A group of more than 500 scientists have signed a letter calling on the EU to stop treating the burning of biomass as carbon neutral.
They are asking governments around the world, including Europe, to end subsidiaries for burning wood that are harmful to biodiversity and pose a serious threat to the world’s forests.
They claim that for each kilowatt hour of heat or electricity produced by burning trees, “it will likely add two or three times as much carbon to the air as using fossil fuels.” This is because wood is not as energy-dense as fuels like coal or oil meaning more has to be burnt in order to generate the same amount of power.
The letter is addressed to EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel as well as US President Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Suga and South Korean President Moon.
It was signed by hundreds of scientists and economists including former chair of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Jean-Pascal van Ypersele. The group worry that this “false solution” is replacing real efforts to reduce carbon emissions in countries around the world.
“Fighting the climate emergency without changing the EU’s biomass rules is like trying to bail out a boat with a hole in the bottom,” says Alex Mason, Senior Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office.
He adds that it is what you are burning that matters “not how sustainably the forest was managed”.
Why is burning wood a bad idea?
Although technically ‘renewable’, regrowing trees takes years. Natural regeneration of forests has been found to capture carbon faster and for longer than replanting efforts. Simply leaving trees to grow on their own could potentially be the “single largest natural climate solution available to us”.
For years, producers of paper and wood have used their waste to generate electricity which did not lead to extra trees being cut down.
But, the group of scientists say, “in recent years there has been a misguided move to cut down whole trees or divert large portions of stem wood for bioenergy, releasing carbon that would otherwise stay locked up in forests.”
“If the world supplied just an additional 2 per cent of its energy from wood, it would need to double its commercial wood harvests,” reads the letter. They add that there is good evidence that increased use of bioenergy already means more forests are being harvested in Europe.
“The revision of the EU renewables law is a crucial chance; the Commission must listen to scientists and citizens and stop trees being burned in the name of the climate,” says Mason.
ESPOO, Finland, Feb. 12, 2021 — Europe has always been excellent in academic research, but over the past few decades commercializing research projects has been slow compared to international competition. This is starting to change with quantum technologies. As one of the largest efforts in Europe and worldwide, Germany announced € 2 Billion funding into quantum programs in June 2020, from which €120 Million are invested in this current round of research grants.
Today, IQM announced a Quantum project consortium that includes some of Europe’s leading startups (ParityQC, IQM), industry leaders (Infineon Technologies), research centers (Forschungszentrum Jülich), supercomputing centers (Leibniz Supercomputing Centre), and academia (Freie Universität Berlin) has been awarded € 12.4 Million from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (Announcement in German).
The scope of the project is to accelerate commercialization through an innovative co-design concept. This project focuses on application-specific quantum processors, which have the potential to create a fastlane to quantum advantage. The digital-analog concept used to operate the processors will further lay the foundation for commercially viable quantum computers. This project will run for four years and aims to develop a 54-qubit quantum processor.
The project is intended to support the European FET Flagship project EU OpenSuperQ, announced in 2018 which is aimed at designing, building, and operating a quantum information processing system of up to 100 qubits. Deploying digital-analog quantum computing, this consortium adds a new angle to the OpenSuperQ project and widens its scope. With efforts from Munich, Berlin and Jülich, as well as Parity QC from Austria, the project builds bridges and seamlessly integrates into the European quantum landscape.
IQM Quantum Computers Design
“The grant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany is a huge recognition of our unique co-design approach for quantum computers. Last year when we established our office in Munich, this was one of our key objectives. The concept allows us to become a system integrator for full-stack quantum computers by bringing together all the relevant players. As Europe’s leading startup in quantum technologies, this gives us confidence to further invest in Germany and other European countries” said Dr. Jan Goetz, CEO of IQM Quantum Computers.
“DAQC is an important project for Germany and Europe. It enables us to take a leading role in the area of quantum technologies. It also allows us to bring quantum computing into one of the prime academic supercomputing centres to more effectively work on the important integration of high-performance computing and quantum computing. We are looking forward to a successful collaboration,” said Prof. Dr Martin Schulz, Member of the Board of Directors, Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ).
About IQM Quantum Computers:
IQM is a European leader in superconducting quantum computers, headquartered in Espoo, Finland. Since its inception in 2018, IQM has grown to 80+ employees and has also established a subsidiary in Munich, Germany, to lead the co-design approach. IQM delivers on-premises quantum computers for research laboratories and supercomputing centers and provides complete access to its hardware. For industrial customers, IQM delivers quantum advantage through a unique application-specific co-design approach. IQM has raised € 71 Million from VCs firms and also public grants and is also building Finland’s first quantum computer.
European Commission Press release Brussels, 13 Feb 2021 Robust new trade enforcement rules have entered into force that will further strengthen the EU’s toolbox in defending its interests.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association is demanding the EU install more electric vehicle charging stations in a letter co-signed with Transport & Environment and the European Consumer Organization. This marks the hundredth time (rough estimate) an auto lobbying entity has tried to pressure the government into spending a fortune to drastically alter the European infrastructure to support the planned glut of EVs.
But it might be a fair request. Regulatory actions have effectively forced the industry into a corner and it now seems giddy at the prospect of an electrified world. The only real downside is that the charging infrastructure and power grids aren’t ready. ACEA estimates that the EU will need to build one million public charging points by 2024, with hopes of seeing three million installed before 2030.
BIC GENEVA — Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is among a group of more than 50 high-ranking legal professionals in Canada who have written an open letter to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Chief Justice, Ebrahim Raisi, expressing deep concern regarding “new and intense violations” of the human rights of Iran’s Bahá’í community.
The letter—whose signatories include former justice ministers and judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as prominent legal academics and practicing lawyers—condemns a recent court ruling to confiscate Bahá’í properties in Ivel, a village in northern Iran.
“We know the Bahá’í Faith to stand for values of peace, justice, and unity,” the letter states, “values which have been under sustained attack by the Iranian authorities for decades. Violations of the human rights of Iran’s Bahá’ís have already been decried by the Canadian government, the United Nations and numerous human rights organizations. Today, as members of the Canadian legal profession who believe in the rule of law, we too stand with the Bahá’ís of Iran and call upon you, as the head of the Iranian judiciary, to address this new abuse inflicted upon the Bahá’ís of Ivel.”
The unprecedented outpouring of support comes after Bahá’í-owned properties have been unjustly confiscated by Iranian authorities in Ivel, displacing dozens of families and leaving them economically impoverished.
Numerous official documents unmistakably reveal religious prejudice as the sole motive behind the confiscations. Some records show, for instance, that Bahá’ís were told that if they converted to Islam, their properties would be returned.
“The 2020 rulings now establish a dangerous constitutional precedent of judicially sanctioned confiscation that nullifies legitimate property interests based only on the owners’ religious affiliation, thus departing not only from international human rights standards but also from the text and intent of the Iranian constitution itself,” the letter to Chief Justice Raisi states.
Religious discrimination against the Bahá’í community, it further states, “can provide solid grounds for prosecution of Iran’s authorities before international criminal courts and other international institutions.”
Despite repeated attempts by the Bahá’ís in Ivel to appeal for their rights, their lawyers were given no opportunity to see court documents to prepare a defense or to present any arguments.
The situation in Ivel, the letter says, is an “alarming new chapter” in the persecution of a Bahá’í community that dates to the mid-1800s and was once a “thriving and peaceful multi-generational community… of farmers and small business owners.” Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahá’ís in Ivel have been “forced from their homes, imprisoned, harassed, and their property torched and demolished.” In 2010, homes belonging to 50 Bahá’í families in Ivel were demolished as part of long-running campaign to expel them from the region.
Diane Ala’i, Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations in Geneva, says, “This letter from prominent legal figures demonstrates that the cruel treatment meted out to the Bahá’ís by the Iranian authorities has not gone unnoticed by the international community. It has, instead, served to galvanize public conscience around the world.”
The history of land confiscation and mass displacement of Bahá’ís in Iran is detailed in a special section of the website of the Canadian Bahá’í community’s Office of Public Affairs.
NCRI-US Welcomes Bipartisan House Resolution Condemning Tehran’s Terrorism and Rights Abuses, Supporting Iran Uprising – Book Publishing Industry Today – EIN Presswire
(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, FEB 12 - The Covid-19 pandemic has
strengthened the belief that the European Union is the right
place to develop effective solutions to fight Covid-19 and its
effects. A new survey, commissioned by the European Parliament
and conducted between November and December 2020 by Kantar,
noted that seven in 10 Italians are optimistic about the EU
recovery plan.At a European level – according to the survey – nearly three
in four of those interviewed (72%) believe that the recovery
plan of the European Union would allow the economy of their
country to recover more quickly from the negative effect of the
coronavirus pandemic. Italy, with 69%, is in line with the
European average. A reported 43% of the Italians interviewed
have a positive or very positive image, up 11 percentage points
compared to the fall of 2019.
In general, according to the survey, Europeans who express a
positive opinion about the EU have increased by 10 percentage
points, compared to the fall of 2019, reaching a total of 50%.
“The message of this survey is clear: European citizens
support the European Union and believe the EU is the right place
to find solutions to the crisis. But the reform of the European
Union is clearly something that citizens want to see and for
this reason we have to launch the Conference on the future of Europe as soon as possible”, said the president of the European
Parliament, David Sassoli. (ANSAmed).
In a resolution on the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, the European Parliament supported the establishment of the Crimean Platform and called to provide support for the initiative.
“The European Parliament repeats its call for [establishment of] an international format for negotiations on the de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula with the active participation of the EU; calls on the VP/HR, the Commission and the Member States to provide all necessary support for the establishment of a Crimea International Platform that would allow the efforts aimed at the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine to be to coordinated, formalised and systematised; considers it important to involve the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, as the only internationally recognised representative body of the Crimean Tatars, in the activities of such a Platform,” according to the text of the resolution adopted on Thursday.
In a recently published Parliament survey, agriculture, food and fisheries have emerged as a major area of disagreement between Brussels and the EU capitals.
Our readers won’t find this news astonishing, as they are very aware of how ruthless and ferocious agri-food spats can become in Europe.
On a weekly basis, they have been briefed about new clashes between EU countries on the front-of-pack labelling, or farmers taking the streets to protest against the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Not to mention new trade deals negotiated by the EU with nefarious consequences on Europe’s agricultural sector that upset every stakeholder, for different reasons.
All these arguments, controversies and disputes enter the internal political debate. And they are well noted by citizens.
This is what has been found in the annual Eurobarometer survey commissioned by the European Parliament and published on Friday (12 February): agri-food and fisheries have been confirmed as an apple of discord between the EU and member states.
While migration is by far still perceived as the main area of disagreement between Brussels and national governments, mentioned by nearly half (47%) of respondents, environmental (20%) and food-related issues (20%) follows immediately after.
To put it in perspective, environment and agri-food are both perceived as more confrontational on the EU stage than public health, despite the recent vaccine row and the criticism of how the EU has managed the pandemic.
The news does not catch us off guard also because some of the funniest demonstrations in EU history belong to the agri-food realm.
My favourite one dates back to February 1971, when a group of Walloon farmers gatecrashed a gathering of agriculture ministers of the then European Economic Community (EEC) with three cows, as a protest against the Mansholt Plan, the first CAP reform ever.
Besides, agricultural spending has always accounted for the lion’s share of the EU budget, and it is well known that where there is money, arguments will abound.
Nevertheless, it is interesting to check in which countries the level of confrontation is perceived as particularly heated.
Surprisingly, in one country – Ireland – agriculture, food and fishery have been ranked as the first contentious issue between the government and the EU institutions.
According to Luke Flanagan, one of the most experienced MEPs on Irish agricultural issues, the problem is created locally rather than in Brussels, as the poll results are most likely due to the largest farming organisation – the Irish farmers association (IFA) – objecting to rules and regulations of the CAP on a regular basis.
“This is picked up by the general public who then presume that this is our major area of disagreement with the EU,” he told EURACTIV.
For another MEP from the democratic socialist party Sinn Fein, Chris MacManus, Irish citizens demand an EU trade policy that bolsters short supply chains, environmental protection and a viable future for rural communities, while the EU has recently failed to respect these red lines.
He referred in particular to the Mercosur agreement as, according to him, it puts at risk most vulnerable indigenous sectors.
“When the EU grants the Mercosur countries 99,000 tonnes of the beef access or the US tariff-free lobster imports, Irish people know that will push their local farmers and fishing communities, who are already struggling, one step closer to financial ruin,” he said.
But Latvia, the Netherlands, and Finland also seem to have a beef with the EU when it comes to agrifood.
The European Commission and fisheries ministers have fought for quite a while on a drastic fishing quota limit in the Baltic Sea to save the cod stock at the risk of collapse, but that took a heavy socio-economic toll on the Latvian economy.
To convey an idea of how “pop” this fight had become, the day before the final vote, fishnet used by electric fishing vessels stood outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, while inside, Dutch folk singer Geke van der Sloot sang the song Lied voor de vissers (“Song for the fishermen”), composed for the occasion.
While in Riga and Amsterdam, the reason for the frictions could be found in fisheries, in Helsinki the disagreement with the EU could be perceived because of different natural conditions.
“We have a short growing season, long winter and implementation of [agricultural] directives are mostly tighter than the minimum,” Finnish MEP Elsi Katainen explained to EURACTIV.
According to her, this clearly sometimes creates a bit of disagreement in the agri-sector, although so far, the CAP has secured profitable farming in the north of the country.
Another explanation could come from the fact that farmers could feel it is unfair to see cheaper products on the market, produced with lower standards, while the EU asks from its farmers a tight regulation on quality and food safety.
For instance, Katainien recalled that Finland is one of the few countries which have properly implemented the ‘pigtail’ directive.
“On the other hand, our high standards are a strength in the export markets,” she added.
The positive news from the survey is, indeed, that providing affordable and safe food, as well as a fair standard of living for farmers, is quite high on EU citizens’ wish list – for 26% of respondents, they are ranked higher than measures to develop renewable energy or better trade cooperation with global players.
EU-Africa partnership must reflect ‘realities of African agriculture’ Future agrifood partnerships between the EU and Africa take into account the realities of farming in Africa, especially in the context of a drive for a greener transition, agrifood stakeholders have warned. Natasha Foote has more.
German lawmakers call for ending exports of banned pesticides Pesticides that are currently banned in Europe may still be exported to foreign countries, an issue which highlights the EU’s lack of coherence, according to the leftist Die Linke and the Greens. EURACTIV Germany reports.
News from the bubble
CAP negotiations to hit a sticking point on social conditionality: Social conditionality is proving to be a thorny issue in the upcoming Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) negotiations if the most recent special committee on agriculture (SCA) meeting is anything to go by. The meeting, which was held on Monday (8 February) saw nearly all member states raise issues with the inclusion of social conditionality in the reform of the CAP, which would see CAP subsidies would be conditional upon farmers’ upholding working and employment standards.
Three options appear to be on the table, none of which seem to have a clear majority. These include: having the social conditionality (with penalties) conditional on court rulings; including a chapter on social conditionality in national strategic plans; and developing a specific provision on “implementation conditions” that the Commission would check before approving the national strategic plans.
A fourth and supplementary activity was to enlarge the role of Farm Advisory Services to advise farmers on social legislation. Many member states raised the issue that social conditionality was not in the original Commission proposal, and that this falls outside the remit of the CAP, which has already been subject to environmental conditionality. Among those most opposed to the inclusion of social conditionality include Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic and Lithuania. Check out EURACTIV’s article to learn more about the issue.
Protected product: The European Commission has approved the application for the entry of “Ponikve” in the register of protected designations of origin (PDO). Ponikve is an appellation of white, rosé and red wines produced on the Pelješac peninsula in southern Croatia.
Pro-Nutriscore alliance: A coalition of six EU countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Spain – plus Switzerland will establish a transnational coordination mechanism to facilitate the use of the front-of-pack nutrition label Nutri-Score. The news has been hailed by those who advocate for the adoption of this framework as the EU-wide mandatory food labelling.
Wine package prolongation: The European Parliament gave the final green light to extend the length of the Commission’s aid package for winegrowers by a year. To learn more about this set of extraordinary measures, check out our reporting.
Agrifood news from the capitals
UK Organic food consumption is at an all-time high after the demand for organic produce soared over the past year, which has seen the biggest year-on-year increase in sales in 15 years. The organic market, including food, clothing, cosmetics and other products, increased to £2.79bn, a rise of 12.6% on 2019, according to the Soil Association in its annual organic market report, released on Wednesday (10 February). (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)
GERMANY Germany’s cabinet passed a package on insect protection on Wednesday (10 February) after a long dispute between the agriculture and environment ministries (BMEL and BMU) and deep divisions between environmental organisations and farmers. The compromise reached between the BMEL and BMU has provisions to protect certain habitats like grasslands for insects and curb light pollution, which can harm nocturnal insects. An additional package presented by the BMEL severely restricts the use of the glyphosate and completely bans it as of 2023. Environment minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) was pleased with the compromise, saying “The glyphosate phase-out is coming.” Environmental organisations agreed. President of Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND), Olaf Bandt, said “Every kilo of pesticide saved, every pesticide-free square kilometer of land and every light source saved are positive for insects and nature. The final phase-out of glyphosate agriculture also points in the right direction.” While agriculture minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) also voiced her approval of the package, farmers associations were highly critical. Joachim Rukwied of the German Farmers’ Association (DBV) called the law “short-sighted and a strategic mistake in environmental protection policy.” (Sarah Lawton | EURACTIV.de)
IRELAND Northern Ireland’s department of agriculture staff resumed checks of animal-based products at two ports on Wednesday (10 February). The checks were suspended on 1 February after threatening graffiti appeared in a number of loyalist areas warning that port staff could be “targets”. According to RTE News, the decision comes after police carried out a threat assessment. (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)
ITALY There is a great deal of uncertainty about who will succeed Teresa Bellanova as Minister of Agriculture in the new government led by the former governor of the European Central Bank (ECB) Mario Draghi. The latest rumours swirl around a technocratic figure or an agriculture expert, but there are some speculations that right-wing party Lega is interested in the job. At the beginning of the week, the Italian daily La Repubblica reported that even the party’s leader Matteo Salvini could be a candidate for the post. “We want to be part of a government that keeps its head up when negotiating with Brussels if Italian agriculture has to be defended,” he said after the second round of talks with Draghi. (Gerardo Fortuna | EURACTIV.com)
CROATIA The European Commission has approved an investment of more than €86 million from the European regional development fund in Croatia to expand its next generation broadband infrastructure, in line with the EU broadband strategy and policies. The investment will provide Croatia’s rural and suburban settlements with access to high-speed internet services to the benefit of citizens and local businesses. Commissioner for cohesion and reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “All Europeans should have stable and fast access to internet services. This has proven to be even more relevant in the coronavirus pandemic context where numerous activities have shifted to a full online format. By contributing to end the digital divide between urban and rural populations, this project will open up to new economic opportunities and boost Croatia’s socio-economic development.” (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)
POLAND Around nine million tonnes of food are wasted in Poland every year while there are some 1.6 million people living in extreme poverty, the Federation of Polish Food Banks has reported. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the problem. The association estimates that the number of people in need of free food in Poland could be even higher, reaching 5-6 million. Households account for nearly half of this amount, with bread, fruit, cold cuts and vegetables wasted the most. The reason for this is usually missing the expiration date, poor quality of products bought or simply buying too much food. These statistics increase the most during holidays and summer, when it is the season for trips and barbecues. (Mateusz Kucharczyk | EURACTIV.pl)
FRANCE France has failed in its ambition to reduce the use of pesticides, according to a report published yesterday (February 9th) by the think tank of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation. According to the report, the use of plant protection agents has grown by 25 % over the past 10 years. The news is seen as a complete failure by the organisation, given that the French government, in 2008, announced its ambition to reduce the use of pesticides by 50 % in 2025. The authors of the report point to numerous reasons for this failure, amongst which a lack of coherence in the attribution of public financing to the agrifood sector. In order to tackle the problem, the think tank calls for a “new contract” between agriculture and society. Transition to agroecology should receive greater support from public and private creditors, while those selling and using pesticides should be subject to financial penalties in the framework of a “polluter pays” system, it concludes. (Lucie Duboua-Lorsch| EURACTIV.fr)
Events
16 February – EURACTIV is holding an event on how a sustainable EU food system will be essential to achieve the sustainable development goals. Learn more.
17 – 18 February – The OLEUM project, which aims to better guarantee olive oil quality and authenticity by empowering detection and fostering prevention of olive oil fraud, will explore the impact of OLEUM on the future of EU policies on olive oil and how it will impact on the olive oil sector economy and practices. See here for details.
17 – 19 February – There is the BIOFACH, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food, which this year will take place completely digital. Learn more.
Maybe it’s the fact that the wave of dull insider accounts of the Trump regime seems to have finally crested. Maybe everyone had a lot of time for high-yield contemplation during 2020. Maybe the entire publishing industry wanted to create some difficult choices for me, personally.
Whatever the reason may be, February has proven to be a particularly exciting month for new releases in Jewish book publishing.
“The Sun and Her Stars: Salka Viertel and Hitler’s Exiles in the Golden Age of Hollywood” Donna Rifkind
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Salka Viertel was a glowing node of connection during the Golden Age of Hollywood, a screenwriter and actor who could call on Greta Garbo, Aldous Huxley and Charlie Chaplin, among many others.
Born in 1889 in Sambor, a small Mitteleuropean city wrested back and forth between long-gone kingdoms, Virtel was an actor and screenwriter who fled anti-Semitic persecution for the welcoming shores of the American West Coast. Viertel’s great talent was for shmoozing; her keen intuition for salon introductions and professional shidduchs made her well-known to the well-known. Rifkind’s biography is the first book-length treatment of Viertel, who is as charming on the page as you might imagine.
“Milk Fed” Melissa Broder
“Milk Fed” is just 304 pages, with a small cast of characters. And yet, to try and succinctly describe what goes on here would be a disservice to this odd, exciting little book.
Broder’s story — about secular American Judaism, the contemporary professional woman’s relationship to food and sex, and an Orthodox woman who works the counter at a frozen yogurt shop — is not for the faint of heart. If you’re appropriately girded, give this one a shot.
“God I Feel Modern Tonight: Poems from a Gal About Town” Catherine Cohen
If you had to put Catherine Cohen into a single category, “comedian” would come closest to describing what she does. But Cohen’s career as a cabaret performer, actor, podcaster and stand-up all points to unique ambitions as an artist — she’s appeared in mainstream shows like “Broad City” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” but she’s also someone who, prior to the pandemic, performed weekly as a chanteuse at a New York club with an unprintable name. And you can still catch her podcast, if you’re missing that live Cohen zing.
“God I Feel Modern Tonight” reads like poetry written by a non-poet; Cohen’s singular voice and performance instincts give her work a quality you don’t come across frequently. The PR for this book tries to brand Cohen as a very particular millennial type that exists more as an elevator pitch than a person — “A Dorothy Parker for our time, a Starbucks philosophe with no primary-care doctor” — but Cohen is blessedly uncategorizable.
“Osnat and Her Dove: The True Story of the World’s First Female Rabbi” Written by Sigal Samuel, illustrated by Vali Mintzi We don’t often write about illustrated children’s books, but an exception must be made for “Osnat and Her Dove.” Why the story of Osnat has stuck with me since I was a child is anyone’s guess, though it probably has something to do with finding the name funny when I was 10 and the fact that I heard it told with great care by the rabbi at Perelman Jewish Day School.
Whatever the reason, Samuels’ retelling and Mintzi’s striking illustrations — brilliant reds, yellows and oranges — transported me back to those days and, for that, I’m grateful.
“Nuestra America: My Family in the Vertigo of Translation” Claudio Lomnitz
Lomnitz, an anthropologist at Columbia University, bites off quite a bit in this family memoir. His eye for the meta-stories of peoples and nations is brought to bear on the forces that shaped the lives of his grandparents, Jews who fled what is now Romania for Peru in the 1920s. They arrived to find that terrible truth that if one insists on being Jewish everywhere, one will be treated as a Jew everywhere.
“Nuestra America” is more than the tragic tale of a family caught in the gears of 20th century -isms, though that subject is certainly worthy of exploration on its own. Lomnitz reads his life and the lives of his family members as closely as he does political and cultural texts, complicating our understanding of both. The language can be a little dry, but the characters and the subject matter are anything but.
