Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Rubbish in Vienna

Just arrived in Vienna to learn what Austria is doing with its rubbish. Some of the UK media are dismissing the move towards recycling, and the inevitable political opportunists are making hay with their populist rants. But recycling is for real - and it is time we began to take it seriously in Wales. The time is coming when we will not be allowed to just bury it, for future generations to deal with. I have been as hypocritical as anyone - but my recycling boxes are arriving next week. What happens in Vienna is that everyone has several seperate bins which are collected for free and what is left goes to incineration - and costs them big-time. Any Conservative who does not accept this move to recycling is cutting the turf from under our Dave´s feet. All this green stuff is making me one of his biggest fans.
The two Austians that I have read most about are Adolf Hitler and former EU agriculture commissioner, Franz Fischler, both of whom tried in their different ways to change the way we Europeans live. The first was a ´Socialist´, the second a ´Conservative´. I just mention this in passing.
I am meeting Jan Krainer. the Social Democrat spokesman on the ´environmet´ later today. It should be interesting because the political parties in Austria are trying to put together a coalition government following last weeks election. The Conservatives are trying to do a deal which will allow them to govern. Since I´m rather keen to tempt Plaid Cymru and the Lib-Dems into bed with we Tories next May, so that we can lead a coalition government, I am hoping to pick up a few tips on how to win them over.

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