Weekly review
Poll
In recent weeks, both in the Saeima and the Cabinet of Ministers, the thesis has been heard once again: “We must act this way, otherwise there will be penalties, infringement procedures, etc.” Often, such a pseudo-argument completely excludes reasonable disputes, discussions, or alternatives, forcing those responsible to make decisions hastily and not always in the interests of Latvia. Why is that?
Old habits are hardening - someone somewhere knows better, let us rely on them
Lack of sufficient capacity or laziness to defend a different point of view
A generation of cabinet officials has been created who are accustomed to accepting rather than delving into matters
This is a serious problem for Latvia for which no solution is being sought. It will probably be all right somehow...
9-15 December
On current and upcoming events
During the Christmas season, Jaunmoku pils invites you to festive concerts and a market.
On 16 December, all nature enthusiasts (from 11:00 to 14:00) are invited to Slītere National Park for a joint educational hike with specialists from the Nature Conservation Agency to practice spotting and identifying animal tracks in the wild. All those interested are invited to gather shortly before 11:00 in Mazirbe at the Liv People's House.
On official matters
The government took note of the informative report prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture (ZM) “On the possibilities of installing wind power plants in national-level agricultural territories”, which states: high-quality agricultural land, which constitutes national-level agricultural territory, must be preserved for agricultural production, leaving in force restrictions on the fragmentation and change of land use purposes for these lands. It is not permissible to change land use categories in a way that would damage the topsoil, reduce soil quality, or cause the degradation of agricultural land.
On industry news
The “Export Champion” award was traditionally presented by the patron of the “Export and Innovation Award”, State President E. Rinkēvičs. This year, the award was received by the company “Latvijas Finieris”, which managed to increase its export turnover by 27% in the past year.
This year, the “Innovation Champion” award was presented for the first time in the state-owned enterprise group, which was received by “Latvijas valsts meži” for innovations in logistics, data processing, and drone technology.
Damage caused by this year's August storms in the territory managed by AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) reached more than 100,000 cubic metres of fallen or broken timber, while in the popular tourist recreation area in Zemgale – LVM Nature Park in Tērvete – thousands of trees were broken and uprooted, altering the familiar park landscape.
A new collection of articles, “Wood and Man in Northern Europe from Prehistory to the Present Day”, has been published in the Latvian National Museum of History's series of scientific articles.
The nearly 300-page publication will be launched on 14 December.
The collection of articles was created as a summary of the research from an interdisciplinary conference held at the LNVM in September 2022. The conference “Wood and Man in Northern Europe from Prehistory to the Present Day” highlighted the ever-dynamic relationship between humans, trees, and forests over a long period of history, showcasing both the everyday, legal, and economic aspects of the topic, as well as viewing it from ecological, aesthetic, and artistic perspectives.
The peat extraction and processing company “Laflora” has concluded the 2023 peat extraction season, harvesting 105,000 tonnes of peat, which is a sufficient volume to meet customer demand for horticultural peat and maintain the current price level for peat substrates in the local market.
According to representatives of Rīgas meži, a similar level of snow-induced tree breakage and bending was observed in the forests more than ten years ago. The company also notes that it is monitoring the situation and that potentially dangerous cases are being addressed. For example, in Rīgas meži and the Gauja forest district, where trees along the edge of the Mālpils road had bent or broken, dangerous leaning trees have been felled.
The “Valter” wooden stool, created by Jelgava-based wooden furniture and component manufacturer “Wooden Deals”, has won at the prestigious German “German Design Award 2024”, where awards for the most innovative design solutions are presented annually. The wooden stool created in Jelgava won in the “Furniture” sub-category of the “Excellent Product Design” category.
On the economy
It is unlikely that our and Switzerland's goals align. I would say that Switzerland should perhaps be a bit more dynamic, as their life is too peaceful. Conversely, there has been no lack of dynamism in Latvia; we could use organizing the country so that everything functions efficiently and normally. Then we could think about the next goals.
Iveta Šice-Trēde, Director of the Border Control Department of the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD), emphasized to the LETA agency that currently neither European Union (EU) nor Latvian regulations restrict the import of food products from Russia. They are controlled at the border in the usual manner.
The foreign trade data for October looks relatively good compared to previous months; the export decline has become smaller, but in essence, not much has changed. Data from the Central Statistical Bureau shows that the value of goods exports in October fell by 12.5% compared to the previous year. We will likely only see confident export growth in 2025, but this requires attracting foreign companies as well as high-quality last-mile infrastructure – roads, streets, and electricity connections, so that companies can develop.
An organized and secure banking system is necessary for an investor to want to invest in the country. Large investments in green energy are also required, as Russian aggression clearly indicates that the country must become more energy independent...
The Saeima Citizenship, Migration and Social Cohesion Committee evaluated whether hidden migration is taking place under the guise of attracting foreign students. “In informal conversations, people express concerns that there is a lot of unregistered migration hidden here, that people come here to study, pay tuition fees, but do not study,” said Gunārs Kūtris, Chairman of the Saeima Citizenship Committee.
On environmental issues
A thaw will begin over the weekend, which will continue rapidly into next week. According to current long-term weather forecast information, the return of stable freezing conditions to our region in the period leading up to the New Year is unlikely.
Ķemeri National Park (ĶNP) has been re-certified for the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, thus continuing to maintain its place among European sustainable tourism destinations, the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) reported.
It is already clear that the Dubai meeting will likely end without significant results. One of the reasons for this lack of results is the same reason why there is no consensus on many other major issues. Whether it be the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, or the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games. There are fundamental differences in the perception of the world between the global South/East and the North/West.
lsm.lv · 08.12.2023 kapec nevar teikt dzivnieki un putni jeb zoologis…
The New Year is gradually approaching, and so is the regular announcement of various animals of the year. Meanwhile, we must try to sort out the confusing zoological terminology prevalent in Latvia and why it is important not to get mixed up.
Synthetic biology is a field of science that combines engineering and biology. For example, one can take the DNA protein of an organism, including a plant, and synthesize new substances from it, which can then be used in medicine, agriculture, and other industries.
In autumn and winter, residents increasingly ask building managers to solve the very unpleasant problem related to combating rat infestations. With the onset of colder weather, rodents and other pests begin to look for warm and safe corners and often find shelter in residential buildings, especially apartment blocks. Rodents are not only inconvenient for people but also dangerous to health, as they spread various diseases.
On hunting
The State Forest Service informs that work is currently underway to clarify all the circumstances of the case in connection with the illegal hunting detected on Saturday, 9 December, in the Saldus municipality.
On 9 December, the State Forest Service (VMD) received information about the culling of 292 wolves; therefore, wolf hunting for this season is now only permitted with prior notification for each instance, by coordinating with the hunting expert of the respective VMD regional forestry office, the service reported.
On stupidity
On Sunday, a video circulated on social media showing shots being fired at wild animals from a moving car. The State Police have initiated criminal proceedings in connection with what is seen in the video.
On unexpected surprises
Although an informative report on the future of Rail Baltica and a report on concluding the contract with the builder for the main route were submitted to the government, they were not yet reviewed, with the Prime Minister noting that they were not submitted in a timely manner.
For all these years, the Rail Baltica project has been incompetently managed – the governance risks pointed out by the State Audit Office nearly four years ago have still not been resolved, and this summer it was revealed that those involved in the project are unable to answer the question of who is actually managing this huge infrastructure project.
...the project is dragging on, and it turns out that suddenly it has become three to four times more expensive. Having watched Jānis Domburs' show, a few conclusions arise.
On surprises
On 15 December, the new Škoda electric trains will carry passengers for the first time, but overall, the goal this year is to put 18 or 19 new trains into service on the routes. This was stated in an interview with Latvian Radio by Rodžers Jānis Grigulis, Chairman of the Board of the passenger carrier Vivi (formerly – Pasažieru vilciens).
On the colourful and varied
All the winds that have blown across the land of Latvia have not bypassed Aizpute. During the industrialization of Soviet Latvia, small Aizpute became the largest specialized lock manufacturer in the Soviet Union. At that time, 1,000 employees working in three shifts produced about 55,000 locks per day. Everything changed after the restoration of Latvia's independence, when the company faced the same fate as hundreds of all-union subordinate enterprises elsewhere in Latvia. Aizpute endured – defying the winds, our “Kurzemes atslēgas” still remains.
Kurzemnieks received a long open letter (it is impossible to publish the whole thing) from staff members of the Kuldīga Technology and Tourism Technical School (KTTT) in defence of their director.
It is addressed to State President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, Minister of Education and Science Anda Čakša, Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa, Chair of the Saeima Education, Culture and Science Committee Agita Zariņa-Stūre, Saeima deputies, and the Director of the State Education Development Agency Dita Traidās. By the time the newspaper was sent to the printer, the letter had been signed by 60 technical school employees, ten employers, and internship supervisors; several technical school students contacted the editorial office, asking for support in the director's defence.
Speaking about the biggest work challenges and difficulties, he said: “As silly as it may be, it is internal communication [between municipal employees]. The municipality is large, and there are many specialists. Although we all work according to the same regulations and for the benefit of the municipality's residents, people are different and have different opinions. Even though there is one regulation, interpretations of individual matters often differ.”
Current events in cartoons
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