 Germany: Meissenheim Kuerzell
Local council meeting: Democracy must wait
During the local council meeting at the third of june was postponed the citizen desiring, which has to the goal a direct voting of the citizens of the municipality to the planned gravel quarrying. First step for the permission of a citizen desiring would have been a change of the municipal charter and thus the classification of the gravel quarrying as an important affair. This was not decided by the local council although only by a further resolution of this committee a direct citizens' participation would be possible.
The displeasure of the citizens directs itself about a "demogracy undercovered" where behind locked doors decisions are made above the head of the citizens. At the end of of may took place a citizen assembly to the planned gravel quarrying in which was presented a doubtful proof-cost-use analysis for the municipality. By the citizens initiative for the direct citizen decision were collected over 380 signatures in Meissenheim.
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Europe
Electricity guideline of the European Union
Starting from the coming year each electricity customer receives a classification from his power enterprise with the calculation how the power was produced and which environmental damage by carbon dioxide output and radioactive waste per kilowatt-hour develops.
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Vision for Europe
The Iraq war who loaded the relations within Europe and in addition with the United States is over. Thoughts over changes in the future role of Europe are intensified. This war advances the decicions of Maastricht to a common outside and defense policy. But how the future role of Europe looks like?
Europe will more strongly present itself militarily in conflict zones without the USA. Recent example will be the Congo. Further the vision of Europe, which went through many wars among themselves, will be the implementation and acknowledgment of international law in its politics. The history of old Europe binds the peoples more near together, the common market and money likewise. The policy will orient itself more at the neighbour than over the Atlantic. These positions will be forced within Europe by further military procedure of the USA.
In Europe of the 25 states it will however always give diversities of opinion. The "Center Europe" and thus France and Germany can be again the engine of this development 40 years after the Ellysee Contract. The citizens have this new identity already carried out as they demonstrated together in all countries on 15 February against the Iraq war.
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Europe
Inquiry:
1. Do you agree with US politics?
| Germany: |
45 % |
| France: |
43 % |
| Spain: |
38 % |
2. Do you recommend a more independent role of Europe?
| France |
76 % |
| Germany |
57 % |
| Russia |
60 % |
Source: Pew Research Center
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Shell study: Germany
Future energies/traffic development
In the year 2013 natural gas will be more important for the world-wide power supply than coal, and in the year 2020 it will replace oil as primary energy. In the industrial nations the portion of wind and water power and solar electricity will constitute a fifth of the used up energy. In the year 2050 even a third. Oil becomes limited around the year 2040, the demand in the next 25 years however rises due to the demand of the developing countries.
In the year 2001 moved 44.3 million passenger cars in Germany. In the year 2020 it might be 52 million. A condition is a population growth. With a shrinking total population the study counts with 48 million passenger car. The road performance of the passenger cars goes however back from at present 12,300 km per year on approx.. 11,500. The consume of gasoline will fall from at present 7.7 litres, due to new technologies, on 3,7 to 4.3 litres per 100 kilometer.
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the Journal - June 2003
