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The hunger for organic is growing – but how best to feed it?0
- Environment and Energy, Op-ed
- 27/09/2017
With the organic market booming, there has been a recent overhaul in European organic legislation designed to meet this ever-growing demand and expand organic production. Whilst this is a move that should be welcomed, we should nonetheless be wary of the repercussions this regulation reform brings for the organic project. There is still work to be done to reach a satisfactory compromise between promoting organic agriculture whilst maintaining the values of the organic movement.
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Ireland continues to limp towards its climate commitments – Unwilling or unable to comply?5
- Environment and Energy, Op-ed
- 16/09/2017
Still showing the wounds of the global economic crisis and in the midst of the greatest political minefield of a generation in Brexit, Ireland has sought to address the challenges of climate change with the recent unveiling of the National Mitigation Plan (NMP). However, as the dust has settled, what has become evident is that it is less of an actual action plan and more of a discussion document, tasking questions in the form of “what could be done” rather than “how they can be done”. The lack of bite in the document drew a not unexpected collective sigh of disappointment from the environmental community.
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Walking the talk: Going national to make the SDGs beneficial for Indigenous Peoples 0
- Environment and Energy, Human Rights and Migration, Op-ed
- 15/09/2017
Even though indigenous peoples are very vocal in advocating for their rights at the United Nations and supranational level and have been included into several Sustainable Development Goals, their position remains precarious. Their needs need to be addressed by implementation programs on a national level.
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Clean up or close down: the European Union’s response to polluting power industries 0
- Environment and Energy, Op-ed
- 12/09/2017
The European Union has turned its focus towards Europe’s most polluting power plants and revised emission standards for nitrous oxide (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), mercury and particulate matter. For many Europeans this is a welcomed change, but with member states flouting air quality standards and continuing to support failing industries rather than transition – will we ever be able to breathe easily?
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European Unemployment Insurance – a good initiative missing proper foundation 0
- Op-ed, Social and Economic Policy
- 29/08/2017
The European Unemployment Insurance is a reawakened EU initiative imagined to function as a supranational coordination and stabilization mechanism. While its purpose is justified and its design viable, a pre-condition that underpins such a scheme is currently absent.
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The Fumes of War 0
- Human Rights and Migration, Op-ed
- 29/08/2017
When did I realize a change was coming, an internal war percolating, like coffee on the fire?
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