Der Spiegel tells the tale of the failure of a new environmental initiative:
Attempts by Germany’s main opposition party, the center-left Social Democrats, to close the gap with their competitors were once again hampered on Thursday when 8,000 supposedly eco-friendly campaign posters turned to pulp in the rain. The season’s first campaign posters, which SPD candidate Peer Steinbrück had proudly presented at a press conference just 48 hours earlier, became water-logged at the first sign of rainfall and promptly fell off walls across the country. Ironically, the posters had been touted as being eco-friendly, weather-resistant and free from damaging formaldehydes, part of a new recycling initiative by SPD headquarters. None of the campaign workers could have guessed, however, how quickly the environmentally friendly process of biodegradation would begin.
It would take a heart of stone not to laugh.