Amid the gathering economic crisis, with the continuing sense that no one seems really to understand what is going on – and no one is in control, this might seem small beer. But it isn't. It tells of EU action which is going to add immeasurably to the sum of human misery, from which none of us will be insulated.

The subject is one we have visited before - the EU's new pesticide directive. This particular piece exactly echoes our fears when it declares: "EU's false insecticide fears pose real threat to Africa".

View full article here

As I have posted elsewhere: The difference - Gov Palin to the joint session of the Alaskan Legislature:

And we are suing the federal government for misusing the Endangered Species Act. (Applause) There is an attempt to use the ESA to impose environmental policies that should be debated and approved legislatively and not by court order or bureaucratic decree. Alaskans have shown through our protective laws that we are willing and able to protect our magnificent wild-life while developing our God-given resources by using conservation laws as they were intended. So we'll challenge abuse of federal law when it is used just to lock up Alaska. (Applause)

Vive La Difference!

Oxfam did an excellent report a couple of years ago on the adverse effects of EU and USA policies on African agriculture and trade.

Dumping for instance overproduction from the EU on Africa making their own production not worth selling. Italian tomatoes and concentrates were one example. The EU was cited as being worse than the USA.

Sorry I don't have a link.

Hey, why worry - the Commission has recently relaxed the regulations on the sale of (some) misshapen fruit and veg. From 1 July you will again be able to buy, for example, a crescent-shaped cucumber. That will more than make up for the pesticide legislation. Not.

From Obama's inauguration speech on Africa:

To those leaders around the globe who blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you build, not what you destroy.

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history.

Take Africa out of it and you'd think he was talking about the EU and Climate Change fanatics.