Page 8 - aruba-today-20190525

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 25 May 2019
Climate change is hot topic in the European Parliament vote

By FRANK JORDANS climate change.
Associated Press Experts say the EU as a
LANGEOOG, Germany (AP) whole is possibly a better
— Hungry tourists stream place for making decisions
into the glass-fronted bal- on climate change than its
cony of Michael Reckt- national governments.
enwald's restaurant on "This is probably one of the
the German island of Lan- easiest things for most vot-
geoog, with its splendid ers to see something that
view of the North Sea and only Europe can deal with,"
the blue skies above. said Beach.
The 53-year-old has lived Still, climate change may
on Langeoog for most of his seem like a luxury issue for
life, and his wife's family has voters in struggling econo-
been there for generations, mies such as Italy, he said.
but Recktenwald fears their "When your 20-something
children may not be able kids are both unemployed,
to stay if the world keeps on then you would definitely
warming. perhaps be a little bit more
Concerns about climate concerned about that kind
change have prompted of economic bread-and
mass protests across Eu- butter-issue," Beach said.
rope for the past year. For In this photo taken on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, the old water tower is pictured on the car-free Uwe Garrels, the mayor of
the first time, the issue is environmental island of Langeoog in the North Sea, Germany. Langeoog, is well aware of
expected to have a signifi- Associated Press the tension between envi-
cant impact on this week's ronmental protection and
elections for the European versity of Aarhus, Denmark. on procedural grounds vironment." economic prosperity.
Parliament. "In Denmark, for example, Wednesday, but the plain- The Greens had 52 seats in The island, a half hour's ferry
Recktenwald pointed to this year it's really almost tiffs plan to appeal. the last EU legislature, mak- ride from the German main-
the damaged levees pro- the only issue that people In the meantime, Reckten- ing it fourth biggest political land, was poor until tourism
tecting the island, which are talking about in relation wald — who doesn't be- grouping, and are expect- brought jobs. Now about
is part of the Frisian Archi- to the European Parliament long to any political party ed to gain more of the Eu- 1,800 permanent residents
pelago off the coasts of election." — is hoping that European ropean Parliament's 751 to- and 2,400 seasonal workers
Germany, the Netherlands Teenage climate activist leaders listen to voters who tal seats. look after more than 10,000
and Denmark. Islands like Greta Thunberg inspired a want their governments Other parties, too, have visitors during the summer
Langeoog are among the 'Fridays for Future' school and the EU to take deci- been waking up to the is- months. Despite a drought
regions most vulnerable to strikes movement in her na- sive action against global sue of global warming. last year, locals are unwill-
the rising sea levels predict- tive Sweden that's spread warming. Merkel's center-right Union ing to give up their lush
ed to result from climate across Europe, bringing Parties that have tradition- bloc has pledged to imple- lawns for fear of spoiling the
change. tens of thousands to the ally championed environ- ment the 2015 Paris climate island's idyllic image.
"The sea level has already streets demanding faster mental causes, such as accord, which aims to keep Garrels suggests that Lan-
risen and storm surges are action on climate change. the Greens in Germany, average temperatures in- geoog, a 20-square kilo-
getting more violent," he The Extinction Rebellion di- are well-placed to benefit creases worldwide well be- meter (7.7-square mile) is-
told The Associated Press. rect action group upend- from the growing concern low 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 land in the heart of a World
"The chain of dunes is be- ed traffic across London about climate change. The Fahrenheit) by the end of Heritage site with car-free
ing attacked more strongly, for days to press the point. party clocked an unprec- the century compared to streets and clean air, can
endangering our freshwa- Both cite spiking tempera- edented 19% support in pre-industrial times. But the at least help make visi-
ter supply." ture records and dramatic Germany in a survey pub- party, like many others, has tors more environmentally
A recent opinion poll in Ger- warnings from scientists as lished last week, overtak- hesitated when it comes to aware.
many showed that climate reasons to act now to fight ing the center-left Social backing tough measures "We can't be viewed in iso-
change has overtaken im- global warming. Democrats that are part of scientists say are necessary lation to the entire country
migration as the issue voters Yet what remains an ab- Chancellor Angela Merkel's to drastically curb green- or the whole EU," he said.
in the EU's most populous stract threat to most Euro- governing coalition. house gas emissions, such "You can't create an oa-
nation are most concerned peans has become very "We are very optimistic that as adding a climate tax to sis of sustainability on Lan-
about. Elsewhere across real to Recktenwald. we will achieve the largest fossil fuels. geoog if that's not the case
the EU, climate change "We're directly affected," parliamentary group we In France, raising gas taxes in the rest of the country."
also features prominently he said, walking past have ever had in the Euro- sparked nationwide pro- The climate message is al-
among the top issues — beachgoers enjoying the pean Parliament," said Ska tests and created the yel- ready getting through to
along with immigration and sun from behind the wicker Keller, one of two leading low vest movement for voters like Susanne Hasen-
the economy — ahead of windbreaks that are a sig- candidates for the Europe- economic justice, whose pflug, who was on a day
the European Parliament nature of German coastal an Greens. weekly protests since No- trip to Langeoog from the
vote that began Thursday resorts. "The climate issue is now vember, especially in Paris, mainland.
and runs through Sunday in Together with eight other finally on everyone's lips, a have often turned violent. "It's the main topic when
all of the bloc's 28 nations. families elsewhere in the subject that we have been That has made other Euro- you go out and see friends
"In many countries, the cli- world and a Scandinavian credibly promoting for pean governments leery or go in the pub for a beer,"
mate issue has become youth group, the Reckten- many decades," she add- of openly backing such she said. "Even the younger
increasingly one of the top walds launched a legal ac- ed. "We have very con- a move. Some right-wing people, they're scared of
issues that voters are con- tion to force the European crete proposals for what parties are attacking the what the future will bring."
cerned about when they Union to set more ambi- we want to do against the science of global warming Recktenwald, the restau-
talk about European is- tious targets for reducing climate crisis, for the pres- in an effort to win voters rant owner, hopes the EU
sues," said Derek Beach, a greenhouse gas emissions. ervation of biodiversity, for fearing the economic con- election will spur tougher
political scientist at the Uni- A court rejected their case the preservation of our en- sequences of combating top-down climate action.q