Is Groningen losing too many trees? | The Northern Times
NorthenTimes
logo The Northern Times
  • News
    • All
    • Economics
    • Politics
    • Sports
    • Tech
    Number of first-years at the Campus Fryslân has doubled

    Campus Fryslân in Leeuwarden to hold special ‘local solutions to global problems’ climate adaptation courses

    Martini Tower to ring in curfew with centuries-old alarm bell

    Martini Tower to ring in curfew with centuries-old alarm bell

    More than a start-up: Chordify helps people play their favourite songs

    Groningen-based Chordify app got 73.7 million visitors in 2020

    Gemeente Groningen to support struggling sports clubs

    Gemeente Groningen to support struggling sports clubs

    US Climate group suggests much of the Netherlands to be a new Atlantis by 2050

    US Climate group suggests much of the Netherlands to be a new Atlantis by 2050

    Additional Coronavirus measures to be announced on Wednesday

    The “Toeslagen Affair:” why did the Dutch government resign last week?

    Masters of chess: Jorden van Foreest played against world champion Magnus Carlsen

    Masters of chess: Jorden van Foreest played against world champion Magnus Carlsen

    Leeuwarden to hold pro-refugee demonstration on Saturday

    Asylum seekers’ details illegally shared with the police by The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)

    Crystal Meth lab found in old barn in Miedum (Leeuwarden)

    Crystal Meth lab found in old barn in Miedum (Leeuwarden)

    Trending Tags

    • Covid-19
    • Lifestyle
      • All
      • Food & Drinks
      • Nightlife
      • Shopping
      • What's happening
      Digital ESNS festival reaches people from ‘124 countries’

      Digital ESNS festival reaches people from ‘124 countries’

      The show must go on: ESNS music festival starts Wednesday (online)

      The Northern Times’ ESNS 2021 highlights: Thursday and Friday

      Drenthe backs subsidies to improve bee and butterfly numbers

      Drenthe backs subsidies to improve bee and butterfly numbers

      The most wonderful time of the year…

      The most wonderful time of the year…

      “Number of physical lessons at NHL Stenden can rise again, thanks to lower Coronavirus levels”

      NHL Stenden holding online Christmas celebrations for students unable to get home

      City Central to host Boxing Day online games night

      City Central to host Boxing Day online games night

      Groningen’s top restaurants get together and develop gourmet takeaway box

      Groningen’s top restaurants get together and develop gourmet takeaway box

      ESN organising Christmas events (online and offline) for Internationals

      ESN organising Christmas events (online and offline) for Internationals

      Groningen’s market takes extra measures to stay open

      You are what you eat: gastronomic local delights

      Trending Tags

      • Culture
        • All
        • Dutch history
        • Typical Dutch
        RUG, UMCG, and Groninger Museum come together for face mask competition

        People called ‘Wappie’ (traditional Frisian name) surprised with its new meaning

        41st edition of International Film Festival Assen to be completely online

        41st edition of International Film Festival Assen to be completely online

        Rolling Stones exhibition in Groninger Museum extended

        Rolling Stones exhibition in Groninger Museum extended

        The show must go on: ESNS music festival starts Wednesday (online)

        The show must go on: ESNS music festival starts Wednesday (online)

        Drenthe’s two millennia-old horn blowing Boxing Day tradition

        Drenthe’s two millennia-old horn blowing Boxing Day tradition

        NNO and Groninger creatives to pay musical tribute to the city

        NNO and Groninger creatives to pay musical tribute to the city

        A Coronavirus-proof Christmas in the North: Get into the holiday spirit despite the lockdown

        A Coronavirus-proof Christmas in the North: Get into the holiday spirit despite the lockdown

        Sinterklaas: treats, poems, and racist caricatures

        Sinterklaas: treats, poems, and racist caricatures

        Forum Groningen to show film as tribute to footballer Diego Maradona

        Forum Groningen to show film as tribute to footballer Diego Maradona

        Trending Tags

        • People
          • All
          • Expats
          • International students
          From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

          From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

          First students snap up alternate study spots in Oosterpoort

          Dutch student grades rise during pandemic whilst mental health suffers

          NHL_Stenden_studying

          New students in Leeuwarden get ‘Coronaproof’ introduction week

          Dutch King orders new 2-million euro yacht from Frisian boat builder

          King visits Drenthe, ignored by window cleaner

          The freshest of threads: send in your designs and become the next sustainable fashion sensation

          The freshest of threads: send in your designs and become the next sustainable fashion sensation

          “We were hoping to start making friends in the summer”

          “We were hoping to start making friends in the summer”

          Party at home like a King with Temple this weekend

          Party at home like a King with Temple this weekend

          Heads in copper clouds: a Portuguese wanderer in Friesland

          Heads in copper clouds: a Portuguese wanderer in Friesland

          Vlieland lighthouse being refurbished

          Vlieland football team suffers from serial prankster

          Trending Tags

          • Opportunities
            • All
            • business
            • Education
            Law students: Harmony Complex safety an issue

            The RUG is one of the Netherlands’ best universities, so why do its teaching staff give such low-grade feedback?

            Dutch trousers! Drents-born entrepreneur finds success in Canada with low-price equestrian gear

            Dutch trousers! Drents-born entrepreneur finds success in Canada with low-price equestrian gear

            Could you Meet Your Future in the Digital World? Online career event for Internationals going live in February

            Could you Meet Your Future in the Digital World? Online career event for Internationals going live in February

            The Northern Times’ guide for learning Dutch in the North

            The Northern Times’ guide for learning Dutch in the North

            From Chile to the USA: Repak in Emmen eyes up the global market

            From Chile to the USA: Repak in Emmen eyes up the global market

            Could you Meet your Future in Energy? Online career event for Internationals in the North

            Could you Meet your Future in Energy? Online career event for Internationals in the North

            RUG Campus Fryslân and Wetterskip Fryslân team up for climate adaption competition

            RUG Campus Fryslân and Wetterskip Fryslân team up for climate adaption competition

            8,000 new students at Hanze

            8,000 new students at Hanze

            Fryske Akademy in Leeuwarden to receive EU subsidy for furthering ‘world-citizen’ education

            Fryske Akademy in Leeuwarden to receive EU subsidy for furthering ‘world-citizen’ education

            Trending Tags

            The Northern Times
            • News
              • All
              • Economics
              • Politics
              • Sports
              • Tech
              Number of first-years at the Campus Fryslân has doubled

              Campus Fryslân in Leeuwarden to hold special ‘local solutions to global problems’ climate adaptation courses

              Martini Tower to ring in curfew with centuries-old alarm bell

              Martini Tower to ring in curfew with centuries-old alarm bell

              More than a start-up: Chordify helps people play their favourite songs

              Groningen-based Chordify app got 73.7 million visitors in 2020

              Gemeente Groningen to support struggling sports clubs

              Gemeente Groningen to support struggling sports clubs

              US Climate group suggests much of the Netherlands to be a new Atlantis by 2050

              US Climate group suggests much of the Netherlands to be a new Atlantis by 2050

              Additional Coronavirus measures to be announced on Wednesday

              The “Toeslagen Affair:” why did the Dutch government resign last week?

              Masters of chess: Jorden van Foreest played against world champion Magnus Carlsen

              Masters of chess: Jorden van Foreest played against world champion Magnus Carlsen

              Leeuwarden to hold pro-refugee demonstration on Saturday

              Asylum seekers’ details illegally shared with the police by The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)

              Crystal Meth lab found in old barn in Miedum (Leeuwarden)

              Crystal Meth lab found in old barn in Miedum (Leeuwarden)

              Trending Tags

              • Covid-19
              • Lifestyle
                • All
                • Food & Drinks
                • Nightlife
                • Shopping
                • What's happening
                Digital ESNS festival reaches people from ‘124 countries’

                Digital ESNS festival reaches people from ‘124 countries’

                The show must go on: ESNS music festival starts Wednesday (online)

                The Northern Times’ ESNS 2021 highlights: Thursday and Friday

                Drenthe backs subsidies to improve bee and butterfly numbers

                Drenthe backs subsidies to improve bee and butterfly numbers

                The most wonderful time of the year…

                The most wonderful time of the year…

                “Number of physical lessons at NHL Stenden can rise again, thanks to lower Coronavirus levels”

                NHL Stenden holding online Christmas celebrations for students unable to get home

                City Central to host Boxing Day online games night

                City Central to host Boxing Day online games night

                Groningen’s top restaurants get together and develop gourmet takeaway box

                Groningen’s top restaurants get together and develop gourmet takeaway box

                ESN organising Christmas events (online and offline) for Internationals

                ESN organising Christmas events (online and offline) for Internationals

                Groningen’s market takes extra measures to stay open

                You are what you eat: gastronomic local delights

                Trending Tags

                • Culture
                  • All
                  • Dutch history
                  • Typical Dutch
                  RUG, UMCG, and Groninger Museum come together for face mask competition

                  People called ‘Wappie’ (traditional Frisian name) surprised with its new meaning

                  41st edition of International Film Festival Assen to be completely online

                  41st edition of International Film Festival Assen to be completely online

                  Rolling Stones exhibition in Groninger Museum extended

                  Rolling Stones exhibition in Groninger Museum extended

                  The show must go on: ESNS music festival starts Wednesday (online)

                  The show must go on: ESNS music festival starts Wednesday (online)

                  Drenthe’s two millennia-old horn blowing Boxing Day tradition

                  Drenthe’s two millennia-old horn blowing Boxing Day tradition

                  NNO and Groninger creatives to pay musical tribute to the city

                  NNO and Groninger creatives to pay musical tribute to the city

                  A Coronavirus-proof Christmas in the North: Get into the holiday spirit despite the lockdown

                  A Coronavirus-proof Christmas in the North: Get into the holiday spirit despite the lockdown

                  Sinterklaas: treats, poems, and racist caricatures

                  Sinterklaas: treats, poems, and racist caricatures

                  Forum Groningen to show film as tribute to footballer Diego Maradona

                  Forum Groningen to show film as tribute to footballer Diego Maradona

                  Trending Tags

                  • People
                    • All
                    • Expats
                    • International students
                    From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

                    From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

                    First students snap up alternate study spots in Oosterpoort

                    Dutch student grades rise during pandemic whilst mental health suffers

                    NHL_Stenden_studying

                    New students in Leeuwarden get ‘Coronaproof’ introduction week

                    Dutch King orders new 2-million euro yacht from Frisian boat builder

                    King visits Drenthe, ignored by window cleaner

                    The freshest of threads: send in your designs and become the next sustainable fashion sensation

                    The freshest of threads: send in your designs and become the next sustainable fashion sensation

                    “We were hoping to start making friends in the summer”

                    “We were hoping to start making friends in the summer”

                    Party at home like a King with Temple this weekend

                    Party at home like a King with Temple this weekend

                    Heads in copper clouds: a Portuguese wanderer in Friesland

                    Heads in copper clouds: a Portuguese wanderer in Friesland

                    Vlieland lighthouse being refurbished

                    Vlieland football team suffers from serial prankster

                    Trending Tags

                    • Opportunities
                      • All
                      • business
                      • Education
                      Law students: Harmony Complex safety an issue

                      The RUG is one of the Netherlands’ best universities, so why do its teaching staff give such low-grade feedback?

                      Dutch trousers! Drents-born entrepreneur finds success in Canada with low-price equestrian gear

                      Dutch trousers! Drents-born entrepreneur finds success in Canada with low-price equestrian gear

                      Could you Meet Your Future in the Digital World? Online career event for Internationals going live in February

                      Could you Meet Your Future in the Digital World? Online career event for Internationals going live in February

                      The Northern Times’ guide for learning Dutch in the North

                      The Northern Times’ guide for learning Dutch in the North

                      From Chile to the USA: Repak in Emmen eyes up the global market

                      From Chile to the USA: Repak in Emmen eyes up the global market

                      Could you Meet your Future in Energy? Online career event for Internationals in the North

                      Could you Meet your Future in Energy? Online career event for Internationals in the North

                      RUG Campus Fryslân and Wetterskip Fryslân team up for climate adaption competition

                      RUG Campus Fryslân and Wetterskip Fryslân team up for climate adaption competition

                      8,000 new students at Hanze

                      8,000 new students at Hanze

                      Fryske Akademy in Leeuwarden to receive EU subsidy for furthering ‘world-citizen’ education

                      Fryske Akademy in Leeuwarden to receive EU subsidy for furthering ‘world-citizen’ education

                      Trending Tags

                      The Northern Times
                      logo The Northern Times
                      Home News
                      trees

                      Is Groningen losing too many trees?

                      Traci White by Traci White
                      February 28, 2019
                      in News
                      0
                      Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

                      Plans to cut down a handful of trees at the Akerk have been postponed, but across the city of Groningen, hundreds of trees are coming down, many to make way for construction projects. The Bomenridders – The Tree Knights – are concerned that the municipality is too eager to give trees the chop, even though creating more green space in Groningen is a central tenet of the new GroenLinks-led coalition.

                      The Bomenridder’s most recent project has been the Akerkhof. As of this week, there are 11 trees in the small square in front of the AKerk, and in an effort to create a sunny spot in the city centre for people to take a breather, the municipality is planning to cut down five of them.

                      “There was a lot of resistance to that plan and people were not happy with it, considering its historical and cultural role, but also because it’s one of that only little plantsoen areas, little park areas, left in the centre with large scale trees”, says Kristin McGee, an American associate professor at the Faculty of Arts and spokesperson for group.

                      The Tree Knights

                      The Bomenridders – the Tree Knights –  started as a foundation in 2016, and regularly objects to plans from the municipality to cut down trees in the city. Over the past year, much of their effort has been focused on the southern ring road, where hundreds of trees have been chopped down or relocated elsewhere.

                      After their initial objections to the Akerk plans were deemed unfounded last year, an injunction hearing was held on Monday to revisit the issue. There were 150 letters of objection submitted for the hearing and the Tree Knights group requested an injunction to delay work at the site, which was scheduled to begin on Thursday. Even though McGee was doubtful that the plans would be postponed, on Wednesday morning, the judge ruled that the permit to cut down the trees should be suspended and that the felling would be at least temporarily delayed.

                      How does a municipal permit work?

                      Municipal council spokesperson Hans Coenraads says that if the municipality decides to grant a permit to carry out works of any kind, including felling trees, then there is a six-week period for interested parties to file objections to those plans. A committee considers those objections, determines whether or not they were founded and advises the municipality on how to proceed. After that, there is still the possibility to appeal the case, which can either be an expedited process (in the case of the Akerk grounds) or a longer process. A judge may then consider granting an injunction to postpone carrying out the permit.

                      Alternative plan

                      On Wednesday afternoon, Dagblad van het Noorden reported the non-coalition parties in the municipal council – Party for the Animals, CDA, 100% Groningen and Stad en Ommeland (City and Country) – submitted a motion to call off cutting down the Akerk trees altogether and to come up with an alternative plan. But the coalition parties – GroenLinks, the Labour Party (PvdA), D66 and ChristenUnie – voted against the motion, along with the VVD and Student en Stad parties.

                      De motie om de kap van de bomen bij het A-kerkhof tegen te houden en een alternatief ontwerp te maken, krijgt geen steun van de coalitiepartijen in #raad050 pic.twitter.com/DmOXVYrrzr

                      — CDA Groningen (gem) (@CDAGroningen) February 27, 2019

                      Hans Coenraads, a spokesperson for the executive municipal council, says that the current plans involve chopping down five of the smallest trees on the grounds. Coenraads says that the reason the municipality, which has a leasehold on the grounds through next year, wanted to chop the trees down was to create more space for the older remaining trees to grow and permit more sunlight to reach the ground, which would help the grass to flourish. Six young trees will be planted on the nearby Brugstraat and Astraat to compensate for the trees lost.

                      One-to-one not enough

                      McGee says that a one-to-one replanting approach is not enough to compensate for the lost mass of the older trees that have been chopped down. “The younger trees only have about 10 percent value in terms of pollution removal compared to mature trees.” She says that if the newly planted trees were given time to grow, they may eventually achieve some degree of ecological balance, but many trees are not allowed to become “historic”.

                      When the municipality considers whether or not to grant a permit to cut down a tree, Coenraads says that each tree is evaluated on a case by case basis. “We consider the condition of the tree, how old it is, what sort of prognosis it has for the future, what the situation is underground. All of that is taken into consideration.” But the Tree Knights fear that aggressive pruning, topping and capping ultimately makes many trees weaker rather than stronger, and when they become sick, that makes the decision to cut them down easier to justify.

                      What is biomass?


                      The Bomenridders say that there is a connection between the apparent increase in the number of trees being cut down since 2013 and contractors having more financial incentive to convert the wood into biomass pellets: The Dutch energy accord in 2013 included biomass as a central tenant for transitioning away from fossil fuels.

                      Coenraads says that it is up to the individual contractors who chop down the trees what happens with the wood, and that the municipality itself does not have any arrangements for trees felled on their property to be turned into biomass.

                      Biomass is widely believed to be a sustainable replacement for fossil fuels because it is organic material. Other forms of biomass include used cooking oil, corn, livestock waste and compost. However, it is not an undisputed clean alternative. In 2017, 772 scientists signed a letter pointing out that burning wood emits “far more carbon than burning fossil fuels for each kilowatt hour of electricity produced”, and “100% of Europe’s annual harvest of wood would be needed to supply just one third of the expanded renewable energy directive.”

                      GroenLinks and green space

                      The recently instated GroenLinks coalition in the city of Groningen is advocating for an additional one million euros to secure more green spaces throughout the municipality and planting trees on the Grote Markt. Coenraads says that the specifics of the coalition’s plans are still being worked out. While the Tree Knights applaud the coalition’s espoused desire to increase greenery in the city, McGee says that the fact that GroenLinks supports biomass as an alternative fuel source more or less cancels out any good that local efforts may do.

                      Even though the Akerk trees will remain standing for now, the Tree Knights are still concerned about what they see as the city’s willingness to cut down its trees. Coenraads says that it is difficult to confirm exactly how many trees there are in the municipality because only a limited number are on municipal property: a 2018 report stated that there was a net gain of 400 trees on municipal grounds over the past four years, but on private property, 4,300 permits were granted to cut down trees, and only 2,700 trees were planted.

                      Photo source: Gerard Stolk/Flickr

                      Tags: AkerkbiomassGroenLinksGroningenThe Tree Knightstimbertrees
                      ShareTweetShare
                      Previous Post

                      Police arrest ISIS supporter from Groningen

                      Next Post

                      Chemicals giant Teijin to invest tens of millions into Emmen and Delfzijl

                      Traci White

                      Traci White

                      Related Posts

                      Number of first-years at the Campus Fryslân has doubled

                      Campus Fryslân in Leeuwarden to hold special ‘local solutions to global problems’ climate adaptation courses

                      January 25, 2021
                      Martini Tower to ring in curfew with centuries-old alarm bell

                      Martini Tower to ring in curfew with centuries-old alarm bell

                      January 25, 2021
                      More than a start-up: Chordify helps people play their favourite songs

                      Groningen-based Chordify app got 73.7 million visitors in 2020

                      January 21, 2021
                      Gemeente Groningen to support struggling sports clubs

                      Gemeente Groningen to support struggling sports clubs

                      January 21, 2021
                      US Climate group suggests much of the Netherlands to be a new Atlantis by 2050

                      US Climate group suggests much of the Netherlands to be a new Atlantis by 2050

                      January 20, 2021
                      Additional Coronavirus measures to be announced on Wednesday

                      The “Toeslagen Affair:” why did the Dutch government resign last week?

                      January 20, 2021
                      Next Post
                      teijin logo

                      Chemicals giant Teijin to invest tens of millions into Emmen and Delfzijl

                      Pete_Hoekstra

                      American ambassador pays visit to province of Groningen

                      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

                      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

                      Most popular this week

                      • Whole of Netherlands regulations against COVID-19 Coronavirus announced

                        Rutte Coronavirus press conference: curfew, flight shut down, and fewer visitors at home

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Dutch government announces strict border shutdown for incoming Non-EU citizens

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • US Climate group suggests much of the Netherlands to be a new Atlantis by 2050

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Night of anger: Dutch residents rebel against Coronavirus regulations and riot across several cities

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Curfew likely to be brought in at Rutte press conference, to take effect from Friday evening

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      The Northern Times

                      The Northern Times

                      NorthernTimes.nl is an English-language news site for internationals and anyone interested in news and activities in the three northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The website provides daily coverage and summaries of local news in the north, as well as human interest stories, backgrounds and a regional events calendar. The Northern Times is an initiative of the International Welcome Center North in cooperation with Persbureau Tammeling BV, which owns and operates the website.

                      Powered by:

                      Akkoord van Groningen, Gemeente Groningen, Koninklijke Metaalunie & FME, University of Groningen, Hanzehogeschool Groningen, Samenwerking Noord, Campus Groningen, and DUO/NEC NL (Nationaal Europass Centrum Nederland). 

                      Privacy statement and disclaimer 

                      NorthernTimes.nl is an English-language news site for internationals and anyone interested in news and activities in the three northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The website provides daily coverage and summaries of local news in the north, as well as human interest stories, backgrounds and a regional events calendar. The Northern Times is an initiative of the International Welcome Center North in cooperation with Persbureau Tammeling BV, which owns and operates the website.

                      Newsletter

                      Once or twice a week, we send out a digital newsletter to our subscribers. We will not and cannot share email addresses or any other personal data provided by our subscribers with any third parties, nor will we use this information for any purposes other than providing the newsletter. 

                      Questions or comments?

                      If you have any questions concerning your privacy or comments about ways that you think we could further protect and inform you about your privacy, please let us know by contacting us at info@tammeling.nl

                      Disclaimer

                      The Northern Times reserves the right to change its privacy policy, but will inform our subscribers and readers in advance prior to implementing any such changes. These changes will be published in a timely manner on The Northern Times’ website.

                      Tags

                      Arriva (43) Art (43) Assen (156) business (33) Climate Change (33) Coronavirus (307) COVID-19 (164) COVID 19 (44) Delfzijl (32) Drachten (40) Drenthe (668) earthquakes (45) Eelde (38) Emmen (134) festival (34) football (47) Friesland (702) Groningen (1359) Groningen Airport Eelde (39) Groninger Museum (36) Hanzehogeschool (33) Hoogeveen (40) housing (83) international (36) international students (40) jobs (47) Leeuwarden (339) LF2018 (36) Make it in the North (39) music (32) natural gas (51) Netherlands (40) NHL Stenden (41) NS (34) police (55) protest (43) RUG (93) Sneek (35) students (72) tourism (33) train (54) UMCG (78) University of Groningen (151) Wadden Sea (33) what's on (35)
                      • News
                      • Covid-19
                      • Lifestyle
                      • Culture
                      • People
                      • Opportunities

                      © Copyrights The Northern Times 2018

                      No Result
                      View All Result
                      • Culture
                        • Dutch history
                        • Typical Dutch
                      • Lifestyle
                        • Food & Drinks
                        • Nightlife
                        • Shopping
                        • What’s happening
                      • News
                        • Economics
                        • Politics
                        • Sports
                        • Tech
                      • People
                        • Expats
                        • International students
                      • Opportunities
                        • business
                        • Education
                      • Subscribe To Our Newsletter

                        Join our mailing list to receive the latest news from Groningen, Drenthe, and Friesland.

                        You have Successfully Subscribed!

                      Subscribe To Our Newsletter

                      Subscribe To Our Newsletter

                      Join our mailing list to receive the latest news from the Top Dutch region!

                      You have Successfully Subscribed!