letter writer and as artist," it said in a statement. "Van Gogh's own writing and his intimate sketches allow the visitor to look over the artist's shoulder, as it were." This would be the largest exhibition to date of Van Gogh's letters, which are seldom shown in public due to their fragility and sensitivity to light. Most are addressed to his younger brother and backer, Theo.
The museum owns more than 800 of the 902 letters known to have been written by the Dutch Post-Impressionist master. They will be published in book form shortly. Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands on March 30, 1853. Before he turned to painting at the age of 27, he worked as an art dealer's apprentice and a preacher. He moved to Paris in 1886, where he was influenced by impressionist painters. Van Gogh died in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris on July 29, 1890, at the age of 37, two days after going to a field and shooting himself in the chest.
Read the entire article
here.
16 June 2009
From
Reuters:
The Dutch economy is expected to contract 4.75 percent this year, more than previously expected, due to a slump in world trade and less consumer spending, Dutch government think tank CPB said on Tuesday. CPB, which cut its forecasts for the fourth time in a year, warned that the credit crisis and recession may still be worse than expected and that new problems in the financial sector could arise.
CPB had forecast in March that GDP would shrink 3.5 percent this year and 0.25 percent in 2010, but the new forecasts were still more optimistic than those of the Dutch central bank (DNB). The DNB last week projected the Dutch economy -- which had a GDP of 595 billion euros in 2008 and is the 5th largest in the euro zone -- would contract 5.4 percent this year. The Netherlands, which depends on imports and exports for about two-thirds of its economic activity, will face a rise in its budget deficit, projected at 4.1 percent of GDP this year and 6.7 percent in 2010, CPB said.
Read the entire article
here.
15 June 2009
From
BlackBook.com:
One of the better parts about Amsterdam, besides the legal sticky icky, the legal red light district, and the bunches of babes on bikes, are the ”beer bikes” that tour people around the city. These booze-filled bikes o’ fun are under some scrutiny by the government due to two recent, drunken, crashes. Beerbiking tours generally seat about 20 people, including a sober driver. A two-hour tour on the weekend costs about $34 per person, beer included. There’s even a special version of the beerbike that includes karaoke. The city is considering putting the brakes on these beer mobiles, but it isn’t clear what they mean to do.
“This beer bike is completely legal, but he [City Councilor Hans Gerson] is not very enthusiastic about this idea of people drinking while being amongst traffic,” said one recent report. The spokesperson “downplayed the possibility of a ban, stressing the alderman is looking into various options.” In response, the owner of Beerbike claims that his company “only rents a beer bike out with a driver and has never been involved in an accident.”
Read the entire article (including video report)
here.
11 June 2009
From
The Chronicle:
This is the Holland of picture postcards. Charming small farming towns dot a landscape crisscrossed by canals, and between the canals, seemingly on every spare plot, at every house door, are tulips. The fields of color are so intense that from afar they look fake. But they are indeed fields of flowers, planted so closely together their leaves are hidden by perfect tulip bowls of red, yellow, white or orange and grape hyacinths in blue. Any springtime trip to the Duin-en Bollenstreek (meaning “dunes and flower region” in Dutch) should include its three major attractions: Keukenhof Gardens, Aalsmeer Flower Market and the Bloemencorso (flower parade). All are just southwest of Amsterdam.
If you’ve ever seen a picture from Holland, chances are good it was taken at Keukenhof Gardens. It claims to be the most photographed spot on Earth, and one trip there makes you believe that’s true. Keukenhof, which means “kitchen garden,” originated in the 15th century as the herb and vegetable patch for a castle near what is now the town of Lisse. Local flower growers took over the 79-acre grounds in 1949 to showcase their products. Now it’s ground zero for all things beautiful and floral.
Read the entire article
here.
11 June 2009
From
USA Today:
Andre Ooijer and Arjen Robben scored Wednesday for the Netherlands to beat Norway 2-0 and stay perfect in World Cup qualifying. The Netherlands leads Group 9 with 21 points from seven games and has already advanced to next year's tournament in South Africa. Norway is last with three points from five games. Ooijer headed in Rafael van der Vaart's free kick in the 32nd minute, and Robben got the second in the 50th. "We knew we had already qualified but we had to play beautiful football for our fans," Van der Vaart said. The Netherlands threatened from the start in a rain-soaked Kuip stadium, with Robben and John Heitinga creating early chances for Robin van Persie.
Needing a victory to boost its chances of qualifying through a playoff, Norway created nothing in the first half. Two minutes into the second half, Morten Gamst Pedersen forced a diving save from Netherlands goalkeeper Maarteen Stekelenburg. Mark van Bommel's clearance from the resulting corner robbed Norway of another scoring opportunity. After thwarting the Netherlands in the opening minutes, Norway's defense failed to stop Ooijer's goal off a free header. Van Persie then skilfully controlled the ball before setting up Robben for the second.
Read the entire article
here.
09 June 2009
From
Business Week:
On the streets of Amsterdam last week, major changes were afoot. The first of 1,200 households installed an energy-saving system from IBM and Cisco aimed at cutting electricity costs. Others were given fresh access to financing from Dutch banks ING and Rabobank to buy everything from energy-saving light bulbs to ultra-efficient roof insulation. And on Utrechtsestraat, a major shopping avenue in the center of the Dutch capital, solar-powered panels on local bus stops were installed to transform the road into a "Climate Street" piloting clean technology.
The projects are Amsterdam's first steps toward making its infrastructure more eco-friendly. Other projects are expected to follow soon. They include 300 power hookups around the city to recharge electric cars, solar panels that will be installed on Amsterdam's historic 17th century townhouses, and infrastructure upgrades that will allow households to sell energy they generate from small-scale wind turbines or solar panels back to the city's electricity grid for a profit.
As the city's energy infrastructure gets a face-lift, local policymakers also are devising ways to maximize the new smart grid. By early next year, Amsterdam's planners expect to create a "virtual power plant," or infrastructure upgrades that will let households sell excess energy generated from domestic solar panels, wind turbines, and biomass plants back to the city for a profit. All told, the plan could add 200 megawatts of renewable energy, roughly the size of a large wind farm, to Amsterdam's electricity generation.
Amsterdam's plans are ambitious, but they do come with a hefty price tag. According to estimates, it will cost $438 per household over 15 years to install smart grid technology alone. Additional outlays, particularly costs of up to $280 million needed to make the city's homes more energy-efficient, could be a tough sell for consumers already suffering in the economic downturn. Yet by converting Amsterdam into a smart city, local planners expect to bolster the economy through public and private investment, as well as cut emissions by 40% by 2025.
Read the entire article
here.
07 June 2009
From the
Associated Press:
The Dutch are coming — again — and they're bringing more than the $24 they supposedly paid for Manhattan. The Netherlands government this year is spending $8 million promoting and staging events and exhibits in New York and elsewhere to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage on the river that would later bear his name. That's twice as much as New York state is splitting three ways to pay for quadricentennial events commemorating Hudson and French explorer Samuel de Champlain's voyages as well as belated bicentennial recognition of Robert Fulton's steamboat trip in 1807.
Some of that foreign funding can be seen in action Saturday, when a fleet led by a pair of 17th-century Dutch ship replicas lifts anchor in New York City and sails up the Hudson River for Albany. The Dutch government's funding includes support for the Half Moon, a 20-year-old replica of Hudson's ship, and the Onrust, a newly built 50-foot yacht built by volunteers at an upstate historic site.
Although the yearlong commemoration of the Hudson voyage began in January with exhibits in New York and the Netherlands, this weekend's start of River Day essentially kicks off a three-month series of events aimed at boosting tourism in Manhattan and Albany and points in between. One of the biggest is River Day, which started Friday evening with a ceremonial blessing of the fleet near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Gov. David Paterson joined state and Dutch officials, many of them clad in yellow raincoats, under a tent at Battery Park as clergy members from various religions blessed the fleet. Other Hudson "quad" events include the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display, which is being moved from the East River to the Hudson River in honor of the explorer's 1609 voyage.
More large-scale events are planned for September, including another gathering of ships in New York Harbor and an arts festival on Governor's Island off the southern tip of Manhattan. Organizers said plans are in the works for Holland's Prince Willem-Alexander to visit New York City in September, when the Half Moon, Dutch naval vessels and other ships gather to mark Hudson's voyage exactly 400 years earlier.
Read the entire article
here.
05 June 2009
From
UPI:
Geert Wilders, the Dutch anti-immigrant maverick, apparently led his party to a surprising runnerup slot in the Netherlands' European elections, officials say. Exit polls in the election to choose a European parliament indicate Wilders' Freedom Party won 15 percent of the vote and claimed 25 seats Thursday. That would be enough for a second place finish to The Christian Democrats of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and a step ahead of the Labor party of Wouter Bos, The Guardian reported. Only two of 27 European Union countries, Britain and the Netherlands, voted Thursday. Elections are scheduled Sunday in 18 other countries.
Read the entire article
here.
Dutch anti-Islamic party makes gains in EU poll (AFP)
EU parliamentary elections hit turbulence Friday after prematurely published Dutch results confirmed fears of voter apathy and extremist gains and Britain's prime minister sought damage control. As the world's biggest transnational vote gathered pace, with Czech and Irish voters going to the polls on day two, embattled British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was already licking his wounds. A shell-shocked Brown reshuffled his cabinet and said his party had suffered a "painful defeat" after British voters cast their ballots on Thursday in both EU and local elections.
n the Netherlands, far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) came second in its first EU election with 17 percent of the vote and won four seats in the new parliament, according to near-complete results of Thursday's voting there. Reviled and adored alike for his anti-Islamic rhetoric, the 45-year-old firebrand has made deep cracks in a long tradition of Dutch consensus politics, declaring himself on a mission to fight the "Islamisation" of the Netherlands.
The Christian Democrats (CDA) of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende lost over four percentage points compared to 2004 to finish with less than 20 percent, according to results released with 99.7 percent of the vote counted. Release of the Dutch results broke European rules banning their publication before polls close across Europe Sunday night. The European Commission sought an explanation and mulled possible action. The low turnout that many feared was also evident in the Netherlands, with 36.5 percent of voters in the founding EU member taking part, down from 39.2 percent in the previous elections in 2004.
Read the entire article
here
Dutch result release questioned (News24)
Europe's election marathon was clouded in controversy on Friday after the premature release of Dutch poll results confirmed widespread fears of gains by the far-right and low voter turnout. The European Commission said that publication of the Dutch results - which by law should have been held back until late on Sunday - appeared to be against the spirit of the rules for the European Parliament polls.
"We are going to ask for clarification from the Netherlands," said Amadeu Altafaj Tardio, a senior spokesperson for the European Union's executive arm. "We want to know who published what information, at what moment, and to whom. We will give the interested party a chance to explain itself before we make a decision" on any action, he said. The Dutch move, he said, "does not appear to respect the spirit of the elections to the European Parliament".
Under EU rules, no results - preliminary, partial or local and including turnout figures - can be given to the media or polling institutes before the end of voting across the entire European Union. "We will assess [the Dutch response] from a legal point of view, and we will take measures if measures have to be taken," the spokesperson said. "We as the guardian of the treaties have to make sure the legal framework is observed." The Dutch government insisted that voters had the right to know the outcome of the polls in a timely manner.
Read the entire article
here
04 June 2009
From
CNN:
Voters in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands became the first European Union citizens to go to the polls Thursday to elect a new European Parliament. The massive election, involving all 27 member states, around 375 million eligible voters and 736 MEP seats, is the biggest exercise in transnational democracy the world has ever seen, with voters from Bulgaria and Romania, which joined the EU in 2007, participating for the first time. Each country in the EU sets its own timetable for voting with most going to the polls on Sunday. In Ireland and the Czech Republic voting takes place on Friday. Counting is due to start on Sunday night. The powers of the European Parliament -- the EU's main legislative assembly -- have increased significantly since it was established in 1979, with the parliament often shaping legislation which is then passed down to national parliaments for ratification at member state level.
Read the entire article
here.
European elections get under way
The European parliamentary elections got under way in the Netherlands and Britain on Thursday, with Geert Wilders, the Dutch anti-immigration politician, vowing to do his utmost to stop Turkey entering the European Union “in a million years”. Smaller parties are expected to gain seats in the 736-seat chamber from bigger rivals in both countries, the first two nations to vote in pan-European polls that run until Sunday. Voters across the 27-nation bloc are expected to focus on unemployment and economic uncertainty in the poll. While the mainstream parties have indicated they would not form a coalition with the PVV on the national stage, the party is increasingly part of the political furniture. It was only formed in 2006, drawing on the legacy of Pim Fortuyn, the gay anti-immigration politician who was shot in 2002. Dutch exit polls will give a first picture after 21:00 CET on Thursday.
From the
Financial Times
A live stream of Dutch tv covering the result of today's election can be found
here (Nos Nieuws, from 21.00 CET).
04 June 2009
From
USA Today:
The Netherlands can become the first European side to clinch a place at the 2010 World Cup on Saturday. While England and Denmark are among the other teams able to move closer to a spot in South Africa, the Dutch can get there with two games remaining with victory at Iceland. The Netherlands has almost a full-strength side for the game in Reykjavik, one of 14 qualifiers in Europe on Saturday. Only midfielders Wesley Sneijder and Ibrahim Afellay are missing for the Group 9 leaders, who have won all five of their qualifiers and are eight points clear of second-place Scotland. "We want to grab this first chance," captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst said. "We've never been able to qualify so quickly for a tournament.
The Netherlands already beat Iceland 2-0 in Rotterdam last year through goals by Joris Mathijsen and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The Dutch host Norway four days after the Iceland match in the next round of qualifying and that game could now be a celebration.
Read the entire article
here.
02 June 2009
From
BBC News:
Almere, near Amsterdam: Three black cars screech into the market square. Shoppers enjoying the sun and a break in one of the many cafes around the square look up from their drinks and ice creams. About ten serious-looking men in suits with bulges under their jackets get out of the back two cars and position themselves around the front vehicle. One carries a fold-out, body-length bullet-proof shield. Who can be in the front car? The prime minister? A member of the Dutch royal family? Suddenly a white blond quiff emerges, followed by its owner, Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV).
He may not be royalty but he is, according to some opinion polls, more popular than the Dutch government and hopes to do well in the European elections. He wants to hold a referendum to demonstrate the Dutch people are against the Lisbon Treaty, as they were against the constitution, and wants to take powers back from Brussels. But that's not why he grabs the attention. He is the Netherlands' Mr Provocative, determined to poke sensitive Muslim opinion in the eye. But is he the heir to the mantle of the extreme right or a post-modern populist? Where does his PVV fit in the political spectrum? He's been banned from Britain, is being prosecuted in the Netherlands for hate crimes, has made a film about the Koran - a book he wants banned - and promises a second film that will be just as forthright.
He's very much against Turkey joining the European Union and wants to take powers back from the EU. He is not advocating leaving the euro or the EU, but wants the balance of power to change. But there's little doubt it is his opinions of Islam that are eye-catching. There's certainly genuine support for him among people who rush to have their picture taken with him. One woman tells me "he says what millions of us think". It is a refrain I hear repeatedly. But one man ostentatiously shreds the election pamphlet, saying that even Dutch cuisine is based on a mixture from all over the world and Mr Wilders' views were rather un-Dutch.
Read the entire article
here.
01 June 2009
From
Associated Press:
The 2,700 pigs on the farm that John Horrevorts manages yield more than ham and bacon. A biogas plant makes enough electricity from their waste to run the farm and feeds extra wattage into the Dutch national grid. He even gets bonus payments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As the world struggles to reduce pollution causing climate change, attention has focused on the burning of fossil fuels in factories, power stations, and vehicles. But U.N. scientists says farming and forestry account for more than 30 percent of the greenhouse gases that are gradually heating the earth. Much of that pollution comes from cattle, sheep and pigs that belch or excrete methane, a heat-trapping gas more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide, the most common global warming gas.
Horrevorts says a group including his operation and four other commercial farms avoids methane emissions equivalent to 40,000 tons of carbon a year. Dozens of private or nonprofit companies known as offset providers will "buy" those tons as a way of supporting renewable energy or other projects that reduce carbon emissions, then resell the credits to individuals or companies who want to shrink their carbon footprint. Last year, Horrevorts said, a British offset provider paid euro5 ($6.70) per ton for people wanting to neutralize plane travel or rock concert tickets. This year, the farm was negotiating with a Dutch company seeking to become carbon neutral to promote a green image.
Though operating expenses for the biogas plant are considerable, the combination of electricity savings, power production and carbon credits makes it profitable, Horrevorts says. Horrevorts, who is a biological researcher rather than a professional farmer, says that with financial incentives through electricity subsidies, it could become standard practice for ordinary farmers. About 50 commercial biogas plants operate on farms in the Netherlands, and the practice is spreading across industrial livestock farms around the world.
Read the entire article
here.
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