Arbeitslosigkeit: Kein Beschäftigungswunder durch Minijobs in Sicht

18.08.04

Die von der Bundesknappschaft im Juni 2003 erstmals identifizierten 6,4 Millionen Minijobs bestanden vermutlich zum größten Teil bereits vorher als kleine Beschäftigungsverhältnisse am Rande des Arbeitsmarktes, so der aktuelle Wochenbericht 34/2004 des DIW Berlin. Der seither registrierte Zuwachs könne somit zum erheblichen Teil auf Substitution aus bisheriger Beschäftigung zurückgeführt werden. Mehr Arbeitsplätze wurden jedoch nicht geschaffen...

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:

http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php4?Nr=9115

Truppenabzug: Schließung amerikanischer Stützpunkte in Deutschland begrüßt

18.08.04

Der von Präsident Bush angekündigte Abzug Zehntausender US-Soldaten auch aus Deutschland wird von der AG Frieden in Trier begrüßt. Sie hofft grundsätzlich auf Abzüge und Auflösungen von militärischen Kriegseinheiten. "Wir setzen uns weiterhin dafür ein, dass der Kriegsflughafen Spangdahlem geschlossen wird - Daher sind jetzt Konversionsprojekte und Alternativen zur Monostruktur der Region zu beginnen. Die Regierung handelt fahrlässig, wenn sie trotz klarer Anzeichen für den (Teil)abzug des Militärs nicht endlich mit konkreten Konversionsprojekten beginnt!" so Markus Pflüger von der AG Frieden Trier, die zusammen mit anderen Friedens- und Umweltgruppen der Region am 20. Juni 2004 mit der Konversionskonferenz zur zivilen Umwandlung der Airbase Spangdahlem einen ersten Impuls gesetzt hatten...

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:
http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php4?Nr=9113

Friedensbewegung: Abrüstung statt Sozialabbau gefordert

18.08.04

Die DFG-VK (Deutsche Friedensgesellschaft/Verband der Kriegsdienstverweigerer) fordert alle Initiativen auf, Druck auf die Politiker auszuüben. Hartz IV schicke die Arbeitslosen in die Armut, während gleichzeitig milliardenschwere Rüstungsprogramme aufgelegt würden...

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:

http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php4?Nr=9112

Keine Patente auf Leben: Nationaler Ethikrat soll Würde des Menschen verteidigen

18.08.04

Mit einer Tiefkühltruhe voller Babypuppen protestiert Greenpeace heute in Berlin gegen ein europäisches Patent auf menschliche Embryonen. Das im November 2003 erteilte Patent (EP 1121015) kann sowohl im Rahmen der künstlichen Befruchtung, als auch zum Klonen menschlicher Embryonen genutzt werden. Da heute der Nationale Ethikrat beraten will, ob das Klonen menschlicher Embryonen und Patente auf Leben nach seiner Sicht zulässig sein dürfen, übergaben Greenpeace-Aktivisten dem Vorsitzenden des Rates, Professor Spiros Simitis, ihren Antrag auf Widerruf des Patentes. Greenpeace fordert den Ethikrat auf, Position gegen Patente auf Menschen, Tiere und Pflanzen zu beziehen...

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:

http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php4?Nr=9111

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ATTN: OP-ED EDITOR

August 16, 2004

Contact: George H. Russell 936-891-5245 or 936-295-5767

EXTREME EMF RADIATION LEVELS THREATEN CHILDREN

Huntsville, Texas, known worldwide as "The City of Death" because of its reputation as the "Death Capital of the Free World" and thus a callous disregard for human life, is also known for the callous disregard by public school and university authorities for the health and welfare of its children and young adults.

Exposure to high levels of EMF's (electromagnetic fields) is suspected to cause a statistically significant increase in childhood leukemia and other diseases, and consequently conservative child health and welfare activists have recommended a "prudent avoidance" level of as low as 0.2 milligauss.

In fact, concern was so great in Houston, Texas, that in 1985, parents brought a lawsuit against Houston Lighting and Power because of what they called a "callous disregard" for their children's health for siting a high voltage line within 200 feet of a school and playground. The court ordered HL&P to not only relocate the line at great expense but to pay $25 million dollars in punitive damages as well.

In Huntsville, however, the "callous disregard" comes in the form of an unconcerned administration at Sam Houston State University and an unconcerned Huntsville Independent School District, where children and young adults are exposed to constant EMF levels of up to 35 milligauss, which is 17,500% higher than the conservatively "prudent" safety level of 0.2 milligauss, and 875% higher than the scientifically proven cancer risk threshold of 4 milligauss.

HISD officials have even built a new playground directly underneath a 138 kv power line that runs through a school yard. Levels of up to 14 milligauss were detected next to the playground equipment. Because of the alignment of the school building itself, dangerous levels were detected adjacent to at least one classroom.

Sam Houston State University officials allowed the construction of a 138 kv power line as well as a distribution line within a few feet of rooms in a girl's dormitory. Readings of between 30 and 35 milligauss were taken in one upstairs corner room at the window and between 15 and 18 milligauss at the far wall of the room.

University officials have been advised of the danger on numerous occasions, yet refuse to take action to limit dangerous EMF exposure levels or to at least advise students and their families of the high levels so that individual decisions could be made about whether to avoid the risk of living with constant high exposure or living elsewhere.

The university is in the process of completing a new $15 million dollar dormitory that is adjacent to the same 138 kv power line and where EMF levels are certain to exceed prudently safe levels by thousands of percent.

Both the editor and publisher of the "Huntsville Item" refuse to cover the story citing that there is no firm scientific proof that EMF's at any level should be a matter of concern. Their argument is as specious as the argument that it has never been proven that smoking can lead to lung cancer.

A genuine journalist would at least examine both sides of the argument in an objective fashion so that citizens could make up their own minds about whether or not it is in the best interests of children to be exposed to levels of EMF's that indicate an increased risk of contracting leukemia as well as other serious life-threatening negative health consequences, including brain cancer, depression, suicide, breast cancer, and miscarriage.

The "Item", unfortunately, has an unspoken policy of being anti-public health, anti-environment, pro-death penalty, pro-war, and anti-objective reporting as reflected in the nature and bias of the stories and editorials that are consistently selected for publication.

It is recommended that parents, teachers, and concerned citizens investigate the EMF levels that they and their children are being exposed to, study the evidence as currently being investigated by scientists, and thus be able to make up their own minds based on their understanding of the issue and act accordingly.

Secretive exposure of children to potentially hazardous EMF levels should not be left up to the blatantly "callous disregard" of either school officials or newspaper publishers who refuse to even alert the public to the existence of high voltage power line exposure on school grounds and college campuses.

George H. Russell
American Patriot

George H. Russell, an outspoken opponent of the death penalty, is a resident of Huntsville, Texas, known worldwide as "The City of Death."

He is founder of The Patriot Network, and author of its 35+ web sites located at http://www.patriotnetwork.org, as well as founder of The Universal Ethician Church, an interfaith ministry with a worldwide following via the church's 275+ web sites located at http://www.salvationnetwork.org.

Russell, 59, is an educational video producer, environmental activist, historic preservation specialist, photographer, art and antique collector, philanthropist, American patriot and ethician.

Additional biographical information may be found in Who's Who in America, through Internet searches, and in other publications. Images of Mr. Russell suitable for downloading for publication may be found at http://www.salvationnetwork.org .

PATRIOT NETWORK
1401 19th Street
Huntsville, TX 77340
936-295-5767 telephone
936-294-0233 fax
info@cyberclone.net e-mail
http://www.patriotnetwork.org

Nuked In Your Kitchen
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305336/

What's Happening to Birds?
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304830/

The Pole Shift has begun
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/303938/

Global warming could bring extreme changes
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305677/

International Conference on Ecological Restoration
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305714/

Journalist groups complain Homeland Security is skirting environmental disclosure rules
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304453/

Whales threatened by chemical contamination
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304106/

Save Whales
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305179/

Muddying The Waters
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305188/

Farmland Fight Moves to Isolated Argentine Woods
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305568/

Save the Ludlow Tuart Forest
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305745/

Radio tags for China's products, blood and people
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/303998/

Cameras peek at us from many corners
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/303999/

Watchdog's Big Brother UK warning
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305684/

Hollyork Nation
http://mindcontrol.twoday.net/stories/305398/

Leo Strauss and the neoconservatives
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304090/

Spinning Spies for Fun and Electoral Profit
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305659/

Suppress the Vote?
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304093/

Rock the Non-Vote
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305682/

MAYOR BLOOMBERG HAS REFUSED ACCESS TO CENTRAL PARK
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304927/

Family of Iraq Abuse Whistleblower Threatened
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304096/

The Torturers Next Door
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305229/

The Star Chamber is back
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304526/

The Slave Mentality
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304461/

Does your government really have an interest in protecting you from terrorism?
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304524/

Terrifying Rights Violations in 'War on Terror'
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305190/

How Many Wars Can America Fight In The Name Of Terrorism?
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305199/

The Second Amendment: The original homeland security
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305583/

U.S. logic hard to follow
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305195/

Detention of British Travelers Brings New Policy
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305207/

The chaotic reality Bush faces in Iraq
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305590/

The ultimate stupidity
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/304528/

Another world, possibly
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305594/

The heart that feels not now is dead
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305668/

World Bank ignores its own advice
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305212/

Culture Of Fear At The Department Of Interior
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305219/

F.B.I. Goes Knocking for Political Troublemakers
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305228/

Specter Of A Police State
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305664/

Big Brother by stealth
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305674/

BUSH PLAN TO "SHRINK" USA IS OPPOSED
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305759/

Report Shows How Bush Is Squeezing Middle Class
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305244/

Gap Between Haves, Have-nots Expands
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305252/

How Bush Broke the Law
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305250/

FACES OF THE FALLEN
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/305235/

MindFreedom International NEWS - 17 August 2004
http://www.MindFreedom.org - please forward now

NEWS: BUSH PLAN TO "SHRINK" USA IS OPPOSED

PATCH ADAMS OFFERS TO SCREEN PRESIDENT

President Bush announced that every man, woman and child in the USA will be screened for "mental illness" in a plan that was created by the psychiatric drug industry, said the internationally prestigious _British Medical Journal_.

MindFreedom International, a coalition of 100 groups working for human rights in mental health, opposes the Bush plan. They ask that President Bush be screened first. The famous physician Patch Adams says, "I'll screen him for free. He needs a lot of help."

MINDFREEDOM STARTS NEW "WEB NODE" TO RESIST BUSH PLAN with the latest news, media articles and reports about the growing controversy.

Go to http://wwww.MindFreedom.org to find this news:

** A MindFreedom News Release that calls for a symbolic screening of President Bush first by Patch Adams.

** A new "Frequently Asked Questions" page explains the role of the psychiatric drug corporations in creating the "Texas Medication Algorithm Project," and how whistleblowers Allen Jones and psychiatrist Stefan Kruszewski broke the silence, lost their jobs and are suing government officials.

** Links to _British Medical Journal_ articles by Jeanne Lenzer that concisely expose Bush administration corruption and links to psychiatric drug companies.

** Plus links to other media articles, background about President Bush's psychiatrist Sally Satel who is calling for much more forced psychiatric drugging, and more.


ACT NOW: Please forward this news alert.

Ask your elected leaders to investigate psychiatric drug company corruption inside your government.

ALSO, WHAT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?

What will do you if or when the mental health screeners come for *you* and *your* loved ones?

If Bush plans to screen the entire population for mental health problems.... Don't you think it's time you joined MindFreedom International? All for one and one for all.

MindFreedom International is creating a "MindFreedom Shield" program to help defend members from threats of coercive psychiatry by issuing alerts. Watch for more news soon.

MindFreedom is totally independent, and not connected to any government, mental health provider, church or drug company.

The majority of MindFreedom members have personally experienced coerced psychiatric procedures, but membership is open to everyone who supports human rights in mental health and includes advocates, professionals and family members.

KEEP YOUR MIND FREE!

JOIN MINDFREEDOM INTERNATIONAL **NOW**! GO HERE:

http://mindfreedom.org/join.shtml


Please forward.

FIGHTING UNTIL THE END IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Protesters trying to save the Ludlow tuart forest, near Busselton in south-west Western Australia, have threatened to chain themselves to their tree-top platforms if police try to remove them. The protesters are asking for some of the conservationists to be allowed to remain in their tree-top. Yesterday, residents of the Tuart Rescue Camp were given 24 hours to move - an impossible task given the size of the camp. The deadline for the protesters to leave site passed without incident earlier today. Dozens of police, including a mounted section, are on stand-by and say force will be used as a last resort if talks fail. A spokeswoman from the Forest Products Commission says they are to start harvesting pine trees in the area tomorrow.

The Wilderness Society's Keith Wood says the group will fight until the bitter end. "What we're really looking for is an up swell of community support," he said. "The more people that get involved, the more passionate people get, the more we can do."

Agriculture Minister Kim Chance recently approved titanium mining company Cable Sands' Tuart Preservation Plan.

Friends of the Tuart Forest spokesperson Martin Pritchard says "The plan confirms our fears there are unacceptable risks involved with the logging of 1200 tuart trees. The cutting down of the huge old tuarts will have a devastating effect on the native animals, with many expected not to survive the felling of the trees. Cable Sands intends to mine within 4m of the mature trees and 10m of the senescent trees. We question whether these trees will survive soil disturbance close to intruding on their root systems."

Camp occupant Brian Green said recently that each individual at the camp had their own idea as to what they were willing to do to slow down Cable Sands as much as possible "Some are prepared to be arrested while others go one step further, putting their bodies on the line to hinder progress," said Green. "Often it gets very technical and people take different levels of risk but damage to machinery or violence will not be supported by the group as a whole." Green said that different methods to hinder tree clearing ranged from locking on to trees at the base or staying in the trees to more intricate measures which could often become dangerous. Green said 'Dragons' were commonly used to hinder progress and included devices used to secure protesters to a certain spot. One method is to immerse an arm or leg into a buried concrete structure which, once set, requires a jack hammer to free the protester," he said. The ingenuity comes when a protester who is secured is also linked by a rope to others in a tree structure which will fall if the sole protestor is moved."

Tuarts are endemic to Western Australia (WA) and specifically the Swan Coastal Plain, occurring from Jurien Bay to Busselton. The extent of tuarts falls into six distinct tuart ecosystems, of which four are considered rare due to their limited range and size. One of these rare tuart ecosystems is the Ludlow Tall Tuart Forest: what makes this ecosystem particularly special is that tuart trees grow taller then anywhere else in the state.

The Ludlow Tuart Forest is the only remaining Tall Tuart Forest in the world and is therefore one of the rarest ecosystems left on earth. 1955 hectares are left in the South West of Western Australia and Cable Sands have put forward a proposal to mine 147 hectares right in the middle of it. The reason - titanium. It is not surprising that the proposal has attracted opposition from a variety of groups and community members.

The area is habitat for a number of rare and endangered and vulnerable species including the endangered Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, the Chuditch, Brush-tailed Phascogale, Western Ring-tailed Possum, Brush Wallaby and contains 1739 Tuart trees and their associated eco-systems.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) has admitted that any attempt to rehabilitate the area may not result in the return of its present values such as tall Tuart trees growing to a great 500 year old age.

In their submissions to the EPA the Conservation Commission of WA, CALM, WA Institute of Foresters, Shire of Busselton, Cape Naturaliste Tourism Association, and the Conservation Council of WA have all opposed mining in the Ludlow Tall Tuart Forest.

Cable Sands claims they can restore this ecosystem (post mining) to "a condition better than currently exists." However there is no evidence in WA that Cable Sands is capable of restoring an ecosystem. What limited experience Cable Sands does have, has demonstrated that it is difficult to regrow tuarts on mined soils that are similar to those of the Ludlow Tall Tuart Forest. Further, the oldest tuart trees that Cable Sands have attempted to revegetate are only 15 years old and far from representing a Tall Tuart Forest.

In 1903 there were only 40500 ha of tuart forest ecosystems remaining in the South West of WA. The area was singled out for urgent conservation by the Royal Commission, after significant depletion of naturally occurring forest was cited (down some 89500 ha: from 130 000 ha in 1882 recorded in the first official survey of WA forests, to 40500 ha to 1903: a span of just 21 years) as a result of Tuarts' attractive timber properties as a hardwood.

Recommendations made to the WA Government in 1904 stated that: "All countries seem now to realize the importance of stopping the reckless waste of the past and making provision for the future…
The longer it is delayed, the more difficult the task."

Its 2004 guys. Sources: Ludlow Tuart Campaign, Busselton- Dunsborough Mail, Augusta Margaret River Mail, IMC/Perth, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.


Informant: reg

http://cablesands.com/
http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/forests/wa/tuarts_wa/
http://au.msnusers.com/SavetheLudlowTuartForest/mining.msnw?albumlist=2
http://perth.indymedia.org/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=4962

SEND A MESSAGE OF HOPE THIS SUMMER

Participate in Amnesty International's Summer Postcard Action

For many people, summer is a time for vacations, picnics and recreation. But for prisoners of conscience or those who defend human rights in many countries, summer brings no relief from the potential danger and sense of isolation they may face.

By simply sending a postcard, however, you can help support these brave women and men. By following the links below, you will find information on several cases of concern to Amnesty International. These individuals are on the front lines of the human rights struggle. Please send cards to these individuals and express your support and encouragement.

Turkey
Dr. Alp Ayan and Günseli Kaya
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9656

Syria
Riad Seif, Habib Salih, Mamun al-Humsi and others
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9657

Mexico
Isidro Baldenegro López and Hermenegildo Rivas Carrillo
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9658

Guatemala
Staff at the office of ¿Dónde Están los Niños y las Niñas?
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9659

Sudan
Saleh Mahmud Osman
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9660

Indonesia
Rev. Amelia Yiggibalom and two others
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9661

Learn more about Amnesty International:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9662

HUMAN RIGHTS IN BRIEF

Scores of people have been arrested since June in various parts of Darfur, Sudan, for talking to foreign government leaders and relief workers. Amnesty International is calling on the Sudanese government to release anyone arrested simply for expressing his or her opinion about the tragic situation in Darfur.

Read more:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9664


Amnesty International deplores the decision of the Interim Government of Iraq to reimpose the death penalty and believes that it will do nothing to restore security for the people of Iraq.

Read more:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9665


Amnesty International is appalled by the ruling of the Court of Appeal that "evidence" obtained by torture is admissible in the UK. This judgment is an aberration, morally and legally.

Read more:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9666


TAKE ACTION: PROTECT WOMEN AND GIRLS FLEEING VIOLENCE AND PERSECUTION

Rodi Alvarado Peña is a Guatemalan woman who was brutally beaten by her husband for a decade. She fled Guatemala for the United States, seeking the safety she could not find at home. Please write to Attorney General Ashcroft and the White House and urge them to grant Rodi Alvarado asylum immediately, preserving asylum nationwide for a small group of women and girls fleeing horrific violence and persecution.

Read more:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9667



CAN YOU PASS THE TORTURE TEST?

Answer True or False:
- "Torture is an effective way to get information."
- "Torture is for terrorists and criminals."

Take the test:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9668

Learn more about torture:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9669



CRISIS IN SUDAN - WHAT YOU CAN DO

The crisis in Darfur, Western Sudan is horrific, and may well worsen if immediate action is not taken. Follow the link below to find actions and activities you can initiate to make sure that the situation in Darfur does not deteriorate any further.

ACT NOW:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9670



ONLINE CHAT: PUTTING YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION: WORKING TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY

August 31, 2004 all day

Join AIUSA staff and volunteers from the Program to Abolish the Death Penalty for a discussion about strategies and ideas for implementing the 2004 National Weekend of Faith in Action in your community. This annual initiative will take place in faith/spiritual communities, interfaith groups, and high school and college campuses throughout the United States during the weekend of October 22-24, 2004.

Submit your question now:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=9671

National Cookout to End Destructive Investment!

It's summertime, and we're turning up the heat on banks that fund global warming and forest destruction! Help us "grill" the banks that cook the Earth by putting pressure on companies that refuse to adopt environmentally ethical standards for investment.

Join Rainforest Action Network on Saturday, August 21st for a National Day of Cookouts to help end destructive investment.

Click here to get involved!
http://www. http://action.ran.org/ctt.asp?u=2844473&l=50702

http://www.serbc.info/public/ser_seminar


Informant: Deane T. Rimerman

http://www.rense.com/general56/outlaws.htm


Informant: Romy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3568468.stm


Informant: Reptilian Reporter

Global warming could bring extreme changes to California, says study - Global warming could cause dramatically hotter summers and a depleted snow pack in California, leading to a sharp increase in heat-related deaths and jeopardizing the water supply, according to a study released this week...

http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-18/s_26589.asp

by Jason Beattie

This Is London

08/16/04

Government plans for compulsory identity cards have been criticised by Britain's information watchdog. Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, said the country was in danger of 'sleepwalking into a surveillance society.' He singled out David Blunkett's plans for ID cards and separate proposals to set up a population register and a database of every child under 18. Mr Thomas compared the expansion of Government information gathering to the snooping of the secret police in former Soviet bloc countries...

http://tinyurl.com/6eqcu


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

by Bob Smith

No Force, No Fraud

08/18/04

Thus we have the party faithful, deathly afraid to even think about their role in the destruction of our society. They pretend that they are opposing some evil and thereby justify their equally evil support for one side or the other, conveniently ignoring the fact that both major parties have taken turns dragging us down. The lesser of two evils is still evil, but many have unthinkingly resigned themselves to that devastating choice...

http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/bsmith/2004/08/18


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

FBI “anti-terror” task force targets Bush administration opponents
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/aug2004/fbi-a18.shtml

http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1092628800


Informant: Friends

by Dave Mulcahey

In These Times

08/17/04

Shortly before he died in 1918, the American critic Randolph Bourne penned an incendiary essay laying bare the monstrous duplicity at the heart of Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy. We know Wilson from school history as the champion of national self-determination. Bourne regarded such high-minded talk as a hollow ruse. History will record, he wrote, that 'when the American nation had ostensibly a chance to conduct a gallant war, with scrupulous regard to the safety of democratic values at home, it chose rather to adopt all the most obnoxious and coercive techniques of the enemy and of the other countries at war, and to rival in intimidation and ferocity of punishment the worst governmental systems of the age.' The essay, which Bourne never finished, is remembered for a pithy aphorism, 'War is the health of the state.' This slogan has lately taken on a discomfiting resonance...

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/912/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

by Thomas Oliphant

Boston Globe

08/17/04

With inadequate notice, the absurd linkage invented by President Bush to join 'war in Iraq' with 'war on terror' has fractured, raising the question not only whether anyone in his administration can explain what is going on but also whether anyone can explain what the United States is doing in Iraq.

The siege of Najaf and its sacred Shi'ite sites is hardly a military challenge. The Army and Marine units there can obviously crush all opposition and occupy the city whenever commanders choose. Instead, the siege is a political challenge that in the short run greatly increases the risk of more US combat deaths as commanders try to discern which masters they are serving, even as it calls into question the purpose of what remains a de facto occupation that is open-ended in terms of cost and duration...

http://tinyurl.com/59o4e


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

by Matthew Holmes

Liberty For All

08/18/04

A few weeks ago in an article titled, 'Conscription, Standing Armies, and Love of Country' I wrote that the Federal Government had outlawed the state militias mentioned in the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This was incorrect. The state militias have been 'nationalized' into the 'National Guard' and are now being used unconstitutionally for foreign occupations...

http://www.libertyforall.net/2004/aug14/Homeland.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

We Must Fight!

March 23, 1775

Speech By: Patrick Henry

http://www.rebelswithavision.com/Patrick-Henry.net/


Informant: Harry Mobley

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/185876_kristof12.html


Informant: Larry Lawson

PREFACE DESCRIPTION

Our addiction to appliances unheard of only a few decades ago is unleashing epidemic of cancers, brain damage and immune dysfunction that threatens to cripple or kill the “best and the brightest” among technologically advanced and emerging nations. Russian researchers have found decreased nutritional value, cancer-making compounds and brain damaging radiolytics in virtually all microwaved foods. Eating microwaved meals can also cause loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decline in intelligence. The solution is to avoid microwave ovens and microwaved foods.

Nuked In Your Kitchen

by William Thomas

Our culture of convenience is killing us. The electrochemical exchanges that enable cells to function and communicate in human brains and bodies are so subtle, and so delicately attuned to Earth’s own quietly humming electromagnetics, threatens to drown the very signals on which all life depends. And there is nothing convenient about cancer.

Exposing your three million year-old hominid self to energy levels never before encountered in primate evolution is a spectacularly bad idea. It turns out that the microwaves messing up your cells from your aptly named “cell phone”, neighborhood cell phone tower, or newly acquired long-range cordless phone are radiating at the same 2.45 Gigahertz frequency emitted by your microwave oven.

Eating over-energized food “zapped” in a microwave imparts that energy to the human nervous system. The resulting stress causes a high blood pressure response, with such characteristic symptoms as migraines, dizziness, stomach pain and anxiety.

Russian researchers have found that regularly consuming food “nuked” in Nazi-invented microwave ovens also leads to memory loss and attention disorders - as well as increased crankiness, depression, disconnected thoughts and sleep interruption.

Reporting clinical findings from Novosibirsk in 1975, IR Luria sealed the fate of microwave ovens throughout Mother Russia the following year when he noted how.

“These effects can cause virtually irreversible damage to the neuroelectrical integrity of the various components of the nervous system.

Reporting for AREC Research, William P. Kopp now states: “The effects of microwaved food by-products are long term, permanent within the human body. Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.”

The excellent news is that prudent prevention is as close as saying, “nyet” to microwaved foods. While eating a microwaved meal on extremely rare occasions will probably do less harm than stressing out about it, using a microwave oven for much or most of your home cooking is a ticket to trouble. I prefer to stand back and activate my toaster oven instead. The time for electromagnetic emancipation is right now...

http://www.willthomas.net/Convergence/Weekly/Microwave_Cooking_Hazards.htm


MICROWAVE DANGERS: How unseen frequencies can harm your health
http://www.choosecra.com/htmlpages/news/reports/microwavedanger.html

Radiation Ovens: The Proven Dangers of Microwaves
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/485972/

The Hidden Hazards Of Microwave Cooking
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/485968/

Microwave oven info
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/491151/

http://www.temf.de/DEUTSCH/Animationen/Abstrahlung/Handy.html


Quelle:
http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/elektrosmog-liste/message/4218

Extremely IMPORTANT - Hear Audio Explanation how Bush Broke the Law

And should and probably will be impeached and charged with War
Crimes, because he violated the Iraq Resolution from Congress giving him the right to invade Iraq - but only under certain very strict circumstances that he was required to meet before or at the latest 48 hours after beginning an Invasion. That he did not meet ? !

This voice you will hear is the world famous (well almost) Randi Rhodes on the Air America Radio Network (list of current stations
below). Broadcasting on Monday Aug. 16 on 21 Air America Stations Nation wide.

The audio is 9 minutes long and is self explanatory, it is a 9 minute segment of her Monday Aug. 16 show and does require listening to all of it (maybe twice ?) to get the complete picture, the first minute is somewhat confusing until you hear the rest of the recording.

Please listen to this as soon as possible, because I am not sure how long this link will be active, and also record this audio and pass the audio and this audio link along to everyone possible !

This broadcast (like the Water Gate Caper) could be the determining factor getting the Bush Regime out of the White House !

Windows Media Player
Address: file://rom/HTMLs/NetShow.html
Audio: http://play.rbn.com/play.asx?url=airam/airam/demand/RandiRhodes/8-16-04/clip1.wma&proto=mms?mswmext=.asx


Informant: ranger116

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

It takes a second to wreck it, it takes time to build.
-The Beastie Boys

DEAR MASS MOBILIZATION ACTIVISTS:

Welcome to New York City and the Republican National Convention protests. This letter comes out of organizing efforts in NYC to make opposition to the Republican National Convention (RNC) a lasting success. In planning your protests we think it’s important that you have a general lay of the land. We tried to address issues of repression, police, prisons, and the media, as well as some ideas about the way New York is set up geographically.

We hope you find this useful for planning your protests of the RNC.

I Location
If you’re coming in from out of town, you’ll probably be staying somewhere outside of the Madison Square Garden area. You’ll notice that the area around the RNC is different from the rest of the city. Less than 20,000 people live in the area surrounding the Garden and the vast majority of them are white. Compare this with most of the neighborhoods uptown and in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, where 40,000 to 60,000 people live in a comparably sized area, and most of them are Black, Latina/o and Asian. Many studies show incredible gaps between rich and poor in this city: 5% of New Yorkers have incomes 10 times higher than the poverty line, while about 30% of New Yorkers live below the poverty line. That’s about twice the national average. Thousands of homeless people who usually find refuge in the area of Madison Square Garden have been displaced by the increased security.

II Background of NYC
New Yorkers have been planning protests against the RNC for over a year. Various groups organizing protests have tried to emulate successes and address mistakes of the past. There will be people with a range of experience at protests against the RNC, from the newly active to the extremely experienced. This could be a moment to help unify radicals nationally, but especially in NYC.

There have been intentional efforts to build relationships, coalitions, and collaborations between mass mobilization, community based, and union activists. There remains a lot of work to do on this. We hope that whatever happens during the RNC will help contribute to that effort.

There are many opportunities for groups to support each other’s work. We hope that you will join and support the actions planned by the different groups: United for Peace and Justice March on August 29, the Poor People's Still We Rise March on NY: Still We Rise on August 30, the August 31 Day of Direct Action, and the Labor Day Protest on September 1.

III Media and Messaging
In NYC there is a media campaign that aims to put New Yorkers at odds with out-of-town protestors and to criminalize dissent expressed against the RNC. It attempts to portray dissent as being from out-of-town and the fringe as opposed to local and mainstream. This diversion marginalizes or completely erases the issues. It puts the protester, instead of the policies we are trying to critique, on the defensive.

Despite media attempts at criminalizing dissent, many people in NYC are pissed that the RNC is coming here. You will hear folks talking about it on the subway, in the corner deli, on stoops, and on busses. Listen to what they have to say. Everyone has their own reason to be angry with the Republicans. While there is a crackdown on dissent, the Republicans are leading an ongoing attack on oppressed communities, which include: people of color, poor people, queer folks, non-citizens, transgender people and women. The RNC presents an opportunity to build dissent in alliance with those most affected by these oppressive policies. To be effective we should focus on four or five concrete messages. For example we could focus on the violation of civil and human rights pertaining to the detention and deportation of immigrants, the diversion of domestic spending to a military budget, and economic draft of poor people into the army.

How could our message be proactive, critical and demanding? Does our message build the movement or does it alienate people? How does it push a progressive politic debate beyond the election? The same local media is also engaged in a white-out* of local opposition to Bush. There is a vast grassroots movement challenging the daily enactment of Bush’s policies in NYC. This movement is made up of those bearing the brunt of these policies. They are oppressed communities including poor people, people of color, women, queer people, non-citizens and transgender people. Not only does the mainstream media white-out the dissent coming from these communities, it criminalizes them daily. This reality doesn’t end when the protests are over. How can we challenge the media-led criminalization of dissent? How can we challenge the white-out around local opposition to Bush and the criminalization of communities? These are questions we should always keep in mind when doing media work.

IV Prison and Jail Solidarity
Safety from police, prisons, and surveillance will be a concern for us all during the RNC. We should be prepared to keep others and ourselves safe. We have to be responsible and communicate our concerns and needs.

The RNC will bring a heightened police repression of dissent. It will amplify the already overwhelming impact of policing and prisons on oppressed communities in the city. There will be way more cops on the street in midtown than is usual for any neighborhood, but in areas like Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, neighborhoods targeted by the NYPD’s Operation Impact, it’s not unusual to see 8-10 cops on every block, every day of the year. Manhattan D.A. Robert Morganthau announced that the city is anticipating up to 1,000 daily arrests during the RNC. He did not mention that daily citywide arrest rates of almost 1,000 adults per day are business as usual for the NYPD.

Police will try to pit arrested protesters and their cellmates against each other. We can’t let this happen. Solidarity means more than supporting folks who share your political agenda. It means standing with all people who are surviving the violence of police, jails, and prisons. This means staying attuned to the needs of everyone who is being held in police custody. If you get arrested, you can expect that the officers won’t always act according to the law. They will privilege white folks, traditionally gendered folks, citizens, and the rich and middle class. During the RNC, many activists will have access to media attention, legal support, and financial resources. We have to recognize the privileges that activists can have within the system, and support other folks inside with the resources we can access.

When you consider the actions you take, please remember that the NYPD has a history of using unbridled force against protesters. An arrest in NYC could mean a night in jail or more and return visits to court for months to come.

V Repression and Aftermath
The city has already spent $25 million on security for the RNC. There was no public process, no discussion and no parameters put on what that security will entail and certainly no limit on the future use of whatever new toys this money will buy the NYPD.

In the run-up to the WTO protests in Seattle, the police force contracted with a local club-maker to outfit the entire force with new, improved clubs. All of these clubs are still in use. The SPD was also supplied with a modified street tank with tear gas and pepper spray cannons, which are also still in use. And that's just Seattle, with a police force less than 1/10th the size of NYC's.

Protesters are coming and the city is using this to justify flooding the NYPD with numerous new repressive tools (while not offering them a contract).** Here in NYC, the police force is more like an army. The cops will not just be out in force for us. They're sweeping the streets right now, just as they did yesterday, and the day before. Now they use new equipment.

We will only experience a fraction of this use at the RNC. Oppressed communities will see them from now on. We can’t take action to change this on the streets, but we can use this information when we’re talking to the media.

VI. Tying It All Together.
In our organizing efforts around the RNC we are trying to fit the protests into a long- term strategy for change. We feel we can do this is by supporting the organizing efforts of oppressed communities through out the RNC and after. We plan to: participate in demos organized by community based groups, make links between Republican led international, national and local policies, and lend skills learned at past mobilizations to support the organizing efforts of oppressed communities. We are also trying to not dominate oppressed community-led initiatives through silencing and marginalizing their continued efforts. We hope that the radical movement, locally and nationally, is stronger after the RNC protests because of the bonds created by grassroots, labor and mass mobilization activists. The RNC is one event in the long fight for a new society. We hope to continue to learn from the success and mistakes in order to build a larger, stronger, and smarter movement.

We hope this letter helps spark discussion and raise ideas. We look forward to seeing you all at the RNC.

Good luck, and stay safe,
The Basement Cluster
basement-cluster@riseup.net

P.S.
Thanks to the various folks outside of the Basement Cluster who put time and energy into giving feedback for this letter.

The Basement Cluster is currently a cluster of white identified affinity groups and individuals. We have come together around the RNC to engage in movement-wide conversations of mass mobilizations, long-term strategy, and racism; and to take action against the RNC.

*We use the term “white out” because the media often shows only white people when it covers stories about protests.

** The police and fire departments and teachers union are all fighting for new labor contracts. It is likely that if you’re protesting in front of an RNC event, there will be cops, firefighters and teachers protesting next to you.

--------

Link:
http://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/pbnberkeley/2004-08/msg00014.html

Informant: John Vance

http://economichumanrights.org/facepage/


Informant: Kathy

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2003/05/ma_368_01.html


Informant: Malaika Kambon

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/politics/campaign/16fbi.html?ei=1&en=8f33249093eacfe6&ex=1093625192&pagewanted=print&position=


Informant: Patriot

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

ich möchte darauf aufmerksam machen das am 11. September um 10:00 Uhr in Hannover auf dem Schützenplatz eine Demonstration gegen die geplante Streichung des Blindengeldes in Niedersachsen stattfindet. Es werden blinde und sehbehinderte Menschen aus ganz Deutschland erwartet. Jeder der sich hieran beteiligen will um uns zu unterstützen ist herzlich willkommen, je mehr Leute kommen desto besser. Man kann uns auch im Internet unterstützen und zwar auf der Internetseite http://www.blindengeld-muss-bleiben.de

Dort gibt es eine virtuelle Unterschriftenliste wo sich jeder eintragen kann oder man kann sich auch Unterschriftenzettel ausdrucken und Unterschriften sammeln.

Wir behinderten Menschen haben in den letzten Jahren schon 30 % unseres Blindengeldes opfern müssen des weiteren werden wir über die Gesundheitsreform zur Kasse gebeten, da viele blinde Menschen arbeitslos sind drückt man uns zu guter letzt noch Harz 4 auf, da werden wir schon wieder zur Kasse gebeten.

Wir blinden und sehbehinderten Menschen sagen dass es jetzt reicht!!!

Für jegliche Unterstützung sind wir sehr dankbar.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Ralf Hillmann
Marktplatzstraße 8
27305 Bruchhausen-Vilsen
E-Mail: ralfhillmann@web.de

The World Bank has declared itself to be more concerned with the needs of oil companies than the impoverished people it officially serves, by ignoring most of the recommendations of a pathbreaking report that the lender itself commissioned over three years ago...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0816/p09s01-coop.html


From Information Clearing House

Welcome to America:

One by one, the British travelers recounted their dizzying experiences upon arriving at American airports...

http://tinyurl.com/4xgnd


From Information Clearing House

The last thing the United States needs in this part of the world is one more enemy. Yet last week, all indications were that the Bush administration was marching straight into a confrontation with Iran...

http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/Opinion2.asp?ArticleID=129191


From Information Clearing House

There's little to gain and much to lose for Washington if massacre takes place in Iraqi holy city...

http://tinyurl.com/4doxf


From Information Clearing House

Die britische Regierung will mit einem ambivalenten Plan, Verbrechen und statistisch wahrscheinliche Verbrecherkarrieren verhindern...

http://www.telepolis.de/tp/deutsch/inhalt/co/18128/1.html

Vor dem Parteitag der Republikaner in der Demokratenhochburg New York wächst die Nervosität...

http://www.telepolis.de/tp/deutsch/inhalt/co/18134/1.html

Your Help is Needed to Save Whales:

I want you to be the first to know that NRDC is launching an urgently needed campaign to protect the world's whales against the Navy's use of dangerous mid-frequency sonar.

New scientific evidence shows that intense blasts of mid-frequency sonar, at 235 decibels or more, can cause a whale's organs to fatally hemorrhage. And a growing number of whale strandings and die-offs -- from the Canary Islands to the Bahamas to Japan -- have coincided with the military's use of these high-intensity sonar systems.

Please help put a stop to this senseless killing by going to
http://www.savebiogems.org/watchlist/takeaction.asp?camp=31&step=2&item=52240
right now and sending the Secretary of the Navy a message urging him to take common-sense steps to protect whales.

Thanks to your strong support, we won a major victory for whales last year when a federal court blocked the Navy's global deployment of a different, long-range sonar system -- called LFA -- because its ear-splitting noise could threaten the very survival of endangered populations of whales.

Now we are taking aim at the Navy's mid-frequency sonar, which is a much more widely used class of systems for detecting submarines.

Believe me, we understand and appreciate that the Navy's mission is defending our nation. But there are very simple ways for the Navy to protect whales that will not interfere with military readiness. Right now, the Navy is needlessly injuring and killing some of the ocean's most majestic creatures -- and that is simply unacceptable.

The International Whaling Commission recently declared that the evidence now appears "overwhelming" that military sonar is causing mass strandings of whales. And the scientific journal "Nature" reports that mid-frequency sonar can cause gas bubbles to form in the blood vessels of panicked whales, tearing holes in their internal organs. Such injuries no doubt cause intense pain.

I want to stress again that such suffering is avoidable -- if the Navy would only take simple measures like avoiding areas where whales are known to migrate and raise their young. But the Navy is unlikely to take such steps unless it hears an outcry from millions of Americans.

Please go to
http://www.savebiogems.org/watchlist/takeaction.asp?camp=31&step=2&item=52240
right away and send a message telling the Navy to stop needlessly harming and killing whales. Then forward this message to as many of your friends and family as possible and ask them to speak out, too.

Let's make sure that no more whales have to suffer and die from mid-frequency sonar.

Sincerely,

John H. Adams
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT!!!

UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE!!!

MAYOR BLOOMBERG HAS REFUSED ACCESS TO CENTRAL PARK
FOR PEACE ACTIVISTS!!!

Local Los Angeles chapters of NION, Code Pink and others are co-sponsoring a bi-coastal, simultaneous press conference in support of a massive, global media campaign to force Bloomberg to grant central park permits (see generic letter to Bloomberg and address info below).

We need your help to draw media attention! Press conference to be held in Hollywood on the Sunset Blvd overpass to the Hollywood Freeway, Monday August 16th. Gather at 4:00pm, press conference at 4:30. Bring banners, signs and posters in support of protests in NYC. Huge turnout essential!!! Critical!!! If you cannot go to NY, this is your chance to help the cause!

More details:

Not In Our Name Los Angeles, in conjuction with Peace activist groups across the United States including United For Peace and Justice, International A.N.S.W.E.R. and the National Council of Arab Americans are struggling to pressure New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to grant activists permits for the use of the Great Lawn of Central Park during the Republican National Convention August 29th thru September 2nd.

Mayor Bloomberg's refusal to grant permits for Central Park protests is an utter outrage and affront to all Americans' constitutionally guaranteed right to assemble and speak freely without the fear of governmental intimidation! The protests in New York City during the Republican Convention promise to draw hundreds of thousands of people from all around the nation and world - including many thousand from California. This is not simply a local New York issue. This is national in scope and international in interest and will impact the future of political discourse in the United States for years to come.

Although Bloomberg has granted limited permits to various protests planned for the week of the convention, organizers in New York have unanimously agreed that the Westside Highway is a dismal and isolated location that would severely limit visibility of the largest protest planned for Sunday August 29th, the day before the official start of the Republican convention. The Westside Highway site would complicate logistical support for the protesters and serve overall to discourage dissent. The City is already planning to install 10 to 12 foot high, razor-wire topped fencing around the entire perimeter of the Westside location lined with battalions of police and military personnel. Essentially they have planned a prison camp environment.

We will not let Bloomberg and his G.O.P. bosses force protesters into a 'Guantanomo del norte' unchallenged! The Mayor's position is unacceptable, un-American and anti-constitutional - especially when considering the fact the Central Park is a far more reasonable solution from all points of view - including public safety and security.

Not In Our Name Los Angeles in conjunction with several other local chapters of national activist organizations will announce plans for the campaign in a bi-coastal, mulit-city press conference (New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles), Monday August 16th at 4:30 on the Sunset Blvd. (Sunset at Van Ness) overpass to the Hollywood Freeway.

WE ENCOURAGE ALL SUPPORTERS TO COPY THE FOLLOWING LETTER AND DISTRIBUTE WIDELY. TELL FRIENDS, FAMILY THAT IT'S VITAL FOR THE PARK TO BE OPENED AND PRESURING BLOOMBERG IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO. WE MUST FLOOD HIS OFFICE WITH PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE PERMITS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN, PLEASE CALL 323-462-6263


BOILER-PLATE LETTER TO BLOOMBERG

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
FAX (212) 788-2460
E-MAIL: http://nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html


Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

My name is xxxxxxxxx and I am writing as a concerned citizen of the United States of America and world in support of the granting of permits for the use of Central Park for protests to be held during the Republican National Convention in New York City.

Recently it has come to my attention that permits applied for by groups such as United For Peace and Justice, Code Pink, Not In Our Name, the National Council of Arab Americans and International A.N.S.W.E.R., over one year ago, have been denied for extremely vague and seemingly arbitrary reasons (i.e. - large numbers of people would damage newly planted grass). The alternative route that the city of New York has imposed on the protests would severely impede and discourage the assembly of hundreds of thousands of peaceful and committed Americans who simply desire a place to assemble that best reflects the power of democracy in action. Unlike what happened in Boston during the Democratic convention, wherein the concentration-camp-like 'free speech zone' created for protesters only served to embarrass America in the eyes of the world, you Mr. Bloomberg have the historic opportunity to demonstrate to the world that United States of America is truly the beacon of freedom that so many of us desire it to be both in word and deed. Irrespective of one's political views or party affiliation, Americans are constitutionally guaranteed the right to assemble free from intimidation and in full public view.

As you know Mr. Bloomberg, vast numbers of Americans oppose the direction the current administration and federal government have taken America and the world. By denying permits for Central Park and forcing peaceful protesters to march through razor-wire cordons, surrounded by gauntlets of thousands of heavily armed riot police only serves to empower the enemies of America. Security is an important element of the protest, but doing so in a manner that is respectful of our constitutional right to dissent is the only option in a truly democratic society. To do otherwise, jeopardizes everything we as a nation have struggled to build. I implore you to grant the permits for Central Park. It's the only right and just thing to do.

Sincerely,
Your Name

11.000 tote Meerestiere vor dem Brandenburger Tor: Greenpeace protestiert gegen Fischereipolitik

17.08.04

Für die Einrichtung von Schutzgebieten in der Nord-und Ostsee protestieren 25 Greenpeace-Aktivisten seit heute Vormittag mit rund 11.000 toten Meerestieren vor dem Brandenburger Tor in Berlin. Die Umweltschützer präsentieren die Tiere auf einem 100 Meter langen Tisch, auf einem Banner steht: "Leben ist kein Abfall". Die toten Meerestiere waren in der vergangenen Woche von einem einzigen Fischkutter nach zwei Stunden Fangzeit in der Nordsee als Abfall aussortiert worden. Aktivisten an Bord des Greenpeace-Schiffes "Esperanza" hatten daraufhin den sogenannten Beifang, der bis zu über 90 Prozent eines Fanges ausmachen kann, eingesammelt und dokumentiert. Greenpeace fordert, 40 Prozent von Nord- und Ostsee unter Schutz zu stellen.

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:

http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php4?Nr=9105

What's Happening to Birds? - More Reports

© 2004 by Linda Moulton Howe

http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=754&category=Environment


Informant: Kathy

--------

What Is Happening to Birds?

From Earthfiles.com
http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=750&category=Environment
(click link for full details - headlines below with brief description)

What Is Happening to Birds?

Updated With Viewer Reports
© 2004 by Linda Moulton Howe

July 22, 2004 Stockholm, Sweden - Lloyd Jones reporting for Australia's Herald Sun in Stockholm began a dispatch today:

"Homing pigeons vanish during race. Organisers of a race for homing pigeons were still scratching their heads in wonder today after about 1500 of the birds, famous for their ability to find their way home, went missing during the contest."


29,000 American White Pelicans Disappear

On May 28, 2004, the Bismarck, North Dakota office of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service began hearing that American White Pelicans were disappearing from the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge north of Medina, North Dakota. Two and a half weeks later, 29,000 pelicans were gone without a trace.


Dying Flamingoes and Brown Pelicans

On July 15, 2004, the director general of Tanzania, Afria's National Parks (Tanapa), Gerald Bigurube reported: "The death of more than 10,000 flamingoes in Lake Manyara is a real tragedy and we are still puzzled with the cause and nature of the mysterious disease that has struck these beautiful creatures."


England's Bird Population Declines 33% in 25 Years

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service reported this month that the duck population in the United States and Canada has dropped 11 percent in one year, largely linked to drought that has dried up water in duck breeding grounds.

The declines pinpointed by the report are most alarming in intensive farming countries such as the UK, where, between 1970 and 1999, skylark numbers declined by 52 per cent, the yellowhammer by 53 per cent and the corn bunting by 88 per cent.


Peace - Anna

http://www.aviloa.de/htm1/19d.htm#krit
http://www.aviloa.de/htm1/19d.htm#harp

Dienste zur Ortung von Kindern sind en vogue. Mit Junior-Tel gibt es auch ein Gerät in der Schweiz. Mehr Sicherheit oder Kontrollwahn?

Von Simone Luchetta

Zehn Uhr ist vorbei und die 13-jährige Tochter ist von der Party einer Freundin noch nicht daheim eingetroffen, obwohl das so abgemacht war. Ist irgendetwas passiert? Ein Unfall? Ein Verbrechen? Warum meldet sie sich nicht? Eltern kennen das Gefühl, das einen beschleicht, wenn Tochter oder Sohn allein unterwegs sind. Mit Ortungsdiensten können sie ihre Kinder rund um die Uhr im Auge behalten.

In Deutschland gibt es seit Ende letzten Jahres den Handy-Ortungsdienst Trackyourkid, zu Deutsch «Spüre dein Kind auf». Die Voraussetzung dazu ist meist gegeben: Die Kids müssen ein Handy bei sich tragen. Innert Minuten können Eltern in ganz Deutschland herausfinden, wo sich ihr Kind gerade aufhält. Sie schicken dazu ein SMS mit der Handynummer des gesuchten Kindes an die Anbieterfirma Armex, die mit Hilfe des zuständigen Mobilfunkanbieters das Telefon ortet und die Antwort per SMS oder als Karte im Internet an die Eltern weitergibt. Das funktioniert, weil Mobiltelefone ständig via Funksignal mit der nächsten Handyantenne in Kontakt stehen. Wer die «Funkzelle» kennt, kennt grob den Standort. Die Technik nennt sich Local Based Service (LBS). In den Städten ist das Netz dichter und deshalb die Ortung auf bis zu 50 Meter genau, auf dem Land dagegen sind es oft mehrere Kilometer.

Ortungshandy auch in der Schweiz

Trackyourkid käme gern in die Schweiz, hat aber keinen Mobilnetzanbieter gefunden, der mitmacht. Andere Dienste sind noch nicht verfügbar. Es dürfte aber eine Frage der Zeit sein, bis auch Swisscom, Orange oder Sunrise in das Geschäft mit besorgten Eltern einsteigen. «Wir haben zurzeit keine konkreten Pläne, halten den Dienst aber für grundsätzlich interessant und werden die Entwicklung weiterverfolgen», sagt Sunrise-Sprecherin Monika Walser.

Bereits zu haben ist dafür das Mobi-Click Junior-Tel der Chamer Firma Mobi-Click. Das Handy hat nur drei Tasten und eignet sich deshalb auch ideal für alte Menschen. Das Junior-Tel können Eltern schon heute orten, indem sie ein SMS senden. Innert Minuten erhalten sie eines zurück mit der Zellennummer, etwa «303b». Die Nummer sehen Eltern auch auf ihrem Handybildschirm, wenn sie ihr Kind anrufen. Bei Swisscom ist sie in eine geografische Bezeichnung wie «Küssnacht a. Rigi» übersetzt, bei Sunrise und Orange gilt es nachzufragen. Während etwa in Großbritannien der Zellenplan öffentlich im Internet zugänglich ist, wird er in der Schweiz noch unter Verschluss gehalten. Die SMS-Abfrage geschieht, ohne dass die Tochter oder der Sohn etwas davon merken. Weiter verfügt das Junior-Tel über eine «Schutzzonen»-Funktion. Damit lassen sich Gebiete wie etwa der Schulweg festlegen. Verlässt der Sohn die Schutzzone, warnt ein SMS die Eltern automatisch. Das Modell Mobi-Click Compact hat zusätzlich eine Abhörfunktion eingebaut, über die sich heimlich mithören lässt.

Aber braucht es Ortungsdienste, wenn es Handys gibt? Der Soziologe Michael Feldhaus von der Uni Oldenburg hat in einer Untersuchung zum Thema Handy und Familie herausgefunden, dass viele Eltern ihre Sorge um die Kinder mittels Handy zu reduzieren suchen. So sind Söhne und Töchter jederzeit erreichbar. Abschalten liegt nicht drin, weil sie sich später rechtfertigen müssen und auch Kontaktversuche der Freunde verpassen könnten. Kinder dürften auch eher mal weg, weil sie erreichbar seien, hält der Hamburger Andreas Steinle, Koautor des Buches «Die neue Moral der Netzwerkkinder», fest: «Handys können zu mehr Selbstständigkeit führen, gleichzeitig erhöht sich aber auch die Kontrolle.»

Eltern dürfen entscheiden

Ortungsdienste geben nun noch einen drauf. Kritiker befürchten Missbrauch, statt mehr Sicherheit ständige Kontrolle. «Rechtlich dürfen Eltern entscheiden, ob sie ihre minderjährigen Kinder damit kontrollieren wollen», sagt Kosmas Tsiraktsopulos, Sprecher des Eidgenössischen Datenschutzbeauftragten. Theoretisch kann aber auch ein Ehemann mit einem Mobi-Click der Partnerin nachspionieren, ohne dass diese davon weiß. «Das verstößt klar gegen den Datenschutz und ist einklagbar», so Tsiraktsopulos. Die Herstellerfirma kümmert das wenig: «Wir sind uns bewusst, dass wir uns in einer Grauzone bewegen. Indem wir Mobi-Click ausdrücklich als Sicherheitssystem anbieten, gehen wir aber einen gesetzlich akzeptablen Weg», sagt PR-Manager Peter Keller. Das deckt sich mit der Meinung des Datenschutzbeauftragten. Ein Gerät oder ein Dienst trage nie Schuld. Ausschlag gebend sei die Verwendung: «Ein Gerät zu verbieten, wäre falsch.»

Mit Skepsis sieht der Kinderschutz Schweiz diesen technischen Kindermädchen entgegen. «Wenn sie dazu führen, dass Kinder mehr sich selbst überlassen würden, wäre das eine denkbar ungünstige, wenn nicht fatale Entwicklung», sagt Franz Ziegler. Eine Anregung zur Vernachlässigung des Kindes dürfe es nicht sein. Auch wäre es nicht wünschbar, wenn Eltern zur Big-Brother-Instanz verkämen und die Auseinandersetzung auf der Strecke bliebe. Unterstützt wird er vom Netzwerkkinder-Autor Steinle. Technische Dienste seien als pädagogische Mittel ungeeignet: «Sie untergraben das Vertrauen, und das ist der Tod jeder Beziehung.» Zudem wähne man sich in falscher Sicherheit, was Kinder eventuell erst recht dazu verführe, sich in Gefahr zu begeben: «Wenn man in die Berge geht und es kommt ein Sturm auf, kann einem trotz Ortungsdienst niemand helfen.»

Ähnlich sieht das Rolf Gasser, Präventionsspezialist bei der Kantonspolizei Zürich. Nach seiner Erfahrung taugen sie wenig, um die Sicherheit der Kinder zu verbessern oder Verbrechen gar zu verhindern. Die meisten Entführungen seien bei uns auf «Beziehungsknatsch» zurückzuführen. Ortungsdienste gehen dagegen von einem «bösen Fremden» aus. Sie minderten vor allem die Angst der Eltern, die mit dem wirklichen Gefahrenpotenzial wenig zu tun habe: «Aber mit der Angst lassen sich gute Geschäfte machen.»

Erste Chips gehen unter die Haut

In den USA geschäften damit schon einige Anbieter erfolgreich. Mit dem Slogan «Lehnen Sie sich zurück. Jetzt können sie rund um die Uhr ein ruhiges Gewissen haben, während die Nachbarschaft ihr Kind um das Hightech-Gerät beneidet», wirbt etwa Wherify seit zwei Jahren für ihre Kinderarmbanduhr mit eingebautem GPS-Empfänger. GPS ist ein satellitengestütztes System zur Positionsbestimmung.

Der Ort der Uhr wird über die integrierte Handyelektronik abgefragt, sofern eine Mobilfunkverbindung besteht. Das Kind kann das Armband nicht abstreifen, es lässt sich nur per Fernbedienung lösen. Jetzt kommt die Hightech-Fessel nach Europa: Noch im August soll sie laut «Times» in Großbritannien für 148 Euro erhältlich sein. Noch in diesem Jahr will Wherify in Europa und Asien den handy-ähnlichen GSM GPS Locator lancieren, der auch in der Schweiz verfügbar sein soll. In Südkorea kam kürzlich ein Kinderhandy und GPS-Empfänger auf den Markt, unterstützt vom größten Netzanbieter des Landes.

Im japanischen Tabe startete ein Test, bei dem Schülerinnen und Schüler Funketiketten (RFID-Chips) am Schulthek erhielten, um eine automatische Überwachung auf dem Schulweg zu ermöglichen. Und schon länger tüftelt das US-Unternehmen Applied Digital Solutions an einem Chip, den Kinder zur Ortung unter der Haut tragen könnten. Jetzt scheint es ausgereifte Lösungen zu geben. Mexikos Generalstaatsanwalt ließ sich kürzlich einen implantieren, um Entführer abzuschrecken. [TA | 16.08.2004]

http://www.tagi.ch/dyn/digital/mobile/405240.html

© Tamedia AG


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim

http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/50096


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim

ÖKO-TEST Februar 2004

Test: Telefone, DECT

Ohne Stolperfallen und Kabelbrüche im ganzen Haus telefonieren - Schnurlostelefone machen es möglich. Doch seit unserem letzten Test vor knapp anderthalb Jahren hat sich kaum etwas getan: Alle getesteten Geräte und Basisstationen strahlen immer noch sehr stark - und gefährden die Gesundheit der Benutzer.

Digitale Schnurlostelefone nach DECT-Standard (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) sind nach wie vor ein Verkaufsschlager. In Europa wurden knapp 27 Prozent mehr DECT-Apparate verkauft als im Vorjahr. Die Schnäppchenjäger locken günstige Preise von rund 40 Euro, andere Kunden verlieben sich in elegante Designerstücke.

Hinter der schicken Fassade verbirgt sich allerdings ein Funkstandard, auf dessen problematische Eigenschaften ÖKO-TEST in den vergangenen Jahren immer wieder hingewiesen hat. DECT hat drei wesentliche Nachteile. Erstens sind die Basisstationen von DECT-Telefonen Dauersender, die auch funken, wenn nicht telefoniert wird. Zweitens strahlen sie ungeregelt mit Spitzenwerten von 250 Milliwatt, obwohl meistens eine geringere Intensität ausreichend wäre. Drittens senden DECT-Telefone wie Mobiltelefone mit gepulster Strahlung. Dies birgt die gleichen Risiken.

Während beim Mobilfunk Behörden und Bürgerinitiativen die Lage sehr unterschiedlich bewerten, räumen bei DECT auch Behörden ein, dass der Standard Nachteile hat. Nach unserem Test im September 2002 hieß es in einer Stellungnahme des Bundesamtes für Strahlenschutz (BfS): "Beispielsweise könnte die DECT-Technik nachgebessert werden, um ein Senden im Stand-by-Betrieb und damit eine unnötige, zusätzliche Strahlenbelastung zu vermeiden." Im "Freiburger Appell" vom Oktober 2002, der von mehr als 1000 Ärzten unterzeichnet wurde, wird gefordert: "Überarbeitung des DECT-Standards mit dem Ziel, die Strahlungsintensität zu reduzieren und auf die tatsächliche Nutzungszeit zu begrenzen sowie die biologisch kritische Pulsung zu vermeiden." Der Appell verlangt gleichzeitig eine Verbannung von DECT aus öffentlichen Gebäuden analog zum Rauchverbot. Auch das BfS empfiehlt aus Vorsorgegründen, einen Daueraufenthalt in unmittelbarer Nähe zur DECT-Basisstation zu vermeiden und keine Basisstation ins Kinder- oder Schlafzimmer zu stellen.

Doch noch werden aus diesen Erkenntnissen nicht die nötigen Konsequenzen gezogen. Im Oktober 1999 war die Forderung nach einem DECT-Verbot an das Bundesministerium für Umwelt (BMU) herangetragen worden. Die Strahlenschutzkommission kam in einer Studie zu dem Ergebnis, dass die bestehenden Grenzwerte ausreichend seien, deshalb sieht das BMU derzeit keinen Anlass für ein Verbot des Standards.

Um zu testen, ob die Hersteller in der Zwischenzeit freiwillig ihre Produkte verbessert haben, hat ÖKO-TEST erneut 14 aktuelle DECT-Modelle von rund 40 bis 295 Euro in die Labore geschickt. Dabei wurde geprüft, ob sich die Telefone in ihrer Strahlungsintensität unterscheiden, ob es mittlerweile Apparate mit unbedenklichen Strahlungswerten gibt und wie ihre Materialeigenschaften sind.

Das Testergebnis

Das Testergebnis ist ernüchternd: Acht DECT-Telefone sind "mangelhaft", die restlichen sechs "ungenügend". Alle Geräte senden permanent eine erhebliche Dosis gepulster elektromagnetischer Strahlung aus. Dies liegt an dem zugrunde liegenden DECT-Standard.

Die Basisstationen der Telefone strahlen im Schnitt eine Nuance schwächer als bei unserem letzten Test im Jahr 2002. Lagen die Werte in einem Meter Entfernung damals bei 8800 - 20500 Mikrowatt pro Quadratmeter (µW/m²), liegen sie nun im Bereich von 7600-18200 µW/m². Dabei liegt bei sechs Geräten die Strahlung über 10000 µW/m², sodass wir sie um drei Stufen abwerten, während die anderen acht Telefone um zwei Stufen abgewertet werden. Ein Meter Abstand entspricht etwa der Entfernung zwischen Mensch und Basisstation, wenn sie auf dem Schreib- oder Nachttisch steht. In dieser Entfernung erzeugt die Basis eine höhere Strahlenbelastung als in der Regel durch umliegende Mobilfunkmasten hereindringt. Der gesetzliche Grenzwert liegt zwar bei neun Watt pro Quadratmeter (9000000 µW/m²). Dieser Grenzwert wird von Experten jedoch als viel zu hoch angesehen, weil er nur die Auswirkungen durch eine Erwärmung des Gewebes (thermische Effekte) berücksichtigt. Darüber hinaus gibt es zahlreiche Hinweise, dass es bereits bei wesentlich niedrigeren Werten zu Störungen des Hormon-, Immun- und Nervensystems kommt, die Fortpflanzung beeinflusst wird und es zu Gen- und Zellschäden kommen kann.

Das Ecolog-Institut aus Hannover fordert deshalb, das Gesetz um Vorsorgegrenzwerte zu erweitern. ÖKO-TEST kritisiert eine Strahlungsstärke von mehr als 100 µW/m² in einem Meter Abstand. Dabei stützen wir uns auf einen Vorsorgewert, den Professor Gerard Hyland, University of Warwick, in einem von der Wissenschaftsdirektion des Europäischen Parlamentes veröffentlichten Papier formuliert hat.

Alle DECT-Telefone im Test enthalten halogenorganische Flammschutzmittel auf der Platine, die ein Umweltproblem darstellen. PVC/PVDC/chlorierte Kunststoffe finden sich in allen Modellen. Sie stecken beispielsweise in den Kabeln, in den Kondensatorhüllen oder in der Hülle der Akkus.

Es geht auch anders: CT1+

Auch wenn DECT der am weitesten verbreitete Standard bei den schnurlosen Telefonen ist, gibt es noch harmlosere Alternativen am Markt. CT1+-Telefone arbeiten mit ungepulster Strahlung mit einer Sendeleistung von zehn Milliwatt und funken nur, wenn telefoniert wird. CT2-Telefone senden ebenfalls nur beim Telefonieren mit maximal zehn Milliwatt, allerdings ist es hier gepulste Strahlung. Geräte beider Standards dürfen noch bis Ende 2008 betrieben werden, allerdings müssen sich beide Standards ihren Frequenzbereich seit Anfang 2003 mit anderen Anwendungen teilen, sodass es zu Funkstörungen kommen kann. Während CT2-Geräte gänzlich aus den Regalen verschwunden sind, konnten wir folgende CT1+-Telefone in Handel und Internet noch ausfindig machen:

Commodore CT 400 von Rulag, iHear CT1+ von Tele2 (nur in Verbindung mit einem Tele2-Vertrag), Toscana von Olympia, CDL 971G von Audioline, Cocoon 80, 85 und 115 von Topcom , Alpha 1600 CT und 1610 CT von MBO. Bei Ebay werden zahlreiche Schnurlostelefone aller Standards angeboten. Zum Nachschlagen, welches davon CT1+-Modelle sind, ist folgende Liste hilfreich: http://www.oekotest.de/oeko/ser/ser-ct1.html

Autor: Doris Eddelbüttel

http://www.oekotest.de/cgi/ot/otgs.cgi?suchtext=&doc=31129&pos=0&splits=0:1928:3011:4602:6375 (Auszug)


Nachricht von der BI Bad Dürkheim


Schnurlose Telefone DECT
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/464204/

DECT - Gesundheitsschäden durch DECT-Telefone
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/322063/

by Gary Leupp

CounterPunch

08/16/04

I have been thinking for months that if those commanding U.S. forces in Iraq really wanted to perform the ultimate stupidity, and ratchet up exponentially the degree of hatred they face in Iraq and throughout the Muslim world -- then they'd surely attack the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, or be drawn into a situation where they'd damage it. This is the most important Shiite site in the world, and is holy not only to Shiites (about 120 million people) but also to all the billion-plus Muslims on the planet...

http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp08162004.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

by Paul Craig Roberts

AntiWar.Com

08/17/04

President George Bush and his Attorney General, John Ashcroft, have resurrected the 'Star Chamber,' made infamous by the Stuart kings in the 17th century for arbitrary, secret proceedings with no right of appeal. Today, American citizens can be arrested and held in secret indefinitely without being charged...

http://www.antiwar.com/roberts/?articleid=3314


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

by Ivan Eland

Independent Institute

08/17/04

One might ask how the 'Home of the Free and the Land of the Brave' -- a model of political and economic freedom geographically removed from most centers of conflict -- has put its citizens in mortal danger by becoming so generally despised. The answer is simple. Although the U.S. government repeatedly warns its citizens of imminent terrorist attacks and takes draconian measures -- both at home and abroad -- in the name of 'national security,' it really does not have many incentives to actually make those citizens safer...

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1343


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp