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The Netherlands has barely any nature left, almost everything here is artificial. Rivers have been relayed, dykes have been raised. Nearly all our forests have
by seper8 4y ago
The Netherlands has barely any nature left, almost everything here is artificial. Rivers have been relayed, dykes have been raised. Nearly all our forests have been planted. In other places all trees were cut, and a desert-esque ecosystem was the result: the Loonse/Drunense dunes.
Even the "typical" Dutch heather fields are a product of our destruction. Because when we drained the swamp (haha) and removed its top layer to use as fuel, we left a very mineral deficient soil, which is very suitable for growing heather.
Now some biologists have decided that some areas (nature2000) should remain exactly as artificial as they are now, forever. And that some plants, insects and birds were more valuable than others. Thats why the farms surrounding these areas suddenly need to go. Even builders are having a hard time getting permits, because this also produces nitrogen oxide.
The political parties who support these farm closures funnily enough are the same parties who don't want immigration to the Netherlands to be restricted... Like we can just keep on growing in population forever and our "nature" won't suffer from it. Ok.
Personally I think we shouldn't sacrifice our economy / home building capabilities for protecting our "nature", which in my opinion is nothing more than a poorly maintained park. I feel like we are becoming victim to some biologists pet project. Maybe the proponents of this policy should raise money and purchase the farmlands themselves. Costs about 6 euro per m2 here.
- jurmous 4y agoIf you see the map of ESA, something is going totally out of control in the Netherlands: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2019/03/Nitrogen_dioxide_over_Europe https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2019/03/Nitrogen_d... Any local species of plants, insects, birds will be wiped out and we will get back a totally different ecosystem. We would also create worse effects on our own health: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_dioxide#Health_effects_of_NO2_exposure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_dioxide#Health_effect... What the Netherlands is doing is not sustainable, and we should use our innovations to just lower output of those gases. Some farms already have shown that with some use of different food for the cows they can radically lower output of those gases.
- seper8 4y agoIf you are Dutch, https://nos.nl/collectie/13799/artikel/2304403-stikstof-vier-vragen-en-antwoorden-over-de-uitstoot-van-boeren https://nos.nl/collectie/13799/artikel/2304403-stikstof-vier... As you can see their output of NO2 has mostly DECREASED in the past decades...
- Denvercoder9 4y agoSure, but the problem being much worse 30 years ago doesn't mean there's no problem now.
- seper8 4y agoThese "natura" 2000 areas were designated in 1992. Since then, nitrogen output has decreased from 289 million kilos to 106 million kilos... Now to "protect" these pieces of nature and "maintain" their health, they want to decrease it even more?
- erichocean 4y agoThat does add a wrinkle that makes the whole thing seem pretty suspect, at least to this US-based outsider.
- Rochus 4y ago> The Netherlands has almost no nature left But you have wolves, and they like to eat the dike sheep.