8/12/02
11:42:25 AM
Planet Ark World Environment News
EU ups food aid to southern Africa, US may follow - ZAMBIA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17259/story.htm
Seven die in US West Nile outbreak - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17249/story.htm
Devastating drought brings despair to much of US - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17252/story.htm
EPA official says coal-bed methane should get okay - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17253/story.htm
Denver finally cleans up its polluted air - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17254/story.htm
NRC urges US nuclear plants be checked for leaks - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17255/story.htm
Biggest blaze in US merges with smaller Oregon fire - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17257/story.htm
US seeks court order to block Asarco unit sale - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17261/story.htm
Earth summit must not fail - UN's Toepfer - UK http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17260/story.htm
Floods sweep through Europe, more than 20 dead - RUSSIA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17258/story.htm
Germans discover ancient life, offer climate hope - GERMANY http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17250/story.htm
FEATURE - Polar bear feels the heat as Cairo zoo shapes up - EGYPT http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17256/story.htm
Canada warns it won't make a quick Kyoto decision - CANADA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17251/story.htm
Manitoba said to sell $1.7 billion of hydro to US - CANADA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17262/story.htm
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS PICTURES:
CHINA: Chinese Police Take a Child From a Rescue Boat in Shaoguan http://www.planetark.org/envpicstory.cfm/newsid/17265
MEXICO: A Young Woman Takes Part in Circus in Main Square of Mexico City http://www.planetark.org/envpicstory.cfm/newsid/17264
EGYPT: Hassona, A 15-Year-Old Polar Bear, Enjoys a Dip in His Cage Pool During One of the Hottest Heat Waves in Cairo http://www.planetark.org/envpicstory.cfm/newsid/17263
INDIA: Doctor Provides Treatment to an Ill Cow at Sonapur http://www.planetark.org/envpicstory.cfm/newsid/17266
8/12/02
10:58:43 AM
Secret Hearings Hide 911 Terrorist Links To Congress/White House
by Tom Flocco, August 10, 2002
Something strange has been occurring on the fourth floor under the dome of the U.S. Capitol. The security is so strict that even the representatives and senators from the joint-intelligence committee investigating the September 11 attacks must check their cell phones and pagers at the door of the sound-proof room -- a meeting place regularly swept for listening devices.
These and other indications reveal that no chances are being taken which might result in having words spoken in confidence leak out of that room. And there are no reports regarding whether legislators are more worried about U.S. citizens getting wind of the contents of their discussions than the terrorists.
Senator Bob Graham (D-FL), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it was the first time in the history of the Congress that two standing committees have held joint hearings. Moreover, some might question such extreme measures and whether crucial truth is being held in the hands of too few -- given unspoken congressional and administration links to terrorism.
Wide reports last week revealed that an enraged White House had called joint-committee chairmen Graham and Represenative Porter Goss (R-FL) about classified leaks from the members, which resulted in their requesting the FBI to ask members and staff to undergo polygraph tests which clearly intrude upon the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. This, as the surreptitious hearings have been postponed till late September.
Genesis of a Cover Up
One reason for the furtive activity may have a lot to do with why both the White House and CNN altered the transcript of a 4 pm, May 16, 2002 press conference by National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice in the James Brady Briefing Room.
The machinations had their genesis later in the day that Thursday, after the New York Post hit the streets with its huge "Bush Knew" banner, adding "Prez Was Warned of Possible Hijacking Before Terror Attacks" as a subheading. Shortly thereafter, other papers began to reveal the contents of a Presidential FBI briefing from August 6 -- just 36 days prior to the September 11 attacks.
The top-secret briefing said that Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda were going to "bring the fight to America," according to the Toronto Star, for past attacks upon its training camps in Afghanistan. So the wheels of presidential damage control started turning, even as the New York Times was putting finishing touches on an explosive May 19 story for the next day, reporting that President Bush had also been briefed before September 11 regarding:
"A 1999 report for the National Intelligence Council, which oversees government intelligence analysis, saying 'Suicide bomber (s) belonging to Al Qaeda's martyrdom Battalion could crash-land an aircraft packed with high explosives into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the [CIA] or the White House.' "
Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle (D-SD), said he was "gravely concernedabout the information provided us just yesterday that the president received a warning in August about the threat of hijackers...," adding "Why did it take eight months for us to receive this information," -- but failing at the same time to use his senatorial power to subpoena the documents.
Then House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) stepped up to the plate and called for a congressional investigation into "what the president and what the White House knew about the events leading up to 9/11." But Gephardt has also been convinced not to make waves -- grieving victim families who are depending on him to fight for truth notwithstanding.
Sleeping With the Enemy?
While researching various sections of a related story surrounding growing evidence that the FBI and other government entities are more closely linked to pre-9/11 insider trading than previously was thought, it was found that the Secretary of State and two other State Department officials, the Central Intelligence Administration (CIA) Director, three senators, and a congressman actually met with Pakistan's Inter-Services Security Agency (ISI) chief, who had wired $100,000 to fund the operations of terrorist hijacker leader Mohammed Atta just prior to the attacks.
But worse, actual evidence is available that the White House and CNN doctored the transcript of National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice's damage control press conference, held at 4 pm that afternoon on May 18, 2001.
In an updated, scholarly, and thorough report ( "Political Deception: The Missing Link Behind 9-11," Centre for Research on Globalisation (CRG), 6-20-2002 ), by Michel Chossudovsky, University of Ottawa Professor of Economics, these and a number of other critical revelations are brought to the fore while other media have ignored them -- not connecting the dots.
Noticing that a couple words were deleted from the CNN transcript of Dr. Rice's May 16 remarks -- when compared to the transcript from the Federal News Service which had the words "ISI Chief" included in its transcript, we placed a call to the public information office at CNN in Atlanta yesterday. The story was too compelling; it had to find more daylight.
After talking with a woman named Devon, we were told, "After checking the transcript for Dr. Rice's May 16 press conference, you are correct that the words 'ISI Chief ' are missing from our transcript." Devon emailed us a CNN office printout copy, and the word "inaudible" was indeed found in parentheses. Then we printed out the actual White House website transcript of the event; and at that same place in the transcript, we found that "ISI Chief" was also missing:
Q: Dr. Rice? Dr. Rice?
Ms. RICE: Yes?
Q: Are you aware of the reports at the time that ----- was in Washington on September 11th; and on September 10th, $100,000 was wired from Pakistan to these groups in this area? And why was he here? Was he meeting with you or anybody in the administration?
Ms. RICE: I have not seen that report, and he was certainly not meeting with me.
The Washington Post (5-16-2002) reported that "Officials familiar with the White House's strategy [during damage control], said senior aides were anxious to dispel the notion of a cover up and said they wanted to avoid appearing defensive, either in front of cameras or behind the scenes."
Terrorist Hijacker's Financial Benefactor
According to the Times of India (10-9-2001), Mohammed Atta's financial bagman, Lt. General Mahmoud Ahmad had been fired as head of Pakistan's ISI, as "U.S. authorities [FBI] sought his removal after confirming that $100,000 had been wired to WTC hijacker Mohammed Atta from Pakistan through Ahmad Sheikh at the instance (sic) of General Mahmoud."
Times of India then reported that "Senior [U.S.] government sources have confirmed that India contributed significantly to establishing the link between the money transfer and the role played by the dismissed ISI chief." But ABC investigative reporter Brian Ross had beaten them on the story, reporting to Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts on September 30, 2001:
"As to September 11, federal authorities have told ABC News they've now tracked more than $100,000 from banks in Pakistan to two banks in Florida to accounts held by suspected hijack ringleader Mohammed Atta. As well this morning [Sunday's "This Week" Show], 'Time' magazine is reporting that some of that money came in the days just before the attack and can be traced directly to people connected to Osama bin Laden."
But Roberts and Donaldson kept adding fuel to the fire, when about one month later, on October 28 during "This Week," Ms. Roberts asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "You've heard Brian Ross's report, the confirmation that Mohammed Ata met with an Iraqi intelligence official....Do you think it was -- the meeting with Mohammed Atta was significant, in terms of September 11?
Rumsfeld responded cryptically, "We will know that only after the proper law enforcement people investigate that. Clearly, the meeting is not nothing. It is something notable."
Atta's Money-man Meets With 9/11 Investigation Chairmen on Morning of Attacks
Three days after the attacks on September 14, the New York Times reported that important members of the Bush Administration met with the terrorist financier and ISI Chief, General Ahmad: CIA Director George Tenet, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Under-Secretary of State Marc Grossman, and Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) -- Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
However, the Times also revealed that on September 11 -- while the attacks were in progress -- the two current Co-Chairmen of the Joint-Intelligence Committee investigating the 9/11 attacks, Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) and Representative Porter Goss (R-FL), met for breakfast with the ISI Chief who had ordered $100,000 wired from Pakistan to terrorist leader Mohammed Atta in the days immediately preceeding the attacks.
All this, while General Ahmad was in the United States meeting with multiple Bush Administration officials and members of Congress:
"When the news came, the two Florida lawmakers who lead the House and Senate intelligence committees were having breakfast with the head of the Pakistani intelligence service. Rep. Porter Goss, Sen. Bob Graham, and other members of the House Intelligence Committee were talking about terrorism issues with the Pakistani official when a member of Goss' staff handed a note to Goss, who handed it to Graham. 'We were talking about terrorism, specifically terrorism generated from Afghanistan,' Graham said." [presciently]
In a skilled analysis of the neglected yet important story, Professor Chossudovsky literally dug deep to verify the participation of Bush Administration officials in the meetings with the hijacker financier behind the September 11 attacks.
News Pakistan (9-10-2001) reported that ISI Chief Lt. General Mahmoud Ahmad arrived in the U.S. on September 4, adding that
"Mahmoud's week-long presence in Washington has triggered speculation about the agenda of his mysterious meeting at the Pentagon and National Security Council....Official sources confirm that he met with [George] Tenet this week. He also held long parleys with unspecified officials at the White House and the Pentagon. But the most important meeting was with Marc Grossman, U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs. One can safely guess that the discussions must have centered around Afghanistan....and Osama bin Laden."
But this news report was written on September 10 -- the day before the attacks.
According to the Miami Herald (9-16-2001), "Graham said the Pakistani intelligence official with whom he met....was forced to stay all week in Washington because of the shutdown of air traffic. 'He was marooned here, and I think that gave Secretary of State Powell and others in the administration a chance to really talk with him.' "
Perhaps Chossudovsky's most telling analysis comes in just one short sentence from congressional intelligence investigation Co-Chairman Porter Goss: "None of this is news, but it's all part of the finger-pointing," Goss declared yesterday in a rare display of pique. "It's foolishness." (Washington Post, 9-18-2002)
Then the Ottawa professor added: "This statement comes from the man who was having breakfast with the alleged 'money-man' behind 9/11 -- on the morning of September 11."
The Post topped off the story, adding that "[General] Ahmad ran a spy agency notoriously close to Osama bin Laden and the Taliban." But Chossudovsky unearthed another telling Goss statement from a White House bulletin: "Chairman Porter Goss said an existing congressional inquiry has so far found 'no smoking gun' that would warrant another inquiry." (5-17-2002)
Moreover, Chossudovsky reminds that CIA Director George Tenet also met with ISI Chief Ahmad just prior to the 9/11 attacks, and that Tenet had regularly met with President Bush nearly every morning at 8 am sharp for about a half hour.
But most curiously, a document known as the President's Daily Briefing, OPDB, "is prepared at Langley by the CIA's analytical directorate, and a draft goes home with Tenet each night. Tenet edits it personally and delivers it orally during his early morning meeting with Bush." (Washington Post, 5-17-2002) But there are no reports as to why the President prefers not to keep written records of important CIA briefings.
The Ottawa professor added that "this practice of 'oral intelligence briefings' is unprecedented. Bush's predecessors at the White House, received a written briefing:"
"With Bush, who liked oral briefings and the CIA director in attendance, a strong relationship had developed. Tenet could be direct, even irreverent and earthy." (Washington Post, 1-29-2002)
Investigating the Investigators?
A critical component of the Joint-Intelligence Committee's investigation is the first part of what Co-Chairman Bob Graham calls "a three-act play." The first act, according to CNN.com "will focus on establishing a factual timeline as it relates to what was known before September 11."
Questions remain whether Graham's timeline document will ultimately become required reading for every member of Congress, along with the early July FBI briefing and the August 6 presidential briefing -- given the above evidence, multiple indications of a cover up, links to Congress and the White House, and additional unanswered questions of 9/11.
Another key Intelligence Committee member, Richard Shelby (R-AL), was widely quoted in reference to Co-Chairman Goss. Chiding his fellow Republican, "You know, [House committee chairman Goss] is a former CIA employee, and I know he's close to a lot of people over there," Shelby told Roll Call (October, 2001). "I don't think we should be too close to anybody we have oversight of because you can't do your job. You become subverted by the process."
As to other investigative options, James Ridgeway added that "[An Independent Commission] could cause a dreadful scene, with senior lawmakers and their staffs in the spotlight along with the intelligence chiefs. After all, what did the members of Congress know before September 11? Might they have forewarned us?" (Orange County Weekly, June 7-13, 2002)
Courageous members of Congress may also have interest in Graham's "notebooks filled with jotted records of every meeting and phone call." (Associated Press, 5-30-2002) And Knight Ridder (6-4-2002) added that the relatively tight time frame [Goss wants the 9/11 investigation report finished by January, 2003] may encourage some [Administration agencies] to "run out the clock" and hold back potentially embarrassing information.
The evidence of White House and media cover up of that important visit just prior to the attacks by the individual supplying the money to finance the terrorists is only made more crucial when one considers that so many high government officials met with this person -- some while the attacks were in progress. However, Americans are being denied an explanation and a carefully thorough public investigation of this evidence.
Further completing the circle, a Times of India report (3-7-2001) reveals that "The CIA worked in tandem with Pakistan to create the 'monster' that is today Afghanistan's ruling Taliban," a leading U.S. expert on South Asia had said months prior to the attacks.
Selig Harrison from the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars added, "The CIA made a historic mistake in encouraging Islamic groups from all over the world to come to Afghanistan." But more importantly, Harrison reveals that "the old associations between the intelligence agencies continue....The CIA still has close links with the ISI."
Americans may now wonder what terrorist money man and ISI Chief Ahmad was discussing with George Tenet, Colin Powell, and members of Congress during those long meetings prior to the worst attacks on American soil in our history.
And after all this, some U.S. citizens may even question whether there is anyone left to depose Bush Administration officials and Members of Congress under oath who would never subpoena themselves to offer explanations for demonstrated conflicts of interest -- or worse.
Contact: mailto:TomFlocco@cs.com
Source: http://www.rense.com/general28/linked.htm
8/12/02
10:43:01 AM
Feds Open 'Total' Tech Spy System On US Citizens From Steve Meyers 8-9-2
Excerpts:
1) "Under the Combating Terrorism Act, prosecutors could authorize surveillance for 48-hour periods *without a judge's approval.*
Warrantless surveillance appears to be limited to:
a) the addresses of websites your visited,
b) the names and addresses of your e-mail correspondents, and so on
The legislation would cover URLs, which include information such as:
c) what Web pages you're visiting and
d) what terms you type in when visiting search engines."
(source article http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,54342,00.html )
2) "Senate OK's FBI Net Spying" 'FBI agents soon may be able to spy on Internet users legally without a court order.'
(source article http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46852,00.html )
3) Constitution of the United States of America - Supreme Law of the Land:
Article [IV.] "The right of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, papers, and effects, **against unreasonable searches and seizures,
shall not be violated** and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to
be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
Conclusion:
1) The present government (Congress, Judiciary, President) is out-of-control....totally. They are violating Law; are ignoring the Law; are violating their Oath of Office, they are committing treason against the American People -The Sovereigns.
2) The intended 'check's and balances' on our system of government are NOT working.
- the three branches of government (blackmailed / bribed)
- the media (corporate owned - disinformation, misinformation, non-information)
- fully informed jury (destroyed; obscured)
- principles and maxims of Common Law ("Show me the damaged party...")
- state (sovereign) Citizenship (destroyed; obscured)
- Right to Privacy (Article 4) - ignored and 'technologically' destroyed; systemic malfeasance
'Malfeasance': 1) Illegal or unethical conduct; wrongdoing beyond simple negligence, especially on the part of governmental officials. 2) Failure to perform, or complete neglect of, a required legal or contractual duty. 3) Negligence, incompetence, or the improper performance of a legal act.
3) There appears to have been a "silent-coup" - from the deliberate set-up, enticement, entrapment and subsequent blackmailing of key US government officials.
(see: Senator John DeCamp's "The Franklin Cover-up" and "Transformation of America")
Franklin Cover-up "...a minefield of information that cannot and must not be ignored."
http://www.geminiwalker-ink.net/HellFranklin.html
also Google search on: "Trance-Formation of America"
4) Our Constitution - the system of checks and balances are being ignored...not only by all branches of the government (individuals who swore an Oath of Office to defend and uphold the Constitution and Rights Of The People) and they have individually and collectively violated that sacred oath. i.e. 'treason'
5) More importantly - the American Public themselves have been traumatized, numbed-out, or dumbed down - (TV/flouride/chemtrails/?) into a state of sheer apathy, powerlessness and/or forgetfullness.
Very dangerous.
How ironic: visit http://www.house.gov/Declaration.html
(Declaration of Independence) at the House of Representatives website - and 'see for yourself.'
How many American Citizen's see...much less care....about what's happening before our eyes? Or what this is leading to for our Children and future generations.
Steve Meyers
8/11/02
12:33:38 PM
Our Nuclear Achilles Heel
by Peter Montague
After 60 years of experience with nuclear power and weapons, it now seems clear that humans are unable to devise controls that work. Nuclear is too complicated and unpredictable for reliable human control. Unlike renewable sources of energy, nuclear is an unforgiving technology because normal human lapses and errors can produce unexpected consequences that are catastrophic and irreversible. Yet as a nation, our tax dollars are still massively subsidizing the expansion of nuclear.[1] Furthermore our taxes are subsidizing the deployment of even newer technologies that are far more complicated than nuclear, less predictable, and therefore likely to plague our children with endless trouble, namely biotech and nanotech.[2]
Here we examine nuclear technology from the viewpoint of rogue weaponry. This is the true Achilles' heel of nuclear technology, a fatal problem for which there is no fix: so long as we are expanding nuclear technology, we are increasing the likelihood that radioactive materials will one day be spread across an American city.[3] When it happens, it seems likely to permanently damage, if not end, our traditions of an open society with democratic checks and balances.
Tom Ridge, the President's director of homeland security, was recently asked what form of terrorism worried him the most: "He cupped his hands prayerfully and pressed his fingertips to his lips. ' Nuclear,' he said simply." [3, pg. 24]
U.S. regulatory officials have consistently failed to acknowledge the dangers posed by nuclear materials as tools for terrorists. For example, on September 12, 2001 -- one day AFTER the World Trade Center atrocities -- the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled that citizen concerns about plutonium fuel processing at Savannah River (in Aiken, S.C.) were not valid because the complaining citizens (Georgians Against Nuclear Energy) had failed to establish that "terrorist acts... fall within the realm of 'reasonably foreseeable' events." [NY TIMES Mar. 25, 2002, pg. A11.]
In 1982, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ruled that owners of nuclear plants do not have to design against such threats as kamikaze airliner crashes because to do so would make nuclear electricity too expensive to be competitive. "Reactors could not be effectively protected against such attacks without turning them into virtually impregnable fortresses at much higher cost," the NRC said.[4]
The U.S. has 103 operating nuclear power plants (plus 7 that are closed), most of which are storing intensely-radioactive spent fuel in 40-foot-deep pools of boron-treated water to shield against radiation and to keep the fuel from heating up, catching fire, and releasing radioactivity. Unlike reactor cores, the spent fuel pools are not covered by a concrete containment dome; they are covered only by a metal building.
If the water were to drain out of a spent fuel pool, the fuel would be exposed to a combination of air and steam, causing the zirconium outer "cladding" of the fuel assemblies to catch fire and burn fiercely.[4] The Nuclear Regulatory Commission acknowledges that such a fire could not be extinguished and could burn for days, releasing large amounts of radioactivity.
Water could drain from a spent fuel pool in several ways --leakage, evaporation, siphoning, pumping, earthquake, reactor failure, accidental or intentional drop of a fuel transport cask, explosion inside or outside the pool building, or airplane impact.
The main concern in spent fuel is cesium-137, a highly-radioactive element that enters food chains masquerading as potassium. The spent fuel currently held in the U.S. contains 20 to 50 million Curies of cesium-137. A single spent fuel pool contains more cesium-137 than was released by all the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the Northern Hemisphere combined. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission acknowledges that as much as 100% of the cesium-137 in spent fuel might be released by a zirconium fire.
A spent fuel pool typically holds 5 to 10 times as much radioactivity as the reactor core, and a zirconium fire would likely release more radioactivity than a core meltdown and would probably be easier for a disciplined group of suicidal terrorists to initiate. Draining the pool is all it takes.
The Indian Point nuclear power plant, 35 miles north of New York City, currently holds 1589 fuel assemblies in its spent fuel pool (compared to 386 fuel assemblies in the cores of its two operating reactors).[5] The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 1982 estimated that a core meltdown at Indian Point could cause 46,000 fatalities and 141,000 injuries. [NY TIMES April 4, 2002, pg. A23.]
Many spent fuel pools were not designed to hold all the fuel assemblies they presently hold. Spent fuel was supposed to be "reprocessed" at plants like the one that contaminated West Valley, N.Y. (see REHN #748) but the technology failed to materialize. In the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act Congress promised to take all private-sector spent fuel and bury it in the ground somewhere by 1998, but it didn't happen. Current plans call for a spent fuel mausoleum beneath Yucca Mountain, Nevada, but it won't be ready before 2010 at the earliest and it, too, may never materialize.[6; and NY TIMES Feb. 15, 2002, pg. A19.] Meanwhile more spent fuel is being squeezed into existing pools each year. Astonishingly, the nuclear industry is now planning to build 25 to 50 new nuclear power plants in the U.S. and the Bush administration has announced that it will provide millions of tax dollars, plus relaxed regulations, to help them do it.[1]
Nuclear reactors of course are not the only source of material for creating radioactive havoc. When the Soviet Union disintegrated, its nuclear weaponry fell under the control of various smaller governments, the economy of Russia went into a tailspin, and many Russian nuclear scientists and military weaponeers found themselves without jobs and without a way to feed their families. [NY TIMES Nov. 2, 2001, pg. B4.] As Russia lurched into the early phases of a capitalist economy, a black market in nuclear materials and expertise quickly developed. The NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE summarizes it this way: "Russia is a country with sloppy accounting, a disgruntled military, an audacious black market and indigenous terrorists."[3, pg. 26]
Russia has somewhere between 4,000 and 30,000 nuclear weapons --no one is sure of the true number, including the Russians. [3, pg. 27] Some of these weapons have only crude safeguards against detonation: "setting one off would be about as complicated as hot-wiring a car," says the NY TIMES. [3, pg. 28] Furthermore, Russia has an additional 80 metric tonnes of plutonium "stored under less than ideally secure conditions."[NY TIMES Aug. 27, 2001, pg. A20.] Russia's stored plutonium is enough to make 10,000 A-bombs, assuming it takes 17 pounds to make a bomb. Some say it takes only 12.
The simplest raw material for an A-bomb would be about 110 pounds of highly-enriched uranium. [3, pg. 29.] The world's total inventory of weapons-grade uranium is at least 1300 metric tonnes -- enough to make 26,000 small but effective A-bombs. A crude A-bomb could be delivered in a standard "conex" shipping container -- 2000 of which arrive in the U.S. each hour, and only 2% of which are opened for inspection.[7; and 3, pg. 28]
Reflecting on the dangers of a crude "conex A-bomb," Eugene E. Habiger, the four-star general who was in charge of America's nuclear arsenal until 1998 and then ran nuclear anti-terror programs for the Department of Energy, says, "How do you protect against that? You can't.... It's not a matter of IF ; it's a matter of WHEN." [3, pg. 28; emphasis in the original.]
The NEW YORK TIMES reported May 26, 2002, that a very small nuclear bomb (1/15th the size of the Hiroshima weapon), set off in Times Square, would immediately kill 20,000 people and would condemn another 250,000 to a painful death by fire and radiation sickness.[3, pg. 57] It is difficult see how the U.S. could remain an open, democratic society after such an event.
A bi-partisan U.S. commission on rogue weapons reported in 1999 that "Russia has no reliable inventory of its fissile material," meaning plutonium and enriched uranium.[7] The commission said it knew of at least seven instances in which weapons-grade fissile material had been stolen from Russian plants or storage sites between 1992 and 1999.[7; NY TIMES Jul. 9, 1999, pg. A13.]
In 2001 the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that 376 incidents of cross-border radioactive smuggling occurred between 1993 and autumn 2001, including military, industrial and medical materials; 18 of those instances involved plutonium or enriched uranium. [NY TIMES Nov. 2, 2001, pg. B4.] American intelligence officials say the scope of smuggling remains uncertain but they strongly believe that "only a fraction of shipments are intercepted." The TIMES adds, "The worries are heightened by the slackness of border controls and the economic instability that has left customs officials vulnerable to bribes."[NY TIMES Sep. 11, 2001, pgs. A1, A8]
Pakistan -- an impoverished, politically unstable nation -- has assembled about 20 nuclear bombs (NY TIMES Nov. 2, 2001, pg. B4), which were "built almost entirely through black markets and industrial espionage," according to the NY TIMES [3, pg. 26].
North Korea -- another deeply impoversished, unstable nation --is now reported to have manufactured two nuclear bombs and to have acquired enough plutonium to manufacture 10 more, making it the world's 9th known nuclear power. North Korea is one of three countries that Mr. Bush has labeled the "axis of evil." Perhaps hoping to appease the North Koreans, the Bush Administration has begun building a new nuclear power plant in North Korea. [NY TIMES Aug. 8, 2002, pg. A9.]
For terrorists, an easier alternative to an actual A-bomb would be a simple but terrifying "dirty bomb" made by wrapping "high explosive" around some radioactive waste -- thus spreading radioactivity downwind. High explosive is fuel oil and ammonium nitrate fertilizer -- the ingredients Timothy McVeigh used to blow up the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City April 19, 1995. [NY TIMES Dec. 2, 1997, pg. A22.] Even if no one were killed immediately, such a "dirty bomb" detonated in a city could create extraordinary panic and could contaminate a huge area at great cost. According to the Federation of American Scientists, a single foot-long pencil of radioactive cobalt-60 from a food irradiation plant, plus 10 pounds of TNT, detonated in lower Manhattan could contaminate large parts of three states. Most of Manhattan could be as contaminated as the area around the Chernobyl nuclear plant. The economic and psychological damage would be enormous. [3, pg. 51]
What is the answer? We cannot prevent all terrorism (though reducing our military-industrial intrusions into the Middle East to protect "our" oil would help, after we seriously commit to reducing our dependence on oil). More immediately, we could stop promoting and subsidizing unnecessary and uncontrollable nuclear technologies such as nuclear power plants, food irradiators, and nuclear bombs. As it is, the nuclear industry -- with massive subsidies from U.S. taxpayers -- is greasing the skids for the next level of domestic terror -- a Timothy McVeigh-type bomb blasting a spent fuel truck into smithereens in Chicago, or a teacup of cobalt-60 from a food irradiation plant atomized by a few sticks of dynamite in downtown Atlanta or Minneapolis or Washington, D.C.
The looming fight to stop the government-subsidized "renaissance" of nuclear technology[1] will be one of the most important environment-and-health fights of the 21st century. Environmental justice and anti-nuclear activists, unite!
[1] http://www.nei.org/documents/Speech_Abraham_2-14-02.pdf and
http://www.nei.org/documents/Vision2020_Folder.pdf and
[2] http://www.rafi.org/text/txt_search.asp?type=communique; see issue #76.
[3] Bill Keller, "Nuclear Nightmares; Experts on terrorism and proliferation agree on one thing: Sooner or later, an attack will happen here," NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE May 26, 2002, pgs. 22-29, 51-57. Keller is a senior writer for the NY TIMES.
[4] Reported by Robert Alvarez, "What About the Spent Fuel?" BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS Vol. 58, No. 1 (Jan./Feb 2002), pgs. 45-47. Available at:
http://www.thebulletin.org/-issues/-2002/jf02/jf02alvarez.html.
[5] Congressman Edward J. Markey, "Security Gap: A Hard Look at the Soft Spots in Our Civilian Nuclear Reactor Security." Report published March 25, 2002. Available at:
http://www.house.gov/markey/iss_nuclear_rep020325.pdf.
[6] U.S. Government Acounting Office (GAO), NUCLEAR WASTE: TECHNICAL, SCHEDULE AND COST UNCERTAINTIES OF THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN REPOSITORY PROJECT (Washington, D.C.: GAO, Dec., 2001.] GAO-02-191;
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02191.pdf.
[7] http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/deutch/
Source: http://www.Rachel.org
8/11/02
12:26:42 PM
Scientist's Death Haunts Family
by Fredric N. Tulsky, Mercury News, August 8, 2002
The death in 1953 of a government scientist, Frank Olson, in a fall from a New York hotel window, is one of the most notorious cases in CIA history.
Only in 1975 did Olson's family learn that the CIA had slipped LSD into his drink, days before his death. President Ford apologized for an experiment gone awry, and promised that the government would reveal everything about the case.
But newly obtained documents show that the Ford administration continued to conceal information about Olson -- particularly his role in some of the CIA's most controversial research of the Cold War, on anthrax and other biological weapons.
The documents show that two of the key officials involved in the decision to withhold that information were White House aides Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, today the nation's vice president and secretary of defense.
``These documents show the lengths to which the government was trying to cover up the truth,'' said the scientist's son, Eric Olson, who gave them to the Mercury News. ``For 22 years there was a coverup. And then, under the guise of revealing everything, there was a new coverup.''
Rumsfeld's office referred questions about the withholding of information to the CIA, where a media officer, Paul Nowack, said CIA activities related to Frank Olson's death were investigated by the Rockefeller Commission as well as subsequent congressional committees.
``The CIA fully cooperated'' in those investigations, he said, and ``tens of thousands of documents were released.'' If anyone has new information, he said, ``they should contact appropriate authorities.''
Eric Olson has contended for years that his father was murdered to cover up his research for the CIA. At a news conference in Maryland today, he will reveal the results of his long inquiry into his father's death.
The new documents do not prove those allegations. But they do show that the White House officials were concerned about any public revelation of Frank Olson's work.
Contrary to the official explanation that Frank Olson was an Army scientist, Olson worked for the CIA, at the special-operations division at Fort Detrick, the Maryland laboratory where biological weapons were tested.
Classified research
Eric Olson said this week that a former colleague and friend of his father's contacted him last year and described some of the closely guarded work his father conducted.
He said the colleague told him his father was among scientists studying the use of LSD and other drugs to enhance interrogations, as Cold War tensions ran high and Americans feared that captured soldiers had been brainwashed in Korea.
In the months before his death, the colleague said, Frank Olson had gone to Europe, where he observed the interrogation of former Nazis and Soviet citizens at a secret U.S. base. And, the colleague said, Frank Olson had knowledge of the U.S. biological weapons program.
Eric Olson contends that in the final days of his life, his father became morally distraught over his work and decided to quit. Personnel records show that agency officials were concerned that he was a security risk. Eric Olson believes that the thought of Frank Olson quitting was a motive for the government to want him dead.
In 1993, Eric Olson arranged for his father's body to be unearthed and examined by a forensic scientist, James Starrs. Starrs concluded that Frank Olson had probably been struck on the head and then thrown out of the hotel window.
Starrs' conclusion is one of the tantalizing pieces that Eric Olson has gathered to support his belief that his father was murdered. Friday, satisfied that he has accomplished what he could, Olson intends to rebury the remains of his father.
In late November 1953, Frank Olson, then 43, joined a group of government officials at a conference at Deep Creek Lodge in western Maryland. For days afterward, Olson was withdrawn. His son, Eric, says his father told his wife that he intended to quit his job.
But Frank Olson did not quit. And on Nov. 23 he went to New York with another government official, where he twice visited Harold A. Abramson, a doctor who was one of the first researchers to study the effects of LSD.
Olson returned to Washington, then went back to New York on Nov. 28 and checked into the Statler Hotel. He was scheduled to enter a sanitarium the next day.
But early in the morning of Nov. 29, Frank Olson went through the window of the hotel room he was sharing with a colleague, Robert Lashbrook. Lashbrook told police that he was awakened by the sound of breaking glass.
The Olson family knew little else. But in 1975, a commission headed by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller issued a report on CIA abuses, and an account in the Washington Post included a mention of an Army scientist who jumped from a New York hotel room days after being slipped LSD in 1953.
``We realized they were talking about my father,'' Eric Olson recalled. Family members talked to reporters about their outrage and said they would sue the government. Days later, the family was invited to the White House to meet President Ford. He assured them that they would be given all information about what happened to Frank Olson.
Soon after, family members were invited to lunch with CIA Director William Colby, who gave them a file of documents that amounted to the CIA investigation into Olson's death. But the documents left many questions unanswered about both his work and the circumstances of his death.
The family was told that a lawsuit was unlikely to succeed. Instead, the administration promised to support a private bill in Congress, through which the family received $750,000 to resolve its claims.
``The express understanding was that the government had promised to give us all information, which clearly meant information about his work relationship with the CIA,'' the Olsons' attorney, David Rudovsky of Philadelphia, said this week. ``It now appears that was not the case.''
Son finds clues
Over the years Eric Olson turned up many clues, real or coincidental. There was, for example, the assassination manual that the CIA declassified in connection with its Guatemala activities. The manual, created in the early 1950s, identified ``the contrived accident'' as ``the most effective technique'' of secret assassination.
``The most efficient accident, in simple assassination, is a fall of 75 feet or more onto a hard surface,'' the manual stated.
Only recently Eric Olson obtained files from a University of California-Davis history professor that showed White House officials had intentionally withheld details of Frank Olson's death from the family.
The professor, Kathryn Olmsted, came across the records at the Gerald Ford library. They included a memo from Dick Cheney, a White House assistant at the time, to Donald Rumsfeld, the chief of staff, on July 11, 1975, one day after the Olsons first held a news conference.
The memo warned that a lawsuit could involve ``the possibility that it might be necessary to disclose highly classified national-security information in connection with any court suit or legislative hearings on a private bill.''
The documents also include memos written by White House counsel Roderick Hills to the president that were routed through Cheney and other officials. ``Dr. Olson's job is so sensitive that it is highly unlikely that we would submit relevant evidence'' to a court, Hills wrote, regarding a potential suit by the Olson family.
``If there is a trial, it is apparent that the Olsons' lawyer will seek to explore all of the circumstances of Dr. Olson's employment as well as those concerning his death. Thus, in the trial it may become apparent that we are concealing evidence for national-security reasons and any settlement or judgment reached thereafter could be perceived as money paid to cover up the activities of the CIA.''
As a result, Hills urged settling the case out of court.
Contact Fredric N. Tulsky at: mailto:rtulsky@sjmercury.com or 408 920.5512
Source: http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/nation/3822588.htm
8/10/02
1:37:45 PM
MMR has strong association with autism, says US research
by John von Radowitz, August 9, 2002
New evidence suggesting a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism emerged yesterday from the United States.
Scientists at Utah State University found a strong association between the MMR jab and an auto-immune reaction thought to play a role in autism.
The team, led by Dr Vijendra Singh, analysed blood samples from 125 autistic children and 92 children without the developmental disorder. The researchers found a "significant increase" in the level of MMR antibodies in the autistic children. Part of the measles component of the vaccine caused an unusual anti-measles response in 75 of the autistic children, but not in the normal children.
More than 90 per cent of the autistic samples that showed an immune response to MMR were also positive for antibodies thought to be involved in autism. These antibodies attack the brain by targeting the basic building blocks of myelin, the insulating sheath that covers nerve fibres. Dr Singh suggested that auto-immune response might be the root cause of autism.
The US scientists, who report their findings in the Journal of Biomedical Science, concluded: "Stemming from this evidence, we suggest that an inappropriate antibody response to MMR, specifically the measles component thereof, might be related to pathogenesis of autism."
Dr Singh published previous work indicating a link between MMR and autism, concentrating on the brain's reaction. He has argued for years that autism can be traced to an auto-immune reaction centred on the brain. MMR fears have been blamed for a dip in the number of children being vaccinated between December and March.
The pressure group Jabs (justice, awareness and basic support), which wants parents to have the option of giving their children single injections, said the research strengthened its case.
Jonathan Harris, its West Midlands spokesman, said: "I really feel there's a very, very strong case now for suspending MMR use while further investigations are carried out. At the moment parents only have the choice of MMR or nothing. We think that's irresponsible of the Department of Health."
Source: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=322755
8/10/02
12:55:43 PM
A LOT OF FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING BACK!
http://disc.server.com/Indices/149495.html
"Everytime we do something, you tell me America will do this, will do that. I want to tell you something very clear; Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon - October 3, 2001
"Mother of All Wars" isn't going to happen twice. - Carl F. Worden
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495&article=31750
A Time for Candor on Iraq
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.06G.candor.iraq.htm
Poll: Two-Thirds Want Congressional Role in Iraq Decision, Time to Convince Allies
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.10B.poll.iraq.htm
Bernard Weiner | Inside Saddam Hussein's Diary
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.06D.bw.saddam.htm"
Rumsfeld Moves to Strengthen His Grip on Military Intelligence
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.05C.rums.grip.htm
Powell Dismisses Iraqi Gesture
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.05D.powell.iraq.htm
E-Bomb May See First Combat Use In Iraq
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495&article=31747
D O - N O T - B O M B - I R A Q
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495&article=31699
Schroeder Starts Election Campaign With Warning Against Military Action in Iraq
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.08D.schroeder.iraq.htm
Does Ashcroft 'Obey the Rule of Law'?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.10A.ashc.oby.law.htm
WorldCom Finds $3.3 Billion More in Irregularities
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.10C.Wcom3.3.more.htm
Productivity Grows at 1.1 Percent Rate in Second Quarter, Slowest Pace in a Year
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.10D.grow.slow.htm
Paul Krugman | The Lost Continent
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.10E.krug.lost.htm
Environmental Groups Sue to Stop Global Deployment of Navy Low Frequency Sonar System
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.10F.nrdc.sonar.htm
Jennifer Van Bergen | The Courts and the Ruling Class
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.09A.jvb.class.htm
Ex-Executives Say Sham Deal Helped Enron
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.09B.sham.deal.htm
Arianna Huffington | Holding Dick Cheney "Accountable"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.09C.aria.cheney.htm
UK: 'Unpopular Bush' Poll Puts Pressure on Blair
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.09D.uk.poll.htm
Laptops Gone From Afghan War Center
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.09E.laptops.gone.htm
U.S. Government Behaving Badly
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495&article=31724
Bob Herbert | Railroaded in Texas
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.09F.herbert.railroad.htm
Hitler, It Seems, Loved Money and Died Rich
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.09G.hitler.rich.htm
Foundations Are In Place For Martial Law In The US
http://www.rense.com/general27/martial.htm
William Rivers Pitt | Lies, Damned Lies, and White House Lies
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.08A.wrp.lies.htm
David Ignatius | The Fancy Financial Footwork of George W. Bush
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.08B.ignatius.fancy.htm
Pentagon Briefing Depicted Saudis as Enemies, Ultimatum Urged
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.08C.saudi.brief.htm
Powell Fears 'Unholy Trinity' Ahead of Earth Summit
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.08E.powell.erth.sum.htm
Brazil's Eye on the Amazon
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.08F.brazil.amazon.htm
Nat Hentoff | Ashcroft's Master Plan to Spy on Us
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.07A.hentoff.spy.htm
After Sept. 11, a Legal Battle Over Limits of Civil Liberty
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.07B.nyt.liberty.htm
G.I. Joe a security risk?
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/garyaldrich/printga20020808.shtml
UK Poll: Half of Britons Oppose Iraq Action
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.07C.uk.poll.htm
Paul Krugman | The Memory Hole
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.07D.krug.hole.htm
Remains May Be Nigeria Activist's
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.07E.nigeria.activist.htm
Secretary Norton Flouting Court on Pronghorn Protection
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.07F.nrtn.pronghorn.htm
THE STORY OF The Committee of 300 - by Dr. John Coleman
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495&article=31719
Michael Elliott | The Secret History
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.06A.time.secret.htm
Daschle, Lott Oppose Polygraphs
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.06B.daschle.lott.htm
Bush Administration Set to Defy Judge's Order --Won't Name Sept. 11 Detainees
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.06C.bush.no.2.jge.htm
Halliburton Subsidiary Overcame Bid Protest, Fraud Investigation to Land Military Contracts
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.06E.halli.bid.htm
Army Tightens Travel Bans in West Bank, Isolates Gaza Town in Response to Attacks
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.06F.israel.clamp.htm
Al Gore | Broken Promises and Political Deception
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.05A.gore.debate.htm
Judge Allows Cheney Task Force Case to Proceed
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.05B.judge.cheney.htm
GOP Calif. Governor Hopeful Falters
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.05E.ca.simon.htm
Judge Orders Names of Sept. 11 Detainees Released
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.04A.judge.names.htm
Craig Morris | In Defense of the Right of Defense
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.04B.morris.stewart.htm
John W. Dean | Reimbursement for the Clinton's
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.04C.dean.clintons.htm
Chisun Lee | Rounding Up the 'Enemy'
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.04D.lee.roundup.htm
Report of Weak Jobs Growth Puts Strength of Recovery in Question
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.04E.job.report.htm
NRDC | Industry Seeks Secrecy, Not Security
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/08.04F.nrdc.secrecy.htm
Reader Comments : <mailto: COMMENTS@truthout.com>
A LOT OF FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING BACK!
http://disc.server.com/Indices/149495.html
America, Home of the Scared?
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495&article=31725
Fox's Bill O'Reilly wants oreilly-sucks.com to cease and desist
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495&article=31748
`In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.'
http://disc.server.com/Indices/149495.html
911: THE ROAD TO TYRANNY -- WATCH THE ENTIRE FILM ONLINE
http://64.245.24.77/Alex/alex_jones.html
Find elected officials, including the president, members of Congress, governors, state legislators, local officials, and more.
http://congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/
If an Agent Knocks
http://www.lizmichael.com/agent.htm
A LOT OF FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING BACK!
http://disc.server.com/Indices/149495.html
American Patroit Friends Network - APFN@apfn.org APFN, PMB 107, 6630 W. CACTUS #B107, GLENDALE, AZ 85304
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/kenvardon.htm
"WE ARE APT TO SHUT OUR EYES AGAINST A PAINFUL TRUTH... FOR MY PART, I AM WILLING TO KNOW THE WHOLE TRUTH; TO KNOW THE WORST; AND TO PROVIDE FOR IT."
Patrick Henry
APFN CONTENTS PAGE:
http://www.apfn.org/old/apfncont.htm
8/9/02
5:35:17 PM
Statements By Company CEOs And CFOs To The SEC
http://www.sec.gov/rules/extra/ceocfo.htm
8/9/02
4:42:43 PM
DAILY GRIST
<http://www.gristmagazine.com>
CATCH AS QUECHUA CAN
Until recently, there were only two roads out of poverty for Ecuador's Quechua people: cutting down the rainforest (thereby destroying habitat and soil fertility alike) or trading with warring factions in neighboring Colombia (thereby opening the door for that country's violence to spread into Ecuador). Now there is a third, far better option: the Callari project, a marketing cooperative for indigenous Ecuadorians. Since its founding two years ago by Judy Logback, an environmentalist from Kansas, the cooperative has helped 1,000 native people increase their incomes by 30 percent through improving the quality of the cocoa and coffee they grow, relearning indigenous methods for extracting useful items from the jungle, and marketing their products abroad. The editor of Ecuador's national newspaper, Hoy, has hailed the project as a new economic model for the Amazon. Logback hopes to see the project expand: "I figure, if Coca-Cola can spread to the ends of the earth, so can Callari."
straight to the source: Christian Science Monitor, Arie Farnam, 09 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=350>
READ HANDED
It staves off Alzheimer's, provides you with interesting tidbits to drop at cocktail parties, and makes you attractive to potential mates. We're talking about reading, of course. Check out what we're reading and you ought to. Take a look at the Washington Monthly, where Eric Schaeffer delves into the reasons behind his highly publicized resignation from the U.S. EPA earlier this year. Next, visit the Atlantic, which suggests that Schaeffer's former boss, EPA Administrator Christie Whitman, should follow suit and resign to show her commitment to the environment. Meanwhile, Sierra Magazine assembles its own energy task force, Wired looks at General Motors' big fuel-cell gamble, Time takes on vegetarianism, and more. Find out what we're reading, and what you should be, only on the Grist Magazine website.
only in Grist: Wild reads from the Washington Monthly, Time, Wired -- and other assorted gems in our Best of the Rest section <http://www.gristmagazine.com/best/best080902.asp?source=daily>
SIGNS, SEALS NOT DELIVERED
Thirteen years after the Exxon Valdez spill sent 11 million gallons of crude oil pouring into Alaska's Prince William Sound, some species still show no sign of recovery, according to the government panel overseeing the area's restoration. The long-suffering species include herring, ducks, harbor seals, and loons; others, such as some seabird and salmon species, are fully recovered. The Alaska Center for the Environment said the panel was right to conclude that the spill was still negatively impacting many species. ExxonMobil, however, disagreed with the findings, claiming the panel's definition of "recovery" was flawed. The oil giant said the panel erroneously considers animal populations fully recovered only when they have returned to pre-spill numbers, even though other factors, notably climate change, are causing massive changes in Alaska's wildlife. (Um, since when does ExxonMobil profess concern about climate change?) The panel's evaluation could have financial implications for ExxonMobil -- the post-spill settlement allows for up to $100 million to cover additional damages unforeseen in 1991.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, 08 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=348>
do good: Take action to ask ExxonMobil to contemplate the climate <http://www.gristmagazine.com/dogood/climate.asp?source=daily#exxonmobil>
ROCK ME LIKE A HURRICANE
The healing of the Florida Everglades is the largest environmental restoration project in U.S. history -- and its got some of the nation's highest hopes pinned on it. Some of those hopes involve the Florida Bay, a once-pristine angler's paradise that all but collapsed in the late 1980s, when its clear waters became clouded and 100,000 acres of sea grasses disappeared, as did numerous marine animals. Many had hoped the Everglades restoration project, which will increase the flow of water into the bay, would speed its recovery. But the U.S. National Academy of Sciences warned yesterday that the $7.8 billion project could instead trigger algae blooms and kill more sea grasses in the bay -- news that could lead to a public backlash against the project, especially among anglers. Terrence "Rock" Salt, executive director of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, said he appreciated the NAS report, but he emphasized that the mission of the task force was not to please commercial or recreational fishers, but rather to restore original water flows and let nature take its course.
straight to the source: Washington Post, Michael Grunwald, 09 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=349>
CHOOSY ADMINISTRATIONS CHOOSE GEF
The U.S. and 31 other countries pledged this week to allocate a total of $2.92 billion over four years to support the Global Environmental Facility, an international fund to promote clean and efficient energy, biodiversity protection, and water-restoration efforts in developing nations. The Bush administration contributed $500 million of that total, but is currently about $270 million in debt to the GEF from earlier, unpaid commitments. Although the U.S. donation is $70 million higher than past funding levels, the extra money will only be paid if the GEF meets certain numerical targets, such as reducing greenhouse gases and increasing the amount of protected land. The GEF, which is administered by the World Bank, has allocated $4.2 billion to 1,000 environmental projects in developing countries since its founding in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, 08 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=351>
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, 08 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=352>
8/9/02
4:14:42 PM
The following message is from Bonnie Raitt, Robert Redford Graham Nash and David Crosby who are working with our allies in clean energy, Vote Solar.
Dear Friend:
As people who've been active in the environmental movement for a long time, we'd like to tell you about a critical vote the California legislature is about to take that will impact the future of solar energy in America.
Last year, California passed a law, referred to as net metering, that lets large solar energy systems on factories, schools, offices and other big buildings receive credit for the electricity they give back to the electric grid. It has been a huge success, sparking a 1000% increase in the number of large solar energy systems in just one year and creating a model for the country. AB 58 by Assemblyman Fred Keeley (D-Boulder Creek) would extend this law past the end of this year, when it expires.
But California's three big utilities - PG&E, Edison, and Sempra - have launched a stealth campaign to undermine it. They have amended the bill in a way that cuts in half the credit given for solar electricity. If these utilities get their way, many people who would otherwise like to install solar panels will no longer be able to afford to. And California's solar power market, the most vibrant in the nation, will be devastated, with grave consequences for the environment.
There is simply too much at stake for us to lose this fight.
Nuclear power plants leave us radioactive waste that will last for thousands of years. Emissions from power plants that run off coal, oil and gas pollute the air we breathe and are the leading contributor to global warming. The best way to say no to these environmentally harmful sources is to say yes to clean alternatives like solar energy.
The good news is that the price of solar energy has been falling as more people buy it - the cost drops by about 20% every time demand doubles. But since two thirds of America's market for solar panels is in California, our progress will be brought to a standstill if the utilities succeed. Companies that profit from pollution should not call the shots, especially when there is so much on the line. Please join us in speaking out today.
The California Legislature takes up AB 58 on Monday Aug. 12.
There are two things you can do.
First, you can join us in immediately contacting these key elected officials and letting them know that you support strong net metering laws. Tell them this is the time to give more incentives to solar energy, not fewer.
Governor Gray Davis: (916) 445-2841 Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Fred Keeley: (916) 319-2027 Assemblymember Roderick Wright: (916) 319-2048 State Senator Debra Bowen: (916) 445-5953 State Senate President Pro Tem John Burton: (916) 445-1412 Speaker of the Assembly Herb Wesson: (916) 319-2147
You can also email them directly by going to www.votesolar.org.
Second, send this email along to family, friends, and colleagues so they too can send a message to decision makers. Together, we can help California and the rest of the nation plug into the sun.
Thank you,
Bonnie Raitt, Robert Redford, Graham Nash & David Crosby
The "Positive Energy" newsletter and our web site,
will give you good news about ways to achieve clean air, climate justice, and renewable energy solutions to our ongoing energy crisis.
Help Greenpeace spread the word. Forward this e-mail on to other caring individuals.
Want to do more? Become a Greenpeace member today! To give online, go to:
https://www.greenpeaceusa.org/join2/cen.htm
8/9/02
4:13:08 PM
Greenpeace's Positive Energy
August 5 - August 11, 2002
Time for Greenpeace's CLEAN ENERGY NOW! campaign's weekly good news update!!!
Inside this edition:
- Don't Let the Utilities Stomp Out Solar
- Philippines Chooses Positive Energy
- Ben & Jerry's Purchase Clean Energy Offsets
Don't Let the Utilities Stomp Out Solar
PG&E and its bedfellows are attempting to rollback a crucial law that promotes the use of solar power to meet the state's power needs.
In the wake of last year's energy crisis, Governor Davis signed a bill that would allow solar systems up to a megawatt in size (about enough electricity for 500 homes) to plug into the grid. Current net metering law allows utility customers to send solar power they don't use back into the grid for the benefit of other consumers. These customers are then entitled to get the power back at a time when their solar panels are not producing electricity.
Assemblyman Fred Keeley (D-Boulder Creek) has written a bill, AB 58, that would support solar by extending the right to net meter large solar systems beyond the time limit set by Governor Davis. The bill would also impose time limits on utilities so that they can't delay hooking solar up to the power grid. However, utility lobbyists have successfully pressured Assemblyman Keeley to change AB 58 to reduce the rates paid to large photovoltaic (solar) generators. If AB 58 is not changed back to pay photovoltaic (solar) generators the full retail rate for electricity produced, we can kiss the growing solar industry in California goodbye because the incentive to install large PV systems will be gone!
Send a fax now to key Assembly Members, State Senators, and California Governor Davis. Express your support for AB 58 and a clean energy future!
http://www.cleanenergynow.org/bin/takeaction.fpl?action_id=142
Also: Watch for an e-mail from Bonnie Raitt, Robert Redford, Graham Nash and David Crosby about this important issue and more ways you can help.
Philippines Chooses Positive Energy
The Philippine government officially abandoned all proposals for a coal-fired power plant in Pulupadan in the province of Negros. The Energy Undersecretary of the Philippine government, Cyril del Callar, announced today that the answer to their power needs is renewable energy! This decision came shortly after a Memorandum of Understanding that addressed the needed financial backing of technical support for renewable energy technologies was issued to the Philippine government. This historic document coincided with the last day of Greenpeace's Choose Positive Energy ship tour in the Philippines.
To read more about the Philippines clean energy solutions, visit:
http://greenpeace.org/news/details?news_id=21547
Ben & Jerry's Purchase Clean Energy Offsets
Ben & Jerry's, the makers of the famous flavors Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey ice cream, are investing in clean energy. The ice cream makers are participating in the NativeEnergy's Wind Builders Program that allows individuals and businesses to invest in long-term renewable energy credits in order to support wind farm projects.
The revenue from Ben & Jerry's investment will help fund the first large-scale wind turbine on a Native American reservation. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota is expecting the turbine to be operational by this November.
To read more about Ben & Jerry's clean energy investments, just go to:
http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=2487
The "Positive Energy" newsletter and our web site, http://www.cleanenergynow.org, will give you good news about ways to achieve clean air, climate justice, and renewable energy solutions to our ongoing energy crisis.
Help Greenpeace spread the word. Forward this e-mail on to other caring individuals.
Want to do more? Become a Greenpeace member today! To give online, go to:
https://www.greenpeaceusa.org/join2/cen.htm
8/9/02
4:09:25 PM
THE STORY OF The Committee of 300 - by Dr. John Coleman (Full Text on-line)
Stop for a moment and consider how President Bush ordered the brutal slaying of 150,000 Iraqi troops, in a convoy of military vehicles carrying white flags, on their way back to Iraq under Geneva Convention rules of agreed disengagement and withdrawal. Imagine the horror of the Iraqi troops when, in spite of waving their white flags, they were mowed down by American aircraft. In another part of the front, 12,000 Iraqi soldiers were buried alive in trenches they occupied. Is that not MONSTROUS in the truest sense of the word? From where did President Bush get his orders to act in this MONSTROUS fashion? He got them from the Royal Institute for International Affairs (RIIA) who received its mandate from the The Committee of 300, also known as the "Olympians". [snip]
FULL TEXT OF BOOK ON LINE HERE (720K) http://100777.com/The_Committee_of_300.htm
Dr. John Coleman who is a Constitutional scholar, fits that bill perfectly. He has spent many, many years studying the topics he speaks about. He has written a book titled "The Committee of 300", along with others, lectured on South Africa and the Boer War, and the butchery done on those people by England. He has alerted the world through his magazine 'World in Review Magazine' with prophecies he makes about the social issues of the world. Since he began his career in 1972, he has made 650 predictions and of those 97% came true. The other 3% were slightly inaccurate ... not wrong... just slightly inaccurate. That rate of prophecy is better than any psychic I've ever heard of. Dr. Coleman doesn't do channeling. He gathers his information the same way that you and I can, through study, learning who is who and what they are doing and what they have done historically. During his career he has served in 15 different countries, so he is not just blowing smoke.
FULL STORY HERE:
http://www.greatdreams.com/coleman.html
THE ILLUMINATI AND THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/illuminati.htm
THE NEW WORLD ORDER EXPLAINED BY MYRON FAGAN [SNIP] "Incidentally; this same Reverend Harry F. Ward was also one of the founders of the "American Civil Liberties Union;" a notorious pro-Communist organization. He was the actual head of it from 1920 to 1940. He also was a co-founder of the "American League against War and Fascism" which, under Browder, became the "Communist Party of the United States." In short; Ward's entire background reeked of communism and he was identified as a member of the Communist party. He died a vicious traitor to both his church and country and this was the man old John D. Rockefeller picked and financed to destroy America's Christian religion in accordance with the orders given to Schiff by the Rothschilds. [SNIP]
http://www.m2ktalk.com/myron_fagan.htm
8/9/02
4:06:35 PM
SciTech Daily Review
Three Indian computer scientists have solved a longstanding mathematics problem by devising a way for a computer to tell quickly and definitively whether a number is prime
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/08/science/08MATH.html
Thanks to a bit of chemical trickery, drug resistant superbugs could find themselves facing newly potent antibiotics
http://www.nature.com/nsu/020805/020805-4.html
An archaeological team has discovered Egypt's oldest bakery -- complete with baking trays and storage closets
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20020728-115753-2198r
A treatment involving bone marrow could help prevent amputations in patients with damaged blood vessels in their legs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2180883.stm
Len Fisher, the academic who fathomed the physics of biscuit-dunking, tackles more great scientific questions in How to Dunk a Doughnut. What does happen when a cyclist throws a stone straight up?
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_medical/story.jsp?story=322282
Is art sullied by technology? The link between technology and art is regarded in modern times as something shameful, but artists' dependence on machines is not only extensive but centuries old
http://www.reason.com/0208/cr.cf.traces.shtml
Going once, going twice ... Even the most rational people can go a little crazy when caught up in a bidding war. That's where game theory comes in
http://www.discover.com/aug_02/featmath.html
Scientists and researchers are experimenting with the atmosphere and climate. Do they know what they are doing, or are their ideas potentially dangerous cons?
http://MondeDiplo.com/2002/07/18weather
Two new studies of the Vinland map -- which may chronicle the Vikings' pre-Colombian travels to the New World -- have fanned the 45-year-old debate over its origins
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?articleID=000E9504-1CA8-1D47-90FB809EC5880000
8/9/02
4:04:17 PM
Planet Ark World Environment News
Hot summer may be behind West Nile outbreak in US - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17239/story.htm
US tests suggest cattle do not catch deer disease - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17247/story.htm
US sees milder hurricane season due to El Nino - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17242/story.htm
Businesses warn New York needs more power plants - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17240/story.htm
Ford says SUV fuel economy goal getting tougher - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17238/story.htm
Seabirds, salmon seen on mend since Valdez spill - USA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17235/story.htm
Small tanker spills fuel after sinking off Istanbu - TURKEY http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17232/story.htm
New head of UN climate body vows independence - SWITZERLAND http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17241/story.htm
Russia says no more concessions in US poultry row - RUSSIA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17245/story.htm
Statoil wins prize for burying CO2 under North Sea - NORWAY http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17243/story.htm
Tomra leaps on German recycling hopes - NORWAY http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17246/story.htm
Italy grid sets green certificates at 0.084 euros - ITALY http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17236/story.htm
Italian court probes 10 seed companies over GMOs - ITALY http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17248/story.htm
Four feared dead in Czech floods, 2,000 evacuated - CZECH REPUBLIC http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17237/story.htm
Forest fires rage in northeastern China mountains - CHINA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17233/story.htm
First Canadian dies of human mad cow strain - CANADA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17244/story.htm
FEATURE - Solar power to challenge dominance of fossil fuels - AUSTRALIA http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17234/story.htm
8/9/02
4:03:12 PM
"In order to change something,
don't struggle to change the existing model.
Create a new model,
and make the old one obsolete."
Buckminster Fuller
8/9/02
3:52:25 PM
AlterNet Headlines
Support Hunger Strike Demanding Justice For Bhopal **** Good neighbors clean up after themselves -- but 18 years after the world's deadliest industrial disaster, which killed nearly 4,000, Dow Chemical/Union Carbide has still not cleaned up its derelict plant in Bhopal, India and survivors have still not been adequately compensated. Now in her fourth week of a fast in front of the gates of Dow Chemical in Seadrift, Texas, activist Diane Wilson is part of a worldwide hunger strike to force the chemical giant to accept its liabilities in Bhopal. You can help! Call Dow headquarters at (800) 232-2436 and demand they clean up their mess in Bhopal. Or take part in the action: details at
http://www.bhopal.net/worldwide-action.
CALL IN THE REAL IRAQ EXPERTS
Sean Gonsalves, AlterNet
Conspicuously absent from last week's Senate hearings on whether the U.S. should go to war in Iraq were the experts with the most vital information.
*In Global Affairs: http://www.alternet.org/?IssueAreaID=31
BOMBS AND SPEED KILL IN AFGHANISTAN
Bill Berkowitz, WorkingForChange.com
Are U.S. jet pilots popping amphetamines and misdirecting bombs onto civilian targets?
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13791
SUMMER OF LOVE
Judith Levine, Village Voice
The author of "Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children From Sex" recounts a personal romance that a teenage camper could never have today.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13794
UNDERAGE AND UNDER SIEGE
Sharon Lerner, Village Voice
Kid's sexuality finds a champion in Judith Levine, causing conservatives and the mainstream media to attack her and her controversial book.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13523
WHO'S TO BLAME FOR MAD DEER?
Brian McCombie, The Progressive
Chronic Wasting Disease is killing tens of thousands of deer across the Midwest, and is more likely to affect humans than Mad Cow Disease. But tracing the causes is proving very difficult.
*In EnviroHealth: http://www.alternet.org/?IssueAreaID=18
A MORE HONEST GAMBLE
Marc Cooper, LA Weekly
Why not let the casinos take over Wall Street? Putting money in the stock market is just a big gamble after all.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13773
WE ARE FAMILY
Lee Hubbard, AlterNet
Today the black family is in a crisis. One of the steps that could do some good is the thriving tradition of the black family reunion.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13797
REFORMING ROCKEFELLER DRUG LAWS
Michelle Goldberg, Salon
Fed up with draconian drug penalties, a coalition led by angry mothers is threatening to overturn some of the country's harshest laws.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13774
BREAKING THROUGH AMERICA'S BERLIN WALL
Joseph Nevins, Pacific News Service
The rising death toll among U.S.-Mexico border crossers is the predictable outcome of disparities in wealth, inhumane border enforcement policies and our hunger for cheap labor.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13772
GALE NORTON VS. THE ENVIRONMENT
Jeff Woods, Defenders of Wildlife
Bush's Secretary of the Interior has proven far more loyal to Big Industry than to the wildlife and public lands she is required to protect.
*In Rights & Liberties: http://www.alternet.org/?IssueAreaID=33
Friday Media Roundtable
Reporters from Salon, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Center for Investigative Reporting discuss this week's media coverage on Friday's Working Assets Radio with Laura Flanders. Listen online from 10-11amPT/1-2pmET, or call in: 866-798-TALK.
http://www.workingassetsradio.com
8/9/02
3:19:03 PM
The Nation
As you may know, Bill Moyers is currently hosting a terrific weekly program on PBS called "NOW," broadcast each Friday evening at 9:00pm.
Tomorrow night's show will feature a lead segment based on Marc Siegel's Nation editorial, "Fighting the Drug (Ad) Wars," from our June 17, 2002 issue. An author and MD on the faculty in internal medicine at New York University, Siegel argues that, over the last five years, major US drug companies have worked to build name recognition using extensive television and magazine ads with the effect being to raise drug prices and overall costs as patients pressure doctors to prescribe drugs that often aren't needed.
Tune in tomorrow, August 9, to PBS at 9:00pm for the full story. And when Siegel is done, don't touch that channel: Moyers will interview Ralph Nader directly after his discussion with Siegel.
You can also read Siegel's Nation editorial at:
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020617&s=siegel
And for more on Bill Moyers' NOW check out:
Finally, if you're looking for a good lead-in to Moyers' NOW at 9:00 tomorrow night, watch Phil Donahue's MSNBC show at 8:00. Donahue, recently returned to the airwaves after a six-year break, will interview Nation friend and national treasure Studs Terkel. Every interview with Terkel is memorable so don't miss this chance to see this legendary eighty-nine year old author live.
For more info, check out Donahue's website at:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/DONAHUE_Front.asp
Best Regards,
Peter Rothberg, Associate Publisher
8/9/02
3:14:48 PM
My 10-part, 2-hour video compilation, which has been re-edited and much improved, (for more information go to <A HREF="http://www.addictedtowar.com/">www.addictedtowar.com</A> and click on video)
WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT U.S. FOREIGN POLICY:
The War Against The Third World
CIA Covert Operations and U.S. Interventions Since World War II What You Didn't Learn in School and Don't Hear on the Mainstream Media
Since September 11th I have sent this video to thousands of professors, high school teachers, students, religious leaders, peace activists, alternative media and interested others throughout this country and Canada. It has been shown at teach-ins all across the United States.
My name is Frank Dorrel. I live in Culver City, California. I consider myself to be a peace activist/educator. I am a Veteran for Peace. I work with the Coalition For World Peace and with many of the other peace organizations here in Los Angeles.
I am willing to mail this tape to you before receiving payment. After you have received and watched my video, you can support this project by sending a contribution that you can afford and feel good about. $10 would cover postage and mailing. All financial assistance will go back into this project.
To order this video send an email to <A HREF="mailto:fdorrel@addictedtowar.com">fdorrel@addictedtowar.com</A> . Please include your mailing address.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT U.S. FOREIGN POLICY:
The War Against The Third World
A 2-hour video compilation featuring 10 segments which I have edited. They are as follows:
1. Martin Luther King Jr., Civil rights leader who was killed after he spoke out against the U.S. war in Vietnam.
2. John Stockwell, Former CIA Chief of Station in Angola in 1975, working for then CIA Director, George Bush Sr. Stockwell is the highest ranking CIA official to testify to Congress.
3. Bill Moyers' "The Secret Government" Played on PBS-1987. Excellent!
4. Coverup: Behind the Iran-Contra Affair, What we did to Nicaragua. Also feautures a short history of CIA covert operations. Narrated by Elizabeth Montgomery. Produced by the Empowerment Project.
5. School of Assassins with Father Roy Bourgeois on the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. Narrated by Susan Sarandon. Our own school for terrorists, right here in the United States.
6. Genocide by Sanctions, With Ramsey Clark talking to Iraqi doctors about the 5,000 children who die every month due to the sanctions. Made by Gloria La Riva.
7. Amy Goodman, Host of Democracy, FM Radio NY, talking on 2 genocides committed by the Indonesian military. First against it's own people in 1965 and then against the people of East Timor in 1975, both aided by the CIA.
8. The Panama Deception, Won the academy award for best documentary. Shows how the U.S. killed 4,000 innocent civilians in this illegal attack. Narrated by Elizabeth Montgomery, made by The Empowerment Project.
9. Ramsey Clark, Former Attorney General, talking on U.S. militarism. Very powerful!
10. S. Brian Willson, Vietnam Veteran for Peace who lost his legs when he was run over by a naval train carrying weapons headed to kill innocent civilians in Central America. Brian wages Unconditional Peace. His mantra is "We are not worth more, they are not worth less". Brian is introduced by Kris Kristofferson. His web site: <A HREF="http://www.brianwillson.com/">www.brianwillson.com</A>.
For more information go to <A HREF="http://www.addictedtowar.com/">www.addictedtowar.com</A>
This video is an excellent educational tool that reveals the true nature of U.S. foreign policy. It has been seen in college classrooms, at churches and at various political groups. It is very convincing! People such as Howard Zinn, S. Brian Willson, Blase Bonpane, Ed Asner, Amy Goodman, Michael Parenti, Oliver Stone, Father Roy Bourgeois, Ramsey Clark, Casey Kasem, Susan Sarandon, Mike Ruppert, Ralph Nader, Chalmers Johnson, Holly Near, Meria Heller and many others have seen this video and find it very worthwhile, informative and empowering!
If you are interested in getting a copy of this video, email me at fdorrel@yahoo.com. Leave your mailing address and I will send you the video before I receive your contribution. I do this in good faith, as a way to protect you. Your $10 donation helps me to continue this project.
My goal is to provide this information to as many people as possible. This is difficult because the mainstream media is owned by the multi-national corporations and the military-industrial-complex. They do not want to the truth to be known by the masses. This information is not what we learned in school. It is not what we see on TV, hear on the radio, read in the newspapers or experience in our own lives. The people on this video are telling a truth that more Americans need to hear, if we are ever going to put a stop to U.S. imperialism.
We have been lied to by experts in propaganda and misinformation. We live in a state of mass denial, of mass hypnosis. If you really care about having Peace in the world, if you care about Justice and Freedom for all of the people who share the Earth with us, I believe the first step is to educate yourself to the true nature of U.S. foreign policy and then begin to share this information with other people. That is what this tape is about.
And to those of you whose primary concern is the environment, you should be aware that United States militarism is one of the main contributing factors in polluting the Earth.
8/9/02
3:10:42 PM
DAILY GRIST
<http://www.gristmagazine.com>
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT SELFISHLY
Despite widespread concern that the Bush administration has placed all green issues on the back burner, recent documents obtained by Grist suggest that, on the contrary, President Bush is deeply concerned about the likely impact of impending environmental crises on ... his personal lifestyle. Overfishing threatens to put an end to some of the commander-in-chief's favorite meals, and urban sprawl could have serious ramifications for some of his best-loved golf courses. Master of satire Chris Colin gives a sneak preview of the highly secretive "Earth Catastrophe Memos," only on the Grist Magazine website.
only in Grist: Hello, kitties! -- the Bush administration braces for eco-chaos -- satire in our Soapbox section <http://www.gristmagazine.com/soapbox/colin080802.asp?source=daily>
KILLER! WHALE SUITS
'Tis the season to sue over whales. Environmentalists in the Pacific Northwest announced this week that they plan to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service over its decision to deny protected status to orca whales in Puget Sound. In June, the NMFS found that the local orca population, which has declined 20 percent since 1996, does indeed face possible extinction, but nonetheless determined that it did not meet the requirements for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Meanwhile, a coalition of national environmental groups led by the Natural Resources Defense Council has sued the NMFS and the U.S. Navy to block use of a new sonar system it fears could harm whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures that rely on acoustics to find food, mates, and migratory routes. The coalition says approval by the feds of the sonar system violates the species act; the Navy says the sonar is necessary to protect aircraft carriers and other warships from submarine attacks.
straight to the source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Lisa Stiffler and Robert McClure, 07 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=342>
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Steve Hymon and Tony Perry, 08 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=343>
only in Grist: Watch 'em blow, see 'em glow -- a cartoon by Suzy Becker <http://www.gristmagazine.com/ha/ha051302.asp?source=daily>
do good: Take action to save orca whales <http://www.gristmagazine.com/dogood/species.asp?source=daily#orca>
THAT'S THE WAY THE COOKIE GRUMBLES
As anticipated, the U.S. EPA announced yesterday that it would seek to alter a key Clean Water Act anti-pollution program in order to give states more flexibility in restoring their waterways. Under the revised program, states would develop and implement plans to clean up more than 20,000 dirty rivers, lakes, and estuaries. While the federal government would provide guidelines, oversight, and reviews, the proposed changes are in keeping with EPA Administrator Christie Whitman's preference for "voluntary efforts" over mandatory regulations. Benjamin Grumbles, the EPA's deputy assistant administrator for water, said the new approach would address the concerns of stakeholders, such as farm groups and state and local sewage-treatment agencies. But environmentalists say the changes would weaken an already iffy program that has left 44 percent of the nation's water bodies in poor shape. The new regulations would supplant a July 2000 Clinton administration rule requiring EPA approval of state efforts to restore 300,000 miles of rivers and shorelines and 5 million acres of lakes.
straight to the source: Washington Post, Eric Pianin, 08 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=344>
HAPPY CONTRAILS TO YOU
Tragic as they were, the events of Sept. 11 provided an unexpected boon to climate science: They caused an unprecedented three-day interruption in U.S. air traffic that enabled scientists to assess the impact on the climate of condensation from jet planes. Those streaks of condensation, known as contrails, all but disappeared during the flight hiatus -- and variations in high and low temperatures increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit each day, according to meteorologists. The research establishes that contrails can affect temperatures, although whether they have a net effect on global warming remains a question. Contrails generally behave similarly to normal clouds, blocking solar energy from above and trapping heat below, thereby reducing the daily temperature range. Because certain species depend on specific daily temperature variations for survival, even slight changes in climate can have substantial, ecosystem-wide effects.
straight to the source: CNN.com, Richard Stenger, 08 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=345>
only in Grist: Are chemtrails the evil sibling to contrails? --astute advice on all things environmental -- in our Ask Umbra column <http://www.gristmagazine.com/ask/ask042302.asp?source=daily#chemtrails>
THAT SINKING FEELING
In other scientific news of the day, trees might not be a climate change magic bullet after all, according to a study published in today's edition of Nature. Trees and shrubs have been regarded as an ideal carbon sink (meaning they absorb excess carbon dioxide, reducing the concentration of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere) and therefore an effective means to fend off global warming. President Bush has even proposed tax incentives for farmers who plant trees. But scientists from Duke University found that in wetter areas, trees are less effective carbon sinks than the native grasslands they have replaced throughout much of the Western U.S. The study said that replacing grass with shrubs and trees can actually decrease the amount of carbon stored in organic material in the soil, potentially offsetting gains achieved above ground. Daniel Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global warming and energy program, said the study would help dispel the notion that humans can plant their way out of the climate crisis.
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, Andrew Bridges, 07 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=346>
NOW THAT CALI TOOK THE T-BIRD AWAY
To the extent that somebody in the auto industry could be the darling of environmentalists, that somebody is William Clay Ford, Jr., chair and CEO of Ford Motor Co. Ford, who has earned kudos in the past for his eco-friendly outlook but has more recently drawn barbed comments from greenies, said yesterday that America's love affair with the automobile could be threatened by the industry's shoddy environmental record. Speaking at an automotive conference in Michigan, Ford also said he wanted to "lower the temperature" of the oft-heated relationship between carmakers and the state of California, which recently passed landmark legislation limiting carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles. "If you remember, in California, people used to write songs about T-Birds and Corvettes," said Ford. "Today, they write regulations." Ford said he wanted the industry to address environmental problems through technology. The speech was the most environmentally minded one Ford has given since taking the helm last fall of the company founded by his great-grandfather.
straight to the source: New York Times, Danny Hakim, 08 Aug 2002 <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=347>
only in Grist: Teaming up with Bill Ford, Jr. -- the comic adventures of Zed, last of his species <http://www.gristmagazine.com/zed/zed113001.asp?source=daily>
8/9/02
3:04:52 PM
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: Tammy Boyer, Los Angeles (323) 934-6900; Elliott Negin, Washington, D.C. (202) 289-6868; Craig Noble, San Francisco (415) 777-0220
If you are not a member of the press, please write to us at nrdcinfo@nrdc.org or see our contact page.
Environmental Groups Sue to Stop Global Deployment of Navy Low Frequency Sonar System
Groups Say New Long-Range Sonar System Threatens Whales and Other Marine Mammals
SAN FRANCISCO (Wednesday, August 7, 2002) -- A coalition of environmental groups today sued the U.S. Navy and the National Marine Fisheries Service to block deployment of a new sonar system that poses a threat to entire populations of whales, dolphins, seals and other marine mammals. The coalition, led by NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), filed the lawsuit in federal district court in San Francisco.
The sonar system, known as Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active sonar (or "SURTASS LFA") relies on extremely loud, low frequency sound to detect submarines at great distances. According to the Navy's own studies, the LFA system generates sounds capable of reaching 140 decibels more than 300 miles away. Scientists claim that, during testing off the California coast, noise from a single LFA system was detected across the breadth of the North Pacific Ocean.
"One of the truly disturbing aspects of this system," said Joel Reynolds, senior attorney and director of NRDC's Marine Mammals Protection Project, "is its unprecedented power and geographic scope. If the Navy deploys LFA, tens of thousands of square miles of ocean habitat would be saturated with extremely loud and dangerous sound. The Navy has illegally been given a blank check to deploy LFA in 75 percent of the world's oceans."
Over the last few years, scientists have been increasingly alarmed about undersea noise pollution from high-intensity sonar systems. There are two types of sonar: passive and active. Passive sonar listens for ambient noises in the water. Active sonar sends out a signal and waits for a response. Scientists are particularly concerned about active sonar, which has the potential to harm and even kill whales and other marine mammals.
The mass stranding of multiple whale species in the Bahamas in March 2000 intensified these concerns. Many of the beached whales died. A federal investigation determined that the strandings were caused by a U.S. Navy mid-frequency active sonar system. Meanwhile, a number of whales that lived in the waters off the Bahama coast disappeared. Scientists believe that they either abandoned their habitat or died at sea.
"From a scientific point of view, there is very little question that, given the right set of circumstances, active sonar can kill marine life," said Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with the Humane Society of the United States, one of the coplaintiffs. "The frightening thing about LFA is that we're flying blind, because the Navy has never seriously applied the lessons from previous strandings to its LFA system."
Today's lawsuit is a response to a decision last month by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency charged with protecting ocean resources, to issue the Navy a permit allowing the global deployment of LFA. Attorneys for the environmentalists said today they would challenge LFA deployment under several federal statutes, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The plaintiffs in the case -- NRDC, the Humane Society, the League for Coastal Protection, the Cetacean Society International, and the Ocean Futures Society and its president, Jean-Michel Cousteau -- will seek a court decision before the Navy deploys the LFA system.
"The decision to authorize and deploy the LFA system cannot be justified under federal law," said Andrew Sabey, a partner with the international firm of Morrison & Foerster, which is representing the plaintiffs. "The National Marine Fisheries Service has issued the Navy a so-called 'small take' permit, which in reality authorizes the Navy to injure, harass and disturb marine mammals on a stunningly large scale throughout the world's oceans."
"The ocean is a precious resource shared by all the world's peoples," said Cousteau. "The LFA system poses an unacceptable risk to our oceans and our children's heritage."
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 500,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Mark J. Palmer / Earth Island Institute
mpalmer@mother.com
Assistant Director, International Marine Mammal Project
Director, Wildlife Alive
8/9/02
2:57:21 PM
THE UNITED NATIONS MUST ACT TO PREVENT AN ATTACK BY THE UNITED STATES AGAINST IRAQ
The following letter by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark has been sent to all members of the UN Security Council, with copies to the UN General Assembly and Senator Biden of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Please circulate.
International Action Center http://www.iacenter.org Foun