In 2009 China has thrown Germany from the pinnacle of the world’s biggest exporter of goods. That was an overdue record. Counting only German exports to non-EU countries, China had already been the no 1 exporting country for many years. Humanity must get used to the fact that during the last 30 years China has… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

According to data released by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2010 has been -jointly with 2005- the warmest year on earth since the middle of the 19th century, when reliable meteorological measurements first started. In 2010,the global surface temperature was 0.6° above the average temperature of 14.5° during the 20th century, a big… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Munich-Re, the big re-insurance company, which has been following natural catastrophes very scrupulous for many years, has just submitted its traditional damage report for 2010. 950 natural catastrophes were registered last year, the highest number since 1980, causing financial damage of $ 130 billion, just about equal to the average of the past 10 years.… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

For the first time in decades, EU agricultural expenditures will fall in 2011. The three percent decline constitutes a European contribution to the national austerity regimes. Nevertheless, with € 56.4 billion CAP expenditures will still account for 41 percent of 2011 EU budget expenditures. Fearing more cuts in the future, the French Agricultural Minister Bruno… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Among the 27 EU member states Germany pursues the most ambitious climate targets. By 2020 its C02 emissions should be 40 percent below 1990 levels. To that end, the government bets on a variety of actions ranging from C02 taxes, feed-in tariffs for renewable energy and, last not least, a programme for the energetic overhaul… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

In 2010, Australia has been haunted by two unprecedented natural catastrophes, a severe drought in February and a flood of biblical dimensions in December. The latter has flooded an area of the size of France and Germany combined, fortunately very sparsely populated, but still causing damage to agriculture in the order of $ 1 billion… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Starting January 1st 2011, tiny Estonia has joined the Euro zone as its 17th member country. After Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia it is the fifth Euro country among the 14 countries that have joined the EU after 2003. By joining the Euro zone Estonia fulfils the commitments taken in 2004 to introduce the Euro… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein