More than 250 non-government organisations from across Europe have today released an alternative vision for a more democratic, just and sustainable Europe.
Intended to influence the debate on the future direction of Europe, this alternative vision is endorsed by organisations representing a multitude of public interest issues, including labour rights, culture, development, environment, health, women's rights, youth, and anti-discrimination groups.
At this very moment, harvesters are logging some of the most precious parts of the Białowieża forest in Poland, one of Europe's last remaining primeval forests, where natural processes have continued without human intervention for thousands of years.
A group of nine Czech men and women – officially supported by Hnutí DUHA/Friends of the Earth Czech Republic – joined the Polish non-violent blockade of the logging of the Natura 2000 and UNESCO-protected natural heritage site.
The Co-Chair of Friends of the Earth Russia, Dr. Andrey Laletin, was honoured with the Sandro Urushadze Award today in recognition of his lifelong dedication to the world's forests and the indigenous peoples who populate them.
Individual activists could be facing more dangerous conditions, according to a new report on Russian civil society published by Friends of the Earth Norway.
The report "Pressure towards Russian environmental NGOs" expresses concerns about the future of Russian civil society, following the labelling of a third Russian partner organisation of Friends of the Earth Norway as a "foreign agent". The Russian organisation Kola Environmental Center are involved in important cross-border work with Friends of the Earth Norway.
Following the success of the #NatureAlert campaign to save Europe's strong nature protection laws, the European Commission has today issued plans to put the laws into action.
Nature in the Czech Republic received a welcome boost earlier this month, as the Czech Parliament finalised a new law better protecting national parks from logging and construction – after Hnutí DUHA / Friends of the Earth Czech Republic's 'chci divocinu' ('I want wilderness') campaign.
Europeans have some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression and other non-infectious diseases in the world. At the same time, the European project itself is facing its own epidemic of angst and self-doubt. Today, on World Health Day, one overlooked remedy could help improve both people's health and the condition of the European Union: nature.
Access to nature is vital for health, well-being and social justice
Go for a walk in nature, get some fresh air, feel good. We know that being in nature helps us improve our mood, feel connected, and is unquestionably good for our well-being.
But studies show that regular access to nature gives us tangible health benefits – and can even save lives.
Good for health
As the world marks the international day of forests, researchers find that failing to provide access to nature to deprived communities could entrench health inequality.
A review of available evidence points to a strong link between lack of access to nature areas and poor health outcomes and inequality. It associates nature deprivation with higher obesity levels, mental health problems, and mortality rates.
The building of an EU-funded motorway linking Bulgaria and Greece, through Kresna Gorge – a stunning wildlife haven protected by EU nature laws – would be a disaster for nature and local people, and could result in up to €781 million being returned to the European Commission, claim Bulgarian and international NGO experts.