<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/24/environment-france-emmanuel-macron-crisis-uk>
"While we remain transfixed by a handful of needy egotists in Westminster and
the crises they manufacture, across the Channel a revolution is happening. It’s
a quiet, sober, thoughtful revolution, but a revolution nonetheless. France is
seeking to turn itself into an ecological civilisation.
Like every government, the French administration should be going further and
faster to address the greatest predicament humankind has faced: the gathering
collapse of Earth systems. But you can measure the seriousness of the
government’s plan by its institutional commitment. France now has a ministry
for ecological transition. By the end of next year, the nation’s 25,000 most
senior civil servants will have been trained in the principles behind this
transition. By the next presidential election, in 2027, every public sector
worker will have had this training, tailored to their sector. Think about that:
5.6 million people will be taught about the biodiversity crisis, the climate
crisis and the natural resources crisis – how these phenomena relate to the
public services they supply and how public sector workers can use this
knowledge to change the way they work.
Already, in energy, water and resource conservation, France has done what the
UK government vaguely promises for 2040 or 2050 (I’ve come to see 2040 and 2050
as codewords for “never”). Let’s take a look at one of these programmes: waste
reduction. The French government has passed a circular economy law, which seeks
to stop the unnecessary use of resources. Single-use plastics are forbidden in
public procurement. Shops must allow people to bring refillable containers, and
charge lower prices when they do. Anywhere that people gather in large numbers
must be equipped with drinking fountains, as part of a wider plan to phase out
plastic bottles. Manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers are forbidden to
throw away unsold items: they must instead be given away or recycled, creating
an incentive to avoid overproduction.
The government is seeking to eliminate planned obsolescence. Major commercial
sectors – electrical and electronic equipment, toys, sports, leisure, DIY,
gardening, textiles, footwear and furniture – must pay into a repair fund.
Companies have to provide spare parts and repair instructions. Next year, some
sectors will need to display a “durability index” on their products.
Manufacturers are banned from using any strategy to restrict the repair or
longevity of the devices they sell, such as the software updates that slow down
phones and tablets."
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-wash-poverty-usa-seabird-conservation/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
