Should the Swiss economy be adapted to the planet’s ecological limits?
On February 9, Swiss voters will decide on the “environmental responsibility initiative”, spearheaded by the Young Greens.
Campaigners have proposed a new constitutional article obliging the national economy to operate within nature’s capacity for renewal within the next ten years. Resource use and pollution would not be allowed to exceed what ecosystems can withstand.
Proponents argue that this is essential to avoid the depletion of natural resources. But critics warn it could damage the economy and undermine Switzerland’s competitive edge.
What are your thoughts on this idea? Let us know!
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A ‘no’ vote forecast for the ‘environmental responsibility’ initiative
It is counter-productive for many reasons, for example it only lets Asian countries to pollute and abuse more. What would work instead is Switzerland using donations to pay for clean technology in Asia and Africa, where there are still tens of coal mines, plastic flows to ocean without recycling etc. It is more cost effective to reduce environment damage where least was done, rather than in Switzerland where much was done and the margin to reduce pollution is much lower. But Greens oppose it - perhaps because they are emotional and think only of what they see in Europe.
This is the usual useless initiative, because it is extreme and therefore ineffective, given Switzerland's negligible share of the global climate impact. The biggest polluters today are China, India and other countries that still burn too much coal, such as Germany. I am certain that this proposal will be rejected, as it comes at an already delicate, if not difficult, time for the Swiss economy, which, after all, still produces a lot of clean energy, such as hydroelectricity and nuclear power, as well as green energy, such as solar and wind power. Proportionally, Swiss pollution will be no more than 0.5% of China's!
È la solita iniziativa inutile perché estrema e perciò ad efficacia zero, considerata anche l'entità trascurabile della Svizzera nell'impatto climatico globale. I maggiori inquinatori oggi sono Cina, India e altri paesi che bruciano ancora troppo carbone, come ad es. la Germania . Sono certo che sarà bocciata, perché avviene in un momento già delicato, anzi difficile per l'economia svizzera, che tutto sommato produce tuttora molta energia pulita come l'idroelettrico e il nucleare, nonché quella verde come il solare e l'eolico. In proporzione, l'inquinamento svizzero sarà al massimo lo 0,5 % rispetto a quello Cinese!
To back up by facts: Switzerland share of global CO2 emissions 0,09%. China share: 34%, USA share 12%. as example, per Wikipedia. Even if people in Switzerland level all industry and move to living in wooden huts, eating wild berries and farming goats this will have no visible effect on global pollution.
Totally agree: our greens seem to have lost all sense of proportionality, which will end up backfiring.
Perfettamente d'accordo: i nostri verdi sembrano aver perso ogni senso di proporzionalità, il che finirà per ritorcersi contro.
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