Europe’s Environment in Bad Shape

During recent decades the environment in the EU has deteriorated greatly, as has the global environment. Many indicators, provided by the EU, by official international organizations and institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), support this statement. The loss of biodiversity, for example, continues at an unprecedented speed. The degradation of forests, desertification and the loss of fertile soil continue. The supply of clean water declines in tandem with the pollution of the oceans and of freshwater reservoirs. The use of land for production sites, urban enlargements, waste disposal and above all transportation has increased considerably. Already shrinking natural spaces are therefore diminishing further. The main trend to individualization in transportation (cars) and housing (single apartment) has not been halted, so that formerly natural spaces are continuously and inevitably being transformed into artificial economic spaces. Last but not least, the greenhouse effect has not been stopped in spite of many endeavours to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In October 2004 leading scientists expressed concern about an unexpected CO2 rise in the atmosphere measured by the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii for 2002 and 2003. ‘The sinister aspect of the most recent peak … is that it may represent the beginnings of a feedback …’ (The Independent, 11 October 2004).