Inside Europe: The Inside Take on European Affairs 12.12.09

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DATE : Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:05:00 GMT
Entered in Database : 2009-12-10 00:00:00
length : 26516263
Link to the Show / Show Notes

France goes nuclear to stop climate change - global warming snow joke for Russian reindeers - Greece goes green - olive harvest crushed by modern work - Mostar remains divided - German town misses British troops - Slow Food comes of age - Lights out at 10 for Paris - Young Italians dance to traditional folk music beat
France goes nuclear to fight global warming, but is it viable?

More than 15,000 participants are attending the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, including delegates from 192 countries. The goal of the talks is to agree on a long-term strategy on curbing greenhouse gases and funds for adapting to drought, flood, storms and rising seas unleashed by global warming.

Once considered dangerous, nuclear energy is now seen by many as a viable way to fight global warming because it doesn't produce carbon emissions. The French nuclear industry, a world leader, is poised to benefit from this change in mindset. But while President Nicolas Sarkozy has campaigned vigorously for France to export its nuclear know-how, critics say the success of the French nuclear model is an illusion.

Report: Eleanor Beardsley

The warming-up of the Arctic is one of the key topics at the Copenhagen summit. Rising sea levels could be a direct result of the melting away of ice at the North Pole. All around the Arctic, the effects of a temperature rise are visible.

Native inhabitants of the tundras in Europa, Asia and North America have difficulty in coping with the new reality. That also holds for the Saami reindeer herders on Russia’s Kola Peninsula, an area bordering on Norway and Finnish Lapland. In Russia hardly anyone doubts that our climate is indeed changing. But Russian scientists say they have no evidence that the changes will be for long, nor that they're the result of human activity.

Report: Geert Groot Koerkamp

Greece has long had a reputation for being the dirty man of Europe. Lack of respect for the environment has been endemic for years and polluters have got away with dumping toxic waste with impunity….among them, state owned industries. But the new socialist government, elected in October, has promised to turn the country green.

As one of her first tasks, the new Environment Minister has established an inspectorate with real teeth to crack down on polluters. Inside Europe has been to the town of Oinofyta, north of Athens, where cancer causing heavy metals are routinely dumped into the Asopos River.

Report: Malcolm Brabant

In many parts of Italy, adults get to act like kids this time of year. It’s not an abundance of Christmas spirit…it’s olive picking season.

Grown-ups, and little ones too, climb trees to collect olives to make the “liquid gold” for which Italy is renowned. But as we hear in this postcard from Nancy Greenleese, this tradition is getting crushed by the modern workplace.

For 14 months the city of Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina has been without a mayor. Local elections took place in October last year, but since then the parties representing Bosniak Muslims and Croats have not able to agree on a power sharing arrangement.

This failure reflects deep seated divisions in Mostar. The city was the scene of heavy fighting during the Bosnian war and since then attempts to unite the city's Muslims and Croats have failed to bridge the ethnic divide.

Report: Rob Turner

Germany provides proof that war and peacetime divisions can be overcome. British troops have been stationed in Germany since the end of the Second World War. But with that conflict and the Cold War now consigned to the history books, Britain may complete its troop withdrawal over the coming years.

The town of Osnabrück was once home to 12,000 British troops, making it the biggest British military base outside the UK. Last July, sixty-three years after first taking up their post there, British troops left the garrison town as part of a global reorganisation of British forces. Their departure has taken its toll on the local economy and community life and many locals say they miss the British troops.

Report: Michelle Martin

Slow Food is celebrating its brithday in style, with a range of events all over the world.

This week a group of schoolkids in Belarus were taught how to cook dishes using berries and herbs picked in local forests. In Australia, guests on board a river cruiser were told how to prepare native foods by aborigines. And in South Africa, women farmers sold their organic produce and traditional foods at a special market. All three events – and many more - were part of Terra Madre day. It was organized by Slow Food International which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The organization promotes the pleasures of the table, regional food cultures and local producers. Paolo Di Croce, is the director of Slow Food International and he told Helen Seeney more about this week's events.

Paris is often called the City of Light. But is it in danger of becoming the city of lights out after half past ten?

Musicians, DJs, club, bar and concert hall owners say nightlife in the French capital is being stifled by red tape, police harassment and complaining neighbours. They say Paris is in serious risk of dying of boredom and have launched a petition to save Paris-by-night.

Report: John Laurenson

Italians still know how to party. But in the south of Italy, more and more young people are dancing to the beat of folk songs.

Young musicians there are rediscovering the music of their great grandparents and mixing these traditional songs with electric guitars and violins to create new compositions. Traditional folk rhythms like the saltarello, ballarella and pizzica might not be as famous as rock or hip hop but they will certainly get you dancing.

Report: Stephanie Raison

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