the green city of the new generation
Content Introduction
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Equality and diversity in the green city
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The green city – a community built on diversity
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Equal urban development
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Art and culture open the city
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Gender and the city
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Environmental justice
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Urban democracy, urban education
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Mobility in the green city Life in car-free cities
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Bikes in the green city
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We are all pedestrians
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The green city – healthy and nature friendly
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The city of active people
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The nature friendly city
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Food is political
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The green city – efficient and intelligent
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A green town hall
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Not waste, but valuable resources
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Energy democracy
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A green city economy
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The green city in the global village
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Your city protects the climate
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The city’s ecological footprint
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A green city in Europe – Europe in a green city
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Globalisation in the green city
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The green city on the Internet
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The green city .................................................
Introduction
The green city of the new generation
The development of a green city requires a courageous political vision. The issues encompass everyday life on our streets and in our neighbourhoods, and reach out beyond the boundaries of a city and the present. A city acts as a focal point of civilisation and a reflection of the dominant political debates. Economic neoliberalism and social conservatism are becoming increasingly common in many European cities, closing them off from the rest of the world, with their backs to nature, segregating people, dominated by cars, billboards and security cameras. That is why we need an alternative concept of the city: a green city, developing sustainably, providing an appropriate quality of life to its citizens and caring for the local and global environment.
In this publication, which is a kind of urban green manifesto, we attempt to present such a concept. On the following pages we demonstrate that cities should be “made to order� for their citizens. They should be vibrant with life, create the right conditions for work, rest and leisure, provide a democratic and open public space, ensure equal opportunities for both sexes, eliminate social disparity and remove architectural barriers. But that is not enough. Modern cities have a far greater influence than the physical area which they cover. Therefore the political agenda of a green city of the new generation cannot be limited to the streets and neighbourhoods: it must also reach out far beyond the city’s boundaries. It must consider the effect that our lifestyles are having on the development opportunities of people living
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in the global South, include the welfare of future generations in political visions and programmes and consider the rights and needs of the diverse animal and plant world surrounding us. Green politics has never limited itself to the “here and now”. That is why we point out, for example, that wheelchair ramps can improve the quality of life for tens and even hundreds of thousands of people in our city, but also that the rate at which we are using up natural resources could mean that there may not be enough of these resources for our children and grandchildren to use. When writing about sustainable urban development, we consider culture and the economy, fresh air and clean water, and the fact that every piece of litter discarded and every needlessly lit light bulb affects the rest of the planet. We show the possibility of bringing about change in modern cities – the development of public, pedestrian and cycle transport, the expansion of energy efficient tech-
nologies and the increasing share of renewable sources of energy in the city’s energy supply. We describe how social and creative capital and gender equality policy support city development. We discuss the global networks of cities cooperating with one another and the alter-globalist social movement. We are aware that the cities in which we live are local, and the village – global. That is why the vision emerging in our publication concerns thinking and acting on both these levels: the local and the global. That is our political perspective. We invite you to a discussion on the green city. Beata Maciejewska
Dariusz Szwed
Equality and diversity in the green city ...................
Equality and diversit Equality and diversity in the green city The green city – a community built on diversity
A green city is a tolerant and open place, inclusive and safe, in which every newcomer feels accepted, and every citizen can make full use of public space and its services, has a feeling of belonging to the local community and of being able to change his or her surroundings. The discrimination of certain social groups is still a common occurrence in many European cities: neo-Nazi acts of violence against immigrants, the inaccessibility of council buildings to deaf people or those not speaking the local language, the negative attitude of the local government to feminist, pacifist or sexual minority demonstrations. Not only is discrimination against the law, it also destroys a city’s social capital, which is crucial for its sustainable development. A green city does not exclude certain parts of the population because they
The Creative Capital Theory: According to Richard Florida, the American sociologist working in the field of urban development and author of the book The Rise of the Creative Class, local economies develop thanks to the influence of creative and innovative people: artists, academics, scientists, architects etc. These people are attracted to cities which can provide them with a favourable living environment – most importantly an environment which is tolerant and open to change and eccentricity.
are not members of the majority, especially as every one of us is a member of at least one minority. Diversity and tolerance are the Green party’s central values and are of great importance in a modern society. Every person, irrespective of gender, age, level of disability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, opinions, ethnic background etc. should have an equal status as a citizen of the World and of the local community. That is why the governments of our cities must work towards creating a fully democratic public space and consequently creating an image of their city as a place which is accepting of diversity, tolerant and safe. There are many “keys” to unlocking a city which politicians may use: participating in manifestations and other demonstrations of the citizens’ voice, supporting events which promote different cultures and customs, creating attractive and well-maintained public spaces etc.
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Equal urban development The business centre is the showpiece of a city, as is its industrial quarter. Public space forms the essence of the city. Increased social disparity is a problem encountered by many European cities. Poorly managed public space is being overtaken by advertisements and cars and is rapidly becoming privatised. This neo-liberal concept of a city as a good, based on the principle that “you must pay to feel well in the city”, results in the segregation of people and encloses them in ghettoes: some in “luxury prisons”, e.g enclosed and monitored estates, others, in neglected high-rise estates. The green city concept is based on the assumption that the essence of a city is that which is public. The quality of common space, the equal distribution and full availability of public goods and services are the foundations of a democratic,
Did you know? Artists are becoming increasingly involved in revitalising neglected city areas. In 2007, the Polish artist Joanna Rajkowska created the Oxygenator project – a small pond on Grzybowski Square in central Warsaw, a place which she described as “belonging to nobody, unwanted, abandoned”. The surface of the pond produced bubbles of oxygen enriched air, and seats surrounding it provided a place for local people to rest, breathe and talk. The Oxygenator became a central meeting place and also the stimulus for local citizens to act together – a written protest against the destruction of the Oxygenator was produced (the city had granted permission for the square to be used for only two months). In the autumn of 2007, the city authorities met with the artist and agreed to provide funds to recreate and maintain the pond from spring 2008.
egalitarian, sustainable city. That is why instead of investments in shopping malls or national football stadiums, the Greens call for a greater number of local sport centres and swimming pools, well maintained parks and children’s play areas, clean streets with wide pavements and cycle lanes and aesthetically pleasing bus and tram stops. To summarise: a friendly and safe public space, accessible to everyone. In order to achieve equally distributed city development, it is also vitally important that a city infoway is developed - free broadband internet access which provides all citizens with greater internet access to public services (e-government, e-learning, e-health etc).
Equality and diversity in the green city ...................
Art and culture open the city A green city has a greater number of art galleries than shopping malls and provides more opportunities for active creativity than for passive observation and consumption. A vibrant cultural life makes a city attractive, integrates its citizens and draws in visitors. That is why art and culture is one of the best investments into a city’s sustainable development – a green investment which provides returns in the form of growing social capital and economic development. The city’s authorities should therefore pay no less attention to cultural politics than to infrastructural investments. The cultural attractions on offer in an open city should be diverse in form and content so as to meet varied tastes and needs. A variety of cultural events: ambitious high-culture and popular mass culture events, grassroots initiatives and prestigious international festivals create cultural diversity making the city vibrant with life.
Did you know? Le Madame gallery, one of Warsaw’s most active centres for independent art as well as political and civic activity, was closed down in 2006 by the then President of Warsaw and current President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski. Regular events included meetings organised by feminist and anti-war groups, debates organised by the Green party and theatre plays touching on the issues of minority groups. It is unclear which of these activities were found most offensive by the right wing authorities . The building’s brutal eviction was preceded by a sit-down protest involving hundreds of people and lasting several days. The protest was supported by artists, politicians and non-governmental organisations. The actor John Malkovich also visited Le Madame and supported the protest.
It is also important that the authorities of the green city protect artistic freedom of speech. Art should not be censored or aligned with the current political agenda or adjusted to the tastes of those in power. Artistic activities in the city play another important role: they are a tool for breaking down social barriers, fighting xenophobia and homophobia and preventing social disparity. Graffiti workshops, low cost theatre tickets for the unemployed and theatre plays involving homeless persons as actors are examples of activities which would allow for the inclusion of those normally excluded from society. Sandsation – sand sculpture festival in central Berlin beside the Hauptbahnhof
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...................Equality and diversity in the green city
Gender and the city Providing equal opportunities for men and women is one of the Green party’s main goals. One way to achieve this is through appropriate planning of the city’s budget and public space. City budgets and investments are gender biased: some forms of spending favour women, others favour men. It is not hard to guess that “male favoured” spending is more common. However, the European Union places certain demands on countries, and these include the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of life by recognising the differing needs of the sexes. This EU policy of gender mainstreaming aims to change family structure, social life and the work environment in such a way as to achieve real and permanent gender equality. Conservative politicians reject gender mainstreaming. They only try to meet men’s and women’s needs within the traditional division of roles, thus strengthening the division. For example when planning urban investments, they would consider the building of children’s play areas as spending on women, because it is women who take care of children.
What you can do: • find out whether your city uses gender budgeting; • find out whether your city promotes and implements policies aiming to achieve gender equality. For example, is the number of women employed in prestigious, highly paid positions in the city council similar to the number of men in similar positions. And similarly, what is the proportion of men and women employed in the less prestigious, less well paid positions, for example among cleaners, secretarial workers etc.; • support non-governmental organisations campaigning for equal opportunities for men and women.
For the Greens, a policy of gender equality is about counteracting stereotyping while meeting the needs of both sexes. For example, investing in children’s play areas can be seen as an implementation of gender equality politics only when action is simultaneously taken to strengthen partnership attitudes in the division of childcare responsibilities. When building new sports facilities for young people, the level of activity of both girls and boys must be taken into account.
Equality and diversity in the green city ...................
Environmental justice The Greens believe that a “good neighbourhood” is one where the streets are free of litter, the air is clean, and noise levels are low. Everyone, irrespective of their wealth or the colour of their skin has the right to live in such a place.
ronment brings with it an improved quality of life and local development opportunities. These in turn promote greater safety. According to research carried out into the level of life satisfaction in European cities, the cleanest cities are also the safest according to their inhabitants.
One of the major factors determining the attractiveness of city life is the state of its environment, not, as once was the case, the level of industrialisation. Clean water and air, access to green space and distance from noisy roads are highly desirable characteristics, although often unevenly distributed and considered a luxury. Many European cities are witnessing the appearance of ecological ghettoes, in which poor people, often from ethnic minorities, are forced to live in high rise tower blocks neighbouring waste incinerators, motorways, sewage works and nuclear power stations. Environmental justice also has a global dimension: international corporations are transferring production to many African and Asian cities and polluting their environment as a result. The European Greens object to the environmental segregation of people. All citizens of cities throughout the world have the right to live in “good neighbourhoods” - where the streets are free of litter, the air is clean and noise levels are low. A cleaner envi-
Did you know? • 70% of the world’s electronic refuse ends up in the Southern Chinese city of Guiyu and the surrounding area. That’s millions of tonnes of monitors, printers and mobile phones discarded every year. Processing this dangerous waste involves the work of 150 thousand poor people, including children. Earning 3 dollars a day, they work in conditions extremely harmful both to human health and the environment. Processing the waste in the U.S.A would cost ten times more; • In the most polluted areas of England, the number of people from ethnic minorities is four times greater than in unpolluted areas.
...................Equality and diversity in the green city
Urban democracy, urban education Involvement in public issues is one of the most important elements of urban democracy. That is why active citizenship should be included in the education system and supported by the government. Public trust in politicians remains very low in too many regions of Europe. There is a widely accepted view of politicians as being far removed from the people. The reality is that politics is a key element of our everyday lives. The construction of roads and bridges with no pavements or cycle paths, a lack of support for grassroots art initiatives and designing public space in a way which discriminates physically disabled people are some examples of political decisions which negatively affect the quality of our lives. They are also an ineffective way of spending public money. We should not accept it – it is our city and our money. The European Greens, who have an increasing voice in city councils, are working to improve the transparency and openness of local politics by facilitating access to public information and strengthening the role of citizens in the decision making process. This is
Did you know? Participatory budgets function throughout European cities, including cities in France, Portugal, Italy, England and Belgium. Participatory budgeting is a democratic process of discussion, providing citizens with the opportunity to make decisions about how a part of the city’s budget should be used.
achieved by organising public consultations or using tools of participatory democracy: local referendums, participatory spatial planning and participatory budgeting. But that is not all. The Greens believe that involvement in public issues is one of the most important elements of urban democracy. That is why the teaching of active citizenship should be included in the education system and supported by the government, education institutions and non-governmental organisations. School and inter-school debates, meetings of young people with city councillors, discussion clubs, societies and informal groups, as well as open debates in the public domain, citizen initiated action, manifestations and demonstrations – these are all methods of teaching democracy. Thanks to these we can become active citizens who have a real influence on our common space.
Mobility in the green city ...................................
Mobility in the gree Mobility in the green city Life in car-free cities
In well managed cities, public transport beats the car For decades, the European Greens have argued that individual car travel in cities is highly inefficient and harmful to human health and the environment. Cars are usually used by just one person, and therefore consume significantly more fuel and valuable city space per passenger than vehicles of public transport. Cars burn millions of litres of fuel which is increasing in price, produce vast quantities of emissions and cause thousands of road accidents. The European Environment Agency estimated the negative externalities of transport (e.g. accidents, pollution, noise) to be 8% of the European Union’s GDP. The Greens also stress the significance of the social aspect of city transport as cars contribute to a growing atomisation and alienation of society. In well managed cities, modern and safe public transport beats cars. The Car Free Cities network has formed in
What you can do: • find out whether your city has joined the European network of “Car Free Cities” and what it is doing to make public transport greener; • organise a debate with local politicians on the subject of your city’s transport policy.
Environmentally friendly hybrid buses produced by the Polish company Solaris are transporting passengers in a growing number of European cities the EU, and the governments of those cities run an active transport policy which includes the promotion of green mobility: public transport, pedestrian zones and bicycle travel. Over 2000 European cities take part in European Mobility Week, which culminates in European Car Free Day. Fast “low floor” trams, local trains and buses in designated lanes which are accessible to disabled people, parents with young children and older people are becoming an attractive form of transport and are playing an important role in developing social integration. There is another important reason for promoting green mobility in cities: transport in the European Union is responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global climate change. Transport is also the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases.
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Bikes in the green city 45 million people in Europe use a bike as their main means of transport “Warsaw is not a village to be cycled through”. These were the words of the municipal clerk responsible for roads in the capital. Progressing logically from this statement, we can conclude that the biggest villages in Europe are Amsterdam and Berlin, where bikes are a rightful means of transport. In the Italian city of Bolzano, a meter installed on one of the main cycle routes counted over a million cyclists passing in 6 months. European cities which are initiating green transport policies encourage the use of bikes, enlarge cycle networks and improve bicycle parking facilities. For every cyclist on the roads we have fewer emissions, less congestion, lower noise levels and healthier city dwellers. It also means vast savings in the city’s budget due to decreased spending on road repair work and construction and decreased spending on healthcare.
Did you know? • for 9% of Europeans in the EU, a bike is the main form of transport – that’s almost 45 million cyclists! • in a growing number of European cities, bikes are becoming available for public use – Copenhagen, Paris, Barcelona, Prague and Stockholm, among others, have all introduced such schemes; • on ever last Friday of the month, hundreds of thousands of people across Europe take part in “Critical Mass”, a bike ride demonstration along the major roads of European cities: from Moscow to Lisbon, from Finnish Turku to Chania on Crete. This non-motorised social movement is also engaged in improving the quality of public space and life in cities. Get involved!
Cyclists taking part in Warsaw’s “Critical Mass for Autism”, which successfully raised funds to start a business employing autistic people The bicycle also has a social dimension. As early as the 19th century it was recognised by the feminist and suffrage movement as a “machine of freedom” which hastened the process of women’s emancipation. Due to a relatively low price, ease of maintenance and very low exploitation costs, the use of bikes today also raises the level of mobility in many countries whilst aiding the development of equal opportunities for all citizens.
Mobility in the green city ...................................
We are all pedestrians In Europe’s most developed cities, pedestrians are not afraid to cross the street and always have right of way. This is a result of a culture which respects pedestrians but is also due to the introduction of certain pedestrian-friendly laws. Throughout our continent, pedestrians and cyclists are still the most discriminated groups in city traffic. Very wide roads, a short length of green signals for pedestrians, few pedestrian crossings, cars parked on pavements and few areas closed to traffic all indicate a lack of pedestrian friendly policies. These examples are characteristic of many European cities. As a result, one in five of the 40 thousand people who die in Europe every year as a result of road accidents are pedestrians. This is why many non-governmental organisations are acting on behalf of pedestrians’ rights, and are often supported by local Green party groups.
Did you know? • 37 percent of travel within Barcelona is on foot; • in a number of European cities, improving life for pedestrians is considered a political priority, and a number of strategies are being introduced to achieve this.
In pedestrian friendly cities the level of public safety is growing and the quality of public space is improving. There are many ways of encouraging citizens to choose walking as a method of getting around the city: appropriate lighting, comfortable public benches, safe pavements, “street art”, greenery, speed restrictions, restrictions in the number of parking spaces or a complete ban on the entry of cars. Such policies are beneficial to human health and to the environment and help to develop social capital in cities. Pedestrian zones in cities serve to strengthen social ties, build trust, increase levels of engagement in local activities and build a culture of mutual help and support.
healthy and nature f
............. The green city – healthy and nature friendly
The green city – healthy and nature friendly The city of active people Appropriate town planning and investments can encourage citizens to lead a more active life.
The Greens believe that quality of life in a city is directly linked to the level of activity of its citizens. We promote active leisure and sport and outdoor events such as mass runs and mass cycling events known as “critical mass”. Encouraging participation in sport and physical activity through such events does not require the building of large and expensive national stadiums – all that’s needed is a positive and sensible attitude from the local government and the opening up of city spaces, including parks and streets. We need to become more active – obesity among Europeans is on the rise despite many people improving their diets. This unfortunate trend (between 1996 and 2002 the average European put on 1 to 2 kilograms in weight) is mainly the effect of decreasing levels of physical activity. That is why the city authorities, through appropriate planning and investments, can and should encourage citizens to undertake more exercise, whilst taking into consideration the varying needs of different generations and social groups: older people, women, children and people with special needs. We would require fewer hospital beds as a result. As proponents of healthy lifestyles, the Greens are in favour of introduc-
ing smoking bans in public places and in the workplace, as in our opinion, a person’s personal space ends where the personal space of the next person – the non-smoker, begins. In the European Union, 730 thousand people die every year as a result of smoking, 80 thousand of these are passive smokers. A total ban on smoking in public places has been introduced in: Ireland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Sweden, Scotland and France, among others; it’s now time to widen the ban to the entire European Union.
What you can do: • find out whether your city is a member of the European Healthy Cities network and what actions it is undertaking to improve the health of its citizens; • “more parks, fewer car parks” - check the city’s spending on the development of parks, free-access sports fields, sports centres and swimming pools and compare this to the amount invested in road construction and car parks.
The green city – healthy and nature friendly .............
The nature friendly city “To be or not to be an environmentally friendly city dweller?” is a rhetorical question. As much as we need wild nature, the natural environment needs our sensible policies. Have you ever wondered about the origin of the clean water flowing from the tap, or the air entering your flat when you open the window? These are priceless goods which we receive from nature: water comes out of the sky, clean air comes from the forest. But they are not everlasting. That is why protection of the natural environment is in the best interest of European city dwellers. However, this discussion is not concerned with human interests only. The Earth also provides a habitat for animals and plants, and whilst our species is not threatened with extinction, the survival of 42 percent of other mammals and 52 percent of fresh water fish on our continent is threatened as a result of human activity. According to the estimates of the Wuppertal Institute in Germany, every European – 80% of who live in cities – uses on average 50 tonnes of the environment annually, creating, using and finally throwing
Did you know? • the Baltic is one of the most polluted and radioactive seas in the world; • between 1990 – 2000 urban areas in the EU increased by 6 percent.
away thousands of products as waste. This is far too much for the Earth and nature to sustain. And because animals and plants have no voice, it is green politicians who must speak on their behalf. The implementation of a strategy for biodiversity protection can be achieved in many ways. It may involve taking action to protect the natural areas surrounding cities from being turned into intensive farms or factories. It may also involve activities aimed at reducing traffic, as traffic has a very negative effect on nature. Finally, it involves the implementation of watersaving schemes, which minimise the volume of sewage entering rivers and lakes. In Germany, partly as a result of the activities of Green politicians, programmes of renaturalisation of rivers damaged by regulation are currently underway. At the same time the opposite is being done by consecutive governments in Poland – wild rivers are being destroyed through regulation. These are just a few examples which show that as much as we need wild nature, the natural environment needs our sensible policies. Hence the question, “To be or not to be an environmentally friendly city dweller” is equally rhetorical as “to be or not to be at all”.
............. The green city – healthy and nature friendly
Food is political By choosing certain products, we can support local food producers and ethical companies in developing countries. Living in cities, we can be removed from the processes of food production. We know little about how it is made and what it is made from. We are shocked when we learn of incidents of food contamination, genetically modified food or diseases causing the death of millions of farm animals (e.g. avian influenza or “mad cow” disease). We find it hard to believe that the production of bananas or cocoa in developing countries can involve the exploitation of children working in inhumane conditions.
A great deal depends on the attitude of local governments and on our involvement in food politics at the local level. You should therefore: •
support local farmers’ markets - try to buy fresh, seasonal, local produce (processing and transporting food around Europe results in lower food quality and unnecessary emissions);
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encourage your city council to cooperate with neighbouring rural councils and to provide nursery schools and schools with locally produced organic food. The increased production of organic food will result in children being healthier, will create a cleaner environment and will benefit local farmers’ livelihoods;
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encourage your town council to buy Fair Trade certified tea and coffee which ensures the right to decent working conditions, a minimum wage and bans the use of child labour in developing countries;
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campaign for your town to join the European Slow Cities network, which promotes quality of city life at a slower pace in conjunction with a culture of “slow food” as an alternative to a “fast food city”;
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and remember that in a city you have access to a wide variety of foods allowing you to limit your meat consumption or even become a vegetarian, which is an ethical and healthy alternative.
Did you know? The Green Group in the European Parliament runs a campaign called “Join the food revolution”
The green city – efficient and intelligent ................
city – efficient and i The green city – efficient and intelligent A green town hall An efficient and cost effective municipal administration is beneficial to the environment and to our wallets, whilst improving quality of life for citizens. One of the city’s biggest consumers is it’s government. Millions of euros from the city budget (i.e. our money) is spent every month on official car travel, heating, lighting buildings and telephone costs. A positive example set by the local administration is an excellent way of encouraging environmentally friendly, money saving behaviour as well as building a market for environmentally friendly goods and services. Ask your municipal authorities whether they are managing your money in a cost effective manner, and whether they are protecting the environment by implementing such measures as: • replacing standard light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs and thermally renovating town hall and other city owned buildings. These measures would drastically cut heating and energy bills, and result in decreased pollution; • printing documents on double sided paper and introducing electronic archiving. As well as saving paper and energy, this would cut the costs of maintaining the city’s archives;
• rewarding those workers who walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work. Encouraging such behaviour would allow the city authorities to make savings on car parking, roads and official travel; • using free and open source software in the municipal computer systems; • using free communication software instead of the telephone.
Did you know? Over 500 local governments have signed the Aalborg Commitments as part of the European Sustainable Cities & Towns Campaign. These include commitments to increased participatory democracy, responsible consumption and lifestyle choices and the development of a vibrant and sustainable local economy.
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Not waste, but valuable resources
Waste incinerators are pushing their way into Eastern Europe In the European Union’s new member states, where existing landfill sites are filling up fast, there is increasing pressure for the building of waste incinerators. In Poland, the right wing government’s programme of building incinerators, strongly criticised by the Green party, could swallow up over 50% of the funds assigned for large scale waste management projects planned for 2007 - 2013. In the European Parliament, the Greens oppose the right- wing neoliberal programme of “free flow” of waste to be landfilled or incinerated within the EU, as well as the export of waste to less wealthy countries outside of the EU. The European Greens believe that the problem of waste management must be solved as close to source as possible. We must not “donate” landfill sites and incineration plants to the less wealthy countries of Europe or to the rest of the world.
Instead of building waste incinerators and enlarging existing landfill sites, a green city should reduce the volume of waste it produces and put in place systems of waste segregation and composting. The average European citizen disposes of a kilogram and a half of rubbish every day, most of which ends up in landfill. In reality, most of the rubbish which goes into our bins could be composted or used as a valuable secondary material: paper, glass, plastics and metals. Green parties are encouraging European cities to reduce the volume of waste produced at source and to introduce waste segregation and composting schemes. These methods are cheaper, greener and are being met with increasing enthusiasm by citizens.
Introducing a small charge for plastic bags and other disposable items, using reusable packaging such as bottles, composting of organic waste are some examples of greener urban resource management. For example in Ireland a charge for plastic bags was introduced which resulted in demand for plastic bags in shops to fall by 90% in just a few months. To improve the situation, you can: •
demand your local government to introduce a scheme of waste segregation and composting throughout the city (find out whether the town council also segregates its waste);
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demand your local government to buy products made from recycled materials (e.g. paper and pens);
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cooperate with the Green party and non-governmental organisations who are working towards minimising the volume of waste produced and the introduction of recycling schemes.
The green city – efficient and intelligent ................
Energy democracy We are building an energy democracy: every roof in a green city is turned into a micro-heat or power plant controlled by the local community. Green parties throughout Europe promote the implementation of energy saving measures, greater energy efficiency and the development of renewable sources for energy production, for example biomass, wind, water and solar energy. The Greens are in favour of decentralised energy production and consumption: instead of a few giant power stations monopolising the market, there should be hundreds and even thousands of smaller plants. Such plants, controlled most efficiently by local communities and joined in an intelligent network through which energy can be provided or sent depending on need, are the basis for energy democracy. Thanks to the involvement of citizens and an active government, an increasing number of roofs in European cities are being turned into micro heat or power plants, depending on whether elec-
Did you know? • Green parties all over Europe are opposed to the development of nuclear energy and promote a gradual departure from the use of non-renewable energy sources such as coal, oil and gas. • In Upper Austria, 30% of total energy use comes from renewable energy sources. Additionally, in 2004 the region adopted a plan to reduce energy use by 1% every year, thus improving the state of the environment, significantly reducing energy bills and improving energy safety by minimising the use of energy from outside the region. • Ten years ago, the Swedish town of Växjö decided to completely cut their dependence on fossil fuels. Today 50% of energy used in the town is from renewable sources.
tricity producing solar panels or water heating solar collectors are installed. Similarly, many housing estates are opening combined heat and power micro-stations running on biomass. When combined with thermal renovation of buildings (inter alia wall insulation, replacing windows with energy efficient ones), they provide citizens with thermal comfort: low cost heating in the winter, lower bills for ventilation and cooling in the summer. At the same time they minimize environmental pollution throughout the year. Green party believes that efficient energy use and the development of renewable energy sources is the most effective and the safest method of preventing an energy crisis and combating climate change.
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A green city economy Socially and environmentally responsible “Ethical business” develops in a green city. In a green city, financial capital is not the only thing considered to be important to the local economy. Social and environmental capital are of equal importance. The first is measured by the level of trust between citizens, their engagement in activities benefiting the common good, the degree of life satisfaction, strength of social ties etc. The second – by e.g. the level of biodiversity and stocks of renewable and non-renewable natural resources. That is why the green city encourages any economic activity which is people friendly and improves the quality of our lives, whilst not harming the environment or future generations.
Did you know? The society “Disabled people for the environment EKON” (“Niepełnosprawni dla Środowiska EKON”) has created 444 green jobs in Warsaw for disabled people (including 258 mentally disabled persons) in collecting and segregating recyclable waste packaging.
One method of creating support for the green economy is by introducing environmental tax reform, which is being promoted by the Greens. This relies on lowering taxation on labour and investments (positive goods), whilst raising taxes on pollution and the ineffective use of natural resources and energy (negative goods). This creates an incentive for business to protect the environment instead of harming it.
There are a number of ways in which “ethical business” can develop in the modern green economy: in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, and in ecotourism, art and culture, leisure, organic farming and environmental protection, green transport and preventative medicine. Through the implementation of appropriate urban policies which encourage investments in education, scientific research and innovation centres, green business creates sustainable, local jobs thus becoming the driving force behind sustainable urban development. The Greens are in favour of a high level of diversity in the economy, which is strengthened in particular by the existence of small and medium sized businesses (including social enterprises), linked to the local community. One of the responsibilities of the city authorities is to provide these businesses with the appropriate conditions for fair competition – also with multinational corporations.
The municipality of Genk (Belgium) has installed 2000 m2 of solar panels on the roof of its town hall, making it the biggest ever solar panels installation on a public building. The solar panels should generate 200,000 kWh per year. This amounts to an annual reduction of 60 tonnes of CO2
The green city in the global village ........................
reen city in the glob The green city in the global village Your city protects the climate
Climate change which results mainly from the actions of citizens of cities in the wealthy global North hits hardest in the global South People living in the furthest corners of the Earth are no different to us, yet in their opinion, we Europeans live in a paradise, while they are in hell: wars over access to clean drinking water, droughts causing famine and death, floods and hurricanes destroying peoples’ livelihoods. Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions, mainly the effect of typically northern European urban lifestyles, hits hardest at the poorest people in the global south. Future generations will also be affected as they will be forced to pay our “climate bills”. The Greens do not accept a division into the “first”, “second” or “third world” because among other reasons, pollution knows no borders. That is why all of us must act in solidarity to prevent climate change and to protect the global environment. The future of our shared earth depends on it. Currently in the EU, 400 cities in 17 countries (over 10 percent of the EU’s inhabitants) are members of the Climate Alliance which promotes policies aiming to reduce energy use and cut down CO2 emissions. In 2007, the Climate Alliance awarded 13 cities with the Climate Star award for the introduction of such policies. The cities included Essen, Sheffield and Ghent. Yet this is still too little
Did you know? The report prepared for the British government by the economist Nicholas Stern in 2007, indicates that if drastic action on an international scale is not taken immediately, the social and economic consequences of climate change over the coming decades will be comparable to those of the two world wars in the 20th century.
to halt the most dramatic effects of climate change. After China and the United States, the European Union is the third largest emitter of CO2 in the world. That is why in March 2007, the EU accepted a strategy of cutting down CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2020 (30 percent if the U.S.A, China and other polluter countries accept the strategy). It is vitally important that we take part in realising this strategy by introducing innovative local climate policies in European towns and cities.
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The city’s ecological footprint Do you know the exact size of your city? Is it 50 square kilometres? 100? If cities were defined in terms of the amount of natural resources consumed within them, they would appear far bigger than they are. Berlin’s ecological footprint is the size of the Eastern part of Germany, while London’s footprint is twice the size of the UK mainland. The ecological footprint, the rate of consumption of natural resources, is increasingly being used as an environmental index. Every person leaves a footprint: when drinking water, eating food, driving a car, heating the house, producing waste etc. If the world’s land surface was divided equally among its human inhabitants, each person would be assigned 1,8 hectares of land with its natural resources. In reality the average person consumes the resources from 2,2 hectares. In a global perspective, this means that we already consume 22 percent more resources than our planet is capable of producing. The remainder is “borrowed” from future generations. In the European Union we each consume on average 4,7 hectares, thus
producing an ecological debt of approximately 3 hectares. Berlin, with a population of 3800 people per square kilometre, would cover an area equal to the Eastern part of Germany, whilst the area of London (over 4700 inhabitants per km2) would be twice the size of the UK mainland. In order to make the world’s citizens aware of the problems of the excessive consumption of natural resources, pollution and destruction of natural areas, we have for some years been celebrating Ecological Debt Day. From that day until the end of the year, we are living on an “environmental overdraft” borrowed from the rest of the planet and from future generations. That day falls on: in Slovakia – on the 11th of November, the Earth – 9 October, Austria – 1 October, Poland – 5 August, Germany – 29 May, United Kingdom – 16 April, Netherlands – already on the 2nd of March.
How to reduce your ecological footprint: • insulate your house and windows; • whenever possible, walk, cycle and use public transport (especially avoid using the car if you are the only passenger); • whenever possible, use the internet and the phone instead of driving into town to run errands; • use energy saving electronic equipment and lighting; • save water; • reduce your meat consumption. The production of meat (intensively produced meat in particular) is harmful to you and the environment, not to mention the animals; • avoid buying things you don’t need; • think globally and think about what else can be done to improve the state of our planet.
The green city in the global village ........................
A green city in Europe – Europe in a green city
Did you know? • Over 500 regional and local councils associated in the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, are signatories of the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life.
Twinned towns, networks and cross-boundary projects – intercity cooperation has been developing in Europe for several decades. An increasing number of European cities, which are home to over 70 percent of the European population, are beginning to cooperate – connecting people and sharing resources, knowledge and experience. This cooperation takes many forms: over 30 thousand towns and cities take part in “twinning” programmes, many build thematic networks, whilst others work together on specific cross-boundary projects. The greening of towns and cities has been one of the European Union’s greatest priorities in recent years, possible partly due to the increasing number of Green politicians being voted into local councils. Improving the quality of life for citizens through environmentally and people friendly sustainable development and modernisation has become a priority of action in many European networks. These include: •
the Climate Alliance which acts to prevent climate change and to protect the rights of the most disadvantaged communities affected by environmental disasters;
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C a r F r e e C i t i e s promoting environmentally friendly transport and green mobility;
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H e a l t h y C i t i e s encouraging a healthy lifestyle and promoting preventative health measures;
• In 1985 Athens became the first European Capital of Culture, thus creating the blueprint for the EU initiative of promoting a multicultural continent. In 2000 the Polish city of Kraków and the Czech city of Prague became the first European Cultural Capitals from Central and Eastern Europe.
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the Slow City network encouraging a high quality of city life, achievable through building a friendly atmosphere in cities and slowing down the pace of life.
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Globalisation in the green city The 80 percent of people living in cities in the EU have enormous power to influence the process of globalisation, which is increasingly affecting every person’s life. We constantly hear about globalisation, the dominant model of which is one of corporate neoliberalism, which plays a part in the exploitation of people and the destruction of the natural environment. The Greens are not opposed to globalisation, but instead are proponents of an alternative model of globalisation – one of fair trade, the globalisation of human rights, the protection of the world’s natural resources etc. These values can be fought for not only internationally, but also at the city level. In promoting an alterglobal city, the Greens encourage you to: •
find out whether your city has adopted a local policy of protecting the global climate;
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encourage your city to become twinned with less wealthy cities in Africa, Latin America or Asia. Europeans must show solidarity in the global village;
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buy fair trade products (again put pressure on your city council to do the same). The producers are guaranteed a fair wage and are given the opportunity to improve their quality of life and to develop sustainably;
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make contact with environmental groups and groups campaigning for human rights, peace or development policies. Support their international campaigns and
encourage your city council to do the same; •
show your city council that acting alterglobally will give them international prestige!
Did you know? Margaret Thatcher, the conservative Prime Minister of Great Britain in the eighties, used the slogan “There Is No Alternative” – TINA to describe the lack of an alternative to corporate neoliberal globalisation. The alterglobalist movement which has been developing world-wide since the nineties uses the slogan “Another world is possible”. This movement, which Green parties participate in actively, criticises neoliberal and corporate globalisation. We stress the need for: the global protection of human rights, especially women’s and children’s rights, a peaceful resolution of conflicts, measures to prevent climate change and to halt the destruction of biodiversity. In the “alterglobal village” we also call for the democratic control of international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and democratic control of the rules of world trade, currently controlled by the non-democratic World Trade Organisation.
The green city .................................................
The green city on the Internet Car-free Cities – www.carfree.com City Mayors – www.citymayors.com Climate Alliance – www.localclimateprotection.eu Climate Change Campaign – www.stopclimatechange.net Critical Mass Europe – www.critical-mass.org/europe.html Council of European Municipalities and Regions – www.ccre.org Energie Cités – www.energie-cites.eu Eurocities – www.eurocities.org European Cyclists Federation – www.ecf.com European Green Gender Observatory – www.eggogreens.eu European Green Cities Network – www.europeangreencities.com European Green Party – www.europeangreens.eu European Local Transport Information Service – www.eltis.org European Mobility Week – www.mobilityweek.eu European Year of Equal Opportunities for All – www.ec.europa.eu/employment_ social/eyeq Eurotowns – www.eurotowns.org Federation of Young European Greens – www.fyeg.org Global Greens – www.globalgreens.org Green Economics Institute – www.greeneconomics.org.uk Green European Foundation – www.gef.eu Green Institute (Poland) – www.zielonyinstytut.pl Green Group in the European Parliament – www.greens-efa.eu Healthy Cities – WHO/Europe – www.euro.who.int/healthy-cities Join the Food Revolution – www.eat-better.eu Local Governments for Sustainability – www.iclei-europe.org Slow Cities – www.cittaslow.net Slow Food – www.slowfood.com Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign – www.sustainable-cities.eu Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie – www.wupperinst.org Are you interested in making your city greener? We can do it together. Contact us – the Greens can be found throughout Europe!
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Authors: Dariusz Szwed www.szwed.zieloni2004.pl Beata Maciejewska www.maciejewska.zieloni2004.pl Translation: Basia Romanowicz Graphic design: Wojciech Kłosowski Photos: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
page 2 - Karol Zamojski (1), Michał Poćwiardowski (2), Magdalena Mosiewicz (3) page 3 - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Bigdayout_crowd2.jpg page 4 - Wojciech Kłosowski (1), Magdalena Mosiewicz (2) page 5 - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Sandsation_2007_Berlin1.JPG page 6 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/greencracker/135150953/ page 7 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/migufu/484422259/ (1); http://www.zrodla.org (2) page 8 - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Longhorns_on_the_South_Lawn.jpg page 9 - http://www.solarisbus.pl/ page 10 - http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafika:Masa_na_Autyzm2006.jpg page 11 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesintransit/445376133/ page 12 - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Kaatsen_Franeker.JPG page 13 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/acidflask/24369653/ page 14 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/justinr/154065482 page 15 - Robert Jezierski page 16 – European Commission page 17 - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Gleisdorf.Solarbaum.jpg page 18 - http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1206 page 19 - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:DSCF2162.jpg page 20 - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Healthy_feet.jpg page 21 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/8117060@N07/484301061/ page 22 - http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2007/05/17/central-asia-reducing-income-inequality-part-1/22 2
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Cover photos: www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1206 (1), www.parki.org (2), commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Bigdayout_crowd2.jpg (3), Beata Nowak (4, 6) commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Longhorns_on_the_South_Lawn.jpg (5), Robert Jezierski (7), www.solarisbus.pl (8), Magdalena Mosiewicz (photo on the back inside cover).
Published by: Baltic Network of the European Green Party (www.balticgreens.net) with the contribution of the European Parliament (www.europarl.europa.eu) European Green Party (www.europeangreens.eu) Wiertzstraat 31, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium tel. +32 2 626 07 20; fax: +32 2 626 07 29, europeangreens@europeangreens.org
Brussels 2009
ISBN 978-83-87605-91-4 This publication is available on the terms of Creative Commons licence: “Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Poland” (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/pl/deed.en). You are free to share, copy and distribute the work for non-commercial purposes on condition of citing the source and authors of the publication.
This publication is available at: www.balticgreens.net; www.city.zieloni2004.pl Printed by: MAXMEDIA DRUK Bydgoszcz, ul. Chełmżyńska 10 www.maxmedia.com.pl
Green politicians in the city Green parties do not only talk about a green city, but also act to achieve this: •
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we support environmentally friendly, gender friendly and democratic civic initiatives and we run our own political campaigns based on these aims; we go out onto the streets when we are dissatisfied and we organise demonstrations to support that which we believe in (e.g equality parades, Women’s Day manifestations, Earth Days);
The Greens promote a new lifestyle... Throughout Europe the Greens promote a change of lifestyle, something on which our common future depends. We are aware that our everyday decisions and simple actions are of great importance. Therefore: • we often cycle, walk or use public transport – trams, buses, the metro or local trains; • we cut down our meat consumption because of concerns for our health and the lives of animals. You may meet us in vegetarian cafés and restaurants;
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we talk – we organise debates and meetings on the subject of green politics;
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we think of the needs of future generations – in our political proposals we often talk of the future state of the world in 2050 or 2100;
• we use non-discriminatory language, i.e. we use female endings where appropriate because we know that language is an important element of the quality of public space;
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we campaign for human rights, both in Europe and in other parts of the world;
• we oppose and react to violence and other cases of law breaking;
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as well as being politicians, many of us are actively involved in the activities of non-governmental organisations; we run in elections because we believe that green politics is the key to answering current and future problems on a local and global scale.
This list is open to new green ideas. Get in touch with us if you would like to be a green politician. A green city is possible!
• we often buy organic, local and seasonal food which is better for us and the environment;
• we avoid buying unnecessary gadgets, we often buy ethical and environmentally friendly goods; • we save water – our taps do not drip; • we reduce waste, for example by not using disposable packaging or plastic bags. We segregate recyclable waste; • we save energy by replacing standard light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs, we switch electric equipment off instead of leaving it on standby; • most of us do not smoke, and those that do respect the rights of non-smokers.
In green manifesto, manifesto, we we In this this publication, publication, which which is is a a kind kind of urban green demonstrate that that cities cities should should be be „made „made to order” demonstrate order” for for their their citizens. citizens. They should be vibrant with life, create the right conditions for work, They should be vibrant with life, create the right conditions for work, rest and leisure, provide a democratic and open public space, ensure rest and leisure, provide a democratic and open public space, ensure equal opportunities for both both sexes, social disparity In this publication, which is a sexes, kind of eliminate urban green manifesto, we equal opportunities for social disparity and and remove architectural barriers. But that enough. cities demonstrate that cities should But be that „made to order” for Modern their citizens. remove architectural barriers. is not enough. Modern cities have fargreater greaterinfluence influence than than the the physical area which They should be vibrant with life, create the right conditions for work, have aafar which they they cover. cover. Therefore the political agenda of a green city of the new generation rest and leisure, provide a democratic and open public space, ensure Therefore the political agenda of a green city of the new generation cannot be limited to the streets and neighbourhoods: it must also reach equal opportunities for both sexes, eliminate social disparity and cannot be limited to the streets and neighbourhoods: it must also reach out far beyond the city’s boundaries. It must consider the effect that remove architectural barriers. But that is not enough. Modern cities out far beyond the city’s boundaries. It must consider the effect that our lifestyles are having on the development opportunities of people have a far greater influence than the physical area which they cover. our lifestyles are having on the development opportunities of people living in the global South, include the welfare of future generations in Therefore the political agenda of a green city of the new generation living in the global South, include the welfare of future generations in political visions and programmes and consider the rights and needs of cannot be limited to the streets and neighbourhoods: it must also reach political visions and programmes and consider the rights and needs of the diverse animal and plant world surrounding us. out far beyond the city’s boundaries. It must consider the effect that the diverse animal and plant world surrounding us. our lifestyles are having on the development opportunities of people We are aware that the cities in which we live are local, and the village We are aware that the cities in which we live are local, and the village living in the global South, include the welfare of future generations in – global. That is why the vision emerging in our publication concerns – global. That is why the vision emerging in our publication concerns political visions and programmes and consider the rights and needs of thinking and acting on both these levels: the local and the global. That thinking and acting on both these levels: the local and the global. That the diverse animal and plant world surrounding us. is our political perspective. is our political perspective. We are aware that the cities in which we live are local, and the village (from the introduction) (from the introduction) – global. That is why the vision emerging in our publication concerns thinking and acting on both these levels: the local and the global. That is our political perspective. (from the introduction)
ISBN 978-83-87605-91-4 ISBN 978-83-87605-91-4 ISBN 978-83-87605-91-4