Ecology

Photo: Paul Blakeman. Licence: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0. Original: Flickr.

Introduction

Climate Change & Sustainable Development

Ecology and sustainable development are central areas for securing the future of humanity – areas which should by no means be treated as a political football.
It is to the credit of the green movement within and outside parliaments that ecology has become one of the main arenas of politics. There is hardly another subject which, within the last 30 years, has been thus transformed from the concern of a few scientists, activists (often thought of as "nutters") into a topic of world conferences.

On the other hand the 1997 UN summit Rio+ 5 produced a sobering account of the state of sustainable policy: Almost universally the agenda of ecological change has been displaced by the agenda of globalisation. This trend is noticable in Germany, too, where unemployment and the controversy concerning investor-friendly policy have superseded ecology as main issues of political debate.

At present the Heinrich Böll Foundation puts the main emphasis on the areas global energy and climate policy, i.e. discussions about the opportunities of renewable energy and the problems of nuclear power.

Energiewende Blog

Resource Governance

Report

Unconventional and Unwanted: The Case Against Shale Gas

February 26, 2013 -

Shale gas is promoted as a safe and clean energy source that can help Europe increase its energy security and provide an affordable transition to a low carbon economy. The US experience, however, has shown what serious environmental and human health concerns are related to fracking. This report examines the uncertainties of shale gas and calls for an EU-wide moratorium.

Download (PDF)

Add to basket

Video Special

Farewell to the growth society

- January 31, 2013 - During economic downturns, the debate about the limits of growth becomes increasingly important. The "décroissance" movement, which originated in France, proposes a departure from the model of a society based on a perpetually growing economy. Advocates of "decroissance" argue against growth in favour of “having less to live better” and propose an economic degrowth. Karin de Miguel Wessendorf more»

Oil Slick, Foto: arbyreed, Quelle: flickr.com, Lizenz: CC BY-NC 2.0

Dossier

Unconventional Oil: A Challenge for Local Communities

- With conventional oil production in decline, the global oil industry is investing heavily in dirtier and riskier forms of oil and also in unconventional resources, such as tar sands, and oil shale. All are difficult and costly to produce, usually more carbon intensive than conventional oil and may have calamitous long-term impacts on the local environment.

Christopher Walker more»

Will Qatar Push for a Climate Spring?

- November 1, 2012 - Qatar, that faces many problems of climate change that many small island states do, has a golden opportunity to continue demonstrating leadership in the region beyond supporting the different revolutions. As the host of COP 18, Qatar should not only play the host but should also put climate change as the top political priority – now and in the future.

Wael Hmaidan more»

Israel's first solar field in the Arava Valley

Climate Change Policy in Israel Must Become a National Priority

- November 1, 2012 - The “startup nation” Israel that exports solar technology abroad and is famous for the early implementation of solar water heaters is failing to implement renewable energy sources at home. Public awareness is low and the government lacks a coherent strategy even though impacts already affect the country: African climate refugees seeking water, food and shelter. Maya Milrad-Givon more»

Climate and Energy

Interview

"What we’re missing today is a clear and global vision for the future"

April 26, 2013 - Cécile Maisonneuve is Director of the Center for Energy of the Institut Français des Relations Internationales. Paul Hockenos talked with her about the German Energiewende, France’s energy future and the public debate about the renewables, which is only just beginning. more»

Interview

"So there’s no critical discourse about energy-related topics"

- April 25, 2013 - Martin Bursik is deputy leader of the Greens and chairperson of the Chamber of Renewable Energy Resources in Prague. Paul Hockenos talked with him about the renewables, the problem that Germany’s electricity flows swamping the Czech grid and the missing public debate about energy-related topics in Czech. more»

Conference report

Energiewende – Think Again!

- April 25, 2013 - Germany resolved to go down the path of its energy transition – the Energiewende. But it became clear very quickly at the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s two-day conference entitled “Energiewende – Think European!” in Berlin, there’s a lot of skepticism about and even deep-seated resentment toward Germany’s energy policies. Poles and the French, Czechs and Brits, in fact most of the EU27, are not on the same page as Germany. Paul Hockenos more»

Videos

Energiewende – Think European!

- April 11, 2013 - Our international conference took place on April 9th/10th and gave speakers from across Europe a chance to talk about the opportunities in and obstacles towards an Energiewende in Europe. Here you find video recordings of the talks and discussions. more»

Survey

Powering Africa through Feed-In Tariffs

- March 20, 2013 - Africa is facing a severe energy crisis and fails to meet the increasing demand for electricity. Renewable Energy Feed-in Tarifs (REFiTs) is one tool that has been successful in increasing the use of renewable technologies worldwide. This comprehensive study comissioned by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung and the World Future Council shows that REFiTs can unlock renewable energy development in Africa. more»

Download (PDF)

Add to basket

Ecology and Society

Audio

Green Lecture: Rob Hopkins

May 10, 2013 - Rob Hopkins is one of the founders of the Transition movement. In this talk, which he gave in conjunction with our new lecture series "Green Lectures" he explains the approach of the movement in a global context. The event took place on February 28th. more»

Transition Towns: Initiatives of Transformation

- April 18, 2013 - Today there are more than 500 “official” Transition Town initiatives in more than 38 countries, and several thousand more are in the process of formation in many cities, towns and regions across the world. But what is it that makes the Transition model so attractive for so many extremely different people and cultures? Gerd Wessling more»

Share or Die – A Challenge for Our Times

- April 17, 2013 - In the past, we tended to see cities as dirty, unnatural, and isolating places; today, citizens and urban planners alike are starting to see their potential for generating widespread well-being at low financial and environmental cost. People want the streets to make room for pedestrians and bicyclists, and for civic engagement and for sharing. Neal Gorenflo more»

The Economy of Wastefulness: The Biology of the Commons

- April 17, 2013 - There is an all-enclosing commons-economy which has been successful for billions of years: The biosphere is neither efficient nor does it know property. Nature embodies the commons paradigm par excellence and can therefore provide us with a powerful methodology of the commons as a natural and social ecology. Andreas Weber more»

Green Economics

Higher Environmental Taxes as Solution to the Economic and Financial Crisis

December 11, 2012 - The EU countries affected by the crisis find themselves in a dilemma. They have to ensure economic growth and employment while, at the same time, they need to reduce costs and save money through higher taxes. A new survey indicates: environmental taxes are the most effective tool in this context – and simultaneously conserve resources.
Kai Schlegelmilch more»

Policy paper

Biomassters Battle to Control the Green Economy

- June 12, 2012 - At Rio+20, the concept of the "green economy" focuses on industrial production from biomass as one way to overcome fossil fuel dependency. The push for a bio-based economy comes with a call for market-based mechanisms for the financialization of the Earth’s natural processes, re-branded as ‘ecosystem services’, which also encourage land and water grabs. etc Group and Heinrich Boell Foundation more»

Protests for Social Justice: A Green New Deal for Israel?

- August 17, 2011 - During the ongoing housing protests in Israel, the Green Movement just released the first draft of a Green New Deal. Two chairpersons of the Green Movement link their economic plan with the currrent protests for social justice. Alon Tal and Racheli Tedhar Kener more»

Policy Brief

Design challenges for the Green Climate Fund

- January 18, 2011 - One of the achievements of the UNFCCC negotiations in Cancun was the decision to establish a Green Climate Fund (GCF). This paper highlights design issues of the Fund and describes their implications. Neil Bird, Jessica Brown and Liane Schalatek more»

Study

A Matter of Principle(s) - A Normative Framework for a Global Compact on Public Climate Finance

- November 26, 2010 - How can we assure, that tax money used for public climate change finance are used as fairly, efficiently and effectively as possible? A study suggests principles and criteria that the public sector should take into account in the allocation of funds for urgent action in developing countries to adapt and reduce emissions. By Liane Schalatek more»

15.5.	Sicherheitspolitik im Wandel - Beweist Syrien das Ende des Prinzips der Schutzverantwortung? Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
17.5.	„Footprints of my Other“ - Filmabend und Diskussion - Filmreihe “Her Stories - Filmmakers with African Roots”
21.5.	Understanding Pakistan: Media in the political process – a fourth power in the state? - Lecture Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
31.5.	Ungarn 2014 - Herausforderungen für die demokratische Opposition Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
3.6.	Understanding Pakistan: Educating the youth - financial burden or future potential? - Lecture Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
11.6.	„Green Lecture“ mit Michael T. Klare: Die Welt im Rohstoffrausch - Was bleibt übrig? - Internationale Vortragsreihe zu Zukunftsfähigkeit, nachhaltiger Entwicklung und Ressourcengerechtigkeit Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
13.6.	Kurzfilme von Afro-Europäischen Fimemacherinnen - Filmreihe “Her Stories - Filmmakers with African Roots”
20./21. 6.	High-Tech-Kriege - 14. Außenpolitische Jahrestagung - Herausforderungen für Frieden und Sicherheit in Zeiten von Drohnen, Robotern und digitaler Kriegführung Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
20./21. 6.	High-Tech Wars - 14th Annual Foreign Policy Conference - Challenges to peace and security in times of drones, robots and digital warfare Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin
1.- 11.9.	Chicago - Hamburgs Partnerstadt in den USA

Facebook	Twitter
YouTube	Flickr