Comments on: Solar PoweRING the Mediterranean http://carbonnation.info/2008/11/09/solar-powering-the-mediterranean/ Exit Strategies for the Climate Conundrum Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:43:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: pfairley http://carbonnation.info/2008/11/09/solar-powering-the-mediterranean/#comment-443 pfairley Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:16:06 +0000 http://carbonnation.wordpress.com/?p=291#comment-443 Thanks for the comments Fabrice. I am certainly not alone in my assessment of Europe as increasingly xenophobic. See for example this <a href="http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2004/issue4/0404p32.html" rel="nofollow">assessment of the 2004 European Parliament elections</a> by a UK parliamentarian, or this announcement by the EU presidency that <a href="http://www.eu2007.de/en/News/Press_Releases/January/0129BMJantiracism.html" rel="nofollow">"outlawing racism and xenophobia throughout Europe"</a> was back on the EU agenda. Switzerland's largest party affirmed the EU's concern last summer when it issued campaign posters calling for immigration reform by depicting <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/31/europe/EU-GEN-Switzerland-Deportation-Campaign.php?WT.mc_id=rssfrontpage" rel="nofollow">"three white sheep kicking out a black sheep over a caption that read 'for more security'"</a>. It goes without saying, of course, that many Europeans decry (rather than deny) this turn towards bigotry and exclusion. And that the same trend holds elsewhere -- as among those Americans, for example, who sought to <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/17/081117fa_fact_grann" rel="nofollow">demonize Barack Obama as an associate of terrorists</a>. As for my unabashed optimism, it is for our capacity to reverse the trend, in part, by creating tighter energy connections between Europe and North Africa, including the emerging Mediterranean Ring electric power network. Thanks for the comments Fabrice. I am certainly not alone in my assessment of Europe as increasingly xenophobic. See for example this assessment of the 2004 European Parliament elections by a UK parliamentarian, or this announcement by the EU presidency that “outlawing racism and xenophobia throughout Europe” was back on the EU agenda. Switzerland’s largest party affirmed the EU’s concern last summer when it issued campaign posters calling for immigration reform by depicting “three white sheep kicking out a black sheep over a caption that read ‘for more security’”.

It goes without saying, of course, that many Europeans decry (rather than deny) this turn towards bigotry and exclusion. And that the same trend holds elsewhere — as among those Americans, for example, who sought to demonize Barack Obama as an associate of terrorists.

As for my unabashed optimism, it is for our capacity to reverse the trend, in part, by creating tighter energy connections between Europe and North Africa, including the emerging Mediterranean Ring electric power network.

]]> By: Fabrice Magnan de Bornier http://carbonnation.info/2008/11/09/solar-powering-the-mediterranean/#comment-442 Fabrice Magnan de Bornier Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:34:10 +0000 http://carbonnation.wordpress.com/?p=291#comment-442 "an increasingly xenophobic Europe" ? 1. What is the scientific evidence behind such a strong, although unsubstanciated, comment? 2. I would not call this "unabashed optimism " ! Regards, “an increasingly xenophobic Europe” ?

1. What is the scientific evidence behind such a strong, although unsubstanciated, comment?

2. I would not call this “unabashed optimism ” !

Regards,

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