Two interesting events in 2005 to be concerned about: 1) the new european constitution 2) the start of the kyoto protocol.

Read the constitution and judge for yourself if it is truly a visionary and sound foundation for the values it claims to defend: "The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail."

This is more a 'statu-quo' document, a picture of Europe today, united in its diversity, rather than a true visionary and founding document. It lacks courage, but it is better than nothing; by making all parties from the political spectrum unhappy, it might prove to strike the right consensus. It is non-democratic however that freedom of residence does not give the right to vote in the country one lives and pays taxes. After 5 years in Denmark, I can only vote at municipal level and european level, not - and according to the constitution, never in the future - at national level. Why?

Whatever the conclusion, Denmark has already adopted provisions and exemptions, as it is typical for "Danes to believe Denmark is the best country in the world and that anything they do is better than anywhere else in the world" (Economic provisions, position of Denmark, acquisition of property in Denmark. Quote is from a Dane quite Danish-sceptic). How to convince normally socialist and cooperative Danes to expand their vision outside their little border?

Kyoto: in effect from February 16th, the protocol binds 37 industrialised countries to collectively reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O, O3, CFCs) by 5% of the 1990 emission levels by 2012. A tough bet considering Canada now emits 20% more than in 1990, that Canadians emit as much as the whole of the African continent (30m versus 800m inhabitants!), more per capita than any other country! (Lisez le dossier complet sur Radio-Canada).

What to do? The federal government asks every canadian to contribute by reducing their gas emissions by 1ton each by 2010. At 2.5kg of emissions per litre of petrol burned, that means burning 250l less in the next 5 years, 50l less per year, just 2 small fill-ups less. At this pace, the planet will have ample time to warm up!

Scientits agree that taking measures today is far less costly than dealing with the environmental, health and economic consequences of climate change in the future. The climate is expected to warm by 0.5C every 10 year and the seas to raise 50cm by 2050.

Aiding the American economy aids the American war machine. "Bush continues his endless virtuous talk of spreading democracy and freedom the world over. Admirable sentiments, yes, but what do they mean coming from a man who refuses to recognise the authority of the International Criminal Court? Or who side-steps international humanitarian law by euphemistically referring to detainee’s as “illegal combatants”? Or who sanctions the strategic use of torture in places like Abu Ghraib, and then punishes a few lowly thugs when everyone finds out? This much is clear: through it all, George W. Bush’s high-minded respect for human life, great and small, only extends so far as U.S. soil. And without universality, morality is only moral in the most zombified, most perverse sense." (AdBusters)