I was captivated by nature from a young age, inspired by the incredible diversity it holds. Sir David Attenborough fueled my curiosity, imprinting upon me the importance of understanding and preserving our natural world. Yet, despite this passion, we’ve witnessed a devastating loss of approximately 50% of global biodiversity due to human activities. This decline […]
Elevating nature conservation in European law Read More »
The increase in agricultural productivity led to the removal of small bushes, trees, hedges, and ponds to make way for larger agricultural plots. Consequently, this transformation of the landscape has made it more vulnerable to climate change, contributing to the spread of diseases, viruses, and pests, while also leading to a decline in biodiversity. Moreover,
Restoring nature in agricultural landscapes Read More »
Feeling overwhelmed by today’s environmental challenges is understandable, but it’s crucial to remember that positive change is possible. While it may seem daunting to reverse biodiversity loss and reduce CO2 emissions, I’ve found inspiration in my own experiences. Growing up in Katwijk aan Zee, I witnessed environmental degradation firsthand, from carpets of dead fish in
Important environmental achievements thanks to European collaboration Read More »
Current pesticide use has serious consequences for the environment and human health. Current policy assessments have mainly focused on how pesticides pollute ecosystems and affect economies, but recent studies show they harm more than just pests. For instance, recent studies found that bumblebees across Europe face harmful pesticide exposure, linked pesticides to declining bird populations,
The Hidden Costs of Pesticides: Threats to Nature and Food Read More »
The European Union’s ambitious Farm to Fork strategy, aimed at transforming our food system for a sustainable future, is facing significant challenges and setbacks. Despite promising goals to reduce pesticide use, promote organic farming, and enhance animal welfare, the strategy has fallen short due to several key reasons. Firstly, the revision of animal welfare laws
EU Fails to Deliver on Food System Transformation in Face of Environmental Collapse Read More »
Europeans should prioritise nature and sustainability to prevent situations like summer 2023 in the Netherlands where almost 1000 people died because of a combination of large amount of grass pollen, high concentration of air pollutants and very high temperatures. #EuropeForNature, www.EuropeForNature.eu
Deadly combination of pollen, air pollutants and heat in 2023 Read More »
This year the growing season started record early in the Netherlands due to the record high temperatures in February, March and early April. It fits in the long-term trend of lengthening of the growing season due to climate change. It is very likely that the projected future climate change will significantly worsen the impacts on
Record early start growing season in The Netherlands Read More »
In 2020, the West Nile virus, transmitted by the common house mosquito, appeared for the first time in The Netherlands. Laboratory research has demonstrated that an increase in temperature will increase the likeliness of West Nile transmission in our country. As a result, people will get ill and some will die after a mosquito bite.
Mosquito-borne diseases in the Netherlands Read More »
