A committee of Members of Parliament from the German Bundestag has just voted to do nothing about cabin air contamination with neurotoxic organophosphates, on the grounds that it doesn't happen very often. They admit there is an issue, but have rejected action.
In releasing this verdict a few days ago they have proved my prediction wrong (see my immediately preceding blog entry).
I thought Germany was going to do something while all the other European countries had stuck their heads in the sand. Actually I still think the Germans might act.
But the German Government itself has taken refuge in Europe: it's not our decision, says the Government, it's a decision for Europe to take. Brilliant piece of courageous decision-making in defence of their citizens there! Let's take no action despite evidence of more than sixty recent toxic cabin air incidents in German airliners, and let's blame our inaction on Europe.
The parliamentary committee met to hear evidence in September. They heard the evidence from aircraft manufacturers, medical witnesses, pilot representatives and experts in toxicity.
Having heard the evidence, the MPs voted along party lines: the right wing parties voted to do nothing, the left wing parties wanted something done.
How predictable. How scientific! How sad.
But the German accident investigator (BFU) has not laid the issue to rest: see the two previous stories for what's going on.
on February 13, 2012 3:55 PM | Reply
That's what the Yanks would call "passing the buck". Looks like the MP's in the German Bundestag who might have stopped the buck from passing are in short supply these days. Maybe the next time they travel by air they get a whiff of the "good stuff" on the plane.
on February 14, 2012 10:44 AM | Reply
Actually this was forwarded by the loyal opposition
( Social Democrats and Greens ) and
has now been rejected by the governing coalition ( conservative/neoliberal ).
Nothing unexpected here, right ;-?