[alternet-l] AlterNet News # 67

[Adrian Harris]

THE ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE # 67
10 January 2002

This issue:

HOT SITES/
LOOKING AHEAD/
ENRON + BUSH = ?/
COUNTING THE DEAD/
ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE UNDERMINED/
PRAY FOR PEACE/
SEEING WHO YOU REALLY ARE/
ELECTRONIC WASTE/
GIVE EURO CURRENCY FOR CHANGE/
PLANNING CHANGES/
JOBS/
QUOTE/UNQUOTE/
DIARY/

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HOT SITES

The Pesticide Action Network aims to solve pesticides problems. Their
latest report reveals the appalling effects of herbicide spraying on
farmers in Ecuador:

--> www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/pn54/pn54p8.htm

The babys' website is about caring for the next generation and helping them
to become all they can be. It includes sections on baby massage, early
childhood and soft gymnastics:

--> www.thebabyswebsite.com/

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LOOKING AHEAD

At the beginning of every new year we tend to reflect on the events of the
past and make plans for the coming year. But are we looking ahead far enough?

Dr David Suzuki examines why we need to think long-term. Small changes to a
particular system can seem to have little impact, but over time can have
profound and surprising consequences.

To guide long-term goals and decisions, we need an environmental awareness
that examines these consequences.

--> www.davidsuzuki.org/Dr_David_Suzuki/Article_Archives/weekly12280101.asp


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ENRON + BUSH = ?

Why are the White House being so tight-lipped about meetings of Vice
President Cheney's energy task force? A few clues:

* The group included many energy executives, including Enron Chief
Executive Kenneth Lay;

* Energy recommendations, from drilling for oil in Arctic wilderness to
weakening the Clean Air Act, made life easier for the energy business;

* The Enron Corporation and Ken Lay have donated well over $1.5 million to
Bush and Republican committees;

* The collapse of Enron has led to a federal criminal investigation.

Before the election, Andrew Wheat, from Texans for Public Justice, said: "A
Bush election fueled by Enron dollars could ignite in the public policy
arena, and consumers would get burned."

Now the fire is well and truly burning, and links between Bush and Enron
are going to get scrutiny from several congressional committees. Watch this
space...

The Enron-Bush Connection:
--> www.conspiracydigest.com/powerscam.html

Meet Enron, Bush's Biggest Contributor:
--> www.progressive.org/pc0900.htm

Mysteries of the Energy Plan:
--> www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-000002239jan10.story

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COUNTING THE DEAD

A New Hampshire professor says the U.S. media is ignoring the death toll in
the anti-terrorism campaign. His report says the campaign killed an average

of 65 Afghans a day.

He also alleges that the U.S. government has tried to create a news
blackout in Afghanistan. In October, Washington bought exclusive rights to
all the commercial satellite images of Afghanistan and pressured the
independent Al-Jazeera television station to tone down anti-American
rhetoric. The station refused and a month later U.S. missiles destroyed
Al-Jazeera's offices.

--> www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,49475,00.html?tw=wn20020105

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ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE UNDERMINED

Recently released British government records reveal that a secret group of
rich nations conspired to limit the effectiveness of the UN's first
conference on the environment in 1972. The US, UK, Germany, Italy and
France were all members.

Official notes from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office describes
the group as "an unofficial policy-making body to concert the views of the
principal governments concerned" which "will have to remain informal and
confidential."


The secret cabal, known as the 'Brussels group' were focused on getting
what they wanted out of the Conference, and were perhaps "less worried
about making it a success for developing countries".

The British government was firmly opposed to any international standards
regulating environmental quality or polluting emissions. They particularly
wanted to protect Concorde from controls on sonic booms and upper
atmosphere pollution.

--> www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991734

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PRAY FOR PEACE

Pope John Paul II has invited the leaders of the major religions of the
world to meet in Assisi on January 24 to pray for world peace.

Communities worldwide are joining in with similar local events, using the
traditional prayers of peace that will be shared in Assisi. A copy of these
prayers can be found on the website below.

If you sponsor a peace prayer gathering in your area, please send an e mail
to : BelovedShelley at aol.com

--->  www.emissaryoflight.com/peace-prayers.htm

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SEEING WHO YOU REALLY ARE

Join a free experiential workshop about our identity that reveals that we
do not stop at the boundary of our skins, but include others, other
species, the environment.

Details:
Seeing who you really are. Jan 26 , 10-1pm, Stoke Newington, London N16.
Free workshop. 
Contact: headexchange at gn.apc.org

---> www.headless.org

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ELECTRONIC WASTE

When the European Commission unveiled proposals to deal with electronic
waste, the main association for American companies operating in Europe
criticized the draft laws. If the E.C. succeeds in regulating electroscrap
in Europe, then pressure will rise to do the same in the United States. US
manufacturers are complaining that regulations with teeth in them would
"inhibit free trade".

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition:

--> www.svtc.org/svtc/


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GIVE EURO CURRENCY FOR CHANGE

Coins that Care is a foreign currency collection campaign in aid of the Red
Cross Movement.

The changeover to the Euro renders many existing currencies redundant.
There is now £12 to £19 million of loose change which is only worth
anything if you give it to charity!

Donations of any coin and any note from any currency, including sterling,
will be accepted. Donations can be made:

At any British Red Cross high street shop;
At any British Red Cross branch;
At any one of 500 BP petrol stations (until the end of February 2002 ).

The Red Cross can also support 'do it your self collecting' - see the web
site for details:

--> www.redcross.org.uk/coinsthatcare 

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PLANNING CHANGES

Proposed changes announced in the Planning Green Paper include allowing
high tech industrial units to be built without planning permission, a
reduction in the rights of ordinary people to participate in the planning
system, and allowing parliament rather than public inquiries to decide
major infrastructure projects.

Opposition to the proposal is gathering support, and there is a meeting
planned for the 9th February in London.

Campaign for Planning Sanity:

--> www.onlincam.freeserve.co.uk/planpaper.html

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JOBS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, South Africa.

Teaching streetchildren, building schools & latrines, HIV/AIDS prevention
campaigns, farming projects. 4-6 months training in Denmark. Boarding
expenses, scholarships available.

Contact:
elsemarie at humana.org

HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
Kystvej 15, DK-7130 Juelsminde, Denmark


--> www.humana.org

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QUOTE/UNQUOTE

"I know now that patriotism is not enough.  I must have no hatred and no
bitterness toward anyone."

Edith Cavell

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DIARY DATES:

January:

15 th:
The Kurdish question - a priority for the new political agenda.
Parliamentary meeting hosted by Jeremy Corbyn MP. Sponsored by 'Liberation'.
7pm, Committee Room 10, House of Commons, Westminster. With speakers from
KNK, PUK, KDP, Lord Rea etc.

26 th:
Seeing Who You Really Are workshop. See above.

26 th:
Prison abolition or more prisons? 10.30am-5pm.
Conference at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, WC1

February:

11th - 12th - 13th:
The BIG FASLANE Blockade 2002
Three days of protest & nonviolent direct action at Britain's nuclear
weapons base called by Trident Ploughshares, Scottish CND, British CND &
Faslane Peace Camp.

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More Diary Dates on GreenNet:


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