Sustainable development

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Sustainable development

 

It's nice to drive electric

The arrival of the first four-person electric car means that 'clean driving' is now possible in the Netherlands. And if the car uses green electricity it will not emit any CO2. The electrification of the roads has begun.

 

Evolution or creation? Darwin under fire

Charles Darwin set out his evolutionary theory in On the Origin of Species, a book published 150 years ago. Reason enough for strictly orthodox Christians to try and put Darwin's importance in perspective.

 

Photographer shows true face of slums

In 2008, it was calculated that one billion people worldwide live in slums. A young Norwegian photographer recently published a book on slums, with photos he took in Caracas, Jakarta, Nairobi and Mumbai.

 

Indian villagers manage to keep out chemical plant

People power in India: villagers and farmers from the Pune district succeed in preventing chemicals giant Dow building a new facility. How did this tiny mouse topple that giant elephant?

 

New fish hooks herald better future for sea turtles

Many more turtles could survive in the eastern Pacific ocean if fishermen stopped using traditional fish hooks. In 2003, the World Wide Fund for Nature took the initiative to do just that.

 

A premier! The recyclable caravan

A Dutch chalet builder is selling a type of caravan which is five times more energy efficient than the kind used until today. It is also 90 percent recyclable.

 

Dutch architect to design new Barcelona district

An international jury has asked the Dutch architect Kees Kaan to design a new neighbourhood on the outskirts of Barcelona between the airport and the centre of the Spanish city.

 

Still the biggest X factor: the Universe

Astronomers have been scanning the skies for 400 years, and still there is much to discover. As technology improves, scientists are reaching further and further into space.

 

Slumdog Millionaire wows film world

Irish director Danny Boyle's new film Slumdog Millionaire is taking the movie world by storm but how will the citizens of Mumbai react to the poverty depicted in the film?

 

Paid parking for cyclists proposed

It's a birthright of the Netherlands' cyclists: the right to park your bicycle anywhere you like. Dutch Railways are now planning the unthinkable: charging cyclists for a parking spot. Watch our video.

 

Islamic banking - the answer to the credit crunch?

Islamic banks seem immune from the current credit crisis. Could Islamic banking be a viable alternative to the discredited capitalist system?

 

Gas fuels heated argument in Ireland

We all want gas. The gas price dispute between Russia and Ukraine and the subsequent cuts in supply highlight the need for alternative sources. But the village of Rossport in Ireland says 'No'.

 

Emerging economies take the lead in Poznan

Little leadership at the UN climate conference in Poland was shown by the divided EU, or by the US which is waiting for the Obama changeover. It was emerging economies like China, Brazil and Mexico that took a firm lead.

 

Mining in Potosi

The silver mine in the Bolivian town of Potosi went from boom to bust when markets collapsed, but it is now seeing a resurgence of interest in zinc and tin mining. Working conditions, however, remain basic.

 

Flooded - Dutch farms make way for water

The Netherlands' struggle with water goes on as ever. But the way in which the Dutch manage that struggle is changing. Building stronger dykes is no longer enough, the rivers need room to expand, to overflow.

 

Open-pit mining - a necessary evil?

South America has a wealth of natural resources, with gold and copper forming prime exports. The difficulty lies in their extraction. Open-pit mining is a widely-used method, but at what cost to the environment?

 

Water has become big business in Spain

Persistent drought, climate change and desertification have all contributed to a decreasing supply of water in southern Spain. Those affected often try to solve this by illegally pumping up underground water.

 

Interactive radio for justice

The Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC, has been at war for most of the past decade. One local radio programme is trying to raise awareness about human rights, justice and reconciliation.

 

Change in US brings hope to climate talks

Representatives of 192 countries are in Poznan to continue where they left off during last year's climate conference in Bali. They have serious work to get through, but the outcome of the US elections may help a little.

 

Dutch Darwin freed in Brazil

Dutch-born primatologist Marc van Roosmalen will not have to return to prison after Brazil's Court of Appeal commuted a 14-year term he received for bio-piracy in 2007.

 

Earthship: Hobbit cave or test lab?

The concept of the Earthship - an invention of US architect Michael Reynolds - has been around for decades. But is it a realistic option for sustainable housing construction or just an old hippie dream?

 

Not under my house!

An old natural gas field will be used to store CO2 released by industries in the Rotterdam harbour. Residents of a nearby town are worried, since the CO2 will be stored under their homes.

 

Do wind farms threaten marine life?

Green energy is good, but what are the effects on marine life of laying foundations for offshore wind farms? Prof. Han Lindeboom of the Dutch Imares Maritime Research Institute has been looking into the issue.

 

Preparing for the worst

The Netherlands, a country partially below sea-level, is tucked away safely behind dykes and dunes. What if they're breached, causing wide-spread flooding? A large-scale drill was held to find out.

 

What is World Responsible Tourism Day?

When you go on holiday, do you ever consider the fact that you may be negatively impacting the people in the area you visit? Well, the sponsors of World Reponsible Tourism Day think that you should.

 

Does Rwanda deserve development assistance?

The upsurge in violence in the DRC has triggered calls for an end to Dutch development aid to Rwanda.

 

Easy, low-carbon living in chic Stockholm suburb

A chic, high-tech suburb of Stockholm could hold part of the answer to reducing daily energy and waste consumption as part of the global battle to fight climate change.

 

Energy in abundance!

The supply of renewable energy will in future be multifaceted. The only way to ensure that we will have a sufficient supply of power in the long run is to place our bets on as many horses as possible.

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