Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 05.07.06

[David Shove (shove001]

            P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R     05.07.06

1. Arctic climate    5.08 4pm
2. CPN4P             5.08 6pm
3. AmInd/feast/music 5.08 6pm
4. Peace/potluck     5.08 6:30pm
5. Labor/immigration 5.08 7pm
6. Spiritual progs   5.08 7pm
7. Transportation    5.08 7pm

8. Jam with Cam      5.09 9:30am
9. Iran/film         5.09 9:30am?
10. CCHT housing     5.09 4pm
11. Cut the mustard  5.09 6pm
12. Ecology group    5.09 6pm
13. Poetry salon     5.09 6:30pm
14. Co-ops in Spain  5.09 7:30pm
15. HomeViolence     5.09 register Alexandria MN

16. John Catalinotto  - Portugal: solidarity with Cuba and Venezuela
17. Alexis Schlachter - Trade union solidarity with Cuba climbing
18. Molly Ivins       - These creeps in Congress
19. Peter Montague    - Why the US Chamber of Commerce opposes precaution
20. BBC               - Americans more ill than English
21. Greenpeace        - Toxic chemicals and reproductive health
22. Barrie Clement    - Hippo + 26,000 new species on endangered list
23. Be Safe           - 1st national conference on precaution
24. ed                - Pop culture (prez-press interview)

--------1 of 24--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Arctic climate 5.08 4pm

Lecture on climate change by senior adviser to the Norwegian Ministry of
Environment May 8

Dr. Olav Orheim, a senior adviser to the Norwegian Ministry of
Environment, will speak on "Balancing Environmental Protection and
Economic Progress: Current Challenges and Future Prospects Confronted by
Norway and Other Nations in the Arctic" from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, May 8, in
the Wilkins Room (215 HHH).

An expert on climate variation in the Arctic and Antarctic and climate
policy, Orheim is the former managing director of the Norwegian Polar
Institute. His visit is sponsored by the Humphrey Institute's Center for
Science, Technology, and Public Policy and the Royal Norwegian Consulate
General. The presentation is free and open to the public.


--------2 of 24--------

From: Sheila Sullivan <aiisullivan [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: CPN4P 5.08 6pm

Our next meeting will be Monday, May 8 at 6pm.  Again at the Coffee
Grounds.  We have many events to discuss and to find volunteers for, such
as the Grand Ol' Day Parade, the Neighbors for Peace Picnic, and the Wars
Play Project.


--------3 of 24--------

From: Chris Spotted Eagle <chris [at] spottedeagle.org>
Subject: AmInd/feast/music 5.08 6pm

Monday, May 8 6-9pm  Native American Community Clinic Feast
and Celebration at Minneapolis American Indian Center, 1530 E. Franklin
Avenue, Minneapolis, MN,

Join our feast in celebration of Indian Month with the clinic¹s staff and
Board of Directors, Music and entertainment provided by Floyd ³Red Crow²
Westerman, Red Ponie, and the Anishinabe Academy Drum Group, The event
will include a Report of Progress to the community on the state of
American Indian health, FMI call (612) 872-8086.


--------4 of 24--------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: Peace church/potluck 5.08 6:30pm

Monday, 5/8, 6:30 pm, Every Church a Peace Church bimonthly potluck at St
Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 2914 W 44th St, Mpls. ecapctc [at] yahoo.com


--------5 of 24--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Labor/immigration 5.08 7pm

MON MAY 8, 7pm: Continue the conversation about labor and immigration with
a community panel on Monday, May 8 at 7pm at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone
Center for Community Building, 179 East Robie Street, Saint Paul.

A group of community members will give various perspectives on the issues
in a panel discussion.  Panel members include Pakou Hang, a Hmong
political activist; Teresa Ortiz, of the Resource Center of the Americas;
Barbara Ronningen, State Demographer; and Joel Wurl, Associate Director of
the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota.
The discussion is moderated by Thomas O'Connell, a professor of political
science at Metropolitan State University, cosponsored by Neighborhood
House.  Minnesota History Day encourages young people to explore a
historical subject related to an annual theme - this year, "Taking a Stand
in History." The program promotes the study of history by engaging
students and teachers in the excitement of historical inquiry and creative
presentation.


--------6 of 24--------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: Spiritual progs 5.08 7pm

Monday, 5/8, 7 pm (and each month's 2nd Monday), Network of Spiritual
Progressives meets, Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet, Mpls.


--------7 of 24--------

From: Anne White <awhitepho [at] msn.com>
Subject: Transportation 5.08 7pm

I would also invite people to attend the public information meetings being
sponsored by the District Councils Collaborative and ask their questions
directly.  The meetings are set up with approximately a 20-30 minute
presentation at the beginning.  Then the balance of the meeting is devoted
to questions from the audience.  There are five additional meetings
scheduled:

Mon, May 8, 7pm, Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning, 1030 University Ave,
St Paul

Wed, May 10, 7:00 pm, University of Minnesota, Rm 14, 1701 Unversity Ave
(opposite Church St entrance to U), Minneapolis

Thur, May 18, 7:00 pm, Hubbs Center, 1030 University Ave, St Paul


--------8 of 24--------

From: Cam Gordon <CamGordon333 [at] msn.com>
Subject: Jam with Cam 5.09 9:30am

Cam Gordon, Council Member, Second Ward 612-673-2202 (w) 612-296-0579 (c)

office hours every Tuesday morning in the Second Ward from 9:30-11am.
The locations will rotate as follows, so that I can meet with residents in
their own neighborhoods:

Second Tuesdays:
Prospect Park / East River Road neighborhood
Pratt School, 66 Malcolm Ave SE


--------9 of 24--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Iran/film 5.09 9:30am?

Walker Art Ctr. presents GLOBAL LENS, films produced in developing
countries MAY 9-20, including the MIddle East.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE of GLOBAL LENS: http://www.walkerart.org
Walker Art Ctr. 1750 hennepin(next to Sculpture Garder) near downtonw
Minneapolis

BORDER CAFE(Cafe Tranist) directed by Kambozia Partovi IRAN
Tues May 9, 9:30am [better check this time]
Sat May 13, 7:30pm
($8 gen/$6 members, groups)

An Iraninan widow living on the border with Turkish faces pressure to bow
to traditional custom of her region and marry her brother-in-law (who
already has a wife). Instead she wants to continue to run her husband's
raodside cafe to independtly support her two daughters. This beautifully
made film examines the struggles for economic independence women face
across cultures and how 'customs' of male domination impact women's lives.
Before feeling that American women 'have it so much better", notice that
while U/.S. laws may be different, the daily reality for many women who's
husbands "control the finances" and make all decisions, is quite similar
to what these woen in Iran face. Complex characters include a Russian
runaway teenager, a Greek truckdriver and the widow's male co-worker whp's
surprisingly supportive of her dream to keep the cafe going.


--------10 of 24--------

From: Philip Schaffner <PSchaffner [at] ccht.org>
Subject: CCHT housing 5.09 4pm

Learn how Central Community Housing Trust is responding to the affordable
housing shortage in the Twin Cities. Please join us for a 1-hour Building
Dreams presentation.

Minneapolis Sessions:
May 9 at 4pm

We are also happy to present Building Dreams at your organization, place
of worship, or business. Space is limited, please register online at:
www.ccht.org/bd or call Philip Schaffner at 612-341-3148 x237 (
pschaffner [at] ccht.org)


--------11 of 24--------

From: Elizabeth Storey <bstorey [at] fmr.org>
Subject: Cut the mustard 5.09 6pm

Garlic Mustard Days!

Help protect native plants and animals by removing the invasive garlic
mustard from restoration and trailside areas during Garlic Mustard Days.
Learn to identify the culprit on Sunday, April 23 at 1:30p.m. when FMR
staff will train volunteers. We'll also have recipes on hand so you can
try spicing things up a bit using garlic mustard leaves! Gloves and bags
provided for all events.

Tuesday, May 9, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Meet at Eustis & Mississippi River Blvd, St. Paul

Thursday, May 17, 6:30 - 8:00pm, 36th Street and West River Parkway
Meet at the parking lot at 36th St. & WRP in Minneapolis

Elizabeth Storey River Stewardship Coordinator Friends of the Mississippi
River 360 North Robert Street Saint Paul, MN 55101 Phone: 651/ 222-2193
ext. 16 Fax:  651/ 222-6005


--------12 of 24--------

From: Krisrose02 [at] aol.com
Subject: Ecology group 5.09 6pm

GPSP/4th CD Ecology Committee
Contact: Kristen Olson - _kristenolson [at] mngreens.org_
(mailto:kristenolson [at] mngreens.org)  ,  651-210-0789
Meets second Tuesday, monthly.
The Coffee Grounds, Falcon Heights/Roseville, 6pm
[Hamline Av 3 blocks S of Larpenteur Av]

The GPSP cology Committee is committed to exploring the ecological
concerns of residents of St.Paul and the 4th Congressional District.  We
will work to promote responsible ecological practices and policy in our
District, and to implement the environmental justice section of our Green
Vision which reads:

"Clean air, clean water, and land free from toxic substances are keys to
quality of life and fundamental to the health of our citizens, especially
children.

"As a Green city, St. Paul will work to reduce all local sources of air
pollution, including automobile traffic and coal-burning power plants.

"It will eliminate lawn chemicals that poison the Mississippi and will
follow up on the great step it made in separating the storm and sanitary
sewer systems by constantly monitoring and upgrading its waste-treatment
facilities.

"But there are factors that St. Paul alone cannot wholly control:
agricultural chemicals from upstream farms pollute the Mississippi, while
mercury and fine particulates from unregulated power plants to the west
contribute to its increasing number of air-quality alerts. These will
require active work on the state and national level."

[Fossil fuel barons said, Let there be blight.

And there was blight, in spades, in clubs, in hearts, in diamonds,
spamming everywhere, thicker than thieves.

And the fossil fuel barons looked upon it, danced a dance of joy, and
chortled, O goody! Let there be more and more and more, unto the nth
generation, and let us roll in gold and silver and other precious metals!
Everything for us, nothing for others! -ed]


--------13 of 24--------

From: Patty Guerrero <pattypax [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: Poetry salon 5.09 6:30pm

Hi, the Salon for next Tuesday May 9, will be a poetry salon.  Please
bring any poetry or short story that you have written yourself .  It just
may be your big night to be recognized.  Or, if you haven't written a
poem, bring one of your favorites.  thanks. patty

Pax Salons ( http://justcomm.org/pax-salon )
are held (unless otherwise noted in advance):
Tuesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
Mad Hatter's Tea House,
943 W 7th, St Paul, MN

Salons are free but donations encouraged for program and treats.
Call 651-227-3228 or 651-227-2511 for information.


--------14 of 24--------

From: Tom Taylor <tom [at] organicconsumers.org>
Subject: Co-ops in Spain 5.09 7:30pm

Where Co-ops Are The Norm!!!
Special Event - Not To Be Missed
Come hear about a thriving community in Spain, where co-ops are the norm,
not the exception!

The Mondragon Experience
Co-sponsored by Eastside Food Cooperative and Seward Co-op
Tuesday, May 9 at 7:30pm
Windom Park Community Center
2251 NE Hayes Street, Mpls.

Join Seward Co-op General Manager Sean Doyle for his presentation on the
Mondragon Experience. Sean will share his knowledge of and experience with
the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation, a cooperative economic system and
one of the largest businesses in Spain. Don't miss this - tell your
friends and neighbors -everyone welcome!


--------15 of 24--------

From: Bonnie [at] mnwomen.org
Subject: HomeViolence 5.09 register Alexandria MN

Tuesday, May 9 is the deadline to register for the 2006 Training
Institute: Domestic Violence and the Immigrant & Refugee Community, which
will be held May 16-17 in Alexandria, Minnesota, hosted by the Minnesota
Coalition for Battered Women.  The scholarship registration deadline is
May 5.  dkluz [at] mcbw.org


--------16 of 24--------

IN PORTUGAL
Solidarity with Cuba and Venezuela
By John Catalinotto
Oporto, Portugal
Workers World - May 11, 2006 issue
http://www.workers.org/2006/world/portugal-0511/

People filled an auditorium in downtown Oporto April 27 to applaud the
release of two new books - an occasion that enabled them to express
solidarity with two countries under attack by U.S. imperialism: Venezuela
and Cuba.

The two books, translated into Portuguese and just published, are
"Hugo Chávez: A Man, a People," by the progressive journalist Martha
Harnecker, and "The Admirable Campaign of Bolivar," by Juvenal Herrera
Torres, a Colombian historian from Medellin.

The Cuban ambassador to Portugal, Jorge Castro Benitéz, and the Venezuelan
ambassador to Portugal, Manuel Quijada, addressed the meeting, as did the
meeting's organizer, Portuguese journalist and author Miguel Urbano
Rodrigues. The presence of the two ambassadors and a speech by Urbano
attacking the U.S. government as the "Fourth Reich" made it clear that to
honor the two books meant also to oppose U.S. threats against these two
revolutionary countries in Latin America.

Urbano said that the threat from U.S. militarism is "the main menace to
humanity today. It threatens not only war and economic dislocation, but
also the destruction of the environment." He also mentioned the exemplary
role of Cuba - only 90 miles from its greatest enemy - and Venezuela in
"mobilizing the people of Latin America against neoliberal, privatizing
economic policies pushed by the U.S."

Quijada, who worked together with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez long
before the charismatic Latin American leader was elected to office,
discussed the progressive role of Simon Bolivar in the 19th-century
anti-colonial struggles that liberated much of Latin America from direct
European rule, and also the current threat to Venezuela from the U.S.

The Cuban ambassador noted that the Cuban Revolution, despite 47 years of
hostility from U.S. imperialism, had a major advantage in contrast to the
situation in Venezuela: "Our bourgeoisie all fled to Miami. Venezuela
still has a relatively powerful capitalist class living in the country and
capable of threatening the revolution."

"If you want to show solidarity with Cuba," he added, "then help defend
Venezuela's revolution."

The gathering heard a message from Berta Joubert-Ceci of the May 20 Hands
off Cuba and Venezuela Coalition in the United States, a broad group
organizing a Washington, D.C. demonstration on May 20 in solidarity with
the two countries. Anti-war U.S. activist Ellen Catalinotto read the
statement.

Joubert-Ceci wrote that even "in the belly of the beast" there was
solidarity with the two revolutions, and that it was especially important
to build that solidarity at a time when immigrants were rising up in the
millions inside the U.S. "This," she wrote, "is the echo of the uprisings
in Latin America that the U.S. rulers were unable to stop at the border."

This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License. Workers World,
55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011 Email: ww [at] workers.org Subscribe
wwnews-subscribe [at] workersworld.net


--------17 of 24--------

Trade Union Solidarity with Cuba Climbing
World Conference in Demand of Freedom for the Cuban Five Being Organized
ALEXIS SCHLACHTER
GRANMA
May 3, 2006

More than thousand delegates from 70 nations participated in the
International Forum on Solidarity with Cuba, held yesterday at the Havana
Convention Center.

There, the representatives defended the right of the Cuban people to
self-determination -without US interference- and learned of the proposed
world campaign to be carried out between September 12 and October 6 to
free the Cuban Five, anti-terrorist fighters imprisoned in the US.

In a special address, Ricardo Alarcon, president of the Cuban National
Assembly, highlighted the importance of this first of May in United
States, where massive protests, boycotts and work stoppages were held in
defense of immigrant workers and their right to live free of
discrimination.

Alarcon alerted the unionists of the need to provide information about the
true situation of people's struggles through the alternative media, given
the deluge of distorted news flooding from the corporate media.

Rob Miller, director of Great Britain's Cuba Solidarity Campaign, made it
crystal clear that 86 percent of union members in his country support the
island in its struggle for national sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Odalys Perez -the daughter of the pilot of the Cuban commercial
airliner bombed off the coast of Barbados in October of 1976- demanded
justice so that the perpetrators of that genocidal act are punished.

Winding up the forum, Pedro Ross Leal, the general secretary of the Cuban
Workers Federation, forcefully criticized imperialistic efforts to
destabilize Cuba. Noting that the blockade has cost the country 80 billion
dollars, Ross Leal said such attempts to strangle Cuba have failed and
will continue to fail as demonstrated by the way the Cuban economy has
been performing.


--------18 of 24--------

Molly Ivins: They must be joking [These creeps in Congress]
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/02/ivins.lobbyingreform/
Tuesday, May 2, 2006

AUSTIN, Texas (Creators Syndicate) -- Either the so-called "lobby reform
bill" is the contemptible, cheesy, shoddy piece of hypocrisy it appears to
be ... or the Republicans have a sense of humor.

The "lobby reform" bill does show, one could argue, a sort of cheerful,
defiant, flipping-the-bird-at-the-public attitude that could pass for
humor. You have to admit that calling this an "ethics bill' requires brass
bravura.

House Republicans returned last week from a two-week recess prepared to
vote for "a relatively tepid ethics bill," as The Washington Post put it,
because they said their constituents rarely mentioned the issue.

Forget all that talk back in January when Jack Abramoff was indicted. What
restrictions on meals and gifts from lobbyists? More golfing trips!
According to Rep. Nancy L. Johnson of Connecticut, former chair of the
House ethic committee, passage of the bill will have no political
consequences "because people are quite convinced that the rhetoric of
reform is just political."

Where can they have gotten that idea? Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, told the
Post, "We panicked, and we let the media get us panicked."

By George, here's the right way to think of it. The entire Congress lies
stinking in open corruption, but they can't let the media panic them.
They're actually proud of NOT cleaning it up.

The House bill passed a procedural vote last week 216 to 207, and it is
scheduled for floor debate and a final vote on Wednesday - which gives
citizens who don't like being conned a chance to speak. Now is the time
for a little hell-raising.

Chellie Pingree of Common Cause said, "This legislation is so weak it's
embarrassing." Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21 and a longtime
worker in reformist vineyards, said: "This bill is based on the premise
that you can fool all of the people all of the time. This is an attempt at
one of the greatest legislative scams that I have seen in 30 years of
working on these issues."

Come on, people, get mad. You deserve to be treated with contempt if you
let them get away with this.

I'm sorry that all these procedural votes seem so picayune, and I know the
cost of gas and health insurance are more immediate worries. But it is
precisely the corruption of Congress by big money that allows the oil and
insurance industries to get away with these fantastic rip-offs.

Watching Washington be taken over by these little sleaze merchants is not
only expensive and repulsive, it is destroying America, destroying any
sense we ever had that we're a nation, not 298 million individuals
cheating to get ahead.

I'm sorry these creeps in Congress have so little sense of what they're
supposed to be about that they think it's fine to sneer at ethics. But
they work for us. It's our job to keep them under control until we can
replace them. Time to get up off our butts and take some responsibility
here. Let them hear from you.


--------19 of 24--------

From: Rachel's Democracy & Health News #853, Mar. 31, 2006
WHY THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OPPOSES PRECAUTION
By Peter Montague, co-editor, Rachel's Precaution Reporter

The precautionary principle is not a silver bullet for solving
environmental, economic, or social problems. Organized grass-roots action
in local communities is still the only reliable engine for civic
improvement and social change. However, the precautionary principle can
serve as a guide for that community-based activism, and it can provide a
framework for an integrated, consistent approach to environmental,
economic, and social problems.

What is fundamentally new about the precautionary approach is that it asks
not, "How much harm is acceptable?" but instead asks, "How much harm is
avoidable?" It invites us to set goals, examine alternative ways of
achieving those goals, set benchmarks, check our progress, and engage
affected parties in decisions. It asserts an important, even heroic, role
for government as guardian of the commons (all the things we own together
but none of us own individually, such as air and water), and it offers us
all an opportunity to re-energize participatory democracy and continue
building a multi-issue social movement grounded in science, ethics,
fairness, and public health.

Six reasons why we need a precautionary approach

Reason #1: The global ecosystem has been badly damaged and is undergoing
further damage all the time. Every part of the global ecosystem needs to
be conserved and preserved, and so a fundamentally conservative approach
to the world is appropriate at this time in history. In the recent past,
the absence of a precautionary approach has resulted in significant harm
to the world and to humans.

Reason #2. The world has changed dramatically in the last 50 years. The
world used to appear to be "empty" but now it is "full" -- of humans and
their artifacts. You can't do anything anymore without affecting someone
else. Given this fact, and given that the global ecosystem needs to be
preserved and protected from further damage, humans need a fundamentally
conservative philosophy as a guide.

The precautionary principle is a profoundly conservative idea. Precaution
is grounded in the desire to maintain and preserve the world that we
inherited and will pass on to our children. It leads us to oppose change
for the sake of change. It leads us to oppose thoughtless, precipitate
action. It invites us to set goals, to envision the world we want and
figure out how to achieve it.

The precautionary principle is grounded in both science and ethics. It is
fundamentally grounded in the modern philosophy of science, the view that
all our scientific knowledge is always contingent and incomplete, subject
to revision in the future. But precaution is also grounded in ethical
knowledge that is timeless, ancient, transmitted to us by our ancestors,
grounded in faith (for some, religious faith, for others faith that love,
respect and charity will prevail over indifference and self-centeredness,
and, for almost everyone, faith that the golden rule is a steady, reliable
guide).

Specifically, the precautionary principle is grounded in ecological
science, the understanding of the world as a complex system whose
interactions cannot be entirely comprehended, so our understanding will
always entail some uncertainty. There are some things that we can never
know (and by definition we don't know what it is that we don't know), and
so we can never assume that we know or understand everything about any
situation. We are always somewhat flying blind, and so it makes sense to
navigate thoughtfully and proceed deliberately.

Although the precautionary principle is fundamentally grounded in science,
it does not assume that scientific knowledge is the only valid way of
knowing about the world. Historical knowledge, local knowledge, spiritual
understanding, ethical perspectives of right wrong, cultural perspectives
on what is appropriate, community preferences and individual conviction -
all have a place in decisions based on the precautionary approach.

The precautionary principle is conservative because it is grounded in
humility. It does not arrogantly assume that we can re-engineer natural
systems or social systems with foreseeable outcomes. That is why
precaution favors a democratic examination of alternatives. That is also
why it favors monitoring results, with periodic review of outcomes in a
constant search for better ways ("adaptive management"). And that is why
it leads us to prefer decisions that are reversible.

The precautionary principle is conservative in that it assumes we are each
responsible for the consequences of our own actions and that, therefore,
we have an obligation to try to learn what those consequences might be
before we act (via environmental impact assessment, and health impact
assessment), and what those consequences have been after we have acted (in
other words, systematically monitoring results).

The precautionary principle improves accountability. No doubt you are
familiar with the argument that private ownership of land leads to better
land-use decisions. By the same logic, people who are going to be directly
affected by a decision should, in principle, make a better decision than
people who will not be affected. (Internationally this is known as the
"principle of subsidiarity" -- decisions should be made by a
decision-making body that lies as close as possible to those who will be
affected.)

Reason #3: The precautionary principle offers an opportunity to restore
confidence in government. It tells us what government is FOR.

The precautionary approach tells us that a major purpose of government
(some would argue "the" purpose of government) is to safeguard the
commons, all the things we own together and none of us owns individually
- air, water, the human gene pool, all the human knowledge each of us
inherits at birth, and more. According to this "public trust doctrine"
government has a legal duty to serve as a trustee of the commons (in
legalese, the commons is the "trust property"). The trust beneficiary is
present and future generations. The government's trust responsibility
cannot be alienated, denied, repudiated, given away, or ignored. The
trustee has a responsibility to protect the trust property from harm,
including harm perpetrated by trust beneficiaries.

The commons form the base for the entire human enterprise, the biological
platform that makes all economic activity - indeed, all life - possible.
Therefore, protecting the commons deserves the benefit of the doubt
compared to any particular economic activity.

Reason #4: Government regulation of powerful technologies has not worked
out well. The shortcomings of the current regulatory approach come into
sharper focus as the world becomes ever more full. Examples of large-scale
problems: Global contamination from the petrochemical industry,
proliferation of atomic bombs (and radioactive waste) stemming from the
nuclear power industry, global warming caused chiefly by the
transportation and energy industries, the unfolding threat of global
genetic contamination from the biotechnology industry, and soon the most
potent technologies of all - synthetic biology and nanotechnology.

Historically, our approach to innovation has been trial and error. Try
something new, then manage the damage. But our technologies are
increasingly powerful, and there are more of us using those technologies
each passing day, so trial-and-error is now less appropriate than it once
may have been. Therefore, prevention is now much more important than it
once was.

Quantitative risk assessment (QRA) provides the basis for most modern
regulatory activity. Unfortunately, by focusing on the most-exposed
individual, quantitative risk assessment has allowed the entire planet to
become contaminated with industrial poisons. In addition, there are other
serious limitations of quantitative risk assessment as a basis for
decision-making. I will mention only four:

1) It is difficult for ordinary people to understand, so it runs counter
to the basic decision-making principles of an open society - transparency
and participation in decisions by those who will be affected

2) It cannot realistically or reliably assess the multiple stresses to
which we are all exposed more-or-less constantly.

3) The results of a quantitative risk assessment often cannot be
reproduced by two groups of risk assessors working with the same set of
data - so risk assessment fails a basic test of science, reproducibility.

4) Politics can enter into risk assessments. As William Ruckelshaus, first
administrator of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said in 1984,
"We should remember that risk assessment data can be like the captured
spy: If you torture it long enough, it will tell you anything you want to
know."

Basically, quantitative risk assessment asks "How much harm is
acceptable?" or "How much damage can we get away with?" instead of asking,
"How much harm can we avoid?"

Quantitative risk assessment may have a role to play in evaluating
alternatives (along with environmental impact assessment, life-cycle
benefit-cost accounting, health impact assessment, and other evaluative
techniques), but this is different from choosing an alternative then
relying heavily (or solely) on quantitative risk assessment to justify
that choice.

Reason #5: Economic growth has slowed since 1970, and the search for a
path to accelerated economic growth is propelling a rush to dangerous new
technologies ("the next big thing") - biotechnology, nanotechnology,
synthetic biology, weapons in space, etc.

Furthermore, because of slowed economic growth and the resulting necessity
for "belt-tightening", we can no longer afford to clean up more big
mistakes. Trail-and-error learning has proven to be prohibitively
expensive. For example, the burden of chronic disease, waste land,
unsupportable transportation systems and attendant land- uses (suburban
sprawl) - all show that past ways of conducting our lives and our
businesses are no longer affordable. As the price of energy rises,
repairing past mistakes (and sustaining past lifestyles) will be become
even less affordable. (In 2000 the price of a barrel of oil was $10.00;
today, six years later it is more than $60.)

Reason #6: A precautionary approach could re-energize the environmental
movement. In recent years the environmental movement has been struggling
to maintain progress toward its goals. The movement has found itself on
the defensive. Some even argue that the environmental movement is "dead."
Others point out that most people consider their job more important than
almost anything else in their lives and the environmental movement has
often ignored jobs and economic development. Others say the movement has
lost some of its luster partly because it is "against everything."

The precautionary principle gives us something to be FOR and not merely
AGAINST.

Precaution is a modern idea whose time has come. The European Union has
written precaution into its constitution and is now working out detailed
policies to embody the basic premise of precaution: taking action to avert
harm before the full extent of the harm can be proven to a scientific
certainty.

Precaution offers an opportunity to revitalize the environmental movement
by re-establishing the broken link between environmental protection and
public health, taking advantage of a shared core focus on prevention. For
example, see Kriebel and Tickner, 2001. And see "Health and 'Environmental
Health:' Expanding the Movement," in Rachel's News #843.

In 1988 the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM) provided a useful
definition of public health in its landmark study, The Future of Public
Health. The IOM report characterized public health's mission as
"fulfilling society's interest in assuring conditions in which people can
be healthy."

Another enduring definition of public health was provided in 1920 by
C.E.A. Winslow:

"... the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and
promoting health and efficiency through organized community effort for the
sanitation of the environment, the control of communicable infections, the
education of the individual in personal hygiene, the organization of
medical and nursing services for the early diagnosis and preventive
treatment of disease, and for the development of the social machinery to
insure everyone a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of
health, so organizing these benefits as to enable every citizen to realize
his birthright of health and longevity."[1]

In chapter 1 of his text book, "Public Health: What It is and How It
Works," Bernard Turnock offers this summary of the core idea of public
health:

"If public health professionals were pressed to provide a one word synonym
for public health, the most frequent response would probably be
prevention." (Turnock, pg. 20)

Turnock notes six unique features of public health. I will mention only
five:

1) It is based in a social justice philosophy -- everyone has a right to
health services and to health; no one deserves to be burdened with
disease.

2) It is inherently a political enterprise.

3) It is inextricably linked with government -- by definition government
must play a role in fostering conditions that allow people to become and
remain healthy.

4) It is grounded in science (many sciences).

5) Its primary strategy is prevention.

In sum, the public health approach and the precautionary approach share a
great deal in common.

When the U.S. got serious about focusing on environmental problems in the
late 1960s, President Nixon responded by creating a new federal agency to
"protect the environment," U.S. EPA. An important and powerful citizen
movement developed to support, extend, and critique the work of that
agency. Unfortunately, much of that work and advocacy took place entirely
separate from the agencies, methods, practices and goals that had long ago
been established to protect and foster public health.

It seems to me that the precautionary principle offers us a sturdy bridge
to connect time-honored, long-established public health principles and
practices (and infrastructure) with a new generation of community-based
activists and governmental guardians of the public trust (the commons) to
propel a new social movement to prevent harm and protect our common
heritage so that we can pass this world on, undamaged, to future
generations.

[1] C.E.A. Winslow, "The Untilled Field of Public health," Modern
Medicine Vol. 2 (1920), pgs. 183-191.


--------20 of 24--------

From: BBC, May 2, 2006
AMERICANS 'MORE ILL THAN ENGLISH'

Americans aged 55 to 64 are up to twice as likely to suffer from diabetes,
lung cancer and high blood pressure as English people of the same age.

The healthiest Americans had similar disease rates to the least healthy
English, the Journal of the American Medical Association study found.

The US-UK research found greater links between health and wealth in the
US.

The joint team from University College London, the University of London
and health research organisation Rand Corporation, chose two groups of
comparable white people from large, long-term health surveys in the US and
in England.

In total, the study examined data on around 8,000 people in the two
countries.

Each group was divided into three socioeconomic groups based on their
education and income.

They then compared self-reports of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high
blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, stroke and lung disease.

The American group reported significantly higher levels of disease than
the English.

Rates of diabetes were twice as high among the US group as the English.

One of the study's authors, James Smith of Rand, said: "You don't expect
the health of middle-aged people in these two countries to be too
different, but we found that the English are a lot healthier than the
Americans."

'Medical care'

Those on the lowest incomes in both countries reported most cases of all
diseases, except for cancer, and those on the highest incomes the least.

But these health inequalities were more pronounced in the US than they
were in England.

The researchers suggested the lack of social programmes in the US, which
in the UK help protect those who are sick from loss of income and poverty,
could partly help explain why there was a greater link between Americans'
wealth and disease.

But the study also found that differences in disease rates between the two
nations were not fully explained by lifestyle factors either.

Rates of smoking are similar in the US and England but alcohol consumption
is higher in the UK.

'Bad lifestyle'

Obesity is more common in the US and Americans tend to get less exercise,
but even when the obesity factor was taken out, the differences persisted.

One of the researchers Professor Sir Michael Marmot, of the department of
epidemiology and public health at University College London, said people
would automatically presume the differences were caused by the variance in
healthcare systems.

US healthcare is funded through an insurance system while England's NHS is
funded by taxation and is free at the point of use.

But he pointed out that Americans spent almost double per head [per
person] on health care than the English do, even though the system was
organised in a different way.

He said: "There is more uneven distribution in the US and something like
15% of Americans have no health insurance and (there are) a bigger number
who are under-insured."

But this could not fully explain the differences because the richest
Americans with access to highest levels of healthcare still had rates of
poor health comparable to the worst off in England.

Infant mortality

"We cannot blame either bad lifestyle or inadequate medical care as the
main culprits in these socioeconomic differences in health," Marmot said.

"We should look for explanation to the circumstances in which people live
and work.

"We have to take a much broader look at social determinants of health in
both countries.

"We need to do further research to fill in the jigsaw pieces of the
puzzle," he added.

A Department of Health spokeswoman acknowledged health inequalities in
England of the kind revealed in the research and said the government was
anxious to tackle them.

It aims to reduce health inequalities in life expectancy and infant
mortality by 10% and improve health generally.

"Health trainers, targeted initially at the most deprived communities, are
one of the many initiatives which will help narrow this gap by supporting
people to make healthier choices in their daily lives," she added.


--------21 of 24--------

Greenpeace International
May 2, 2006
EVERYTHING YOU DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SEX...
Greenpeace report reveals the impact of toxic chemicals on reproductive
health

Amsterdam - Falling sperm counts, rising infertility and genital
abnormalities in babies could all result from exposure to hazardous
man-made chemicals used in perfumes, carpets, electronics, clothing and a
host of other consumer goods, a Greenpeace report released today has
revealed[1].

The report, 'Fragile: Our reproductive health and chemical exposure',
collates the findings of a number of peer-reviewed scientific studies of
recent years. Together, the studies show for the first time a
comprehensive picture of an increase in reproductive health disorders,
mirroring the rising presence in our lives of human-created synthetic
chemicals.

Sperm counts have fallen by 50% in 50 years, infertility among couples has
more than doubled in industrialised countries since the 1960s, while
testicular cancer has become increasingly common. The male- female birth
ratio has changed dramatically in some areas and birth defects of the
reproductive system are increasingly noted in baby boys.

"The growing body of scientific evidence indicating links between exposure
to man- made chemicals and damage to our reproductive systems is extremely
disturbing. Greenpeace is calling for any chemical that can potentially
harm humans in this way to be removed from use wherever a safer
alternative is available," said Dr David Santillo of Greenpeace
International's Science Unit, one of the report's authors.

Many of the disorders which have been increasing in incidence are thought
to originate in the developing stages of the child's life in the womb or
shortly after birth. At the same time, tests have shown that exposure to
some commonly used chemicals which may affect fertility takes effect
almost from the moment a child is conceived. Among the chemicals concerned
are alkylphenols, phthalates, brominated flame retardants, organotin
compounds, bisphenol-A and artificial musks. However, these chemicals,
used as examples in this report, represent only a fraction of the problem.
Most chemicals on the market have never been tested for their safety for
human health or the environment, yet many are routinely used in products
found on supermarket shelves and in our bathroom cabinets.

A law proposed by the European Union, known as REACH[2], currently being
discussed, is supposed to allow for much stricter checks and controls on
the manufacture and use of chemicals. But an aggressive lobby from certain
chemicals producers has been so successful in undermining REACH that the
law could ultimately allow substances suspected of harming our hormone
system and sexual organs to remain in use.[3]

Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner, Helen Perivier, said: "Many
individuals and couples see their lives and welfare affected by
reproductive disorders. The EU cannot close its eyes to this rising
problem by weakening the protection that REACH could provide against
chemical-induced health problems."

Greenpeace argues that there can be no justification for allowing the
continued use of hazardous chemicals that can be passed to developing
children and that may harm sexual development.

Governments and Members of the European Parliament will vote on the EU
chemicals regulation later this year.

Notes to the editor:

[1] The report Fragile is available at http://www.greenpeace.org/frag ile
[2] REACH: Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of
Chemicals
[3] Fatal Flaws, http://www.greenpeace.org/fatalflawsbrief

[Clearly, we should all be willing to sacrifice our sexual/genetic future
so a few privileged persons may enjoy even more privilege. Who do we think
we are, to stand in their way of a super-pleasant life, even if it means
the slow ruination of ours, and hell for our descendents? All for the few
and nothing for the many just IS the New American Way of Life, so let's
get on with it. -ed]


--------22 of 24--------

HIPPOPOTAMUS AMONG 26,000 NEW SPECIES ON ENDANGERED LIST
By Barrie Clement
From: The Independent (UK), May 1, 2006

More than 26,000 species of animals, birds, plants and fish will this week
be added to the list of those in serious danger of extinction. Thousands
of species including the common hippopotamus are to be added or moved up
the so-called "red list" drawn up by The World Conservation Union (IUCN).

The alarming study by the union, one of the most authoritative pictures of
world flora and fauna, will make clear that global warming and human
activity is responsible.

The report will confirm that the common skate, once abundant around
Britain, has been virtually wiped out. The fish is still stocked by some
supermarkets and fishmongers, but there is increasing pressure on them to
ban it in the same way that cod has been removed from many retailers'
shelves.

Sharks, skates and rays are all thought to be vulnerable. Around 20 per
cent of sharks are in increasing danger of extinction, the study says. The
giant devil ray, similar to a manta ray, is often accidentally caught in
nets intended for tuna and other fish.

David Sims, senior research fellow at the Marine Biological Association
Laboratory at Plymouth, said that one of the main problems with sharks and
rays was that they bore live young so that they reproduce more slowly.
"Global fisheries are having a massive effect on population. Some of the
nets they use could engulf St Paul's Cathedral," he said.

The new research by the IUCN is the result of two years' work by
scientists all over the world and adds to the picture revealed in the
union's last report in 2004 which said that 15,589 species faced
extinction - 7,266 animals and 8,323 plants and lichens.

While the latest analysis confirms the plight of the polar bear - because
climate change threatens its Arctic habitat - more surprising was the
threat to the common hippo. Researchers at the IUCN found that biggest
problem was posed by poachers killing the creatures for the ivory in their
teeth.

One of the creatures predicted to die out is the Yangtze river dolphin or
Baiji. It is thought that just 30 remain and that the chances of
breeding-age pairs meeting is extremely low.

Chris Butler-Stroud of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, said
that the animal was in effect extinct.

The endangered species in the 2004 report included one- third of
amphibians and half of all freshwater turtles. At least 15 species had
died out over the previous two decades and another 12 survived only in
captivity.

Many more, however, are thought to have become extinct without having been
recorded. A conservative approach to declaring species lost means that
others, which are not yet formally classed as extinct, have probably died
out.

Among 3,330 species newly assessed as threatened in 2004 included the
fabulous green sphinx moth, from the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i, and the
African begonia from Cameroon. Most of the new additions in 2004 were
amphibians, joining the red list after the Global Amphibian Assessment
that revealed one in three species of frog, toad, newt and salamander were
under threat.

The Jambato toad from Ecuador, the golden toad from Costa Rica and the
kama'o bird from Hawaii were among the species declared extinct over the
past two decades.

Britain had nine critically endangered species - the category at greatest
risk - including the slender-billed curlew and the sociable lapwing (both
rare visitors here) and Spengler's freshwater mussel. Another 49 species
are classed as endangered or vulnerable, including the Atlantic cod and
the Scottish wildcat.

Between 1.6 million and 1.9 million species are known to science, but the
total is usually estimated at between 10 million and 30 million - and many
of those described and classified are poorly understood.

[The main hope for other species is that humans go extinct before they do.
-ed]


--------23 of 24--------

From: Be Safe, Apr. 29, 2006
TAKING PRECAUTIONARY ACTION: ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS -- JUNE 9-11
Come To The 1st National Conference On Precaution

June 9th - 11th, 2006, University of Maryland School of Nursing,
Baltimore, MD

Join with hundreds of activist groups to share successful precautionary
strategies, tools, and programs. The conference will bring together people
working on toxics and nuclear pollution, disease prevention, pesticides,
worker safety, and many other issues.

Learn about over 50 model local, state, and nationwide precautionary
policies. Add practical new tools to your arsenal on messaging,
alternative assessments, full-cost accounting and more. Participate in
trainings on community organizing, fundraising, advocacy, media outreach,
and more. Help build the movement for precautionary action to prevent harm
from environmental hazards by registering today!

Go to www.besafenet.com/ppconf.html for Conference agenda and registration
form.
Space is limited, so please register soon.
Reserve hotel at discount rate by Friday, May 12th. Register by Friday,
May 26th.
The 3 day Conference includes over 35 workshops.
It starts Friday 10:00 AM and ends Sunday 4:00 PM.
For more information, contact ppconference [at] chej.org or 703-237-2249 ext.
11.

--------24 of 24--------

Prez-Press interviews

Pop Culture

Q: Mr president, what is your opinion of pop culture?

A: Pop culture? I'm all for it. It's the American way. Pop - or dad or
father, whatever - is supposed to run the show, and mom and the kids are
supposed to obey, do what they're told, and right away.
  Mom culture would never work. Lefist-pinko-commie-liberal types are
mom-huggers, and that's why they're all sissies. God told me he supports
pop culture. You don't see Him sending his only begotten *daughter* here,
do you? God the Father - that's where your pop culture comes from. And
you can quote me on that.


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