Adventures in Agriculture

U.S. gets approval for ozone-depleting pesticide, despite international objections

Pursuing its goal of world destruction (mwahaha!), the U.S. won approval to continue using and making a pesticide banned under an international ozone treaty. The decision, which countered the recommendation of the treaty's technical committee, allows a 5,900-ton methyl bromide exemption in 2008 -- less than the nearly 7,100 tons requested. Treaty-abiding countries are upset at the move, in light of the recent revelation that the U.S. has stockpiled nearly 11,000 tons of the chemical. As Finland's head delegate put it, "It was indeed a very big concern that there were quite substantial amounts of stock existing, which we consider that they should now consume as soon as possible." (Expletive no doubt deleted.) Said Sascha Von Bismarck of the Environmental Investigation Agency, "It's extremely disappointing that ... [the U.S.] continues to fight tooth and nail to get special treatment in the world to use a gas that will cause [a host of] environmental effects." Special treatment? You don't say.