For the environment (3) and for us
Canon EOS 350D     17mm     1/250s     f/5.0     ISO400    
Today, 25 most recent, 25 random images

For the environment (3) and for us

Taken: 22 September 2006, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

I previously wrote about the 80km/h zones around the major cities in the Netherlands. About how I think they’re bad for the environment, where the purpose of these zones is to improve the environment. Prior to writing those posts, I also thought of some other things why the 80km/h zones should be undone, but I forgot those reasons while actually writing those posts.
According to the government, the area within some the zones have less pollution since the zones were initiated. That doesn’t say anything about the air quality outside of the zones. And the increased traffic jams in and around the zones.

I already wrote about the possible impacts on the environment, but the zones are also bad for us. For us (me and you), the people, as well as for us, the country.

I don’t encourage driving over the maximum speed limit, but the normal speed limit on highways here is 100km/h or 120km/h. If you would accidentally drive a 100km/h in the 80km/h zones, you will get ticketed. The camera’s note the average speed between points, so you can’t really escape the system by slowing down where the camera’s are. Tickets are bad.
- Especially for us.

Then the increased (number, density, length, duration of) traffic jams. We either have to leave really early to get on time, or arrive really late.
- This especially bad for us.

And if that’s not bad for us, then it’s bad for our bosses. They’ll lose money for the work not being done on that day. For the decreased efficiency. For the shorter amount of time we can spend doing on useful things. So this is bad for the economy and employment. And we all know the government says (especially in times of elections):
- That this is bad for us.

Or because we can’t get back early and do some groceries or some shopping. We have less time to consume, to go out and consume a movie, to spend with friends at a restaurant, to do other stuff for entertainment, or to consume otherwise. This again is bad for the economy. For our trust in the economy. And if we don’t have trust in the economy (the government says):
- It’s not good for us.

Maybe we don’t have time anymore to spend quality time with our family, our parents, our brothers and sisters, our children. This will have a negative effect on everyone’s social skills. A negative effect on our children’s upbringing. Everyone will turn antisocial, there will be more crime. And if anything is stolen from us, or if anyone gets hurt:
- That’ll be bad for us.

And what if our children won’t get to spend enough time with us, what if they don’t learn what love and affection is? What if they don’t know and don’t care? What if they stop caring and stop going to school and hang on the streets?
- Bad for us. And for the education system.

Or how about when we are in the traffic jams. Does that make you happy? Not me. It irritates me. It makes me grumpy. It makes me mad and very not happy. Traffic jams make me depressed and stressed out. It stresses all of us out.
- And stress is not good for us.

Let’s say we finally arrive at work or wherever we need to be. We finally arrive, after the long delay in the traffic jams. It’s not likely we’ll transition from stressed out to happy in an instant. It’s not likely we’ll switch from unhappy to happy just like that. We’ll still be grumpy for a while (if not all day). Will we do our work better when we’re stressed out? What do I smell here? Decreased efficiency and efficacy in our jobs, in our work, in our households. And I think this is bad for the economy.
- Bad for the economy and for us.

And all that unhappiness and stressing out might just be emotions. Temporary fluctuations in our minds. But hey, doesn’t stress also strain our hearts? Our cardiovascular system? Isn’t it true that stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular problems? That stress, anxiety, depression and psychological issues are all risk factors for all sorts of diseases? And I think that:
- All of this is bad for us. Bad, bad, bad.

Then, who has to pay for the treatment of all of our health problems? Does our health insurance cover everything? Can our country’s/nation’s health care system provide for us all? Will we have to pay more? I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but I’m sure that it’ll be:
- Again, bad for us.

There you have it. It’s bad for the environment, for the economy, for employment, for the health care system, for the education system. So, basically for the whole country.

And bad for us.

Politics: Balkenende vs. Bos
Canon EOS 300D DIGITAL     24mm     1/800s     f/2.8     ISO200    
Today, 25 most recent, 25 random images

Politics: Balkenende vs. Bos

Taken: 18 June 2006, The Hague, The Netherlands.

With the upcoming Second Chamber elections (Tweede Kamerverkiezingen) in The Netherlands on 22 November, politics is a hot issue at the moment. The top candidates of the two biggest parties (in the polls) are battling it out in debates and in the media.

My previous post was about freedom. And the fact that I have a weblog means that I can publish my own thoughts on the current politics situation.
The photo above was taken in The Hague (’s-Gravenhage or Den Haag), which is the city where the goverment is seated.

Politiek

Tijdens het eerste lijsttrekkersdebat vertelde Balkenende tegen Bos: “U draait en u bent oneerlijk.”
Hierop zegt Bos: “Laten we beleefd blijven en elkaar niet van oneerlijkheid betichten.” (1)

Later reageert Bos weer over de opmerkingen die Balkenende tegen hem maakte.
Bos roept Balkenende op “[..] persoonlijke aanvallen te staken.”
Balkenende’s reactie is: “Als Bos zo slecht tegen kritiek kan, moet hij geen premier willen worden, want dan krijgt hij nog veel meer kritiek.” (1)
Balkenende – Bos: 1-0.

Vervolgens vertelt Bos in een interview met het AD: “Balkenende lijkt op een wesp.”
Gelijk weer een persoonlijke aanval op Balkenende.
Een aanval van Bos die oproept persoonlijke aanvallen te staken. (1)
Balkenende – Bos: 2-0.

In het videofragment van het AD vertelt Bos dat het “nu weer gelukkig beter gaat met de economie.”
Juist. En wie heeft het voor elkaar gekregen dat de economie weer beter gaat? Het huidige kabinet waar Balkenende de minister-president van is. Het ging dus slechter met de economie. Wie was ook alweer de grootste partij van het vorige kabinet die de slechtere economie niet in toom heeft weten te houden? Juist ja, de PvdA.
Balkenende – Bos: 3-0.