We buy eco lights for Mauritius

BRITISH taxpayers are helping pay to replace up to 5,000 traffic light bulbs on the tropical island of Mauritius.

The £340,000 cost of switching to low-energy bulbs is part of a multi-million pound green giveaway by the EU.

Last night UKIP MEP Derek Clark said: “This is utterly bonkers — gesture subsidy at its worst.

“If Brussels wants to cut down on carbon, fiddling with traffic lights in downtown Mauritius will barely save enough to fill a pencil.”

The island is sharing a £14.4million kitty to protect Indian Ocean coastal regions from rising sea levels.

It has also been given £8million for a forestry project and £2.4million more for green energy schemes.

At the same time the EU’s investment arm is lending it £6.4million to build an airport which will double air traffic. Tory MEP Daniel Hannan said: “This tells you everything you need to know about how Brussels spends your money.

“With one hand it’s spending money on planet-friendly traffic lights — with the other it’s spending money on airport expansion. You might think the two things are contradictory, but the Eurocrats and consultants do nicely either way.”

Scientists believe the position of Mauritius — population 1.3 million — makes it vulnerable to climate change.

An EU spokeswoman said: “We are an active supporter of helping developing countries to mitigate the impact of climate change and promote sustainable solutions.


Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4691510/We-buy-eco-lights-for-mauritius.html#ixzz2EkSazLc6

gelico wrote:BRITISH taxpayers are helping pay to replace up to 5,000 traffic light bulbs on the tropical island of Mauritius.

The £340,000 cost of switching to low-energy bulbs is part of a multi-million pound green giveaway by the EU.

Last night UKIP MEP Derek Clark said: “This is utterly bonkers — gesture subsidy at its worst.

“If Brussels wants to cut down on carbon, fiddling with traffic lights in downtown Mauritius will barely save enough to fill a pencil.”

The island is sharing a £14.4million kitty to protect Indian Ocean coastal regions from rising sea levels.

It has also been given £8million for a forestry project and £2.4million more for green energy schemes.

At the same time the EU’s investment arm is lending it £6.4million to build an airport which will double air traffic. Tory MEP Daniel Hannan said: “This tells you everything you need to know about how Brussels spends your money.

“With one hand it’s spending money on planet-friendly traffic lights — with the other it’s spending money on airport expansion. You might think the two things are contradictory, but the Eurocrats and consultants do nicely either way.”

Scientists believe the position of Mauritius — population 1.3 million — makes it vulnerable to climate change.

An EU spokeswoman said: “We are an active supporter of helping developing countries to mitigate the impact of climate change and promote sustainable solutions.


Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4691510/We-buy-eco-lights-for-mauritius.html#ixzz2EkSazLc6

it sounds like the eu is trying to buy mauritius..

heartsandminds wrote:

it sounds like the eu is trying to buy mauritius..

Wouldn't place them if they did - beautiful place Mauritius

I can't believe someone is getting on their high horse over something that costs the UK taxpayer less than 40K and will win (a least a little) goodwill from Mauritius.

Yeah it's only one little spend.......



But when you add it all up it's fcuking billions!

Perhaps Eurocrats are being nice to Mauritius hoping to go there if climate change does get bad, do they realisehow 'high' above sea level it is though?