Em 1996, a excelente Cotovia editou apenas 1200 exemplares da excelente tradução portuguesa deste não menos excelente livro. Erro grave: dado o interesse massivo da nossa juventude nas subtilezas das civilizações minóica e micénica, atrevo-me a pensar que a dita tradução conseguiria com facilidade rivalizar em número de exemplares e, logo, de leitores com outras obras de grande porte, como, sei lá, o “Equador”, que eu prometo à Nossa Senhora de Fátima que hei-de ler quando fizer 80 anos (para ver se Ela mete uma cunha ao Altíssimo e me deixa viver até tão tarde, quando a malta que eu conheço já estiver toda a fazer tijolo). Em qualquer caso, garanto-vos que o raio do livro (descoberto, poeirento, na “Ler Devagar” um destes dias), é do melhor a acompanhar um lombo de bacalhau Pingo Doce e um tinto da (posso dizer excelente outra vez?) casa Ermelinda Freitas, de Fernão Pó (terra sita no distrito de Setúbal e não no Golfo da Guiné, conforme alguns javardolas terão desde já pensado).
A report from the European Environment Agency points to water use in southern Europe, specifically the unsustainable building of more golf courses and swimming pools in the south of the Iberian Penninsula. While on the European Union level much attention is given to finding new sources of water and increasing access, the report points out the little is done to address water use through conservation.
The EEA points to one regional example:
Taking Spain’s Júcar River Basin as an example, it points out that 55 new golf courses are planned there in addition to the existing 19. Each golf course typically uses 500,000 m3 of water. On top of this, huge amounts of water are needed to fill up swimming pools for tourists.
Anyone who’s made their way around the South of Portugal and Spain has seen the rabid growth of golf courses and elaborate swimming pools. The neverending push for more tourism and more luxurious water consuming activities has rarely taken stock of the way the region would be effected by the increase in use.
The report doesn’t only look at recreation, agriculture is also brought into question in terms of water use and efficiency. To learn more, read the study.
Para aqueles (que sempre os há, como dizia o outro, “com a mania de ser diferentes”) que ainda insistem em que o Tratado de Lisboa (que afinal não vai referendado) é coisa diferente do Tratado Constitucional (que o partido do Governo prometeu que ia ser referendado), publica-se de seguida alguma informação sobre a matéria, disponível no site da insuspeita (espera-se) BBC.
How similar will the new treaty be to the draft constitution?
It contains many of the changes the constitution attempted to introduce, for example:
A politician chosen to be president of the European Council for two-and-a-half years, replacing the current system where countries take turns at being president for six months
A new post combining the jobs of the existing foreign affairs supremo, Javier Solana, and the external affairs commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, to give the EU more clout on the world stage
A smaller European Commission, with fewer commissioners than there are member states, from 2014
A redistribution of voting weights between the member states, phased in between 2014 and 2017
New powers for the European Commission, European Parliament and European Court of Justice, for example in the field of justice and home affairs
Removal of national vetoes in a number of areas
Most European leaders acknowledge that the main substance of the constitution will be preserved.
If it contains the same substance, why is the Lisbon Treaty not a constitution?
The constitution attempted to replace all earlier EU treaties and start afresh, whereas the new treaty amends the Treaty on the European Union (Maastricht) and the Treaty Establishing the European Community (Rome).
It also drops all reference to the symbols of the EU – the flag, the anthem and the motto – though these will continue to exist.
