Webinars

Since the Ukraine war, Europe and Germany have been facing the result of years of wrong energy policies that drove us into gas dependency and into Putin's arms. Now alternatives must be found quickly. One of these temporary stopgap solutions is liquefied natural gas - also called LNG. But LNG production also entails significant methane emissions and pollution. LNG production, for example, is associated with significant climate and health impacts. This was reported on 28.09.2022 by Elida CASTILLO (Programme Director of Chispa Texas James HIATT @Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Andy GHEORGHIU (Campaigner & Advisor on Climate/Environmental Protection and Energy Policy).

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Deutsche Version hier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfhuCLJTtfk&list=PLbk18iV_zcoypM9h_BnIun6mKWMxZU-eF&index=1

Friday 13th of May, 3:00-4:30 PM CEST

The term PFAS refers to a chemical group of more than 4700 substances in which certain carbon atoms have bonds to several fluorine atoms. Their physicochemical properties are very similar: they are water repellent, dirt repellent and grease repellent. PFAS are used in many applications, such as fire-fighting foams, Teflon pans, in the textile industry, and in the coating of cardboard tableware. However, because carbon-fluorine bonds are among the most stable chemical bonds, PFAS are therefore particularly difficult to degrade and remain unchanged in the environment for very long periods of time, thus being dubbed “forever chemicals.” As a result, PFAS accumulate in groundwater, surface waters and soils and have health effects on humans and animals. PFAS accumulate also in the body and have been linked to kidney cancer, liver damage, testicular cancer, and thyroid disease, and are suspected of having many other health effects. The health costs caused by PFAS in the European Economic Area were estimated at 52-84 billion euros per year in 2019 by the Nordic Council. Therefore, it is important to finally restrict the use and spread of PFAS and to locate and remove PFAS from contaminated sites.

As the Commission promised in its Chemical Strategy for Sustainability to phase out highly problematic substances such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), unless their use is proven essential for society, a couple of proposals are already on their way. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is currently working on a restriction proposal on the use of PFAS in firefighting foams.

A more ambitious approach is taken by the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Denmark who are working on a universal PFAS restriction proposal. This proposal will be submitted by the end of 2022.

I would like to discuss the ongoing and upcoming PFAS restrictions with you! For this, I am happy to welcome a high-level panel with EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, Director at ChemSec (International Chemical Secretariat) Anne-Sofie Bäckar and State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection in Germany Dr. Christiane Rohleder.

We would be very happy if you could join us and discuss with us how these “forever chemicals” could best be addressed.

The event will be held in English and German with translation.

Panellists:
- Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries
- Anne-Sofie Bäckar, Director at ChemSec (International Chemical Secretariat)
- Christiane Rohleder, State secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), Germany

https://www.jutta-paulus.de/en/high-level-conference-forever-no-more-phasing-out-forever-chemicals-pfas-in-europe/

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After-work talk “Nature in the city! – How parks, woods, avenues and riverbanks contribute to well-being in our cities”.

Green lungs provide space for rest, relaxation and exercise. They also help keep temperatures down. However, not everyone in Europe has the same access to green spaces in cities. In my next after-work talk, the Director of the European Environment Agency, Hans Bruyninckx, will give an overview of the socio-economic and demographic inequalities in access to green spaces.

This after-work talk will take place on Tuesday, 10th of May 2022 at 06:30 PM CEST on Zoom. The event will take place in German and English and will be translated live into the respective languages. In addition, the graphic designer Anne Lehmann will record the webinar live.

Deutsche Aufzeichnung hier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4xixFApclY&list=PLbk18iV_zcoypM9h_BnIun6mKWMxZU-eF&index=1

All English Webinars with Jutta: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbk18iV_zcowcqYz-Lms3T501JontKfUX

All Webinars with Jutta: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbk18iV_zcoypM9h_BnIun6mKWMxZU-eF

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+++ Deutsche version: https://youtu.be/JgZ1V0nJUAk +++

Recording of the 111th episode of Europe Calling, the digital event series by Sven Giegold MEP.

On 23/11/2021 in cooperation with MEPs Jutta Paulus and Michael Bloss on “Climate policy in the Energy Price Trap – How climate protection & affordable energy go together” with our guest:

Ottmar Edenhofer, Director and Chief Economist of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research as well as Director of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change and Professor of the Economics and Politics of Climate Change at Technical University Berlin.

More information here: https://sven-giegold.de/en/europe-calling-climatepolicy-energy-price-trap/

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Meine Fraktionskollegin Eleonora Evi und ich veranstalteten ein Webinar zu Barrieren in europäischen Gewässern. Unsere Flüsse sind in einem schlechten Zustand. Laut dem letzten State of the Water Bericht der EEA (https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-water) befinden sich nur 44 % in einem guten oder hohen ökologischen Zustand. Neben chemischer Verschmutzung (aus der Luft oder durch Abwässer) oder durch Nährstoffeintrag (aus der Landwirtschaft) sind bauliche Veränderungen eine der größten Belastungen für diese wichtigen Ökosysteme.


Darüber haben wir mit unseren DiskussionsteilnehmerInnen debattiert:
– Prof. Carlos Garcia de Leaniz – Universität von Swansea, Koordinator von AMBER
– Andrea Goltara – Geschäftsführer, Italienisches Zentrum für Flussrestaurierung
– Claire Baffert – Senior Beraterin für Wasserpolitik beim WWF
– Bettina Doeser – Europäische Kommission, Generaldirektion Umwelt, Leiterin des Referats C1 (Sauberes Wasser)
– Trine Christiansen– Europäische Umweltagentur (EEA), Abteilung für Naturkapital und Ökosysteme


Alle Presentationen sowie auch unser Papier zum Schutz und zur Wiederherstellung unserer Flüsse findet ihr hier:
https://www.jutta-paulus.de/en/let-it-flow-remove-barriers-restore-river-ecosystems

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+++ Deutsche Version: https://youtu.be/8YsNcIHpsQo +++

Recording of the 95th episode of Europe Calling, the digital event series by Sven Giegold MEP.

On 23 June 2021 in cooperation with Anna Cavazzini MEP on “The Energy Charter Treaty – Scrutinising the dirtiest international agreement”.

Our guests were:

Lise Johnson, CCSI , Columbia Law School, USA
Cornelia Maarfield, CAN Europe
Freek Bersch, Milieudefensie, Netherlands
Jutta Paulus MEP, Member of ENVI and ITRE Committee

More information: https://sven-giegold.de/en/europe-calling-energycharter-treaty/

Please ,note: Due to technical problems, the interpretation was interrupted from time to time.

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Speakers:

- Prof. Vânia Gomes Zuin, Natural Products Research Group, University of São Carlos, Brazil
- Prof. Klaus Kümmerer, Institute for Sustainable Chemistry, University of Lüneburg
-Tatiana Santos, Policy Manager for Chemicals & Nanotechnology at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

The holiday season is just a week ahead and many parents want to find the perfect gift for their children. But toys can contain harmful substances that might not be declared on the packaging. This is why European safety standards and import inspections are so important.

In November 2019 the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) published a study that alone in 2019 248 different models of children’s toys (approximately millions of individual toys) had to be removed from the European market, as the thresholds for toxic chemical were far too high.

Prof. Vânia Gomes Zuin from the Natural Products Research Group at the University of São Carlos, Brazil recently published a study “Plasticized childhood – The impact of plastic toy advertising to children on their health and the environment”.

Prof. Klaus Kümmerer from the Sustainable Chemistry Research Group at the University of Lüneburg is working in the biodegradability of chemicals in the environment.

Together with these three experts Jutta Paulus MdEP will discuss the topic “Toxic Chemicals in Children’s Toys” and take into account recent studies and research results.

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Bogs cover only 3% of the world’s land area, but store twice as much carbon as forests. Most endangered species depend on healthy wetlands for their survival, and their population decline is directly related to the decline of bogs and wetlands.

Together with a high level panel we discussed the importance of Wetlands and Peatlands in the EU and how to use them in a sustainable way.

Our panellists:
Carlos Romão European Environment Agency, Biodiversity and Nature Policy Unit

Humberto Delgado Rosa, Director of Natural Capital, DG. environment
Prof. Dr.Dr.h.c Hans Joosten, University of Greifswald, head of the group moor studies and paleoecology

Sabine Wichmann, University of Greifswald, specialist in paludiculture
Kate Flood, researcher at NUI Galway, advocate for community and citizen engagement in wetlands
Jutta Paulus, MEP Greens / EFA

In addition, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius sent us a video message.

More information about our event: https://www.jutta-paulus.de/en/online-event-bring-back-bogs-wetlands-and-peatlands-at-the-heart-of-the-eu-national-restoration-plan

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Recording of the 58th session of Europe Calling, the interactive online discussion series by Sven Giegold MEP.

GERMAN LANGUAGE VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/lyfmCBcZEfg

On 1st September 2020 on the topic "Green transition of the chemical industry - Transformation for People and Planet" and co-hosted by Jutta Paulus MEP.

Our guests:
– Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Environment Commissioner
– Bjorn Hansen, Director, EU Chemicals Agency ECHA
– Carole Dieschbourg, Minister for the Environment, Luxembourg
– Sylvie Lemoine, Deputy Director, CEFIC
– Frida Hök, Deputy Director, ChemSec

More information here: https://sven-giegold.de/en/online-conference-green-transition-chemical-industry/

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