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Tell the U.S. Forest Service our National Forests are Not for Sale

As you know, President Bush has proposed selling off some of America's National Forests and BLM lands as part of this year's budget process. Tens of thousands of WildAlert subscribers have already spoken up asking their members of Congress to oppose this wrong-headed move. While members of Congress have voiced their opposition, the proposal nevertheless remains a part of the budget and a very real threat to our public lands.

The Forest Service is seeking public comment on the proposed sale of National Forest lands, which could be the only official public comment gathered. Please send a resounding "Not for Sale!" to the agency. You can do that easily and quickly by clicking here.

http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/forestselloff

What's At Stake

Photo: Middle Lewis Falls in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. USDA Forest Service, Erik Odegard. The Bush administration's FY 2007 budget request includes a proposal to sell up to 300,000 acres of National Forest land and use the revenues to phase out funding for rural schools over the next 5 years. While funding of rural schools is something we support, paying for it by selling off precious natural resources is misguided.

Such a land disposal plan has, as conservationist Aldo Leopold wrote in 1949, "the same desperate finality as having to chop up the furniture to keep warm." The land sale proposal would require Congress to adopt special legislation because the Forest Service currently has very limited legal authority to sell National Forest land.

Locking out the Public

If the legislation passes, it would eliminate virtually all formal opportunity for the public to comment on or object to proposed land sales, short of going to court. The sales would be exempt from environmental reviews unless there are "extraordinary circumstances" such as impacts on endangered species habitat.

Special Areas Could be Sold and Developed

Lands that are currently protected through forest management plans and regulations -- such as Inventoried Roadless Areas, old-growth forest reserves, riparian areas, streams, lakes, wetlands, campgrounds, big-game winter range, and endangered species habitats -- could be considered for sale.

Moreover, a purchaser of the land would be free to develop the land in whatever ways are allowed by local zoning and land use laws that apply to any private lands. Potentially that could include housing subdivisions, strip malls, gravel pits, and parking lots, as well as new mansions and driveways perched on scenic real estate.

Opposition Growing

Many Senators and Congressmen already have vowed to stop this legislation. Governors have spoken out against the idea and urged their Congressional delegations to take action. State legislatures in Colorado and Idaho, as well as counties all over the nation, have passed resolutions opposing it.

The newest voices in the chorus of opposition to this proposal are the four former Chiefs of the Forest Service who wrote a letter to current Chief Dale Bosworth urging him to abandon the misguided plan.

You Can Help!

Please tell the Forest Service that your National Forests are NOT for sale. You can send that message immediately from here.

http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/forestselloff

Or use our sample letter below to send your own official comment directly to the Forest Service. Comments will be accepted through midnight on March 30th.

Contact Information

USDA Forest Service SRS Comments, Lands 4S
1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop 1124 Washington, DC, 20250-0003 Fax: 202-205-1604 Email: SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us

For More Information

* Fact sheet on the land sale
http://wilderness.org/Library/Documents/upload/Factsheet-LandSellOff.pdf

* Facts about the BLM's proposed land sale
http://wilderness.org/Library/Documents/upload/Factsheet-BLMlandselloff.pdf

* Letter from four former Chiefs of the Forest Service to current Chief Dale Bosworth
http://www.wilderness.org/Library/Documents/upload/ChiefsLtrtoCongress.pdf

* Forest Service website with details on the proposal
http://www.fs.fed.us/

Sample Letter

To the U.S. Forest Service:

I am strongly opposed to the sale of National Forest lands proposed in President Bush's proposed budget for FY2007. The "Secure Rural Schools Land Sales Initiative" is absolutely the wrong way for the federal government to fund rural schools. None of the 300,000 acres of our treasured National Forests listed for sale should be put on the auction block.

Our National Forests are an American birthright, something that makes our homeland unique. Those lands deserve protection, defense and thoughtful stewardship for the benefit future generations. They are not commodities to be used in a shortsighted scheme to raise money that the federal government needs to meet its obligations. Rural schools should continue to receive federal assistance through existing dedicated funds, not through short-sighted land sales.

The National Forests are extremely valuable for their natural assets, such as water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities. Federal ownership of these lands also helps prevent suburban sprawl and loss of scenic open space. National forest lands should not be sold and turned into strip malls, gravel pits, and industrial tree farms.

I also strongly oppose expanding the Forest Service's legal authority to sell National Forest lands. Existing law makes it clear that National Forests are NOT FOR SALE. I want to make sure they stay that way.

Sincerely,
(Your name and address)

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Explore National Forest Lands for Sale with Google Earth

http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/03/1809825.php

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2006
CONTACT: Eric Antebi 415-977-5747

Explore National Forest Lands for Sale with Google Earth

New Data, Mapping Tool Shows Full Scope of Administration Proposal

The Bush administration created a major stir when it recently proposed selling off hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest land. Now you can use Google Earth to explore the parcels on the auction block and see for yourself the full scope of what the administration has proposed.

The Google Earth maps are available at: http://sierraclubplus.org/forests/maps

The administration has described the parcels it intends to sell as "non-vital," characterizing them as isolated properties that are difficult to manage. Viewing the parcels through Google Earth instead reveals that far too many of the areas up for auction are within or immediately adjacent to large blocks of public forest land. Selling these properties would only serve to fragment undeveloped forestland, something Chief Dale Bosworth has called one of the biggest threats to America's forest heritage.

The maps are based on the latest Forest Service data, dated March 14,
2006.

"The Bush administration's proposal to auction off national forest and other lands is shameful," says Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. "These lands not only belong to you and me, but they also belong to future generations, and they should not be sold off to the highest bidder for development."

A full statement and additional background on the land sale is available at: http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/releases/pr2006-03-15.asp


Informant: Scott Munson

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STOP BUSH'S PLAN TO SELL OFF OUR NATIONAL FORESTS

Paul Richards, Democratic candidate for Senate in Montana and courageous lifelong advocate for the environment, is leading the fight to stop the reckless decimation of our national forests. Please read Paul's personal message to you below, and join him in being a champion for our forest heritage by submitting this action page.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.richards2006.us/petitions/pnum226.php

After six years of undermining protections for public lands and forests, President Bush's FY 2007 budget proposes to sell more than a quarter of a million acres of public lands. This is another example of the Bush administration's loyalty to the logging, oil and gas industries. According to the New York Times, the Department of Interior's budget documents show that they plan to allow companies to pump about billion in oil and natural gas without paying royalties.

A total of 304,370 acres of national forests across the country would be up for auction under the President's proposal; including over 12,000 acres in Montana (my home state), 75,000 acres in California, 25,000 acres in Idaho, 21,000 acres in Colorado and 21,000 acres in Missouri, 17,000 in Wyoming and 15,000 in South Dakota. Many of the lands up for sale provide important wildlife habitat, clean drinking water and air, and a natural legacy for future generations.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.richards2006.us/petitions/pnum226.php

We only have until March 30 to get our comments into the National Forest Service. Please join me in telling the Forest Service not to sell off our public lands to environmentally hostile corporations and condo developers!

Thank you,

Paul Richards


BACKGROUND

The Administration claims that selling forests managed by the U. S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is necessary to generate million to "offset" payments to rural schools. The permanent sale of these forestlands will only temporarily fund the program. This land sale proposal comes only a month after Congress, in the face of widespread, bi-partisan opposition, stripped Representative Pombo's scheme to sell millions of acres of national forests and parks for private development from the federal budget bill.

The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination (SRS) Act of 2000 ended the perverse incentive of funding rural schools and county roads from logging sales on national forests by guaranteeing funding to counties based on historic levels of logging revenue. The bill is up for reauthorization in September 2006. The Bush Administration wants to sell national forests to fund the SRS program. This is an irresponsible move. Our children's education should be paid for responsibly with a dependable funding source - not by recklessly pawning our national forest inheritance.

The President's proposal has generated a fury among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but it's critical that the Forest Service and BLM and Congress hear FROM every state.

Click here for the complete list of places that have been proposed for this sale: http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/rural_schools.shtml

Click here to see recent press on the public forests land sale: Recent Press on Land Sale: http://www.americanlands.org/news.php?subsubNo=1090602339&article=1142525819

TAKE ACTION

ACTION PAGE: http://www.richards2006.us/petitions/pnum226.php

Please take a moment and let the Forest Service know that you oppose selling national forestland. Comments on the proposed land sale must be received by March 30. The action page above will automatically send your personal message by email. Written comments may be sent to: USDA Forest Service, SRS Comments, Lands 4S, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop 1124, Washington, DC, 20250-0003. Send faxed comments to (202) 205-1604.

SAMPLE LETTER TO FOREST SERVICE

USDA Forest Service SRS Comments, Lands 4S
1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop 1124 Washington, DC, 20250-0003 Dear Forest Service,

I am writing you to oppose any sale of national forests or BLM land to fund the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination (SRS) Program. The proposed auction of more than a quarter of a million acres of public forests around the country would do irreparable harm to our national forest system. The lands, which would be lost forever provide important wildlife habitat, clean drinking water and air, and a natural legacy. As wealthiest nation in the world, we can afford to preserve our public lands and pay for our children's education.

Education and our national forest heritage are investments for future generations. It is irresponsible to ask us to choose between these essential responsibilities of our government. This one-time sale of valuable national forests would permanently harm the national forest system and could only temporarily fund the Secure Rural Schools program; it's not a solution to the problem of under-funded rural education. Our children and rural communities deserve a dependable source of income for education that does not rely on the reckless pawning of public lands.

When Teddy Roosevelt and other Administrations during the last century created the 193-million-acre National Forest System, they intended for these lands to be preserved forever as a public trust and managed for the good of all Americans. The proposed auction of hundreds of thousands of acres without an equal or greater increase in protected acreage is a direct assault on the idea of a dedicated National Forest system.

Don't ask Americans which national forests you should sell; it's a disservice for the Forest Service to even consider the idea. This proposal is in direct opposition to your agency's mission and reason for existence. Financial challenges always cause us to reassess our priorities. Selling our natural forest heritage to pay for other government programs is unacceptable.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Address



Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this message to everyone else you know.

Powered by The People's Email Network Copyright 2006, Patent pending, All rights reserved

RESIDENTS are fighting a mobile phone giant's plans for a mast next to their homes - saying their houses were ignored in the planning application. The occupants of three properties in Ashover are urging planners to visit the site and make an informed decision before siting a 15-metre mast and base on farmland off Hilltop Road.

A petition against the development, which is 400 metres from Ashover Primary School, has already attracted 170 signatures.

Dan Hadfield, whose home is just 70 metres from the proposed site is concerned about possible health problems associated with phone masts.

He said: "I have a four-week-old daughter, another aged three years and we may all live here for another 20 years. Big business seems to take precedence over people's feelings."

Despite his proximity to the site Mr Hadfield said that his home and those of two of his neighbours are not mentioned in T-Mobile's application to North East Derbyshire District Council.

He added: "I don't think the site has been assessed properly. They need to know that we are here.

"An alternative site for the mast was ruled out by T-Mobile because it was too near a residential development, but I have measured this and the distances in that case and in ours are identical."

A spokesperson for T-Mobile said: "The local planning office is well aware of all the relevant issues including the location of the nearest properties and the fact that the proposed site is relatively well screened by trees.

"On the issue of alleged health concerns, the worldwide scientific consensus is that there is no risk to anyone's health from mobile phone base stations operating to international guidelines."

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
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/771911/

Because of the proposed council strikes on March 28, a decision date for the application is not known.

By Richard Woolley

22 March 2006

All rights reserved © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.

http://www.matlocktoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=749&ArticleID=1395033

Heute um 22.30 h im WDR: "Verschollen in der Psychiatrie"
Reportage

Vera Svilans war 20 Jahre alt, als sie 1944 vor der Roten Armee aus Lettland nach Deutschland flüchtete. Sie war 21 Jahre alt, als sie sich im Sommer 1945 als Erntehelferin in Bayern die Hand brach und ins Krankenhaus musste. Die junge Frau war 22 Jahre alt, als sie wegen einer Fehldiagnose "Schizophrenieverdacht" in die Psychiatrische Anstalt Wiesloch bei Heidelberg gelangt. Dort lebte sie fast 60 Jahre lang, ohne dass ihre Angehörigen jemals davon erfuhren. Vera Svilans hat zwei Schwestern, die sie suchen. Eine lebt in England, eine in Lettland. Endlich hat ihre jahrzehntelange Suche Erfolg. Nach fast 60 Jahren "Verschollen in der Psychiatrie" sehen sich die Schwestern wieder. Der Film von Mario Damolin erzählt die Lebensgeschichte der Vera Svilans, die Geschichte der jahrzehntelangen vergeblichen Suche nach ihr, die Geschichte ihrer "Psychiatrisierung" und er erzählt in bewegenden Bildern vom Wiedersehen. Es ist eine Geschichte, die ihren Ursprung im Zweiten Weltkrieg hat, eine traurige Lebensgeschichte vom "Treibgut" der großen Katastrophe mit einem späten "Happy-End". D 2005 [Sender: WDR] [Beginn: 22.30] [Dauer: 45 Min.]

Ein Hinweis des Werner-Fuß-Zentrum Scharnweberstr. 29
10247 Berlin http://www.psychiatrie-erfahrene.de

ENS March 22, 2006

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2006/2006-03-22-01.asp

MEXICO CITY, Mexico - An international meeting on the future of the world's fresh water resources is marking World Water Day today with a renewed effort to ensure that more clean drinking water reaches the 1.1 billion people who do not have access to safe water, but the crisis is complicated by the impacts of a warming climate, an world renowned atmospheric chemist told delegates.

In addition to drinking water scarcity, about 2.6 billion people, four out of every 10, lack access to sanitation. This situation is a humanitarian crisis -- dealing with it must move to the top of the global agenda say ministers and water experts meeting here for the 4th World Water Forum.

In his keynote speech to the Forum Tuesday, Nobel Prize Winner in chemistry Mario Molina warned that climate change and inappropriate water management might intensify global warming by the end of this century, creating "an intolerable risk."

If the current global warming trend is maintained, the temperature of the planet will rise eight degrees Celsius during this century, "an increase of historic proportions," said Molina, who shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the destruction of the ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons.

Molina said intensifying rains and droughts are related to climate change and to the melting of glaciers. Climate change has exacerbated flooding and water scarcity, he said.

The year 2005 "was the warmest in the last thousand years," Molina pointed out, showing charts of "paleo-climate data," extracted from drops of water encapsulated within glaciers and information from the outer rings of trees in ancient forests.

Director-General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura says the theme of Water and Culture is of particular significance for UNESCO, which is leading the activities surrounding this year¹s World Water Day.

"To achieve sustainable solutions that contribute to equity, peace and development, water management and governance need to take proper account of cultural and biological diversity," Matsuura said. "For this reason, UNESCO believes that the cultural dimension of water deserves further exploration so that its many ramifications may become better understood."

Modern approaches to water resource management have tended to be overwhelmingly technology-driven in their attempt to solve the world¹s urgent water problems, he said.

Water-related extreme events, such as floods and droughts, kill more people than any other natural disaster, and water-borne diseases continue to cause the death of thousands of children every day.

Because of its growth and development, the human population increasingly alters the quality and distribution of water. "But the amount of fresh water on Earth, to be shared among all forms of life, remains the same," said Matsuura. "This situation imposes on humankind a responsibility to develop ethically sound systems of water governance."

But, he said, technology alone will not lead us to viable solutions.

"Traditional knowledge alerts us to the fact that water is not merely a commodity," Matsuura said. "Since the dawn of humanity, water has inspired us, giving life spiritually, materially, intellectually and emotionally. Sharing and applying the rich contents of our knowledge systems, including those of traditional and indigenous societies, as well as lessons learned from our historical interactions with water, may greatly contribute to finding solutions for today¹s water challenges."

"The nexus between culture and nature is the avenue for understanding resilience, creativity and adaptability in both social and ecological systems. In this perspective, sustainable water use and, hence, a sustainable future depend on the harmonious relationship between water and culture," the UNESCO director-general said.

"Consequently," he said, "it is vital that water management and governance take cultural traditions, indigenous practices and societal values into serious account."

The global water crisis is growing, UNESCO said in a statement to mark World Water Day. The water crisis threatens the security, stability and sustainability of the planet and consequently, humanity itself. This is why the period from 2005 to 2015 has been declared the International Decade for Action Water for Life.

Reiterating that lack of access to water is a major source of death and disease in the world, World Water Council President Loïc Fauchon announced the launch of the Council's Water for Schools initiative, which seeks to provide access to water in 1,000 schools in 10 countries.

During the Forum's plenary session on Tuesday, the director of the National Water Commission for Mexico Cristóbal Jaime announced an agreement by which an office of the World Meteorological Organization will be established in Mexico.

Jaime reiterated an "urgent call" to the UN Secretary General¹s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation to reduce by half the average number of deaths associated to water related disasters that will take place between now and the year 2015, as compared to the figures recorded for the decade from 1991-2000.

Jaime said emergency aid funds should be established for preventive measures against disasters. "The international community might approve financing early warning systems and educational programs for the most vulnerable countries," he suggested.

The representatives of Asian countries Tuesday announced the creation of the Asia Pacific Water Forum in a region particularly hard hit by disasters. A recent UNESCAP study showed that the Asian and Pacific region accounted for 91 per cent of the world's total deaths due to natural disaster. The average annual economic damage has increased from US$10.6 billion over the past five decades to US$29 billion over the past 15 years.

Ryutaro Hashimoto, former Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Japan Water Forum, and chair of the UN Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, supported the agreement creating the Asia Pacific Water Forum. He reminded the audience that 60 percent of the world population lives in the Asia Pacific region and explored how to obtain financing for local water projects in his keynote address.

Kim Huk Su, executive secretary for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), said that there are two major priorities for the new regional forum -- the need for tools to support Integrated Water Resource Management, and "radically" more effective risk management and risk prevention.

Asia and the Pacific is also the world's most disaster-prone region. A recent UNESCAP study showed that the region accounted for 91 percent of the world's total deaths due to natural disaster. The average annual economic damage has increased from US$10.6 billion over the past five decades to US$29 billion over the past 15 years.

Kim said that although the Asia-Pacific region has the highest economic growth rates in the world, it also has the lowest per-capita fresh water availability, and the highest number of people living below the poverty line.

North America has had its share of water disasters. At the plenary conference Tuesday on Risk Management, Carl Strock, chief of engineers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), told delegates that a critical report on the performance of the government concerning Hurricane Katrina recognized that communication among different levels of government, logistics to deliver aid, and local warning systems did not perform as expected.

"Disasters are now globalized phenomena," said Strock, "that require intervention from everyone."

Tropical storms in 2006 are expected to be even stronger than in 2005, the year hurricane Katrina and storm Stan wreaked havoc on the Mesoamerican region, said Max Campo, executive secretary of the Central American Regional Committee for Water Resources during a session of the IUCN-World Conservation Union at the Forum.

Campos emphasized that, "We must integrate existing knowledge and technology in a systematic way so that citizens, with or without internet access, can receive information on time so that people and their families can escape from catastrophic events."

The African continent has to date developed only 3.8 percent of its water resources for supply, irrigation and electrical power, according to the Regional Document on Africa, "Water Resources Development in Africa: Challenges Response and Prospective," prepared for discussion at the Forum.

Africa's situation implies the need for hefty investment in various areas, and this investment must go hand in hand with changes in regional and national policy and capability, the document states.

Investment in water will spur progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goals. It will mitigate the scourge of malnutrition, food scarcity, poverty and disease that has led African nations to be counted among the poorest of the world, said the Regional Document.

Many developing countries are looking to the World Bank for water investments, and the bank is interested in funding water-related needs.

New investments in water management and development are essential for growth in developing countries, and they need to be sustainable -- achieving the right balance between water security, and social and environmental protection -- said a new World Bank report, Water for Growth and Development, presented at the Forum.

"Simply constructing new infrastructure projects is not enough on its own," said Kathy Sierra, World Bank Vice President for Infrastructure. ³It is essential to manage and govern water resources effectively. Such water investments will lead to responsible growth, embracing both environmental sustainability and social development."

Public financing for basic water security has been and will remain essential, but the scale of needed investments cannot be provided by public funds alone so the private sector will have an important complementary role to play, said the World Bank report. "All investment, whether public or private, should be complemented by robust regulatory and monitoring frameworks, designed with the active participation of water users and civil society."

But privatization of water is just what many people fear, because the essential liquid could be priced out of their reach. Some 10,000 people marched in the streets of Mexico City on Saturday, demanding that water services not be privatized.


Informant: NHNE

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Fresh Water Shortages Damage Environment Too
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fresh_Water_Shortages_Damage_Environment_Too.html


Informant: Teresa Binstock

WARNS WWF
panda.org
March 22, 2006

http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=64220

Curitiba, Brazil – Climate change and deforestation could convert the majority of the Amazon rainforest into savannah, with massive impacts on the world’s biodiversity and climate, WWF said today at the 8th UN Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Presenting a review of scientific research on the Amazon and climate change, WWF says that climate-modelling studies are projecting a warmer and drier environment for the region, which will likely lead to a substantial decrease in precipitation over much of the Amazon. Such changes would result in significant shifts in ecosystem types – from tropical forest to dry savannah – and loss of species in many parts of the Amazon.

“A changing climate poses a substantial threat to the Amazon forests, which contain a large portion of the world’s biodiversity. Threats here translate into threats to biodiversity at large,” said Lara Hansen, WWF's chief climate change scientist. "The world needs to urgently evaluate vulnerability to climate risks and integrate them into biodiversity conservation efforts.”

According to the WWF survey, the combination of human activities – such as deforestation and logging – and climate change, increases the drying effect of dead trees that fuels forests fires.

In the absence of effective measures, global warming and deforestation could convert from 30 up to 60 per cent of the Amazon rain forest into a type of dry savannah, according to research carried out under the auspices of Brazil's National Space Research Institute (INPE).

The climate in northwestern South America, including the Amazon region, has already changed over the last century. For example, the average monthly air temperature records have increased by 0.5–0.8°C from 1990 to 2000.

“We are running a serious risk of losing a large piece of the Amazonian tropical forest,” said senior INPE scientist Carlos Nobre. “If warming exceeds a few degrees Celsius, the process of ‘savannisation’ may well become irreversible.”

Currently, the Amazonian forests act as an important sink for carbon dioxide (CO2), a gas emitted mainly from the burning of fossil fuels coal, oil and natural gas, and the major driver of global climate change. However, up to about 20 per cent of CO2 emissions stem from deforestation. If its destruction continues, the Amazon rainforest could become a net source of CO2, WWF says.

WWF believes governments should send a powerful political signal about the need to protect the world’s biodiversity and climate. At COP8, countries of the Amazon basin must announce quantitative commitments to reduce deforestation.

“Both the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation must be urgently and significantly reduced in order to save the world’s biodiversity and people from catastrophic climate change,” said Giulio Volpi, coordinator of WWF's Climate Change Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Here in Curitiba, there is a unique opportunity to address the deadly combination of deforestation and climate change. Amazon countries need to commit to stop deforestation, for the benefit of present and future generations.”

For further information:
Giulio Volpi, Coordinator
WWF Climate Change Programme, Latin America
Tel: +55 61 38165 6784
E-mail: giulio@wwf.org.br

Olivier van Bogaert, Senior Press Officer
WWF International
Tel: +41 79 477 35 72
E-mail: ovanbogaert@wwfint.org


Informant: NHNE

by Frank O'Donnell, TomPaine.com

Last week, an appeals court took the Bush administration to task for ignoring environmental laws.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/03/21/clean_air_victory.php

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Major clean air victory

Last year, you helped us win a critical victory when we blocked President Bush's Dirty Skies bill before it reached the Senate floor for a vote.

Now, I've got more good news to report on the clean air front. NRDC has turned back the Bush Administration's most aggressive attempt to dismantle the Clean Air Act for the sake of America's biggest polluters.

Four years ago, the Administration issued new rules that would have allowed 20,000 aging power plants, oil refineries and other big polluters to evade pollution controls required by law. These proposed changes, shaped directly by industry lobbyists, were little more than a payback to Big Oil and Big Coal for their lavish campaign contributions.

This devastating reversal of the Clean Air Act would have given ExxonMobil and other industry giants a free pass to clog our air with hundreds of thousands more tons of harmful pollution. And it could have led to a dramatic increase in asthma and heart attacks, hospitalizations and premature deaths. The most vulnerable -- children, seniors and those already struggling to breathe in our cities -- would have suffered the most.

In response, we mobilized thousands of our online activists to protest this unprecedented attack on our clean air safeguards. When the Bush Administration moved ahead anyway, NRDC raced to court and argued that the new rules would cause permanent injury to millions of Americans. In December 2003, the court took the unusual step of blocking the new rules from taking effect until the full case could be heard.

Now, the U.S. Court of Appeals has issued a ruling that slams the door on the Administration's attempt to sabotage the Clean Air Act. The court rebuked the Bush plan for threatening the health of millions and undermining a law that was meant to limit pollution, not increase it!

This victory proves once again that the courts are often our last line of defense against the Bush Administration's worst attacks. Thank you so much for helping to defend America's clean air law.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President Natural Resources Defense Council

by Robert B. Reich, TomPaine.com

George W. Bush will harm a few Republicans this fall's elections -- but he has damaged the cause of good government for years to come.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/03/21/bushs_skunktails.php

Diese Ausgabe im Internet:
http://www.impf-report.de/jahrgang/2006/09.htm

Siehe auch unseren Pressespiegel unter:
http://www.impfkritik.de/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=5

It comes as a surprise to many people that the province of Newfoundland and Labrador is three times the size of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island put together. Although the Province is known world-wide for its once-proud marine fish stocks, many other globally significant natural features occur there. These include seabirds (up to 40,000,000 every year), rare and endemic plants, and the Province's spectacular geology and fossils. Yet, many of these globally significant features remain unprotected because the Provincial Government has not released the protected areas strategy called the "Natural Areas Plan".

The Natural Areas Plan, or NAP, has been "sleeping" for over 10 years. The candidate protected areas were originally designed by a Government committee in 1995-1996. When the committee submitted its final report in 1996, they recommended the immediate release of the plan for public and industry review. As of February 22, 2006 the plan and the candidate areas had not been released. Unfortunately, this means that Newfoundland and Labrador is the only Province in Canada that has not released (let alone implement) its protected areas strategy. More importantly, candidate area boundaries are being revised or even eliminated without public debate.

The current administration of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador was elected in 2003. One of their election platforms was the release of the Natural Areas Plan. They have been in office now for over two years, yet the plan remains hidden in the halls of Government.

Please help CPAWS-NL by letting Premier Danny Williams know that you support the release of the Natural Areas Plan.
http://www.actionworks.ca/clientfiles/cpaws/actioncentres/nl/takeaction.jsp

Paul Richards, Democratic candidate for Senate in Montana and courageous lifelong advocate for the environment, is out there fighting for one of the most important pieces of pending environmental legislation in Congress, H.R. 1204. It is known as "The Rockies Prosperity Act," and will have enormous positive impact on the environment and the economy coast to coast. Please read Paul's personal message to you below, and join him in being a champion for the environment by submitting this action page.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.richards2006.us/petitions/pnum209.php

Over 20 years ago, I wrote the first two drafts of a citizens' proposal to save the remaining roadless wildlands of Montana and Idaho. My reasoning was simple: The Wild Rockies are blessed with gorgeous mountains, pure streams abundant with fish, and native forests full of game and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. This region's roadless wildlands provide some of the best backpacking, hunting, camping, wildlife habitat and trout waters in our nation.

THREATS FROM THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

America's roadless wildlands are fast disappearing. Nationally, the Forest Service has built more than 380,000 miles of roads, a road system eight times larger than our entire Interstate highways system! Yet, the Bush Administration is now proposing to build even more roads in our National Forests and to sell our precious public lands to private developers! The Administration is steadfastly working behind the scenes to hand over 58.5 million acres of our precious public wildlands to energy, mining, and timber industries.

It's time to protect our few remaining wildlands in the National Forest system! To this end, we need to secure passage of our citizens' proposal, now H.R. 1204, also known as "The Rockies Prosperity Act." This act, currently co-sponsored by Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), has already garnered the support of 187 House of Representatives members. NOTE: Some activists still refer to this act by its old name, "NREPA" or the "Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act."

The Rockies Prosperity Act provides for employment of thousands by reclaiming old logging roads and rehabilitating watersheds previously damaged by roading, overcutting, and mining. The Act has endorsements from President Jimmy Carter, world-renowned scientists, and more than 700 organizations and businesses nationwide.

The Rockies Prosperity Act has a strong economic foundation. Studies by University of Utah economist Michael Garrity (1997) show that the Act would create more than 2,000 new jobs through wildland restoration work while saving U.S. taxpayers more than million dollars over a ten-year period by ending taxpayer-subsidized timber sales in roadless areas.

To secure passage of the Rockies Prosperity Act, we need to increase the number of House sponsors and to find a senator that will sponsor the Act. As you may know, I am running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Conrad Burns. If I am elected, I will sponsor the Rockies Prosperity Act and work for its passage. Until I am elected, I need your help.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Use this action page below to contact both your Senators and your House Representative. Respectfully ask them to sponsor and support the Rockies Prosperity Act. You can also use this same action page to write a brief letter to the editor.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.richards2006.us/petitions/pnum209.php

Remember: Our roadless wild areas remain a place where one can escape the crowds, the noise, and traffic of daily life and return to nature as it once was. We need these wildlands for our psychological, spiritual, economic, and societal well-being.

Congress needs to stand tall against the Bush Administration's planned development of America's few remaining wildlands. We all need to speak clearly for our beautiful roadless wildlands. Please help.

Thank you,

Paul Richards

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this message to everyone else you know.

Powered by The People's Email Network Copyright 2006, Patent pending, All rights reserved

http://www.livelogcity.com/users/omega/308772.html

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APRIL TEXAS PEACE MARCH, ENDORSED BY CINDY SHEEHAN, HOWARD ZINN, TO ALSO CALL ON EXXONMOBIL TO “RETURN” $7 BILLION IN WAR PROFITS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Mar. 24, 2006

Contacts - March info: Valley Reed valley.reed@earthlink.net ExxonMobil info: Nick Mottern nickmottern@earthlink.net

http://www.marchtoredeem.org
http://www.consumersforpeace.org

A two-week march to the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas, starting April 1, that will call for an end to the Iraq War and immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq - endorsed by peace worker Cindy Sheehan and historian Howard Zinn - will also call on ExxonMobil Corporation to spend $7 billion of its record $36 billion 2005 profit to alleviate war suffering and to compensate thousands more who have documented harm from its operations.

Ms. Sheehan and Mr. Zinn are among a list of endorsers of the march that includes: independent journalist Dahr Jamail; Nobel Peace Prize nominee Kathy Kelly; Michael Letwin, co-convener of New York City Labor Against the War; author Norman Solomon; Sundiata Xian Tellem, co-chair of the Green Party of the U.S. Black Caucus; David Swanson, co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org; Tim Carpenter, National Director of Progressive Democrats of America; and Global Exchange. The march is being organized by the Dallas Peace Center, Peace Action Texas, Crawford Peace House, ConsumersforPeace.org and is endorsed also by the Southern Christian Leadership Council and the Dallas NAACP. (A complete list of endorsers appears below.)

The call for ExxonMobil to spend $7 billion on meeting war-related and business-related human needs is based on the increasingly widely-held view that the conditions created by the Iraq War have contributed significantly to the dramatic profits of ExxonMobil and other major oil companies since the occupation began in 2003. For example, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and colleague, Linda Blimes, writing on the cost of the Iraq War, note that the war has had a major inflationary impact on oil prices, which in turn, has meant that “Profits of oil companies have increased enormously.”

Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, responding to an inquiry from ConsumersforPeace.org, estimates that as much as 20 percent of ExxonMobil’s record $36 billion 2005 profit, or about $7 billion, is “a ball park number” for what can be considered war profits for the oil giant. This is an estimate of the amount of profit that is essentially unearned and is traceable to oil prices that have been inflated because (1) the Iraq War has severely depressed Iraq oil production, and (2) there are fears that the Iraq War may spread, possibly affecting oil production in Iran and Saudi Arabia.

ConsumersforPeace.org is promoting the ExxonMobil War Boycott, which seeks immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces and mercenaries from Iraq, reparations for Iraq, impeachment of George W. Bush and prosecution of U.S. officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Iraq.

“ExxonMobil has made at least $7 billion extra in 2005 because of the invasion and occupation of Iraq,” said Nick Mottern, director of ConsumersforPeace.org. “This is unearned money, taken from consumers, and it needs to be returned to society,” he continued. “We propose that ExxonMobil write checks to private organizations for relief in Iraq, for war-related injuries of U.S. veterans and to compensate people in the U.S. and elsewhere who have been harmed by ExxonMobil operations.” The beneficiaries would include residents of Beaumont and Baytown, Texas, living near ExxonMobil refineries who have experienced severe health problems, according to Mottern.

ConsumersforPeace.org is developing a list of potential recipients for the $7 billion.

“War profiteering is unacceptable in any war,” said Mottern, “and it is particularly despicable when it is done by the nation’s largest oil company during an illegal war that has so much suffering and has so much to do with oil.”

On April 4, in Waxahachie, Texas, the march will commemorate the 38th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is also the date in 2004 when Ms. Sheehan’s son was killed in Iraq; his body was returned to her on Palm Sunday.

MARCH SCHEDULE

April 1 - 10 a.m. Press conference at ExxonMobil headquarters in Irving, Texas, then march to the Trinity River. A partial list of those appearing at the press conference:

Texas Rep. Lon Burnham Dallas civil rights leader Rev. Peter Johnson Rev. Roy Malveaux, Beaumont, Texas Valley Reed, chief organizer, March to Redeem Campaign Maureen Haver, Jumpstart Ford Campaign Nick Mottern, Director, ConsumersforPeace.org

April 2 - 2:30 p.m. Press conference in front of Dallas County Courthouse and Jail, then take DART to Dallas VA Hospital. 4:30 p.m. Rally at Dallas VA Hospital.

April 3 - 10 a.m. March south to Red Oak.

April 4 - 10 a.m. March south to Waxahachie. 7 p.m. Vigil in Waxahachie commenrating the assassination of Dr. King.

April 5 - 10 a.m. March south to Italy.

April 6 - 10 a.m. March south to Carl’s Corner. 8 p.m. Performances by musicians and dancers.

April 7 - 10 a.m. March south to Hillsboro, then southwest to Aquilla Lake.

April 8 - 10 a.m. March to Aquilla.

April 9 - 10 a.m. March to Gholson.

April 10 -10 a.m. March to Lacy Lake View.

April 11 -10 a.m. March to Waco.

April 12 -10 a.m. March to Waco Lake.

April 13 -10 a.m. March to Crawford for the celebration of the 3rd Anniversary of the founding of the Crawford Peace House.

ENDORSERS

After Downing Street Annie and Buddy Spell, Louisiana peace activists (Annie is president of the Greater Covington, LA branch of the NAACP.) Anthony Arnove, author - “Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal”; co-editor with Howard Zinn - “Voices of a People’s History of the U.S.” Arden Buck, Mountain Forum for Peace, Nederland, CO Beth K. Lamont, Humanist Chaplain, NGO Rep. to the United Nations for the American Humanist Society. Bloomington Peace Action Coalition (Indiana) Campus Antiwar Network Charles Jenks, Chair, Advisory Board, Traprock Peace Center, Deerfield, MA Cindy Sheehan, Co-founder, Gold Star Families for Peace Coalition Against War and Injustice (Baton Rouge) Consumers for Peace Covington Peace Project (Louisiana) Crawford Peace House Dahr Jamail, independent journalist who spent over 8 months reporting from occupied Iraq Dallas County Young Democrats Dallas NAACP Dallas Peace Center Democrats.com David Swanson, Co-founder, AfterDowningStreet.org Dennis Kyne, Gulf War veteran, activist and author of “Support the Truth” Dirk Adriaensens, Coordinator, SOS Iraq and member of the Executive Committee of the Brussells Tribunal, Belgium Don Debar, correspondent, WBAI, New York, NY Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, National Coordinating Committee - Campus Antiwar Network Eric Ruder, reporter, Socialist Worker newspaper Gabriele Zamparini, freelance journalist and film maker living in London; co-editor of thecatsdream.com Global Exchange Goldstar Families for Peace Howard Zinn, historian, playwright and activist; author of “A People’s History of the United States” and co-editor with Anthony Arnove of “Voices of a People’s History of the U.S.” International Socialist Organization Jacob Flowers, Director, MidSouth Peace and Justice Center Judy Linehan, Military Families Speak Out Jumpstart Ford Campaign, a joint effort of Global Exchange, the Rainforest Action Network and the Ruckus Society Kathy Kelly, Nobel Peace Prize nominee; Co-founder Voices for Creative Non-Violence Karen Burke, Campus Antiwar Movement to End the Occupation, Austin, TX Karen Hadden, Seed Coalition, Austin, TX Lindsey German, Convener, Stop the War Coalition (UK) Michael Letwin, Co-convener, New York City Labor Against the War Mid-South Peace and Justice Center (Memphis) Mike Corwin, International Socialist Organization, Austin, TX Nick Mottern, Director, ConsumersforPeace.org Nada Khader, Executive Director, WESPAC Foundation, White Plains, NY Norman Solomon, author of “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death” Paola Pisi, professor of religious studies (Italy) and editor of uruknet.info Phil Gasper, Chair, Department of Philosophy & Religion, Nortre Dame de Namur University; Professors for Peace Progressive Democrats of America Sharon Smith, author of “Women and Socialism: Essays on Women’s Liberation” Southern Christian Leadership Conference Sonya Sofia, Rainbow organization Stan Goff, Master sergeant, retired, U.S. Army Sundiata Xian Tellem, Co-chair, Green Party of the United States Black Caucus; former chair, Green Party of Dallas County Sunny Miller, Executive Director, Traprock Peace Center, Deerfield, MA Texans for Peace Traprock Peace Center (Massachusetts) Thomas F. Barton, Publisher, GI Special Tim Baer, Director, Bloomington Peace Action Coalition Tim Carpenter, National Director, Progressive Democrats of America Valley Reed, Chief organizer, March to Redeem Campaign Ward Reilly, SE National Contact, Vietnam Veterans Against the War; Veterans for Peace, Baton Rouge, LA Wespac Foundation

Affiliations are for identification purposes only.


Charles Jenks
Chair of Advisory Board and Web Manager Traprock Peace Center
103A Keets Road Deerfield, MA 01342
413-773-7427 fax 413-773-7507
http://www.traprockpeace.org


From ufpj-news

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The ExxonMobil War Boycott
http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/1682806/

Niels Gründel

Die Verschlüsselung der Daten auf den neuen Biometrie-Reisepässen ist nach Auffassung der Liberalen nicht ausreichend gewährleistet. Die FDP-Bundestagsfraktion fordert die Regierung daher dazu auf, die Ausstellung der Reisepässe vorerst auszusetzen. Die persönlichen Daten des Passinhabers könnten beim derzeitigen Stand der Technik zu leicht auch von Unbefugten ausgelesen werden.

Neben den grundlegenden Daten wie Name, Geburtsdatum und Passnummer beinhalten die neuen Reisepässe einen RFID-Chip, auf dem Passfotos, eine digitale Unterschrift und ab 2007 auch Fingerabdrücke gespeichert sind. Der Rat der Europäischen Union hatte auf Druck der USA im Dezember 2004 beschlossen, die Pässe der Mitgliedstaaten mit maschinenlesbaren biometrischen Daten zu versehen. Seit November 2005 werden die ePässe ausgestellt.

Im Februar 2005 hatte die damalige rot-grüne Regierung versichert, ein unberechtigtes Entschlüsseln der Biometriepässe sei nicht möglich. Mittlerweile ist es aber gelungen, niederländische ePässe mit einem identischen Sicherheitsstandard innerhalb von zwei Stunden zu entschlüsseln.

Die Verschlüsselungsstärke für den Zugriff auf den RFID-Chip beträgt 56 Bit – im Vergleich zu der 128-Bit-Verschlüsselung, die bei Internet-Anwendungen eingesetzt werde, ein verhältnismäßig schwacher Schlüssel, kritisieren die Liberalen. In der Erklärung zum Antrag zeigt die FDP-Fraktion außerdem auf, dass ein Auslesen der Daten aus dem Chip mit bestimmten Hilfsmitteln auch aus einer Entfernung von bis zu 30 Metern möglich sei, ohne dass der Passinhaber dies überhaupt bemerke.

Die FDP fordert in ihrem Antrag, die deutschen ePässe erst dann wieder auszustellen, wenn die Daten effektiv vor nicht autorisierter Entschlüsselung geschützt werden können.

21.3.2006

http://www.netzkritik.de/art/440.shtml

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Zurückrudern in Sachen ePass
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/84450



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Biometrie

Mar 21 2006
Steve Dube,
Western Mail

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/farming/farming/tm_objectid=16838071&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=farmers--betrayed--over-terminator-technology-name_page.html

THOUSANDS of farmers are expected to demonstrate today against proposals that will open the way for a form of genetic modification that makes it impossible for them to save their own seeds.

A global moratorium on testing and marketing so-called terminator technology, established under the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity in 2000, could be overturned this week as 188 governments gather in Curitiba, Brazil, for the eighth conference of the convention.

The UK has joined Australia, Canada and New Zealand in urging the convention to abandon its opposition and fall in line with the United States, where the seeds are currently being tested.

Almost 500 organisations, including farmers groups, international organisations, trade unions, charities and churches have now called for a ban in a growing campaign of opposition.

Terminator technology is controversial because it prevents farmers from saving their own seeds to grow new crops, forcing them to buy new seeds each season.

Opponents say it is easy to understand why a handful of wealthy governments want to join the US in developing terminator seeds.

The major seed companies effectively control a world seed market worth about £14bn a year. If farmers could not save their own seeds, and were forced to buy every time, the value could double.

The UK Government's decision to abandon its opposition was only revealed on the Defra web site on February 21 when the House of Commons was in recess.

It was raised by Opposition MPs on March 8, when Defra Minister Ben Bradshaw insisted that the policy was unchanged, although a moratorium on testing would be wrong.

He said the UK's position was to approach every bid to test or market such seeds on a case-by-case basis, as with all GM seeds.

Former Environment Minister Michael Meacher says UK policy now differs significantly from the one he approved six years ago.

"I could see the need for a global agreement on how to prevent the release of terminator," he said.

"It poses a greater threat than any other type of GM seeds because it would undermine farmers' seed saving, threaten food security and agricultural biodiversity.

"Using this technology would force more farmers to buy new seeds each season from corporations whose control over seeds is already substantial."

Dr Meacher said the Government appeared to back the claim by the big biotech corporations that the terminator would prevent GM genes contaminating neighbouring crops or wild plants.

"This is nonsense because terminator cannot provide 100% sterility, nor prevent normal cross-contamination through pollen drift," he said. "In any case, that is not its purpose; it is to make the seeds agronomically unviable in order to ensure seed sales."

Dr Brian John, of the campaign group GM Free Cymru, questioned where the Welsh Assembly Government stood on the issue.

In an open letter to Wales Environment Minister Carwyn Jones, Dr John said, "This is an appalling policy shift which betrays the interests of farmers.

"There is no new evidence which might underpin a shift in the Defra position.

" The implications for the Third World are truly terrifying."

A Welsh Assembly Government spokeswoman said, "If GM crop varieties containing terminator technology were ever approved for use in the EU, it would be up to individual farmers to decide whether or not to use them."

Tests have benefits, says scientists A NEW discussion document endorses the need to make sure new crops and farming practices are not going to damage biodiversity. But the Government's Advisory Committee on Releases (Acre) into the Environment says the current regulatory system is flawed because it doesn't weigh this damage against potential benefits.

Acre chairman Professor Chris Pollock, the director of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research near Aberystwyth, who chaired the Scientific Steering Committee of the UK Farm Scale Trials on GM crops, believed the trials were a great model for testing environmental impact before new technology is widely introduced.

"But many scientists also feel that by only asking about the dis-benefits of this technology, policy makers cannot make a balanced decision based on a proper risk-benefit analysis."


Informant: Teresa Binstock

Droughts, floods, changing rain patterns and rising sea levels are threatening development in the world's poorest countries, specialists and aid workers said yesterday at an international water forum. Development agencies predict "devastation" in some regions.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/032106LA.shtml

Humans have provoked the worst spate of extinctions since the dinosaurs were wiped out 65m years ago, according to a UN report that calls for unprecedented worldwide efforts to address the slide.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329438787-111492,00.html


From Information Clearing House

http://www.campaignfortruth.com/Eclub/060306/CTM%20-%20cordlessphonedanger.htm


Informant: Our bill of rights

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Source: News of the World
Issue Date: Sunday February 05, 2006
By Robbie Collin

Picture Caption: HIDDEN PERIL: Your phone could be putting health at risk as you sleep

Cordless handsets 100 times worse than mobiles, say experts HAVING a cordless phone in your house can be 100 TIMES more of a health risk than using a mobile.

The popular phones constantly blast out high levels of radiation-even when they're not in use.

Landlines are widely thought a safer option than mobiles. But researchers in Sweden now warn cordless phones are far MORE likely to cause brain tumours than today's mobiles.

Emissions from a cordless phone's charger can be as high as six volts per metre-twice as strong as those found within 100 metres of mobile masts.

Two metres away from the charger, the radiation is STILL as high as 2.5 volts per metre-that's 50 times what scientists regard as a safe level.

Powerful

At a metre away the danger is multiplied 120 times-and it only drops to a safe 0.05 volts per metre when you are 100 METRES away from the phone.

Because of the way cordless phones work, the charger constantly emits radiation at full strength even when the phone is not in use-and so does the handset whenever it is off the charger.

The most common cancers caused by such radiation are leukaemias. But breast cancer, brain tumours, insomnia, headaches and erratic behaviour in kids have also been linked. Those with chargers close to their beds are subjected to radiation while they sleep.

Phone watchdogs Powerwatch, using a testing device called the Sensory Perspective Electrosmog Detector, even found electromagnetic fields as strong as three volts per metre in a bedroom ABOVE a room holding a cordless phone.

The group's director Alasdair Philips said: "As ill-health effects have been found at levels of only 0.06 volts per metre, this is very concerning.

"It's likely everyone in a house with a cordless phone will be constantly exposed to levels higher than this."

The shock Swedish report-by scientists Lennart Hardell, Michael Carlbery and Kjell Hansson Mild-is backed up by many medical experts who believe cordless phones are a health risk.

Harley Street practitioner Dr David Dowson said: "Having a cordless phone is like having a mobile mast in your house. I'd recommend anyone who has one to switch to a plug-in phone."

But BT's health advisor, John Collins, disagreed. He said: "There's no conclusive scientific evidence linking the radiation to any of the symptoms experienced. The evidence is that it doesn't do us any harm.

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

"We're a responsible company and abide by all the guidelines set down by recognised experts."

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Masts INSIDE Your House?
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/1451396/

Masts Inside Your HOME, Tumours in Your Head: The Downsides of the Mobile/Wireless 'Revolution'
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/1723342/

WLAN, DECT in Schools and Kindergardens
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/1579030/

Um die finanzielle Unterstützung der Tierversuchs-Universität Oxford durch Vodafone zu stoppen, wurde am 15. März in England ein teurer Sendemast des Mobil-Anbieters zerstört.

Anonyme Aktivisten der Animal Liberation Front (ALF) berichten in einem online abrufbaren Bekennerschreiben von ihrer Aktion, bei der sie Kabel zerschnitten und eine Kontrolleinheit zerstört hatten.

Es war bereits die wohl dritte, derartige Aktion.

Die Aktionen richteten sich nach Angaben der Aktivisten gegen die 200.000 Pfund-Unterstützung durch Vodafone an die Oxforder Universität.


Von Kilian

http://www.umwelt.cc/contents/news-alf,zerstoert,sendemast,von,vodafone-tiere-000387.html