The European Union has more or less assumed the role of a leader in green energy generation. With ongoing multiple projects for clean energy generation, it does look possible that the 27 nation block will beat its green energy generation targets for 2020, and do that by a comfortable 20% margin.
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As the Copenhagen talks draw near, nations are working to set their goals and agenda for the summit. So far, a major point of contention has been the demand by developing nations that developed countries subsidize, or pay for their environment efforts. The demand is on grounds that developed countries have contributed greatly to pollution with their industries, and should pay developing countries so their efforts at development are not hampered by environmental norms.
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This story may not need any more words other than the title to make you laugh out loud, but we’ll try. Apparently there are standards for the length of the cucumber and for the curvature of bananas and the European Union won’t leave it alone. They want to make sure these things are and will be properly regulated.

Original image by skycaptaintwo

Europe (the European Union) is paying too much attention to an absolutely worthless issues like how are the tractor seats positioned, how to reduce the vibration of paving breakers, the circularity of apples, colors and looks of the eschalot, leek, cauliflower or melons. They have even dedicated some 36 paragraphs of adequate instructions for all these things.

Anyone interested in coming up with some regulations for how we should dress from now on? How long a tie should be, how big buttons should be, and don’t let the collar get too long or the zipper be too wide. It’s just as stupid!

Looks like we’re not the only ones to blame for bureaucratic absurdity of their actions because European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, acknowledged that other countries laugh at European cucumber standards. Trust me Mr. Barroso, there’s a good reason they are laughing. And they are not laughing because it’s funny.

As a European citizen, I’d be happier to know that these people who work for Europe (that’s what they do, isn’t it?) would rather plant a tree, than being concerned about ridiculous issues just to justify their paychecks.

Europe is losing credibility.

Well, the G-8 has a vision, but do they have a plan?

Japan’s PM Fukuda was able to save face – “The G8 nations came to a mutual recognition that this target — cutting global emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 — should be a global target.”

The United States got heard. Emerging economies, India, China, Brazil are included – “It has always been the case that a long-term goal is one that must be shared. So the G-8 has offered today is a G-8 view of what that goal could be and should be but that can only occur with the agreement of all the other parties.”

Environmentalists criticized the statement – “So little progress after a whole year of Minister meetings and negotiations is not only a wasted opportunity, it falls dangerously short of what is needed to protect people and nature from climate change.”

The EU thinks – “new, shared vision by the major economies” that would support the UN-led effort on a new global warming accord. This is a strong signal to citizens around the world.”

In the end, it will be up to individual countries, says Fukuda, “The G8 will implement aggressive midterm total emission reduction targets on a country by country basis.”

My bet, a lot of money was wasted at the G-8 Summit if anybody thought the purpose was to come away with a workable and enforceable plan to get the world to be better stewards of our home.