War in Europe, weeks 117 through 118, and weeks 33 through 34

Ukraine is still short on ammunition, but luckily, most partners have finally allowed their weapons to be used against targets in Russia. The Tsar is not happy. Maybe Germany will now send Taurus cruise missiles?

In the Israeli-Arab war, year another ceasefire proposal has come and gone. Hopefully, Benjamin Gantz will leave the government today! But there’s no hope or change for the people of Gaza on the horizon.

Last Friday, we had an EU-wide climate strike to highlight the dangers to our climate coming from right-wing parties – there won’t be climate justice without democracy, and we need to fight to protect both.

This Sunday, we have the actual European election. The minimum age for voting in these elections is 16, and it’s an absolute privilege to vote.

Andate, elettori, andate!

(Zum Konraderhof, Hürth, 6/6/24)

 

War in Europe, week 116 and week 32

Supplies from the US have started to arrive on the frontlines, enabling Ukraine to halt the onslaught of the Tsar’s troops. We now need the Western governments to ship more weapons, especially long-range weapons, to turn the tide and allow Ukraine to free the occupied oblasts. Looking at you, Olaf Scholz!

There is nothing positive to report from the Israeli-Arab war; talks about a cease-fire have stalled, and the right-wing government in Israel is pursuing the complete destruction of Gaza.

Heavy rain has caused massive flooding in the Saarland and the state of Rhineland Palatinate. While the science between heavy rain and heating is clear, our politicians still believe that burning fossil fuels is a good idea. #DontLookUp

The European elections are in early June, and we really need to get everybody to vote progressive to save the Green Deal in Europe! On Friday, May 31, Fridays for Future will hold rallies to support voting all over Europe.

(Technologie, Toleranz, Talente – Green Tech Festival, Berlin, 5/17/24)

War in Europe, weeks 90 and 91, weeks 6 and 7

The war in Ukraine drags on, and the Tsar continues to slaughter innocent civilians for his personal gain.

Unfortunately, the Tsar has found a new ally in Europe – the Dutch have elected a far-right politician for president. Together with Hungary’s president, the two ultra-nationalists do not bode well for our efforts to protect the Ukraine and thus ourselves against the Tsar’s imperialist ambitions.

The Arab-Israeli war has entered a new phase, with a temporary truce and the exchange of hostages. For the sake of the people living there, I hope they will soon reach a step toward lasting peace!

But I am skeptical; the military leaders of Hamas, like the Tsar, have no interest in protecting the lives and well-being of civilians; their only interest lies in their respective ideologies of power and the illusion of their own grandeur.

Two weeks from now, the Earth Social Conference will start in Casanare, Colombia. The program is almost complete, logistics are in place, and I can’t wait to meet all the other climate activists from around the globe to build a realistic alternative to the COP.

KubeCon in Chicago was good but less energetic than the spring conference in Amsterdam. And there were new Geekos!

(Geekos on the shelf, Cologne, 11/16.23)

Summer Break

The war is raging on, and all other crises are also going strong.

It’s time for a break – the blog will return in September.

Here’s a selection of upcoming climate rallies and protests:

See you there!

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(AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline, Crunchyroll, 8/7/22)

War in Europe, week twenty-three

The heat has lessened, but the crises remain:

  • The Tsar is trying to expand his empire and murdering everyone standing in his way; he’s showing his apparent disdain for western democracy and our open and tolerant way of life.
  • Prices are rising, especially for energy, and might soon lead to social unrest.
  • The climate is collapsing since we’re not stopping the use of fossil fuels fast enough.
  • Pandemics are on the rise, and we’re not acting fast enough for fear of upsetting a vocal minority of fear mongers.

Sometimes I miss the early 2000s when I still believed flying, driving a car, or eating meat and animal products were okay. And sometimes, I feel powerless as an individual looking at the magnitude of change that will be necessary to survive as a species.

So, what can we do? Live our life as it is necessary to overcome the crises and safeguard our planet for future generations!

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(South Bridge, Cologne, 7/18/22)

War in Europe, weeks sixteen and seventeen

As the crises continue, I’m running out of things to write:

  • The Tsar is still killing people
  • The Climate Emergency is still killing people
  • The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still killing people

These three disasters are connected, and we can tie them to using fossil fuels and over-consumption.

Unfortunately, our governments are not doing much about these issues besides lip service. So, what can we as individuals do?

  • Send money to Ukraine
  • Switch to bicycles and public transport
  • Wear a mask and get vaccinated

And join the rallies worldwide, trying to pressure our governments to look up and act!

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(Bicycle rally, Cologne, 6/19/22)

War in Europe, week fifteen

There is nothing new to report: The Tsar is still waging his bloody war against Ukraine, causing pointlessly immeasurable suffering.

My government is still not acting to support the people of Ukraine and keeps hiding quite cowardly behind formalities.

There is also no decisive action from their side against the impending climate emergency and no preparation whatsoever for a resurgence of Covid-19 in the fall.

Oh well.

At least there is United 24 to offer direct support to Ukraine as an individual.

The incidence rate in Cologne is flat at 210 right now.

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(Gloomy rain, Cologne, 5/29/22)

War in Europe, week fourteen

“At times like this, all we can do is practice the world we’re trying to live in.”

(Quote taken from TeenVogue: Roe and Privacy Rights by Namrata Verghese)

And indeed, this is all we can do if we do not want to succumb to despair.

I am utterly disgusted by the inaction of my government towards the war in Ukraine – they are altogether abandoning any pretense to support the people there but focusing solely on economic gains.

Covid-19 is in the usual summer slump but far from over – the incidence rate in Cologne is at 210 right now; we can expect new viruses to emerge relatively soon.

And don’t get me started on the climate emergency – even though the danger is a little less immediate than the war, it is a much more significant threat to our planet and species. Just look up!

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(100 Maps and the War, Katapult Magazine, May 2022)

War in Europe, week thirteen

The tsarist autocracy is still waging its bloody war against the people of Ukraine. And our government is still holding back on support.

I had expected much better from the ruling Social Democrats. Still, they are unfazed in their allegiance to Russia, even though they suffered a massive defeat in the last state elections.

Especially our chancellor seems to be utterly tone-deaf to the needs of the Ukrainian people and public support for them in Germany.

But this is only one of the three crises we currently face: There is the climate emergency and the fossil fuel lobby that is trying to reverse the course towards renewable energy and the 1.5-degree goal. And Covid-19 is far from over, as the current spread of monkeypox shows.

We staged a state-wide rally this Saturday to pressure our politicians to address all three crises, stop importing energy from Russia, and secure a future for our planet.

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(NRW rally, Roncalli Platz, 5/21/22)