text:
Austria and Central Europe:
Liberal Billionaire George Soros paid for democratization in East Europe – now Hungary PM Victor Urban wants him out and this is viewed as a new Anti-Semitic Crusade and another right wing thorn in the back of the EU. (May 6th, 2017)
ESCAPING THE ESCAPE – discuss the new efforts by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Austrian reality. (April 22nd, 2017)
Understanding Chna in Vienna – at the Austrian National Bank – April 25, 2017. (April 18th, 2017)
Thursday April 20, 2017 – The Vienna Solar Table will host a discussion on Batteries for the "Turn of the Energy Systems" (ENERGIEWENDE}. (April 11th, 2017)
US-Europe relations being discussed at the Vienna Burgtheater – March 5th 2017 and April 2nd 2017. What Changes with the US Trump Presidency. (March 23rd, 2017)
Vienna is a hub for intellectual thinking and the stoic Burgtheater a platform. (February 27th, 2017)
In spite of the US "Trumpization" and the fact it metastasizes in Europe, young and middle-age Europeans remain optimistic. (February 26th, 2017)
Are we starting to see the Trumpization of Europe or indeed the two phenomena regarding immigrants are different. There is no comfort for Israel in these developments. (February 24th, 2017)
March 3, 2017, at the U. of Vienna, The 4th Humanitarian Congress about Global Consequences of Failed Policy Making Resulting in Humanity on the Run. (February 2nd, 2017)
From IIASA – Emissions of methane and ethane from oil production have been substantially higher than previously estimated. (February 1st, 2017)
Biofuels Policy was always a football in a game between Energy-Environmentalists and the Agro-Corporate World that Benefits from Government Hand-Outs. (March 19th, 2016)
Vienna crowned again by Mercer's "Quality of Living City Rankings" and we think it is the natural hub for the post-Paris2015 mechanism that will look at the implemetation of the Single-Country Committments. (March 10th, 2016)
"Governance of Innovation and Innovations in Governance" – The Precautionary Principle – a Summer Course in Budapest, June 26 – July 2nd, 2016. (March 5th, 2016)
SE4All (SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR AL.L) is the Vienna based organization with highest potential for acting in the post-Paris 2015 Era. One not well publicized event took place this week. (February 26th, 2016)
COLD WAR II – is already on; We are looking at possible battle lines and the New Neutrals. (January 30th, 2016)
What is Theater? What is the Future of the Democracies? Further topics at the Vienna Burgtheater. (January 24th, 2016)
Liberal Billionaire George Soros paid for democratization in East Europe – now Hungary PM Victor Urban wants him out and this is viewed as a new Anti-Semitic Crusade and another right wing thorn in the back of the EU.
EU Official: Hungarian PM's Crusade Against George Soros Is Anti-Semitic
May 5, 2017 By JTA
(JTA) — A leading official in the European Commission — one of the European Union's governing bodies — implied that efforts by Hungary's prime minister to shut down a university founded by George Soros are anti-Semitic.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long harbored animosity toward Soros, a Hungarian-born Jewish financier who has donated millions of dollars to liberal causes. Orban is now defending controversial legislation that many see as an attempt to shut down Central European University, a highly respected university Soros founded in 1991.
Orban told the European Parliament on Wednesday that Soros is an "American financial speculator attacking Hungary" who has "destroyed the lives of millions of Europeans."
The following day, European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmerman, a center-left Dutch politician, agreed when asked if he thought Orban's comments sounded anti-Semitic.
"I understood that exactly the same way and was appalled," Timmerman said, according to Euractiv.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called on Timmerman to resign for his assertion.
Hundreds of academics around the world have protested Orban's legislation, which are amendments to the Hungarian National Higher Education Act. The fight is seen as a battle between Orban's nationalist priorities and Soros' "open society" outlook.
Read more: forward.com/fast-forward/371121/e…
Former Anti-Semitism Envoys Urge Trump To Fill Position
(JTA) — Four previous U.S. envoys to fight anti-Semitism and promote religious freedom called on President Donald Trump to fill the two positions, which are currently empty.
The letter, sent by the Lantos Foundation, noted "spreading anti-Semitism both at home and abroad" and persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East and Asia.
The signatories include two former envoys for international religious freedom, Robert Seiple and Rabbi David Saperstein, the former director of the Reform movement's Religious Action Center; the two previous envoys for combating anti-Semitism, Hannah Rosenthal and Ira Forman; and the president of the Lantos Foundation and former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Katrina Lantos Swett.
"The perilous state of religious freedom around the globe confirms the wisdom of America's leaders in creating a legal framework for addressing these abuses and ensuring that our foreign policy remains focused on protecting and advancing these fundamental rights," read the letter sent Tuesday by the human rights-focused nonprofit.
There have been conflicting reports as to whether Trump will fill the anti-Semitism envoy position, but in April, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement to JTA that the Trump administration would appoint someone to serve in the role.
Read more: forward.com/fast-forward/371119/f…
Posted in Archives, Brussels, Hungary
ESCAPING THE ESCAPE – discuss the new efforts by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Austrian reality.
Bertelsmann Stiftung at PRESSE CLUB CONCORDIA, Bankgasse 8, 1010 Vienna.
TUESDAY APRIL 25, 2017, 11:00-14:00
with Academics originally from Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Sudan.
In 2015 – one million refugees to europe; in 2016 – 300,000; in 2017 – what now?
TURKEY IS A SPECIAL CASE – Many of their Austrian Residents and Citizens are now lining up
at the Turkish government representations to turn back their Turkish Passports and renouncing their Turkish Citizenship. This in order to avoid the Stigma of dual citizenship that
Mr. Erdogan forced theM into by campaigning among them for his intent to undo democracy in his country. They voted for him forgetting that he became persona non grata in Europe and so will they.
'Escaping the escape – Europe and the refugee crisis'
Tuesday, 25 April 2017, 11:00-14:00 hrs
Bertelsmann Stiftung in cooperation with The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw)
Presseclub Concordia Bankgasse 8
In 2015, more than one million refugees and migrants came to Europe, in 2016 nearly 300,000. How many will enter in 2017? What can we, in Europe, expect with wars and conflicts continuing and driving people from our neighbourhood to European shores? What is the situation in the source and transit countries of refugees and migrants that are most affected? How can the life of refugees, migrants and host communities be improved?
Listen to and debate with experts from Afghanistan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Libya, Sudan and Nigeria: what solutions for the humanitarian migration crisis do they recommend? What are their proposals for EU actors to improve European policies?
Be our guest and meet
Mariam Safi, Afghanistan, founding director of the Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS);
Dane Taleski, FYROM, adjunct professor at the South East European University in T etovo/Skopje;
Zakariya El Zaidy, Libya, protection team leader for the Danish Refugee Council in Libya; J. Shola Omotola, Nigeria, professor of Political Science at the Federal University Oye
Ekiti in Nigeria; and
Amira Ahmed Mohamed, Sudan, assistant professor at the Department of International Development and Social Change at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
We will take this opportunity to launch a new Bertelsmann Stiftung publication
'Escaping the Escape – Toward solutions for the humanitarian migration crisis'
Please register for the event.
AND FOR THE ERDOGAN IMPOSED PROBLEM OF THE AUSTRIAN TURKS:
www.krone.at/oesterreich/zweitpas…
Zweitpass zurück! Türken stürmen nun die Konsulate
Angst vor Strafen
Neuer Wirbel um illegale Doppelstaatsbürger: Die heimischen Konsulate werden auch nach dem Ende des türkischen Verfassungsreferendums von Austro-Türken gestürmt – diesmal allerdings nicht wegen eines "Ja" zur umstrittenen Reform von Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sondern um verbotene Zweitpässe abzugeben! Offenbar geht die Angst vor Strafen um …
Posted in Archives, Austria, European Union, Nigeria, Real World's News, Sudan, Syria, Turkey
Understanding Chna in Vienna – at the Austrian National Bank – April 25, 2017.
China. Serve the People.
25.4.2017, 19 – 21 Uhr, Oesterreichische Kontrollbank (Reitersaal), Strauchgasse 3, 1010 Wien, Anmeldung bei: neuwirth at vidc.org oder bertrams at vidc.org
The economic rise of China was impressive. Within three decades, approximately 350 million people escaped from extreme poverty. Some commentators predicted China's rise to an economic and world power and hoped that this will bring less hierarchical global economic relationships, amongst other things due to China's importance as an emerging donor in international development cooperation. In 2013, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to stimulate domestic demand and be less dependent on exports. On several occasions, the Central Committee announced its intention to promote a socially balanced economic development.
It appears that these expectations have not been met, at least for now. Economic growth has come down and domestic demand is still slow. Environmental problems and the inequality between regions and social groups have increased enormously. Poor working conditions for factory workers in the export processing zones and violations of basic rights dominate media reports on China.
What are the reasons for the stagnant growth and will China implement the announced structural reforms? What is the role of foreign investment, what are the effects of the country's economic relations with the US? What is the social, economic and political impact of labor migration and the ongoing struggles for higher wages, safety measures and social benefits?
Ho-fung Hung and Chun-Yi Lee will analyze the current developments in China against the backdrop of closely interlinked capital and labor relations. They will also look at China's political and economic actors and their interests.
Ho-fung Hung
is Associate Professor in Political Economy at the Sociology Department at Johns Hopkins University. His research interests lie in economic history and global political economic analyses, focusing on China's economic development. His analyses are published regularly in academic journals and are featured in the media. Selected publications: The China Boom: Why China Will Not Rule the World (2015) and Protest with Chinese Characteristics: Demonstrations, Riots, and Petitions in the Mid-Qing Dynasty (2011), both published by Columbia University Press.
Chun-Yi Lee
lectures at the School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR) at the University of Nottingham. Her research focuses on multinational investment strategies in China and Chinese investments abroad, labor rights and industrial relations. In her recent research project she investigated Chinese labor in the global economy and the influence of foreign direct investment on workers' rights. Her book, Taiwanese Businessmen or Chinese Security Asset was published by Routledge in 2011.
Karin Fischer
is the head of the Politics and Development Research Department at the Institute of Sociology at Linz University as well as a consultant to the VIDC. She is the chairwoman of the Mattersburg Circle for Development Studies at Austrian Universities.
Posted in Archives, Austria, China, Future Events, Vienna
Thursday April 20, 2017 – The Vienna Solar Table will host a discussion on Batteries for the "Turn of the Energy Systems" (ENERGIEWENDE}.
Sehr geehrte Solarstammtischbesucherinnen und Solarstammtischbesucher!
"Batterien für die Energiewende" lautet das Thema unseres Solarstammtisches von EUROSOLAR AUSTRIA am 20.04.2017 ab 18:30 Uhr.
Tagesthema: Batteriespeicher für die Energiewende
Referent: Simon Noringbauer, Technischer Berater im Außendienst für OÖ/NÖ/W und Bgl., Fronius International GmbH
Moderation: Solarstammtisch-Koordinator
Ort: A-1060 Wien, Wallgasse 32, Restaurant "Zum Hagenthaler"; www.hagenthaler.at
Erreichbarkeit: www.wienerlinien.at, Westbahnhof U-Bahn U3, U6, Straßenbahn 6, 18 (Station "Mariahilfer Gürtel" vis a vis Westbahnhof 5 Minuten zu Fuß vom Westbahnhof)
TITEL UND REFERENTENVORSCHLÄGE FÜR ZUKÜNFTIGE SOLARSTAMMTISCHE BITTE SENDEN AN: info at eurosolar.at
BITTE NICHT VERGESSEN, BITTE POTENZIELLE KANDIDATEN INFORMIEREN:
Verleihung der EUROPÄISCHEN SOLARPREISE findet in Wien statt. Einreichungen möglich unter: www.eurosolar.de/de/index.php/sol…
Verleihung der ÖSTERREICHISCHEN SOLARPREISE am 30.09.2017 in Krumpendorf am Wörthersee. Einreichung unter: www.eurosolar.at/index.php/de/akt…
TERMINE UNTER bzw. EINGEBEN:
www.oekonews.at/?mdoc_id=1112124
EUROSOLAR AUSTRIA auf Facebook: www.facebook.com/eurosolaraustri…
FALTER: Artikel über die OMV, sehr zu empfehlen
Sonnige Grüße und frohe Ostern wünscht
René Bolz
Solarstammtisch-Koordinator EUROSOLAR AUSTRIA
www.eurosolar.at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Einfach NEIN senden, wenn Sie keine Einladungen mehr wünschen.
Click here to Reply, Reply to all, or Forward
Posted in Archives, Austria, Future Events, Vienna
US-Europe relations being discussed at the Vienna Burgtheater – March 5th 2017 and April 2nd 2017. What Changes with the US Trump Presidency.
Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 23rd, 2017
‹Europa im Diskurs – Debating Europe›
Europa, USA: Was ändert sich mit Trump? What Changes With A Trump US Presidency?
Der neue US-Präsident Donald Trump wird eine andere Außenpolitik vertreten als Barack Obama. Es ist zu erwarten, dass die USA ihre bisherige Rolle als "Weltpolizei" nicht mehr in dem Maße wie bisher ausüben wollen. Das hat Auswirkungen auf die Bündnispartner, nicht nur in der Nato. Was haben die Europäer von Trump zu erwarten?
www.burgtheater.at/Content.Node2/…
THAT WAS THE GIVEN – THE US WILL STOP BEING LESS THE WORLD COP AS IT WAS BEFIRE TRUMP.
That was the Monthly Meeting at the Venerable Vienna Burgtheater for the Month of March 2017 (March 5th).
It will have a sequel on April 2nd, 2017 WHEN POPULISM IN GENERAL WILL BE DISCUSSED..
IRITH JAWETZ REPORTS FROM VIENNA.
It was interesting, although no major surprises. They all agreed that Trump will represent a different foreign policy that Barack Obama or any US President who preceded him. Is it to be expected that the US will no longer want to exercise their role as world police to the extent they have done in the past? This has an impact on the alliance partners, not only in NATO. Trump's turn to Russia presents the EU with challenges to which they must respond.
Under the leadership and Moderation of Alexandra Foederl-Schmid, the Speakers were:
Judy Dempsey, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe; Alison Smale, head of the Berlin New York Times office; Robert Dornhelm, Film Director and Movie Script-Writer; Former US Republican Congressman; and Ivan Krastev, Political Science Professor, Bulgaria and Permanent Fellow of the Institute for Human Sciences (Instituts fuer Wissenschaften vom Menschen – IWM) Vienna.
THAT WAS THE BURGTHEATER PROGRAM FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2017. EUROPE BEING DISCUSSED (Europa Im Diskurs) -EUROPE-USA: WHAT WILL CHANGE UNDER TRUMP?
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 11:00, there will be a sequel –
Burgtheater | Europa im Diskurs – Debating Europe
Leben wir im Zeitalter des Populismus?
"DO WE LIVE IN A TIME OF POPULISM?" – this is like seeing if what happened in te USA will
happen in Europe as well.
On March 5, 2017 – Most speakers were not Trump supporters (except Irish lady Dempsey who did not really support him but said one must give him a chance). Nevertheless – all of them view him with caution, to say the least.
The two surprising participants for me were Jim Kolbe, Former Republican Congressman from Arizona (1985 till 2007) who is now Board member of IRI (International Republican Institute).
He started by stating that he will definitely not get a phone call from the Trump Administration to join their cabinet. He did not support Trump from the start, and still does not support him. In his closing remarks, Congressman Kolb said that some Republicans are starting to doubt Trump's ability to be President. He mentioned his fellow Arizonian John McCain and Lindsey Graham in particular. He criticized Trump's Administration by saying that very often he says one thing and his Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense say something different – and who is to believe? Is Steve Bannon running the show?
As for Trump's relationship with Russia, Europe should worry – said Congressman Kolb.
The second surprise was Robert Dornheim, a Film Director and Screenwriter, who was born in Romania but has dual citizenship Austrian and US and lives now mainly in Los Angeles.
As a staunch Bernie Sanders supporter he is is completely against Trump. Dornheim was also angry at the media, that fell for Trump's ability at showmanship during the whole campaign and gave him about 10 hours of coverage to 10 minutes of coverage to Sanders. As a result many Sanders supporters voted for Trump and he personally has lost many friends that way. He urged Jim Kolbe to use his influence on his fellow Republicans to do something! He even went as far as to suggest that all debates about a Trump Presidency should not be taken so seriously – since he is not worth it. One should not even discuss him. This brought a mixed reaction from the panel and audience and was not taken too seriously.
The other panel members were Judy Dempsey, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation, an Irish journalist, who was the most lenient towards Trump and said, among other things that we cannot forget that he was elected with the support of millions of people, and he is now the President and must be given a chance.
Ivan Krastev, Political Scientist analyzed Trump at length, mentioned his obsession with Radical Islam which dates back to many years before, obsessed with the Trade deficit and the idea that deficit is always bad (although it has existed in the US for many years already), and his idea of "Make American great again" is his main goal.
As for Russia, none of the people around Trump are specialists on Russia, and Trump is somewhat obsessed with Putin. Both Trump and Putin have something in common as both dislike the state of the world right now. FYI for you, nobody mentioned Yalta or Malta and the dividing of Europe.Maybe they do not believe it will go that far.
As for Trump's latest accusation of President Obama wiretapping his phones at Trump Tower, all agreed that this is absurd, there is no evidence to it. Jim Kolbe explained that in the US you need a court order to do that, and it was definitely not asked for or given to President Obama.
Ivan Krastev said that this is Trump's tactic. He rules by distraction. When an important issues come up (right now Sessions reclusing himself from the Russia investigation) Trump comes up with some sensational Tweet to distract. This is his governing tactics.
All panel members agreed that Europe has to stay united and become stronger together.
Europe cannot rely on the US anymore and must become a powerful counterpart.
They did not touch on the Immigration issue or Climate Change.
THE APRIL 2017 EVENT:
Burgtheater | April 2, 2017 – 11.00 o'clock |
Europa im Diskurs – Debating Europe
DO WE LIVE IN TIMES OF POPULISM?
Posted in Archives, Austria, Brussels, Reporting from Washington DC, Vienna
Vienna is a hub for intellectual thinking and the stoic Burgtheater a platform.
Once a month, on Sunday 11am, the Burgtheater main hall is taken over by Ms. Alexandra Foederl-Schmidtdt, the editor of "Der Standard" who chairs a podium-discussion loaded with local and foreign intellectual lights.
She is backed in the endeavor not just by the theater direction and her paper's foundation, but also by the Erste Bank Foundation and most important by IWM – the Vienna Institute for Human Sciences – an NGO run now by Shalini Randeria, Rector of IWM, Professor of Social Anthropology and Sociology at the Graduate Institute in Geneva with strong involvement of Ivan Krastev, Chair of the Board at the Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia (Bulgaria).
Look at the ways the USA and the EU Member States are evolving these days, I would like to p0int out the last podium discussion – that of February 19, 2017 titled: "Do We Live In Revolutionary Times? and my intent is also to announce next meeting – it will be held March 5, 2017. The title of the next meeting will be
"EUROPE, USA: WHAT CHANGES WITH TRUMP."
The panel for the upcoming March discussion, under Ms. Foederl-Schmidt leadership, will include Ivan Krastev of IWM, Judy Dempsey, Senior Fellow Carnegie Europe, Allison Smale, Chief Correspondent of the New York Times in Berlin, Robert Dornhelm, Writer and Film Director, and Jim Kolbe, a former Republican member of US Congress.
Now regarding the February meeting of this EUROPE IN DISCOURSE SERIES:
the question – "DO WE LIVE IN REVOLUTIONARY TIMES" was addressed by Karel Schwarzenberg, former Czech Foreign Minister, Hans Christian Stroebele, a founding member of the Green Party of Germany, Phillip Blom, Writer and history journalist from Vienna, and the magical Agnes Heller, a boiling philosopher, born in Budapest in 1929, fled Hungary in 1956 to Australia, made an impact in many English speaking countries and is listed at 97 years young as emerita at the New School for Social Research in New York.
Among the many points presented in the discussion I will try to mention those that seemed to me as having made most impact.
Prof. Heller wants to start with defining democracy – what does it mean today? States like Iraq, Turkey, or Russia have democracy but these are not the same. We want a Liberal Democracy in the West. But look at Greece, Portugal, or Spain – there is no unity at the EU on their meaning.
The crises, yes – there is something positive in them. People start to see that there is something to lose.
Prof. Blom says that we are not living in a Weimar Republic. We are too rich and have a civil Society. Next revolution will not be in uniform but rather it will come as a normalization process.
The National Socialism was no Socialism, and the Italian Fascism was no Nazism. In 1945 the World was as exhausted as Europe after the Napoleon Wars. The revolution came only in 1956 and he sees today a similarity to 1968. "WE WILL NOT GET FASCISM BUT SOME NEW STUPIDITY!"
Stroebele says that the real question remains the lack of distribution of wealth. The problem is with migrants from a country like Iraq that saw no part in the wealth.
Europe is to be blamed because it used its agriculture power and destroyed the agriculture in
the countries it touched. The corn in the Midwest is cheaper then in Mexico and sending it there makes Mexico poorer. If you want to help – give them money. To this Ms. Heller said
"I loved it." She wrote a book – "FROM UTOPIA TO DYSTOPIA."
She added that historians and philosopher do not deal with hope but with facts.
Prof. Heller returned to the subject by saying revolution is a European concept. In the 20's there was a belief in independence and freedom. This was a political revolution. Today people do not trust this. Also – too few children in Europe. Change is not in the cards.
Stroebele: the French revolution was a revolution of poverty. Now you can build walls but the Africans will come nevertheless.
Heller: you are right – the problem is not European but Global.
Schwarzenberg: We must bring the jobs to Africa.
Blom: Digitalization will lead to less jobs not more. The business model is so damaged it cannot be sustained. We must have politicians that ask what society needs in 30 years.
To have such politicians we must want to have them.
He also said that there will be migration from Mexico, and Trump reheats ideas from 100 years ago under belief that humans are not equal. He may even conclude that Humans are not the most clever apes.
Schwarzenberg's conclusion was that in Gatopardo: We must change everything in order to remain where we are.
Other events at the IWM building at are:
March 2nd, 6:00 pm — lecture by Rainer Bauboeck
DEMOCRATIC INCLUSION: A PLURALISTIC THEORY OF CITIZENSHIP.
March 9th, 6:00 pm — book presentation by Luuk van Middelaar
A WAY OUT OF CRISIS: THE EU AND THE ART OF POLITICAL IMPROVISATION.
Posted in Archives, Austria, Book reviews, European Union, Future Events
In spite of the US "Trumpization" and the fact it metastasizes in Europe, young and middle-age Europeans remain optimistic.
Having reported on the situation in the USA, and not seeing there hope before the more solid Republicans start impeachment procedures on the base of Trump's instability, we see no reason
to spend more attention on a temporarily lost land.
Our attention will now switch to resiliency in Europe – much of what we neglected so far.
As we are based in Austria – much of our attention will thus go to Austria which is simmering full with positive thinking.
First let us congratulate Austria for the recent election of an excellent Presidential choice.
The background of those elections was very similar in the two countries.
In both countries historically there was a two party system – two parties that nourished from the same establishment – and in both countries people had enough of the frozen establishment
and clamored for change.
We know the US had a frozen Democratic Party that its leadership did not realize that times were changing. The Republicans were more fortunate in the sense that the Conservative Action wing established by President Reagan and nourished by Patrick Buchanan, then reinvigorated
by Sarah Palin, did in effect take over the party from the inside. Their establishment thought they will master Trump and happily followed him to victory. The Democrats on the other hand
did not accept the Bernie Sanders challenge – so the only force declaring he was for change –
was Trump and the voters in their naivete responded with – he was the only game in town.
In Austria it was just as clear, but there was a different result. Simply, perhaps it is true,
the Austrian farmers are wiser then the American goons, and the Austrian establishment was not afraid in recognizing the need to correct course.
So, what happened there? "The Reds" or the Austrian Socialist Party, and "The Blacks" or
the Austrian Peoples Party, in a perpetual coalition, though afraid from the growing "Blue"
Party" or the Austrian Right Populist Party, just did not recognize that people were fed up
with corruption tales involving the two ruling parties and wanted change. The two separate candidates of these ruling parties were no promise for change, and in the first round lost to the Blue candidate and "the Green" candidate – the candidate of the environmentalists who left the Green Party he once led, and ran as an independent. So- the run-off was between Blue and Green. And here comes the clever move on part of nearly all Red voters, and a substantial part of the Black voters – they voted Green in order to keep the Blue out of the Presidential
building.
This needs further explanation. The Austrian President is elected in direct elections but has really no powers except on one topic – and on this later. The full powers to run the State
is in the hands of the Chancellor – like in Germany – and he/she are elected by the Parliament in direct party-lines count of the representatives of the public vote. The only power held by the President is to supervise the function of the government, and if he finds it not functioning to his satisfaction he can dissolve the Parliament and force new elections.
That is exactly what the Reds and Blacks feared. A Blue President dissolving the Parliament and leading to the possibility of a Blue Chancellor. So, a nice Independent Green was by far
better then a Trumpist Blue. To nail this down further – let us just note that Blue candidate Norbert Hofer and Blue Party chair Heinz Christian Strache, both, though uninvited, decided to travel to Washington for the inauguration of President Trump. Hofer is the Second Deputy Chair of the Austrian Parliament and Strache just a Party Chair – both no official representatives of the Austrian Government – so there really was no need to invite them officially. Their standing clearly no better then that of British Nigel Farrage.
The Editor of the "Wiener Zeitung", Reinhard Goewell pointed out February 2nd, 2017, that in totality, the EU of 28 has an economy much better and more robust then commonly accepted – this because figures are per member state; he points out the count of Olympic medals. If aded up – tey are the winners by far. He also said that Europe's citizens are not presented these total numbers and just do not realize their united strength. If President Trump directed by his chief ideologue Steven Bannon want to distance themselves from the 1776 formulation of a global world of Human Rights based on Life, Freedom, and striving for happiness, Europe must take over the leadership. This must be a united Europe. Thinking of the Islamic Berbers and the Ottomans – their relations to Spain and the Balkan, Europe must find its own way as the Trump/Bannon team is strange to Europe despite the present problems with Islamists.
Even though population-wise, the pert of the "old continent" is sinking, remembering it still is the strongest economic power has to light its way.
At this month's summit EU meeting in Valetta, the present EU leadership by tiny Malta, has started a process to reform the EU Charter with further ideas to be presented by Mr. Donald Tusk of Poland, the EU Council Chair. A more powerful central leadership is being called for,
though clearly not a full Federal Government. The right way is not a European melting pot – but the Patrick Moynihan idea of a stew that respects its various separate ingredients.
That seems now imperative in a Trump/Bannon world that might again try to split the European States for the benefit of the USA and Russia.
EU Commission Chief Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg sees the need to divide the EU
post-Brexit membership into into more capable and less capable States for sake of dividing te responsibilities as per capacity of fulfilling them. This would create a two-level Union.
The European Central Bank (ECB) governing council member for Austria, the honorable Ewald Nowotny, said already November 9th 2016 that Donald Trump's shock election win in the United States "is not a good day for the world economy" and "Close observation is certainly necessary right now." Nowotny, is on the ECB's governing council that makes monetary policy decisions as he is head of Austria's Central Bank the National Bank of Austria. Today, despite the seemingly positive moves of economy and banking globally – Nowotny is not impressed and advocates the European decoupling from the American financial system – as inevitable downs are bound to come. So, a Europe United but moving at different speeds – internally and externally is in the making.
Above leads us to efforts, by young and old, to help insulate the European Union from the vagaries of a changing America. Also, seeing no future in American leadership, the EU, fending for itself will also continue to pursue global goals as formulated under the accepted US leadership of President Obama days. From our point of view the themes of the Global environment and the halting of Climate change to an acceptable minimum will now be pursued by the Europeans as if the US were no partners or residents of this planet. As long as Trump still resides at the White House – it will be impossible to hold him responsible for these prior agreements. As above, our main reporting will deal with Vienna – as in Austria and as at the UN Vienna Center.
As part of this series of reports we look at IAAI and ACUNS meetings in Vienna – The "International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges" and the "Academic Council on the United Nations System,"
IAAI is an Austrian NGO run out of Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria and Ljublijana, Slovenia.
January 16, 2017 it held a Workshop: "Youth, Agenda2030, Social Entrepreneurship & Digital Social Currencies." The Workshop was held at the Vienna UN Center and had also te Sponsorship of UNIDO and UN-Habitat and of RAUN (the Regional Academy on United Nations) as well.
The keynote speaker was former Austrian Chancellor – Werner Faymann.
RAUN – created with the help of Sweden's Jan Eliasson, UN Deputy Secretary General, as an Austrian organization belongs to the larger ACUNS and the IAAI Workshop was in conjunction to the bi-yearly meeting of ACUNS. That followed then January 17 – 20, 2017.
At this year's meetings, RAUN was represented by Lisa Mokra and IAAI by its head – Miroslav Polzer and ACUNS by Alistair Edgar, the head of te organization who is from Waterloo, Canada.
The gist of above meetings was to continue, Austria based the work of UN New York.
At the Vienna Business University ("Wirtschaftsuniversitaet") February 9-11, 2017 there was a conference titled "The 2nd Congress for a GOOD LIFE FOR ALL." A good life is not consumerism!
We must learn to give up some things to attain good life, but we want Human Rights and an ecological background.
In his Keynote speech, Prof. Andreas Novy said "Change comes in Chaos." He defined the GOOD LIFE as the life of those that do not live on account of others. This is a direct continuation of the French Revolution and the Austrian Revolution of 1918 that led to the First Austrian Republic. He sounded like Senator Bernie Sanders of the US.
Freedom for all needs borders that are set democratically – sustainability is a basis to this.
The Red Vienna was terminated by the establishing of Nazism. Now we strive to a concrete Utopia of Civilization.
On the second day there was a guest from Ecuador – an embattled State that saw some of its worst allowing oil and mining companies rip up the land and make its inhabitants destitute.
Yvonne Yanez is from Accion Ecologica of Ecuador that for 20 years fights for Ecuador and Cuba. She reminded the audience that Austria is part of the Europe that uses more land overseas then in its own country – to be exact 65% of the land use is outside the country.
So, really what is true Good Life? The question is – How do we degrade the planet less
so we do not flood the Danube?
Further on – February 15-17, 2017 the large Conference at the Technical University of Vienna – "Climate Goals for 2050 – Chance for a Paradigm Change?"
The book of abstracts weighs 1.4 kg. The areas covered technology-wise are very large.
Much goes to electricity production and use. Austria has already 10,000 electric cars and
plans with 16,000 more. At Linz Austria is developing Hydrogen Technology and plans with
a decentralized Hydrogen based system. Much more on this in future postings.
Then, not to forget a truly High-Tech event February 14-15, 2017 at the Austrian Presidential Hofburg. Title: "Global Summit on Blockchain Technology in the Energy Sector."
Presenters and in audience people from all over the World. Much talk of Cybertechnology.
Vienna does not wait anymore for Washington to show te way – actually – how can one defend himself of Washington intrusion seems to be the order of the day.
Is it true that Germany is now surveying American encrypted messages?
Posted in Archives, Austria, Brussels, European Union, Reporting from Washington DC
Are we starting to see the Trumpization of Europe or indeed the two phenomena regarding immigrants are different. There is no comfort for Israel in these developments.
This is the first posting on SustainabiliTank that will be followed by another posting based on an event at the CLUB OF LOGICAL THINKERS, Vienna – February 8, 2017.
'Sobering' poll finds European support for Trump's Muslim ban.
Curbing migration enjoys support in most countries at the centre of the refugee crisis.
By ESZTER ZALAN, February 9, 2017, The EUObserver from Brussels.
The majority of Europeans, according to a poll of more than 10,000 people in 10 EU countries, would support a Trump-style ban on migration from mainly Muslim countries.
The London-based think tank, Chatham House, conducted the poll before US president Donald Trump's executive order was announced and asked if immigration from Muslim-majority countries should be stopped.
An average of 55 percent of those surveyed agreed, 25 percent neither agreed nor disagreed and 20 percent disagreed, the poll, published on Tuesday, (7 February) said.
According to the survey, 71 percent of people in Poland, 65 percent Austria, 64 percent in Hungary and Belgium, and 61 percent in France agreed.
Support was also high in Greece (58%), Germany (53%), Italy (51%), the UK (47%) and Spain (41%).
Chatham House called the findings "striking and sobering".
"They [the results] suggest that public opposition to any further migration from predominantly Muslim states is by no means confined to Trump's electorate in the US but is fairly widespread," it said in a statement.
Most of these countries have been central in the migration crisis, or have seen terrorist attacks over the last years, and the radical right is part of their political scene, Chatham Hose pointed out.
Support for the ban was stronger among older populations, with only 44 percent of people aged 18-29 being in favour, while 63 percent of those older than 60 said they agreed with a ban.
The notion of a ban was more popular with men and those living in rural areas. Urban dwellers and female respondents were less likely to support the move.
Education was also a dividing factor: of those with secondary level qualifications 59 percent opposed further Muslim immigration, while less than half of all degree holders supported further migration curbs.
European leaders have slammed Trump's immigration ban from seven mainly Muslim countries, while leaders of Europe's populist right-wing parties have praised the move.
Lack of faith
Another recent survey also showed that 80 percent of respondents have lost confidence in political parties, and the media, and are looking for strong leaders who break rules.
The worldwide survey conducted online by Ipsos targeted adults under 65 in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States.
The results, published in late January, showed that people say they were more likely to support a party or political leader who promised radical change.
European respondents participating in the survey generally lacked trust in international institutions.
After the eurozone turmoil and bank bailouts, people also lacked faith in banks, with Spain and Italy leading the way, on 92 and 80 percent, respectively, followed by Germany on 75 percent.
People tended to distrust the justice system as well, although to a lesser degree, with Spain, Hungary, Italy, and Poland being the most sceptical among the surveyed European nations.
Lack of confidence in the media was also well above 50 percent in the European countries participating in the poll.
In Hungary, where prime minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz has dominated the media landscape, respondents distrusted the media the most, with 87 percent saying they lack confidence.
Seventy five percent of British respondents also said they do not trust their media.
Most respondents had no confidence in their government either, with Spain distrusting their political leadership with 89 percent. Polish and Hungarian respondents also said ( 82 percent) that they do not trust their governments.
In all European countries participating in the survey, over 70 percent of the respondents said they did not trust political parties.
Outspoken leaders
No surprise then that a high proportion of people was more likely to vote for a political party or leader that stood up for common people against the elite, and that around half were attracted to political parties and leaders promising to upset the status quo. The same group would support a leader who offends others, but speaks his/her mind.
With the presidential election campaign heating up in France, where far-right leader Marine Le Pen is a front-runner, 80 percent of French respondents said they want a "strong leader who breaks the rules".
In some European countries, which have been victims of terrorist attacks, like Belgium and France, people favour "stopping terrorism over protecting civil rights". In Germany, only 40 percent supported that notion.
Around half of the people in Hungary, Belgium, and Italy thought that their country would be stronger if immigration was stopped, a curious result in Hungary where there is virtually no immigration, as last year it granted asylum protection to just 432 people, according to official figures.
In order not to create the wrong impression with the Israeli Government that above represents a change regarding the opposition to land-snatch in the West Bank, we are obligated to post s well another article of the EUobserver of today:
Germany leads EU rebuke on Israeli land snatch.
By ANDREW RETTMAN
BRUSSELS, February 9, 2017
Germany and France have spoken out in strident terms against Israel's plan to confiscate privately-owned Palestinian land by legalising settler outposts.
"The confidence we had in the Israeli government's commitment to the two-state solution has been profoundly shaken," the German foreign ministry said on Wednesday (8 February).
Jewish settlers create illegal outposts under the protection of Israeli soldiers (Photo: Rosie Gabrielle)
It said that those people in Germany who felt friendly toward Israel had been "disappointed" and urged it to restore its "credibility" by restating its promise to establish a future Palestinian state alongside Israel and to "underpin this with practical steps".
It added that such a promise was also needed because members of the right-wing Israeli coalition had "openly called for the annexation of parts of the West Bank and are preparing bills to this end."
The French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, and its ambassador to Israel, Helene Le Gal, also spoke out.
"I call on Israel to respect its international obligations and rescind the [settler outpost] law," Ayrault said, adding that it "could exacerbate tensions in the region."
Le Gal said: "The international community is wondering if they should trust Israel when Israel is saying that [it] is ready for discussion with … the Palestinians, and to reach an agreement on the two-state solution."
She said the fact that Israel planned to financially compensate the Palestinian landowners did not make it any better.
"If there is an agreement, of course, that these settlement blocs are within Israel, then of course there is no problem. But there is no discussion. It's only Israel who decides," she said.
Israel on Tuesday passed a law to retroactively legalise 3,900 outposts.
Outposts, unlike settlements, are private initiatives by Jewish settler groups who pitch camp on Palestinian land protected by Israeli soldiers and claim it for their own on Biblical grounds.
In January, Israel also announced plans to build 6,000 new official settler homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank in a decision that also flouted international law and drew foreign rebukes.
A European diplomatic source told EUobserver that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been emboldened by the election of Donald Trump, a pro-Israeli hawk, in the US and that he was also using the settlement controversy to distract media attention from a corruption affair that could see him lose power.
The US has stayed silent on his actions.
New German attitude:
France is an outspoken critic of Israel and has even warned that it would unilaterally recognise Palestine if it lost faith in the peace process.
The strong statement by Germany, which has in the past shied away from criticising Israel due to Germany's Holocaust-era crimes, was a new development, however.
The UK, which has been trying to curry favour with the Trump, and the Czech Republic, formerly a staunch Israeli ally, also attacked the outpost law.
The legalisation "damages Israel's standing with its international partners", Tobias Ellwood, British minister for the Middle East said.
The EU foreign service was the first to react, already on Tuesday, saying that the outpost law "entrenched … a one-state reality".
EU foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini had planned to hold a summit with Netanyahu on 28 February, but EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday quietly decided to postpone the initiative due to the earlier announcement on the 6,000 settler homes.
Speaking to EUobserver in an interview over the weekend, Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, said the EU's verbal rebukes had little meaning unless they were backed up by sanctions, such as banning exports of settler products.
"Lack of accountability, impunity, is what provides the Israeli government with enough confidence to move ahead with its plan to bury the prospects of the two-state solution," he said. "The Netanyahu administration knows that no action will be taken," he said.
Posted in Archives, Austria, Brussels, European Union
March 3, 2017, at the U. of Vienna, The 4th Humanitarian Congress about Global Consequences of Failed Policy Making Resulting in Humanity on the Run.
Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 2nd, 2017
Humanitarian Congress Vienna 2017 – Forced to Flee – Humanity on the Run
The 4th Humanitarian Congress – Forced to Flee – Humanity on the Run – takes place on
3 March 2017 in the ceremonial halls of the University of Vienna.
Please note that registration is open until 28 February 2017.
The Humanitarian Congress gives you the chance to benefit from the unique insights of the experts as for example Mr. Volker Türk, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, UNHCR or Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations discussing the following themes:
(Failed) Policy making with Global Consequences
Why are People Forced to Flee?
Refugee Health – Time for Change
The Erosion of International Law – Who Cares?
Civil Society and Refugees: Lessons Learned
Leaving No One Behind – A Mission Impossible?
For more information please visit www.humanitariancongress.at and the attached Newsletter.
We look forward to welcoming you on 3 March 2017.
Mag.a Annelies Vilim
GLOBALE VERANTWORTUNG –
Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Entwicklung und Humanitäre Hilfe
Apollogasse 4/9, 1070 Wien
Tel.: (+43 1) 522 44 22
office at globaleverantwortung.at
www.globaleverantwortung.at
www.humanitaerer-kongress.at / info at humanitaerer-kongress.at
Posted in Archives, Austria, Canada, European Union, Future Events, Reporting From the UN Headquarters in New York, Reporting from Washington DC, Vienna
From IIASA – Emissions of methane and ethane from oil production have been substantially higher than previously estimated.
Oil production releases more methane than previously thought.
Emissions of methane and ethane from oil production have been substantially higher than previously estimated, particularly before 2005.
Laxenburg, Austria, 1 February 2017: Global methane and ethane emissions from oil production from 1980 to 2012 were far higher than previous estimates show, according to a new study which for the first time takes into account different production management systems and geological conditions around the world.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which scientists rank as the second-most important contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. Yet while methane concentrations in the atmosphere can be easily measured, it is difficult to determine the contribution of different sources, whether human or natural. This is necessary information for reducing emissions.
"In an oil reservoir, there is a layer of gas above the oil which has a methane content of 50 to 85 percent. When you pump the oil to the surface this associated gas will also escape," explains IIASA researcher Lena Höglund-Isaksson, who led the study. In oil production facilities in North America, almost all of this gas is recovered and what is not recovered will for the most part be flared to prevent leakage (and potential explosions), while a very small fraction is simply vented. In other parts of the world, where recovery rates are lower, much larger quantities of this gas are released into the atmosphere.
"Existing global bottom-up emission inventories of methane used rather simplistic approaches for estimating methane from oil production, merely taking the few direct measurements that exist from North American oil fields and scaling them with oil production worldwide," says Höglund-Isaksson. This approach left a large room for error, so Höglund Isaksson decided to develop a new method that could better account for the many variations in oil production around the world.
In the new paper, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, Höglund-Isaksson estimated global methane emissions from oil and gas systems in over 100 countries over a 32-year period, using a variety of country-specific data ranging from reported volumes of associated gas to satellite imagery that can show flaring, as well as atmospheric measurements of ethane, a gas which is released along with methane and easier to link more directly to oil and gas activities.
She found that in particular in the 1980s, global methane emissions were as much as double previous estimates. The study also found that the Russian oil industry contributes a large amount to global methane emissions. A decline in the Russian oil industry in the 1990s contributed to a global decline in methane emissions which continued until the early 2000's. At the same time, Höglund-Isaksson found, methane recovery systems were becoming more common and helping to reduce emissions. Yet since 2005, emissions from oil and gas systems have remained fairly constant, which Höglund-Isaksson says is likely linked to increasing shale gas production which largely offsets emission reductions from increased gas recovery.
Höglund-Isaksson points out that her estimates are only as good as the data allow and that there is still uncertainty in the numbers. She says, "To improve the data, a close collaboration between the scientific measurement community and the oil and gas industry would be needed to make more direct measurements available from different parts of the world."
Höglund-Isaksson L, (2017). Bottom-up simulations of methane and ethane emissions from global oil and gas systems 1980 to 2012. Environmental Research Letters, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/aa583e.
Posted in Archives, Austria, Vienna
Biofuels Policy was always a football in a game between Energy-Environmentalists and the Agro-Corporate World that Benefits from Government Hand-Outs.
IIASA study assesses land use impacts of EU biofuel policy
Laxenburg Austria, 16 March 2016 – The indirect impacts of biofuel production on land use change and greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union vary widely depending on the type of biofuel, according to a study published last week.
{The Study Argues – this is our insert} Biofuel policy in the European Union has been under scrutiny for several years, with intense debate around its efficiency in reducing greenhouse gases emissions. Indeed, biofuel production can take up agricultural land otherwise used for food and feed, and lead to land use conversion elsewhere that would offset some of the climate benefits of the policy, a problem known as indirect land use change. In a new study for the European Commission in partnership with the sustainable energy consultancies Ecofys and E4tech, IIASA researchers have now brought more precise insight to the topic, showing the different levels of impact that different biofuels have on land use change and the climate.
The study revisits the impacts of biofuels consumed in the European Union and is the most comprehensive comparison to date of land use effects across feedstocks. It provides the first analysis, in a consistent modeling framework, of both conventional (or first-generation) biofuels, produced from food crops such as vegetable oil, and advanced (or second-generation) biofuels, produced from residues or energy crops such as grasses, forestry residues and cereal straw.
IIASA researcher Hugo Valin led the modeling for the study. He says, "First generation biofuels have been criticized in the past due to their indirect land use change impact, which our study confirms. But by looking at a much broader range of biofuel options, we clearly show that not all biofuels are equal."
On one end of the spectrum, the study shows that certain types of vegetable oils, such palm or soybean oil, can lead to significant greenhouse gas emissions. It also shows that impacts of ethanol feedstocks are relatively lower than for biodiesel, in particular for high yielded crops such as sugar beet or maize. And on the other end of the spectrum, second generation crops, included for the first time in the analysis for the EU, showed a good performance overall with in several cases net negative emissions. {This part is a very wise conclusion with which we can completely agree – our insert}
The study also included mitigation scenarios which showed that promoting agricultural expansion on European land compared to the rest of the world would help reducing the impacts in the short run. However, in the long run, the most efficient policy for limiting land-based greenhouse gas emissions would be a better control of agricultural land expansion globally, through policies to preserve forests and other natural ecosystems which can sequester large amounts of carbon including peatlands in Southeast Asia.
The study also included an in-depth analysis of uncertainties in the scenarios to better inform stakeholders. While in some cases uncertainties can be large, the study clearly indicates how impacts of different policy orientations compare.
Valin says, "It's impossible to remove all uncertainties in such an analysis, but the real value of this study is that it helps decision makers to better anticipate the potential implications of the option they choose. Models help to develop a common understanding of what the problems at stake are and how to mitigate them. In the context of biofuel policies this is especially true, as modeling illustrates the trade-offs between greenhouse gas emissions, food consumption, land occupation, agricultural income, and other issues."
Ecofys: Report quantifies land use change impact of biofuels consumed in the EU
We, at SustainabiliTank, find some problems with above study based on our own experience.
Years ago – end of seventies-beginning of eighties – we published via US Congressional hearings about land use and industrial liquid biofuels production. Our argument was that agriculture in industrialized countries is managed by government policy. This was clearly true in the US, and I was approached by the newly formed Brussels based EU Agriculture Commissioner who was interested in that analysis of policy for the EU States as well.
The argument was that the various Departments of Agriculture support the price of food commodities by limiting their production or simply put – by paying farmers NOT TO PRODUCE or keep land out of production. My argument was to use that land – the so called SET-ASIDES – for the new industry of liquid biofuels and stop non-production-subsidies. I went so far as to calculate that for the US I could PRODUCE ETHANOL FROM CORN THAT WAS NOT GROWN AND PAY FOR IT WITH MONEY THAT WAS NOT SPENT. That testimony caused – because of request from Members of Congress – to my being hired as a consultant by the Office of the Comptroller General Of the United States – the US GAO – the General Accounting Office – in order to have them check out those arguments. Surely they found that there was a base for my arguments. They also found that the reduction of the quantities of agricultural commodity produced was much smaller then expected because, naturally, the farmer kept out of production the worst parts of their land. The funniest part was that agricultural corporations would switch the non-production claims from one commodity o another contingent on which 'asides" provided higher subsidies that year – one year it could have been historic corn, but another year it could have been a claim of not growing wheat.
Whatever, at least for the EU and the US – the "set aside" policy is just public money dished out to the large farming industry for no good purpose and the concept of "hunger in China" just did not hold water. Environmentalists in this context did rather play up to the big oil and farming interests rather then my perception of reduction of dependence on petroleum. Surely, this is different when replacing natural forests in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil with oil- producing palm trees in the tropics. In those cases the damage to the environment is real. But not when we talk about the vast already deforested agricultural expances of Europe and America. Further, it is clear to us that in a globalized world – producing those commodities in smaller farms overseas, and subsistence farming, would save CO2 emissions that occur in the transport of those commodities originating in highly agriculture-industrialized economies – albeit this means lower take in the industrialized countries, lower need for food production by industrialized countries, and a parallel gain in employment by therural sector in non-industrialized countries we usually define as Developing Countries.
Posted in Archives, Austria, Copenhagen COP15, European Union, Futurism, Global Warming issues, Green is Possible, Policy Lessons from Mad Cow Disease, Real World's News, Reporting from Washington DC, The ALBA Charge, Vienna
Vienna crowned again by Mercer's "Quality of Living City Rankings" and we think it is the natural hub for the post-Paris2015 mechanism that will look at the implemetation of the Single-Country Committments.
As our readers must have realized by now – we are posting a series of columns focusing on activities in Vienna, Austria, that are of value to the global network intent to support Sustainability for all.
After having decided that global agreements chased by the UN Headquarters in New York are just pipe dreams. All we can hope for is this network of individual country promises that in their sum-total can answer needs like a decrease in CO2 presence in the atmosphere while not forgetting goals of poverty reduction, energy, climate, security, or equity. We were grateful to President Obama when we realized that this was his thinking as well, and the Paris2015 Outcome – that some insist on calling the Paris Agreement – does in effect constitute the answer to our needs – but only if a "verification of progress" system is put in place.
We looked around and realized that most energy related UN affiliates are headquartered, or at least have a foot, here in Vienna. So I started this series of articles. The more I looked at this – the harder it became writing it – this because of the richness of material – literally daily I am involved in activities, or at least get material that all relate to these topics.
In this last posting I take the advantage of an exceptional boon – the fact that again Vienna was declared the most livable city in the World. This can clearly help. Would you not rather want to live in the best city in the World?
Besides the city of Vienna, among the first 31 out of the 230 cities with ranking by Mercer, we find a total of 8 cities from German speaking Europe; further 8 assorted cities from other Western Europe (Copenhagen, Geneva, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Stockholm, Brussels, Helsinki, Oslo); New Zealand/Australia account for 9 cities, Canada for 4 cities, Singapore that this year dropped to only 26th place, and highest ranked US city – San Francisco – at 28th place.
Paris is at 37th place, London at 39, New York and Tokyo are at 44-45.
Dubai is at 75th place, Abu Dhabi at 81, Taipei at 84.
First Developing Country city is Durban, South Africa, 86th place.
Buenos Aires, first Spanish speaking South American city is at 93rd place.
Tel Aviv is at 104th place, Brasilia at 106, Muscat, at 107, Tunis at 113.
Beijing, first city in China, is at 118th place. Istanbul at 122.
Mexico City is at 127th place, Riyadh at 164, Moscow at 167, Tehran at 203, Damascus at 224, and at bottom 230 Baghdad.
What are your conclusions from looking at the above?
Is it not so that you would rather like to live in Western Europe – in Vienna and surrounding countries? In Australia, New Zealand and Canada? Would you contemplate on reasons why some of the richest countries' capital-cities are low on the list?
I will proceed now to review some of the most resent activities that occurred in the city of Vienna that were rooted with the city itself and not with organizations from afar planted here or organizations formed here in response to needs afar.
In our series we posted so far about: The IAEA Headquarters, The SE4All Headquarters The Outer-Space UN affiliates, The Laxenburg Palace based IIASA, and the Kommunalkredit Public Consulting Group that works with the Austrian Foreign Aid office connected to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Let us look now first at cultural life – and I will go after two amazing shows that just opened:
DER KONGRESS TANZT – "The Congress Dances" – an amazing Operetta that opened at the VOLKSOPER on the Guertel.
The Historical facts are that the Congress of Vienna (German: Wiener Kongress) was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September 1814 to June 1815.
The Congress was intended to organize the post-Napoleon Europe and through that – the World. In many ways this was an attempt to create an overarching EU. All came except Napoleon who was left behind on his exile-island.
It was said that instead of being in session this Congress danced. The Congress of Vienna was the first of a series of international meetings that came to be known as the Concert of Europe, which was an attempt to forge a peaceful balance of power in Europe. It served as a model for later organizations such as the League of Nations in 1919 and the United Nations in 1945.
Covering the lighter side of this Congress Erik Charell used some of the songs from a Con ference-time operetta and produced a film that was released in 1931. Recently, Richard Heymann extracted some of the music from the film, added some of his own, and with the help of conductor and arranger Christian Kolonowiits recreated the operetta that was released now in 2016. This because Vienna celebrated in 2015 the 200th anniversary of the Vienna Congress. This operetta, a parody of the Congress, approached gingerly by the Volksoper, is now the newest "must see" in Vienna.
The BURGTHEATER on the Ring, premiered this week Peter Handke's – DIE UNSCHULDIGEN, ICH UND DIE UNBEKANTE AM RAND DER LANDSTRASSE (Those Without Guilt, I and the unknown on the edge of the country road) – a masterpiece of modern theater in the celebrated hall of classicism.
Handke (born in 1942 – the war years – his mother resettled in the village Griffin in 1948 after leaving the DDR) was a young Austrian writer (novelist, playwright and political activist) who believed that at the beginning there was the word. Handke's first play was PUBLIKUMSBESCHIMPFUNG (Talking Rough to the Public) that automatically made him a sensation in Germany – Austria was too small for him those days. Back those years we saw his work and works by the German Hans Magnus Enzensberger at the Brooklyn Academy of Music – the old Brooklyn Opera House. Handke's luck was that He was recognized by the German Director Claus Peyman who staged that first play and since then another 10 plays by Handke. Handke gained international attention after an appearance at a meeting of avant-garde artists belonging to the Gruppe 47 in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Landstrasse, stage work by Karl-Ernst Hermann, has a vague autobiographical content and ia all played out on the county road that connects his village Griffin with a neighboring village and in itself becomes a stage for the locals and the World at large. It reminds one of Martin Luther who already then saw the importance of taking reality to the streets – this for him a direct connection between humans and God. For Handke, this is not God but human truth. The simple staging – a broad white ellipse winding to a distant corner – is the path where the action walks by and we peep in on it. This is modern poetic theater at its best – a good place to relax when trying to deal with the World's woes.
The action is not specific but rather full of hints and you get out really what you want to see. The hints include totaliarism – quite clearly a reminder of the villages Nazi past, butb then there are aspects of budding love and perhapse unanswered love and bitterness – but also hope for a better world.
I started with Vienna's high locally centered life – but then there are musical events, not just Staatsoper and the Philharmonic, but locally produced musical events where Austrians play foreign folks to perfection. We just enjoyed evenings sponsored by the Austro-American Society with Irish and Mexican music. The Irish evening was held in a typical Austrian pub, and the Mexican and American event was at the organization's Club rooms where the manager, an Austrian, is loved by all – an ideal American host.
But, the purpose of our Vienna series is not just to say that Vienna is the most livable city in the World – but that I contend that work with global scope can be performed right here – so let us look also at local organizations that can be enrolled in support of global activities – and the first to be mentioned is "the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe Integration and Foreign Affairs (BMEIA)." You will find there a department that deals with all global topics you may be interested to work on. Also, the city hosts many NGOs and great Think Tanks to work as local NGOs – sometimes connected to one of the many active Universities.
One such institution is "the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM)." I will mention the Presentation of last night by Professor Dr. Shalini Randeria, the IWM Rector, titled "Precarious livelihoods, disposable lives, and struggles for citizenship rights." Dr. Randeria, from India, holds chairs at Budapest, Berlin, Zurich, and Vienna Universities. She has published widely on the anthropology of globalization, law, the state and social movements. Her presentation last night was the Keynote address at a IIASA and Forum Alpbach meeting at the Austrian Academy of Sciences on the occasion of the IIASA meeting called to formulate a "World in 2050" Programme.
The Academy of Sciences public event – "Human Capital, Geopolitical Complexities, and Our Sustainable Future" had two panels (I) The release of a book by Professor Wolfgang Lutz – "Who Survives? Education Decides the Future of Humanity.
and (II) "Human Capital, Geopolitical Conflict, and Sustainable Development Goals."
Panel II – Chaired by Professor Pavel Kabat, Director General of IIASA – had:
– Ambassador Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Director-General Section VII-Development, Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign-Affairs.
– Professor Dirk Messner, Co-Chair, German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)
– Professor Carlos Nobre, President Brazilian Federal Agency for Support an Evaluation of Graduate Education. Brazilian Member of the Board of IIASA.
– Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Chair of the Leadership Council and Advisor to the UN Secretary-General; Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University.
– Dr. David Wilkinson, Director, Institute for Systems, Informatics and Safety at the Joint Recearch Center, European Commission.
While the first panel dealt with education as an imperative if one wants to take advantage of the SDGs and in effect achieve the wished-for results, he second panel touched upon the topics that are the framework for the program-in-construction for the year 2050 and on tis we will deal separately.
Posted in Archives, Austria, Copenhagen COP15, Geneva, Paris, Vienna
"Governance of Innovation and Innovations in Governance" – The Precautionary Principle – a Summer Course in Budapest, June 26 – July 2nd, 2016.
The Precautionary Principle: Governance of Innovation and Innovations in Governance – CEU/EEA summer school.
from: Anton Shkaruba March 5, 2016
Applications are now open for the 2016 Summer School: "The Precautionary Principle: Governance of innovation and innovations in governance". It will be held in Budapest (Hungary) from June 26 to July 2, 2016.
The course is co-organised by Central European University (CEU), Median S.C.P., and the European Environment Agency (EEA) as the first event of its EEAcademy.
The purpose of the School is to explore challenges and possible ways forward for the effective and appropriate application of the precautionary principle in sustainability governance, in particular in such an uncertainty-prone area as climate change. It will bring together a solid and diverse group of scholars and practitioners with expertise on the precautionary principle, risk assessment, vulnerability and adaptation management, health research, science and technology studies, the governance of innovation, environmental governance, and long term transitions to sustainability.
The School is designed as a strategic knowledge and experience sharing course at the intersection between a research-oriented course and a professional development course, dedicated to collaborative exploration and learning. It will provide intensive research training, but also allow for policy discussions in a variety of sector and contexts and, through a knowledge co-creation approach, help to identify and find solutions to course-related issues in the participants' research, policy, and business application fields.
We aim to achieve a mix of participants and faculty from a variety of backgrounds (including both researchers and practitioners from public bodies, NGOs and business) and research interests related to the Course.
Participants from public institutions, business, public institutions and research are encouraged to apply.
Application deadline is April 1, 2016. For more information on the Summer School, including a detailed course description and application instructions please visit: www.summer.ceu.hu/precautionary-2…
For the organising team,
Sybille van den Hove & Anton Shkaruba
ANTON SHKARUBA
Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Research Associate, PhD
Posted in Archives, Austria and Central Europe, European Union, Future Events, Hungary
SE4All (SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR AL.L) is the Vienna based organization with highest potential for acting in the post-Paris 2015 Era. One not well publicized event took place this week.
SE4All WATER-ENERGY-FOOD NEXUS.
The very important WEF NEXUS for SUSTAINABILITY that links the Paris 2015 Outcome and the SDGS.
Theme of a meeting sponsored this week by the Hungarian Mission to Austria and to the UN offices in Vienna.
Water-Energy-Food Nexus – Responding to Emerging Needs and Opportunities.
Host & Location: Hungarian Embassy, Bankgasse 4-6, 1010, Vienna, Austria.
In September 2015, world leaders formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
including 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets which are aimed at
stimulating action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance for a more equitable and
sustainable world. The strong linkages between the SDGs underlines the notion that progress on each
goal will be critical for progress on others, with increasing understanding for the implementation
of the SDGs through an integrated framework that demands close collaboration at all levels of governance.
As a result, the water-energy-food nexus (WEF NEXUS) has emerged as a crucial policy and governance approach for
integrated planning and implementation of the SDGs.
10:00 –10:05 Welcome remarks: H.E. Ambassador Karoly Dan
10:05– 0:45 Setting the Scene
– Background and scope of the workshop, approach, expectations and potential outputs/outcomes –
Mr. Paul T.Yillia, SE4All
– Presentation: The cross-cutting nature of the SDGs – emerging opportunities for operationalizing
the water-energy-food nexus (WEF NEXUS) – Prof. András Szölösi-Nagy
10:45–12:45 Session I: Discussion Session on partner experiences
Session Chair: Mr. Olivier Dubois, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO);
Co-Chair of the SE4All High Impact Opportunity (HIO) on the WEF NEXUS
– What are the realities, needs and challenges in the countries partners operate?
– How can the SE4All Nexus HIO respond to the needs and challenges?
14:00 –15:30 Session II: Discussion Session on identifying emerging opportunities
Session Chair: from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ);
Co-Chair of the SE4All High Impact Opportunity on the WEF NEXUS
– What opportunities are emerging on the WEF NEXUS
– Presentation: SE4All initiative on Technical Assistance Programme to Strengthen Inter-sector Coordination
(TAPSIC) – Mr.Paul T. Yillia, SE4All
– Exploring the possibility to develop a concrete framework to anchor emerging opportunities within o the SE4All Nexus HIO
15:45-17:45 Session III: Synthesis of Sessions I & II – Developing key elements for action
Session Chair: Mr. Martin Hiller, Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP)
– Mobilizing resources – exploring the possibility of a call for funding
– Mobilizing additional partnerships, including the private sector, civil society and the public sector
– Key message from the workshop (short communication)
17:45–18:00 Closing remarks – Ms. Rachel Kyte, SRSG & CEO, SE4All
Posted in Archives, Hungary, Paris, Vienna
COLD WAR II – is already on; We are looking at possible battle lines and the New Neutrals.
Above the entrance to 21 Zerubabel Street in the Yemenite Quarter in Tel Aviv – next door to the Rabbi Shabzi Synagogue and the warning – a dog in the courtyard – it says – in Hebrew:Sun light is very bleak to someone who does not find sense in his life. Next tomit in English is written: "There is no Fear in Love."
The Israeli papers that are still not owned by an Israeli government related American individual – The HAARETZ and the Yedioth Aharonot – are now full with hints at internal culture wars started by an uneducated Culture Minister – Ms. Miri Regev who contended that even uneducated people can be educated. That is not my topic here – for those interested please read The New York Times article of today – "Israel, Mired in Ideological Battles, Fights on Cultural Fronts" – By STEVEN ERLANGER January 29, 2016. We are here rather interested in what the rather officialpro-government papers say – The MAARIV and The ISRAEL HAYOM say.
A main report comes from the meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus between Israel's Prime Minister Mr. Netanyahu and His counterparts from Greece and Cyprus titled as the "Mediterranean Alliance." As I just arrived here from Vienna I am quite familiar with the Merkel & Faymann problems with Greece and Turkey and the simple facts that the EU in ordr to survive tends now to shed Greece and trade it for higher reliance on Turkey. What I sense thus is the contemplation of the Israeli government to look as well for new allies in its troubled corner of thev World.
Then, no misunderstanding here – President Obama just declared for all to hear that Putin is corrupt and Mr. Putin reacted by asking for evidence. No problem on this front – the UK obliged and declared Putin involved in the execution of a financial competitor – mafia style. This sort of language was not heard even in the days of President Regan's attacks on the Soviet "Evil Empire."
Obama looks at the mess in Western Asia he inherited from G.W. Bush who really turned all local devils there lose by taking off the lids that kept a modicum of order as left by the British and French colonial powers. G.W. continued the reliance on the Saudis that came down from Democrat President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and thus became partial to an evolving Sunni Shia rift with an ever increasing Iranian threat to the US oil supplies from the Middle East. Obviously, US interests did not match in all of this the European effort to build their own power bloc and the difficulties the EU put before Turkey's attemp to join in the Union. Russia had its own problems with the EU and when life for the US and the EU became difficultbin the Arab region – they jumped in and used the occasion to move on the Ukraine as well.
My suggestion based on an acknowledged very superficial reading of the real news – is: By necessity there are now two new potential NEUTRAL Centers in a renewed COLD WAR scenario.
Oman is the Neutral space between the Saudis and Iran – to be cherished by the US.
The small group of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel – a new buffer zone between the EU & Turkey alliance and the Sunni Arab Golf and the US – with Syria and Iraq the actual battle-field that will churn the Arab World until it reorganizes the remaining waste-lands. Russia has gained a footing via the Shiia Muslims and the US will see to limit this by making it more profitable to Iran to play the US in exchange for diminished role to the Saudis. It is all in the new world cards.
And what about the Arab North African States? Will they fall into the hands of extreme Sunnis as preached by Saudi Wahhabism – the source of what has moved to the creation of the new Islamic powder keg? I do not think this is possible in North Africa – simply because there are no Shiia elements there that justify to the Sunnis such an effort. Will there be another neutral zone in the North African region in the Cold War arena? This makes sense eventually.
Posted in Arab Asia, Arabized Africa, Archives, Austria, Copenhagen COP15, Egypt, European Union, Future Events, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Maghreb, North Africa, Oman, Reporting from Washington DC, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria
What is Theater? What is the Future of the Democracies? Further topics at the Vienna Burgtheater.
This present posting was conceived as a sequel to our posting that pointed out the Vienna Burgtheater as a provider of "Theatre for Ideas" events. That posting was titled:
The TTIP is flushed out – January 17, 2016 – in a great panel at the Burgtheater, Vienna. It seems that the present differences between US and EU make a legislature-overriding agreement impossible.
by Pincas Jawetz ( PJ at SustainabiliTank.com)
www.sustainabilitank.info/#36141
January 24, 2016 I had the opportunity to listen in on the interview of theater director Andrea Berth by Ms. Haide Tenner of the Burgtheater. The event took place in the smaller hall – the Casinotheater on Schwarzenberg Platz. The title was: "What is Theater?" and the pre-event publicity was saying it was about language. So I got interested.
Andrea Breth is a large-size woman – a chain-smoker that gives the impression of a Midwest cowboy. But inside this large body it was clear that resides a sensitive and self deprecating woman. Her breakthrough in the theater came in 1983 with the Freiburg City Theater where she staged Federico García Lorca's "The House of Bernarda Alba." This staging brought her an invitation to the Berlin Theater Conference and the Theater Magazine "Theater" nominated her as best Theater Director of the Year. Many rewards followed. This year she got the German Republic Cross of Merritt and the Schiller prize of the City of Marbach (Schiller's birthplace). Since 1999 she is also home-director for the Vienna Burgtheater and did stagings for the Salzburg Festival.
Indeed she says theater is about language but she enlarges o the meaning of language. What is important is for te actors to relate to te text. A movement of the foot becomes language. The actor has to develop by himself his method – there is not one for all she said. Nevertheless, a text by Tennessee Williams can not be worked out in a different way from how it was intended. She does not want to bend her actors – she want them rather to be themselves and brought in the example of Michael Kramer who she knew his father was a large orchestra conductor – so she had Michael work with big groups.
Her direction is not for the public but for te piece – the original work. I am retelling it and ten comes the public.
The interviewer proposes that a person changes according to whom they speak with. The director answers there must be something above this which she demonstrates with a large movement of her whole arm.
The interviewer insists – one more topic – language: There always is less information available.
———-===============———
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRACIES?
This is next topic at the "DEBATING EUROPE" Theatre for Ideas exercise and thresh-out.
This time under the moderation of Der Standard Editor Alexandra Foederl-Schmid personally – the panel will include:
Kinga Goencz – a former Foreign Minister of Hungary;
Rebecca Harms – Fraction Chair of the Greens in the European Parliament;
Giorgos Chondros – Member of the Central Committee of the Greek Governing Syriza Party;
Peter Keller – Swiss Journalist and Politician with the Swiss Peoples' Party;
Adam Krzeminski – Polish Journalist and Publicist.
The Discussion will take place February 14, 2016 at 11:00 at the Burgtheater in vienna, UNIVERSITAETSRING 2, 1010 VIENNA.
This will be a debate about the Democratic model of Government at a time that in Europe new authoritarian structures are being created, and protest movements like Syriza, Podemos, Pegida are taking roots as well. It seems as if we are entering a POST-DEMOCRACY age. Politologues point out that he participation at elections is in retreat.
Posted in Archives, Austria, European Union, Greece, Hungary


DJ Spoony is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of UK Garage.
He started DJ-ing professionally in 1997 and has worked all over the world including Miami, Dubai and South Africa and has worked for the blue chip companies Apple, Nike and Selfridges to name a few. He has also carved out a very successful broadcasting and entertainment career from hosting the Weekend Breakfast show on Radio 1 to winning a Mastermind special.
As a member of the Dreem Teem, Spoony & co went on to have national chart success with 'The Theme' and their biggest hit, a collaboration with Neneh Cherry 'Buddy X'.
In 2018, his "Garage Classical" project began, firstly by selling out the world-famous Barbican. The second instalment of the show will take place at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith in December 2018 securing the shows legendary status and with huge things to come for the project…watch this space!


text:
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Entre Minho e Douro
< 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
←Entrecasteaux, Joseph-Antoine Bruni d'
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 9
Entre Minho e Douro
Entrepôt→
See also Entre-Douro-e-Minho Province on Wikipedia; and our 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica disclaimer.
27019571911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 9 — Entre Minho e Douro
ENTRE MINHO E DOURO (popularly called Minho), a former province of Northern Portugal; bounded on the N. by Galicia in Spain, E. by Traz-os-Montes, S. by Beira and W. by the Atlantic Ocean. Pop. (1900) 1,170,361; area 2790 sq. m. Though no longer officially recognized, the old provincial name remains in common use. The coast-line of Entre Minho e Douro is level and unbroken except by the estuaries of the main rivers; inland, the elevation gradually increases towards the north and east, where several mountain ranges mark the frontier. Of these, the most important are the Serra da Peneda (4728 ft.), between the rivers Minho and Limia; the Serra do Gerez (4357 ft.), on the Galician border; the Serra da Cabreira (4021 ft.), immediately to the south; and the Serra de Marão (4642 ft.), in the extreme south-east. As its name implies, the province is bounded by two great rivers, the Douro (q.v.) on the south, and the Minho (Spanish Miño) on the north; but a small tract of land south of the Douro estuary is included also within the provincial boundary. There are three other large rivers which, like the Minho, flow west-south-west into the Atlantic. The Limia or Antela (Spanish Linia) rises in Galicia, and reaches the sea at Vianna do Castello; the Cavado springs from the southern foot hills of La Raya Seca, on the northern frontier of Traz-os-Montes, and forms, at its mouth, the small harbour of Espozende; and the Ave descends from its sources in the Serra da Cabreira to Villa do Conde, where it enters the Atlantic. A large right-hand tributary of the Douro, the Tamega, rises in Galicia, and skirts the western slopes of the Serra de Marão.
The climate is mild, except among the mountains, and such plants as heliotrope, fuchsias, palms, and aloes thrive in the open throughout the year. Wheat and maize are grown on the plains, and other important products are wine, fruit, olives and chestnuts. Fish abound along the coast and in the main rivers; timber is obtained from the mountain forests, and dairy-farming and the breeding of pigs and cattle are carried on in all parts. As the province is occupied by a hardy and industrious peasantry, and the density of population (419.5 per sq. m.) is more than twice that of any other province on the Portuguese mainland, the soil is very closely cultivated. The methods and implements of the farmers are, however, most primitive, and at the beginning of the 20th century it was not unusual to see a mule, or even a woman, harnessed with the team of oxen to an old-fashioned wooden plough. Small quantities of coal, iron, antimony, lead and gold are mined; granite and slate are quarried; and there are mineral springs at Monção (pop. 2283) on the Minho. The Oporto-Corunna railway traverses the western districts and crosses the Spanish frontier at Tuy; its branch lines give access to Braga, Guimarães and Povoa de Varzim; and the Oporto-Salamanca railway passes up the Douro valley. The greater part of the north and west can only be reached by road, and even the chief highways are ill-kept. In these regions the principal means of transport is the springless wooden cart, drawn by one or more of the tawny and under-sized but powerful oxen, with immense horns and elaborately carved yoke, which are characteristic of northern Portugal. For administrative purposes the province is divided into three districts: Vianna do Castello in the north, Braga in the centre, Oporto in the south. The chief towns are separately described; they include Oporto (167,955), one of the greatest wine-producing cities in the world; Braga (24,202), the seat of an archbishop who is primate of Portugal; the seaports of Povoa de Varzim (12,623) and Vianna do Castello (9990); and Guimarães (9104), a place of considerable historical interest.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=1911_Encyclopædia_Britannica/Entre_Minho_e_Douro&oldid=9175002"
EB1911:Countries:Europe:Portugal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Adrian Slade Show
Destroying the Media Lies and Dismantling the Narratives…one story at a time.
Canards On The Right Need To Be Defeated Just As Much As The Dumb Arguments By The Left January 24, 2023
Too many want to argue political debates on their tribal stances. But what many don't realize is that their own sides will lie to them and play them for fools. Lets debunk these debates and uncover the ruse they are perpetuating. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adrianslade/support
Adrian Slade
Take The Wins, However Ugly They May Be Viewed January 10, 2023
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My Christmas Gift To You- Pt.2 - From Christmas to Easter December 28, 2022
The Details of the Birth of Christ into his death and resurrection make the truth of the omnipotence of Christ even richer. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adrianslade/support
Commies Continually Creep Against Capitalism & The Constitution November 28, 2022
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FTX: The Real Ponzi Scheme Was SBF's Failed Worldview And U.N. Instascam Climate Influencers November 22, 2022
Cop27 leads to the cultivation of U.N. Instagram Climate Influencers. And that worldview is the same Ponzi Scheme that Sam Bankman-Fried bought into that led to the largest financial Ponzi Scheme in human history. We detail what the scam was, how it collapsed, and how his worldview opened himself up to exploitation and questionable decision making. --- Supp […]
Don't Fall For The Political In-Fighting. It's All A Part Of A Bigger Plan November 11, 2022
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Innovations From Over The Years Are Being Repurposed With Nefarious Motives November 6, 2022
Your EV's battery will be able to track your activity and provide data to those who want to control populations. Innovations that have been made from over the years, such as vehicles, communication devices, and even possibly your vacuum cleaner are rebooted with spyware within them. Eventually, they even want your money and how you spend it to be monito […]
Understanding How China Has It's Grip On Business, America's Culture, And Political Structure October 25, 2022
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Seth Isn't Going Away, And The Feds Can't Stop It! October 2, 2022
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Fighting The REAL War With Fundamentals Of The REAL Founding September 25, 2022
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Make The Federal Government Impotent By Fortifying Your State - Local Elections Is How To Win September 10, 2022
States must be made redder through local elections to defeat an authoritarian junta that we have at the moment. Govern your state like it is it's own nation. Ron DeSantis is doing this as we speak in the state of Florida...and he's winning! Call to be on the show : 1-929-Go-Go-USA. Leave a Message for us to play! Follow online : Twitter : @adriansl […]
Fire Your Public Schools September 4, 2022
The Ukraine-Russian Conflict Just Escalated With The Death Of Dugin's Daughter August 22, 2022
Alexander Dugin, Putin's advisor and the brainchild of the annexing of Crimea and the attempt on Ukraine, was targeted by an assassin with an IED. His daughter was killed in the attempt. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adrianslade/support
They're Removing All Voices of Dissension & Skepticism Over The Shots August 17, 2022
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Green Energy is a Grift: Renewables Are Unrecyclable July 26, 2022
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Dutch Farmers Driven To Bankruptcy Over A W.E.F. Utopian Project? July 9, 2022
Dutch farmers are pushing back on the Government's attempts to put them out of business in the name of Climate Change. The real goal is to "reset" the area as a new "Green Community" called the TriState City. This is completely avoidable, as we also show how the Climate Change panic is a lie and being exploited for nefarious purposes […]
Covid Babies With No Immunity??? July 2, 2022
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Ukraine is the January 6th of Mueller Investigations of Steele Dossiers June 30, 2022
Never Disarm! June 22, 2022
Even Without Political Power, We Can Still Move The Needle June 16, 2022
Social Justice Warriors, Uncategorized
The Leftwing Tastemakers Kill Off Another President. This Time, It's Donald Trump
The Liberal Left-wing, Social Justice Warriors continually arise from their "Safe Spaces" to lecture and excoriate. They attack us, and everyone who doesn't subscribe to their toxic ideology, at every opportunity. They create campaigns against bullying, while they boycott dissenting opinions out of existence. They've even threatened Insurance and Financial Companies with boycotts over advertising on platforms with differing viewpoints. They preach tolerance, while they force the opposite sex into your restrooms. And if you don't adhere to their "tolerance", they will pull college sporting events from your State. Your State's Legislature must comply with passing their insane legislation, or else…in a tolerant tone, of course. They shout that "love wins", while acting out with actual violence against others who hold opposing viewpoints on college campuses and at rallies. So, it should come as no surprise that the decorum they demand of us towards their stalwarts is not to be applied to those of which they don't agree.
The Twittersphere exploded Tuesday with pictures of a Liberal Jihad. In a photo that would have been mistaken as a clip from an ISIS propaganda movie relegated to Live Leak due to its content, Kathy Griffin is shown holding the bloody, decapitated head of the President of the United States. The comedian (and that's to be debated) was looking to make waves. More correctly, she was looking for attention and a career "bump". She definitely succeeded in the attention department. I'm not so sure about the "career bump", though. Apparently, she said during the photo shoot that they would need to move to Mexico afterwards, due to the outrage that the photo would cause. They didn't need to take a disgusting photo for all of us to be happy that they would've relocated to Mexico.
But, this isn't the first time Liberals lowered themselves to the level of depravity. They've engaged in violent depictions of killing a president for simply being from the GOP before. I'm not even talking about the anarchist style rage from hardcore music groups like Suicidal Tendencies, singing about shooting Ronald Reagan and The Pope in the 80's. Many in the mainstream encouraged violence towards politicians they despised. Remember 'Death of a President,' a movie about assassinating George W. Bush? This is something that the right never engaged in towards to Obama. In fact, any movement towards this type of mockery was dealt with by a warning tone. You were never to act in that manner, or you were considered a racist. During Obama's long eight year term, you could not even have a Rodeo Clown wear an Obama mask without the deafening calls of racism. A Rodeo Clown donned the mask of the head of Obama, which was placed on a broom stick during the rodeo as a voice over the loudspeaker saying, "We're going to stomp Obama now!" That was the extent to which "inappropriate mocking" extended towards the Progressive's Prince. But they pretend and hide under the auspice of terminology called "art". Much like placing a crucifix in a jar of urine to mock Christianity and saying it's protected as "art", they will do the same with defaming the Leader of the Free World.
But that's the Democrats…the Marxists, the Socialists. You do not dare engage in "hateful" activities. You leave that to them. Their hypocrisy is truly unbelievable. The progressive leftists pretend to be cut from a higher cloth of morality, when they are corrupt on every level possible. Even down to using campaign funds to purchase expensive Super Bowl tickets, as Shelia Jackson Lee did this year.
As with many Progressive, Liberal taste-makers -Hollywood Stars, Music Entertainers, trendy "woke" websites, the mockery of the most gutter levels of class will be allowable without reprisal. We advocates of individual responsibility will be lectured to yet again. We'll be branded with a barrage of fabricated "racism, sexism, homophobic, islamophobic, whatever-a-phobic-ism" they'll dump upon us in order to silence our arguments, as they ride their high horse of hypocracy into an admonished sunset.
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May 31, 2017 September 5, 2017 Leave a commentconservatism, donald trump, Kathy Griffin, Liberal, politics, socialism
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Cidade de Deus seems to have a lot of praise on the IMDb boards, and with good reason too. It simply is, in my opinion, one of the best contemporary films ever made.
Based on true events and characters who live in the overlooked and poverty stricken slums in the shadows of Rio de Janiero, where life expectancy doesn't reach the 30's and drug dealers are kings.
The tale of the City of God, and its myriad of characters is told by Rocket, a young man who struggles to make something of his life, other than to wind up another victim of drugs or gang wars.
Not only are the characters in City of God absolutely fascinating, and also very endearing, but also convincingly acted by groups of young and unknown actors. The stoies are well-told, and at times, funny, and at others, brutally shocking.
The cinematic style of the film gives a nod to Tarantino, with some clever time-jumping, freeze-framing, and texts indicating another chapter of the film. In every sense, a bit of a Brazillian "Pulp Fiction" or "Goodfellas", but with its own unique flavour to it.
The City of God is a marvel, and a highly recommended film to watch, but not recommended for the over-sensitive or easily distressed.
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