A nice sea – so it seems at first sight. Though the real fact is that tons of microplastics are floating in the oceans. (Flickr: Nathan Rupert /licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
As members of the working group on environment, we would like to give you some important information about microplastics. We believe that most people are not aware of the severe problems that microplastics can cause, because they only think of larger plastic fragments that can easily be seen.
What are microplastics?
Microplastics are defined as pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in size. They can arise from either primary or secondary sources: Primary microplastics are produced for direct use, such as industrial abrasives, exfoliants or cosmetics. Secondary microplastics are inadvertently produced by the breakdown of larger pieces of plastic into smaller fragments, by physical, chemical or biological degradation in the ocean, but also by the shedding of synthetic fibres by washing clothes.
Where can microplastics be found?
As already mentioned, microplastics can be found in clothes, but also in some body scrubs and foundations. They are even in some toothpaste! So check your cosmetics, next time you buy some!
Impact on oceans and sea life:
“Plastic takes a long time to decompose.”
One big problem is that plastic takes a long time to decompose. Because of that, microplastics end up in marine environment where they can be eaten by a range of organisms and can even be transferred straight to our plates through the food web!
Moreover, some sand samples were analysed from shorelines across the world – and scientists discovered that they all contained traces of plastic.
We don’t need to say any more to make you aware of how serious the actual situation is and how plastic is dangerous to humankind and the Earth. Therefore, you pass this information on to other people! Altogether we can make a difference!
About the author:
Paulina – Author at Spotlight Europe
Paulina (19) engages in the Youth Council for the Future. She participated in the “My Europe” workshop in Austria in 2013.
“Only one out of five enterprises provides apprenticeships.” (Flickr: Mays Business School/licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In a new series on Spotlight Europe three young Europeans depict the employment situation in their home countries. You´ll find the intro here or go to First part, Second Part.
In August 2014 Switzerland had a 3 % unemployment rate. That means that compared to December 2013 the unemployment rate decreased from 3.5 % to 3 %. After the world economic crisis in 2008, the unemployment rate reached its peak in December 2009 at 4.4 %. After decreasing in 2011 to 2.6 % the rate is now rather high again. Those numbers seem really small compared to other countries. Yet the youth unemployment rate differs a lot. In 2013 10.4 % of young persons were unemployed. And as many as 16 % of foreign adolescents were unemployed. That is more than in Germany (8.8 %) or Austria (9.4 %) in the same year. What are the reasons for Switzerland youth unemployment and what are the attempts to improve this rate?
Although the educational level of the youth is high, the standards for jobs are often even higher. In Switzerland the retirement age is 64 for women and 65 for men. Because of the global economic crisis, the growth of jobs stagnated, and because the Swiss work up to a high age, the rate of youth unemployment grew during the last years.
Only few positions are being offered. Enterprises can pick their candidates freely. (Flickr: Alan Cleaver/licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Switzerland has a binary education system. But only one out of five enterprises provides apprenticeships. Given that the offer of apprenticeships should be 15 – 20 % more than the need, this is not enough. But those factors do not explain the even higher number of foreign unemployed adolescents. Due to many applications the director of an enterprise can chose who he wants to hire. Unfortunately many Swiss are not free of prejudice, it is often enough to have a name which sounds outlandish, to not get the job. This sort of discrimination against other cultures is inadmissible. Especially because foreigners are in general very well integrated and an important part of our society.
“Solid education must be accessible.”
In order to reduce youth unemployment or unemployment in general, there are already plenty of good approaches. First of all the government should not try to economise in the educational sector. A solid education even after basic education must be accessible for everyone. Furthermore governmental work orders should be distributed to enterprises, which provide apprenticeships. This should encourage employers to hire the younger generation. Switzerland should furthermore introduce a minimum wage in the general employment contracts of apprentices. This would avoid exploitation.
Fortunately the job market in Switzerland is still relatively strong. But, as we have seen, it is often the youth who comes off second best. Requirements and hence the pressure get higher. Now is the time to go against that by also giving young people a chance to enter in the job market.
About the author:
Jeannie – Author at Spotlight Europe
Jeannie (18) participated in the “My Europe” workshop in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2013. She is a member of the Youth Council for the Future.
How will Italy manage to improve its labour market when its high-qualified youth sees no perspective in their country and looks for jobs elsewhere? A brain-drain threats the Italian economy. (Flickr: infradept/licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In a new series on Spotlight Europe three young Europeans depict the employment situation in their home countries. You´ll find the intro here or go to First part.
Italy is the third largest economy in the Eurozone, but unfortunately it has a history of underperforming. The total growth of the economy since the euro was introduced and 10 years before that is approximately none.
Regarding one of the most urgent issues in the country, unemployment, it is fundamental to underline how the economic crisis and the austerity policies have heightened existing national problems. The situation is critical especially for the youngest generations.
The unemployment rate among the 18-24 year olds reached 42 % in 2014, compared to the national rate of 12,6 %; the younger generations are victims of an eradicated system that characterizes their country.
The generation conflict
“You are not considered experienced based on your CV, but based on your age.”
Italy has always suffered under a hierarchical system, with the young deferring to authority until it’s their time to take control. The Italian ruling class is Europe’s oldest: the average bank chief executive is 69 years old; court presidents 65; and university professors are on average 63.
“You are not considered experienced based on your CV, on your ability or according to your skills, but just based on your age,” says Federico Soldani, 37, an epidemiologist who left Pisa in 2000 and now works in Washington, D.C., for the Food and Drug Administration. “When you are under 40, you are considered young.” This typical Italian system has worked until the crisis hit and the economy froze in the last years.
A country of emigrants
These socio-economic and political disparities between generations lead to negative consequences, leaving emigration as the only option for many young Italians. As a result, Italy will have to face a major brain drain, which will negatively influence innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment, all of which are key drivers of economic growth.
Many young Italians decide for a career in another country. (Flickr: Detail, Novartis AG/licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
It is interesting to observe how history repeats itself, Italy is a nation of emigrants like 100 years ago, but this time it is mostly young students and unemployed graduates that leave their country in search of possibilities. Italy is losing its potential saviors.
In 2013 almost 100,000 Italians left their country, the top destination was England, followed by Germany, Switzerland, France and also Australia. A growth of emigrants of 71.5 % in only one year highlights the country’s failure in tackling unemployment.
The major causes behind the big emigration flow are: low salaries, indifference of politicians to the problems, unrewarding educational process, gerontocracy, lack of jobs, lack of trust in politics, welfare system.
It is time to act
What are the next steps? Will the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi be able to tackle unemployment and, most importantly, efficiently reform the labor market?
There are some lessons to be learnt from the crisis. Renzi made some broad proposals to extend jobless benefits, cut the number of short-term contracts, boost the role of employment agencies and reduce job protection for permanent workers.
The solution lies in a reform of the entrance in the labor market by modifying different factors.
Calls for the reformation of the Italian labour market: Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. (Flickr: Palazzo Chigi/licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
First, internships and apprenticeships, which in Italy are underused and mostly misused, creating an “official black market”, should be developed and regulated. They could help improve the preparation and education of students, giving them the practical knowledge they are lacking, due to a mainly theoretical approach of the education system. Internships and apprenticeships are essential to build a necessary bridge between the education system and labor market. It is important to stop abuses and assure that internships have a formative content, in order to avoid them from becoming underpaid working contracts. Another aspect of the problem is the never ending paperwork, to hire an apprendista or trainee, the employer has to apply to 12 separate offices.
Secondly, a reform of the contracts and the Italian legal framework is necessary. Currently there are more than 40 different types of temporary and permanent contracts in Italy. The Biagi law (L 30/2003) has created a labor market based on temporary and short-term contracts. Temporary contracts are often cheaper than permanent ones, lower taxes, lower social security, less bureaucracy. To solve the hiatus between temporary and permanent contracts, it would be helpful to make the tax costs equal for both and allow incentives for permanent contracts in order to reverse the current situation.
“Flexibility without security is just going to worsen the situation.”
The major debate has been on the article 18 of the workers’ Statute, which protects workers from unfair dismissal. While some believe this article is fundamental to protect workers, others, included Renzi, believe it is an obstacle to flexibility in the labor market and it decreases entrepreneurs’ freedom in hiring and firing employees.
The solution isn’t that simple, the labor reform or Jobs act should be strictly connected to the unemployment insurance system reform. The insurance system should involve all workers and not only a small part of them, the job search assistance should be strengthened and re-skilling should be an important part of job searching, giving unemployed people benefits isn’t going to solve their problems.
In other terms, flexibility without security is just going to worsen the situation.
“It is majorly hard to make the decision to leave Italy knowing that you probably won’t come back.”
In an open letter to his son published in November 2013, Pier Luigi Celli, director general of Rome’s LUISS University, one of Italy’s distinguished universities, wrote, “This country, your country, is no longer a place where it’s possible to stay with pride… That’s why, with my heart suffering more than ever, my advice is that you, having finished your studies, take the road abroad. Choose to go where they still value loyalty, respect and the recognitionofmerit and results.”
This is a sad statement that reflects reality, leaving your country, your family and your loved ones should be a choice and not an obligation.
It is majorly hard to make the decision to leave Italy knowing that you probably won’t come back and you won’t contribute to change the country’s future.
What choice would you make as an Italian unemployed graduate?
About the author:
Alessandra (22) is Chairwoman of the Youth Council for the Future (YCF). She is involved with the “My Europe” Initiative since 2012.
Looking for jobs. (Flickr: photologue_np/licensed under CC BY 2.0)
In a new series on Spotlight Europe three young Europeans depict the employment situation in their home countries. You´ll find the intro here.
In summer 2014, the Austrians prided themselves on having the lowest unemployment rate in the entire European Union. However, the time of contentedness is over. Since last September, the number of unemployed citizens increased by 9.9 % – a quite enormous number. Although the unemployment rate is still very low compared to other European countries, this trend has to be stopped.
This increase is very extreme in different areas of work and social classes. Unfortunately, since the release of the last “My Europe” Manifesto in November 2013, nothing has changed about the problems that immigrants still have when they are searching for a post. This obviously has its roots in the social stand of foreigners. However, social integration is not only a responsibility of society. National promotion is as much needed as social acceptance. Compared to last year, the rate of unemployed immigrants has increased by 23.1 %. Furthermore, the deficiency of jobs older people are taken for is alarming.
“The time of contentedness is over.”
Not that the job market would not be attractive enough. Elders at a 50 plus age usually get overlooked by the employers either for reasons of age or for reasons of experience. Alas the real experience gets lost by this decision, since elder workers rather have experience in the areas of work they used to work in. Another problematic case is the situation of people that are suffering from a disability. The Austrian government is planning to start social inclusion by focussing on individual support and promotion for different projects on the job market.
To sum up, the unemployment problem in Austria will not be solved in a very short time, because the different sections of the population that suffer from unemployment are not only out of a job for economic reasons, but also because of social deplorable state of affairs. Our solutions cannot stop at interpersonal matters; they have to go beyond them.
About the author:
Karl Maximilian – Author at Spotlight Europe
Karl Maximilian(17) participated in the My Europe workshop in Vienna and is member of the working group “Employment” of the Youth Council for the Future.
Young, motivated, still looking for a job, … desperate? Everywhere in Europe this problem is well-known. Obviously it remains Europe´s biggest challenge in 2015. (Flickr:United Nations Development Programme in Europe and CIS/licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
When asked about the biggest threat for Europe, many simply answer “unemployment”.
It is certainly one of the biggest issues Europe is facing.
Especially youth unemployment is determining a big rift in the EU. One fifth of young people in the EU are currently without a job, that means more than 5.5 million people under 25.
For how long will media continue referring to European youth as the lost generation?
Solutions are long overdue. Youth unemployment hit 24 % in 2014. This percentage actually hides big disparities between northern and southern countries, for example Germany has a 7.6 % rate, while Greece is up to 59 %.
A common framework of policies is necessary to wake up from this nightmare or at least try to.
“6 billion euros are going to be invested”
Recently an EU summit was held in Italy on jobs and growth, but the results were not as positive as expected, leaders from Germany, Italy and France left without any deal, they didn’t manage to agree on any point.
Regarding further measures, 6 billion euros are going to be invested by Europe to tackle youth unemployment in 2014 and 2015. The question is will these funds be correctly invested?
Hopefully we will see some results.
People are feeling more and more betrayed.
Let’s analyze the situation in different countries:
Part 1: Austria: Much to do and no results – the Austrian unemployment situation in 2014
Part 2: Italy: A nation on hold losing its youth. The struggles young people have to face to find a job are multiple: a generation struggle, a bureaucracy struggle, and many more, that is why the rate of Italian emigrants keeps growing.
Part 3: Switzerland: Unemployment rates not too bad – youth unemployment rates not too good!
About the authors:
Alessandra, Maximilian and Jeannie come from different European countries and are members of the Youth Council for the Future. They jointly discussed unemployment and what that means in their respective home countries . Together they built up the Council working group “Employment”.Learn more
“He is one of us!” Why not present European TV spots in which every regional culture is introduced? (Flickr:Anna/licensed under CC BY 2.0)
In the first part the author described his experiences during his professional sports career, namely that sports has the strength to unite people. This common spirit should be transfered to Europe so that people see themselves as Europeans. The second part deals with what can be done to achieve that spirit.
Can we not initiate a series of spots for Europe? In each spot presenting a person from any of our countries with a typical regional theme in the image, joyfully stating the testimonial: …”And here in Europe – I am at home.” Or: …. “And here in Europe – I feel at home”.
We all learn at school that Europe is a unique continent of rich cultures. This is true but it´s a remote, intellectual statement. Would it not be more convincing if we would raise more awareness and emotions for this incredible historical achievement, grown over 2.000 years, amongst the 500 million? Should the EU then start a series of ads in the media in all our countries, with the following content? :
Christopher Columbus, Albert Einstein, William Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, El Greco, Moliere, (and many more, each nation has contributed with geniuses)
….they are all: “one of us”. Us as Europeans.
“Let us build up the biggest family in the world.”
When, during this year, a German astronaut has been living and working in the International Space Ship for months and currently an Italian astronaut (a lady) accomplishes the same, all 500 million Europeans should be proud since both astronauts are: “he/she is one of us.”
Surrounding the globe, in addition to telling us how wonderful the World looks from space, could our European astronauts not also mention how wonderful it is to see our Europe?
(This is also a European mission and these astronauts are Europeans.)
“He is one of us” is obviously causing a feeling of family to all of us. Let us build up the biggest family in the world: 500 million Europeans. It will take much time – but it can become reality.
Finally for today:
We could invite, say 100 children from all our nations, wearing traditional, regional costumes, to stand in front or inside the European Parliament on the first day of a new term. Imagine the emotional, touching, colourful image, creating a strong emotional feeling and pride in all European countries, with all people.
It seems to me to be a promising plan that we in “MyEurope” propose the idea of the same lyrics to at last be written for the European Anthem (composer Ludwig van Beethoven) in all our languages, speaking about our great values, our common Europe so that all 500 million can sing to the same tune.
We need to foster and bring Europe forward, beyond intellectual arguments as valuable as they are.
Europe is about emotions. Europe in our hearts.
About the author:
Jochen Benderis a passionate European. He has lived and worked in Rio de Janeiro, London and Germany. He is a developer of tourism and hotels. He travelled on business to almost sixty countries and spent a total of seven years in developing countries. More
Microplastics
lessandra
