Kyoto Destroying European Economy

As the reality of economic pain is felt all over Europe, deep cracks in its green foundations are beginning to become apparent. Gunter Verheugen, the EU's industry commissioner, has warned that by "going it alone" Europe is burdening its industries and consumers with soaring costs that are undermining Europe's international competitiveness. Instead of improving environmental conditions, Europe's policy threatens to redirect energy-intensive production to parts of the world that reject mandatory carbon cuts.

From Classical Values (HT: Is it Getting Warmer)

Europe is in big trouble.
It struck me in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami just how much the UNocrats fly around. I was seeing reports from aid workers on the ground about the UN bigwigs checking into Jakarta's Five star hotels and feasting while the Australian and American navies were actually saving lives.
Then last year's Nairobi climate conference, "Climate Change Tourists" Go Home!--"Climate change tourists" is how Kenyan Maasai leader of environmental group Practical Action Sharon Looremeta dismissed the diplomats negotiating over what to do about global warming here in Nairobi. "You come here to look at some climate impacts and some poor people suffering, and then climb on your airplanes and head home," she bitterly added.

It's not just the UN folk of course. It's the Eurocrats and the NGO'ocrats too (apologies to my Irish readers, I was working the three-beat). So far this year it's been Brussels, Bonn Bangkok and Geneva. Coming up Valencia, Nairobi again and Bali in December. As I stay home and read:

Forthcoming Political disasters for Europe in Energy Supply
(It's only ten pages but poorly translated, I have people who would have done a better simultaneous translation, much less translating a transcript)

So the Eurocrats fiddle while Rome burns (Nero's gotten a bad rap). Jetting and feasting. Feasting and jetting.
I am reminded of the Konzentrationslager guards, who as the Red Army approached the various camps descended into depravity and debauchery that surpassed even their own personal bests.

Some day I'll tell you what I really think of these diplomatistes.