Newsletter, December 25 2024

In this special Christmas newsletter, attention is paid to GOOD NEWS. In these last months, as a result of our campaigns, a stream of positive news has started:

1) the great news that the Netherlands’ largest planned biomass plant Vattenfall has definitively withdrawn;

Followed by an important ruling;

2) From the highest court in favor of nature 🦋

Here, the so-called ‘internal balancing’ may no longer be included in the question of whether a nature permit is required for a company. This ruling by the Council of State has major consequences for, among others, the RWE Amercentrale, the currently largest biomass plant in our country. The conversion from coal to 100% biomass firing, as planned, can therefore no longer continue on the old path;

3) In order to keep the pressure on, the Clean Air Committee together with MOB subsequently requested the province this week to immediately enforce the RWE biomass plant;

4) In the meantime, the Gelderland court also ruled on the ‘code of conduct for species protection in forest management’ that made clear-cutting possible (see Trouwreport).

This was annulled last week. With that, we, a coalition of seven nature organizations, were proven right after five years of litigation. Managers such as Staatsbosbeheer and Natuurmonumenten are no longer allowed to rejuvenate large areas of forest by cutting everything down at once.

For this and here again, great praise and thanks for the leader of this years-long battle, Frits van Beusekom (see also De Gelderlander report). Frits, not only a biologist and nature activist but also a former director of Staatsbosbeheer. His battle against his old boss, among others, is not only of great significance for the restoration of nature, he has also inspired a new nature coalition to further shape this battle. We are very much looking forward to this with Frits.

Finally, we made an urgent appeal to the common sense of the municipality of Amsterdam, the government and Staatsbosbeheer via three opinion pieces regarding, respectively:

5) Recurring drama of fire and fireworks on New Year’s Eve (The smoke from the Dutch Floradorp in Amsterdam paralyses an entire city or province)

Amsterdam believes that fireworks cause too many incidents, but has nevertheless granted a permit and subsidy for the annual tree burning in Floradorp. Fenna Swart finds this incomprehensible, given the impact that the smoke has – and not only for the immediate surroundings.

6) About the increasing campaign against the wolf (Wolf, age-old scapegoat, personification of evil);

For the first time, an animal species has been removed from the European ‘nature conservation’ list (“Bern Convention”). No prize for guessing which species. The wolf of course, the age-old scapegoat. With this, the wolf, since its renewed presence in 2019, has once again become the personification of evil. The wolf is not evil and certainly not a monster, but a social animal that plays a crucial role in nature.

7. The mismanagement of Staatsbosbeheer regarding the drama with the Dutch Konik horses (Clear felling and meat trade are rampant at Staatsbosbeheer)

There was again a lot of commotion last week about the Konik horses of Staatsbosbeheer that, despite repeated and increasing protests, were moved from the Oostvaardersplassen to Groningen and then ended up in the slaughterhouse. Because this is not the first time and it is therefore likely that these animal-degrading scenes will occur again, it is of great importance, according to the Clean Air Committee, that politics intervenes to call an apparently ‘drift’ organization to order with regard to their treatment of animals and nature.

All articles can be read by clicking on the links in the titles.

Last but not least – Many thanks to you!!

We would like to thank you for your support over the past year. Thanks to your donation, personal story and involvement we have been able to achieve a lot. It gives us the energy to persevere and continue the campaign for more and better clean air, forests and biodiversity. Support us with (another) donation before the end of the year. We would be very grateful.

With the donations so far, we were able to pay the expenses of the many volunteers and the work of our legal team and other administrative actions against governments such as the provinces and municipalities. Your contribution (no matter how small) is still needed, thanks to your donation the Clean Air Committee can continue the campaign for clean air, forests and biodiversity. Many thanks in advance on behalf of the entire team.

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P.S.

The Clean Air Committee has been campaigning since 2018 out of commitment to the call for more knowledge and transparent government information, the need for a stronger counter-voice towards politics in the Netherlands and Brussels and the conviction that things can and should be better with our nature, air, forests and biodiversity.

What’s in the name?

Sometimes we are asked whether we ‘only’ campaign for Clean Air or whether our name stands for more. Indeed, it concerns the latter. Our statutes state the following about this: The foundation aims to protect nature and the environment including climate, biodiversity and public health. See further!

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