Inconvenient Truths in The Lowlands

Not all that long ago Al Gore predicted that The Netherlands will partly disappear in the sea due to climate change. But when one looks at the actual developments in the lowland country, the message of climate change did not mobilize a strong movement to protect country and climate. In reverse, politicians who stand up for environmental issues are ridiculized and criminalized.

Recently, a parliamentarian of the Dutch Green Party got in trouble when he published his vision to fight climate change. Reason: in the margin of the book he confessed an illegal political action in the eighties. But this incident doesn’t stand alone, also the Minister of Environmental Affairs is attacked on her past as an activist, and meanwhile politicians mark Greenpeace as a criminal organization and try to arrange a subsidy boycott.

After the murder of the charismatic populist Pim Fortuyn, who was strongly anti-environment, and put the “immigration problems” on top of the agenda, new generations of populists still define the political landscape. Due to their inputs, political pressure on environmental issues is reversed to the sender with Karl Rove like strategies.

This results in a very double governmental strategy, shown by the today presented governmental policies. On the one hand, money is invested in renewable energy and innovations like cradle to cradle, on the other hand they are building new coal-fired power plants, reviewing nuclear power and keeping the economy strong only on the gas sales.

I hear people saying it’s going better with nature in the country, and some researches say so as well. There is more nature now then there was say, ten years ago. But what this means is: there is basically less countryside. Because all those empty fields I used biking through or passing by by train ten years ago are now filled with industry and houses.

Some researches proved that about 4 million people in The Netherlands think seriously about emigrating somewhere else. Important reasons they name: lack of space and nature, danger of climate change, and the tense political climate.

That’s serious, but more serious is that it’s all too easy getting away with it. While traffic jams grow every day and public transport options less, the country still publicly plays the role of a green frontrunner. That’s not so true, and it’s time to mobilize more pressure to urge corporations and politicians to come with tougher solutions.

But there’s hope. While the political climate is not all too supportive, there’s still a remarkably good support for strong often creative campaigns, and, I have to admit, also with support from the government. But while 55% of the population think the government should do more for the environment, and there is a boom of green magazines, green TV programs and green consume, it’s also these people’s own initiatives and consumer choices that make the difference.

I was in The Netherlands this weekend and I met some incredible people who all in their way work on a greener society, may it be with fungagement, creative consumer actions, deep ecology or by greening up fashion. I believe it’s this movement of mostly young, dedicated people who will make the difference. In The Netherlands, and worldwide. The grassroots are mainstreaming, baby.

Images: Green2 Magazin, Ode Magazin

Sources: NRC, Volkskrant, Nova, DN, Elsevier, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace