Weekly review
Poll
Concern about gaps in the skills and knowledge of our pupils is voiced quite widely from time to time. Unfortunately, only when someone from outside Latvia has concluded as much. Why is that?
There is a political tendency to be busy, to invest, to make promises, but not to think about the results
If you have little knowledge yourself, you do not even know how or what you do not know...
A smart society is not always desirable or welcome
Many interests swirl around education. A "good result" is rarely mentioned among them
13–19 May
Current and upcoming events
### Still possible to sign for the future of hunting in Europe: signforhunting.com
### A study on gardening and its environmental impact by scientists from ten countries (including colleagues from Daugavpils University) – we invite you to support it by taking part in the survey:
On 30 May 2023, from 11:00 to 17:00, the Ogres Tehnikums, in cooperation with the Latvian National Centre for Culture and the New European Bauhaus Latvian contact point, is organising a seminar for teachers of vocational secondary education programmes in Interior Design and Environmental Design titled “Sustainable solutions in architectural and interior projects and the New European Bauhaus”.
### Latvia's Forest Days in Tērvete. 26 and 27 May:
lvm.lv · 6761 meza nozime cina ar klimata parmainam si gada tema latv…
lvm.lv · 6761 meza nozime cina ar klimata parmainam si gada tema latv…
### 100th anniversary celebrations of the student society Šalkone on 16 June
### Opportunity to participate in the “European Enterprise Promotion Awards 2023” competition launched by the European Commission. Projects can be submitted until 22 June this year.
em.gov.lv · aicinam pieteikties 2023 gada konkursam eiropas uznemejdarbi…
em.gov.lv · aicinam pieteikties 2023 gada konkursam eiropas uznemejdarbi…
From the State Forest Service (VMD)
In the first four months of 2023, the State Forest Service, while administering timber resource harvesting in forests, has issued permits for economic activity in 29,766 felling sites.
In the first four months of 2023, the State Forest Service issued permits for economic activity in 29,766 felling sites, with a total area of 39,994 hectares and a liquid timber stock of 4,357,054 m3. This includes 1,107 felling sites cleared following a sanitary assessment by the service, with a total area of 1,182 hectares and a stock of 224,361 m3.
The State Forest Service has published statistical data on forestry activities in 2022 on the Official Statistics Portal, including reports on forest planting and regeneration, forest reproductive material produced, tree felling, forest damage, and forest fires. The State Forest Service has also compiled information on tree felling for the first four months of 2023, which is published on the service’s website.
On support for Ukraine
As the residents of Renda parish are very actively supporting Ukraine in various ways, the head of the parish administration, Kristīne Kuzmina, first called a charity meeting at the Renda Community Centre with Latvian forestry sector representatives Edvīns Zakovics and Māris Liopa, who are supporting Ukrainian forestry colleagues in the fight against the aggressor, later treating the meeting participants to borscht she had cooked herself.
Edvīns Zakovics and Māris Liopa spoke about the organisation and planning of support, which only seemingly looks like a simple task; it is quite complicated because – war is war, no volunteer can simply enter a near-combat zone; aid is organised so that the recipients get exactly what they need most, and one must also take into account the fact that specific support may require a series of formalities right here in Latvia.
On sector issues
This week, the EU Council approved the regulation adopted by the European Parliament (EP) in April, which will require traders of palm oil, beef, coffee, cocoa, rubber, timber, and soy to certify that the products sold in the bloc’s member states are not linked to deforestation that has occurred since 1 January 2021. These rules will also apply to goods containing these products, such as chocolate, soy milk, or furniture.
Developing and testing innovative methods for managing lichen-rich pine forests is one of the goals of the LIFE-IP “LatViaNature” project implemented by AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM). To evaluate the biotechnological measures once implemented in the “Meža pētīšanas stacija” territory in Mežole and to transfer the valuable parts of the experience into modern solutions, LVM, SIA “Rīgas meži”, and other industry professionals met at an exchange-of-experience seminar. Scientific insights were also heard at the seminar.
Today’s story is about a Man and Entrepreneur with a capital letter, not only because of his significant contribution to the Latvian national economy and forestry development, having just received a special state award – the Order of Recognition – but more so as our fellow countryman, a wise and insightful leader of whom locals are proud, an interesting personality and conversationalist – Pēteris Elsts, owner of Niedrāji MR.
...how to properly manage the land, not only to preserve and increase the forest wealth we have but also to make a collective contribution to mitigating climate change.
Young scientist Valters Samariks is researching the wind resistance of trees and also carbon dioxide levels in Latvian forests.
In an 800-square-metre production facility in Tīnūži, specialised furniture for children is being created under the brand Ette Tete. The company has developed and introduced three core products to the market: step stools, climbing frames, and balance beams. The entrepreneur is proud of the achievements but does not hide the lessons learned, one of which is quite harsh – near bankruptcy.
“I think the highlight or success story of the Meža ABC event is the child. Because we have children ourselves, we want them to know a lot, to be smarter than us. And that is why anyone can tell the story as they would to their own child, and if you tell it from the heart, then it goes straight to the heart,” said the project manager of Meža ABC, Sigita Vaivade.
On environmental issues
On 17 May, the inaugural meeting of the convention of regional development advisers to the Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM), M. Sprindžuks, took place. The Minister has invited representatives of all five planning regions and the Latvian Association of Local Governments to participate in the convention to allow for direct discussion of regional development challenges and possible solutions, as well as to ensure a permanent informational link with municipalities across the whole of Latvia.
To partially address the infringement procedure initiated by the European Commission against Latvia for non-compliance with the obligations of the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC) regarding the protection of natural habitats, wild fauna, and flora, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development has prepared a draft Cabinet of Ministers regulation “Regulations on nature reserves”, which will introduce changes to the classification and territories of nature reserves across Latvia.
On 19 May, the Minister for Climate and Energy of the Republic of Latvia, Raimonds Čudars, visited the Zemgale region customer centre of a/s “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) in Jelgava, meeting with LVM Chairman of the Board Pēteris Putniņš to discuss the potential for the forestry sector to contribute to the global mitigation of climate change.
The project will be implemented with European Union funding, and its goal is to demonstrate a systematic approach focused on biodiversity in urban green space management, including the restoration of species suitable for our climatic zone, as well as educating private garden owners and allotment tenants on how to manage their land in a more biodiversity-friendly way.
On economic issues
The shadow economy has long been one of the issues highlighted by the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK) regarding Latvia’s economic growth problems. Therefore, the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and LTRK have jointly presented the current shadow economy index in the Baltic states for more than ten years under the guidance of Professor Dr. Arnis Sauka and have organised discussions on issues related to reducing the shadow economy. Unfortunately, the experience of the last decade shows a worsening situation, with the previous measurement indicating the highest level of shadow economy in recent years.
Miscellaneous (for your information, interesting)
Even though the Latvian language – the only state language in Latvia – should have dominated the public space since the restoration of independence, for many years, bilingualism and submissive servility towards the Russian language were carelessly tolerated. This led to a situation where Latvians, especially young people who do not know Russian, often could not get work in Latvia and were forced to leave their own country. Unfortunately, politicians and implementers of language policy, as well as the media in Latvia, spent years pretending that such a problem did not exist.
Specifically for you – the readers – a new online media outlet, lasi.lv, was launched on 16 May. What to expect from it is discussed with Armands Slokenbergs, Director of Electronic Media and Products at the publisher of Latvijas Avīze – a/s Latvijas Mediji – and Jānis Žilde, Editor-in-Chief of the portal lasi.lv.
14 June 2023 marks 285 years since the laying of the foundation stone of Jelgava Palace. Marking this event, the jubilee conference “Jelgava Palace through the centuries” is being organised on 23 May to draw public attention to the importance of the largest Baroque pearl in the Baltic states – the restored Jelgava Palace – in the research and preservation of cultural and historical heritage.
Be that as it may, the outcome is Levits’ decision not to run, and keeping in mind the old saying that everyone is wise after the battle, I will say that in principle this decision was foreseeable. Namely, in circles connected to politics, the opinion had appeared several months ago that Levits (let’s not forget his work at the Court of Justice of the European Union) was genuinely interested in the seeds of an international body investigating and/or judging Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Not exactly as a backup plan in case of not being re-elected, but rather as a potential field of operation, as it is a subject he understands and finds interesting.
Current events in cartoons