Environmental Defense staff and members join millions in mourning the tragedy that has affected so many on the Gulf Coast. Right now, the priority is to help families and communities recover.

As environmental professionals, we are reflecting on how to best protect coastal communities from the next storm. There is much we can do.

New Orleans once had miles of wetlands and barrier islands between it and the Gulf of Mexico to protect it from hurricanes. Scientists tell us that every mile of wetlands and marshes between the gulf and terra firma absorbs wind energy and reduces hurricane storm surges by one foot.

And yet, since 1930, over a million acres of wetlands have disappeared from the Mississippi River Delta, and they are still washing away. Great engineering works built for ships and flood control diverted the river's replenishing sediment and freshwater away from the wetlands. Unless some part of the flow of the Mississippi River is directed back into the wetlands to rebuild them, hurricane threats will become more and more dangerous.

Small projects to restore these wetlands have moved forward for fifteen years. But despite warnings by scientists that hurricanes could now destroy New Orleans, the restoration effort has moved slowly and with few funds.

In the next few weeks, Congress will likely provide funds to rebuild devastated communities. When it does, Congress also needs to provide the funds to restore the coastal wetlands so people do not move back into harms way.

As you may have helped the relief effort in other ways, please take a moment and support this critical need to restore Louisiana's wetlands.

Send an email to Congress, asking them to support wetlands restoration as one important way to protect the Gulf Coast from future storms:

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/restore_wetlands/i5sxe84q5wjm6e?

See pictures and explanations of how healthy coastal wetlands can help protect the Gulf Coast:

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=4752

Norman Solomon notes that by avoiding even the hint that President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be ousted from office, major news outlets are circumscribing public discourse and limiting the prospective remedies. Meanwhile, we hear about low-level resignations, official investigations and proposals for blue-ribbon commissions.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091405P.shtml

As Congress prepares to take its first tentative steps toward evaluating the government response to Hurricane Katrina, Democrats and others are pressing for an independent inquiry, saying lawmakers cannot be trusted to assess their own complicity in the failures.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091405O.shtml

Kofi Annan complained pointedly about the elimination in the final version of language covering nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, labeling the exclusion a "disgrace" at a time when the world feared a spread of unconventional weapons.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091405M.shtml

American aviation officials were warned as early as 1998 that al Qaeda could "seek to hijack a commercial jet and slam it into a US landmark," according to previously secret portions of a report prepared last year by the September 11 commission. The officials also realized months before the September 11 attacks that two of the three airports used in the hijackings had suffered repeated security lapses.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091405L.shtml

For Iraqis, this was more than just "shock and awe"; it was to be caught in the whirlwind. Call it Year Zero for Iraq or Ground Zero for the new Bush order. Engelhardt and Turse tell us that Iraq, stripped for action, was ready to be strip-mined - and it was then that Washington called in its crony corporations to "reconstruct" the land.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091405K.shtml

Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA

... That's not the latest estimate of Hurricane Katrina's toll on the Gulf Coast. That's a worst-case scenario if a major earthquake were to hit Los Angeles. ...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&slug=Katrina%20Earthquake%20Risks

Hurricane Katrina has been, first and foremost, a human disaster -- a seemingly endless tale of suffering marked by lives lost, communities dispersed and families torn asunder. Our hearts go out to the hundreds of thousands of displaced people who are now struggling to piece some semblance of their lives back together.

NRDC is doing all that we can -- as I'm sure you are -- to aid the ongoing relief effort in the Gulf states. We're also contributing our special expertise on oil spills, toxic pollution and drinking water in order to help meet the immediate challenges.

As the flood waters begin receding, Americans are also beginning to gain some much-needed perspective on our fragile place in the natural world. Few events in our lifetime have revealed so dramatically the deep interconnectedness between people and nature.

As an environmental organization, NRDC has a profound obligation to ensure that the environmental lessons of this disaster are not only learned, but that they are heard loud and clear in our nation's capital. Hurricane Katrina destroyed more than human lives and homes. She also blew away a decade's worth of denial about major environmental problems that confront America.

Katrina destroyed the fantasy that we can blithely go on increasing our dangerous dependence on oil -- whether imported or domestic. Our oil-addicted economy is just too vulnerable to supply disruptions, as anyone who filled up their gas tank last week discovered. The solution is NOT to drill and destroy the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- or our beautiful coastlines -- as many in Congress are now suggesting. Drilling in the Arctic would not have any impact on gas prices until 2025, and even then it would only reduce prices at the pump by a trivial 1.5 cents per gallon. Our nation simply does not have enough oil reserves to affect world oil prices. The only way out of this mess is to reduce our appetite for oil by improving the fuel economy of our vehicles (which consume 40 percent of our oil) and by relying on smarter, cleaner and renewable ways to power our economy.

Katrina also exposed the fiction that we can dredge, bulldoze and fill millions of acres of coastal wetlands without paying a price. Wetland ecosystems are Mother Nature's perfect buffer against catastrophic storm surges. Destroy that buffer and you destroy the last line of defense, not only for New Orleans but for a host of other American cities. In this case, as in so many others, what's good for the wildlife of coastal America is also indispensable to its people. We are part of nature.

Katrina demolished the pretense that we needn't reckon with global warming. While no single hurricane can be directly linked to global warming, climate scientists agree that we are entering an epoch of warming oceans, rising sea levels and much more intense storms. We know full well what kind of pollution controls are required to reverse this trend. If we don't act, Katrina will be our future. You can't say she didn't warn us.

Finally, Katrina tore the lid off one of our nation's most shameful truths: that petrochemical plants, toxic waste sites, oil refineries and other industrial threats to human health are most often sited next to low-income minority communities. The rest of America regularly averts its eyes from this injustice. But with the poorest neighborhoods of New Orleans drowning in a hazardous sea of fuel, sewage and chemicals, it's hard not to notice just which of our citizens are paying the ultimate price.

Oil addiction. Wetland destruction. Global warming. Environmental injustice. You're well aware that NRDC has been working for years to awaken America to these terrible problems and to champion urgently needed solutions. But Katrina has changed everything. The public is finally paying attention. And officials in Washington are looking to respond.

Our challenge is making sure our leaders take away the right lessons from this disaster and respond with real solutions, not with the old ways of thinking or business-as-usual giveaways to well-connected industries.

It won't be easy. The Bush Administration and Congressional leaders have spent the last four years digging us ever deeper into a hole of oil dependence, wetland destruction, global warming pollution and environmental injustice. It's unspeakably tragic that it took a deadly hurricane to expose this gaping crater.

There's an old proverb that says, "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." Getting our leaders to stop digging will be a tall order. But with more hurricanes sure to follow in Katrina's wake, we have no choice but to dedicate ourselves to the task at hand. As always, NRDC will be counting on your commitment, your support and your activism at every step of the way.

Sincerely,

John H. Adams President Natural Resources Defense Council

ASL Infos

CREST: Avancées significatives et positives dans la méthodologie des mesures de contrôles des Champs ÉlectroMagnétiques des antennes relais des stations de bases de Téléphonie Mobile.

http://www.sauvonsleon.fr/main.php?param=dernieresinfos&date_news=2005-09-14

September 14th 2005

EARTH CHANGES TV NEWSLETTER

CME Heading Right Towards Us; But There Have Been Larger Ones

by Mitch Battros – ECTV

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is racing toward Earth. Watch for severe geomagnetic storms to ensue. There have been much larger events in our recent and past history. This latest event comes from three X-Class flares which launched yesterday evening. It should take 24 to 48 hours to hit the Earth’s magnetic field. So it is possible to experience its effects as soon as late night/early morning.

CME Hits Earth Diagram:
http://www.earthchangestv.net/images/sunearth_01G.gif

Watch for “extreme” weather to follow, most likely in the way of straight-line winds, micro-burst, wind shears, and tornadoes. Also, sudden temperature shifts may occur.

Alerts have already been sent out to all power companies, military services, FAA (airlines), communication satellite companies, and NASA- ISS.

Solar Rain

The Earth Changes Have Begun

It all started with a simple equation…

Equation:

Sunspots => Solar Flares => Magnetic Field Shift => Shifting Ocean and Jet Stream Currents => Extreme Weather and Human Disruption (mitch battros)

Hiermit möchte ich Sie auf einen hochinteressanten Link aufmerksam machen, der vielleicht auf den ersten Blick nicht unbedingt etwas mit e-smog zu tun hat - dafür allerdings sehr viel mit der Vortäuschung falscher Tatsachen in politischer und folglich wirtschaftlicher Hinsicht sowie der globalen Völkerverdummung.

http://www.reopen911.org/freedvd.php

Jedem, dem das Wohl Aller aufrichtig am Herzen liegt und der sich in seinem (großen oder kleinen) Betätigungsfeld aktiv einbringen möchte - und sei es nur in einem bescheidenen Rahmen - wird es ein Bedürfnis sein, diese wichtige und dringliche Aufklärungsarbeit zu unterstützen. Das Losungswort lautet: grass-roots.

Vielen Dank für die Veröffentlichung des nachfolgenden Textes.

Beste Grüße

ora james


Vier Jahre nach den Geschehnissen des 11.9.2001 spielen wir öffentlich die sensationelle, dreistündige Aufklärungs-DVD des amerikanischen Millionärs Jimmy Walter vor, der die Herstellung der DVD aus eigenen Mitteln finanzierte und sie bisher in einer Auflage von 350.000 Stück unter die Menschen brachte.

Es gibt sensationelle neue Fakten und immer mehr mutige Menschen - hochkarätige, freie Journalisten, Fernsehreporter, Buchautoren und sogar Politiker, die nicht mehr schweigen!!

Die DVD bietet aber nicht nur für hart gesottene Insider Neues, sondern stellt derart fundiert recherchierte Fakten zur Verfügung, so dass sie das ideale Medium darstellt, um auch Neueinsteiger mit den Fakten des 11.9. zu konfrontieren. Es ist jetzt BEWIESEN: Die offizielle 9/11-Version aus Washington ist eine Fälschung. Konfrontieren auch Sie sich mit den Fakten.

Dies wird eine Veränderung in Deutschland einläuten und dazu beitragen, dass das Scheinargument des Terrorismus nicht weiterer zur Abschaffung bürgerlicher Freiheiten missbraucht werden kann! Wir freuen uns über jede Spendenbeteiligung!! Für z.B. nur 10,-- Euro, können 20 DVDs hergestellt und verschickt werden - DVDs, die von den Empfängern dann wiederum frei kopiert oder öffentlich vorgespielt werden dürfen!! Spenden an den gemeinnützigen Verein "Neue Impulse" sind steuerlich abzugsfähig.

Spendenkonto Neue Impulse e.V.:
LB-BW Landesbank Baden-Württemberg
Bankleitzahl 600 501 01
Kontonummer: 126 725 1
Kennwort: 911-DVD

Hier, was Markus Seppelt von "Neue Impulse Nord" zu dieser DVD sagt:

»Ich habe mir gestern die DVD "Confronting the Evidence" (mit deutschen Untertiteln) über den 11.9.01 angeschaut. Ich muss sagen, seitdem ich mich zum ersten Mal mit dem Thema beschäftigt habe, habe ich auf so eine DVD gewartet! Einfach mal eine seriöse Bildanalyse, die ganz klar die Fälschungen belegt, Interviews mit Experten, die genau erklären können, warum die offizielle Theorie technisch unmöglich ist, gut gemachte, computeranimierte Rekonstruktionen, eine Aufdeckung der widersprüchlichen Aussagen der Politiker und, und, und. Es ist einfach alles Wichtige dabei. Und es ist so eindeutig. Wer diesen Film gesehen hat, der kann nicht mehr glauben, der weiß einfach, dass die ganze offizielle Darstellung eine Lüge ist.

So, und jetzt möchte ich euch sagen, dass ihr euch diese DVD auf der Webseite von Jimmy Walter auch kostenlos bestellen könnt. Sie hat Untertitel in vielen auszuwählenden Sprachen. Unter dem folgenden Link kann man sich den Film oder einzelne Kapitel davon auch herunter laden. Organisiert einen Videoabend mit euren Kollegen, Freunden, Verwandten - sie werden es euch danken.

http://www.reopen911.org/freedvd.php

Weblink Zur Seite von Jimmy Walter www.reopen911.org

Wir freuen uns auf Dein/Euer/Ihr Dabeisein.

Veröffentlicht von Sabine Hinz Verlag

Galloway Does Boston Proud.
http://www.traprockpeace.org/george_galloway_tour/


Informant: Charles Jenks

--------

7 p.m. EST for the Hitchens/Galloway debate, btw, live webcast at http://www.kpftx.org and http://www.thejourneyradio.org

WHAT'S LEFT? GALLOWAY VERSUS HITCHENS; PROGRESSIVES VERSUS OURSELVES

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=457&row=0


UNITED FOR PEACE & JUSTICE | 212-868-5545


Informant: Michael Pugliese



From ufpj-news

http://www.spacewar.com/news/missiles-05zzzz.html


Informant: Kev Hall

Harte Konfrontation: Deutsche Autohersteller empört über Boykott-Androhung der Deutschen Umwelthilfe (13.09.05)

Entsetzt hat der Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) auf die Boykott-Androhung der Deutschen Umwelthilfe (DUH) reagiert. Die Deutsche Umwelthilfe hatte die Vorstände von DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen, Porsche und BMW am Montag "ultimativ" aufgefordert, ihre Klage gegen das kalifornische Klimaschutzgesetz noch während der Internationalen Automobilausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt zurückzuziehen. Andernfalls werde die Umwelthilfe mit "kreativen Aktionen" potenzielle Autokäufer "auf diesen Skandal" hinweisen und "empfehlen, auf einen Kauf von Fahrzeugen dieser Marken zu verzichten, bis die Hersteller ihren Widerstand gegen das Inkrafttreten des Klimaschutzgesetzes AB 1493 aufgeben". Der Verband der Automobil schrieb in einer Pressemitteilung, dass die Klage, auf die Bezug genommen werde, keine Klage der deutschen Hersteller sei, sondern eine des US-amerikanischen Verbandes, dem sich die in Nordamerika tätigen Automobilunternehmen, einschließlich der japanischen Hersteller, ange schlossen hätten. Es handele sich auch nicht um eine Aktion gegen den Klimaschutz, sondern "um eine vermutete innerstaatliche Kompetenzüberschreitung Kaliforniens gegenüber dem US-Bundesgesetzgeber". Die Deutsche Umwelthilfe wies die "gespielte Empörung des Automobilverbandes" zurück und bekräftigte sein Ultimatum gegen die Auto-Hersteller.

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet:
http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php?Nr=11839

Während das Pentagon nach einem neuen Strategiepapier auch präventiv gegen Terroristen Atomwaffen einsetzen will, ist nach dem britischen Verteidigungsminister die Entwicklung eines neuen Atomwaffensystems notwendig.

http://www.telepolis.de/tp/r4/artikel/20/20926/1.html

In Anthony Shadid's extraordinary new book about the Iraq war, the Iraqis themselves finally speak. Their stories provide the most eloquent indictment yet of America's disastrous Middle East adventure.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091305M.shtml

Roberta Garner states that the federal government in so many areas of American life reacts to a problem with childish denial, abdication of its public responsibility, refusal to stand up to private interests and protect the public interest, a shift of responsibility onto the most vulnerable people, a punitive rather than supportive orientation, and inability to engage in rational planning.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091305L.shtml

President Bush has nominated a true ideological conservative to the most powerful judicial position in the country. Mary Lynn F. Jones asks, why are Democrats shying away from a big fight?

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091305J.shtml

The Bush administration clashed with senators Monday over new rules limiting mercury emissions from power plants, with the White House threatening a presidential veto of Senate legislation that would overturn those rules.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091305G.shtml

The vivid images of poor residents, most of them African American, stranded across New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina have generated more discussion in the nation's capital about poverty than any event in years. Democrats call for renewed aid efforts, while Republicans fault traditional programs.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091305C.shtml

Multinational companies operating in the world's poorest countries are "dodging" around £270bn a year in tax, anti-poverty campaigners claimed today.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/debt/Story/0,2763,1568254,00.html


From Information Clearing House

The court said Congress has given the president authority to order the jailing of anyone anywhere for as long as he wishes, as long as he claims it's connected to the war on terrorism.

http://snipurl.com/hnjj


From Information Clearing House

Two West Virginia Republican mayors have denounced the Iraq war launched by Republican President George W. Bush — and one is backing a council resolution seeking withdrawal of U.S. troops.

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Editorials/200509128/


From Information Clearing House

Two West Virginia Republican mayors have denounced the Iraq war launched by Republican President George W. Bush — and one is backing a council resolution seeking withdrawal of U.S. troops.

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Editorials/200509128/


From Information Clearing House

Will we continue to squander resources and take lives in a war that never should have happened, or will we commit ourselves to the re-building of the Gulf Coast and the lives torn asunder by Katrina?

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10263.htm



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

Much of the American press has reported the Tal Afar campaign as a strike by the new Iraqi Army, supported by US troops, against foreign infiltrators in the largely Turkmen city of 200,000. However, the operation looks different if we know some details.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10266.htm

http://members.aol.com/gotemf/emf/schools.htm

--------

I am trying to persuade the govenors at my son's school to wire in the WLAN computer network and shield the school from radiation from the masts outside by screening the windows. The WLAN has been in one year and the worst mast by far, up one year so there is not much sickness yet. However a TETRA mast has just gone up nearby and there are at least 4 other masts around and a radar signal we are picking up. The radiation from the Orange mast (the strongest one nearby) is from their report about 0.7 v/m

The govenors are asking me which schools have had cases of cancer in children near masts.

Does anyone know of any cases in the UK or abroad that I could get details from to prove my case?

Thanks

-------

Dear ...,

There was a lot of ill health including cancers I believe, amongst children since a mast went up close to a school in Spain. There was great public outrage especially amongst the parents, because the sickness rate was so high. The local authority decided or attempted to remove the masts. However, please don't quote me on this as I can't remember the exact details, it was a year or two ago. There was also the school near an Orange mast in Paris. There was a lot of illness amongst the children and Orange were forced to make a tactical retreat and remove the mast. They did so because of parental intervention and, if I'm not mistaken, with the support of the French authorities. I wonder if this had some influence on the ground breaking court case that has just concluded (or perhaps it's still going on?) in France to have the precautionary principle enshrined in legislation. I was unable to download the latest information on this on Omega twoday, as my computer and printer don't seem to be functioning properly, so I don't know the outcome. I'd appreciate the info if anyone has details. Am I right in thinking there are also a number of other school illnesses in Israel and Japan? Sorry not to be more helpful but hopefully there is someone out there with a better memory than mine, who can be more specific.

Jenny

--------

I was led to believe that Manor High School in Crosby L23, Merseyside has a high number of cases of childhood leukaemia. They have a large number of mobile phone masts sited upon their roof. Eileen O'Connor of SCRAM may hold factual information on this school.

Stephen

--------

As well as St Edwards at Coleshill, there is an issue in Haverfordwest, where all of their schools are within 350 mtrs (or a figure in that region) of a TETRA mast which was recently placed on the Police station. One of those schools is a special school, and one of the pupils attending is an epileptic whose family had to move house in Milford Haven because an Orange mast was switched on and she developed epilepsy. The case was so evident that the council moved the family, but the little girl then had to attend a special school because although her seizures were reduced considerably, she still had the epilepsy in a manageable form. Now that the TETRA mast has been switched on, the child has been having so many fits that her mother has taken her out of the special school. This case is well documented, and is being presented in court soon. I think it is important to focus on conditions like epilepsy as well as cancers etc. As Andy said recently, those with EHS (and epilepsy) are the canaries, ie, effects show up immediately, whereas the rest of us are miners, left to show the signs when it's too late to do anything about them!

Amanda

--------

Hi all

Have been a little busy of late, here's a couple of links for you.

Phil Watts

http://www.rkpartnership.co.uk/

Schools & Cellular Antennas
http://members.aol.com/gotemf/emf/schools.htm

----------

I am in touch with the campaign coordinater of a local(ish) campaign who has conducted a survey of five schools now in Warwickshire (Coleshill) with startling results. She began with one school, who had noticed a high incidence of illness in staff and children.

She has taken on 02 and is pressuring them to remove the mast from the school and is hopeful of success.

She has the backing of Warwickshire LEA, I believe.

Cheers Sylvia

--------

Dear Sylvia - thanks I have spoken to Jacqui but understand her mother is ill at the moment. Do you know if any of the children or teachers had cancer at the schools? And are the details available

Thanks very much

--------

I believe some 8 members of staff have cancer (2 deaths) - but I don't think any of the children have (thankfully).

The stats have shown that most of the children suffer headaches/nosebleeds/nausea, etc. - in fact, Jackie told me that some children are walking to school with nosebleeds.

I will see if I can get any actual stats.

Cheers

Sylvia

--------

Somewhere, I have details of a school in France where very young children were developing cancers. The mayor had the mast removed, but he was overridden and the town/city was fined thousands of pounds for their trouble.

It's not on my disks, so it must be amongst the astronomic amount of printed evidence I have accumulated. I'll try to find it.

Gill Lyden

--------

Glynn Hughes is to be interviewed on Monday on ITV North about a mast on his daughters old school. She was sick and he removed her from the school. There are 2 other people appearing as well as a rep from Orange. Its for a programme called 'Not in my backyard' to be broadcast on Oct 26th

Can he have some suggestions for sharp salient points to get across.

I always hear the phrases

'There's no evidence' and 'diseases always appear in clusters so you would expect to see clusters of cancer"

What would be the best answers to these questions?

Can someone suggest the best examples of peer reviewed and published research to quote?

Thanks very much.

--------

'There's no evidence' - There are hundreds of studies and I invite anyone to contact me to receive them / or simply say- that's a lie, because IT IS simply a lie, it can be refuted easily. Come with papers, show them to the camera and say - there are hundreds of studies - THESE ARE THE STUDIES ! THEY ARE RIGHT HERE. Telling that something does not exist doesn't make it right- and here they exist.

'Diseases always appear in clusters so you would expect to see clusters of cancer". There is consistency of clusters around antennas - more cancer the more close you are. Dr. Horst found cancer increase and Dr. Wolf found cancer increase near antennas. John Walker found and you can show the map he did - where there are antennas there is cancer. I ask something else - why doesn't anyone do research on the tens of clusters around the antennas in England? Eileen counted many in England. Say how much.

Can someone suggest the best examples of peer reviewed and published research to quote? The above mentioned. Take also the summary of Dr. John Walker that Eileen sent.

--------

Is there any effect of mobile telephone base station?
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/958423/

SCIENTIFIC evidence of harm to human health from EMR
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/970429/

Cancer Clusters in Vicinity to Cell-Phone Transmitter Stations
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/580224/

"MOBILE TELEPHONE CAN CAUSE CANCER"
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/586356/

SERIOUS CONGLOMERATES OF CANCER AND OTHER PATHOLOGIES THAT HAVE BEEN TIE BY THE POPULATION NEXT TO ANTENNAS OF TELEPHONY - Cluster in Spain 2000-2004
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/466717/
https://twoday.net/static/omega/files/cancer_cluster_in_spain2000_2004.htm

Cancer Clusters in Vicinity to Cell-Phone Transmitter Stations
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/580224/

--------

Dear ....

Because the operators and the government do NOT accept the independent research and evidence, but only industry and government sponsored research does NOT mean it does NOT exist. It only means IT DOES NOT FIT THEIR PLANS. and, just think about it, where would they be if they did. They would have disappeared from the face of the earth, because of all the compensation they would have had to pay to people whose health and lives they had ruined. It will come to that eventually, and then you will see them scramble away as rats from a sinking ship so fast, they wont even stop to turn the bloody things off.

The cancer clusters do exist. Ask Eileen O´Connor [eileen@smokestack.ltd.uk] and or S-R-A-M, Contact: S-C-R-A-M PO Box 11329 Sutton Coldfield B76 9ZS T: 0121 313 3718 F: 0121 313 3718 info@s-c-r-a-m.co.uk Wishaw in Sutton Coldfield had a terrible dose of it. And clusters exist in London streets with old masts, and elsewhere where masts have been for a number of years.

There is lots of pier-reviewed and published research, and it has been there since the 1940s, (since the military invented the radar) but I am not the right person to answer about that. Ask Andy Davidson (watch@tertrawatch.net) Roger Coghill (roger@cogreslab.co.uk) or Graham Blackwell (grahame@starweave.com) I am sure they can give you something good to quote.

Best of luck. Agnes

--------

There is also sauvonsleon a town in France [ infos@sauvonsleon.fr ] where If I remember right 378 people have taken Orange to court, over a mast that caused cancer in a whole neighborhood

A lot of the people have died, and just the other day, while the case is on-going another 3 people died.

I will find it and send you a link to look the start of it up.

--------

You may want to point out the inadequacies of the government scientists in the past as mentioned in the document I've attached below. Their track record leaves much to be desired and at times they have had to do an about face in the light of independent research.


Best regards

Nancy


Which Science or Scientists Can You Trust?
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/980447/

--------

Re the incidence of cancer, I am challenging our Cancer Intelligence Unit at the moment because they stated at a meeting that "one in three will get cancer, anyway". My question is: How long has it been one in three? Why do we have to accept that this is happening "anyway". The Director of the Unit said that she didn't know for sure but thought it was about 30 years. I think that's rubbish - I think the escalation in cancer will have co-incided with the development of mobile phone technology.

They are looking closer at the science now that Lloyd Morgan's report has been forwarded on to them.

Cheers

--------

NNOOOOO !!!! It wasn't 1 in 3 30 years ago. You can ask the cancer registry and confirm (there should be a website with the data of the registry).

From Sylvia

Sorry, I forgot to sign. I know it wasn't 1 in 3 - and she knows it wasn't. That is why she is now openly supporting our calls for more investigation on the high incidence of cancers in our village.

--------

Dear Agnes and All of you,

I think this letter from Dr, John Walker is very valuable for our cause (do you know what are his qualifications etc)?. I have gone through it, and understand most of it but the part in blue is not clear. Would it be better if the ICNRP guidelines were inserted in brackets?

I have 'edited' the letter (apologies to Dr. Walker) to try and make it clearer and easier to read, but would like an opinion as to whether I have altered it in any way that changes its meaning. I have only corrected spelling mistakes; tried to work out a couple of ambiguities e.g. where it says 'Question 1' I put in a question mark and erased the 'r' before 'rNewspaper', which seems to make it clearer. This apparent anomaly made me hesitate for a while and could put off someone who did not want to be persuaded of the actual proven effects - they might not read the rest of it at all.

Does anyone know the price of the gadgets mentioned at the end?

Sincerely,

Gill Lyden


From

Dr. John Walkers letter.

Question 1) Is there any effect of mobile telephone base station? Newpaper questions and answers.

Abstract

There is now very self sustaining and well agreeing information over several countries:- To answer question 1 Is there any effect of mobile telephone base station radiation on living beings e.g. human and animal health? There are results of ill people in houses in beam patches (7 patches) so far tested (120 ill people by 2005) There is about 3 times the average rate of Cancer. in the beam patches. Ill people in flats in mast beams in Midlands (600 ill people) Ill people in a school near mast (75 ill pupils and teachers) To answer question 2 How is the incidence of ill health related to the strength of the radiation? In Spain Navarro & Oldfield 0.13 volts/metre for an Odds ratio of 39 for increased depressive tendency. In UK Beam patches about 1,5 volts/metre outside correspond to about 0.5 volts/metre inside buildings In Germany Bamberger <0.06 volts/metre give 30% illness, 0.06 -0.2 volts/metre gives 60% illness. These values are relatively close compared to ICNRP 41 volts/metre!

“An Unofficial View” of Health v Mobile phone Mast Non Ionizing Radiation September 2005.

Introduction Newspaper cuttings were collected a few years ago, of illness near mobile telephone base station masts around this country and some from Europe. The worst case was 4 cancers in 5 adjacent houses by an old mast; this seemed to be too much of a coincidence.[Evening Standard 20 February 2002] Most of the articles were followed up by a visit, to find the extent of the illnesses at each location. A more scientific approach was needed. It was found that three pole mast beams, 120 degrees apart, often hit the ground at a distance away from the mast equal to 10 times the height of the mast and it is here, at the area of highest field intensity, that the illness patches occur. Question 1. Is there any effect of mobile telephone base station radiation on living beings e.g. human and animal health? Human Data available A) HOUSES
(1) 7 patches of illness were found in the highest signal level of the radiation (non ionizing) near masts around the country. Approximate simulated average fields were used,. this is of the order of 1.5 Volts/metre.outdoors and corresponds to 0.5 Volts/metre indoors

1a) The number of ill people:-

1a1) in a single beam patch is proportional to the cumulative integrated dose of radiation received over the years e.g. 8 ill after 8 years, 21 ill after 13 years and:-

1a2) in a two beam crossing patch, 31 ill.after 11 years.

1b) The radius away from the mast of both beam patch and illness patch agrees well.

1c) The angular phase of the illness patch relates to the angular position of the poles of the mast e.g. 120 degrees or 240 degrees (maximum error so far only 12 degrees). B) FLATS
600 people were found to be ill in flats which were at high field levels. Note: - in multi- storey flats, each person’s rooms are all on the same side of the building, so the inhabitants cannot escape the radiation unless they sleep in the corridor! C SCHOOLS Surveys in schools A survey in a Warwickshire school, close to a multi array mast 11 years old, showed the teachers to be twice as ill as the pupils (The teachers have more years at the school and therefore get a larger integrated cumulative dose of radiation) and the pupils to be twice as ill as the population in a West Midlands town with a merely 2 year old mast. If the data answers Question 1 in the affirmative, then the next question is: Question 2. How is the incidence of ill health related to the strength of the radiation?

Don't quite understand this paragraph- can anyone explain it please? Andy?

The latest Bamberger study from Germany shows well (at 4 levels of radiation) the relation between the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non Ionizing Radiation Protection) Guidelines, the local Salzburg Guidelines and the levels for:-

60% illness at 0.06 – 0.2 volts/metre and :-

94% illness at 0.21 – 0.6 volts/metre in the 356 people studied.

Note - the level in the beam patches in Question 1 is 1.5 volts per metre externally which is of the order of 0.5 volts/metre internally in houses. This agrees fairly well with the more detailed Bamberger study. This also agrees well with the Oldfield Navarro results of:-
0.13 volts/metre for an Odds ratio of 39 for increased depressive tendency. The remaining question is:- Question 3 What are the mechanisms by which illness are caused? If over time, radiation suppresses our nightly melatonin cycle, evolved by all vertebrae (humans and animals) etc over many millennia, then our immune system protection against cosmic rays is seriously compromised.

I have not yet found an old mast that has not got an illness patch. If you have any data which disagrees with the above, if there is any, I would be glad to receive it.

“An Unofficial View” of Official Views.

About 1997, ICNIRP (International Commission for Non Ionizing Radiation Protection) took a very narrow view of the reasons for susceptibility of the bodies of living beings to Non Ionizing Radiation. They merely considered the heating effect and ignored the most important effects. They persuaded most governments and institutions with plausible arguments to their view. They did not know then what we know now. They had no feel that on this earth “we see through glass as but darkly”. It is easy to think that, although some of us can stand a few years of radiation without any obvious effects, that there is no effect. However this is really living in myth land and ignoring what is going on.

1) An Establishment statement "The balance of evidence to date suggests that exposures to RF radiation below NRPB and ICNRP guidelines do not cause adverse health effects to the general population. This is a non quantitative statement that has been static for several years. It is more political than scientific. It is a chameleon, depending on the population which is being considered.

A) If this is applied to the general population of UK then it is apparently True. But highly diluted results are being obtained due to averaging many people outside beam patches with a few people inside beam patches.

B) But if this is applied to the general population of a Beam Patch, then it is False. The illness applies to up to 50% of the people, with an illness density of about 3 times that of the surrounding area which is at a much lower radiated field level.

2) An Establishment view. There are so many masts about that there are sure to be some coincidences with random cancer clusters. The data on the previous page shows that mast induced illness is very far from being random and is in fact extremely determinate. Note - if mast induced illness is random, then it is out of control of the establishment and from an economic viewpoint, then maximum wealth should be generated by the expansion of the mobile telephone industry.


3) A Consensus view. People feel they are safer if their views agree with the “general consensus” however it is possible on odd occasions that this view may be erroneous particularly when:-

A) A new situation occurs - much higher frequency, digital, squarer waves, as compared to the old lower frequency sinusoidal waves of broadcasting. The establishment will pretend it is not a new situation.

B) And from my work so far, I feel that ICNIRP’s decision was extremely misleading, because they had not got the data then that we have now. The establishment will attempt to defend the old consensus by calling new scientific data merely anecdotal and by destructively fastening on unimportant points and neglecting important points. Defence of an old consensus can be very unfair scientifically.


4) Paralysis of advancement of knowledge by cutting funding Several scientists have said that there was no funding for key work.

1) At Universities students who wanted to do worthwhile work were dissuaded because it would be controversial (Universities depend on Government for their funding.).

2) This means that any real work must be done voluntarily by a retired scientist within the cost limits of the volunteer.

3) The Suppression of anti policy statements has maintained the myth for several years.


4) Generalisations and logicality not rooted in actuality do not help health.


Dr John Walker

Instrumentation The Acousticom makes one aware of radiation, but it does to a certain extent indicate the source. However a digital frequency analyser is much more versatile and about one tenth of the cost of the old analogue versions TheSpectran HF 6080 has a directional aerial and can detect amongst other things GSM 900, GSM1800, UMTS, Dect etc It can be hand held and gives an Acousticom sound of the wave modulation and % of ICNIRP level as well as the spectra etc and two channel storage of signals.etc.

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I think it is disgusting when govertnments know full well about carcinegenic substances, chemicals, plastics pesticides never mind the masts. For those of us that use face creams and I was recently told suntan creams we are putting poisons on our faces in the form of parabems [ have i got that right]. Where there is corporate power, money and greed and the chance of votes for a government the public always seem to loose. I have virtually stopped giving to cancer research because I believe we know so many things that cause cancer and it seems to me that we are just giving money for more drugs to be invented to the pharmeceutical companies to get more rich.

sue g

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My son attended E Bergholt High School, Essex where there was an Orange mast next door to the school playing school. My friend and I met with the H&S school governor and he arranged for Orange to come to the school to plot the beam. However the report was so technical I could not understand it although I did work out the beam fell in the school grounds. Meanwhile my father died and I had to help look after my mother who lived long distance. My son left school and no one else seemed interested so I had to drop it but I do know of at least 2 children having unexplained fits. The mast has now beeen up several years so who knows how many are sick . Incidentally the local doctors built a state of the art surgery just across the road from the mast in spite of the fact that my friend and I had written to them and sent a paper of doctor highland's.

sue g

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Hi Sandi

I couldn't find the school study I mentioned the other day from my thousands of emails on file but here's my own synopsis. I've no idea if it's still on the Powerwatch site though - this was current in June 2002.

BW Gary.


A recent independant study:
http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/news/schools1.asp
compared two primary schools in the U.K, West Park Primary school in Hartlepool (330 pupils) which has had a mobile phone mast on its' property for three years, and Grange Park Primary school in Sunderland (300 pupils) which has no mast. In each case, over 100 parents responded to a questionnaire sent out which showed the following percentage comparisons in pupil symptoms:

SYMPTOMS Grange P'k West P'k

• Headaches 30% 66%
  Nausea 12% 25%
  Extreme tiredness 8.5% 39%
  at school
  Short-term memory loss 1% 15%
  Unusual change in 6% 20%
  behaviour over last 3 yrs.
  Teachers expressed 1% 20%
  concern over childs be'viour.
  Skin irritations 14% 33%
  Anxiety probs 5% 12%
  Poor concentration 15% 41%

EFFECTS OF TRANSMITTERS

Symptoms include: eye problems, problems with concentration, dizziness & loss of memory, headaches, nausea, digestive probs, muscle & joint pains, palpitations, skin disorders, anxiety/depression, tiredness, sleep probs, menstrual problems etc

Check out http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/news/schools1.asp

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June 2002 issue of the Ecologist quotes a report in The Lancet, which says a 2 minute mobile call can alter a child's brain activity for an hour, so classroom behaviour could be affected if calls were made at breaktime. Doctors fear this could lead to psychiatric problems, aggressive behaviour, lack of concentration, memory loss and inability to learn. The report's author is worried that delicate balances such as immunity to infection could be affected by interference with chemical balances in the brain.

On the basis of this, all schools should ban mobiles, including lunch and breaktime. This must apply on the way to school as well, so any pupils with mobiles for emergency use,or use on the way home should have to hand them in as they enter the school.

David Oakley-Hill

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Spain investigates four cancer cases diagnosed in children in one school http://omega.twoday.net/stories/1004264/

http://www.latimes.com/travel/outdoors/la-os-smogparknew13sep13,0,4161407,print.story?coll=la-story-footer


Informant: Andy Caffrey

Iris: Yes, the info re statins just keeps on getting more alarming!!! I keep thinking about the 200% plus risk being referenced in regard to those who stop taking statins and development of dementia.

If you really think about that figure, one would have to wonder why then (we really do know --"MONEY") are more persons being put on statins every day???

It is my "non-expert opinion" that sleeping close to electrical appliances/devices (and electrical wiring with measurable high frequencies as well as cell towers and antennae) is the primary reason persons might be vulnerable to discontinuation of statins as well as many adverse effects from taking statins.

Protein in the brains of those who have greatly reduced their cholesterol (which offers "protective benefits" to the brain), then have to readjust to the EMR pollution post-statins which would most likely change the folding mechanism of brain proteins even tho theoretically discontinuation should result in positive effects. As I mentioned before, it is well-known that the essential Co-Q-10 which is responsible for electron transport is greatly reduced by statins. The same situation seems to apply in the case of chronic EMR exposure in persons not taking statins -- essential Co-Q-10 is depleted. As I have mentioned before, it is my "non-expert belief" that those who do both -- take statins as well as sleep in a situation of chronic, prolonged EMR exposure, may, in fact, suffer additional and/or more harmful assaults because the statins themselves may become free radicals when subjected to EMR pollution!!!

Back to the specific issue of such a huge increase of over 200% risk level for those discontinuing statins.......... If studies exist to support such a huge potential increase in risk for those discontinuing statins, WHY ON EARTH would anyone be placed on statins any more!!!!?????

I will let you know if Dr. Duane Graveline responds to my email. Always possible he is on vacation or working with space program, etc. As you know (I think), his new book about statins was released early this year.

In looking for info re your questions, I happened to read on Dr. Graveline's site how radiation is actually good for us http://www.spacedoc.com . This may very well explain his refusal to comment on my questions to him as to whether or not he was sleeping next to electric clock, etc. at time of taking Lipitor and developing the transient global amnesia (two separate times). Dr. Graveline does not, however (as far as I have learned) make any reference to "electromagnetic radiation" but rather "ionizing radiation" as being good for us in small doses. [not verbatim...]

Dr. Duane Graveline's new book, "Statin Drugs: Side Effects and the Misguided War on Cholesterol" does an excellent job of addressing the issue of probable harm from statins but does not address radiation, at least, from my quick reviews of the book. I, of course, am not qualified to challenge whether some ionizing radiation or for that matter, some non-ionizing radiation might actually have benefits to our health but most of us do recognize various test procedures as well as treatments for cancer, bone healing, etc.

While you and I would, of course, consider the statin issue interesting and important, I think you can see why you may want to keep that info handy on computer, in files and in your mind. The flood gates are weakening!!! Alzheimers involves protein misfolding that promotes formation of Beta A amyloid. Cholesterol is "protective -- particularly for elderly" and yet prescriptions are widely touted as very important and necessary. NO ONE is telling the doctors or the people how dangerous this situation really is because, as you know, governments are not informing the public about EMR concerns. This is "a real catch 22" that will be hidden from the masses unless scientists such as Dr. Duane Graveline and others begin to address the seriousness of such a combination. In the meantime, as you know, drug companies are trying to find a drug for each and every protein misfolding/unfolding problem all the while contributing to the crimes of governments who choose to minimize EMR effects!!!!

Thanks for your help!!! For now, you and I can store the info and carry on with other EMR work. I will keep checking with scientists participating in the studies in the hope that sooner or later someone will realize this is a battle that won't be won in the usual, greedy manner -- "business as usual for the drug companies!!!!"

Take care - Joanne

Joanne C. Mueller Guinea Pigs R Us
731 - 123rd Avenue N.W.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55448-2127 USA
Phone: 763-755-6114
Email: jcmpelican@aol.com

Not to mention those b... who advertise on Television to "own your own alpaca farm", with cutsie pictures of alpacas. They are not selling petting zoos. Those alpacas are tortured and killed for food.

From Farm Sanctuary

From Icon to Dinner Plate - Don't Let Horses Become a Meal: Your Help Needed Now!

Please help stop the needless slaughter of tens of thousands of American horses destined for gourmet meals in European and Asian restaurants. Americans value horses as an icon of freedom and independence and would be appalled that horses are transported to U.S., Canadian or Mexican slaughterhouses, killed for human consumption and then shipped to other countries for fancy entrées. Horses deserve better than this cruel fate.

Republican Senator John Ensign (pronounced 'En-sin') from Nevada and Democratic Senator Robert Byrd from West Virginia are introducing an Amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill which, if passed by the U.S. Senate, will prohibit the use of any federal taxpayer funds to slaughter horses for food exports. This will be coming up for a critical vote soon.

Please help halt this hideous practice of slaughtering American horses for gourmet gluttony. The U.S. House of Representatives has previously passed the Sweeney-Spratt Amendment

http://wwwfarmsanctuary.org/campaign/horse_bill3.htm this year to prevent the use of tax dollars for horse slaughter. This is one step closer to victory, but it now all rides on the Senate passing the Ensign-Bryd Amendment.

What You Can Do! Please ask your two U.S. Senators to support the Ensign-Byrd horse slaughter amendment. Since voting will take place very soon, please call, fax or email now, urging your Senators to vote YES on the upcoming Agriculture Appropriations amendment to stop horse slaughter.

* Find your Senators' contact information at http://www.vote-smart.org and call or send them both an email and/or fax.

* Or call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to your Senators.

* Ask your family and friends to also contact their Senators about this issue.

For more information, please contact Farm Sanctuary at campaign@farmsanctuary.org or call 607-583-2225 ext 251.

Farm Sanctuary is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to ending farm animal abuse through direct rescue and protection campaigns. For more information about Farm Sanctuary programs, please visit farmsanctuary.org or call 607-583-2225.

Please forward and distribute widely!

Thank you.

Farm Sanctuary,
P.O. Box 150
Watkins Glen, NY 14891.


Informant: MsKitty

Eleanor Smeal says that Roberts offered only "comforting buzz words" in the first day of his confirmation hearings, reminiscent of past nominees Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas whose words "later proved to be empty promises to the Senate ... The Senate must not be fooled again."

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/091305WA.shtml

Grape pickers in the Central Valley were told they could lose their jobs or their housing if they voted to unionize, the United Farm Workers alleged in a complaint filed Monday with the Agricultural Labor Relations Board.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/091305LB.shtml

The media "frames" labor disputes using five key assumptions. First, the consumer is always right. Second, the public doesn't need to know about the process of production. Third, business leaders are the true heroes of the American economy. Fourth, the workplace is and should be a meritocracy. Fifth, collective action distorts the market.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/091305LA.shtml

Idaho Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. on opening the Scull Valley site to nuclear waste storage: "This is the most reckless thing I have ever heard our [federal] government wanting to do in this state ... if I have to stand in front of the train coming across the border, I'm prepared to do that."

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/091305EB.shtml

An American labor rights group filed a class action lawsuit today against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., alleging that suppliers in five foreign countries denied workers a minimum wage, overtime pay and the right to unionize.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091305R.shtml

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/3403/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0913-22.

Click here: 9/11 Blogger - Blogging 9/11 Related Alternative News: 4th Anniversary - Donna Marsh O'Connor at the U.N. - Video
http://911blogger.powermediahost.com/videos/20050911_UN_DonnaMarshOConnor.avi

Donna Marsh O'Connor spoke at the rally at the UN on 9/11/2005. Her daughter died on 9/11 in the 2nd tower. She has written a few articles in the past for Project for the OLD American Century. She also spoke at the church later in the evening. I hope you guys watch this and can appreciate her compassion and frustration.

Within the next day or so I should have a lot more videos posted, but I wanted to at least get one video posted tonight, and I thought this might be a good place to start.


Informant: Mofmars3

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/09/12/greenland.arctic.thaw.ap/index.html


Informant: Andy Caffrey

September 13th 2005

EARTH CHANGES TV NEWSLETTER

Three X-Class Flares Within Last Hour

by Mitch Battros – ECTV

Three more X-Class flares have fired off within a 20 minute period. They came from sunspot region 808 formally known as 798. When sunspot regions rotate around the backside of the Sun, and if they stay in tact, it is re-numbered as it rotates around the eastern limb of the Sun. Hence formerly known region 798 is now region 808.

Three X-Class Flares: http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/xray_5mBL.html
Kp Index: http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/kp_3d.html

Folks, I am going to do something a little different. Instead of, no, in addition to, my ongoing postings of current events, I am going to display why we should be concerned about this latest onslaught of back-to-back solar storms. I write extensively about what has happened historically, and “what could be” in my book ‘Solar Rain’.

This will be a three part article. Part I is focused on how geomagnetic storms affect our “infrastructure” and communities. Part II will be on how geomagnetic storms affect “humans and animals”. Part III will be on what is happening “now”.

Part I - Geomagnetic storms and the neighborhood you live in” – The Solar Storm that Shut Down 6 million people of Quebec, Canada

Astronomers had been tracking ‘Active Region 5395’ on the Sun when, on March 10, 1989, it suddenly belched out a huge cloud of super-hot plasma. Three days later, residents in higher latitudes enjoyed a magnificent Northern Lights display. Even people in Florida got to enjoy the show that had never been seen so far south, and went to bed on the night of March 12, awed by the display.

Around March 11, 1989, as Cycle 22 was getting underway a flare erupted (see plot of sunspot number and X-class solar flares during the last three solar cycles). Scientists saw it 8 minutes later, but the full impact was still two days away, and this one was headed straight towards where our planet would be by then. Meanwhile, the residents of Quebec were still trying to get back to normal following the worst ice-storm in Canada ’s history.

At 2:44 a.m. the next morning, stray electrical currents generated by a powerful magnetic field surged through the electrical circuits of the Hydro-Quebec control center. Giant capacitors along the 735kV lines that had been designed to absorb the spikes tried to regulate the current that ran 115% above normal, but were overwhelmed. To prevent damage, automatic breakers tripped and took them off-line. However, these had been the primary line of defense.

The entire grid was now vulnerable, and immediately things rapidly fell apart. All five lines into Montréal tripped, and a surge in load tripped the supply lines from the 9,450 MW generators at La Grande. This resulted in a sudden drop in frequency, and automatic load-shedding kicked in, but compensators could not recover from the loss of about half the system load. As each piece went off-line, the load was offloaded onto other generating plants, which also tripped out. Within 20 seconds, the entire Quebec power grid collapsed, too quick for human operators to react. Of course, generators were still spinning, ready to crank out their 21,500 MW, but they were all disconnected from those who badly needed electrical power on a frigid Canadian morning. Their current was going nowhere … and people shivered.

Sorting out the mess took nine hours, while most of Quebec was in darkness. This silent disaster disrupted the lives of six million people, yet somehow the 50 million people on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. remained unaffected thanks to some capacitors on the Allegheny Power Network that did their job. Long term effects were costly, as the huge oil-cooled transformers that had burned up cost millions to replace, which took months. Meanwhile Hydro-Quebec had to reroute power, and, as it had done two months earlier, purchase more expensive fossil fuel power from other companies.

Downed lines due to a co-existing ice storm began to black out parts of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, but the affected areas quickly linked up to form a huge area of both provinces. Pretty soon, the emergency measures unit office at Ottawa-Carleton’s municipal headquarters began to buzz. This was turning out to be no ordinary winter storm. Representatives from regional and local government, hospitals, public health, police, ambulance, fire and Red Cross assembled to closely monitor what was fast becoming a runaway situation. “No one predicted something of this magnitude,” said Merv Beckstead, Ottawa-Carleton’s chief administrative officer.

Stores had long since run out of heaters, fuel and generators, and with no respite in sight, Hydro management was forecasting system-wide disruption of up to two weeks. In hindsight, that was hopelessly optimistic. By the early hours of Thursday, January 8, the area of devastation was still widening, and the decision was taken to declare a state of emergency. This allowed regional government to apply for federal and provincial financial aid and military assistance. It also warned residents that the situation was serious and allowed for an ‘Emergency Vehicles Only’ curfew on the roads—the first time this had ever been done in the history of a region that was used to bad weather.

The story of the Hogan family was typical. Sue Hogan awoke early in the morning and smelled smoke. Her husband Dave went downstairs to check on the wood and oil furnace they had been using for backup heat during the blackout. It was ablaze, so he hollered up the stairs for everyone to get out. Their sons, Ben, 8, Adam, 13, and Gord, 15, groggily threw on some clothes and fled outside. The fire department could do nothing, and the Hogans watched as their home went up in flames. Sadly, they lost their beloved pet beagle but felt fortunate the family of five had escaped unhurt. Neighbors immediately responded with offers of lodging, food and clothing, and Sue was amazed that the community was so behind them. Such displays of caring were repeated all across Eastern Canada as random acts of kindness broke out everywhere.

For example, nine-month pregnant Tasha Geymonat and her partner Jody McKellar of Edwards were headed for Riverside Hospital at 7:32 a.m., but the icy roads were simply too dangerous to continue, even for their Chevy Blazer. They called the paramedics, and Marc Lafleur and Bill Magladry helped deliver a healthy 8 lb. 4 oz baby boy in the back of the SUV. Such acts of heroism became commonplace as shops, banks, schools, public transport and everything else without backup generators shut down.

Weeks and weeks living in an emergency shelter can fray anyone’s nerves, so area hotels slashed their rates. Cell phone companies offered free service, and restaurants offered free meals to emergency workers, as they did in New York following September 11. One grateful resident said, “A country is much more than its weather. It’s the people.” They were finding out what it meant to be Canadian.

Early Friday morning, the army arrived and brought a sense of security to the devastated area. Dressed in green fatigues, they continued to roll in and by 6 p.m., a solid base of soldiers had swelled to thousands, both regulars and reservists. They cleared debris blocking roads, provided emergency medical assistance, helped utility workers to restore power, set up fuel and food dumps, evacuated residents and went door-to-door making sure people were safe.

Sadly, the Army also had to deal with looters. The supplies pouring in from across the nation and the U.S. presented a tempting target, especially in-demand items such as portable generators, dozens of which were stolen. Some generators may have been liberated out of genuine need, but most found their way onto the black market for a profit. Others price-gouged on essentials such as batteries, flashlights and gas. And many posed as Red Cross volunteers allegedly collecting for money to run the shelters. To prevent looting, police dropped all but essential services, but many residents took matters into their own hands, standing guard over their homes with loaded rifles.

The lesson was costly but simple, and I can remember Richard Gelb, my emergency management instructor telling us in a stark and unsettling voice… “you are to convey to those you train in your future emergency management positions… It is not the fire department that is coming to save you, it is not the police department that is coming to save you, it is not the Red Cross that is coming to save you, it is not even us in emergency management that will be there for you. IT WILL BE YOUR NEIGHBOR. Now folks, it is important you convey this in your field training….. Let the people know in a major disaster the likelihood of roads being cut off are high. Of course all emergency management disciplines will immediately be enacted, but the bottom line is a coordinated neighborhood is the most likely to survive.”

It all started with a simple equation…

Equation:

Sunspots => Solar Flares => Magnetic Field Shift => Shifting Ocean and Jet Stream Currents => Extreme Weather and Human Disruption (mitch battros)

Todd Gitlin on TPM Cafe: "As we live with the non- denial denial, we live with the irresponsible taking of responsibility."

http://www.tompaine.com/uncommonsense/index.php#6149

by Rinku Sen, TomPaine.com

Who knows whether George Bush cares about black people -- but there's no question his policies punish people of color.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050914/the_inequality_president.php

by Raj Purohit, TomPaine.com

Civil liberties in this time of war will be a central question facing a Roberts Court. So far, Roberts has been far too deferential.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050914/roberts_rules_of_war.php

by Jordan Flaherty

September 12, 2005

What actually happened in New Orleans these past two weeks? We need to sort through the rumors and distortions. Perhaps we need our version of South Africa's Truth And Reconciliation Commission. Some way to sort through the many narratives and find a truth, and to find justice.

I spent yesterday inside the city of New Orleans, speaking to a few of the last holdouts in the 9th ward/bywater neighborhood. Their stories paint a very different picture from what we've heard in the media. Instead of stories of gangs of criminals and police and soldiers keeping order, there were stories of collective action, everyone looking out for each other, communal responses.

The first few nights there was a large, free community barbecue at a neighborhood bar called The Country Club. People brought food and cooked and cooked and drank and went swimming (yes, there's a pool in the bar).

Emily Harris and Richie Kay, from Desire Street, traveled out on their boat and brought supplies and gave rides. They have been doing this almost every day since the hurricane struck. They estimate that they have rescued at least a hundred people. Emily doesn't want to leave. She is a carpenter and builder, and says, "I want to stay and rebuild. I love New Orleans."

Emily describes a community working together in the first days after the hurricane. She also describes a scene of abandonment and disappointment. "A lot of people came to the high ground at St. Claude Avenue. They really thought someone would come and rescue them, and they waited all day for something - a boat, a helicopter, anything. There were helicopters in the sky, but none coming down."

So people started walking as a mass uptown to Canal Street. Along the way, youths would break into grocery stores, take the food and distribute it evenly among houses in the community.

"Then they reached Canal Street, and saw that there was still no one that wanted to rescue them. That's when people broke into the stores on Canal Street."

I asked Okra, in his house off of Piety Street, what the biggest problem has been. He said, "It's been the police - they've lost the last restraints on their behavior they had, and gotten a license to go wild. They can do anything they want. I saw one cop beat a guy so hard that he almost took his ear off. And this was someone just trying to walk home."

Walking through the streets, I witnessed hundreds of soldiers patrolling the streets. Everyone I spoke to said that soldiers were coming to their house at least once a day, trying to convince them to leave, bringing stories of disease and quarantine and violence. I didn't see or speak to any soldiers involved in any clean up or rebuilding.

There are surely reasons to leave - I would not be living in the city at this point. I'm too attached to electricity and phone lines. But I can attest that those holdouts I spoke to are doing fine. They have enough food and water and have been very careful to avoid exposing themselves to the many health risks in the city.

I saw more city busses rolling through poor areas of town than I ever saw pre-hurricane. Unfortunately, these buses were filled with patrols of soldiers. What if the massive effort placed into patrolling this city and chasing everyone out were placed into beginning the rebuilding process?

Some neighborhoods are underwater still, and the water has turned into a sticky sludge of sewage and death that turns the stomach and breaks my heart. However, some neighborhoods are barely damaged at all, and if a large-scale effort were put into bringing back electricity and clearing the streets of debris, people could begin to move back in now.

Certainly some people do not want to move back, but many of us do. We want to rebuild our city that we love. The People's Hurricane Fund - a grassroots, community based group made up of New Orleans community organizers and allies from around the US - has already made one of their first demands a "right of return" for the displaced of New Orleans.

In the last week, I've traveled between Houston, Baton Rouge, Covington, Jackson and New Orleans and spoken to many of my former friends and neighbors. We feel shell shocked. It used to be we would see each other in a coffee shop or a bar or on the street and talk and find out what we're doing. Those of us who were working for social justice felt a community. We could share stories, combine efforts, and we never felt alone. Now we're alone and dispersed and we miss our homes and our communities and we still don't know where so many of our loved ones even are.

It may be months before we start to get a clear picture of what happened in New Orleans. As people are dispersed around the US reconstructing that story becomes even harder than reconstructing the city. Certain sites, like the Convention Center and Superdome, have become legendary, but despite the thousands of people who were there, it still is hard to find out exactly what did happen.

According to a report that's been circulated, Denise Young, one of those trapped in the convention center told family members, "yes, there were young men with guns there, but they organized the crowd. They went to Canal Street and 'looted,' and brought back food and water for the old people and the babies, because nobody had eaten in days. When the police rolled down windows and yelled out 'the buses are coming,' the young men with guns organized the crowd in order: old people in front, women and children next, men in the back,just so that when the buses came, there would be priorities of who got out first." But the buses never came. "Lots of people being dropped off, nobody being picked up. Cops passing by, speeding off. We thought we were being left to die."

Larry Bradshaw and Lorrie Beth Slonsky, paramedics from Service Employees International Union Local 790 reported on their experience downtown, after leaving a hotel they were staying at for a convention. "We walked to the police command center at Harrah's on Canal Street and were told ...that we were on our own, and no they did not have water to give us. We now numbered several hundred. We held a mass meeting to decide a course of action. We agreed to camp outside the police command post. We would be plainly visible to the media and would constitute a highly visible embarrassment to the City officials. The police told us that we could not stay. Regardless, we began to settle in and set up camp. In short order, the police commander came across the street to address our group. He told us he had a solution: we should walk to the Pontchartrain Expressway and cross the greater New Orleans Bridge where the police had buses lined up to take us out of the City...

"We organized ourselves and the 200 of us set off for the bridge with great excitement and hope. ...As we approached the bridge, armed Gretna sheriffs formed a line across the foot of the bridge. Before we were close enough to speak, they began firing their weapons over our heads. This sent the crowd fleeing in various directions...

"Our small group retreated back down Highway 90 to seek shelter from the rain under an overpass. We debated our options and in the end decided to build an encampment in the middle of the Ponchartrain Expressway on the center divide, between the O'Keefe and Tchoupitoulas exits. We reasoned we would be visible to everyone, we would have some security being on an elevated freeway and we could wait and watch for the arrival of the yet to be seen buses.

"All day long, we saw other families, individuals and groups make the same trip up the incline in an attempt to cross the bridge, only to be turned away. Some chased away with gunfire, others simply told no, others to be verbally berated and humiliated. Thousands of New Orleanians were prevented and prohibited from self-evacuating the City on foot. Meanwhile, the only two City shelters sank further into squalor and disrepair. The only way across the bridge was by vehicle. We saw workers stealing trucks, buses, moving vans, semi-trucks and any car that could be hot wired. All were packed with people trying to escape the misery New Orleans had become."

Media reports of armed gangs focused on black youth, but New Orleans community activist, Black Panther, and former Green Party candidate for City Council Malik Rahim reported from the West Bank of New Orleans, "There are gangs of white vigilantes near here riding around in pickup trucks, all of them armed." I also heard similar reports from two of my neighbors - a white gay couple - who i visited on Esplanade Avenue.

The reconstruction of New Orleans starts now. We need to reconstruct the truth, we need to reconstruct families, who are still separated, we need to reconstruct the lives and community of the people of New Orleans, and, finally, we need to reconstruct the city.

Since I moved to New Orleans, I've been inspired and educated by the grassroots community organizing that is an integral part of the life of the city. It is this community infrastructure that is needed to step forward and fight for restructuring with justice.

In 1970, when hundreds of New Orleans police came to kick the Black Panthers out of the Desire Housing Projects, the entire community stood between the police and the Panthers, and the police were forced to retreat.

The grassroots infrastructure of New Orleans is the infrastructure of secondlines and Black Mardi Gras: true community support. The Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs organize New Orleans' legendary secondline parades - roving street parties that happen almost every weekend. These societies were formed to provide insurance to the Black community because Black people could not buy insurance legally, and to this day the "social aid" is as important as the pleasure.

The only way that New Orleans will be reconstructed as even a shadow of its former self is if the people of New Orleans have direct control over that reconstruction. But, our community dislocation is only increasing. Every day, we are spread out further. People leave Houston for Oregon and Chicago. We are losing contact with each other, losing our community that has nurtured us.

Already, the usual forces of corporate restructuring are lining up. Halliburton's Kellogg Brown & Root subsidiary has begun work on a $500 million US Navy contract for emergency repairs at Gulf Coast naval and marine facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Blackwell Security - the folks that brought you Abu Ghraib - are patrolling the streets of our city.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the rich white elite is already planning their vision of New Orleans' reconstruction, from the super-rich gated compounds of Audubon Place Uptown, where they have set up a heliport and brought in a heavily-armed Israeli security company. "The new city must be something very different," one of these city leaders was quoted as saying, "with better services and fewer poor people. Those who want to see this city rebuilt want to see it done in a completely different way: demographically, geographically and politically."

While the world's attention is focused on New Orleans, in a time when its clear to most of the world that the federal government's greed and heartlessness has caused this tragedy, we have an opportunity to make a case for a people's restructuring, rather than a Halliburton restructuring.

The people of New Orleans have the will. Today, I met up with Andrea Garland, a community activist with Get Your Act On who is planning a bold direct action; she and several of her friends are moving back in to their homes. They have generators and supplies, and they invite anyone who is willing to fight for New Orleans to move back in with them. Malik Rahim, in New Orleans' West Bank, is refusing to leave and is inviting others to join him. Community organizer Shana Sassoon, exiled in Houston, is planning a community mapping project to map out where our diaspora is being sent, to aid in our coming back together. Abram Himmelstein and Rachel Breulin of The Neighborhood Story Project are beginning the long task of documenting oral histories of our exile.

Please join us in this fight. This is not just about New Orleans. This is about community and collaboration versus corporate profiteering. The struggle for New Orleans lives on.


Jordan Flaherty is a union organizer and an editor of Left Turn Magazine http://www.leftturn.org . He is not planning on moving out of New Orleans.


Some Organizations Mentioned in this article:

http://www.qecr.org
http://www.getyouracton.com
http://www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org
http://www.indyvoter.org

Other Organizations That Need your Support:
http://www.jjpl.org
http://www.thejusticecenter.org
http://www.criticalresistance.org
http://www.nolahumanrights.org

Bring the Ruckus!
http://www.agitatorindex.org
Updated regularly


Informant: Michael Novick

Das nächste bundesweite Treffen des Aktionsbündnis Sozialproteste wird am 1. Oktober, wahrscheinlich nicht wie angekündigt in Göttingen, sondern in Kassel, statt finden. Dort wird es um die Nachbereitung des Aktionstages, um die weitere Entwicklung des Aktionsbündnis und seiner Strukturen und um Planungen kommender Aktivitäten gehen. Siehe die Einladung (pdf)

http://www.labournet.de/diskussion/arbeit/aktionen/abspokt.pdf


Aus: LabourNet, 14. September 2005

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091405Z.shtml


Roberts for Life

TO's coverage of the Senate's review of John G. Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court is under way: "Roberts for Life." A hard look at the future of American Justice.

http://www.truthout.org/Roberts.shtml

Telling it in Pictures

A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. Maybe that's why some very important people don't want you to see these pictures!

Read all about it:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=14436

Keep those Cards and Letters Coming

Read all about it:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=14435

The Nepalese Government has held student activist Krishna K.C. incommunicado for almost two years.

Read all about it:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=14434

Every day in the United States more than 700 women are raped or sexually assaulted. You can do something about that right now. Join hundreds of thousands across the country and make sure that Congress reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act this year.

Read all about it:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=14433

Go to the Movies

Amnesty International USA is thrilled to promote the upcoming film, Lord of War, directed by Andrew Niccol, starring Academy Award-Winner Nicolas Cage.

Read all about it:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=677776&l=14430

The Star Sheffield 14 .09 05

RESIDENTS are up in arms over plans for a mobile phone mast in one of Sheffield's greenest areas.

Members of the Friends of Porter Valley claim T-Mobile's application for a 72ft telecommunication antenna in a field close to Ivy Cottage Lane would spoil the picturesque landscape.

The phone company, which has submitted an application to Sheffield Council, says the mast is needed as part of its "third generation" technology but local people are urging the council to reject proposals.

Friends' chairwoman Ann Le Sage said: "We are objecting to this plan and we urge everybody to write individually. There is very little time and we must act fast if we are to stop this monstrosity being erected." She described the area as "one of Sheffield's greenest corridors" and added: "This would be highly visible and obtrusive. If the council allows this mast, how many others will follow?"

Friends' members claim the council failed to properly notify residents of the plans - by putting a notice on a lamppost.

But a council spokeswoman said: "We are only required to let the adjacent landowners know about the plans, which we have done. But we increased this to include a further 18 neighbouring dwellings."

Already 229 letters of objection have been lodged with the council along with a 668-name petition.

A T-Mobile spokesman said: "When a new mast is needed we try to reduce the impact on the environment with sensitive siting, innovative design and, where appropriate, landscaping. We are always conscious of local wildlife and conservation."

14 September 2005

Geplanter Mobilfunk-Sendemast in Straubenhardt stößt bei Informationsveranstaltung auf den Widerstand vieler Bürger.

Unter den Bürgern umstritten ist der geplante Mobilfunk-Sendemast in Straubenhardt. Beim Informationsabend am Montag wurde in der Festhalle Feldrennach über Pro und Kontra heftig diskutiert.

STRAUBENHARDT. Ist der Mobilfunk ein „selbstverständlicher Teil der Infrastruktur“ oder verursacht die Strahlung von Sendeanlagen und Handys bei Menschen mehr gesundheitliche Schäden als nur „Hirnsausen“?

Hochkarätige Fachleute versuchten am Montagabend diese und andere Fragen in der Turn- und Festhalle Feldrennach zu beantworten. Bürgermeister Willi Rutschmann hatte gemeinsam mit der Umweltgruppe Straubenhardt zu einer Informationsveranstaltung zum Thema Mobilfunk eingeladen.

Die vom Gemeinderat mehrheitlich beschlossene Verpachtung eines kommunalen Grundstücks zwischen Feldrennach und Ittersbach, auf dem die „Deutsche Funkturm AG“ (DFG) einen 30 Meter hohen Mobilfunk-Sendemast errichten möchte, hatte für Unruhe unter den Bürgern der betroffenen Straubenhardter Ortsteile gesorgt (die PZ hat berichtet).

Während das Podium mit Philipp Kornstädt vom Anbieter T-Mobile, Holger Völkner vom Mastbauer DFG und den Mobilfunk-Skeptikern Claus Scheingraber und Volker Schorpp paritätisch besetzt war, saßen unter den rund 160 Zuhörern offensichtlich mehr Mobilfunkgegner, als -befürworter. Entsprechend emotional verlief die Diskussionsrunde, die nach den Fachvorträgen der Referenten von PZ-Redakteur Holger Knöferl moderiert wurde.

Der neue Sendemast sei unbedingt notwendig, um die Mobilfunk-versorgung in allen Straubenhardter Ortsteilen zu allen Tageszeiten zu gewährleisten, so der Tenor des T-Mobile-Vertreters. Die bisherigen vier Antennen-Standorte reichten für das gestiegene Gesprächsaufkommen nicht mehr aus, Kunden würden sich bereits über zu schlechte Verbindungen beschweren.

Gefühl von Krankheit

Vor den Gefahren gesundheitlicher Schädigungen durch die elektromagnetischen Felder von Antennen und Handys warnten dagegen der Münchner Arzt und Vorsitzender des Arbeitskreises Elektrobiologie Claus Scheingraber und der Physiker Volker Schorpp aus Bietigheim bei Rastatt, der sich selbst als „Mobilfunkgeschädigter“ bezeichnet.

Mehrere Mobilfunksender hätten sein „Leben dramatisch verändert“, so Schorpp. Unwohlsein, Tinitus, „Hirnsausen“, das „Gefühl, krank zu sein“, seien die Folgen.

Scheingraber, der sich nach eigenen Worten seit 19 Jahren die Auswirkungen von Elektrosmog auf den Menschen untersucht, wollte schädliche Auswirkungen auf den Organismus nicht ausschließen. Dafür sprächen diverse Gutachten.

Gutachten hätten aber auch bescheinigt, dass der Mobilfunk nach derzeitigen Erkenntnissen keinerlei Risiken für die Menschen mit sich bringe, konterte T-Mobile-Vertreter Kornstädt: „Wir müssen uns hier auf den Tenor der Wissenschaft verlassen.“ Mobilfunk sei sicher, zumal die Grenzwerte, die bei der elektromagnetischen Abstrahlung von den Netzbetreibern eingehalten werden müssen, „von der Politik festgelegt“ wurden. Schließlich seien „die Kunden die Architekten des Mobilfunknetzes“. Je mehr Handy-Telefonate geführt werden, desto dichter müsse das Antennen-Netz ausgebaut werden, um störungsfreie Verbindungen zu gewährleisten.

Omega das stimmt nicht. Mobilfunk ist nicht sicher und bringt nach derzeitigen Erkenntnissen große Risiken für die Menschen. Siehe "Wissenschaft und Mobilfunk" unter: http://omega.twoday.net/stories/293807/

Antworten schuldig geblieben

Dieser Argumentation mochte sich jedoch ein Großteil der Bürger in der Festhalle nicht anschließen. Die Zuhörer interessierten sich vor allem über mögliche Auswirkungen des geplanten Sendemastes auf ihr Wohlbefinden. Hier blieben die Experten eindeutige Antworten schuldig. Das sei abhängig vom „persönlichen Wohlfühlfaktor“ jedes einzelnen Menschen.

Trotz positivem Votum des Gemeinderates hat Straubenhardts Bürgermeister Willi Rutschmann den Pachtvertrag mit der DFG noch nicht unterzeichnet. Wie es in Sachen Mobilfunk-Sender weitergehen soll, wollte sich der Schultes am Montagabend noch nicht entlocken lassen.

Erstellt am: 14.09.2005

http://www.pz-news.de/region/neu/73308/

Pressemitteilung von: Bürgerwelle e.V., Dachverband der Bürger und Initiativen zum Schutz vor Elektrosmog

Die Petition, die die sofortige Entlassung von Dr. Mike Repacholi von seinem Amt als General Koordinator des “Internationalen Elektromagnetischen Feldprojekts” fordert, wurde heute an die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) übersandt.

Die Petition wurde bis heute von 542 renommierten Personen und Organisationen des In- und Auslands unterzeichnet.

Der Text der Petition in englischer Sprache und die Unterschriftenlisten befinden sich unter: http://omega.twoday.net/stories/975607/

http://openpr.de/news/60604.html

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Elektrische Hypersensitivität (Elektro-Hypersensitivität)

„Eine Menge Leute berichten über Symptome ähnlich den Ihrigen und es gibt dafür einen Namen: Elektrische Hypersensitivität (Elektro-Hypersensitivität)“, schreibt Chiyoji Ohkubo vom EMF-Radiation Projekt der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) in einem E-Mail an einen Patienten.

Weiter unter:
http://f2.webmart.de/f.cfm?id=2888666&r=threadview&a=1&t=2594409

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Unterschriftenlisten des Freiburger Appells an WHO übergeben
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/943328/

Omega auf unsere Anfrage erhielten wir folgende Mitteilung:

Bzgl. des Appells liegen mir die folgenden Zahlen vor:

36.990 Unterschriften aus dem In- und Ausland, davon mehr als 1.000 Ärzte. Diese Zahl stammt von Fr. Stöcker, die die Unterschriftenlisten der WHO übergeben hat.

Erik Petersen, IGUMED-Geschäftsstelle, Fedelhören 88, 28203 Bremen, tel 0421/498 42 51, fax 0421/498 42 52, http://www.igumed.de

Omega siehe hierzu auch „Freiburger Appell“ unter:
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/943294/

Omega the deadline is ongoing that means you can still sign the Petition!

--------

The petition was via email with date of 09/14/2005 delivered to many addressee (see in the following URL) in the WHO.
http://www.omega-news.info/petition_to_the_w.h.o._remove_dr._mike_repacholi.htm

Die Petition wurde mit Datum vom 14. September 2005 an viele Adressaten in der WHO (siehe die folgende URL) per E-Mail übersandt.
http://www.omega-news.info/petition_to_the_w.h.o._remove_dr._mike_repacholi.htm


Location: http://www.thePetitionSite.com/takeaction/409444403

As you know WHO has built the highest possible reputation in public health matters among the public and governments world wide and the EMF Project will not be deviating from the sound science course that sustains this high esteem, no matter what the pressures from self interest groups or individuals. Louis appeals to people who do not believe in the scientific method for resolving issues. He, like others who are unable to argue a scientific case always claim WHO decisions are industry biased - a completely untrue position.” [our emphasis]

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, our criticism of WHO’s EMF project has nothing to do with science per se, but how Mike Repacholi sets policies based on the science - both what the science tells us and, just as importantly, what it doesn’t tell us.

As we noted in the commentary, many national governments have looked at the same body of scientific data and have promoted precautionary policies. These include China, Italy, Switzerland and Russia. In addition, expert panels in England, Germany and Russia have issued advisories discouraging children from using mobile phones.

Perhaps, it is easier for Mike to single us out than to address those who seek to protect the public health of well over a billion people, including the national government of Switzerland, WHO’s host country.

As we have stated time and time again, the WHO should err on the side of public health, not the interests of the wireless industry.

http://www.microwavenews.com/fromthefield.html

We, the undersigner, request from the WHO therefore for the reasons mentioned to remove Dr. Mike Repacholi immediately from his position as General Coordinator “International Electromagnetic Fields Project” because his is causing a very big problem of public image to the WHO.

http://openpr.com/news/124.html
http://openPR.de/in/60604

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Many people report symptoms of electromagnetic radiation sickness, WHO http://omega.twoday.net/stories/972757/

FREIBURGER APPEAL delivered to the World Health Organization (WHO) http://omega.twoday.net/stories/566350/

"To the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility." - George W. Bush

Impeach Bush Now!
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/index.cfm?campaign=impeach

House Committee to Vote on Resolution of Inquiry on 9/14

A Resolution of Inquiry into Bush's war lies (H Res 375) now has 70 co-sponsors. It will come to a vote in the House International Relations Commitee on September 14th, where it has the co-sponsorship of most of the Democrats and one Republican. To pass, it needs all the Democrats and three Republicans. The more Congress Members not on the committee who co-sponsor, the more likely some committee members are to vote yes. A substantial debate on the issue is expected. The committee meets in Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, at 10:30 a.m. this Wednesday.

Email Your Congress Member
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/50 Phone and

Fax Your Congress Member
http://www.usalone.com/get_instantcongress.htm

Or call switchboard tollfree at (888) 818-6641

Fill Out Feedback Form
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1887

Here are Current Co-Sponsors
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HE00375:@@@P

If passed, H Res 375 will require the White House and the State Department to "transmit all information relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom between January 1, 2002, and October 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United States with respect to Iraq."

We have the Downing Street Memos from the UK. This Resolution, if passed, will demand similar evidence from the US. The Downing Street Memos strongly suggest that the President knowlingly deceived Congress in his March 18th formal letter on why the war was necessary: he cited a threat to the US from Iraq and a need to go after nations behind the 9-11 attacks. If the President was honest about his reasons for war, H Res 375 is his chance to clear his name. The majority of Americans believe he lied (Washington Post/ABC poll).

Lots More Info is Here:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902

When you call your Congress Member:

Please ask for the Legislative Director or the person in charge of Iraq or foreign policy. If they tell you that the representative will not be co-sponsoring H. Res. 375, ask for the reasons. Also try to determine what it would take for them to be a co-sponsor. If your Congressional representative is a Republican, mention that Rep. Jim Leach, Iowa, is co-sponsoring the ROI (Resolution of Inquiry.)

Ask for a fax # and / or email address to send copies of the Resolution of Inquiry and the actual Downing Street Minutes for the Representative or staffer(s) to look at, if need be.Then quickly fax or email these materials to the proper address or number. We can't assume your Congressperson is aware of these materials, so here they are.

ROI: a one-page PDF of the Resolution of Inquiry you can fax or email.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/downloads/roi-onepage.pdf

Downing Street Memos:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/840

We cannot thank you enough for your willingness to help get Rep. Barbara Lee's H. Res. 375. passed out of the I.R. Committee. Your efforts really count!

Yours for Peace and Accountability, The AfterDowningStreet.org Coalition


9/15 Hearing and Rally on Ending the War

On Thursday, September 15, in Washington , D.C. , Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey will hold a hearing on exit strategies for Iraq. A coalition of organizations demanding an end to the war will hold a rally afterwards at 5 p.m. in front of the White House. Please ask your Congressmember and Senators to take part in both events. Email them here: http://tinyurl.com/7vjej

Or call the switchboard toll free: (888) 818-6641

And please come to these events yourself if you can (but remember that we are building toward a mass mobilization on September 24; if you can only come to DC once, come then).

Rally updates and flyers:

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2369

HEARING: Thursday, September 15, 2005, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. WHERE: 122 Cannon House Office Building WITNESSES: U.S. Senator Max Cleland, former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, former head of the Veterans Administration and triple amputee from his military service in the Vietnam War; General Joseph Hoar (Ret. USMC), former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command; Ambassador David Mack, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and current Vice President of the Middle East Institute; Dr. Ken Katzman, Middle East analyst and Iraq specialist at the Congressional Research Service; Anas Shallal, an Iraqi-American and founder of Iraqi-Americans for Peaceful Alternatives.

Both Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have been invited. Some 25 Democratic Members are expected, and several Republican Members, including Rep. Walter Jones Jr. (N.C.), have indicated they will participate for at least a portion of the hearing.

Rep. Woolsey's Advisory:
http://woolsey.house.gov/latestnews.asp?ARTICLE5110=44547

Sept. 6 Article in Roll Call:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2703

RALLY: at Lafayette Square Park (in front of White House) at 5 p.m. ET on September 15, 2005, sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America, After Downing Street, Code Pink, Peace Action, Democrats.com, and Democracy Rising.

SPEAKERS: Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and other Congress Members; Gold Star Families for Peace Member Tia Steele; Founder of American Families United, Gold Star Mother, Member of Military Families Speak Out, and star of "Farenheit 9-11" Lila Lipscomb; Veterans for Peace Board Member Ellen Barfield; Family member of U.S. soldier serving in Iraq Jawaid Khan; Co-Founder of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Tom Hayden; Code Pink Co-Founder and United for Peace and Justice organizer Gael Murphy; Peace Action Organizing and Policy Director Paul Kawika Martin; U.S. Labor Against the War Co-Founder Gene Bruskin; Center on Conscience and War Executive Director J.E. McNeil; PDA Board Member and After Downing Street Co-Founder John Bonifaz; Pastor of Pasadena, Calif., All Saints Church Ed Bacon; PDA Executive Director and After Downing Street Co-Founder Tim Carpenter; PDA Board Member and After Downing Street Co-Founder David Swanson; Democracy Rising Director and likely U.S. Senate candidate from Maryland Kevin Zeese; Pacifica Radio Washington Bureau Chief Verna Avery Brown; Co-Founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity Ray McGovern; PDA Board Member and President & CEO of Hip Hop Caucus Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr; diplomat who resigned in opposition to Iraq war, and Camp Casey coordinator Ann Wright; Research Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies, Erik Leaver, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg.

Also the same day, a coalition of organizations will hand in to Congress a petition for an exit strategy. See
http://www.peoplespetition.org (Note that not all sponsors of and participants in the rally are participants in or supporters of the petition or the hearings.)

Information on mass mobilization September 24-26:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/septmobe

Information on civil resistance on September 26:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2759

Sign Up for Exciting Workshops in DC on Sept. 25 These events, organized by Progressive Democrats of America, will include a discussion with Cindy Sheehan, as well as a focus on the Downing Street Memos and remarks by John Bonifaz, Co-Founder of After Downing Street.
http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/events/sept2005/index.php

Calendar

9/16 DC: The Crisis of US Elections
http://www.greeninstitute.net/Democratize/democratize5.shtml

9/16 Baltimore: U.S. Constitution in Crisis
http://www.mica.edu/news/news.cfm?action=detail&press_ID=521

9/16 NYC: Burning Bush: A Faith-based Musical A Democrats.com Night of Fun!
https://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showCode=BUR4

9/18 Philadelphia: Beyond Oil Teach-In & Conference
http://phillybeyondoil.org/

9/28-30 Portland OR: National Summit to Save our Elections
http://summit.oregonvrc.org/

Petitions

NOW: Renew the Violence Against Women Act before 9/30
http://www.capwiz.com/now/issues/alert/?alertid=7899661

President Bush: Meet with Cindy Sheehan It's time to get Out Of Iraq! Impeach Bush and Cheney Prosecute Bush for War Crimes
http://democrats.com/organize

From the Democrats.com Blog

John Roberts: Fascism with a Smile Bush Admits Katrina Guilt - Impeach Bush Now!

Say Hello to 'Duck Tape Man' Bush Resign's, Bush Resign's! - Don't We Wish... Bye-Bye Brownie, Horse's Ass Resigns, 'Bout Time Rove Launches Smear Campaign Against John Conyers The Pentagon's 911 Freedom March to Totalitarianism Welcome to Bush's Third World America The War of the Elites: The New Right (Neocons) v. The Oil Barons Debt Slavery Law Rears its Ugly Head FEMA Director Brown Hardly a Lawyer, Just a Political Poseur? Dear Secretary Chertoff: Ten Questions for Judge John Roberts http://democrats.com



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http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=91296;show_parent=1

Bush Takes Responsibility - about 4 Years Too Late
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=91286;show_parent=1

Bush Misses the Point on Deployment's Impact
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=91304;show_parent=1

The Gulf Coast is drowning in a poisonous stew, people are dying from waterborne bacteria, and federal funds have been drained by years of pro-industry policies. Katrina is one of the worst environmental catastrophes in U.S. history.

By Rebecca Clarren

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/09/09/wasteland/print.html

Sept. 9, 2005 | From 500 feet in the air, Chris Wells, a geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, looked with dismay on the landscape pounded and then abandoned by Hurricane Katrina. As Wells flew on Wednesday above the Louisiana coastline, across New Orleans, the marshlands south of the city, and over Mississippi, nearly every tree was snapped, their limbs twisted around in a braid, the bark shredded right off the trunk. The marshland below looked as though somebody had taken a spatula and scraped away the marsh grasses, leaving a sea of mud. Aside from a number of shorebirds, and one 8-foot alligator swimming about 20 miles offshore, Wells saw no wildlife. What he did see were streaks of oil, some miles long and 200 yards wide.

"It was on any body of water of any significance," he says. Hundreds of thousands of inland acres are covered with a spotty sheen of oil. "The landscape right now is absolutely bizarre and unreal," Wells says, from his home in Lafayette, La. "It's emotionally draining. Even if nobody was hurt, it's heartbreaking to see what has happened to the environment."

Wells suspects that much of the oil has drained from thousands of boats lying at the bottom of countless bayous, canals, and the ocean. Within the impacted area are at least 2,200 underground fuel tanks, many potentially ruptured, says Rodney Mallett, spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Officials also predict that thousands of cars, lawn mowers and weed-eaters are also submerged, leaking gas and oil into the waterways.

In addition, tens of thousands of barrels of oil have spilled from refineries and drilling rigs in at least 13 sites between Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico. Along the coast, Katrina damaged 58 drilling rigs and platforms in the Gulf, according to http://Rigzone.com http://www.rigzone.com an oil and gas industry Web site. At least one rig has sunk and another was swept 66 miles through the gulf before washing up on Dauphin Island. It remains unclear how badly the hundreds of underwater pipelines connecting the oil to shore have been damaged.

Yet the destruction that Wells witnessed from the sky is only the most visible element of a poisonous stew bubbling in Katrina's wake. On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that bacteria in the water flooding Gulf Coast areas are at 10 times the agency's standard for human health, and already four people have died from waterborne bacteria.

Although the samples are from flooded neighborhoods and not heavily industrialized zones, officials predict that the impact zone's water is laced with a slew of toxic chemicals such as lead, PCBs and herbicides. This sludge will eventually settle onto the soil and filter into the groundwater below, says Gina Solomon, M.D., a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. While it may be too early to predict the levels of total contamination, many of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, birth defects or neurological problems.

With human life still hanging in the balance and people desperate for food, water and shelter, public officials have understandably placed the environment in the back seat of priorities.

Yet it's become apparent that federal and state agencies had no plans in place to deal with the environmental impact of the storm and are now scrambling to know where to even begin to address the catastrophe. What's also become clear is that Superfund, the federal till for environmental cleanup, notably for Louisiana and Mississippi, has run dry, due in large part to anti-tax and anti-regulation policies favorable to oil and chemical industries.

"Chemical spills that would normally seem horrible on their own are dwarfed by the huge scale of this disaster," says Solomon. "Right now, people quite rightly are focusing on getting food and water and shelter for the victims, but the environmental mess and contamination could haunt this area for many years to come."

Aside from oil spills, the list of other potentially toxic ingredients in the water drags on and on. The floodwaters in Louisiana alone have hit nearly 160,000 homes, most stocking shelves of household cleaning products. In piles of debris as wide as three miles along the Mississippi coast, lead paint and asbestos cling to the remnants of old buildings.

Louis Skrmetta runs a family business started by his grandfather in the 1920s, sailing tourists out to Gulf Islands National Seashore. He weathered Katrina in the back bay of Biloxi in his boat, with about 500 other ships, all trying to take shelter from the storm. Now, the 400 shrimp boats, yachts, and workboats that survived the storm are all crammed into a bayou 250 feet wide and quarter-mile long, and it's not a pretty sight.

"All I see is filthy nasty brown water," Skrmetta says. "Everyone is dumping raw sewage overboard. And this is only boats from the Gulfport area. I would imagine that every city along the coast has the same situation. It's going to be a nightmare."

In addition to raw sewage flowing from what are now makeshift houseboats, the EPA estimates that the more than 200 sewage treatment facilities in the impact zone are nearly all out of order, causing backed-up sewage to leak. Test results released Sept. 7 found that levels of E. coli greatly exceed the EPA's recommended levels. Already countless people are suffering from diarrhea. Vibrio vulnificus, a gastrointestinal organism found in the gulf's shellfish, has killed one person in Texas and three in Mississippi. Those victims had open cuts or wounds that came in contact with bacteria-laden salt water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC is also concerned about outbreaks of leptospirosis, a bacterial illness carried by farm animals, causing anything from high fever and headaches to kidney damage and liver failure. Humans contract the disease by exposure to water contaminated with the animals' urine. For those living in shelters, the agency anticipates higher rates of infectious illness. "To what extent we see any outbreaks of illness depends on if people are evacuated and provided with medical care," says CDC spokesperson Tom Skinner. "It's really important for people to leave the area if possible."

In an effort to drain New Orleans and rid it of the bacteria-laden water, the Army Corps of Engineers has begun pumping floodwater into Lake Pontchartrain, the huge but shallow lake on the city's northern border. Yet this water, as it recedes past New Orleans' highly polluted areas, is most likely laced with a frightening amount of dangerous chemicals.

From 1941 to 1986 the Thompson-Hayward Chemical Plant, near Xavier University in the center of town, packaged and mixed pesticides such as DDT, the herbicide 2,4,5-T (the main constituent of Agent Orange, which contains dioxin), and the fungicide pentachlorophenal, which also contains dioxin. While the city and federal governments launched a massive cleanup effort throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the remediation was not entirely successful: 2,600 tons of herbicide-contaminated soil reportedly couldn't be removed because it was too toxic to legally dispose of in any state, according to a 1995 article by Mark Schleifstein in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

At the Agriculture Street Landfill, soil and debris are laden with DDT, lead, asbestos, and industrial waste -- ironically, everything that was scraped from the city floor after Hurricane Betsy struck in 1965. In 1962, reports
http://www.solidwastemag.com/article.asp?id=47051&issue=09012005

Solid Waste and Recycling magazine, "300,000 cubic yards of excess fill were removed from ASL because of ongoing subsurface fires. (The site was nicknamed 'Dante's Inferno' because of the fires.)" While the EPA eventually declared the dump a Superfund site (after the city had filled the area and built homes and a school above the infill of trash), the only cleanup the landfill underwent was the removal 5 inches of soil. A plastic barrier was put down and clean soil thrown on top.

"The New Orleans area that was flooded was an industrial area where you have all the lubricants and batteries and heavy-metal plating -- it's just hideously dangerous," says geographer Wells. "We can't wait around to test the floodwater before we pump it back into the lake -- people are already dying of disease from it -- but it's a terrible thing to do. We're going to avoid a great human disaster by doing this, but we could be creating a damn big environmental one." Forget for a moment the scenario of a toxic lake in the middle of a major American city; should a future hurricane breach the levees again, New Orleans could literally be submerged in poison.

Aside from potentially poisonous floodwaters, the hurricane likely roiled sediment from the bottoms of the lake and its surrounding canals, sediment that is the toxic legacy of the region's century-old romance with the chemical industry. William Fontenot, recently retired, spent 27 years working for the Louisiana attorney general's office, helping citizens grapple with environmental problems. His voice weary, Fontenot describes a few of the various companies that spent much of the past century dumping waste into Louisiana's waterways.

For 100 years, one such company, American Creosote, situated on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, near Slidell, treated wood to create railroad ties. In the 1970s, a fire ruptured a tank and creosote spilled onto the property and into the Mississippi River. After Coast Guard divers took sediment samples that were 8 percent creosote, the site landed on the Superfund list in 1983. Although the EPA cleaned up the property and 1,200 feet of the river, it ignored the other 6,000 feet of waterway that was devoid of any living organisms.

During the 1970s in Ponchatoula, north of the lake, the Ponchatoula Battery Co. dumped between 3 and 5 million spent lead-acid battery cases onto the ground. The waste liquid acid was directed into holding ponds that had no containment structures. Drainage with pH levels (the acidic rate) high enough to burn the skin off a person's hand bled from the facility into various ditches into Selser's Creek. This mess was also declared a Superfund site, but, says Fontenot, "when they ran out of Superfund money, the cleanup just stopped. The EPA and the state of Louisiana don't want to put too much burden on industry to clean this stuff up." He continues: "Just normal to a little rainfall has an effect on all these sites. Just the sun shining on them affects them. How do you think the storm affects all this?"

Citizens in Mississippi fear that burying toxic secrets is standard operating procedure. Clinging to the north shore of Bay St. Louis, an inlet just west of Gulfport that flows into the Gulf of Mexico, the DuPont DeLisle plant, the country's second-largest titanium dioxide maker, was slammed by Katrina. The facility produces 14 million pounds of toxic waste per year, some of which is kept at on-site landfills. From 1999 to 2003, the most recent figures available, 2.3 million pounds of the waste were planted in the company's landfill.

DuPont also operates four underground injection wells, which shoot toxic waste into the earth at a depth of around two miles. In late August this year, a jury awarded $1.5 million to the first of nearly 2,000 local plaintiffs who claimed that dioxins from DuPont, released into the nearby air and water, caused their cancers.

Hurricane Katrina's storm surge overflowed DuPont's 25-foot-high levee, and the site was buried under 7 to 9 feet of water. According to the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, a leaking pipe (now repaired) released a pound of chlorine gas, and rail cars containing coke, ore and chloride were tossed on their side. Despite this storm surge -- the same one that flattened most of the bay -- DuPont claims that not a drop of toxic waste escaped its on-site landfills. "Our current assessment is that damage to the plant did not affect the environment and community due to the storm surge," the company said in a statement to its employees.

"It's ridiculous for DuPont to claim that," says Becky Gillette, a Sierra Club organizer in Ocean Springs, Miss., in an e-mail. "What planet are they from? It is very distressing to think of all the poor people going to destroyed or flooded houses, cleaning them out, their kids in tow, without a clue about the poisons they may be exposed to in the cleanup."

Before Tuesday, no state or federal agency had been out to the DuPont site, according to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (the agency and the EPA have since visited the facility). "When industry has a major release, they have to notify us, and they haven't done that, so we can assume they've had no major problems down there," says Robbie Wilbur, the agency's public affairs specialist. "In general, I haven't heard of any major environmental problems, but a lot of facilities couldn't even get to them if they wanted. There's too much debris."

Although the Chevron Oil Refinery, at Pascagoula, Miss., which processes 325,000 barrels of crude oil a day, is also underwater, Wilbur says that Chevron has been "taking on a lot of responsibility themselves." As of Tuesday, the state environmental agency had yet to conduct water- or air-quality tests anywhere in the region. Wilbur says he doesn't know of any other state or federal task force working on the state's environmental problems or cleanup.

Louisiana's Department of Environmental Quality, on the other hand, began to document oil leaks the day after Katrina. They took water samples earlier this week that they expect back any day. They're working with the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers on a plan to treat sludge after the water subsides. One preliminary idea is to treat the toxic soil and use it to rebuild the coast.

Despite the variety of plans, the agency is overwhelmed, says communications director Rodney Mallett, a native of Louisiana. "I have no idea about how many oil refineries are impacted. I don't know about the Superfund sites. This is something like no one has ever seen. Nobody ever planned for anything like this."

The EPA has no estimates on how long recovery will take because it doesn't have a full picture of the environmental impact. Only three of New Orleans' 148 pumps are currently working, and it could take 80 days before the floodwaters drain from the city and its outlying suburbs into Lake Pontchartrain. Only then, following water and soil quality tests, can a comprehensive cleanup picture emerge.

Yet finding money to clean up the environmental contamination won't be easy. The Superfund bank account, money that would normally be used to pay for cleaning up hazardous waste sites that are "an act of God," is essentially broke. The tax on chemical and oil industries that pays for Superfund cleanups expired in December 1995. According to the most recent statistics, a 1998 report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, an environmental and health advocacy agency, $4 million for cleaning up hazardous waste sites goes uncollected every day the tax is not restored.

In fact, every year for the past decade congressional representatives have attempted to reauthorize the polluter payments, and every year the bill has been voted down. The Bush administration has consistently opposed the fee. Without the inflow of industry's money, taxpayers have instead funded the Superfund budget. Today, most of the $1.2 billion currently appropriated from the general revenue fund has already been committed to other sites around the country.

"The Superfund is supposed to be our safety net when Mother Nature is at fault," says Lois Gibbs, director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, a nonprofit group based in Falls Church, Va. "These fees could make a large dent in the costs of cleanup." Gibbs poses the question that geographer Wells also asked, one that the nation will likely spend the next several years trying to answer. "The entire community is now a hazardous waste dump. How do you clean up an entire city, an entire region?" ++

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Informant: Scott Munson

http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2005/09/david_zeiger.html


Informant: Lew Rockwell

Boston Globe
by Thomas Oliphant

09/13/05

John Roberts is poised to win confirmation as the next chief justice of the United States because, among other things, he knows the law cold. But after one of the most near-perfect, resume-punching voyages ever to the Supreme Court, there is almost no evidence of his understanding of justice. ... To illustrate, I have no doubt that [he has] a detailed understanding of Plessy v. Ferguson, the landmark abomination that enshrined segregation in 1896 for another 58 years under the delusional mantra of 'separate but equal.' It wouldn't surprise me if Judge Roberts could quote sentences from Justice Henry Brown's majority opinion ... and even from John Harlan's passionate dissent. But I doubt very much that Roberts knows beans about Homer Plessy, and I can imagine him being tripped up even if asked Plessy's first name. It is that human face of justice, or injustice, that concerns me, and, from the available record anyway, has never interested Roberts...

http://tinyurl.com/7dfmd


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Sierra Times
by Larry A. Jones

09/13/05

Okay, let me see if I understand this report. Under this 'plan' we get to use our weapons of mass destruction before you get to use your weapons of mass destruction, which you will want to use before we use our weapons of mass destruction, which we will want to use before you use your weapons of mass destruction, which you will want to use before we use our weapons of mass destruction, which we will want to use before you use your weapons of mass destruction, which you will want to use ... So, if Saddam had actually possessed WMD and had used them on us before we got to attack him to keep him from using his WMD (which he didn't have), his preemptive attack would have been justified under the terms of our own 'plan' -- right? And when the dust settled, the last man standing (if there is a last man standing) would get to decide who was 'right' -- right?

http://www.sierratimes.com/05/09/13/65_71_189_66_65659.htm


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Christian Science Monitor
by Martin Mayer

09/13/05

President Bush, in nominating John Roberts to be chief justice of the US -- along with conservative senators questioning him during his ongoing judiciary committee hearings -- insists that if confirmed, Mr. Roberts will not 'legislate from the bench.' From within the court, Justice Antonin Scalia has complained that the common-law tradition leaves judges too free to make a decision that pleases them and then hunt up prior cases or evidence of 'legislative intent' that can be interpreted to support their position. Such judicial arrogance, Justice Scalia argues, leaves us an uncertain law different from the language in the statute book and tainted by the political preferences of judges. Protection against such 'activism' can be won by insisting that statutes be enforced precisely as written, what Scalia calls 'textualism'...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0913/p08s02-coop.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

The American Prospect
by Matthew Yglesias

09/13/05

The recall of Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Mike Brown last week from the disaster on the Gulf Coast to Washington was, perhaps, the perfect Bush administration moment. Faced with growing criticism of the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina and the revelation that the nation's disaster-management agency is run by a man whose primary job qualification seems to have been sharing a college dorm room with one of the president's political cronies, the White House acted swiftly … to control the political fallout. Brown wasn't fired -- that would be too much like an admission that he shouldn't have had his job in the first place. Instead, the administration moved Brown out of the limelight in the hopes that the controversy would die down... [editor's note: In his haste to post this, Mr. Yglesias obviously did so before Brown resigned last night; the message is still valid, nevertheless! - SAT]

http://www.prospect.org/web/view-web.ww?id=10238


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Liberty For All
by Ed Lewis

09/14/05

Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers had an interesting piece on Lew Rockwell's site. Although it was actually about eating out in Tokyo rather cheaply, what really caught my mind was the idea that it is primarily American airports in which people are treated like criminals or cattle -- or both, I might add. ... Why is this? Why are people in America treated as less than human, robbing them of their dignity, their possessions, and their peace of mind? Why are women essentially strip-searched by idiots that barely can tie their own shoes -- and are allowed to carry firearms?

http://www.libertyforall.net/2005/sept11/crimes.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Strike the Root
by David MacGregor

09/13/05

When it comes to private companies, we expect accountability. And if we don't get it, we demand it. But when it comes to the state, it seems we are under a strange hypnotic spell, which blinds us to its colossal failures -- in every realm. Where is the accountability? Where is the outrage? Where is the demand for heads to roll?

http://www.strike-the-root.com/52/macgregor/macgregor4.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Strike the Root
by George F. Smith

09/13/05

The attitude of turning our worries over to government prevailed, and now, as bodies are collected, we witness federal officials playing their hand, giving us spinning press conferences, bureaucratic stonewalling, a growing military occupation, and a craven Congress writing fat checks without cutting spending, starting with a $50 billion appropriation to FEMA for what President Bush considers the 'heck of a job' it's doing...

http://www.strike-the-root.com/52/smith/smith1.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Ivan Osorio

09/13/05

If, needing to move quickly in an emergency, one of your hands is tied behind your back, you should untie it. But once the emergency has passed, you might ask: 'Why did I tie it in the first place?' That's a question Congress should now ponder. On September 8, President Bush suspended the Davis-Bacon Act, the federal 'prevailing wage' law, in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. This is a welcome move in the effort to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, helping to create jobs in the hurricane-stricken areas. But if suspending Davis-Bacon is good for economic development and job growth in a disaster area, repealing it entirely would be good for the country... [editor's note: Once again, funny how it seems to go in opposite directions depending on who's getting paid. In an emergency, the people at the top of the government contractor chain get paid premium prices because it's "necessary" to get things done hard and fast; but when it comes to the proles, exactly the opposite logic is applied - TLK]

http://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04827.cfm


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Hawaii Reporter
by Don Newman

09/13/05

With all the accusations and recriminations being bandied about concerning who is responsible for the fiasco that became the disaster in New Orleans, there is one element that isn't being examined at all that is at the heart of the matter. The poor results were directly attributable to one thing: bureaucracy. Whether it was the Louisiana Emergency Management Agency turning away the Red Cross trucks bound for the area filled with supplies, the failure of the mayor of New Orleans to foresee the disaster and get the people who had no other means of transportation on the available school buses and out of town as his own emergency plan called for, the governor of the state of Louisiana postponing in declaring a mandatory evacuation of the city and asking for National Guard help, or the president lollygagging an extra day on his ranch before he realized the seriousness of the situation, what they all have in common are a dependence and unrealistic expectation that bureaucracy will operate in fast and efficient manner...

http://tinyurl.com/eyqk9


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Ludwig von Mises Institute
by William Anderson

09/13/05

For the most part, we know what happened -- and what did not happen -- after Katrina had battered parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast and flooded most of New Orleans. Despite promises of aid 'around the corner,' adequate government assistance did not reach many of the refugees, and especially the people of New Orleans who were stuffed into the Superdome, the New Orleans Convention Center, not to mention nursing homes and roofs of houses. As we now know, government agents stymied attempts by private individuals and organizations to bring provisions to people who had none. People languished for about five days before the 'cavalry' arrived, bringing provisions and some bit of hope...

http://www.mises.org/story/1909


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

CounterPunch
by Ben Tripp

09/13/05

"A tiny group of particularly horrible individuals run the entire nation to suit themselves. Moneymen at the top, followed by celebrities and the Church or church; then you have your executive class, people that carry out the wishes of the upper class; then talk show hosts, creative types, and scientists and academics, living just a little better than the next folks by making the executive classes' orders seem more palatable to the working class, at the bottom of which are the rednecks, followed by immigrants, people with ethnic identities, and finally Mexicans and Wal-Mart employees, and then me. Race and Class aren't enough for such a ruddy-cheeked infant as the USA. We can do more. And we have, and in the 21st Century we will. The Master of Disaster, George W. Bush, has ensured that America will be an authoritarian nation as the weary century creeps by. More laws, more enforcement, more cracking down. More intolerance. More surveillance. More secret files on more citizens for more and more tenuous reasons; restrictions on travel and civil rights and freedom, that hoary canard. The government is going to get bigger and bigger on the insidious end of things: more warmaking power, more control-grasping mechanisms. But for the average Joe, Jane, and Undecided, the government will become a remote and inscrutable force, like the Evil Empire in George Lucas's epic sci-fi cycle 'Bedtime for Bonzo'...

http://www.counterpunch.org/tripp09132005.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Unknown News
by Herb Ruhs

09/13/05

Granted the horror of New Orleans is grand even by battlefield standards, but something like this is happening in the world, somewhere, nearly all the time. For much of the world it is relatively normal. What is unusual is that these are Americans, and many of us identify with them very strongly, and the fear touches our hearts, and we hurt deeply, for a change. If my apocalyptic vision turns out, unfortunately, to be premonitory, then there will be more New Orleans, coming soon, to a town near you. Get a leg up on your survival skills, grow a thick skin. Besides, it is hard to be compassionate and helpful when you are disabled by horror...

http://www.unknownnews.org/050913a-hr.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

AlterNet
by Robert Scheer

09/13/05

Unfortunately, what the Bush White House is good at when it comes to national security is providing flash over substance, as Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana found out the hard way. After riding in a helicopter with the president and seeing machinery apparently working on the breached 17th Street levee, she was shocked the next day to find the work mysteriously stopped. 'Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment,' said the senator in a press release. For far too long, this kind of shenanigan worked well for Bush .... But, as one of this nation's greatest war presidents said, you cannot fool all of the people all of the time...

http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/25412/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

SOLO HQ
by Tibor R. Machan

09/13/05

A need cannot be weighed against a right, any more than a wish or desire or urgent want can be weighed against a right. There can be no weighing involved, not between rights, nor between rights and needs, etc., although a rights holder could very well weigh whether to hang on to what he or she owns, contribute it to the person in dire need, to some cause or project, or otherwise dispose of it in light of his or her weighing of the importance of these alternative possibilities. The weighing is not of different rights or different people's rights, but of the importance or value of the goals to which one may contribute what one has the right to freely acquire...

http://tinyurl.com/a7by9


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

The Free Liberal
by Fred E. Foldvary

09/13/05

The world is astonished at the gross incompetence of the US government in handling the New Orleans disaster. Now that recovery is underway, the government agencies seem to be draining the city, securing safety, and gathering the bodies rather efficiently. What failed was the swift reaction and coordination which is supposed to be the rationale for centralized government. It is said, by those who don't think it through that deeply, that the market, that voluntary action, that private enterprise, cannot deal with such emergencies. They say, here is where we really need centralized government to command the resources, coordinate action, and issue orders. How many more disasters will it take for folks to realize that top-down centralized big government is not the best answer?

http://www.freeliberal.com/archives/001417.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

AntiWar.Com
by Justin Raimondo

09/14/05

The pressure on Syria is being increased, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a 'border incident' involving a shoot-out between Syrian and American troops. We may be in for a new Tonkin Gulf, leading to an extension of our 'liberatory' efforts in the Middle East. We already have U.S. Ambassador (i.e., Imperial Viceroy) Zalmay Khalilzad making threats, and this, coupled with the ongoing frame-up of Syria over the assassination of Rafik Hariri, will soon put Damascus in the spotlight. Readers of the 'Clean Break' scenario co-authored by Richard Perle and his gang in Washington will be familiar with the strategic rationale advanced by the Likudniks now in positions of power in the Bush administration: the road to Damascus, always considered by Israel the front line in their battle against the Arab world, runs through Baghdad, and this latest propaganda campaign is similar to the one preceding the invasion of Iraq...

http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=7249


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Free Market News Network
by Tibor R. Machan

09/13/05

Ever since the idea of individual liberty has achieved some measure of credibility over the world, those who would be unseated by its limited triumph had to find some way to discredit it or trump it somehow. One way was to re-christen servitude, to make it appear like an even more important kind of liberty than what individual liberty, properly understood, amounts to. When a human being is free in the most important, political sense, he or she is sovereign. This means he or she governs his or her own life -- others must refrain from intruding on this life, plain and simple. That life may be fortunate or not, rich or not, beautiful or not, and many other things or not, but what matters is that that life is no one else's to mess with. One gets to run it, no one else does...

http://www.freemarketnews.com/pview/5834/2598/html/index.php


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Guardian [UK]

09/12/05

Hundreds of mercenaries have descended on New Orleans to guard the property of the city's millionaires from looters. The heavily armed men, employed by private military companies including Blackwater and ISI, are part of the militarisation of a city which had a reputation for being one of the most relaxed and easy-going in America. After scenes of looting and lawlessness in the days immediately after Hurricane Katrina struck, New Orleans has turned into an armed camp, patrolled by thousands of local, state and federal law enforcement officers, as well as 70,000 national guard troops and active-duty soldiers now based in the region...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/story/0,16441,1567656,00.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Halifax Live

09/07/05

Reporters Without Borders voiced concern today about police violence against journalists covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, especially about the attacks on reporters and photographers that took place on September 1. ... Reporter Tim Harper and photographer Lucas Oleniuk of the Canadian Toronto Star daily were the victims of police violence while covering a clash between police and looters. The police threatened them several times at gunpoint and, when they realized Oleniuk had photographed them hitting looters, they hurled him to the ground, grabbed his two cameras and removed memory cards containing around 350 pictures. His press card was also torn from him. When he asked for his pictures back, the police insulted him and threatened to hit him. Harper said in a report about the police violence in the Toronto Star that, given the situation in New Orleans, there was no doubt that the police saw journalists as an obstacle to their efforts to regain control of the city...

http://tinyurl.com/9z7bp


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

STOPP Politik die verführt, lügt und schlechten Background aufzeigt!

STOPP auf http://www.stoppschild.de

13-9-2005bs

Irgendwie erscheint es eigenartig, die Wahlprognosen verschieben sich deutlich in Richtung der bisherige Regierung, und im Gegenzug erscheinen sogar manch öffentlich rechtliche Sender sich zu positionieren.

Da wird ein Publikum befragt, nur 3 Anwesende entsprechen der aktuellen 25% Unentschlossenengruppe, obwohl bestimmt einige Hundert anwesend sind.

Die Moderation stellt Fragen, an die Regierungsparteien welche die richtig kritisch, die bereits in der Vergangenheit im Volk schlecht ankommen sind, und den Unionsvertretern werden die offene Türen für positive Propaganda vorgelegt.

Applaus kommt wie auf Befehl, so bisher nur von Shows der Privaten her bekannt.

Nur ein Eindruck?

Mit den Zweiten sieht man besser, die Frage ist nur was da dann zum Vorschein kommt.

Öffentlich rechtliche Anstalten platzieren seit Jahren Konsumgüter gegen Bezahlung, Jugendgeschichten werden von Lobbyisten erdacht und mittels Handyeinsatz gelöst, mit der Folge, dass heute der jugendliche Handynutzer mit Problemen eher zum Handy greift, um seine Lage zu verbessern, anstatt sich selbst damit zu beschäftigen, eine Lösung zu finden. Und wer weiß, dass diese Handys nicht nur die Gesundheit beeinträchtigen, sondern eben auch die kognitive Leistungsfähigkeit?

Das sind Marktstrategien, die mit viel Geld umgesetzt werden, auch anders wo, Müllentsorgung, Energieversorgung und so weiter.

Konsum, Befriedigung und Kontakt auf Kopfdruck.

Doch nicht nur der Umgang damit wird vorgelebt, auch die Meinungen vorgekaut und halb verdaut vorgestellt.

Deutschland am Ende, Deutschland vorm Absturz, Westerwelle und Kauder- Welsch sein Wochen im Chor mit der frustrierten Kandidatin aus dem Osten.

Früher wurden im Hinterzimmer die Geheimpläne geschmiedet, die öffentliche Diskussionskultur verdeckt getäuscht, verführt und falsch informiert, heute nimmt man Geld in die Hand und beschäftigt sich eine "MiesMach- Agentur" wie Metallarbeitgeber-Chef Kannegießer und seine Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft, mit knapp 10 Mio Euro jährlich soll dem Volk von 30 Redakteure und Werbe-Profis der Agentur Scholz and Friends, unzähligen, gut bezahlten Vorträgen bekannter Politiker aus allen Parteien klar gemacht werden, Deutschland ist am Ende angekommen.

Wie berichtete das Erste in Plus Minus am 30.08.2005?

"Medien machen Meinung Auf allen Kanälen sind die „Botschafter“ Dauergäste in den Talkshows, manchmal sitzen gleich drei in einer Sendung. Dort treten sie für SPD, Union, FDP und Grüne auf - oder als unabhängige Experten. Tatsächlich sind alle bei der gleichen Lobby im Boot – und fordern harte Einschnitte, von denen sie selbst nie betroffen sind.

Durch diesen Etikettenschwindel wird die öffentliche Diskussion manipuliert, sagt der Politologe Rudolf Speth. Er hat sich in einer Studie für die Hans-Böckler-Stiftung wissenschaftlich mit der Initiative auseinandergesetzt – und mit ihrer Wirkung auf das Publikum.

Pivatdozent Dr. Rudolf Speth, Politologe an der FU Berlin stellt fest: „Wenn alle Botschafter der Initiative dasselbe sagen, dann heißt das ja, oder dann bedeutet das ja: Das muss richtig sein. Da kann gar nichts falsch liegen, wenn so ganz unterschiedliche Leute dieselbe Idee vertreten. Das andere ist aber, dass dadurch die Alternativen unsichtbar werden, denn es gibt Alternativen, aber die werden dadurch faktisch ausgeblendet oder nicht thematisiert. Also insofern hat die Initiative die Strategie, Alternativen unsichtbar zu machen.“

Zahlreiche Journalisten und Medien sind inzwischen selbst Teil der Kampagne. Die Initiative liefert auf Bestellung Daten, sie machen daraus einen Artikel oder gleich eine ganze Doppelseite, wie in der „Welt“. Kernaussage: 50 Jahre Sozialpolitik – ein einziger Irrtum. Weg damit!"

Dabei scheint es niemanden mehr zu interessieren, wie in dem Land Kosten reduziert werden können, so dass wir hochlohnfähig bleiben, damit den Standard erhalten können, und wieder Beschäftigung schaffen. Dazu benötigen wir einen Markt, den auch wir bedienen und nutzen, und nicht eine exportorientierte Wirtschaft, sondern auch lokale Märkte, wie sie die regenerative Energie, die Ver- und Entsorgung und der soziale Bereich schon aufgrund der Bevölkerungsentwicklung indiziert.

Wir benötigen Märkte für den lokalen Mittelstand, den Handwerker, dem Dienstleiter und eine Kultur, die nicht massenhypnotisiert zu glauben irgendwo 16% MWSt zu sparen.

Wir benötigen Initiativen für Bildung, Lehrerfortbildung und endlich ein Schulsystem und Einstellung gegenüber dem Lernen, Denken, die dem 21 Jahrhundert angemessen ist.

Nicht nur die Neurowissenschaftler müssen wissen wie Lernen klappt, jeder sollte es irgendwann mal verstanden haben.

Doch heute wird bereits den Kleinsten abgewöhnt, vollständige Arbeit zu leisten, Befriedigung auf Knopfdruck ohne oder mit sehr wenig eigener Leistung.

Ich selbst bin der ersten ComputerKids Generationen entsprungen, habe noch in der Grundschulzeit BASIC Programmierung aufn Apple gelernt, den PET mit Kassetten gefüttert, auf den ersten Sinclair gehofft, und mit dem C64 mir einen Traum erfüllt, und musste mir die "Selbstbefriedungungssoftware erst mal selbst schaffen, ob PacMan oder andere Programme, es gab nichts, -fast nichts zu kaufen Anfang der 80iger.

Heute bestellt man schnell im Web, per Handy und das Höchste an Eigenleistung, und um die bei manchen noch vorhandenen Bastler Gene zu befriedigen gibt es ja CaseModding..

Teuere Arbeitshefte mit Lückentexten in der Schule und wer kann noch vollständige Sätze in der Lehre hervorbringen? Und später dann gleich nur noch Multiple Choice Kästchen zum ankreuzen.

Kinder benötigen neben einer sicheren, friedlichen, gesunden Umwelt insbesondere die Möglichkeit sich auszuleben, zu probieren, ertesten, erschmecken und erspielen hämmern, Bäume, Wege, Bälle, Angelhaken, genauso wie Computer, Bausteine, Würfelspiele, Modellflieger oder einen einfachen Malblock, Freunde und Zeit.

Da brauchen wir keine Vollzeitbetreuung, keine Ganztagsschulen, auch wenn die Möglichkeiten vorhanden sein müssen, wir brauchen Erlebnisräume und Kinder müssen Vorrang bekommen! Nicht die Jäger, nicht die Angler, nicht der Forst, nicht die Handybranche, nicht die Landwirtschaft, nicht die Energiewirtschaft und schon gar nicht eine allumfassende und vorgebende Schule.

Was Kinder ebenfalls nicht brauchen, sind TV- Kindershows von morgens 6 bis zum abwinken, dann hat unser Land eine Zukunft, wie auch unsere Kinder und auch wir können dann alt und älter werden.

Bernd Schreiner selbstständig, Vater dreier Kinder unter 10 Jahren.

Internationale Bewertungen zeigen wo unsere Stärken und Schwächen liegen. Die Schwarzmaler der Union sollten Folgendes zur Kenntnis nehmen, genauso wie die liberalen Freiheitseinschränker, oder die rote Linke. Aber auch die Regierungspartei sollte endlich akzeptieren, dass es nicht so einfach ist, wie sie bisher argumentierten.

"Im Bereich der Flexibilisierungen des Arbeitsmarktes liegt Deutschland einem Bericht der "Süddeutschen Zeitung" zufolge weltweit auf Platz eins. "


Dienstag, 13. September 2005 09:00 Uhr

Weltbank-Studie: Deutschland weltweit unter den reformfreudigsten Ländern - Platz 19 bei Unternehmerfreundlichkeit

In einer vergleichenden Studie der Weltbank zur Reformfreudigkeit hat Deutschland den fünften Platz unter 155 Staaten belegt. Im Bereich der Flexibilisierungen des Arbeitsmarktes liegt Deutschland einem Bericht der "Süddeutschen Zeitung" zufolge weltweit auf Platz eins. Die Untersuchung wird heute von der International Finance Corporation, einer Tochter der Weltbank, in Washington vorgestellt. Deren Chefökonom Klein erläuterte im Deutschlandradio Kultur, erfasst seien auch die Zutrittsbedingungen zum Markt für den Mittelstand, die Handelspolitik und die Durchsetzung von Verträgen. In einer zweiten Rangliste, die die Unternehmerfreundlichkeit der Staaten bewertet, belegt Deutschland den 19. Platz, vor Frankreich und Italien, aber hinter den skandinavischen Ländern sowie Irland, Litauen und Estland. Die besten Bedingungen für Unternehmen bietet Neuseeland.

PILT meint:

Schon Kohl hat das Land in den Abgrund gedrückt. Deutsche weichgekocht - Union mit voller Machtausstattung im Herbst: sie könnte die Notstandsdiktatur herstellen.

sueddeutsche de
01.07.2005 17:28 Uhr

Thema: Was wollen die Konservativen? Das schwarze Loch - Ganz klar: Sie werden, wenn sie die Neuwahlen gewinnen, eine größere Gestaltungsmacht haben denn je. Aber was, bitte, wollen die deutschen Konservativen eigentlich? Wenn nicht alle Zeichen trügen, und wenn die Union nicht alles verkehrt macht (was keineswegs ausgeschlossen ist), dann steht Deutschland im Herbst, da die Neuwahlen nach der vorgestrigen Abstimmung über die Vertrauensfrage nun wohl stattfinden werden, eine Machtfülle des konservativen Lagers bevor, wie es sie seit den Tagen Bismarcks oder seit Adenauers Wahlsieg von 1957 nicht mehr gegeben hat.

Bismarck nutzte die Reichseinigung und die inneren Krisen danach zur Zerschlagung der nationalliberalen Partei und zu einem Feldzug gegen Katholiken und Sozialdemokraten. Für ein paar Jahre herrschte er diktatorisch. < . . . . .

Ähnlich verfuhr Helmut Kohl 1990, mitten im Wiedervereinigungsprozess: Eine großzügige Währungsreform, das Versprechen blühender Landschaften und die Finanzierung der Einheit auf Kredit sorgten für jene Sektlaune der neunziger Jahre, die schon bald zum Beispiel das Land Berlin in einen Schuldturm brachte, aus dem es allein gewiss nicht mehr herausfinden wird. < . . . .

Das deutsche Wahlvolk, ist weichgekocht wie lange nicht mehr. . . . <

. . . . Das Staatsdefizit – eine Erbschaft der Ära Kohl – ist so desaströs wie je, die Reformen Schröders blieben unfertig und vorerst erfolglos (nicht einmal Spareffekte wurden erzielt, geschweige eine Belebung von Konjunktur und Arbeitsmarkt), und die Zeit rinnt aus . . . <

Deutschland steht auch vor einem demographischen Problem, dass heisst vor einem Bevölkerungsschwund der besonderen Art: die Leistungsträger gehen ihm aus.

Dazu also das Finanzdesaster . . . Alles in ANTARIS und DWGM durch uns in den 80er und 90er Jahren vorausgesagt. Obgleich diese Leistung wird unsere Seite als Sekte und als Spinner beurteilt. Aber das ist eben so in diesem Land: die Fähigen verachtet es und es sucht sich lieber falsche Führer aus – ob ihm eigenen Land oder/und im Ausland (USA, GB).

Obgleich viele Deutsche von Armut und Korruption betroffen, fallen sie uns in den Rücken und hören auf die falschen Führer, auf die Unfähigen zuhauf. Letztes Beispiel: Vorgänge im http://www.seniorentreff.de . Vordem Vorgänge in http://www.immobetrug.de . In beiden Fällen könnten die Betreiber sich auf die Seite der Ganoven gestellt haben, um sich halten zu können. Wie vor dem die Leitung von Foren im http://www.focus.de . Das beste aller Foren innerhalb der BRD ist aus unserer Sicht http://www.spiegel.de . Dort werden die Straftäter mit ihren Attacken gegen Antaris-Koeppl ausgesiebt, haben keinerlei Chancen. Die Foren von http://www.spiegel.de sind hochqualifiziert und zu empfehlen denen, die fair und intelligent diskutiert haben wollen.

SUEDDEUTSCHE ONLINE FRAGT weiter in Richtung CDU/CSU: Und die Kanzlerkandidatin hat die Kunst, allen Fragen auszuweichen, sich nicht festzulegen, nichts zu sagen, zu einem Grad perfektioniert, der nicht einmal im Neuen Deutschland der alten SED erreicht worden war; denn die Regierungszeitung der DDR musste ja nicht mit einer kritischen Öffentlichkeit kalkulieren. Frau Merkels Interviews der letzten Tage sind kaum weniger als eine Verhöhnung des Publikums. . . . <

Im Notstand zu Hause

Von Bismarcks Staatsstreichplänen – der Gründerfürst des Deutschen Reiches meinte allen Ernstes, er könne seine Schöpfung auch wieder auf dem Verkehr ziehen –, über das persönliche Regime Wilhelm II., die Hindenburgschen Notverordnungen, Papens irregeleitete Kabinettspolitik, Adenauers Spiegel-Affäre bis zu den Schwarzen Kassen der CDU, Kohls Ehrenwort und noch jüngst Kanthers gespenstische Rechtfertigung der Schweizer Konten seiner Partei mit einem angeblichen Notstand im Kampf gegen die Linke verläuft eine grade Linie. Sie bedeutet: Legalität ist für die anderen da, denn die eigentlichen Herren im Hause sind wir; wir wissen, wann ein übergeordneter Notstand uns zu Putschplänen, Notverordnungen oder Schwarzen Kassen berechtigt. <

. . . Korruption und Gesetzesbruch gibt es auf allen Seiten, doch kaum irgendwo ist das begleitende Gewissen so gut wie bei deutschen Konservativen. Das Feld der Linken ist der emotional enthemmte Moralismus; die Konservativen sind im kalt kalkulierten Staatsnotstand zu Hause. Und diese hinter staatstragender Rhetorik gut verkappte Legalitätsverachtung korrespondiert direkt mit einem zweiten Laster: der Öffentlichkeit nicht die Wahrheit zu sagen. <

. . . . Dass die Übertragung des westdeutschen Sozialsystems auf 17 Millionen zusätzliche Anspruchsberechtigte mindestens hochriskant war, dass der Umtauschkurs zwischen DDR-Mark und D-Mark den Gegebenheiten nicht entsprach, dass die Hoffnung auf einen selbsttragenden Aufschwung („Blühende Landschaften“) eine Luftbuchung darstellte – all das war 1990 nicht unvorstellbar. < . . .

. . . . stand: ein Misstrauen gegen die Bürger, das von Verachtung kaum zu unterscheiden ist. Jene seit Bismarck praktizierte Verächtlichkeit gegenüber dem Recht und dieser Dünkel gegenüber den Bürgern, denen man keinen reinen Wein einschenken zu müssen glaubt, zeigt den fortbestehenden unbürgerlichen Charakter des deutschen Konservatismus: noch immer halb feudal, halb kleinbürgerlich, in jedem Fall aber unstädtisch. < . . . .

Nochmals die SZ zur Frau Merkel: > . . Mit DDR-geschulter Leisetreterei und überkommener konservativer Geringschätzung von Öffentlichkeit und Bürgersinn wird sie ihre historische Chance verspielen. <

SZ v. 02./03.07.2005

Die SZ (Süddeutsche Zeitung) wagt sich weit heraus. Es scheint für Deutschland die Todesstunde anzubrechen. In dieses morsche Gebilde, welche künstlich morsch gemacht wurde (Kohl ein Landesverräter und Frau Merkel mit) brechen britische und amerikanische Kapital- und Machtkreise heuschreckenartig ein. Deutschland wird übernommen. Die französisch-deutsche-russische Achse ist vorerst geschwächt. Deutschland ganz besonders war trojanisiert worden - schon über Werkzeuge wie das ECHELON-System (ein Ablauschwerkzeug von Briten und Amerikanern).

Schröder nennt Kohl einen Penner

(spiegel online vom 9.7.05) Die Penner von gestern würden morgen die Zukunft Deutschlands gestalten wollen. Sie hätten in den 90er Jahren alles verschlafen. Deutschland rutsche tief - wegen Ungemeinsamkeiten.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,364580,00.html spiegel.de

09. Juli 2005 Thema: AGGRESSIVER KANZLER Schröder tituliert Merkel und Kohl als Penner

. . . Beim niedersächsischen SPD-Wahlparteitag ging Kanzler Schröder seine Herausfordererin Angela Merkel hart an. Es sei grotesk, die Penner von gestern den Aufbruch von morgen gestalten zu lassen, sagte er. . . .

. . . . . In seiner halbstündigen Kandidatenrede rief der Bundeskanzler die SPD zum Kampf auf, um Deutschland gemeinsam "als Macht des Friedens und der ökonomischen und ökologischen Verantwortung" weiterzuentwickeln.

. . . . Als Skandinavien in den neunziger Jahren die Antworten auf die Herausforderungen der Zukunft, auf Globalisierung und Alterung der Gesellschaft, formuliert habe, hätten in Deutschland die Regierung Helmut Kohl und in ihr Angela Merkel "gepennt". Schröder fügte hinzu: "Es heißt eine Groteske zu veranstalten, wenn man die Penner von gestern den Aufbruch von morgen gestalten lässt".

. . . . Daher gehe er "voller Tatendrang in die Wahlauseinandersetzung", sagte Schröder. Die rot-grüne Bundesregierung habe in den vergangenen sieben Jahren das Land vorangebracht. Nun wolle sie Deutschland weiter als Macht profilieren, die sich um sozialen Ausgleich und um die europäische Integration kümmere. Sie wolle weiter dafür sorgen, dass Deutschland "ökonomisch effizient aber gleichwohl mit sozialer Sensibilität geführt wird". . . . . <

Schröder hätte das schon Ende 1998 sagen müssen, um dem Volk zu sagen, was Kohl und Merkel hinterlassen hatten.


Viele Grüße aus Westhausen!

Bernd Schreiner

http://openpr.de/news/60496.html

Sep 13 2005

By Paul Rhys, South London Press

A BILL for almost £17,000 has been slapped on planners who failed to consult properly over the installation of a phone mast.

Scores of people complained when the T-Mobile mast was set up on Camberwell College of Arts in Peckham Road last year.

Their case went to the Local Government Ombudsman - a watchdog on councils - which has ruled that Southwark council's incomplete consultation constituted an injustice.

It has asked the council to pay 83 residents £200 each - a total of £16,600.

Objector Nathan Morris, 70, a retired accounts assistant of Brunswick Park, said: "It's not just that we weren't consulted - there's documented evidence these things could be a health risk.

"The money just seems like a payoff."

Another objector, NHS consultant Giuseppe Spoto, 59, of Camberwell Grove, said: "It's not enough to say it would have been built even if we did have chance to object. If the procedure was wrong it should be pulled down."

An application to install the mast was originally lodged in July 2003.

The council dismissed it as incompatible with the local conservation area, but a revised application was lodged that October.

Southwark put up a notice and advertised in the press - but didn't write to 83 residents whose objections had previously been collected by Brunswick Park Labour councillor Ian Wingfield.

No objections were therefore considered and the application was approved by officers without going to a planning committee.

In a report the ombudsman said there were "no grounds to refuse the application because of perceived local health risks".

He added the mast was well-concealed and had little visual impact on nearby houses.

But Cllr Wingfield remains unhappy with the outcome.

He said: "Whether residents get £200 or £2million, it's not good enough.

"The council made an illegal decision and didn't follow its own procedures.

"What confidence can the public have if they don't put right the damage?"

A council spokeswoman said they'd received the recommendation and were considering the findings.

By Ben Hoyle
Times online

September 14, 2005

A COUPLE who spent their life savings on a doomed two-year battle over a telephone mast now face financial ruin after being presented with a claim for £400,000 in legal costs.

Agnes Ingvarsdottir, 61 and her husband, Ericur Petursson, 63, began proceedings to have Hutchison 3G’s mast removed after the telecommunications company installed it on the roof of a restaurant opposite their home.

Soon after the mast became operational in August 2003 the couple and their son, Neils Erickson, 42, said that they began to suffer nausea, headaches and other health problems. But their attempt to prove that the mast caused the symptoms was thrown out by the High Court and they were instructed to pay Hutchison 3G’s legal costs.

The company has now presented the couple’s solicitor with a statement of its costs, which amount to £407,398. The company said that it had offered the family numerous opportunities to settle out of court.

Mrs Ingvarsdottir said yesterday that her family cannot pay. “We face financial ruin. We have no way of ever getting anywhere near paying this,” she said. “It is just unbelievable. We have no money. Even if the figure they eventually are awarded is less I doubt we could pay. The case was dragged out and it drained us of our savings.”

The family moved into their three-bedroom, Grade II-listed Georgian house in London Road, Worcester, in 1999, after coming to Britain from Denmark. Their son ran the family business, designing and making air filtering systems, from the property.

All three of them claim that they began to get ill when the mast became operational. Mrs Ingvarsdottir said: “Our lives just changed, it became very hard. We suffered headaches, nausea and vomiting, tinnitus and cardiovascular disease. I developed a blood clot in my leg, which I believe was caused by the mast.

“We have always been healthy people but suddenly we got everything going. I got chest infections. My guts were infected and my teeth started to fall out. It was like there was no immunity any more.” She added: “The doctor said there was no guidance on treatment of illness supposedly caused by phone masts. We had to move.”

They sold their house for £220,000 in August 2005, £50,000 less than it had been valued in 2003. Their new home, in Upper Colwall, Worcestershire, is surrounded by a conservation area.

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A family face financial ruin over a battle against a telephone mast
http://openpr.com/news/132.html

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Dirty dealings by Hutchison
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=210

More on Hutchison 3G dirty dealings
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=242

And still more on Hutchinson’s dirty dealings
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=244
http://www.mast-victims.org/index.php?content=journal&action=view&type=journal&id=11

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Hutchison 3G use intimidation tactics to keep people at bay
From http://www.powerwatch.org.uk

I understand that corporations have a principle motivation to make as much money as possible, but is it really ethical to drag out a court case with highly expensive corporate lawyers and then dump the 400,000 pound bill on normal home owners with bad health.

Click here for the full news story:
http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/news/20050914_hutchison.asp

--------

Dear Agnes,

I've just read the newspaper article about you. What can I say? This is absolutely monstrous - and I'm quite sure that H3G will be shown up for the brutes they are. I hope you are getting this into the big daily papers - it's a human interest story that they should be falling over themselves to 'scoop'. A simple family with little money being trampled on by a global giant, for nearly half a million pounds! It's fantastic stuff, and it will make H3G into the phone firm from hell! Try and get it on to national TV and radio if you can. You & Yours Radio 4 would be good. My email address is les.johnson2@ntlworld.com - if you need to talk about it, or if I can help in any way to get this maximum publicity for you, please just email me. Maybe Karen with all her media contacts could also give you some advice, and perhaps offer to link you up with some of the national journos? What about it Karen - could you help Agnes in this?

Good luck - you're not alone, we're with you all the way.

Jenny

--------

Thank you Jenny.

I am in quite a shock over, that if it is just about big money, the press is there and ready.

By now it has been on BBC Midlands today, all three on Monday, + Local BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester.

Yesterday with a press agency from Birmingham, who got it into the Times today:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1779393,00.html

Which is not a quite accurate article, but nothing big wrong with it.

So, that was today, (now yesterday) and also in the Daily Express.

Central news has contacted me, but I do not know if they will come through.

The press agency will also send it to Europe, so it might appear abroad.

And you bet I will make the most of it, while someone is still interested.

There are many of us, as you best know, and there are only going to be loads more within a couple of years.

And yes please, if you have any contacts, I sure can use them.

Eileen O,Connor got me into the BBC central news with her contacts and that started all this.

We have been trying since 2003 to get the press interested, to no avail, but big sums can do wonders.

I honestly think I took H3G unaware, in the start they did not seem to understand what had hit them, but now I can recognize their solicitors jargon now on the answers to the press, and they are trying to unwrap the intimidation method and lies again, to get the press to believe we are the bad guys.

But no matter what, we will never negotiate with H3G, we do not negotiate with yobs, thugs and Mafia.

I do know principles are expensive, but this is our opinion. Come what may.

I am going to write to Danish and Icelandc newspapers, and I have sent the times article to Omega news and stopumts in the Nederlands.

And to a Swedish site that brings mast news and happenings, in the hope that they will print it, and maybe a French site as well.

So, I am still sitting here at 4 o´clock in the morning and writing.

But I thank you for your concern, I can use all the help I can get, and I have had a lot of support from people.

Many of my neighbors have come by today to wish me luck and sympathy.

I feel like an angry Terrier dog, and I will do them all the harm I can, and try and show them off for what they are.

And yes, I do know I am not alone.

Thank you for your support,

Best regards.

Agnes

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From Karen Barratt

Mast Sanity press office is pushed at the moment. Sian is on holiday and as many of you know, my brother is in a coma after a stroke. I am still handling all enquiries (Lisa will back up if I'm called away). I did the press release on the blood test as Sian had been working round the clock and hadn't had time to do it. It was a priority as it's the first time a test showing the link between masts and health effects has been available. It will be difficult for the establishment to "rubbish." As a number of people are off line at the moment the press office is also dealing with all blood test enquiries.

I have great deal of sympathy with Agnes. It's a terrible situation to be in. I've seen both the reports in the nationals. I regret to say that I think the publicity on this occasion is a double edged sword. Unfortunately the main message that comes over is "challenge the operators and lose your house" which is precisely what H3G wants. They may shed crocodlie tears over the "bad" press but won't lose any sleep over it. Protestors will be too scared to take legal action when they read this. Most people would not put their houses on the line. I certainly wouldn't. H3G may be seen as a bully but their phones will still sell. I know only too well from the Winchester experience with Orange that the telecoms do not care about bad publicity. We've had nearly five years of negative stories about Orange but it has proved impossible to get a boycott going. People still buy their phones because the advertising campaigns are enormous and nobody can quite face up to the fact that their phones require masts. We also have pursued the legal route as you know but as far as possible protected individuals against personal liability but it's a risky business unless you can get public funding. However, the costs award which Orange got against Winchester City Council has resulted in other councils being afraid to upset the companies. This has resulted in our recent failure to get Hants County Council to support us on the highways issue.

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I do understand Karen, and being in a similar situation myself with regard to desperately ill relatives, you have all my sympathy. Your comments regarding the failure we all encounter when up against the Ops are absolutely correct and do nothing but strengthen and confirm my view that mass direct action is the only way forward. As you so rightly point out, all our careful and well reasoned arguments have failed to date. It is increasingly clear that we are doomed to being permanently oppressed by rogue Operators and a shameful government, and they will triumph unless they are faced by the united force of the people. It could be done, there are enough of us out there to make a real difference. Whether this is possible under the new Mast Sanity remit, is a question we must ask ourselves. But that's obviously for another time and place. For reasons which I think you are aware of, I am happily outside this now, and that in itself gives me a great sense of freedom.

Jenny

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Agnes.. obviously very sorry to hear about your situation. Personally I think you should challenge the amount. AS far as Im aware operators often quote ridiculous figures and often judges will tell them to stuff it when the people who have to pay have little funds and the ones wanting the money have vast reserves. Im fairly sure they have to justify the amount especially if your own personal legal bill was a lot lower.

The other thing to look at is what advice your solicitor gave you and if they gave you false hope of winning. Mast sanity have always advised people never to go to court unless they have legal aid. Its not fair but the way the courts are set up it has to be a unique case to win and the solicitors have to be specialists in planning and in mast cases as well as far as Im concerned. On top of that you’ve got the fact that even very very strong cases such as the bardsey case are lost – things are stacked very heavily against us so risking costs is something we advise against. I believe the solicitor has to make it quite clear what potential costs could be landed on you if you lost. I m not sure which solicitor you used was it one on our recommended list? I think I sent that to you with our info pack when you rang and its also on the website.

Check with Chris Maile about what solicitors have to do as he will know. ( however ive just rung him and found out hes closed again due to lack of support )

AS to media … Actually Agnes after you called me on the advice line I gave your number to absolutely every media contact about 18 months(?) ago national and many more local media wanted to contact you however none of them managed to contact you and did come back to tell me they couldn’t get hold of you. I rang you myself and emailed you many times as well to try and find out your situation but didn’t get a reply so sorry I stopped giving your number out. There was a time when we got many many press inquiries wanting “sick” people (!!) we obviously have a long list of them and you were on it however from what I can see press inquiries are looking at different things in our campaign at the moment.. not sure why.. maybe the terror climate? There will be a time however when they do come back to the health aspect and no doubt we can give your number and email out again.

Life as a Mast sanity volunteer is very difficult at the moment. Lots an lots of people are very frustrated by the lack of movement and expect an awful lot of our volunteers. I often read emails on this list saying mast sanity should be doing this mast sanity should be doing that. Im afraid there is only so many hours in the day and in order to keep sane volunteers do have to have a break sometimes.. what we could do with is more volunteers.. there is so much we could do and could be doing but without people prepared to represent mast sanity and prepared to put the hours in then we have to limit what we do. Our priority as always is helping those people starting out who need to fight NOW. However we are doing things that might not be very obvious eg are you all aware Amanda is talking to all MPS on a regular basis educating them on the new research etc. Theres been a def upturn in political interest and I feel Amanda is partly responsible for that.

Media is slow at the moment as our press office people are under a lot of strain... – it shows when I have to provide cover!! I “broke” a long time ago and if it wasn’t for the current volunteers mast sanity and this list would have disappeared totally last November. As a result of working too hard for too long Im just not able to work much for mast sanity now.

Its very difficult to get any meaty stories in with all the iraq stuff and terrorist stuff…the mobile industry and scientific “authorities” are making the most of this time by slipping in news etc that in quieter times would be big news but now slips easily past the media.

Again Agnes I really do feel for your situation and I would reiterate that you should look at getting legal advice on how to reduce the amount.

Regards

Lisa Oldham

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Actually I and mast sanity fully support direct action.

Direct action is not necessarily unlawful action.. I presume Jen you arnt suggesting we all break the law in this fairly open list and that that is the sort of direct action you are thinking of? I ALL for it and always have been.. so is mast sanity.. not sure why you think we arnt? Charity status doesn’t prevent us doing anything but officially (!!) organizing a protest (think we might be able to get round that as well don’t you!) we have to educate politicians rather than lobby them but its not affecting what we do at all.. wish wed done it years ago as it gives us lots more credibility with officious arsy types. Of course there was no one like Sian to do all the form filling for me then though which is why I never got round to it

We cant and never have either as an org or a charity supported unlawful activity. Apart from it being against the law and an org of any sort could be help responsible in the end if they endorsed it, its the ordinary people who are driven to do the unlawful stuff that end up paying for it - not the operators… I only want operators to pay.

If you look at our info pack it continues - as always - to advise groups to carry out direct action, that loud noisy very public campaigns are the most successful - but understandably many are reluctant.. many people who are faced with masts have never marched or chanted or waved placards at anything – it’s a big change….

Over the years we and other groups have tried to organize mass activities.. ie school pull outs etc.. there are lots of us but we are spread out .. there may be an activist at every school but we don’t have 500 at every school and we need the majority to pull out.. its not a success if one parent pulls children out of school because of a mast close by. Take my old school the school lost 4 families of children as a result of the mast…. But the rest stayed and sit underneath one of the loudest base stations I have ever heard. They all know its there.. many of them have seen my demonstration of the acousticom… many are close friends of mine - none of them care/KNOW – enough!

And look at how many have NOT carried out the health survey… an independent scientific national survey .. 50 at the last count and they were 50 individuals NOT 50 groups of surveys!!

And then remember the protest in London !!! We almost had more police than campaigners… I appreciate many of you think this is a newish campaign but there are people out there who have been fighting nationally for over 10 years now… at the time of the protest we contacted over 2000 groups that both Planning and Mast sanity had helped… some more than once.. in theory if they all came and brought a couple of mates we reckoned 10 thou campaigners would have gone to London .. the media certainly believed it possible and so did the police… they knew the extent of local uproar.. however we actually got under 300….considering the hard work that went into organizing it and the cost of the event it was pitiful and both chris and I felt very let down.. it was soul destroying.

Im not saying Im against mass protest again its just you have to be realistic of what you can expect of people … thousands of people fighting masts only 300 ish who thought it worth going to London to protest. Any direct action now HAS to be successful.. the media and industry will keep a very close eye on what goes on..we cant afford to fail again

What Id like to see first is more unity of local groups… more local people meeting together – maybe as branches of mast sanity…. I d love to see people getting more people on this list or At least using our forum.

People working together… people acting as one.. people using their personal talents to forward this very difficult national campaign. Coordinated direct action is impossible unless people are already working together and communicating effectively… organizing and attending big events is daunting for people unused to protesting unless they have local support and are part of the community.


Cheers

LisaO

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Lisa.

I have never received the list of numbers to the media you talk about.

18 months ago we were desperately trying to flee our radiated home, after having spent a fortune bying and installing netal netting, led curtains, ferrets to put on every single electricity outlet and so on. And having to acknowledge that this did not help enough to block out the pollution.

We finally found an empty house to move into (and moved in there 18 months ago.) And we were in a pretty bad state, practically not having slept, and having been continuously sick since 7th of August 2003.

And please Lisa, I am not blaming you, mast sanity or anyone in the mast resistance movement.

You helped me to find Dr. Hyland for Expert witness, we had scored the country to try and find one, but no-one was willing. The only one willing was Dr. Santini in France, but our solicitor rejected him.

You sent me information about a solicitor in Birmingham, my husband spoke to him, but felt he seemed very dis-interested,

We could not get legal aid as we had “2 houses” it did not count that we were unable to stay in the contaminated house.

And of course we are challenging the amount.

H3G had already demanded to see our financial status, before they submitted their demand so they knew all about what we had and what we did not have, and where it had gone. They went far past the deadline that had been put to them to deliver the cost demand, and asked for 6 weeks extension and she gave them 3 weeks, but when they delivered the cost demand they gave a 3 week deadline for our new solicitor to deliver the assessment, it she wanted more time we would have to pay them £. 40000.- on account. So much for “Settlement offers”.

They had earlier estimated their legal cost to be £. 233000.- and told the judge they could not see it exceeding that amount, but in reality they almost doubled that amount.

Now they come back and say they would accept less (no numbers), but it is too late for that, if they can accept less they should have asked for less. It makes no difference to us.

I know very well that following principles can be very costly, but we are going to follow that up, no matter what.

They lied in court, repeatedly, and were allowed to get away with it, and the judge was totally biased FOR H3G.

So I am going to do everything I possibly can to hurt them, and highlight what kind of POND-LIFE they really are.

I have nothing more to loose. They stole my health, they stole my home, they stole my life, and changed it for ever. I am really pissed-off, but we will not go down without a stink.

So, if you want to give me a hand, encourage people to write letters to the press and support us.

Mast-sanity has done that on more than one occasion, and I, and everybody else in similar situation could do with that now, to show them lots of people care.

And remember, this is not just about H3G it is about all the operators.

Best regards.

Agnes

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If I am not mistaken there have been one or two significant cases this year in which European Courts have ruled that cases have not been dealt with lawfully because large multinationals ettc have been favoured by tvirtue of their limitless resources. The MacDonalds two are the most recent, although in their case they were the defendants, but there is also the case of the Cornerhouse Group, who were granted legal funding to take the Government to court for failing in their statutory obligation. Perhaps there is some possibility of pursuing a similar line to recover costs from the Government, as they have failed repeatedly on this issue. I realise that this is a legal minefield, but it's worth investigating. You have my sympathy for the plight that H3G's treachery and the government's ludicrous laws have left you in, but most of all you have my admiration for standing up to them whatever the consequences. I truly hope that there is some way you can recover your costs, as if ever there was a case of someone suffering financial loss because of the Government's failure in their statutory obligations it is yours. I know that there is an area that we can identify in your case inasmuch as the Secretary of State and Ofcom have not complied with one of their statutory obligations to date. I have discussed this briefly with Chris Maile who is going to provide me with some more information on this. Once I have any information that may be of use to you I shall let you know in case you can use it.

Amanda

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Dear Amanda.

Thank you for your support, it is truly appreciated.

Support is the most important thing when people are doing such an absolutely stupid thing like we have been and are doing.

But the thing is, you only get one chance of standing up for your self and if you don’t use it, you have wasted it, and it won’t come again.

As I said principles can be costly, but they have harmed us enough, we were not allowed to proof our case in court,

We were not allowed to say anything, unless asked, we were not allowed to point out their lies, (some of which we have written proof for were lies) or put the proof forward.

We have nothing more to loose, so we can just as well give it all we got, and hope to make a real stink, so EVEN the elected members of the British society will notice, and maybe start thinking about doing something about it. Like my MP for one.

If enough people support us with voicing their opinion in form of letters and so on it will be a huge help, and will get noticed.

The more that write in to BBC Midlands today, The Times and the Daily Express the better.

When we saw the draft judgment we drew up a list of corrections, which very well might have changed the verdict, but we were not allowed to deliver it to the judge, although we can now see from the cost demand that H3G are charging us for the time spent making corrections to the draft judgment.

I am already getting huge help from my friends and other people round Europe are working on doing the same.

I have had support from Powerwatch and much more. It is awfully nice and you see you do friends in need.

Hutchison ran a test-case on us to be able to stop everyone else, so lets show the operators that we can unite and turn against them, so that they will see that they had made a BIG MISTAKE.

I have sent the times article to national newspapers in Iceland and Denmark, and am going to send it to all the big newspapers here and in The Nordic countries and Europe that I can find, in the hope that they will take up the issue, as well as all the mast resistance groups that I can find.

Here and elsewhere.

And thank you Amanda for the offer of information, I am sure we can use it and learn from it.


Best regards.

Agnes

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Lisa, I completely understand and support the fact that Mast Sanity cannot advocate illegal action of any kind. That is a given. What individuals choose to do when up against the illegal bullying tactics of the Ops is of course up to them. You quite rightly state that legal direct action is very effective, especially when carried out en masse.

Should Mast Sanity be advising parents in all its affiliated campaign groups to withdraw their children from schools near masts? Well, that's up to MS. Personally I would say that that would be one of the most powerfully effective actions concerned parents could take. Does MS need to suggest this publicly as a direct action policy? I doubt that it could so even if it wanted to, as it would be considered too contentious, and furthermore, as a 'politically motivated agenda' it would be outside the remit of MS charity status. But it is certainly clear in my mind that such action would bring forward the results we so desperately need. Nothing I can think of would galvanise this Government into action more than seeing thousands of children across the UK removed from their schools because of their proximity to masts. It would be political dynamite, quite possibly resulting in the change in planning policy that they promised and refused to implement.

It was interesting that Ofcom decided to ban the 'Make Poverty History' advert on TV, because it was seen to have a political agenda.

I do of course remember the Mast Sanity march in London - I was there - holding the MS banner up front and throughout the whole of the march! Yes, it was a real shame that so few people turned up. However, that was three years ago, and clearly a great deal has happened in that 3 years. Thanks in great part to Mast Sanity, people are far better informed and active than ever before. We have also been able to convince a lot more politicians, thanks to Amanda. So, although I understand what you're saying, I do believe that we have reached a time when, given direction and support, far more people than you think would be willing to take national direct action. However, it's really not for me to comment, it's just a personal opinion.

You are right that hard pressed and totally committed MS volunteers have far more to do than they can possibly cope with, therefore it is vital that they are kept on board. Speaking personally, I think you must be aware, as I know one or two others are, that my input on any level, has been totally curtailed, and not by me. I am happy to say though, that my newfound freedom 'outside the loop' is not something I would ever want to change!

Jenny

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Caroline.

Yes, that is what we are going to do, if and when we get funds.

We fired our solicitor and are waiting for legal aid to find out if we can proof professional negligence against the firm.

At the moment our new solicitor is going through H3Gs cost demand, and I believe by having read and compared different posts, that it might qualify for The title “Fiction of the Century”, but we will see, what our solicitor comes up with.

We will of course also work for getting the right to appeal, and are hoping that the proof for that will come to light when we scrutinize the negligence case.

So, as you see, we are fighting on all fronts.

We are also working hard on trying to keep the press interested.

So, like they say on the news “Keep an eye on this spot”


Best regards.

Agnes

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Dear Agnes,

Glad to hear this. I hadn't realised it was your case (backlog of emails to read because of the holidays). My husband, a barrister, was also shocked that the fees were so high. Presumably the fees quoted do not include your own legal costs. He was asking if you had had solicitors advising you; what advice you were given as to the prospects of success; whether you were advised as to the risk of having to pay the other side's costs and what they could be, and whether any consideration was given to contingency fees (no win-no fee). Until I saw that you have new solicitors I was going to say that my husband, formerly a solicitor and now a barrister of 35 years' experience, had offered to look at your file on an informal basis to see if you had a case for negligence. He would then have recommended competent solicitors to help you. He did mention that your previous solicitors should have warned you clearly that you may well be liable for the whole of Hutchison's costs and that if they had real doubt that you would win then they should have advised you to stop. Of course we do not know what advice was or was not given and they may of course be saying that you were fully advised.

We in Winchester used very good lawyers with much experience in mast matters and the relevant law, and this experience and knowledge is vital as it is a very specialist field. Over a period of 4 1/2 years covering legal action up to the House of Lords we were able to use a mixture of full and partial legal aid, no win-no fee, and full fees mostly paid by the community. I think this is the only way to avoid excessive legal bills. It is interesting to note that for no win-no fee generally there has to be a 70% chance of winning and insurance can be taken out to cover the other side's costs if the case is lost. If your solicitors didn't work on a no win-no fee basis because it was thought your chances of success were not high enough, then I would have thought that they should have advised you not to go ahead. Anyway, none of this is advice but concerned comment! I do hope that your new solicitors will be able to retrieve something for you from this mess.

Kind regards

Caroline

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Dear Panayis Zambellis Luton,

We do not live there anymore.

In the end we had to abandon our home (and place of work, means we were there 24 hours a day/7 days/week, 365 days/year )

The house is still standing empty 1½ years later. Why I wonder.

I still miss my house awfully.

But we did get lots of measurements on the Com monitor.

With the mast only 28 meters away, our Com monitor lit up like a Xmas tree. (see attached photo, all lights are lit to the top of the scale). http://www.omega-news.info/P1010002.JPG

But the thing is that UMTS is a sinister thing.

It is not the deadly silent radiation of GSM.

It is very noisy indeed. And probably even more deadly than GSM.

I first found out about the noise when they shut the mast down for repairs on the 180804 and then again on the 010904.

It was like coming into the “EYE” of a Tornado, suddenly it was totally quiet after the raging storm.

Erik measured and there was no radiation.

And then suddenly it all started again, and I felt physically that they had turned it on again, Erik measured and it was on again.

But the worst thing is, that we made a lot of effort to shield for the radiation, and managed to shield it away.

But still, sitting in the spots where the beams came into the house we fainted and lost consciousness.

There is still a big mark in the carpet of our TV room where my hot iron fell on the floor and melted the carpet fibre.

We were very lucky that the carpet did not ignite and burn the house down, because we only came to quite a while later, and the room was full of fumes from the melted carpet.

I have never been so scared in my whole life.

Dr. Gerald Hyland went into the house just before our case came to court and measured with his Acousticom, and he said that he had never heard the Acousticom screech like this before.

It was the highest reading he had ever had.

Best regards.

Agnes.


P.S. I have now moved us to a place almost at the top of the “Mountain” Malvern Hills, where there is 1.5 km to the nearest mast. (But even here, surrounded by conservation area of “Outstanding Beauty” where no progress is allowed, there is still a small private area where a greedy private person plays a host to a mast, but as I say 1.5 km away).

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Dear Sandy.

Agnes story it only about greedy Telecoms and greedy lawyers wanting money, so why should that have that effect.

It even does not do that to me, and I am Agnes. Money is only money. Money can never replace integrity, principe and ethics.

H3G, and their solicitors, they lied, and they cheated, they even lied in court, where we were not allowed to object.

And I can proof all of it, in their writing.

Some of the lying is coming to light now, very clearly at that, as we are going through their cost claims.

I do not think this will be the last word in this case, which they meant to be a warning to us all.

So, perk up your spirits.

Keep them up. Keep fighting.

Best regards.

Agnes

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Dear Sweet Agnes,

I was concerned for your illness, your family, and losing your home, so that should have affected me emotionally, and the operator greed should have aroused my anger. You were, and are, a just cause. I was just a little bottled up with so much told to me on the advice line and elsewhere.

I should perhaps explain that I am part Sioux Indian and seem to have inherited the temperament and ways. I am deeply emotional and compassionate, usually calm and peaceful, but can also be fiery, determined, and without fear when I am angry. My spirits are rarely down, I just get on overload sometimes and close down till something stirs my emotions and anger again - then I am back on the warpath.

Sandi

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It's great to read these messages. I get despondent occasionally and reading these emails really helps reignite the fighting spirit. Keep up the good work. You are much appreciated.

John Elliott

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Sandi

I too get very upset by peoples apathy and mocking attitudes - mainly angry - but also very upset at all the millions of people being made ill by untramelled spread of this most harmful technology.

It's so good to hear the voice of someone who truly cares.

I'm not sure whether the woman I spoke to (about a year ago now) was the Head or a high ranking teacher, so if you contact the Head bear in mind it could be man or woman.

The address is: Carlton Hill Primary School, Sussex Street, Brighton. Tel 01273 604966.

You may tell her that a local researcher (me) has measured the microwaves around the school perimeter on several occasions over the last two years and the readings (at between 3 - 6 volts per metre every time) exceed the Swiss, Italian and Austrian safety limits and are known by scientists worldwide to be at levels causing worrying adverse biological effects.

You can tell her that I am certain these emissions are coming from the masts on top of the police station opposite and that the school, given the signal strength and its position in relation to the masts, could well be smack in the midst of the beam of maximum intensity.

Remind her what Bill Stewart says - under 16s should never use mobiles and masts shouild not be sited near schools etc. Also that study in the North of England which has already in the early stages shown kids going to school with nosebleeds etc

There was another study conducted several years ago now comparing a primary school with a mast on its premises to one without. A questionnaire was completed by about a hundred parents from each school and showed much higher incidences of behavioural and learning problems, regular infections, nausea, headaches, nosebleeds etc etc at the school with the transmitter. If you don't have the details I can look for it for you.

She might want to get an Argus (local paper) reporter on the case. she could try emailing Rachel Pegg, Siobhan Ryan or Jenny Legg at the Argus - email formula is rachel.pegg@theargus.co.uk

Many thanks Sandi,

Gary

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Dear Panays.

I live on the Hereford side side of the Malvern Hills. The large mast is on the Worcestershire side very low down on the hill, just above Great Malvern town on the other side of the hill, and we are facing North West I think.

The big transmitter is the main transmitter in the area, but judging from the quality of our TV and radio signals it does not reach us, but the mast in Ledbury does.

Droitwhich (where we lived 30 years ago) is a lot further away than 16 miles. I would think it is nearer 20 miles.

We did measurements in the area here, and could not measure any radiation. There is a small GSM mast here about 1½ miles away on the top of the hill, at a lot higher level and there is one in Chances Pitch, but our new house is shielded by 5 or 6 other houses, and we get no readings.

So far, so lucky, because it is becoming impossible to find a place in Britain where there are no masts, of some kind or the other in the immediate vicinity.

I guess the thing is, we have lived with radio masts since before I was born, and then came GSM, but these have never had any direct impact on us that we could feel, but UMTS is an altogether different cup of tea.

And there is something very sinister about the screaming noise from these masts.

Having one so near as we had feels like being in a raging storm. The noise is unbelieavable.

But thank you for the maps, I will put a cross on the big one to show you where we are now, we are out of the picture on the multi-map townmap.

Best regards.

Agnes

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Hi Sandy.

I can easily identify with what you say of your temperament. I come from the very far, frozen and volcanic North Atlantic Ocean, (Iceland) and believe I am normally a very peaceful person, cool and collected, but when abused or looking upon abuse of others my temper turns volcanic, and I have no fear either.

I feel, we have been abused and raped by H3G and I will fight them until I drop, and I am not talking about money, money comes and money goes, but our good health, good harmonic and peaceful life in our home has been robbed from us, and that is irretrievable.

And that I cannot forgive.

And having to look upon it being excused by lies in a court of law, which is supposed to look after the rights of the individual against abuse.

And that I can not forgive.

So like my Viking for-fathers, I am now in a state of “Eye for an Eye, tooth for a tooth” frame of mind and will do everything in my power to hurt these people and their organization.

Only, I am not prepared to LIE and CHEAT like they do, but then there is more than enough sleaze, dishonesty and crimes on their CV´s ready to be used, without having to use their dishonest methods.


Best regards.

Agnes

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FYI from Jenny.

Below is the letter I'm sending to George Young, Blair and the ODPM. I have included Don's excellent article 'Has British Labour forgotten the lesson from BSE? http://omega.twoday.net/stories/990190/


Dear Sir George,

Forgive me for contacting you again so soon, but I felt the enclosed Mast Sanity PR and other information, might be of interest to you. Don Maisch (EMfacts Consultancy) is a Trustee of Mast Sanity. He is based in Australia.

I am in touch with Agnes Ingvarsdottir and this is a truly shocking case. She and her husband were forced to leave their much loved home because of the severe illness which they both began to suffer after a 3G mast was erected opposite their house. They became so ill with radiation sickness that they finally gave up the struggle and put the house on the market. Because of the mast it was devalued by £50,000! In short, their lives have been torn apart. Sadly they are not alone – this is happening all over the country.

Mr & Mrs Ingvarsdottir bravely decided to ‘take on’ H3G, with the all too predictable consequences. Some time ago a telecom operator came under fire when they tried to prevent a court case by means of ‘corporate blackmail’ ie a blatant attempt to terrify the complainants into submission by threats of huge legal costs. It is a well known tactic of the Mobile Phone Industry, to scare off anyone who might contemplate similar action.

The couple, victims of the company’s ‘dirty tricks’, are facing nearly half a million in legal costs – costs which soared as H3G deliberately strung out the process, their lawyers conducting the equivalent of political filibustering. Under no circumstances can such intimidation by a global giant be condoned. We might as well be living in a third world dictatorship, where the poor have no justice and the law is hijacked by the rich and powerful.

Logic dictates that if the telecoms had nothing to fear regarding the safety of the technology, they would not have to resort to such extreme and ruthless measures - the science would uphold their argument. But it doesn’t, and this is the whole point. No wonder then, that they have to inflict Mafia-like intimidation to prevent due process, and the truth from being heard. Technology can be wonderful, and Big Business is undoubtedly vital to any economy, but it profits no-one when it destroys local democracy, trust in politicians, and puts the whole country at risk by jeopardising public health and safety.

Now that the HPA has established that masts cause biological damage to health far below ICNIRP guidelines, it is clear that the Government must urgently change planning regulations to fully protect citizens against long term, biological damage from mast emissions.

ICNIRP IS NO PROTECTION AND SHOULD NO LONGER BE USED AS THE SOLE ARBITER OF SAFETY BY GOVERNMENT OR INDUSTRY.

There is one final comment I would like to make Sir George, and it’s this. Almost every community and LPA in the land is struggling with the telecom dilemma. Our government has abandoned its principles, polluted the environment and sacrificed the present and future health of the nation – all for profit and greed.

I genuinely believe that any party that wants to win the next election, could do no better than to face this issue head on – publicly and with moral resolve. The telecom industry has unfettered power, but it cannot elect governments. Only people can do that.

I intend to send this letter to others, so please feel free to show it to your parliamentary colleagues. I’m sure you’ll agree that the public deserves transparency and clarity on the views of their MP’s, on this subject.


Kind regards,
Jennifer (Godschall Johnson)

by Kate Morrison
The Argus

People power has defeated controversial plans for a mobile phone mast in an exclusive road.

Worthing councillors voted against installing the 12-metre pole at the junction of Grand Avenue and Hythe Road after receiving hundreds of objections from residents, including actor Hugh Lloyd.

Planning officials had provoked anger by recommending that the mast is approved.

Campaigners who have spent months fighting the Vodafone mast proposal were jubilant after Worthing Council's Development Control Committee threw out the application yesterday.

Liz Simpson, of Grand Avenue, Worthing, who lives next to the proposed site for the mast, said: "It was all worth it. Vodafone must have done this so many times they're just used to riding roughshod over people."

The company said the mast was needed to improve reception in West Worthing as demand for mobile phones grows. It would be disguised as a telegraph pole.

But the scheme proposed in April sparked more than 240 objections, including opposition from actor Hugh Lloyd and his journalist wife, Sian, who live in Dolphin Lodge, Grand Avenue.

Ms Simpson was so angered by the proposals that just four weeks after a double hip replacement she spent hours delivering 400 leaflets to residents.

Councillor Tom Wye said people in his ward were especially worried about the health impact on disabled residents in Grand Avenue flats.

Some suffer from spina bifida and hydrocephalus - water on the brain.

There were also concerns about the visual impact on the expensive and carefully maintained street and possible sight restrictions on drivers turning the corner from Hythe Road.

The company said it had considered 24 other sites in the area but none were suitable.

Planning officers told councillors that if they chose to reject the mast they should do so based on its location and visual impact rather than on health grounds The Government has advised local authorities that public fears about health should not be a factor when considering phone mast applications.

Paul Yallop, 41, representing the residents of Grand Avenue, said: "We are absolutely delighted with this decision and we're ready for a fight if Vodafone appeal against it."

Grenzwerte und Mobilfunk
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/242821/

Welche Grenz- bzw. Vorsorgewerte gibt es?
http://www.umweltinstitut.org/frames/all/m282.htm

Grenzwerte sind eingehalten
http://www.grn.es/electropolucio/cio090104.htm

Die Grenzwerte sind eingehalten, die Grenzwerte sind eingehalten, die Grenzwerte sind eingehalten, die Grenzwerte sind.....
http://www.gigaherz.ch/87/

Alles reine Einbildung (oder die Kuhflüsterer)
http://www.gigaherz.ch/45/

Die jetzigen Grenzwerte sind keine Vorsorgewerte
http://www.maerchen.net/science/c-mobilfunk1.htm

Die Asbest-Grenzwerte wurden auch damals eingehalten
http://www.buergerwelle.de/d/doc/aktuell/asbestose.htm

Über Sinn und Unsinn von Messungen
http://www.elektrosmognews.de/news/messungen.htm

Carnavon Street: Cancer Street - Straße des Krebses
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/429435/

Im Anhang finden Sie die Ergebnisse der Befragung der Direktkandidat/inn/en des Bundestagswahlkreises Bad Tölz/Wolfratshausen zu drei Themenfeldern:

1) Mobilfunk (Grenzwertreduzierung auf 10 Mikrowatt/m²)
2) Verbot der Agro-Gentechnik
3) Grundrecht auf körperliche Unversehrtheit und Verursacherprinnzip

Da es sich um Themen handelt, welche die Wähler bewegen, bitten wir um geeignete Veröffentlichung / Verbreitung.

http://www.omega-news.info/ergebnis_wahlpruefsteine_bt_wahl_2005.doc


Dr. Hans Schmidt
Netzwerk der mobilfunkkritischen Bürgerinitiativen im Landkreis Bad Tölz - Wolfratshausen

http://openpr.de/news/60484.html

--------

Bundestagswahlen in Deutschland - Anfragen an Parteien und Kandidaten

Frage von R.G.

03.09.2005

Sehr geehrter Herr Lafontaine,

wir möchten von Ihnen gerne wissen, wie wichtig für Sie das Thema "Gesundheitsgefahren durch elektromagnetische Felder ( Mobilfunk, DECT-Telefone usw.) ist. Laut unserem Grundgesetz hat jeder Bürger das Recht auf Leben und körperliche Unversehrtheit. Bei allen im Bundestag bisher vertretenen Parteien spielt die durch viele Studien nachgewiesene Gefährdung unserer Gesundheit durch Mobilfunk usw. überhaupt keine Rolle. Die Mobilfunkbetreiber können eine Ungefährlichkeit dieser Technik nicht nachweisen und benutzen im Einvernehmen mit den politisch Verantwortlichen uns Bürger als Versuchskaninchen. Alle wissenschaftlichen Hinweise auf eine Gefahr unserer Gesundheit werden aus rein wirtschaftlichen Gründen verharmlost und bestritten. Inzwischen sind schon sehr viele Menschen durch die ständige Bestrahlung durch die Sendemasten erkrankt. Die PDS war vor der letzten Bundestagswahl (2002) noch die einzige Partei, die sich dieses Themas annahm. (Herr Jüttemann, PDS Thüringen) Informieren können Sie sich über dieses Thema im Internet u.a. www.elektosmognews.de www.hese-projekt.org usw. Im Saarland gibt es in dieser Sache auch viel Protest durch das "Bündnis saarländischer Bürgerinitiativen Mobilfunk".

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Renate G.

Antwort von Oskar Lafontaine

06.09.2005

Sehr geehrte Frau G.,

ich persönlich habe kein Handy, weil mich das ständige Gebimmel stören würde. Im Zusammenhang mit den möglichen Gesundheitsgefährdungen kann ich Ihr Anliegen verstehen. Die grundsätzliche Nachweispflicht für die Unbedenklichkeit sollte bei den Netzbetreibern liegen.

Ich gebe gern zu, dass ich auf dem Gebiet nicht der Experte bin. Nach Rückfragen habe ich Informationen erhalten, dass die Netzleistungen und somit die möglichen Gesundheitsbeeinträchtigungen viel geringer sein könnten, wenn nur unter freien Himmel mobil telefoniert werden könnte. Das Prinzip des "jederzeit an jedem Ort" erzeugt Belastungen, die vermeidbar wären.

Die zukünftige Bundestagsfraktion der Linken wird sich diesem Thema wieder annehmen.


Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Oskar Lafontaine

http://www.kandidatenwatch.de


Aus: Elektrosmognews vom 14.09.2005

--------

Die Parteien im Demokratie-Test: Sieger Linkspartei und Grüne - CDU/CSU auf letztem Platz
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/983978/

AN OUTSIDER'S VIEW - JENNY.

I read the latest Mast Sanity PR announcement with despair. How tragic that we are being forced to live a life cocooned in protective devices and kept functioning by taking expensive remedies. As I said earlier (and please forgive me for repeating myself) the many thousands of victims of this technology in the UK must surely make this a human rights issue on a grand scale. We need some decisive action.

I mention this again because I sense a subtle change in strategy occurring, whereby people will accept and / or be expected to protect themselves against the technology, rather than requiring the technology to change to protect people (see the article on the HPA Report).

Is Mast Sanity as a charity, able to seek advise from Human Rights lawyers on this? Being forced to sleep under Faraday cages, lining walls and curtains with metal, carrying protective boxes etc etc, is frankly outrageous, and surely amounts to the subjugation of a vast number of British citizens. Sadly, for many there is no choice if they are to survive and function with any degree of normality. Perhaps they could send the bills for these protective measures to their local councils and demand that they pay them! However, that's an action that could have a sinister backlash. What would happen if the Government suddenly saw this as a way of getting round their difficulties?

I can almost hear their devious minds clicking away.

'How can we deal with this - it's just not going away, is it? Do you think we ought to throw them a sop? How about looking at ICNIRP - I mean it's just not convincing anyone anymore is it, and it's not making us look good.' What??!! You must be joking. Lose all that revenue, all those kick backs and jollies. Not on your life. Besides, the Ops would hang us out to dry. No, there must be another way .... I know ...

The Swedish method looks promising. We could save billions by not having to make the technology safe - all we have to do is put the people into protective custody instead! Clever eh?' 'You mean make them all walk around with masks and those big puffy white suits that astronauts wear?' 'Are you taking the piss? No, we fund protective materials for ES sufferers, and that way we would be seen to be caring, compassionate, and actually doing something!' 'Great, but won't it be pricey?' 'No, it'll look good on paper but in practice we won't need to spend anything. They'll have to be nearly dead to qualify and even if they do, we could pass a law to say that if only one member of a household is ill, there'll be no entitelement.'

'Great! The Ops'll love it. They'll get free reign across the country and we get lots of lovely dosh!' Pause 'But what about the ... er ... backlash? (said in an embarrassed whisper) 'Won't the people suspect ...?' Laughter. 'Of course they will, but so what? They'll put up with it, they always do. Actually I quite enjoy seeing them frustrated at every turn. It's become quite a spectator sport, especially for us at the ODPM. Just thank your lucky stars that most of them are too nice or too law abiding to do anything radical. If they started that kind of caper we'd really be in the sh ....! '

With huge apologies to Yes Minister, and of course sincere apologies to those who hate people who gum up the system with time wasting trivialities, even if they are trying to make a serious point. I keep trying to find a box to fit into but can't. Jenny

--------

Jenny.

You are a gem.

Can you remember a few years ago when the government said it was going to give a computer to every poor child so they could have one at home.

They can't understand why the funds are all still in the safe.

And there was this about doing something about a deprived area of a city, it was a name given area. But 3-4 years later when a reporter went to take a look, it looked the same, only more deprived.

Words are cheap, especially hot air. Always have been.

You just promise the same just before the next election, and get voted in again.

So, now you have another 4 years where you can rally around telling everyone how great you are,

You have promised to make radical changes to this and that, knowing that no one investigates it for another

4 years, and then the same old, same old.

And if someone reminds you of the misery at home that you promised to do something about, you are busy to go somewhere else to look at other peoples misery, and have a nice time away from the homemade one. And when you come back you talk about having to do something about the Global misery and the homemade stays the same and forgotten, because you have such big ideals.

The same old Merry-go-round.

Agnes

--------

Thanks Agnes - and I couldn't agree more. The terrible truth is we have been manipulated from first to last. Being patient, reasonable and acquiescent is just what they want - always has been. We've been playing into their hands for years. We can't afford to for much longer. As long as we continue to play by their rules, we'll always lose! We need to start making our own rules - people power is a far greater force than governments and big business - we should start using it. Jenny

--------

Wonderful stuff, Jenny and Agnes, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. I have faith in people power, but will the people have faith that they can do it? That is the question. In Poland many people are behind a person who is helping to get masts down. In other countries people are backing those who are trying to make changes. Will the UK achieve this? This rests with the people. It seems in the UK that every bit of research or evidence that is brought forward is overlooked, watered down, or dismissed! Will this continue to be so? If it does, then the people will need to speak out or nothing can be achieved.

Agnes, I understand your feelings so well. Not only do I talk to sick people on the advice line, but some of my family and friends suffer, and so do I. When I first realised how callous and evil some are, I was totally gutted and shocked. When I got over this, my hate and anger were tremendous - warpath variety with no let up! But having reasoned with this, in view of my deep belief and faith in Our Creator, I came out the other side and feel I now work more productively, when I am not zapped too much!

Sandi

--------

Jenny.

You are a gem.

Can you remember a few years ago when the government said it was going to give a computer to every poor child.

So they could have one at home.

The cant understand why the funds are all still in the safe.

And there was this about doing something about a deprived area of a city, it was a name given area

But 3-4 years later when a reporter went to take a look, it looked the same, only more deprived.

Words are cheap, especially hot air. Always have been.

You just promise the same just before the next election, and get voted in again.

So, now you have another 4 years where you can rally around telling everyone how great you are,

You have promised to make radical changes to this and that, knowing that no one investigates it for another 4 years, and then the same old, same old.

And if someone reminds you of the misery at home that you promised to do something about, you are busy to go somewhere else to look at other peoples misery, and have a nice time away from the homemade one. And when you come back you talk about having to do something about the Global misery and the homemade stays the same and forgotten, because you have such big ideals.

The same old Merry-go-round.

Agnes

--------

I could not agree more.

I am trying to do my bit now, and showing the telecoms as what they are, a greedy, sinister lot whose only care is the cash they can rake in, in a short time, not the tragedy the inflict on those standing in their way.

With the big help of Eileen O´Connor we have finally got through to the press, and the sum: £. 407,398,06 seems to have been enough to make them sit up straight.

And, by now they have put on investigative reporters, so maybe there is hope after all. Please cross your fingers for me.

Judging by the way they have reacted to the press, they are not used to be challenged (and do not like it) at the moment they are trying on the LIE bit again to turn things their way.

But I have nothing to loose anymore, so I will not give up.

I will use everything I can to show them for what they are.

Wish me luck. I am scared shitless, but I will not give up.

I have stopped being patient, reasonable and nice, all that is left is hate.

I went to Worcester yesterday, with the GGC Midlands Today and stood outside my old home

After 1½ years it is still vacant, and I can see it is crumbling, it is 200 years old, it needs TLC

On a steady basis, and it is not getting any.

Sorry, I still love that house, and my happy times there Pre-H3G mast.

So, I guess I am like you really are describing, a rabid dog, full of disgust for the people who have no regard for others lives and health as long as they can cash in.

And, that goes for the telecoms and the people who call them selves the rulers of this land.

Who ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR WELLBEING, BY LAW, but only act on fads that they think can make them look good, and whatever gives cash there is to be scraped up.

So, lets hope all of us shake of the apathy, and join the unions. And get active.

Sorry for the raving, but my feelings are very, very strong.

Best regards.

Agnes

http://www.raytownreporter.com/rumb.html


Informant: Dani Djinn

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16567754%255E30417,00.html


Informant: Anna Webb

http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20050826125021191


Informant: NHNE

by Charlie Cray, TomPaine.com

As the hurricane waters recede, we face another feeding frenzy for the same crony contractors who botched the job in Iraq.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050913/watch_whos_cleaning_up.php

by David Corn, TomPaine.com

Allowing Republicans to investigate the Bush administration's response to Katrina is the wrong way to prevent future government negligence.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050913/what_went_wrong.php

BY NICOLA HODGSON

Derbyshire Evening Telegraph

09:30 - 12 September 2005

Residents believe that their human rights would be abused if a 25-metre mobile phone mast is approved by councillors.

Seventy people have signed a petition objecting to the mast, which would be built at New House Farm, in Etwall Road, Mickleover.

The Human Rights Act means people have the right to respect for private and family life, home and possessions.

Exemptions include when something is in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country.

A report to the council said: "The objectors to the mast have raised the human rights issue. They assert that it is not a matter of overriding national security or public interest."

However, the report said that there was a public interest because the Government has stated that it wishes the public to have access to the latest mobile phone technology.

It is also considered that the distance between the mast and homes means there would not be any "material impact" on the human rights of people living there.

The location of the mast has already been changed twice by a matter of metres since the application by T-Mobile (UK) Ltd was first submitted to South Derbyshire District Council.

It was moved once at the request of the council to ensure that the bulk of the equipment was screened by trees and the second time by the company after the landowner asked that the mast be moved further away from houses in Ladybank Road. The nearest houses to the site are 300 metres away, in Paxton Close.

Pamela McCahey, of Howden Close, Mickleover, has signed the petition. She lives about 400 metres away from the site of the proposed mast.

She said: "We are not concerned about seeing the wretched thing, we are objecting on human rights and health issues.

"The people who want to put it up can't give us any accurate figures for radiation levels."

A letter signed by 63 people also raises objections including health concerns and the visual impact the mast would have.

The proposal is recommended for approval subject to conditions including that work on the mast should start within three years of permission being granted, and within three months of the equipment becoming surplus to requirements it should be removed.

A spokesman for T-Mobile said: "Based on more than 40 years of research, T-Mobile is confident that its base stations, operating within strict national and international guidelines recognised by the World Health Organisation, do not present a health risk to any member of the public."

Omega this is not true. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

Base Stations, operating within strict national and international Guidelines, do not present a Health Risk http://omega.twoday.net/stories/771911/

The development control committee meeting takes place tomorrow, at 6pm in the Council Chamber at the Civic Offices, Civic Way, Swadlincote.

Sep 13 2005

icBirmingham

Britain's biggest mobile phone operators have hit back at Birmingham City Council's attempt to block the siting of telecommunications masts close to schools and hospitals.

The Mobile Phone Operators Association accused the council of behaving " disingenuously" by suggesting that the companies were not opposed to a ban on masts at sensitive sites.

The council's stance, which was approved by the cabinet yesterday, conflicts with a Government ruling that there are no health risks attached to mobile phone masts and that there should be no no-go areas for antennae.

Omega here are health risks attached to mobile phone masts. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/ and
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

Norman Gillan, a spokesman for the MOA, said his organisation was not properly consulted by the council, which could as a result be in breach of its statutory duties.

Mr Gillan, representing Hutchison 3G UK, O2, Orange, T-mobile and Vodafone, said the council's stance on phone masts contradicted advice laid down by the Secretary of State and was opposed by the MOA.

"There is clear guidance on issues surrounding health and the council have decided to disregard this advice," Mr Gillan said.

The MOA is particularly concerned at remarks by Mick Wilkes, chairman of the council's main scrutiny committee, who said it was significant that the mobile phone companies had not lodged an official objection to the sensitive sites policy.

Coun Wilkes (Lib Dem Hall Green) said the operators had expressed support for sensitive sites policy when it was discussed at a scrutiny hearing. They appeared to have changed their minds since then.

"I wonder if they have been given a nudge by someone?," he added.

Coun Wilkes said: "What we are trying to achieve is a settlement in the best interests of all concerned including the phone companies and the citizens of Birmingham."

The council faces a wait now to hear whether the Government will intervene, forcing it to scrap the policy and allow phone masts to be sited near to schools and hospitals.

By Nic Brunetti
Bucks Free Press

RESIDENTS are calling on council chiefs to reject a new application for a controversial phone mast and end their year-long battle with T-Mobile.

As reported in June, opponents to the mast in Wycombe Road, Marlow, won their fight against the planning decision that allowed the mast to go up just metres from their homes.

They submitted the case for judicial review but settled out of court with Wycombe District Council, who agreed to a consent order that quashed the planning decision.

However, the order meant that the mast would only be taken down if a new application by the mobile phone giants was unsuccessful.

And now T-Mobile has submitted a full planning application with residents promising a full rally of opposition before the final decision is made.

David Reynolds, leader of the residents, said he hoped the council would take a closer look at plans this time around.

This includes legal arguments in the original case, where the council admitted it did not contact Great Marlow School about the mast, despite a Government report saying that radiation beams of the "greatest intensity" strike the ground between 50 and 200 metres.

Great Marlow is only 150 metres from the mast which was put up last year but has yet to be activated.

Mr Reynolds said: "We hope that the council will see sense and refuse the application so the mobile phone mast can be put somewhere more appropriate."

Mr Reynolds said he is still awaiting payment for his legal costs, which the council were ordered to pay as part of the consent order.

The council has since said Great Marlow will be contacted over the new application after a review of notifications policy.

As the new submission is a full planning application, it means there is no time deadline for a decision which was previously the case with a General Permitted Development Order. These give telecom companies the right to have masts approved if a decision is not made within 56 days but this cannot happen this time.

Mr Reynolds said he believed this would allow greater scope for objections and a better chance for councillors to consider residents' views.

A T-mobile spokesman said: "As a result of the consent order issued, T-Mobile has submitted a full planning application to the local planning authority."

Sep 13 2005

icSurrey

By Joan Mulcaster

A COUNCILLOR is so convinced it is possible to manage without a mobile phone she refuses to have one.

Jan Mason, the vice-chairman of Epsom and Ewell Council's planning committee, voted with other members to refuse planning permission for the 20 metre mast in Court Recreation Ground - a decision applauded by protesters in the public gallery.

She said: "I have chosen not to have one on moral grounds, but I should think most people in this room do have one."

Officers had recommended approval of the proposed structure - a timber clad, green-painted attempt at tree-like camouflage.

The committee turned the plan down as being unacceptable in a public park.

But both councillors and planners agreed that the march of the masts into Epsom and Ewell and other UK environments was not going to go away.

And Mrs Mason pointed out that, although it would have been the first in a recreation ground, it was not the first in a public open space.

She said: "There is one in Horton Park Golf Club."

The near 1,000-name petition and scores of letters from roads round the popular recreation ground represented so far the largest protest ever against a mast in the borough.

Mum-to-be Jane Case and Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Green finished off weeks of campaigning with an impassioned plea to the Thursday night committee that the mast should be rejected on visual and health grounds in a park where the greatest users were toddlers in Court Rec's playground.

Although protesters went home happy, they do not know yet if the five networks due to be served by the multi-company mast will appeal to the Department of Environment.

Planning officers pointed out that, with usage of mobiles ever increasing, the masts were unavoidable.

The non-voting Liberal Democrat councillor Lionel Blackman suggested more research should be done on the aesthetics, to find out what other countries were doing to disguise them as trees.

He said: "This could take the edge off the unpleasant aspects of masts."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=30499


Informant: Ed

In the last month it has become clearer than ever that the so-called war on terror is being used as a pretext to destroy civil liberties and democratic rights in Australia.

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/642/642p7b.htm


From Information Clearing House

According to Philip Giraldi, “the United States is developing a plan for the bombing of supposed military targets in Iran, which would include the use of NUCLEAR WEAPONS. The US strike would take place after a 9/11-type terrorist attack on the US. However, the US attack would not depend on Iran actually being involved in the terrorism.

http://snipurl.com/hmhw


From Information Clearing House

Scores of Mississippi National Guardsmen in Iraq who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina have been refused even 15-day leaves to aid their displaced families.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10240.htm

The figures on the city's poverty were appalling. The poverty rate was nearly triple that of the national average. More than 40 percent of public school kids were illiterate, and half would drop out before graduation.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10235.htm

Witnesses said the officers fired their guns above the heads of the terrified people to drive them back and "protect" their own suburbs.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10241.htm

Elizabeth Reyes, 30, said she was dismissed last week for violating the agency's media policy after she was quoted in a Sept. 3 story by The Washington Post about tax deductions on Rove's homes in Washington and Texas.

http://snipurl.com/hmhj


From Information Clearing House

Leaving prisoners behind in appalling conditions.
http://snipurl.com/hmhh


From Information Clearing House

Now, his body been here for almost two weeks. Two weeks tomorrow. All right. That this man's body been laying here. And there's no reason for it. Look where we at? I mean, it's not flooded. There's no reason for them to be, left that body right here like this. You mean, just totally disrespect. You know? I mean two weeks. Video and transcript.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10259.htm

By any standard of human decency, condemning many already poor and now bereft people to subpar wages - thus perpetuating their poverty - is unacceptable.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10257.htm

Who will reap this bonanza? Not the people employed to remove wreckage, build houses and restore the infrastructure. While Congress was appropriating nearly $52 billion in relief and reconstruction programs last week, Bush quietly suspended the Davis-Bacon Act in the flood region. This law mandates that workers on federal construction projects be paid at least the prevailing local wage.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10256.htm

The Yoo Doctrine, as it might be called, fits with the broader Bush-administration view that pursuing American interests is best for the country and the rest of the world.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10253.htm

The United Nations is investigating the CIA's use of British airports when abducting terrorism suspects and flying them to prisons around the world where they are alleged to have been tortured.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10250.htm

His ruling in Rumsfeld vs. Hamdan confers absolute authority on the President to imprison suspects indefinitely without any legal process in place to challenge their imprisonment. But, if this is true, than why do we need courts or judges at all? Why not simply resolve these issues by executive fiat?

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10251.htm

By Jason Miller

America’s wealthy, predominately white power-brokers dominate the US government by utilizing their money to win elections, buying elected officials through campaign finance, applying expensive lobbying efforts to sway votes and decisions, and exerting influence through powerful corporations.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10260.htm

http://www.sauvonsleon.fr/main.php?param=dernieresinfos&date_news=2005-09-09


ASL FRANCE News

*Government compliance with FOIA appears to be deteriorating in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, even for requests to learn about dangerous chemicals leaking as a result of Hurricane Katrina.* Excessive delays in releasing information are common -- with some FOIA requests taking more than a year to fulfill. Even when documents are turned over, agencies frequently black out huge amounts of information.

*A flawed tool-- Environmental reporters' experiences with the Freedom of Information Act http://www.sej.org/foia/fallout.htm#091205 *

Published by Society of Environmental Journalists
http://www.sej.org


Informant: Teresa Binstock

The crisis wrought by Katrina, shaped by the policies of a government that neglected long-term needs, could help shift the balance of politics, Moberg explains. So far, no one has stepped up.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091205F.shtml

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0912-06.htm



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

http://tinyurl.com/cd49x


From ECOTERRA Intl.

This week's United Nations World Summit is in danger of being derailed by the United States. The US is working to ensure that its outcome will do little to alleviate the suffering and human rights violations experienced by the world's poorest people - most of them women and their children.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/091205WB.shtml

If the White House wants to move the debate about Hurricane Katrina beyond what it calls the "blame game" for bodies decomposing in the streets of New Orleans, then here's a constructive step that President Bush could take to protect people in the future: Tackle global warming.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/091205EB.shtml

Declaring that "the environment is not a luxury, not a Gucci accessory bag or a fancy silk tie affordable only when all other issues have been resolved," the head of the United Nations ecological agency today called on this week's World Summit to give the environment its due priority as the key to human development.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/091205EA.shtml

Critics have begun to voice a new criticism of President Bush's nominee after Katrina demolished parts of the Gulf Coast. Sen. Barack Obama, a black Democrat, worries that the nominee has not taken racial issues seriously in his judicial thinking. Speaking about the black residents of New Orleans, who were the storm's most visible victims, Dean said that Roberts' "entire legal career appears to be about making sure those folks don't have the same rights everybody else does."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091205S.shtml

CounterPunch
by Paul Craig Roberts

09/12/05

Readers have insisted to me that Bush administration incompetence, even at the level of criminal negligence, cannot explain the New Orleans disaster. They insist there must have been willful intent as the disaster is too large and was too predictable to be the result of mere incompetence. Readers cite the following circumstantial evidence in behalf of their views: The response of federal emergency management was delayed until survivors desperate for food and water (and some for a drug fix) began looting. In keeping with James Q. Wilson's 'broken window' analogy, looting for survival quickly spread into general lawlessness on the part of some elements. ... The lawlessness provided cover for the federal government to violate the Posse Commitatus Act and send in regular military troops to police civilian populations .... Lawlessness, the eruption of which was guaranteed by delayed relief, provides cover both for martial law, which suspends constitutional protections, and for the confiscation of legally owned private firearms in violation of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution. ... These suspicions are widely held. They demand careful investigation both by Congress and the news media. If there are valid grounds for the suspicions, our remaining liberties are at risk. Even if the suspicions are groundless, they are highly corrosive of many Americans' belief in their system of government... [Editor's note: By George, I think he's 'got it' - MLS]

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts09122005.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

CounterPunch
by Bill Glahn

09/12/05

It wasn't all that uncommon during this catastrophe to see reporters lose their composure. During the past few days, however, things have shifted back to standard operating procedure. For the major media, that means to point blame but protect the system. It benefits them. The White House wants reporters to refer to refugees as 'displaced persons.' 'We don't have refugees in the United States.' Bullshit. These folks are refugees. 'We were abandoned' is not a reflection of individual blame. It is a condemnation of the whole system. I inherited my tears from these folks. They were not tears of sorrow. They were not tears of pity. To apply the French twist to it, they were 'larmes de colere.' Tears of rage...

http://www.counterpunch.org/glahn09122005.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Village Voice
by Laura Rozen

09/12/05

For the Bush spin machine, the dual disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the official response to it presented a rare instance where the facts proved hard to manipulate. The idea was to push blame away from the White House and toward Louisiana Democrats like Governor Kathleen Blanco. But suddenly, the dog wouldn't wag. The props, the carefully stage-managed Bush photo opportunities, the anonymous White House quotes smearing local officials, kept unraveling just as fast as the spinners can issue them. And they just keep unraveling. Here are a few examples...

http://villagevoice.com/news/0537,rozen,67724,2.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Village Voice
by Nat Hentoff

09/09/05

In chilling contrast, let us look at Bush nominee for chief justice John Roberts. When he was a judge, on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, he ruled significantly in a 2004 case, Hedgepeth ex rel. Hedgepeth v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. As you consider his conception of justice, would you confirm John Roberts as chief justice of the United States, now that he has been nominated by Bush? The facts of the case are detailed by constitutionalist John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute, which helped provide a lawyer to the mother of the plaintiff: 'On October 23, 2000, 12-year-old Ansche Hedgepeth ... arrived at a Washington, D.C., Metro station to catch the train home.' She put one of the french fries she'd bought in her mouth. 'Immediately, a police officer demanded she put down her french fries and remove her backpack. Although Ansche never resisted or failed to cooperate with the officer, she was told to place her hands behind her back and she was handcuffed.' Ansche was informed she had broken the law against eating in a subway station, and her shoestrings were removed by a policeman, who searched her. ... The likely future chief justice John Roberts ruled for a unanimous three-judge panel that Ansche's Fourth Amendment and equal-protection rights had not been violated...

http://villagevoice.com/news/0537,hentoff,67717,6.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Raw Story
by Larry Bradshaw and Lorrie Beth Slonsky

09/11/05

Two days after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the Walgreen's store at the corner of Royal and Iberville streets remained locked. The dairy display case was clearly visible through the widows. It was now 48 hours without electricity, running water, plumbing. The milk, yogurt, and cheeses were beginning to spoil in the 90-degree heat. The owners and managers had locked up the food, water, pampers, and prescriptions and fled the City. Outside Walgreen's windows, residents and tourists grew increasingly thirsty and hungry. The much-promised federal, state and local aid never materialized and the windows at Walgreen's gave way to the looters. There was an alternative. The cops could have broken one small window and distributed the nuts, fruit juices, and bottle water in an organized and systematic manner. But they did not. Instead they spent hours playing cat and mouse, temporarily chasing away the looters...

http://tinyurl.com/76web


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Christopher Westley

09/12/05

What if there was no such thing as FEMA? I asked myself that question after reading about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's bungled efforts to serve the poor and suffering in the area formerly known as New Orleans. Following Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, FEMA was criticized for inaction, epitomized by Director Michael Brown's August 29th memo suggesting workers be allowed two days to get to the ravaged region. (Incredibly, Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke defended the two-day delay as necessary to provide workers with adequate training.)

http://www.mises.org/story/1908


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/12/opinion/12krugman.html


Informant: NHNE

The Free Liberal
by Bernie Quigley

09/12/05

There is a natural stasis to bureaucracy that brings management to fight failure with failure and it is perhaps most hidebound at the Pentagon. Thus this week, the Pentagon has drafted a revised doctrine for the use of nuclear weapons that envisions commanders requesting presidential approval to pre-empt an attack. The 'pre-emptive' posture, which alienated most all of the world from our legitimate attempts to fight terrorism after 9/11 is sure to frighten them off this time. This idea was first presented publicly by 'man of faith' journalist of the Christian Right, syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, who called for the use of nuclear weapons against the Taliban in a nationally syndicated column shortly after 9/11. These people are right out there where the buses don't run...

http://www.freeliberal.com/archives/001414.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Mother Jones
by JoAnn Wypijewski

09/05

The Pentagon's recruitment crisis is only the latest evidence that the authors of Operation Iraqi Freedom forgot something on the way to war: the adamant memory of Vietnam, and not in the usual sense. There's a truism among military strategists that 'the war before' colors the one you're fighting. World War II corporatized the military, in everything from management style to procurement to the seemingly permanent draft, even as it helped make the middle class and valorized combat experience as the ultimate manly credential. The Vietnam War was born of all that and then convulsed on it, transforming the draft into political dynamite and restructuring the Army to make wars like the one in Iraq unthinkable, or so almost everyone on up to Colin Powell once thought. Now retired Army officers will say openly that there's no precedent for running a full-scale war with a volunteer army; they will cite the Powell Doctrine -- prescribing war only on condition of mass public support, swift and overwhelming force, and a clear exit strategy -- as the lost lesson of the war before, the thing that Bush and Cheney, with no experience of Vietnam, were mindless of, and that Powell, whether too weak, too ambitious, or too loyal, failed to impress upon them. Such critiques miss the fundamental lesson, which is that soldiers forced to become criminals for old men's ambitions won't all come home quietly...

http://tinyurl.com/a38f2


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Kn@ppster
by Thomas L. Knapp

09/12/05

I can think of a hundred reasons why Bush should be impeached. Unfortunately, the very people -- of both parties -- who would have to draw up and approve the articles (the US House of Representatives) and who would have to try and convict him (the US Senate) are co-conspirators in the relevant offenses. The House and Senate (including many Democrats) approved the illegal war on Iraq. The House and Senate (including many Democrats) and in general the previous (Democratic) administration made, or adopted as true, most or all of the false claims used to justify that illegal war. The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee himself voted for the war and declined to make a serious case against it in his campaign, choosing to kvetch about the details of its execution rather the legality or propriety of its commencement or conduct. Were FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, or the Lake Pontchartrain levee project underfunded? The budget is passed by Congress before it's signed by the president. Was FEMA director Michael Brown incompetent? He didn't get where he was without vetting and confirmation by the US Senate (which, as far as I can tell, occurred on a unanimous voice vote). Graft? Influence-peddling? Corruption? Sure, they're all there -- but you can't swing a cat on Capitol Hill without hitting a lobbyist carrying a brown paper bag full of unmarked, small-denomination bills, either...

http://knappster.blogspot.com/2005/09/impeachy-keen.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp



http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=impeach
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Downing+Street+Memo

Christian Science Monitor

09/12/05

What did you know, and when did you know it? That query, dating from the Watergate probe, is perhaps the best known question ever asked during a congressional hearing (at least since the McCarthy era). But the kind of scandal that prompts such a bare-knuckled interrogation does not appear on John Roberts's golden resume. The US Supreme Court nominee, now appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, is being questioned about his conservative leanings, his past writings, and his courtroom advocacy of far-right constitutional interpretations. ... Nonetheless ... Roberts was in close proximity to what ultimately became the Reagan administration's Iran-contra scandal...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0913/p03s01-usfp.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Washington Times

09/12/05

The politics of Hurricane Katrina was playing out long before the pumps started draining New Orleans, with Democrats seeing an opening to attack the president and a longtime friend of the Bush family convinced that all Republicans are now in big trouble. Republican political consultant Michael Edelman, who has known the Bush family for decades, said the perception that the federal government failed miserably to react quickly enough to the crisis puts the Republican control of Congress at risk next year. 'The Democrats have an issue in this hurricane,' Mr. Edelman said. 'They were given it and they are going to run it up the flagpole. If the Republicans in Congress are not careful, they are going to lose the midterm elections. They know it, too. They can smell it'...

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050911-113936-2115r.htm


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

New Orleans Times-Picayune

09/11/05

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee said he has 'commandered' the Sam's and Wal-Mart stores in the parish and ordered them to open as soon as possible. Lee said he took the action after he learned that a Wal-Mart store wanted to open recently but was told by FEMA officials that it could not. 'I am upset with FEMA and some of their regulations,' Lee said. After talking about the situation concerning the Wal-Mart on Thursday, Lee said he briefly talked to Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans on Friday. He asked her to check on the situation and find out if there was a legitimate reason to keep the store closed. But because of communication difficulties, he did not hear back and took the situation in his own hands. Lee said he gave handwritten notes to Wal-Mart stores in Harvey and Kenner saying they were ordered to open as soon as possible. Lee said Parish President Aaron Broussard agreed with the decision. Lee said anyone from FEMA who tries to close either store will be arrested by deputies...

http://tinyurl.com/8a2e4


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

MSNBC

09/12/05

FBI agents often violate the bureau's rules for handling confidential informants, rules revised after FBI abuses in the 1990s, the Justice Department's internal watchdog said Monday. A review of 120 confidential informant files from FBI offices around the country found violations in 104 cases, or 87 percent, Inspector General Glenn A. Fine said. His 301-page report, parts of which were blacked out, examined FBI compliance with rules that govern most criminal investigations...

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9317523/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Bellacio

09/11/05

'All Our Visitors Bring Happiness,' reads the wrought iron sign on the front column of Albert Cousin's 102-year-old Victorian house. Not Wednesday. Sheriff's deputies in body armor and holding rifles came to try to force Cousin and other residents of St. Bernard Parish to get out of town. ... For the past few days, residents have found comfort in food and water brought by units of the Georgia National Guard, who arrived Labor Day weekend. ... With such efforts under way, the rousting of residents was left to deputies from neighboring parishes, and law enforcement members from as far away as Oklahoma City. The forced eviction of stubborn occupants of this parish, the first community downriver from New Orleans, is more aggressive than similar efforts in the city...

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=8220


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050911/ap_on_sc/greenland_arctic_thaw


Informant: Anna Webb

WHAT'S NEW ON CORPWATCH Holding Corporations Accountable << http://www.corpwatch.org >> Hurricane Katrina and Climate Justice Joshua Karliner September 12th, 2005

For nearly five years George Bush has infuriated much of the world by refusing to take action on global warming. Instead, he has called for more study. In a way, he got what he wanted with Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12629

IN THE NEWS

US: F.D.A. Had Report of Short Circuit in Heart Devices
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12623

HONG KONG: Yahoo, Chinese Police, and a Jailed Journalist
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12621

US: No-Bid Contracts Win Katrina Work
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12620

US: Cover-up: toxic waters 'will make New Orleans unsafe for a decade' http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12622

US: Boeing May Avoid Criminal Prosecution
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12619

US: Katrina-Hit States Turn to Private Security Firms
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12617

IRAQ: Reconstruction Falters and Running Out of Money
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12605

AFRICA: Amnesty accuses oil firms of overriding human rights
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12626


CorpWatch -- Holding Corporations Accountable
1611 Telegraph Ave, Suite 702 Oakland, CA 94612 USA Tel: 510-271-8080 Fax: 510-271-8083 URL: http://www.corpwatch.org Also check out http://www.warprofiteers.com


Informant: Scott Munson

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/11/nfuel11.xml


Informant: Scott Munson

FROM: Tom Atlee <cii@igc.org >
* The Co-Intelligence Institute * PO Box 493 * Eugene, OR 97440

"Have the past struggles succeeded? What has succeeded? yourself? your nation? Nature? Now understand me well - it is provided in the essence of things that from any fruition of success, no matter what, shall come forth something to make a greater struggle necessary?" -- Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road


I will be sending several emails to you in the next couple of days, and then you will have almost two weeks of silence from me as I attend another gathering for intensive inquiry about our global situation and how to respond creatively, this time in England, at a location sufficiently off the beaten path that I will be mostly offline.

Thankfully, there are many voices now calling for accountability, compassion, aid, and justice. My own voice will call for building our capacity to transform our civilization into something more collectively wise and intelligent, something that continually finds new ways to work for all life.

This particular mailing brings to light some interesting ideas for using Katrina for positive, sustainable change. Tomorrow I will send one on "Talking to Katrina and Each Other" and a collection of responses to the mailing on love and systems change.

Coheartedly, Tom


SUSTAINABLE RESPONSES

I recommend exploring the WorldChanging blog http://www.worldchanging.com where Alan AtkKisson's great essay is posted. I just read the excellent "New Orleans: Everything has Changed" by Alex Steffan http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003436.html . The whole blog is filled with positive, useful material -- sort of a Whole Earth Catalog blog. Use the categories list at the top of each page to find articles that interest you.

Here's a hot tidbit from http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003454.html "Design, Disasters and the Value of Thinking Big" by Jamais Cascio Good disaster design should, in my view:

* Be decentralized, and thereby less likely to be rendered inoperative by damage to a centralized facilities, etc.

* Be in the hands of the general public, so as to leverage technology that is already in use and that people are likely to have with them when disaster strikes, so they can get up-to-the minute information.

* Be two-way, so that the general public and/or responders who may be the first to come upon an emerging problem can feed information back to authorities.

* Be redundant, because various technologies have distinctive strengths and liabilities that may render them unusable, or, make them crucial fall-back options.

* Allow dissemination of information in advance, so they can be quickly activated and/or customized in an emergency (instead of requiring massive data-dumps in the midst of a crisis).

* Foster collaboration, because multiple agencies and jurisdictions may be involved and will need to share information from a wide range of sources on a real-time basis.

* Be transparent, so as to determine when changes are needed and that undesired functions are not being performed.

* Default to harmlessness, so that when systems fail (and they will), they can fail gracefully, in a way which does not itself make problems worse.

* Be usable by the old and infirm, as the median age is advancing steadily around the world, and the senior members of society have their own ergonomics and anthropometrics.

* Make the Invisible Visible, so as to give people a chance to see danger before its too late, whether water-born pathogens, leaks of toxic chemicals, or overcrowded evacuation centers.

TOXICS

The pumping of highly polluted waters from New Orleans (and elsewhere) into Lake Ponchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico is extremely bad for the environment. And the proposal to use chlorine to kill the germs will add further to the damage. I don't know if it is too late to contemplate the use of natural remedies in this case, but their existence should be widely known, and the issue thoroughly discussed as a result of Katrina, since this problem will repeat many times in the future. Among the resources available on this subject:

John and Nancy Todd of the New Alchemy Institute

http://www.vsb.cape.com/~nature/greencenter/newalchemy.html http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/DO_JohnTodd.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0517/p15s03-bogn.html

have done exceptional work on the bioremediation of toxics, with totally organic water purifications systems.

Paul Stamets has identified toxics-cleaning mushrooms http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/19680/

One unverified report that's circulating http://tinyurl.com/dq8da says that Effective Microorganisms http://www.emamerica.com is also a very powerful toxic clean-up agent and that "Jon Mackey, founder of Whole Foods, is willing to purchase all of the stocks of EM from the production plant in Tucson, about 25 tons, and ship it to the New Orleans Disaster Relief. Once there, each gallon of EM can be activated 2000 times from its original quantity, which would total 50,000 tons."

A good book to have on hand for future catastrophes is NATURE'S OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS http://ucpress.edu/books/sc/pages/SC50995.html .

GASOLINE CONSUMPTION

For an imaginative quick way to start getting gas consumption under control, Vicki Robin writes:

Here's something every driver can do right now to address the rising prices at the pump and looming gas shortages.

I drive a Honda Insight with an electronic miles per gallon gauge that gives me constant feedback on my driving. Every millimeter of pressure on the gas pedal shows up instantly, driving that little line of lights down towards 0. Every bit of coasting drives them up towards 100 mpg. Getting that line of lights to dance upward becomes a game. Getting the total average mpg per tankful to ratchet up becomes a challenge. In the process, I've become a champion gas-saving gal in my little 2-seater silver bullet. All from feedback. This game saves perhaps 20% in gas consumption. At this moment, that's significant. With a tank of gas for ordinary cars inching over 50 bucks a pop, just the financial savings alone might attract you to installing such a miracle meter in your car. You can - and it will pay for itself in a few tankfuls. Right online at http://tinyurl.com/dxf4q you can buy a little $30 "vacuum gauge" your mechanic can install in an hour. Before my insight, I always installed one on my dash. You could try your local auto supply store as well. A "vacuum gauge" is not quite as jazzy as my onboard computer, but that little needle will still train your foot to be lighter than Fred Astaire's.

Behind the utility of saving money is the imperative in this moment of using less oil. Our supplies are vulnerable - politics and storms can both wipe them out. Violence associated with diminishing essential resources is an age-old problem for our species. Wars are fought over water, food and fuel. People turn mean, hoard, abandon their neighbors, disregard calls for sacrifice when they fear their personal needs won't be met. They vote down collective solutions like public transportation while they have access to oil.

Retooling the whole fleet of American cars to get better gas mileage will take many years. Building public transportation that is so good that people would rather use it than their cars will take even more years. Getting the right policies in place that reward efficiency and penalize waste will take ongoing political wrangling. But if everyone in the US put one of these little $30 gauges in their cars, we could better defend ANWR. We could reduce the temptation to bully other nations for their oil. Imagine the whole fleet of American cars with little vacuum gauges driving delicately down the highways at the optimum gas-saving speed of under 60 miles per hour. Imagine a 10% or more reduction in demand for gas. Imagine arriving at destinations a little less frazzled. Imagine bumper stickers that say "I know my MPG - do you?" "Driving for a solution - MPG meter on board". Imagine a little thing each of us can do that would actually help this big mess. Of course the big work of engineering a more fuel efficient fleet, changing policies, building public transportation and developing new sources of energy all needs to be done. But what's the little guy to do in the meantime? I say, spend $30 and join the exciting game of getting that gauge to go in the right direction.

By the way, I regularly get 52-55 miles per gallon. Please save me from my gloating by getting an MPG meter too. PS - I know acknowledgements are the custom in books, not emails, but I want to briefly bow to the late Dana Meadows who introduced me to systems thinking. For Dana's article about her experience of that mpg gauge on her Honda Insight, go to http://www.sustainer.org/dhm_archive/index.php?display_article=vn844insighted
PPS - What if, with the stoke of an executive pen, such meters were required equipment along with air bags? Hmmm. Know any executives...


Tom Atlee * The Co-Intelligence Institute * PO Box 493 * Eugene, OR 97440


Informant: Martin Greenhut

http://tinyurl.com/c4kbn


Informant: NHNE

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/3401/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-08-30-census-poverty_x.htm?csp=15


Informant: bdpoe

New Orleans man claims the levy was "blown up"
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=91213;show_parent=1

--------

LOCALS, OFFICIALS SUGGEST LEVEES WERE INTENTIONALLY BLOWN
http://www.prisonplanet.com/Pages/090905levees.htm


Informant: NHNE

--------

SECOND UPDATE: Monday Sept. 12, 2005 @ 8:23 AM ABC News Video with Ear Witness to Explosions and states emphatically "They blew this levee" Click the link below the story

Click Here to Watch the ABC NEWS Video
http://www.halturnershow.com/EarWitnessVideo.html


John Johnson
Change-Links Progressive Newspaper
change@pacbell.net

http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=91159;show_parent=1



http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=impeach
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Downing+Street+Memo