While the streets of the Netherlands may feel considerably safer for some internationals when it comes to sexual harassment, it seems that no one’s DM’s are safe.
In 2020, a whopping 750,000 people in the Netherlands were the victims of online sexual harassment, a study by CBS (Statistics Netherlands) has found.
This amounts to 5% of the Dutch population and can you guess who were the most badly affected — women! (Shocking!) In particular, young women between the ages of 16 and 18 suffered the most, accounting for 30% of the claims.
Coming in second place were women between the ages of 18-24, who made up to 24% of the claims.
Indeed, the study found that women were 1.5 times more likely to suffer online sexual harassment than men, with 6.7% of women surveyed saying they had been harassed online. This percentage was lower for men, standing at 4.1%.
Bisexual women and gay men badly harassed
The study also revealed that, of those within the LGBTQIA+ community, bisexual women and gay men suffered the most when it came to unsolicited DM suitors.
And what was it exactly that people were suffering? A lot of thirsty, desperate, and dirty-minded people it appears.
Unwanted nudes, videos and comments
Of those who took part in the survey, 2.1% had to deal with sexually offensive jokes or comments online, 2% were faced with unwanted nudes and sexually explicit videos, 1.8% had to deal with people insisting that they date them, and 1.6% were asked to send nude photos or videos. 🙄
Yikes. Are you shocked by these figures? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
New calculations by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) conclude that Dutch sustainability plans for the future need to be reevaluated and reformed to meet new European requirements, reports RTL Nieuws.
The calculations were made at the request of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the House of Representatives.
It is especially the proposal for the Fit for 55 package that has “significant consequences for Dutch climate and energy policy” according to the PBL.
The ‘Fit for 55’ plan was proposed by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, in July this year and aims to reduce all CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030.
Ultimately, in 2050, the European economy should be climate neutral. 🚲
For the Netherlands to meet the Fit for 55 goals, new measures must be implemented in, for example, the Dutch sustainability plans for industry. Time om de mouwen op te stropen! (to roll up the sleeves!).
Climate Accords vs European policies
The PBL assessment also explains that the Netherlands is committed to “a temporary important role for the capture and storage of CO2 and the use of blue hydrogen” via the Paris Climate Accords. Blue hydrogen is relatively cheap and uses coal and natural gas as raw materials.
However, the European climate requirements focus on green hydrogen as well as strict targets for renewable heat and energy savings. In contrast to blue hydrogen, green hydrogen is centred around renewable energy like turbines and (could it be more Dutch?) windmills!
As a result, PBL suggests that the Netherlands should place more windmills near the sea. 🌬️
More expensive energy transition ahead
The new European climate requirements could make the Dutch energy transition more expensive, warns the PBL. Green hydrogen is more costly than blue and the Netherlands will need to generate even more renewable energy.
Currently, Europe overall is aiming at 40% more renewable energy, while the Netherlands hopes for 25%.
What do you think of the Fit for 55 plan? Will the Netherlands make the targets? Tell us in thecomments below!
People in the Netherlands can waltz into any store, except for Aldi and Lidl, and buy the energy drink of their choice — but many supermarket chains are calling for an age limit on energy drinks.
European consumer rights advocacy group Foodwatch, along with several Dutch supermarkets such as Albert Heijn, Jumbo, and Plus, are calling for strict age limits rules around energy drinks sales in the Netherlands. 📣
Currently, the age limit for energy drinks in Aldi and Lidl is 14 years old. The list of supermarkets mentioned above — without the age limit — make up for 90% of total energy drink sales in the Netherlands.
The stores are in agreement that rules should be built around these products, as long as all chains participate.
In 2018, a motion was raised by the Dutch Association for Pediatrics (NVK) to set limitations around Dutch energy drinks sales based on reports that the drinks contain high doses of caffeine, sugar, and taurine.
High dosages of these chemicals can lead to restlessness, fatigue, and cardiac arrhythmias, which can send underage kids to emergency rooms.
Some drinks promise wings or a monster-like behaviour but never mention hospitalization I suppose. 🙄
Regulations who?
Which Dutch official(s) or governmental organization can take a closer look at this argument? Well, for starters, the Dutch Central Food Trade Bureau (CBL) already called it quits on the matter, as they announced that they don’t want to be involved in this discussion. Doei. 🏃♂️
Next on the legislators’ list is the Dutch Ministry of Health, which is being called out by Foodwatch for an examination of the situation in the Netherlands.
However, back in 2018, the ministry indicated they don’t feel there’s a need for an age limit. Time to re-examine, maybe? 🔎
RIVM study
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) had already released study findings in 2018 regarding the health hazards of energy drinks for minors.
The results confirmed the Netherlands Nutrition Center’s advice for 13 to 18-year-olds that it is better not to consume energy drinks at all — or a drink maximum of one can per day.
What do you think of having an age limit on energy drinks sales in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!
Around 550,000 households in the Netherlands have trouble paying their energy bill — reports the TNO.
Many of these Dutch households are in what’s called energiearmoede (energy poverty), which is caused by a rise in gas prices.
On top of that, half the population are not able to adequately insulate their homes.
Worse in the northeast
The problem is especially present in the northeast of the Netherlands. Many families in the region spend 13-20% of their income on energy alone. 😞
The study also states that three-quarters of the households in energy poverty are renting from housing associations, 12% of which rent privately and 12% owns a home.
Sustainable energy can help to reduce the overall energy bill, but this is not an option for many families. This is due to the fact that many tenants don’t have control over their homes.
Also, implementing sustainable energy in the home can save more in the long term, but getting started may be too costly for many households.
“If the gas price continues to rise, some households in this group will still have a payment problem,” says Peter Mulder, the author of the study.
What are your thoughts on this situation? Let us know in the commentsbelow!
As of September 25, cafés, restaurants, entertainment and sports venues will be required to ask their indoor customers for a corona pass — at least, that’s the official plan. However, businesses will not be immediately fined if they admit people without a pass.
Ever since the official announcement of this new measure during the latest press conference, the message from many hospitality workers, business owners, and even the mayor of Amsterdam, has been simple — it’s not possible.
These sectors do not have the staff to required to check every patron for their corona pass, meaning that many will not even ask for the proof.
No immediate fine — but only if it doesn’t continue
While the cabinet has set aside a whopping €45 million to fund the job of checking these passes, the task remains too large. As a result, municipalities will only be checking ‘locations that they consider to be the greatest risk of contamination and/or non-compliance’, according to the ministry.
In the cases where they do discover that a businesses has not asked its patrons for their corona passes, there will only be a fine if they continue to fail to ask, RTL Nieuws reports.
While a warning may sound nice, the Dutch government are playing no games.Once a business does get fined, it’s a hefty one.
A business may receive an order subject to penalty of anywhere between €2,500 and €10,000. In extreme cases, the establishment may even be shut down.
What are your thoughts on this upcoming measure? Tell us in the comments below!
In a racial profiling claim filed against the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee — a judge in The Hague overruled the case as there’s no conflict found between the prohibition of discrimination and the Marechaussee’s protocol.
The Royal Marechaussee (Koninklijke Marechaussee), one of the four branches of the Dutch Armed Forces, perform military and civilian duties such as border control, airport security, and can be deployed worldwide in certain cases.
The case filed by Amnesty International, NJCM, Radar Foundation, Control Alt Delete, and two individuals, was aimed at the Marechaussee’s Mobile Security Surveillance (Mobiel Toezicht Veiligheid — MTV) checks. The Marechaussee carries out these checks on roads, trains, water transport, and air traffic for people who travel from a Schengen country.
The complaint detailed that people with dark skin are more likely to be picked from the queue for an intensive check — an incident that happened to Mpanzu Bamenga when coming back to the Netherlands from a Rome trip.
Nationality vs. ethnicity
When picked out of a line by the Marechaussee for an extra check in Eindhoven Airport, Bamenga asked what was going on and he received “we are looking for criminals and asylum seekers” as a response.
According to state lawyer Cécile Bitter, who was defending the Marechaussee’s case today, there’s no ethnic discrimination happening — however, nationality can be a reason to stop someone.
Based on the judge’s ruling, a person’s ethnicity can be an indication of their nationality or residence status. “That is not necessary, but it is possible. It is also important that ethnicity is never the only reason for control.” 🤔
Jelle Klaas, the complainants’ lawyer, expects an appeal for today’s verdict — stating that “the door to discrimination is wide open. That is harmful, for everyone in the Netherlands, but also for the military police.”
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Between the Dutch government’s shifting focus to underground CO2 storage and raising the limit on CO2 that may be stored with government money — environmental organizations are outraged.
📢 When: The outgoing Dutch government allocated additional money in support of underground CO2 storage which was announced in the Budget Memorandum released yesterday.
👀 How: The policy includes raising the agreed ceiling on the amount of CO2 that can be stored underground. Companies’ CO2 emissions are captured and stored under the North Sea instead of being released into the atmosphere.
😬 Why: Environmentalists’ concern is that CO2 releasing companies who are allowed to store large quantities of CO2 underground will be less inclined to shift their production methods into sustainable systems.
According to environmental organization Natuur en Milieu, the government “has succumbed to the fossil fuels lobby.” They call the new plans incomprehensible, unnecessary, and in direct conflict with the agreements made in the Climate Accords.
Greenpeace and The Dutch Association for Sustainable Energy (NVDE) share the concern regarding the government’s decision to raise the limit from the previously agreed on 7.2 megatons by 2.5 Mton.
Counter points
Not everyone is in agreement with the environmental organizations’ concerns it seems — According to State Secretary Dilan Yesilgöz of Economic Affairs and Climate, CO2 underground storage should be looked at as a quick and cost-efficient way to reduce CO2 emission.
Chairman of the Climate Accords progress Ed Nijpels believes it’s too early for concerns as he stresses that more information will follow from the government in the following days.
As Nijpels sees these issues, even though more money was allocated in support of underground CO2 storage, the ratio of the companies’ subsidies between sustainability measures will not change.
What do you think of the latest climate budget updates in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!
And while an ecovillage may not be a Dutch invention or that much of a new idea, it is progressive, and just like TikTok, it is currently proving to be extremely popular in the Netherlands.
More and more Dutch people are becoming interested in sustainable living forms, which involves the construction of ‘green’ towns, villages, and climate-neutral houses. And this is where ecovillages come in.
Ecovillages are built with sustainable materials and run on green energy. There are many of them in the Netherlands, and more are being built every day.
Firstly, what is an ecovillage?
Ecovillages are communities who aim to be socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. Most have a population size of between 50 and 150 people. Although some are somewhat small, large ecovillages can accommodate up to 2,000 people and consist of networks of smaller sub-communities.
What do eco-villages do?
An ecovillage is basically meant to be proof that a sustainable way of life is possible. One that is much different from the status quo. In ecovillages, much attention is paid to constructing residential buildings with natural, reusable materials, generating energy and reducing ecological footprints.
In addition, they also produce their own food, reuse and recycle water and raw materials, and find new ways of collaborating and living together in harmony with each other.
The initiative hopes to become more popular as Europe aims to become carbon neutral in the coming years. This article aims to highlight some really cool ecovillages that are currently in the works or will be built in the future in the Netherlands. Let’s run through them.
Boekel Ecovillage
Boekel Ecovillage is a fantastic project of about 36 sustainable homes. A system of innovative and circular homes makes it easy for residents to provide themselves with food, drinking water and energy.
Boekel Ecovillage is special because the homes, offices and the community centre provide heating and hot water by a sustainable battery made of stone! Yes, stone!
The system, developed by Cees van Nimwegen, which consists of a basalt-based battery that can store large quantities of electricity generated by solar panels and wind turbines, is currently in a trial phase in Boekel and hopes to become very popular in the coming years.
Land of Áine (Noordeland) Ecovillage
The Land van Áine ecovillage — previously known as Noordeland Ecovillage — is currently being built on a former potato flour factory in Ter Apel. It borrowed its new name from the Celtic moon goddess Áine, an Irish Goddess of summer, love, protection, fertility, wealth and sovereignty. A perfect name for a thriving residential community.
The ecovillage has carved out space meant for future houses for a total of 50 to 100 people, a village hall, workshops, offices and even a food forest! A large part of the houses will be built with sustainable materials such as straw, clay and wood, but there is also room for mobile homes and tiny houses.
The agricultural and construction systems adhere to permaculture philosophy, where residents work with, rather than against nature.
Bergen Ecovillage
One ecovillage that is slowly taking shape can be found in Bergen. The pioneers have been living in temporary housing on the former mobilisation site on the outskirts of Bergen for more than seven years.
In those years, they have cultivated a gigantic vegetable garden, installed a hundred solar panels, and organised festivals, theatre performances, etc.
As soon as they have their permits from the city council, the ecovillage plans to build 25 sustainable houses on the site, and there is still room for aspiring residents! They also organise guided tours for those who are curious about their way of life.
Minitopia
Minitopia has been building ecovillages in several places in the Netherlands since 2016. Their first adventure started on a former GGD site in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and moved to a former recycling centre in the same city.
Every house in Minitopia is unique and, in most cases, built by the residents themselves. All homes can be dismantled or easily moved to another location, creating a circular ecovillage. This is quite necessary because this particular ecovillage is only permitted to be at its current location until 2023.
Furthermore, there are also new Minitopia ecovillages in the works in Roosendaal and Eindhoven.
Note: A circular building is one that’s constructed using materials and products leased rather than purchased, and every part of the building can be reused, remanufactured or recycled at the end of its life.
De Jelt Ecovillage
De Jelt Ecovillage is an affordable and circular residential area for people who want to live collectively and sustainably. This ecovillage cooperative promotes a do-it-yourself housing initiative and was founded by 50 members with a lot of experience in the circular construction and cultural-social sector.
They are always on the lookout for new locations to build ecovillages. One of their plans is to build a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 50 sustainable houses in the Amsterdam and Utrecht area.
Ecovillages are the future and are definitely here to stay. A lot of them organise tours of their villages or towns and also have slots open for newcomers looking to join the community.
Visit their websites, take a look at their (latest) initiatives, and learn more about them. You never know, an ecovillage might just be what you need to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
What do you think about ecovillages, and do you think you could live in one?
There was no golden carriage, no waving from the balcony, no pomp and circumstance. However, yesterday was indeed Budget Day in the Netherlands — and though you might not have noticed the ceremony, you’ll definitely notice what it’ll do to your paycheck.
Namely, the fact that Dutch government has (finally!) factored hybrid working into the new Tax Plan for 2022. So, people who continue to work from home can receive €2 per day, tax-free, to cover their extra costs, reports the NOS. 🥳
After one and a half years of complaining about the extra costs of electricity, gas, toilet paper, and the lack of shitty office coffees, the Dutch finally won their work from home compensation.
Moral of the story: complain long enough and you’ll get what you want? 👀
The employers’ association AWNB is expecting a lot of enthusiasm for the new scheme. “We expect that many employers will give a home-work allowance. The administrative burden will not be too bad, because many employers nowadays also have an automated system for how many days people work at home or at the office,” they told the NOS.
But too late?
According to the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), €2 should be enough to cover the additional costs of water, electricity, heating, coffee, tea and toilet paper when working from home.
But although collective labour agreements have now been made for the tax-free work from home compensation, not everyone will benefit.
The FNV highlights that it’s mainly the government, financial, and IT sectors that’ll benefit from the new Tax Plan. Many other sectors are already sending their employees back to the office — without any compensation.
People on Twitter also picked up on this:
Ik gun ambtenaren alles maar het is te gek voor woorden dat de zorg moet smeken en bidden voor hogere lonen en dat de ambtenaren eea zo maar gaan krijgen. Oa een thuiswerkvergoeding ??!!
“I wish civil servants everything, but it is too crazy for words that the care must beg and pray for higher wages and that the civil servants will get things just like that. A work from home allowance??!!”
Het contrast wordt nu wel erg groot. Ondernemers gaan op de fles, jongeren vereenzamen achter hun laptop, de medische nevenschade is enorm en er is geen geld voor de zorgmedewerkers. Maar ambtenaren krijgen een thuiswerkvergoeding?!#COVID19#PCRgate#FVDhttps://t.co/Bym5DQDqEL
“The contrast is now very great. Entrepreneurs are going bankrupt, young people are lonely behind their laptops, the medical collateral damage is enormous and there is no money for the healthcare workers. But civil servants get a work-from-home allowance?!”
Choose between tax free work from home or travel allowance
For a person who works from home full time, the new allowance will mean receiving just under €500 net per year.
People who work partly from home and partly from the office must make agreements with their employer about which days they’ll receive the work from home allowance and which days they’ll receive a travel allowance. The two cannot be combined in one day. 🤷♀️
What do you think of a tax-free work from home allowance? Tell us in the comments below!
Support for King Willem-Alexander is currently at an all-time low. Meanwhile, he’s due for a raise — in 2022 the King’s salary will, for the first time, be more than €1 million.
Every year Dutchies are surveyed on how they feel about the king, the royal family, and well… politics in general.
The most recent survey showed that confidence in King Willem-Alexander has declined. On King’s Day this year, 57% of Dutchies indicated that they have confidence in the monarch. The NOS reports that around Budget Day, it’s now only 44%.
2020 was a bad year for the King
In the run-up to King’s Day 2020 — the days when we were making sourdough and lockdowns were still kind of peaceful — 76% of all Dutchies indicated that they had a reasonable amount of confidence in the King. By December 2020, that number had plummeted to 47% — not his year!
Despite the overwhelming decline of Dutchies confidence in the King, the monarch will still be getting a salary increase next year, RTL Nieuws reports. His constitutional benefit will increase from €998,000, so that for the first time ever it exceeds a whopping €1 million. 😳 💸
What are your thoughts on the dwindling confidence in the King, and his €1 million salary? Tell us in the comments below!
