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
7-13 January
On flooding: videscentrs.lvgmc.lv
delfi.lv · pludi jekabpili sasniegts kritiskais udens limenis un noriko…
delfi.lv · pludi jekabpili sasniegts kritiskais udens limenis un noriko…
On industry issues
Currently, the greatest challenge for companies is the restructuring of supply chains worldwide, especially in the European Union (EU). This process began several years ago with changes to trade positions and tariffs between several of the world's large economic regions. It was later exacerbated by the C19 pandemic, though the most significant changes, of course, have been caused by the brutal war started by Russia in Ukraine.
...more about our mechanical engineering solutions and services on the Latvijas Finieris Equipment Factory's revamped website
The State Forest Service has published the schedule for hunter and hunt manager examinations for 2023. It is available on the State Forest Service website and in the State Forest Register information system.
Kristaps Klauss’s commentary required for the article (from Twitter):
Taking things incorrectly out of context, LTV News, is neither honest nor in the public interest. Firstly, I mentioned two possible scenarios – for both a price drop and a rise. Secondly, the specific sentence was about natural gas, the potential price increase of which could pull up the prices of other fuels.
On Latvia’s Forest Days
JSC “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) invites representatives of the forestry industry, as well as other friends of nature, to register for the Baltic states' largest forest awareness event, “Latvijas Meža dienas”, which will traditionally take place at the end of May in the Latvijas valsts meži nature park in Tērvete. Last year, the event attracted more than 14,000 visitors. Let us celebrate “Latvijas Meža dienas” together again this year – on 26 and 27 May!
One question, different emphases
...in accordance with the aforementioned study, the company's board nomination process was lawful, complied with regulatory requirements, and no breaches of the requirements regulating the nomination process were detected.
The auditing firm KPMG Baltics (KPMG), commissioned by the Cross-Sectoral Coordination Centre (PKC), evaluated the compliance of the selection of board and council members for JSC “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) held last year with good corporate governance principles, identifying a few “deviations” which will now need to be evaluated by the Ministry of Agriculture (ZM).
On state financial matters
On Friday, 13 January, the Cabinet of Ministers (MK) approved proposals for state budget priority measures for 2023 and the budgetary framework for 2023–2025, providing for significant additional funding of 710 million euros for new government priorities this year. The funding is intended for strengthening state security, improving competitiveness, enhancing quality of life, and other priorities.
The prepared budget proposal allocates 402 million euros for state security and foreign policy, 162 million euros for the quality of life priority, 71 million euros for competitiveness, 45 million euros for education, and 31 million euros for energy, climate, and the environment.
There are matters in which, for the sake of caution alone, one should act with foresight and deliberation, and one such matter is the suspension of the Director General of the State Revenue Service and her potential rotation to another position in public administration. The accusations involve corruption, and this is not the first time that SRS employees have been caught in alleged bribery.
If a taxpayer catches an institution in hypocrisy, corruption, and breaking the law, it is only logical that it affects trust and cooperation. And those are already significant consequences.
On environmental issues
...the first project call has opened, which will run until 29 March 2023. The aim of the programme is to strengthen cooperation between Latvia and Lithuania in the following thematic areas: strengthening institutional capacity and public cooperation; green and sustainable development; a socially inclusive society; and the economic potential of tourism, nature, and cultural heritage.
Not eating meat is perfectly acceptable. If someone doesn't like it or doesn't want to eat meat for other reasons – they can freely choose not to. I also have no problem with other people being encouraged to change their diet. But creating a campaign with adapted messages that do not reflect conditions in Latvia is foolish and can negatively impact our own environmental, climate, and economic indicators.
lsm.lv · vides aizsardzibas kluba specialiste kudras izmantosana silt…
It must be understood that the peat situation is very sensitive in Europe in the context of the Green Deal, and as the main industry, what Latvia should fight for is maintaining the possibility to extract peat for horticultural purposes, as in 2021 Latvia's turnover was over 230 million.
Since the gas flow from Russia stopped, Germany has had to start looking for alternative energy sources, as it will be impossible to meet the country's needs with wind farms and solar panels alone. The most logical solution would seem to be the restarting of closed or mothballed nuclear power plants, because the energy they produce is more or less clean, until the point where the used nuclear fuel has to be dumped somewhere. France does not complain about energy problems with its nuclear power plants, and there are plans to build new reactors in Finland and Sweden as well. But in Germany, coal mining companies have gained the upper hand and are trying to take maximum advantage of the favourable conditions.
To find new, effective methods for combating and limiting invasive species, the Latvian Rural Advisory and Education Centre (LLKC), in cooperation with the Nature Conservation Agency and Daugavpils University, will launch a second project call on 31 January 2023 for small grants for residents, entrepreneurs, and cooperation groups, including municipalities, who wish to limit invasive species on their own property or property under their management, using methods that are innovative for Latvia, nature-friendly, and cost-effective.
Interesting and/or relevant
It is a huge patriotic boost. There has not been such solidarity and unity in our society since the 1991 barricades.
Some of the most striking manifestations of post-war armed resistance in Kurzeme were the capture of Kabile on Christmas 1945 and the Battle of Āpuznieki on 1 January 1946.
Daugavpils University professor and entomologist Arvīds Barševskis has named a newly discovered beetle species in the Philippines Acronia paulsi Barševskis, 2022, after composer Raimonds Pauls, thus greeting the maestro on his birthday, Barševskis confirmed to the LETA agency.
The entomologist says that he has named newly discovered beetle species in honour of several notable Latvians, for example, academician Jānis Stradiņš, film director Jānis Streičs, and others.
If the internet still functions, then I do not understand who can stop a person living in Latvia from shaping their information space however they please, according to their language skills and sometimes also financial possibilities (a lack of the latter, for example, personally prevents me from accessing my desired New York Times or The Wall Street Journal).
Valsts nekustamie īpašumi (State Real Estate) has received a warning from the State Construction Control Bureau regarding the need to eliminate dangers at the Teter House, or the Corner House, by 28 February 2023. If they are not eliminated, VNĪ will be fined, which for a legal entity can reach up to 10,000 euros for each instance of a fact being established. To eliminate the danger, VNĪ needs 300,000 euros. If the sector does not reach a decision on the future of the building by the end of January, VNĪ may have to ask the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia to vacate the exhibition premises until the danger is eliminated, VNĪ representatives informed.
In the South Kurzeme municipality, residents have already picketed twice against the possible construction of a catalytic converter processing plant, and even then, the municipality became cautious. Concerns continued to grow. The executive director of the South Kurzeme municipality, Uldis Vārna, explained that the project developers had promised various benefits to the residents, such as playgrounds for children and others, but the general public sentiment is not supportive.
...the head of the Riga City Architect's Service, city architect Pēteris Ratas, who has worked in architectural firms in the USA and China for more than 20 years, has started his work.
P. Ratas earned a bachelor's degree in architecture at Riga Technical University, and a master's degree in architecture at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the USA. He has worked in international architectural firms in New York and continued his career in China – in Shenzhen and Shanghai. He has participated in many realized projects in various cities in the USA and China.
Even VERY relevant cartoons