[alternet-l] AlterNet #56

[Adrian Harris]

THE ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE # 56

This issue:

HOT SITES/
WE ARE EVERYWHERE/
TOUGHER ECO LAWS/
PALESTINE APPEAL/
WATER DAY/
ECOFEMINISM/
HOT AIR FROM BUSH/
ANOTHER DAM DISASTER?/
BURMA CAMPAIGN NETWORK/
DIGITAL DIVIDE/
UNED CONFERENCE/
JOBS/
QUOTE/UNQUOTE/
DIARY/

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HOT SITES

The UNEP Environment Network has authoritative environmental information
from a broad range of providers committed to making their information
freely available to the whole spectrum of users of environmental information. 

--> http://www.unep.net

Want to know where to recycle? Simply enter your postcode and choose the
type of waste you'd like to recycle and this site will tell you!

--> http://www.wastepoint.co.uk/wasteconnect/

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WE ARE EVERYWHERE

Calling all activists, insurrectionists, revolutionaries, artists, writers,
photographers, musicians, storytellers, independent mediatistas, radical
optimists, utopians!

The 'We are Everywhere' project is looking for material for a book, CD-ROM
and web site. They want writings, stories, interviews, leaflets, images,
posters, scary statistics, quotes, music or sounds from the streets,
photographs - in fact anything that you feel will help tell the story and
inspire others.

The collective "aspire to seduce people into joining in the joyful
revolution of the everyday, while simultaneously challenging ourselves and
each other to move forward".

Material and questions to : 
submissions at WeAreEverywhere.org 

The deadline for receiving material is May 1st 2001

For more info:
---> http://www.WeAreEverywhere.org

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TOUGHER ECO LAWS

The European Commission has called for breaches of some EU environmental
laws to be classified as criminal rather than administrative offenses. 

At the moment authorities are limited to imposing fines, but the changes
could mean imprisonment for those breaking the law. The law could act as a
platform for individual countries to take even stronger measures, including
extradition of eco-criminals.
The 'seven deadly sins' proposed by the Commission are: discharging
hydrocarbons, waste oils or sewage sludge into water; emitting "materials"
into the environment or handling hazardous waste; discharging waste onto
land or into water; damaging, killing or trading in protected wild species;
significantly deteriorating a protected habitat; trading in ozone-depleting
substances; and operating plants in which dangerous activities are carried
out or where dangerous substances are stored or used.

More:
--> http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,42411,00.html?tw=wn20010314


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PALESTINE APPEAL

Staff at Birzeit University have been prevented from reaching campus by the
Israeli army who have destroyed portions of the only road linking the
University to Ramallah.

Movement in many Palestinian populated areas has already been restricted,
which, the appeal claims, disregards 'all standards of dealing with
civilians and contravening international law, particularly the Fourth
Geneva Convention'.

Full story:
--> http://www.waronwant.org/fcamp.htm

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WATER DAY

World Water Day on 22 March focuses attention on water and health issues.
The prime objective is to impact opinion on how to improve the current
condition of water and health around the world.

The picture looks gloomy:

* More than one billion people are drinking unsafe water;
* 3.4 million people mostly children, are dying every year of water-related
diseases; and 
* 40 per cent of the human race without adequate sanitation.

A forthcoming report from the World Health Organization ('Water for Health:
Taking Charge') highlights the ways in which water is necessary for health.

A number of events will be organised around the globe on 22 March. For
details see: http://www.worldwaterday.org/events.html

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ECOFEMINISM

Ecofeminism is a movement combining feminism and environmentalism that has
thousands of supporters worldwide. But some consider it esoteric, flaky and
alien to the goals of traditional feminism. Read the report on WomensNet
and decide for yourself!
--> http://www.igc.org/igc/gateway/wnindex.html

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HOT AIR FROM BUSH

President Bush is backing off from a campaign pledge to regulate carbon
dioxide emissions
from power plants.

"The haste of yesterday's decision reeks of a back room deal with coal, oil
and industry lobbyists," said Dr. Nancy Kete, director of World Resources
Institute (WRI).
The State Department will now have to try to explain how this is not a
signal that the U.S. is walking away from the 1992 climate treaty.

Bush says he opposes the Kyoto Protocol because it exempts 80 percent of
the world and would cause serious harm to the U.S. economy.

"Opponents of the Kyoto Protocol...never seem to admit that U.S. emissions
dwarf those from most other countries combined," said Dr. Kete.

Emissions from U.S. power plants exceed the combined emissions from 146
countries, roughly three-quarters of the countries in the world.

Last month the world's scientific experts on global warming announced that
the climate change evidence is getting stronger, the warming is happening
faster, and the consequences look worse than they thought.

"The future generations of Americans who suffer the consequences will be
powerless to change what this generation has put irreversibly in motion,"
said WRI president Jonathan Lash.

More:
--> http://www.wri.org/
--> http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/03/03142001/ap_bush_42513.asp


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ANOTHER DAM DISASTER?

The £1 billion Alqueva project in eastern Portugal includes 10 dams, 3,000
miles of irrigation canals and dozens of new roads, bridges and pumping
stations and is being funded by EU taxpayers.

The operation will fell over 1 million trees and could provoke a 'wildlife
disaster'.

The region is home to some of the world's rarest wildlife including the
Iberian Lynx, the world's most endangered big cat. The nesting trees of
Portugal's only pair of Golden Eagles will be destroyed, as will that of
two pairs of the threatened Bonelli's Eagle.
The environmental impact assessment warns that the project 'may lead to the
extinction of some species'.

In addition hundreds of people will be displaced, and unique archaeological
finds dating back to the Neolithic era will be permanently inundated.

Miguel Pais, of the Iberian Birdlife Study Centre, said: 'This is one of
the country's richest biological areas. Alqueva will be a catastrophe.'

For more information, send an email to sos.lynx at clix.pt 

More: 
--> www.despodata.pt/geota/ingles/alqueva.htm

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BURMA CAMPAIGN NETWORK

Burma is ruled by one of the most brutal regimes in the world. Over eight
million people, including children, are forced into slave-labour every
year, and there are 1,700 political prisoners, many of whom are subject to
regular torture. 

The Burma Campaign UK supports the people of Burma in their struggle for
democracy and human rights, and their e-mail network has been set up to
help this work. You will not be bombarded with e-mails, but will be sent
details of the latest campaign actions and of any significant new
developments. 

To sign up to the network just send a blank e-mail to:
burmacampaign-subscribe at topica.com
To find out more about the campaign visit www.burmacampaign.org.uk

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DIGITAL DIVIDE

Bridging the Urban-Rural Digital Divide - Falmouth College of Arts,
Cornwall from June 22nd to 24th

Practitioners from Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and other parts of rural
England will present examples of good practice in local television, radio
and web-casting, and debate current issues, such as convergence and virtual
democracy, as they apply to rural communities. Speakers to include Steve
Buckley (Community Media Association), Dave Rushton (Institute of Local TV)
and Paul Mobbs (Free Range Activism).

Training will be provided in web design, web-casting and "hacktivism" and
there will be plenty of opportunities to network at the digital quiz supper
and on board a boat cruise around Falmouth Harbour

Prices: £60 (£30.00 concessions); plus £20.00 for each for (optional)
training event (£10.00 concessions)

Details:
--> http://byte-size.commedia.org.uk

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UNED CONFERENCE

Spring Annual Conference, Tuesday 20th March 2001, The London School of
Economics

In November 2000, UNED UK, jointly with the new UK Sustainable Development
Commission chaired by Jonathon Porritt, organised a seminar that aimed to
define the key issues that should be advanced by the UK in the run-up to
Earth Summit 2002.
This is an opportunity to share the results from that event and further
expand the domestic process. The conference will feed into UNED's future work.


Conference objectives:

* To engage a wider audience in UK preparations for the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (Earth Summit 2002)
* To assess the present state of reviewing achievements in sustainable
development in the UK since the 1992 Rio Summit
* To explore where the UK should be domestically and globally by the time
of Earth Summit 2002, and how organisations and individuals might wish to
be involved

Please contact UNED UK's administrator:
email gledivellec at earthsummit2002.org

More: 
--> http://www.unedforum.org

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JOBS

The Fairtrade Foundation is seeking to recruit a Temporary (part-time)
Fundraiser to provide maternity cover. Further details and application
forms are available from our website www.fairtrade.org.uk.  The closing
date is 23 March 2001.

Email: phil.thompson at fairtrade.org.uk

More: 
--> http://www.fairtrade.org.uk

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QUOTE/UNQUOTE

"If you're looking for the key to the universe I've got some good news and
some bad news. The bad news: there is no key to the universe. The good
news: it was never locked."

Author Unknown

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DIARY DATES:

Reclaim the Streets meet regularly in London. Contact for details: 020 7281
4621; rts at gn.apc.org

MARCH

19 th:
Car Free Day: people all around the world stay out of cars as part of a
co-ordinated global statement that we need viable transport alternatives
and a clean energy future.
--> http://www.ecoplan.org/carfreeday/EarthCFD/ec_index.htm

23 rd:
RESPECT is an initiative aimed at empowering young people to create their
own sustainable future and supporting them with the tools they need to make
their visions happen. Royal Horticultural Halls, London
24-25 th: 
European Meeting of People's Global Action. Everyone interested in making
contact and supporting future activities invited. Milan.
--> http//www.agp.org

28th / 29th:
Group Facilitation Methods, Manchester
--> http://www.ica-uk.org.uk/TOP/index.htm

29 th:
Global Union Action Day for Railway Safety. Events are being organised for
London.
--> http://www.itf.org.uk/SECTIONS/It/rail/Railway_safety/campaign.htm

17th:
"How peace is growing in North East England - putting the picture
together". Networking event for peace and justice groups with keynote
address by David Gee of Quaker Peace & Social Witness. 10-3:30 at 
Quaker meeting House (opposite Jesmond Metro), Newcastle. 0191 2815099

20 th:
GATS protest at Department of Trade & Industry in Newcastle (see below).
11am v.c.oakeshott at ncl.ac.uk

APRIL

2 nd / 3 rd:
Applied Group Facilitation Methods, London
--> http://www.ica-uk.org.uk/TOP/index.htm

3 rd:
Retrial starts for Rosie & Rachel who smashed up a Trident nuclear
submarine. Manchester Crown court. www.tp2000.org.uk

4 th:
"From the Ground Up - the Impact of Globalisation on Food Production and
Markets" meeting of Newcastle Environment Forum at Newcastle Civic Centre
at 5.30pm. Keynote speaker will be Beck Tarbotton (ISEC 
UK). BobStewart at NewcastleHealthyCity.onyxnet.co.uk


4 th:
"Going for Growing" one-day Food conference (organised by the Newcastle
Health Action Zone Community Food Initiative) which will take place at the
Brunswick Methodist Church (behind Fewnwicks), 
Newcastle. 9.30am - 3.10pm. Full details from k.dixon at can-online.org.uk

22 nd
Earth Day
--> http://www.earthday.net/

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