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Dispute Arises Over a Push to Change Climate Panel
After a year of urging from energy lobbyists, the administration is seeking the ouster of an American scientist who heads a global warming panel. An article by Andrew C. Revkin.
Melting (Freezing) of Antarctica
NY Times has an excellent article Melting (Freezing) of Antarctica. When you're dealing with a continent bigger than the US, climate varies and changes have many causes.
Ken Kifer's Bike Pages
Ken Kifer's articles on bicycle lifestyle, safety, advocacy, commuting, and touring with easy to understand tips and skills. That's failing to mention the extensive list of well organized links to other great websites.
United Nations Peace Operations in 2001
Covering the peace operations undertaken by the United Nations (UN) during 2001, this report details efforts to defuse mass hostility and violence in Europe, Asia, Africa, Central America, and in the Pacific. Approximately 39,500 soldiers and 7,500 civilian police worked with 4,300 international civilian staff and 8,500 local civilian staff. Under often tense and difficult conditions (58 were killed), these peace workers functioned as observers, engineers, analysts, human rights workers, legal and administrative experts, and translators and linguists, as well as working on military demobilization and land mine removal. Translation: Heroic and valuable service to humanity. This report (also available in French and Spanish) is dedicated to telling these workers's stories, expressing their collective voice, and celebrating the year's accomplishments. Divided into sections by geographic area (Asia, Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East), the report offers brief fact sheets and links to more comprehensive UN sites on Peacekeeping Operations, Peace and Security Issues, and Employment Opportunities.
Bringing Down a Dictator: Serbia Under Milosevic
In 1989, the Berlin Wall falls. As country after country in the old Warsaw Pact turns to democracy, Yugoslavia takes a different path. A Serbian politician, Slobodan Milosevic, instigates a wave of nationalist hysteria that causes the death of millions in ten years of civil wars, and earns Milosevic the nickname "Butcher of the Balkans." From PB. http://www.pbs.org/weta/dictator/
Blood and Water
Oil, namely the vast reserves in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, is the cause of many of the broad geopolitical battles plaguing the Middle East. But it is access to water, a more fundamental resource, is at the root of much of the bitter conflict between Israel and Palestine. In fact, the Palestinians rejected a recent peace proposal from Israel in part because it didn't give them control of water resources within their territory. In Part I of a two-part series, writer Jessica McCallin assesses the water conflict and its role in the Middle East peace process, only on the Grist Magazine website.
Artists in Mozambique
Artists in Mozambique are turning weapons from the country's war-torn past into symbols of peace. This article from the Christian Science Monitor by Nicole Itano is very encouraging.
Orphaned Baby Whale
Scientists are working to save an orphaned baby whale swimming in the Puget Sound. They're considering using a Hovercraft to ferry the whale home to Canada. The 1-year-old orca was born to a pod that returns each summer to the waters around northern Vancouver Island. But its mother died, the rest of the pod rejected the baby, and it showed up alone in Puget Sound last month. Since then, the whale has been following a ferry, rubbing up against logs and capturing Seattle's heart. To learn about threats to whales, go to http://www.saveourwhales.org.
National Council of Churches: Focus on Poverty
To launch its 10-year mobilization addressing the challenge of
poverty, National Council of Churches focuses on poverty-related
issues during the 31 days of March 2002, ending on Easter Sunday.
A special section of the NCC website features . .
Preaching About Poverty
The Bible Speaks About Poverty
Poverty-Related Events During March
Good Works That 'Work'
Poverty By the Numbers
Theological Reflection on Poverty
Visit the website now. http://www.ncccusa.org/poverty
The tricky art of defining 'terrorism'
We have discussed the definition of terrorism. The article includes links which might be valuable. It was interesting to me to hear Robin Kirk, Senior Researcher for the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch emphasize the use of "acts of terror" rather than "terrorist" in talking about Colombia. She also said how important it is to emphasize human rights in Colombia and support Senator Leahy in this. Interesting that restriction of visas to Colombians who had been involved in acts of terror was a great incentive since so many Colombians want to go to Disney Land.
Justice Talking
Explore each week the cases and controversies that come before our nation's courts and challenge our nation's conscience.
National Public Radio's Justice Talking is a one-hour, weekly radio program produced by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Hosted by veteran NPR correspondent Margot Adler and taped before a live audience, the show takes an in-depth look at the cases and controversies that come before our nation's courts and go the heart of what in means to live in a democracy.
http://www.justicetalking.org/
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