When rain doesn’t come

People here constantly complain about the bad weather, mostly on the fact that it always rains. However, things were quite different last July. July was the warmest July month this country every had, and it was one of the driest. The noontime temperature here was above 25 degrees Celsius for most of the month, and for half of this time, it was even above 30 degrees. This is extraordinary, because even in summer, it usually just stays in the 20-25 degrees Celsius range.

The houses here are made to withstand the cooler weather and rain, and thus they can be quite warm for people during a warm summer. Very few people have air-conditioned houses, and houses have quite large windows to help catch whatever warmth we can get from the sun. Warm weather is so uncommon that, even our electric fans are kept in boxes, and we assemble them for use when it gets warm (which is usually only a couple of weeks every year).

Warm, dry weather here has some particular “Dutch” effects. For one, people need to monitor the system of dikes. Inspectors keep an eye on the conditions of the dikes, because if they become too dry, cracks will develop in the dike which will undermine their strength. Thus, repairs need to be made before the rains return. In 2003, after the dry period, there was a heavy rain, and a dike broke, causing some damage to houses in a couple of streets. Also, grazing animals are not allowed to eat grass on dry dikes, because this also undermines the strength of the dike. The roots of the grass help strengthen the dike, and the hooves of the animals may also damage the dike surface.

Our electricity supply is also vulnerable when it gets too warm. Power plants need cooling water which is taken from the rivers. When the weather gets warm, and thus also the river water, it becomes difficult to cool the power plants sufficiently without endangering the fish and other river life with warm cooling water from the power plants. Thus, if it gets too warm, power plants may have to be turned off.

Dutch People reject new pro-Pedophile Party

In a strange twist to the Netherlands’ democracy, a pro-pedophile party has been formed which will try to win seats in the parliamentary elections this November. The Partij voor Naastenliefde, Vrijheid and Diversiteit (Party for Love, Freedom and Diversity, PNVD), better known in the country a the “Pedo-party” presented itself to the public last May. Among their many program points, was the proposal to allow sexual intercourse from the age of 12.
There were petition campaigns etc. done by many people, in a bid to get the Central Electoral Commission to forbid this party from participating in the coming elections. However, in June, the courts ruled that the party may be allowed to run in the elections, provided that it fulfills the usual requirements for party accreditation. One of the requirements was to get 30 people from each of the 19 electoral districts of the country to formally declare their support for such a party. Pedophiles, who would comprise the supporters of this party, are naturally reluctant to come out in the open to support the party. Now, with only two months left before the elections, the party has gathered less than 50 supporters; so there is a big chance that this party will not make it by November.

In addition, people are generally shunning the PNVD, refusing to include them in debates, or giving them a chance to propagate their platform. And even the organizers are having a hard time in their personal lives. One founding member of the party was rejected from enrolling in the University of Nijmegen, for a course in Education because this will lead to a job where he would work with children. The ABN AMRO Bank has also refused to allow the party to open a bank account with them, citing “security considerations”.

The Dutch courts have formally allowed the PNVD to exist, in the framework of the liberal policy of the country of allowing a very wide range of political ideas. However, it is becoming clear that the Dutch people have rejected, even this early, the PNVD and the ideas that it represents.