On economic issues
Over the last 10 years, global demand for wood pellets has increased approximately fourfold as fossil energy resources are gradually being replaced by renewables; wood fuel—mostly wood pellets, as well as fuel chips, briquettes, and firewood—is being used for heat and electricity generation. Latvia is one of the largest producers and exporters of wood pellets. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, priorities shifted, and many European countries (to avoid funding the aggressors) turned away from Russian gas supplies, or Russia simply halted supplies, citing outstanding payments from buyers (demanding settlement in roubles).
https://www.rigasmezi.lv/lv/aktualitates/jaunumi/?doc=12010
The Riga municipal government has submitted to the Competition Council the decision of the City Council's Housing and Environment Committee that the company "Rīgas meži" will cease its participation in the roundwood processing business by the latter half of next year.
Five years ago, State Audit Office auditors revealed that the "Rīgas meži" sawmill negatively impacts competition in the timber industry market because it has the opportunity to acquire raw materials three times cheaper than they are available to most private entrepreneurs. If such an advantage did not exist, the sawmill would operate at a loss. The auditors also found that "Rīgas meži" could earn more than four million euros if they simply sold the roundwood harvested in the forests without processing it.
Is it possible to return to the good old days of Ulmanis, when railways were built in Latvia rather than destroyed, as happened for various reasons during the war, Soviet times, and the present day? In this case, we are talking about local rail transport, not transit freight, for which the necessary railway lines were laid out back in Tsarist times.
The rapid price hike and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have caused great concern about the situation in the Latvian economy. Consumer sentiment in Latvia fell in June to its lowest level since 2010 and is currently even worse than at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the current economic situation is good; unemployment is falling and wages are rising, so inflation is more likely to encourage people to spend more.
Ministers have agreed that in the next heating season, the Latvian state will compensate residents for half of the increase in thermal energy, electricity, and natural gas tariffs. Something like this was long expected, although not in this form. Where is the problem?
As soon as price caps are set mechanically, fully or partially compensating for everything above them, the market price of the relevant product is replaced by an attachment to the maximum possible level. In other words, the competition mechanism ceases to function, and everyone is inclined to keep market prices high, counting on the fact that demand will not decrease because clients will want to use state budget support.
This, understandably, is not good news...
On the Cabinet of Ministers' decision of 21 June
Knowing the Nature Conservation Agency's position, this was nevertheless a surprise.
The European Commission's proposals for amendments to the Nature Restoration Law are a “last-minute” offer for European Union countries to get back on the path of sustainable development, preserving a secure foundation for the future existence of nations. This news is particularly pleasing because Latvia simultaneously took the opposite decision – giving the green light to the felling of younger trees and the reduction of biodiversity.
Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava" (LVMI "Silava"), however, have no doubts – the amendments are well-considered and forest area will not shrink significantly, but in the long term, both economic benefits and benefits related to carbon sequestration, which is so vital in the context of climate change, are expected. Nature advocates are not convinced by these arguments.
According to Latvian Radio and activist Alise Zariņa, this is the third veiled message about fear of our colleagues... Knowing what is emphatically called a lobby, one must understand that they fear industry organisations. .... But it only takes a short drive around the Latvian countryside and a talk with recognised specialists in various sectors, whose names we promise not to disclose (industry lobbies are strong and influential; people are afraid of them!), and a quite different picture emerges. It turns out that very little continuous forest area is left in Latvia, so little that capercaillies and black grouse, as well as black storks and partridges, no longer really have a place to live. Wild animals on the doorstep in the city are also a common phenomenon – badgers, hares, roe deer, and even bears have to go somewhere!
So what – wood chips, and therefore heating in some municipalities could become cheaper? I am not saying 'hop' before something has been done, of course, yet the shadow of doubt that the wood chips produced in Latvian forests might actually stay in Latvia rather than heading off to the more solvent Scandinavians is quite well-founded. And after all – if not forests, then Latvia certainly has an abundance of scrubland. Why not start with that?
On the interesting and topical
Based on the public pledge made by “Latvijas Finieris” and RSEZ SIA “VEREMS” to allocate 5 euros to support the Ukrainian people for every cubic metre of birch veneer logs purchased in Latvia, and taking into account the volumes of timber purchased, 625,000 euros have been earmarked for donations since March. Together with the support of known and trusted partners, 400,000 euros have already reached various target groups, while the recipients of the remaining amount are currently being finalised. The coordination of the distribution of support funds is taking place in close cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia, the association "Confederation of Ukrainians in Latvia VICHE", and Latvian public organisations that, in turn, have long-standing partners in Ukraine. In this way, the broadest and most targeted distribution of donations is ensured, and international relations are strengthened.
https://www.delfi.lv/news/versijas/janis-ikstens-latvijas-demokratija-ar-plastmasas-maisinu-galva.d?id=54489436
It is interesting to observe various coincidences, thinking they are coincidences. For example, the highly topical education issue addressed in this article shows – there are laws and regulations that simply exist because they have to. Whether they are observed and followed is not important. Ironically – the uproar over the Cabinet of Ministers' regulations indicates that for some reason, regulations affecting the forest sector will be observed at 117%... Quite a narrow-minded invention of public opinion influencers, for whom, undeniably, educated people are unimportant...
It is interesting to observe various coincidences, thinking they are coincidences. For example, the highly topical education issue addressed in this article shows – there are laws and regulations that simply exist because they have to. Whether they are observed and followed is not important. Ironically – the uproar over the Cabinet of Ministers' regulations indicates that for some reason, regulations affecting the forest sector will be observed at 117%... Quite a narrow-minded invention of public opinion influencers, for whom, undeniably, educated people are unimportant...
Everyone can choose different epithets for the actions of the people involved according to their own imagination and level of education. However, the facts in this process are clear: politicians have long failed to comply with either legal norms or their own commitments; some Saeima deputies are unable or unwilling to explain their actions; the judiciary supports politicians in avoiding explanation of their actions.
Meanwhile, the question remains unchanged: what do we understand by “European values”, “European civilisation”, and Georgia’s belonging (or non-belonging) to this “civilisation”? The Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys support and respect in society – in a survey conducted in September 2020, 80% of respondents agreed with the thesis that “The Georgian Orthodox Church is very important to my family”. About the same number agree with the statement – the Georgian Orthodox Church “promotes the preservation of moral values in Georgian society”. That is a different topic, and one that is too long for this text, but such respect is well explained considering the church's merits in preserving Georgian culture and self-identity.
The goal of my interpretation regarding compromise is to outline how tangled international relations actually are, how history influences them, and therefore why sometimes – not always, of course – our anger at the West's slowness in making decisions is not entirely fair.
The association "Sēlijas kultūras projekti" has published a study on the history of the region's narrow-gauge railway – "600 mm Railway in Sēlija during the First World War – Construction, Goals, Impact". Railways have developed differently in Latvia and they are varied, and that is precisely why they are so interesting to study, says one of the book's authors, Toms Altbergs, an industrial heritage expert at SJSC "Latvijas dzelzceļš".
An interesting look at environmental issues which, unfortunately, ends in the usual clichés.
Who really needs bears, as long as the car has inevitably become a necessity for the bipedal animal, even a kind of strange extension of our moving body? And indeed, although bears are reflected in the media almost every time they are encountered, information about their usefulness in the ecosystem is not disseminated, yet almost every published news item is accompanied by information on how to protect oneself from this dangerous forest dweller.
Who really needs bears, as long as the car has inevitably become a necessity for the bipedal animal, even a kind of strange extension of our moving body? And indeed, although bears are reflected in the media almost every time they are encountered, information about their usefulness in the ecosystem is not disseminated, yet almost every published news item is accompanied by information on how to protect oneself from this dangerous forest dweller.
There is a paragraph (answer) dedicated to hunting in the interview. From the moment the first farmer in the Stone or Bronze Age stuck a spade into the ground or started tinkering with a wooden plough and interfered with natural processes, from that moment, these relationships had to be regulated – otherwise, we could end up with some quite drastic consequences. Moreover, if there are no hunters, poachers appear. Hunters are the first line of defence fighting against illegal hunting.