French president calls
for ban on genetically engineered crops
and energy wasting lightbulbs - Paris, France
— Nicolas Sarkozy, France's President, yesterday
called for an environmental "revolution".
Among other measures, he promised to outlaw
energy wasting lightbulbs by 2010, ban commercial
growing of genetically modified food and
feed crops, and use the precautionary principle
for all future government decisions. If
yesterday's words become laws, and those
laws become deeds, it could be the spark
that changes the world.
Genetically engineered crop ban
France - the EU's biggest agricultural
producer - is the sixth government in Europe
to ban genetic engineered crops. (Austria,
Germany, Greece, Hungary and Poland are
the other five.) The only genetically engineered
crop currently grown in France is Monsanto's
genetically engineered maize (MON810).
It's not clear if what was announced is
a permanent ban, or a temporary measure.
Sarkozy did cite three good reasons to avoid
growing genetically engineered crops:
Doubts about their usefulness.
Doubts about their benefits for health and
the environment.
Concerns about their uncontrolled dissemination.
"We're calling on other governments
inside and outside of Europe to follow this
positive example," said Greenpeace
campaigner Geert Ritsema. "And to put
the interest of citizens and the environment
before the interests of a handful of multinational
corporations such as Monsanto, Bayer, and
BASF that produce and sell genetically engineered
crops."
Saving energy
Lightbulb manufactures themselves are calling
for an end to energy wasting lightbulbs
in Europe by 2019. Sarkozy scores considerably
better with his target of 2010.
Compact fluorescent lightbulbs use one-fifth
the energy of traditional incandescents
lightbulbs. Switching to energy saving bulbs
in the EU alone, would save 20 million tonnes
of CO2, equal to shutting down 25 medium-size
dirty power plants.
Greenpeace campaigner Sharon Becker said,
"We hope that this measure will open
the eyes of other EU countries and that
the energy efficiency standards needed to
ban these bulbs, will pave the way for a
broader spectrum of standards, for example
for electronics and appliances."
Sarkozy also called for more use of train
transport, and better fuel efficiency for
cars. Following through on the promise of
cars which emit on average 120 gram of CO2
per kilometre by 2012 would have a knock-on
effect globally by fully commercializing
existing technology.
Nuclear - lack of progress
Although Sarkozy gushed about renewable
energy, it's clear France is not quite ready
to give up its nuclear addiction. France
has 59 operating nuclear reactors, and is
building a new one based on what is called
the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) design.
France is also marketing its nuclear technology
to countries like the UK, US, China, Canada,
Brazil and Morocco. Already there is an
EPR nuclear plant under construction in
Finland - years behind schedule, over a
billion euros over budget and plagued by
more than 1,000 documented quality problems.
"It is good that Sarkozy agreed to
phase out energy wasting bulbs," said
Greenpeace campaigner Jan Beranek. "But
by saying A he should also say B, which
is that thanks to plans for improved efficiency,
there is no need for additional reactors
in France."
Sustainability first
From now on in France, the burden of proof
must be placed on ecologically destructive
activities, according to Sarkozy. Rather
than environmentalists having to show that
there's a better way, companies and people
proposing ecologically destructive decisions
need to prove there is no other choice.
This is probably the most important idea
put forward by Sarkozy. It's very similar
to the precautionary principle championed
by Greenpeace and other environmental groups:
The precautionary principle is a moral
and political principle which states that
if an action or policy might cause severe
or irreversible harm to the public, in the
absence of a scientific consensus that harm
would not ensue, the burden of proof falls
on those who would advocate taking the action.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Following the precautionary principle is
the route to sustainable economies and a
healthy planet for future generations. Applying
it thoroughly would be a true revolution.
