From our experts

Climate and health

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Gerben ter Riet Epidemiologists love the term ‘risk’. They try to quantify health risks. This is not easy when it comes to health risks as a result of man-made global warming. Health itself is a difficult concept. In the past, it meant ‘absence of disease’, but later it came to refer to complete physical, mental … Read more

Climate crisis and political crisis

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Sander Otte My name is Sander Otte, professor of technical physics at Delft University of Technology. My area of expertise is quantum physics. You may not immediately associate quantum physics with the climate problem. However, there is an important connection. Only quantum physics can explain why a carbon dioxide molecule absorbs infrared radiation, while a … Read more

With citizens at the wheel, heading in the right direction

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Sergej van Middendorp On Monday 1 December, the National Citizens’ Climate Assembly presented its advice to the government. In a comprehensive report, the 175 Dutch citizens who formed the assembly made 23 recommendations in response to the question posed by politicians to the citizens’ assembly: “How can we, as the Netherlands, eat, use goods and … Read more

Make the super-rich pay

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The myth of the ‘self-made millionaire’ conceals a system of privilege and exploitation  Eva de Bock & Anna Sach Welcome to the community of greatness. Be here & be great. At first glance, this bombastic, elitist language seems to come straight from Trumpian political theatre, far removed from the down-to-earth attitude of the Netherlands. Yet these … Read more

The EU and 1.5 °C

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Arthur Oldeman The EU presented new emission targets (90% reduction compared to 1990 by 2040 and between 66% and 72% by 2035) on top of the already established 55% by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. The EU claims to be committed to the 1.5 °C target in the Paris Agreement. However, a calculation based … Read more

Gender equality is essential for climate justice

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Eva de Bock No country in the world has yet achieved full gender equality. Globally, women earn less than men, are less likely to be in paid employment and have less access to education, land and financial resources. Moreover, the effects of climate change hit women harder, reinforcing existing gender inequalities. At the same time, … Read more