Worldlog week 27 - 2015 - Hoofdinhoud

Last week I told you about my initiative policy document regarding the ban of sport hunting that was brought before the Lower House. In the Netherlands, hunters are allowed to hunt five types of animals just for fun and without any necessity: hares, rabbits, pheasants, wild ducks and wood pigeons. If we look at the election promises made by a number of parties there should be a majority in favour of banning sport hunting but the Labour Party (PvdA), which has a key role, indicated that it did not want to support my policy document. Even worse, the PvdA, together with the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), brought forward a proposal to make the regulations on hunting even more flexible.

This week, we, together with two other political parties (Green Left and the Socialist Party (GroenLinks and SP)), organised a hearing to show the PvdA, but also other parties, what the consequences are of the PvdA’s and VVD’s proposal. During this hearing it appeared that nature organisations reject the hunting amendment of the PvdA and the VVD. According to the experts present, representatives of the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming), the Dutch Society for the Preservation of Nature (Natuurmonumenten), and the Dutch Society for the Protection of Wildlife (Faunabescherming), and the Professor of Ecology Han Olff, the protection of animals will seriously deteriorate should the proposal to make hunting more flexible be adopted.

Next week, the Lower House will vote on the initiative policy document, on the proposal of the PvdA and the VVD, and on the Nature Conservation Act. We will then know if parties like the PvdA will keep their election promises. We will ask for a roll call vote.

A great breakthrough in the climate debate. The Stichting Urgenda, a social organisation that is committed to sustainable innovations in the Netherlands has, together with nine hundred co-claimants, won a court case which forces the Dutch government to conduct a better climate policy. The government now has to undertake climate actions that are more effective and by 2020 the CO₂ emissions must have been lowered by 25 per cent. This is the first time that a Court has ordered the Dutch State to take measures against climate change. This court decision is also very important for climate issues in other countries. Great work by Urgenda!

On Friday the 26th of June, Steve Wise gave a special lecture for our party members in the historic old chamber of the Lower House. With his organisation Nonhuman Rights Project, Animal Rights Lawyer Steve Wise is doing his best for various animals that have been locked up all their lives. He is fighting for test animals, animals in dolphinariums/zoos, and circus animals. Steve is trying to free these animals by taking legal actions. He became known world-wide for his legal fight to free chimpanzee Tommy. He argued in Court that Tommy is an animal with such a high intelligence and sensitivity that he should be entitled to legal personhood. Unfortunately Steve lost the case. But he didn’t give up! Only recently he won a court case in New York where two chimpanzees were considered as human beings, as a result of which they were entitled to human rights. Highly inspiring!

Finally, you should see this great trailer: Two Raging Grannies, Shirley (85) and Hinda (91), show the world where it all went wrong with Western economy.

Until next week!