[alternet-l] THE ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE 116

Fri Mar 11 16:39:47 GMT 2005

THE ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE 116
March 11th 2005

This issue:

I FEEL DIRTY/
GET A MOVE ON/
HONOUR KILLINGS BILL/
SHOOTING FROM THE HIP/
I DON'T FEEL LIKE CHICKEN TONIGHT/
IT'S EXHAUSTING/
THERE'S CARBON IN THEM THERE HILLS/
KNOW YOUR FOOD!/
HIV RATE INCREASES/
ANOTHER (BETTER) GREAT LEAP FORWARD/

QUOTE/UNQUOTE/
JOBS/
DIARY/

HOT SITES:

'Angry Young Men, Veiled Young Women: Constructing a New Population 
Threat' by Anne Hendrixson. Current public and policy debates about 
terrorism often set up a sharp divide between East and West. On one side 
lies Islamic 'fundamentalism' and a supposed Arab envy of US wealth and 
freedom, on the other the 'liberating' force of the US and its allies. 
Find out more about this fascinating social issue at 
http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk

Vote4Peace is an independent non-party initiative formed to help anti-war 
MPs under threat - and to topple some pro-war ones.
Vote4Peace will be raising volunteers and money to support around 40 
anti-war MPs and candidates in marginal seats where a few votes will make 
the difference. Most are Labour or LibDem; a few are Plaid Cymru or SNP. 
Click on the link below to learn more:
http://www.vote4peace.org.uk/

"TOTAL has become the main supporter of the Burmese military regime."
Aung San Suu Kyi.
French oil giant TOTAL Oil is in business with Burma's brutal military 
dictatorship. The regime spends around half its budget on the military and 
spends less on health than any other country in the world. A major new 
campaign - supported by 41 organisations in 18 countries - has been 
launched to get TOTAL Oil out of Burma.
Tell TOTAL Oil to pull out of Burma now! Send them an email via this 
website: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/total.html

A new site has been put together by a coalition of groups campaigning for 
more freedom in the radio spectrum for community wireless type 
Initiatives - visit http://openspectrum.org.uk/
I FEEL DIRTY

A recent report, 'Dirty Aid, Dirty Water', has been released by WDM, 
exposing the continuing push by donor governments and institutions to 
privatise water and sanitation in poor countries. The report calls for a 
different approach by donors to the global water crisis.
In particular, the report demonstrates how, despite the many water
privatisation failures around the developing world, the UK Government is 
using its aid budget to pursue privatisation through funding 'water
privatisation consultants'. The report explains how a relatively small
group of consultants - many based in the UK - are a key part of the
privatisation process and how they have expanded their operations using
UK aid. Case studies are provided demonstrating how consultants funded
by the UK taxpayer have promoted privatisation in the developing world
against the wishes of many people in those countries.

http://www.wdm.org.uk/resources/briefings/aid/dadwshort.pdf 

GET A MOVE ON

The 'Get Edinburgh Moving' committee has expressed their disappointment 
with the negative result of the vote in the Edinburgh road pricing 
referendum - and now aims to set out what now needs to happen to tackle 
pollution in Edinburgh.
Mark Sydenham, spokesperson for Get Edinburgh Moving, said:
"We still think that this was a workable and practical scheme and are
disappointed that it has been rejected. Congestion charging would
have been good for public transport users, good for public health,
good for the environment, and good for the economy".
Action still needs to be taken to tackle Edinburgh's unhealthy
levels of air pollution. The Council must now take forward plans for
closing central areas of Edinburgh that fail European air quality
standards.

http://www.getedinburghmoving.org

HONOUR KILLINGS BILL

The long-awaited bill related to honour killings, usually involving women 
as victims, has been passed by the Pakistani government. Reaction from 
women's rights advocacy groups is mixed, with many saying that although 
the bill has increased punishment for honour crimes, it will not achieve 
the desired result. They argue that the law offers a "licence to kill", 
since these crimes usually involve a blood relative who will have the 
option of financial settlement.

http://www.oneworld.net/link/gotoarticle/addhit/103670/66/15138

SHOOTING FROM THE HIP

Friends of the Earth International, Greenpeace International, the
Rainforest Action Network and the Sierra Club unreservedly condemn the
decision by the Australian woodchip company, Gunns, to sue
environmentalists and politicians in Australia who have opposed its role 
in the logging of old growth forests in Tasmania.
On 13th December 2004 Gunns, the world¹s biggest exporter of hardwood
woodchips, served a writ against 20 organisations and individuals,
including The Wilderness Society of Australia and Senator Bob Brown, the 
leader of the Australian Green Party. Gunns is accusing them of
'interfering in its business interests' and is seeking A$6.3 million in
damages.
The future of Tasmania¹s old growth forests was at the centre of the
election battle in Australia in 2004 when both the Coalition Government
and Labor Opposition made election pledges to protect more of Tasmania¹s 
threatened old growth forests from the woodchip industry. Public opinion 
polls show that 80% of the Australian public want all of Tasmania¹s old 
growth forests fully protected.

www.wilderness.org.au

I DON'T FEEL LIKE CHICKEN TONIGHT

The world is facing the "gravest possible danger" yet of a bird flu 
pandemic that could kill millions of people, according to a World Health 
Organisation official, if governments do not take rapid
action to stop the flu from spreading.

http://southasia.oneworld.net/link/gotoarticle/addhit/103693/1893/15254

IT'S EXHAUSTING

Particulate pollution generated by old diesel engines is killing more 
people per year than drink driving, announced a recent EPA report. 
Using data and methodologies from the US, EPA, the Clean Air Task 
Force and a coalition of public health groups found that more than 
20,000 Americans - particularly those in urban areas near bus stops, 
Highways, truck stops, or construction sites - die, and more than 
400,000 visit the emergency room, each year after breathing in tiny 
particles of diesel exhaust. The groups behind the report recommend the 
upgrading of current engines and the use of cleaner-burning fuel.
 "We do not need to wait," wrote Howard Frumkin of Emory University in the 
report's foreword.  "Technology is available today that can reduce 
particulate matter emissions (by) 90 percent".
Perhaps not surprisingly, US Industry groups have decried the study.

http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4394

THERE'S CARBON IN THEM THERE HILLS

As the Kyoto Protocol comes into force this month, a carbon rush is 
gaining momentum in the financial industry. Investors predict that the 
carbon trade could become one of the largest markets in the world with a 
trading volume of $60-$250 billion by 2008, and some unlikely players are 
gearing up to profit from this new, invisible market. Foremost among them 
is the World Bank. Read a more in-depth report, "Wrong Turn from Rio: The 
World Bank's Road to Climate Catastrophe," co-authored by Jim Vallette, 
Daphne Wysham, and Nadia Martinez, at www.seen.org.
KNOW YOUR FOOD!

Fears over the food additive 'Sudan 1' have been placed in the shade by 
the discovery of even more damaging residues in our diet. More than 50 
dangerous pesticides currently contaminate Britain's food, official tests 
reveal. All have been found to be poisonous, are suspected of causing 
cancer or having 'gender changing' effects by international regulatory 
bodies. The revelation - in a survey of official testing results - will 
heighten concern about food contamination after the withdrawal of more 
than 400 products contaminated with the prohibited dye Sudan 1 from shops 
and supermarkets.
Find out where your food comes from...

http://www.virtueel.com/upd/ins_headlines.rxml?cust=2&id=909

HIV RATE INCREASES

HIV prevalence among US black citizens aged 18 to 59 jumped from 1.1% in 
1991 to 2.14% in 2001 - about 13 times the prevalence among whites, whose 
rates remained stable at only 0.2% over the ten years. Fortunately, rates 
are not increasing among the youngest teenage groups, according to the 
study presented by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotoarticle/addhit/103951/7263/16069

ANOTHER (BETTER) GREAT LEAP FORWARD

The Chinese legislature has passed a bill aimed at increasing 
the country's use of renewable energy, by mandating that power-grid 
operators get a portion of their electricity from local renewable 
sources and by providing financial inducements such as tax incentives, 
discounted loans, and a national development fund. When it takes effect in 
2006, the law - the first of its kind for China will be seen as a big step 
toward fulfilling a pledge made at an international renewables conference 
last year to increase the country's renewable-energy production from under 
1 percent of the total to about 10 percent by 2010. Said Beijing 
Greenpeace member Yu Jie;
"China could and should be a world leader in renewable-energy 
development".
This step cannot come too soon - rapidly-developing China is 
now second only to the US in emissions of carbon dioxide (though, 
as the world's most populous country, it ranks far lower on a per 
capita basis).

http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4449

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

"The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it 
isn't angry enough." - Bede Jarrett, The House of Gold.

JOBS

Campaigner
Action for Southern Africa
Salary: £24,666 - £28,449 + up to 5% matching Pension Contribution, 
25 Days annual leave.
Location: Islington, London, UK
Closing Date: 04.04.2005
http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/10925

Specialist Project Worker
Development in Action
Salary: Accommodation, training, volunteer support and fundraising advice 
provided.
Location: Bhopal, India.
Closing Date: 31.03.2005         
http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/10920

India Coordinator
Development in Action
Salary: Internal travel expenses.
Location: Based in Indore (with much traveling), India.
Closing Date: 31.03.2005         
http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/10918

Programme Human Resources Manager 
Oxfam UK.
Salary: unspecified
Location: Indonesia
Closing Date: 20.03.2005         
http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/10917

RV Programmes Coordinator 
Voluntary Service Overseas
Salary: £ 18,085 pa inc. LW (pro rata)
Location: Putney, London, UK.
Closing Date: 17.03.2005 
http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/10910

Senior Radio Trainer Uganda.
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Salary: To be agreed
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Closing Date: 24.03.2005 
http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/10909

EVENTS

Dudley College Student Union is organising an environment week from 7th 
March to 11th March, and would be very grateful to have voluntary 
co-operation for that week. Speakers are needed for sessions with 
students, which would also serve as an opportunity to publicise your 
organisation and distribute leaflets, collect petitions, etc.
Contact Steven Cox,
Dudley College Student Union Liaison Officer
Tel. 01384 3634

War on Want's Annual Conference 2005 peels away the pleasant
veneer of 'corporate social responsibility', a multi-million
dollar industry in its own right, and examines the real role
corporations play in war and conflict - and the human costs
that result. Keynote Speaker: Jonathan Dimbleby
Saturday 12th March 2005, 1.30pm to 6.00pm
London School of Economics
Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE (nearest tube: Holborn)

As the International Energy and Environment Ministers' Roundtable meets in 
London (March 15th-16th), the establishment's climate change agenda is 
dominated by hot air - and completely undermined by an absence of action. 
Currently Tony Blair's government, and by extension the G8, 
are capturing both the media attention and the moral high ground on this 
issue, further marginalising those calling for just and real 
solutions to climate change.
6.00pm to 9.30pm Monday 14th March.
Ashbee Hall, part of Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street, London E1 6LS.
Nearest tube Aldgate East (Hammersmith and City/District lines). 
PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL to g8climate at risingtide.org.uk to tell us if you can 
attend, and if you have any special needs/mobility issues. 

Water Wars - the global campaign against water privatisation
Speakers - Omar Fernandez, Coordinator for Water and Life, Cochabamba, 
Bolivia, Rudolf Amenga-Etego, Ghana's National Coalition Against the 
Privatisation of Water, Carla Montamayor, Water Vigilance Network, 
Philippines, Mark Curtis, Director of WDM.
Hear from campaigners in Bolivia, Ghana and the Philippines who are
leading the fight for alternatives to the failed water schemes promoted
by UK aid money. Speakers will explain the impact of water privatization 
on their community and tell you how you can help.
Tuesday 22nd March 2005 at 7.15pm,
Conway Hall Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL (nearest tube Holborn).

THE RISE OF THE BNP: THE APPEAL OF THE FAR RIGHT IN UK SOCIETY with 
PROFESSOR STUART WEIR 
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the British National Party enjoys more 
support than previously thought possible. A recent study points out that 1 
in 5 people in Britain could vote for the far right in the upcoming 
elections. Professor Stuart Weir, Director of Democratic Audit at Essex 
University, discusses this situation, and is working on a study that 
analyses the political appeal of the BNP.
Saturday 2nd April, Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique Cafe Diplo at the 
French Institute, 17 Queensberry Place SW7. Tube South Kensington. 10.30 
am. £3, concessions £2, members free. Tickets on door only. 
Info 07984 178 193.

Earthwatch Lecture at the Royal Geographical Society, I Kensington Gore, 
London. 
Grey Whales & Orca - Feeding Habits & Health.
Our oceans are powerful indicators of the state of our planet and the
incidence of climate change.  There is currently much public interest in 
whales and their environment, but the information is often poorly reported 
or interpreted.  Join us to hear about our research into two
species, the coastal grey whale and the killer whale, research which also 
tells us about the health of the oceans they inhabit.
Wednesday 27th April, 7.00pm - 8.30pm, Admission is free but by ticket 
only. Contact Earthwatch on (01865) 318856; events at earthwatch.org.uk

See SchNEWS events at http://www.schnews.org.uk/pap/yourarea.htm

Add diary dates at http://www.gn.apc.org/calendar/calindex.shtml and 
http://www.networkforpeace.org.uk/events.htm (diary dates collected by NfP 
are passed on to Peace News for their diary page. In order to get a diary 
listing in PN, groups can email nfp at gn.apc.org with details).

This edition of AlterNet is edited by Lucie Evans for GreenNet.

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