Entre2Nuages

STOP THE AMAZON DAM PROJECT NOW !

2011-01-18T21:33:00.000+01:00

Dear friends,

Brazil's top environmental regulator resigned last week under pressure to allow the hugely destructive Belo Monte Dam Complex, which would scar the Amazon and displace thousands of people. Protect the Amazon, its people, and its species -- sign the petition to Brazil's President Dilma opposing the dam and calling for energy efficiency instead:

Last Wednesday, Brazil's top environmental regulator resigned in refusal to license a project that experts say would be an ecological disaster: the Belo Monte Dam Complex, which would carve a scar bigger than the Panama Canal into the heart of the Amazon.

The mega-dam would flood huge tracts of rainforest and displace thousands of indigenous people. The companies who would profit from the dam have been trying to bulldoze past environmental laws -- and want to break ground within weeks.

The Amazon is a global treasure, and a worldwide outcry is needed now. The resignation could clear the way for the dam's license--or, if enough of us raise our voices, it could mark a turning point against the project. Let's make this a defining moment on the world stage for Brazil's new President Dilma. Sign the emergency petition to Dilma to stop Belo Monte and protect the Amazon -- it will be delivered spectacularly with Avaaz's indigenous partners in Brazil's capital once we reach 150,000 signatures:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/amazon_under_threat/?vl

Eletronorte, the company who will profit most from Belo Monte, is demanding that the license to start construction be issued even if the project does not meet environmental standards.

Experts and officials who study the proposed dam overwhelmingly reject it as a catastrophe in the making. Abelardo Bayma Azevedo, who stepped down last week as president of Brazil's environmental agency, is not the first resignation caused by pressure to allow Belo Monte; his predecessor stepped down for the same reason last year, as did Brazil's Minister for the Environment -- among other top officials. Now, it's up to us to ensure that these resignations, and decades of protest within Brazil, will not be in vain.

Belo Monte would flood 100,000 acres of rainforest, affect hundreds of kilometres of the Xingu river, and displace over 40,000 people, including indigenous communities of 18 different ethnic groups who depend on the Xingu for their subsistence. It is so economically risky that the government has had to turn to public funds for most of the $16 billion investment. And the dam would be one of Brazil's least efficient, operating at only 10% capacity for the dry months from July to October.

The dam's backers argue that it will supply Brazil's growing energy needs. But a far greater, greener, and cheaper supply of energy is available: energy efficiency. A WWF study found that efficiency alone could save the equivalent of 14 Belo Monte dams by 2020. The benefits of a truly green approach would go to everyone, rather than a handful of powerful corporations. But it's only the corporations who hire lobbyists and wield political muscle -- unless enough of us, in the global public, raise our voices, and ensure that Dilma faces a real choice for Brazil's future.

Belo Monte's construction could start as early as February. Brazil's Minister of Energy and Mining, Edson Lobão, says the next license will be approved soon -- we need to stop Belo Monte before the bulldozers move in. Let’s welcome Dilma into the presidency with a massive outcry to do the right thing: stop Belo Monte!

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/amazon_under_threat/?vl

Brazil might be the world's best hope for progress against climate change, and for bringing North and South countries together on the most hopeful common ground. Now, that hope resides in President Dilma. By calling together for her to reject the Belo Monte dam and pursue a better path, we invite her to live up to that opportunity -- and to help build a future that all of us, from the tribes along the Xingu to the grandchildren of today's city dwellers, can be proud of.

With hope,

Ben, Graziela, Alice, Ricken, Rewan, and the whole Avaaz.org team

SOURCES:

IBAMA President Resigns Over Belo Monte Licensing:
http://www.internationalrivers.org/en/blog/zachary-hurwitz/2011-1-13/ibama-president-resigns-over-belo-monte-licensing

PowerSwitch report by WWF-Brazil examining opportunities for energy efficiency:
http://www.internationalrivers.org/files/brazil_pswstudy_english_summary_0.pdf

Amazon Watch fact sheet:
http://www.amazonwatch.org/amazon/BR/bmd/index.php?page_number=99

Power and the Xingu:
http://www.economist.com/node/15954573

Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.

Some say its Frugality- Or is it just a super Dose of Common Sense ?

2011-01-13T21:14:00.000+01:00

Stumbling across this article, I was struck bu its openeness and common sense approach-
Without taking side, driving you onto a high or burrying you in a depression, its down to earth approach synthesizes most things we heard, think could be good, but never really got down to put in practice

Here is another chance to have a stab at it ....

The book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold over 15 million copies since it was first published in 1989, teaching people all over the world how to live a happier, more successful and more satisfying life. One of the prevailing themes of the book is the fact that to change your life you need to change your attitude because no one else is responsible for what happens to you but you, so you can either complain about the things you don’t like in your life or you can set about changing them. Not surprisingly, this directly relates to the state of your finances.
If you are tired of living week to week, of having your phone regularly cut off or having to make excuses to skip dinners with your friends if the money has run out before the end of the month then you can use the seven habits of highly effective people to take control of your money situation and live a more frugal lifestyle, and a happier one.

Habit One: Be Proactive

The first habits of highly effective people is to take responsibility for your life, there is no one else to blame but yourself. Regardless of how you were raised or how you were treated at school you are able to choose your behavior now. Being proactive means understanding that you are in control of the direction your life takes and in control of your day to day interactions. Whereas a reactive person is often affected by their environment and will find external sources to blame for their behavior, for example if the weather is good they are in a good mood but if the weather is bad it affects their attitude and so the weather is to blame for their bad mood.
However what most people forget is that between the stimulus and your response is your freedom to choose your response, and one of the most important things you choose are your words. The language you use is an effective indication of how you see yourself and if you use proactive language such as ‘I can’ or ‘I will’ you are starting with a more positive attitude than a reactive person who uses language like ‘I can’t’ or ‘I have to’ or ‘if only…’
How to be proactive for effective frugality:

Take the first step. You cannot take control of your finances until you make the commitment to do so because the more you ignore the situation the worse it will get. Instead take a long hard look at your finances and your budget, your debts, income and expenses and understand where your money is going and where you can budget better.
Tell people. Using proactive language to vocalize your goal of being more frugal and more financially responsible not only helps you crystallize your goal but can also help you avoid the peer pressure which can make budgeting and frugality hard. If you explain to your friends and family how you are trying to live a more frugal lifestyle then they are less likely to pressure you into one more round of drinks at the pub or dinner out, again.
Listen. Listen to yourself and listen to the reasons you give each time you make a purchase outside of your budget or decide not to put those spare funds into your savings account. Taking the time to stop and listen to the reasons you give yourself for spending more than you earn will give you the opportunity to hear just how shallow many of those reasons are, and can stop you from making purchases which can impede your goal of effective frugality.

Habit Two: Begin with the End in Mind

Those who are effective in achieving their goals are able to envisage their end result despite the obstacles. Highly effective people adhere to this habit based on the principle that all things are created twice, there is the first mental creation and then the second physical creation, and the physical creation follows the mental creation in the same way as the building follows its blueprints.
If you don’t visualize what you want out of life then you are at risk of other people and external circumstances influencing your life because you are not influencing it yourself. Instead begin every day and every task with a clear vision of where you want to go and how you’re going to get there and make that vision a reality with your proactive skills from habit one.
How to visualize effective frugality:

Define your goal. There are many ways to live a frugal lifestyle and you need to decide on how frugal you want to be. Do you want to be debt free, do you want to build a savings account balance of a certain value or do you want to be able to live on one income in a two income household?
Decide how you’re going to get there. This will again draw on your budget, but you also need to be aware of the obstacles which are standing in your way. These may be literal obstacles such as credit card debts, or they may be obstacles you have identified in your behavior; for example are you spending $10 every day on junk food on your way home from work because you’re starving when you could be packing a two dollar muesli bar or a low GI lunch to keep you going until dinner. Or do you find that when you go shopping with your sister she always helps you justify a frivolous purchase when you could leave your credit card at home.

Habit Three: Put First Things First

Knowing why you are doing something is an effective motivator in helping you take the mental creation and transform that into an actual physical creation of your goal. Therefore ask yourself which are the things you find most valuable and worthy to you. When you put these things first you will be organizing and managing your time around your personal priorities to make them a reality.
However for many people it is hard to say no but this is exactly the skill you have to learn to be able to keep your goals as your first priority. While we have all of these time-saving devices and we are told we can have it all if we just achieve that elusive work-life balance in reality having it all is really about prioritizing which it is most important to you to have, and then doing that properly.
How to put effective frugality first:

Recognize the effects of your finances. You may not dedicate as much time as you should to managing your finances and practicing frugal principles because you feel there is always something more important to be doing, whether it is work, taking the kids to soccer practice or getting ready for dinner with the girls. However if your finances are not under control and you are regularly spending more than you earn then this is having a negative impact on every other aspect of your life from your work to your family to your friends. Therefore you need to recognize that being frugal is your first priority.
Just say no. It is easy to spend more than your budgeted amount each month when you are worried about missing out on a dinner with friends, feel as though you have to cater a birthday party for your son and 50 of his closest friends or you can’t possibly wear the same suit you wore last year to a work conference. However if you recognize that you don’t have to take on everything and that it is all right to say no then you will find you are more in control of your spending and your budget.

Habit Four: Think Win-Win

Growing up most of us are taught to base our self-worth on comparisons to others and competition against our peers. We think we can only succeed if someone else has failed and if you win then that must mean I lose, and that there is only so much pie to go around and if you get a big piece then I’m going to be missing out. When you think like this you are always going to feel like you’re missing out on something and that’s not fair is it? As a result many of us retaliate and take the pie before someone else can take it from us.
Thinking in a win-win mindset allows you to see mutual benefits from all of your interactions and as a result you will see that when you share the pie it tastes even better. If you are able to approach conflicts and problems with a win-win attitude then by showing integrity and standing up for your true feelings and values allows you to express your ideas and feelings with courage while having consideration for the feelings and ideas of others. When you focus on an abundance mentality you are able to see that there is enough for everyone and you can see that balancing your confidence with empathy you can achieve your goals while helping others achieve theirs.
How to create frugal win-win situations:

Recognize that you don’t always know the full story. As you aim to implement frugal principles and stick to a budget you may often find yourself thinking ‘it’s not fair’. It’s not fair that they get to go out to dinner it’s not fair that they get a new car it’s not fair that they get to go on holiday and I don’t. However take the time to realize that you are only seeing a small part of the finances of your friends and family who seem to ‘have it all’ and that even though your best friend is taking the European holiday which was your dream or your brother is buying a sports car before you are, if you manage your finances frugally you will get there too and there will still be plenty of holiday destinations and plenty of fast cars when you do.
Understand the difference between possessions and net worth. While your friends and family may seem to have a fuller lifestyle because their house is bigger or their car is newer you need to consider how much debt they are hiding behind those possessions. True wealth is not measured in possessions but in assets and when the value of your assets is greater than the amount you owe in mortgages, car loans and credit card debts then you have a strong net worth and are truly wealthy and in aiming to live a more effectively frugal lifestyle you will be able to achieve true wealth rather than just a life full of stuff.

Habit Five: Communication

Communication is often the desire to be heard and understood and most people will listen with the intention to reply to what you’re saying rather than to understand what you have said. However to effectively communicate you need to first understand and then be understood because if you communicate with the sole intention of being understood you can find that you ignore what others are saying and miss their meaning entirely.
How listening can help you be effectively frugal:

You are not the only person in your life. Chances are you are married, in a relationship, have children or all of the above. As a result you are not the only person being affected by your decision to live a more frugal lifestyle and to be effective in your goal of frugality you need to be able to listen to and understand the goals and behaviors of the other people in your life. For example consider how effective your frugality would be if you were taking packed lunches to work and avoiding the afternoon coffee run but your partner was still going shopping in their lunch break; instead of living a more frugal lifestyle you are just ending up with more stuff.
Understand the goals and needs of others. While it is important to explain your desire to live more frugal lifestyle, it is also important that you understand the goals and needs of your family so that you can find a way to be more frugal without them having to give up all of the things which are most important to them and you can’t know what those things are unless you listen.

Habit Six: Synergize

Interactions and teamwork are some of the most important ways you can learn new skills and more effective behaviors. To synergize is the habit of creative cooperation where you work as a team to find new solutions to existing problems. Synergy is not something which just happens but is a process where you need to bring all of your personal experiences and expertise to the table to enable more effective results than you would have been able to achieve individually – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
When you have genuine interactions with people you are able to gain new insights and see new approaches to your problems which you would not have otherwise thought of.
How to synergize for effective frugality:

Look for new ways. In a society which has become so good at consumerism you have probably already realized that you need to find new ways of doing just about everything to be frugal. It is easy to buy your lunch every day but it is more frugal to take a packed lunch. It is easy to drive to work but it is more frugal to catch the train. It is easy to buy a new cocktail dress but it is more frugal to make one.
Surround yourself with other frugal people. To be successful surround yourself with people who are where you want to be and whether you join online forums on frugal living websites or strike up a friendship with the woman who runs your local op shop you will be able to share ideas and learn from others to be successful.

Habit Seven: Sharpen the Saw

You are the greatest asset you have on your journey to achieving the lifestyle you want and so you need to look after yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. When you take time to renew yourself in all four areas of your life you are creating growth and change which allow you to continue with the previous six habits you have mastered, which still need to be maintained to achieve success.
How to frugally renew yourself:

Physically. By eating better you will feel better and if you start your own vegetable patch for example you will be able to save at the supermarket and will be eating better at the same time. Exercising keeps you fit and healthy and it doesn’t cost you anything to go for a walk or bike ride or even skip rope in the backyard. To rest your body you don’t need to go to a day spa you can simply slide into the tub at home and relax.
Emotionally. Interacting socially with others allows you to make meaningful connections and this can come back to a conversation with the woman at the op shop or even scheduling in coffee and a chat with your mum once a week.
Mentally. Exercising and expanding your mind through learning, reading, writing and teaching can be done frugally at your local library or even by volunteering at a school or retirement home to teach others a skill you may be taking for granted.
Spiritually. Spending time close to nature to expand your spiritual self through meditation, music, art or prayer can be done frugally by taking a quiet moment to center yourself and empty your mind before you go to bed or going for a bush walk and being grateful for the beauty of nature surrounding you.

Frugality does not mean having to give up all the luxuries and things which make you happy because if you go through developing habits 1 to 6 without spending the time to renew yourself this is how you burn out, and frugality is something you want to develop and maintain for the long-term and with these seven habits you can be a highly frugal person.

Alban is a personal finance writer. He offer money savings tips and helps people to compare home loans online.

Visit the Union for Conservation of Nature Website for current Year of Reforestation

2011-01-11T18:56:00.000+01:00

And you will find down to earth information about Forests and what you can do to become involved; This taster comes from their website but there is so much more there to discover and enjoy ... head for http://www.iucn.org/

(To see more outstanding photos , head for the IUCN flickr gallery)

Bring back lost and degraded forests, says IUCN

Preliminary analysis shows that an estimated 1.5 billion hectares of the world’s lost and degraded forests, an area almost the size of Russia, could be restored. This is the result of the latest global research, which now needs to be expanded at a national
l level to identify specific on the ground opportunities, says IUCN.

“Until recently scant attention has been paid to the world’s degraded forests,” says Stewart Maginnis, Director of Environment and Development at IUCN. “Now is the time to recognise the potential of restored forests to deliver the double benefit of removing CO2 from the atmosphere and helping lift people out of poverty. However, there’s no 'one size fits all' solution - each forest landscape is unique and needs its own individual restoration strategy.”
The analysis reveals that Africa and Asia hold the greatest promise, each with about 500 million hectares of forest landscapes offering opportunities for forest restoration, according to IUCN.
The new analysis from the World Resources Institute, South Dakota University and IUCN, carried out for the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) comes a month ahead of the launch of the UN’s International Year of Forests.
“Restoring the world’s lost and degraded forests is possible,” says Carole Saint Laurent, IUCN’s Senior Forest Policy Advisor. “Countries as diverse as China, Ghana, Mexico, India, the United Kingdom, the United States and many others have already embarked on ambitious forest restoration programmes.”
Spokespeople:

Stewart Maginnis, IUCN’s Director of Environment and Development, stewart.maginnis@iucn.org
Carole Saint Laurent, IUCN’s Senior Forest Policy Advisor, carsaintl@bellnet.ca

To download the full report got to: http://www.wri.org/restoring-forests
For more information or to set up interviews , please contact:

Borjana Pervan, IUCN Media Relations Officer, t +41 798574072, e borjana.pervan@iucn.org
On site: Brian Thomson, IUCN Media Relations Manager, t+41 797218326, e brian.thomson@iucn.org
Daniel Shaw, IUCN Forest Communications Officer, t+41 22999168, e daniel.shaw@iucn.org

About IUCN
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.
IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.
www.iucn.org

Sauvez les Abeilles assaillies par les pesticides néonicotinoïdes

2011-01-11T12:28:00.001+01:00

URGENCE POUR LES ABEILLES -- AGISSEZ MAINTENANT!

Signez la pétition

Au Ministre Français de l'Agriculture M. Le Maire et au Président de la Commission Européenne M. Barroso:

Nous vous appelons à interdire immédiatement l'utilisation des pesticides néonicotinoïdes jusqu'à ce que et seulement si de nouvelles études scientifiques indépendantes prouvent leur innocuité. Le déclin catastrophique des populations d'abeilles pourrait mettre toute notre chaîne alimentaire en danger. Si vous agissez dès maintenant et avec précaution, nous pourrons éviter l'extinction des abeilles.

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En cas de difficulté cliquez sur ce lien:

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589,356 ont signé la pétition en France et dans le monde. au moment de faire cet article
Aidez-nous à atteindre le Million afin de presenter la petition directement a l'UE !

Des milliards d'abeilles sont en train de mourir en silence, ce qui met en danger nos cultures et notre alimentation. Et une interdiction généralisée d'un groupe de pesticides toxiques pourrait éviter l'extinction des abeilles.

Mais la France, sous la pression des puissantes industries chimiques, vient de renouveler l'autorisation d'un de ces pesticides.

Pour sauver les abeilles, et alors que le débat fait rage pour répondre à cette crise, nous devons faire changer la position de notre gouvernement.

C'est notre responsabilité en tant que citoyen d'un pays démocratique de signaler notre refus absolu de cet usage et abus de confiance envers chacun d'entre nous- Ces pesticides ne sont pas sans effets ! Ils TUENT , non seulement les abeilles mais notre mode de vie - Alors REAGISSONS

Envoyons un appel gigantesque au gouvernement français, très influent sur la politique agricole européenne, pour faire interdire ces produits chimiques et sauver nos abeilles et notre alimentation. Signez la pétition urgente, et faites la suivre à tous, nous la remettrons au Ministre français de l'agriculture Bruno Le Maire et aux décideurs européens:

Une Démocratie implique la participation de ses membres pour faire connaître leurs avis !

..

Save the Bees Urgent Action ! Retake Control of the Earth's Health and Yours !

2011-01-11T11:39:00.000+01:00

Wow! Over the weekend half a million of us have signed to save bees. Let's get to a million for the ban -- sign now, then send this to everyone

Dear friends,

Bees are dying off worldwide and our entire food chain is in peril. Scientists blame toxic pesticides and four European governments have already banned them. If we get the US and the EU to join the ban, other governments across the world could follow, and save bees from extinction. Sign the petition and forward this urgent appeal:

Silently, billions of bees are dying off and our entire food chain is in danger. Bees don't just make honey, they are a giant, humble workforce, pollinating 90% of the plants we grow.

Multiple scientific studies blame one group of toxic pesticides for their rapid demise, and some bee populations are recovering in countries where these products have been banned. But powerful chemical companies are lobbying hard to keep selling these poisons. Our best chance to save bees now is to push the US and EU to join the ban -- their action is critical and will have a ripple effect on the rest of the world.

We have no time to lose -- the debate is raging about what to do. This is not just about saving bees, this is about survival. Let’s build a giant global buzz calling for the EU and US to outlaw these killer chemicals and save our bees and our food. Sign the emergency petition now, and send it on to everyone and we’ll deliver it to key decision makers:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl

Bees are vital to life on earth -- every year pollinating plants and crops with an estimated $40bn value, over one third of the food supply in many countries. Without immediate action to save bees many of our favourite fruits, vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee populations -- some bee species are already extinct and last week we learned that some US species are at just 4% of their previous numbers. Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some studies claim the decline may be due to a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss and toxic chemicals. But increasingly, independent research has produced strong evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides. France, Italy, Slovenia and even Germany, where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned one of these bee killers. But, Bayer continues to export its poison across the world

This issue is now coming to the boil as major new studies have confirmed the scale of this problem. If we can get European and US decision-makers to take action, others will follow. It won’t be easy. A leaked document shows that the US Environmental Protection Agency knew about the pesticide’s dangers, but ignored them. The document says Bayer’s "highly toxic" product is a "major risk concern to non target insects [honey bees]".

We need to make our voices heard to counter Bayer’s very strong influence on policy makers and scientists in both the US and the EU where they fund the studies and sit on policy bodies. The real experts -- the beekeepers and farmers -- want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we have solid, independent studies that show they are safe. Let's support them now. Sign the petition below, then forward this email:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl

We can no longer leave our delicate food chain in the hands of research run by the chemical companies and the regulators that are in their pockets. Banning this pesticide will move us closer to a world safe for ourselves and the other species we care about and depend on.

With hope,

Alex, Alice, Iain, David and all at Avaaz

MORE INFORMATION

Bee decline could be down to chemical cocktail interfering with brains
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/22/chemicals-bees-decline-major-study?INTCMP=SRCH

Bee briefing
http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RXLEm9WXrHk%3D&tabid=439

$15 Billion Bee Murder Mystery Deepens
http://www.businessinsider.com/colony-collapse-disorder-still-unsolved-lead-researcher-had-connections-to-bayer-2010-10

“Nicotine Bees" Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/nicotine-bees-population-restored-with-neonicotinoids-ban.php

EPA memo reveals concern that pesticide causes bee deaths
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=79910

Beekeepers want government to pull pesticide
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/beekeepers-want-government-to-pull-pesticide-1107701.html

Bees in freefall as study shows sharp US decline
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/03/bumblebees-study-us-decline?INTCMP=SRCH

Pesticide industry involvement in EU risk assessment puts survival of bees at stake
http://www.corporateeurope.org/agribusiness/news/2010/11/16/pesticide-industry-future-bees

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Arrogant Modern Medicine ? ! ? 100 years on, where are we ?

2011-01-07T11:46:00.000+01:00

If only...

If only , instead of arrogantly dismissing each other mutual but distinct benefits, healers of the world could concentrate on pointing to recovery rather than filling their respective ego and material pockets...In the light of the harrassing of Dr Wakefield for his whistle blowing work on vaccines and Big CO - in this case the unimaginably lucrative market of world vaccines, and the permanent attempt to remove freedom of medical choices to the individual ( European April deadline ) one can but smile warily at the following piece.

The Lancet: Medicine's Promise Still Often Unfulfilled

Looking back on a century-old article, today's Lancet editors note that medicine's great progress has often not included some big, familiar conditions. Karen Hopkin reports.

January often gets people thinking about what they’ve accomplished over the past 12 months. This year, it got the editors of the medical journal The Lancet to ponder how far health care has come over the past century, and where it continues to fall short. [A new year in medicine]

A hundred years ago, Squire Sprigge, then editor of The Lancet, penned a piece entitled "The Promise of 1911". The current editors thought they’d review this clinical score card to see how far we’ve come.

Sadly, a lot of the problems Sprigge outlined still plague us today. The old editorial frets about the “demon of tuberculosis” and diarrheal diseases in Africa, conditions we have yet to exorcise. It also argues for legislation against “charlatans and quacks,” an issue that apparently arose long before the advent of infomercials.

The need to improve medical education, the role of the press in reporting science news, and the danger of medical tourism—they were all discussed in this century-old article that today’s editors could have run as-is after modernizing the font. Instead they simply conclude that, “Between 1911 and 2011 there is much for medicine to be proud of—and also to be humble about.”
—Karen Hopkin

Tale For Ending and New Beginnings 2010 -- 2012

2010-12-31T22:58:00.000+01:00

Regardless to where one believes oneself to stand, the discussions around the ancient Mayan Calendars ( and other major civilisations) highlight some strong common denominators- Perhaps rather than arrogant stupidity in pretending to brush everything related to this topic under the hocus pocus brush, we could well take the essence of those ideas in our end of year closing thoughts and remember that reality is not always as obvious as it appears

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

In Steep Uphill Climb to 2012, Carlos Barrios' message shares that "...the dark power of the declining Fourth World cannot be destroyed or overpowered... That is the wrong strategy. The dark can only be transformed when confronted with simplicity and open-heartedness. This is what leads to fusion, a key concept for the World of the Fifth Sun.

Mr. Barrios (shown on the left) said the emerging era of the Fifth Sun will call attention to a much-overlooked element. Whereas the four traditional elements of earth, air, fire and water have dominated various epochs in the past, there will be a fifth element to reckon with in the time of the Fifth Sun: ether. Ether is a medium. It permeates all space and transmits waves of energy in a wide range of frequencies, from cell phones to human auras. What is "ethereal" is related to the regions beyond earth: the heavens.

As Mr. Barrios shared: We live in a world of energy. An important task at this time is to learn to sense or see the energy of everyone and everything: people, plants, animals. This becomes increasingly important as we draw close to the World of the Fifth Sun, for it is associated with the element ether - the realm where energy lives and weaves."

In ancient cosmology, ether is understood as the fifth element that filled all space beyond the sphere of the moon, constituting the substance of the stars and planets!

Maya Elder Hunbatz Men shares: "...as humanity awakes to the spirit in all matter, I have absolute hope that we will begin to live and work in a sacred way again. We did not come this far through the burden of time and space to end it in this way. We are here to be victorious. We are here to witness and participate in the great celebration.

"It is funny humanity as a whole feels that we have no impact on this reality. How can we believe so little of ourselves that we feel we are just blowing in the wind, as if by accident, just witnessing or being a victim of this reality. The big issues we face today on Mother Earth are directly related to our lack of self-esteem. Isn't it funny that clearing up old self-esteem issues could save the Planet! Think about it! We need to realize, honor and respect our creative force and realize we are creators. We hold this reality together. We are the keepers of the Earth. When we truly honor ourselves and our awesome creative power we will again live in a sacred way where we honor all life. When we honor all life the essence/spirit of all living things will manifest.

"Humanity is waking up, and in this important year we are riding the crest of a very big wave. We are living on the edge. We are living between worlds. How we live, the choices we make, the sensitivities we develop, and our love and honor for all life will see us through."

Hunbatz Men, (shown above) along with the Grand Maya Itza Council, has declared their response to the upcoming 2012 synchronization is to activate 52 sacred sites around the planet. As they said: "Every Full Moon we are going to make a spiritual journey to every one of the sacred sites on the list, starting our first ceremony on November 13, 2008, and continuing that way until carrying out the last ceremony on December 28, 2012..."

OPEN WARFARE : MONSANTO , GE crops and the Citizens of the WORLD

2010-12-22T21:22:00.001+01:00

You may recall our running articles highlighting the take over bid of the EU by MONSANTO and its armies of death and destruction, the GE crops and the corrupt individuals courting them .

Here is a very enlightening article from GREENPEACE which could well deserve to be passed on to as many of your friends as possible. Your health and that of our children depend on our collective action.

Thank you to MYRTO to run such great articles

" Documents exposed recently by Wikileaks reveal that the US has been putting pressure on European countries to accept genetically engineered (GE) crops. Although US government support for biotech companies in this way is nothing new - the cables released by Wikileaks reveal some interesting details on Spain’s role as a key US ally for pushing GE crops.
A story broke in EL Pais on Sunday December 19^th, revealing that the Spain has been working hand in hand with the US to protect the interests of the biotech industry against those EU countries that hold national bans on GE crops. Spain, cultivates the most GE maize (Monsanto MON810) in Europe and is obviously very worried by the rise of the anti-GE movement in Spanish society. The French are also mostly against GE crops and Germany has been introducing GE crop bans - allying with countries such as Austria, Luxembourg and Italy. Spain doesn't want to be outnumbered in Europe on this issue and has been looking for support elsewhere.
The Spanish Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Water, Joseph Puxeu, has even been asking the US government to work closely with Spain in applying pressure on the EU Commission for the encouragement of GE crops cultivation.
The documents explain why the Spanish government has been tolerating GE crops for years while failing to implement strict rules on the labelling and traceability of GE food. And they have not been transparent on the location of GE fields despite a number of contamination incidents and socio-economic impacts on farmers and the society.
The story in Spain is a scandal that has shocked environmental, consumers and farmers organisations. They are calling on the Minister of Environment, Rose Aguilar, to take immediate measures, and hold those accountable who have been working against Spanish society, the environment and public health. They are asking her to stop listening to the big biotech companies and ban Monsanto’s GE maize.
On the cable 07PARIS4723 dated 14 December 2007, Craig Stapleton, US Ambassador in Paris, addressed the issue of GE crops and the World Trade Organisation in Europe. He stated that the EU is moving backwards on this issue and that France is playing a major role in this movement. He concludes by saying the only way to deal with France is to take retaliation measures. 'Retaliation' like this could be something like a boycott of French products or start anti-marketing campaigns.
In another cable 09MADRID482, sent from the US Embassy in Madrid, from May 2009 this time, we learn that Monsanto representatives are confident that the adoption of a safeguard clause in France, banning Monsanto’s maize, is the result of bargaining between environmentalists and Nicolas Sarkozy. They claim that Sarkozy gave in to introducing the ban by asking environmental organisations, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, to stop campaigning against his nuclear policy. It is almost impossible to imagine such a deal! The pro-GE lobby, so blinded by their ideology, are apparently unable to believe that the leaders of a country like France have introduced a ban based on serious scientific uncertainties around GE crops, as well as the opposition by the majority French citizens. And Greenpeace would never agree to such a deal. Our anti-nuclear campaign in France continues.
It is evident that the US and the biotech companies follow the EU debate on GE crops very closely. They seem to think that the rest of the EU will follow if Spain bans Monsanto’s GE maize (MON810). The controversial maize is under reassessment and the EU Commission will put forward a proposal for its reauthorisation, which EU Members States will need to vote on.
Will the EU Commission and the EU Member States take in to account the increasing scientific evidence highlighting the environmental impacts of GE crops? Will they consider the possible impacts on our health? Will they take into account the unanimous demand from EU Environment Ministers for strengthening of the European authorisation system for GE crops?
Will they listen to the majority of the EU public who oppose GE crops and most recently the one million EU citizens who demanded a moratorium* on them in the EU?
Or will they give in to the pressure of the pro-GE lobby and the US?
--Myrto

Myrto Pispini is an agriculture campaigner at Greenpeace International.

* see our article in this blog on AVAAZ petition

Introduction to Bertrand Russell Individual and Social Ethics

2010-12-21T08:55:00.000+01:00

Individual and Social Ethics
by Bertrand Russell

Misers, whose absorption in means is pathological, are generally recognized to be unwise, but minor forms of the same malady are apt to receive undue commendation. Without some consciousness of ends, life becomes dismal and colorless; ultimately the need for excitement too often finds a worse outlet than it would otherwise have done, in war or cruelty or intrigue or some other destructive activity.

Men who boast of being what is called "practical" are for the most part exclusively preoccupied with means. But theirs is only one-half of wisdom. When we take account of the other half, which is concerned with ends, the economic process and the whole of human life take on an entirely new aspect. We ask no longer: what have the producers produced, and what has consumption enabled the consumers in their turn to produce? We ask instead: what has there been in the lives of consumers and producers to make them glad to be alive? What have they felt or known or done that could justify their creation? Have they experienced the glory of new knowledge? Have they known love and friendship? Have they rejoiced in sunshine and the spring and the smell of flowers? Have they felt the joy of life that simple communities express in dance and song?

Once in Los Angeles I was taken to see the Mexican colony - idle vagabonds, I was told, but to me they seemed to be enjoying more of what makes life a boon and not a curse than fell to the lot of my anxious hard-working hosts. When I tried to explain this feeling, however, I was met with a blank and total lack of comprehension.

People do not always remember that politics, economics, and social organization generally, belong in the realm of means, not ends. Our political and social thinking is prone to what may be called the "administrator's fallacy," by which I mean the habit of looking upon a society as a systematic whole, of a sort that is thought good if it is pleasant to contemplate as a model of order, a planned organism with parts neatly dovetailed into each other. But a society does not, or at least should not, exist to satisfy an external survey, but to bring a good life to the individuals who compose it. It is in the individuals, not in the whole, that ultimate value is to be sought. A good society is a means to a good life for those who compose it, not something having a separate kind of excellence on its own account.

--Bertrand Russell, in "Authority and the Individual"

Projet de Loi pour une NOUVELLE TAXE NUMERIQUE ?!?

2010-12-02T20:51:00.000+01:00

Comme si la France était déjà trop compétitive et une attraction irrésistible pour l'implantation des entreprises étrangères, un projet de loi prévoit une taxe supplémentaire sur les achat numériques des entreprises- La FEVAD réagit .

Nous aussi peut -être ?

16/11/2010 - La FEVAD dénonce le projet TASCOE

A la veille de la discussion du projet de loi de finances au Sénat, la FEVAD a tenu à alerter les pouvoirs publics sur les dangers associés à la création d’une telle taxe

Communiqué de presse

Paris, le 16 novembre 2010

Taxe sur les achats des entreprises

La FEVAD dénonce un frein
à la reprise économique et à la modernisation
des entreprises françaises

A l’occasion de l’examen du projet de loi de Finances 2011, le Sénat s’apprête à examiner un amendement présenté par le Rapporteur général de la Commission des finances, visant à instaurer une nouvelle taxe sur les achats des entreprises.

Cette taxe dite sur les « achats de services de commerce électronique » (TasCoE) couvre en fait tous les achats de biens et services réalisés par voie électronique effectués par les entreprises. Elle concerne des millions d’entreprises en ciblant l’utilisation des technologies de l’information et de la communication.

A la veille de la discussion du projet de loi de finances au Sénat, la FEVAD a tenu à alerter les pouvoirs publics sur les dangers associés à la création d’une telle taxe et sur les conséquences prévisibles d’une telle mesure sur l’intégration des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) dans l’économie française.

1. Une taxe sur les achats des entreprises alors que l’investissement des entreprises est en recul

L’amendement en question prévoit d’instaurer une taxe de 0,5% sur le « montant des dépenses engagées pour l’achat de biens ou services effectué au moyen d’une communication électronique».

L’assiette de cette taxe «sur les achats de services de commerce électronique » est beaucoup plus large qu’on pourrait le supposer à travers son intitulé. Elle vise en effet tous les achats de biens ou de services, effectués au moyen d’une communication électronique, par des entreprises dont le chiffre d’affaires annuel excède 460 000 euros.

A compter du 1er janvier prochain, un très grand nombre d’entreprises publiques et privées pourraient donc voir tous leurs achats effectués sur internet, par fax, EDI ou téléphone, assujettis à la nouvelle taxe. En cas d’achat de publicité en ligne, le montant de la taxe pourra être multiplié par 3, du fait de la taxation cumulative résultant de l’instauration de la taxe sur la publicité en ligne également proposée par le Rapporteur général.

2. Un handicap pour la diffusion des technologies dans les entreprises alors que selon le Ministère de l’Economie la France accuse déjà un retard important en Europe

En ciblant les achats en ligne des entreprises, cette taxe prend le risque de creuser encore davantage le retard français dans ce domaine.

Comme le mentionne le dernier Tableau de bord des TIC et du commerce électronique, publié par le Ministère de l’Economie « la France se situe nettement en dessous de la moyenne de l’UE. Ce retard est encore plus prononcé, par rapport aux grands pays européens. Ce retard dans l’approvisionnement des entreprises par des moyens électroniques ne s’est pas réduit au cours des années récentes.»

D’une manière plus générale, cette taxe donnerait un signal négatif sur la politique de la France en matière d’économie numérique. Alors que la plupart des Etats cherchent à accélérer la diffusion des TIC dans les entreprises et organismes publics, notamment en encourageant le recours à la dématérialisation des achats, la France serait le seul grand pays industrialisé à aborder cette question sous l’angle de revenus fiscaux additionnels.

Compte tenu des enjeux économiques et sociétaux liés aux TIC, et dans un contexte où les entreprises françaises investissent deux fois moins dans les TIC que leurs homologues aux Etats-Unis et trois fois moins que dans les pays d’Europe du Nord, il paraît plus que jamais essentiel d’encourager l’intégration des TIC, plutôt que de multiplier les taxes à l’encontre des entreprises utilisatrices.

3. Une taxe difficile à mettre en œuvre, pénalisante pour les entreprises françaises et qui ne fait que renforcer l’attractivité fiscale des voisins européens pour les entreprises étrangères

L’amendement proposant d’instaurer cette taxe comporte de nombreuses zones d’incertitude qui rendront son application et son contrôle difficiles à mettre en œuvre.

En outre, et dans la mesure où elle ne s’applique qu’aux achats par voie électronique réalisés par des entreprises établies en France, cette nouvelle taxe pourra être « contournée » par les entreprises présentes dans plusieurs pays et qui pourront délocaliser leurs structures d’achat à l’étranger. Ainsi la nouvelle taxe risque de peser majoritairement sur les PME françaises.

Par ailleurs, cette taxe ne fera que renforcer davantage l’attractivité fiscale de certains pays voisins, alors même que le poids de la fiscalité française est identifié dans un récent Rapport de la Commission des finances du Sénat comme un des principaux freins à l’implantation des entreprises étrangères en France.

Enfin, la FEVAD s’interroge sur la conformité de ce projet de taxe au droit communautaire et sur la compatibilité d’une telle taxe avec les directives TVA qui posent un principe général d’interdiction de taxes similaires.

La FEVAD invite donc le gouvernement et les parlementaires à rejeter la création de cette taxe au périmètre incertain, fondée sur une analyse erronée de la situation des TIC dans les entreprises françaises et qui ralentira le développement des TIC, là où il convient au contraire d’accélérer leur intégration.

A propos de la Fevad :
La Fédération du e-commerce et de la vente à distance, créée en 1957, fédère aujourd'hui plus de 450 entreprises et près de 700 sites internet parmi lesquels les 15 sites de e-commerce français les plus visités (Source : classement d’audience Médiamétrie//NetRatings). Elle est l’organisation représentative du secteur du commerce électronique et de la vente à distance. La Fevad a notamment pour mission de recueillir et diffuser l’information permettant l’amélioration de la connaissance du secteur et d'agir en faveur du développement durable et éthique de la vente à distance et du commerce électronique en France.

Contact Presse: Nathalie Laîné - Responsable Communication - 01 42 56 38 86 - nlaine@fevad.com

How many Days have you got left to live - What are you going to do with them ?

2010-11-30T16:27:00.000+01:00

I recently came across this thought provoking article and could not resist passing it on ...

My Life Countdown

When I was about 29 years old I got a spiritual "assignment" on an Easter morning in the old city of Jerusalem. According to this assignment my job was to live as if I had only 6 months left to live. I was in perfect health and in the middle of a ten-year round the world trip, so this interruption was unexpected and strange. I've told the full story of that curious mission on the very first episode of This American Life, the public radio storytelling hit, 10 years ago, so I won't go into further detail because you can hear my account on this streaming audio file from the NPR site.

(An almost biblical scene I encountered in my travels.)
The short version is that what I decided to do in my last 6 months surprised me, and that living with only 180 days in front of me turned out to be harder than I thought. But I did live with a very conscious countdown toward the final day; I remember that last day very well.
I am now 55 years old. Like a lot of people in middle age my late-night thoughts bend to contemplations about how short my remaining time is. Even with increasing longevity there is not enough time to do all that I want. Nowhere close. My friend Stewart Brand, who is now 69, has been arranging his life in blocks of 5 years. Five years is what he says any project worth doing will take. From moment of inception to the last good-riddance, a book, a campaign, a new job, a start-up will take 5 years to play through. So, he asks himself, how many 5 years do I have left? He can count them on one hand even if he is lucky. So this clarifies his choices. If he has less than 5 big things he can do, what will they be?

Another friend, a musician, told me about a recurring dream he had in which he could see the exact number of days left in his life. His days were numbered, literally. He recounted how invigorating this knowledge was, because while he could never be certain that number was true, it did help him prioritize his choices and defuse his procrastinations.

I decided to take the idea of number days seriously, and to revisit my earlier experience of counting down my remaining time on this lovely mortal plane. My hope was that a reckoning of my numbered days would help me account for how I spend each precious 24 hours, and to focus my attention and energy on those few tasks and projects I deem most important to me. Indeed, it might help me decide which ones are most important, which is the harder assignment.

What I wanted was a great big flashing sign that would show up on my computer and shout out to me how many days I had remaining. Then I would try to use my blog to record what how I spent the day to keep me honest. A wasted day would reveal its loss in the empty lower count the next day. I figured that mounting an automatic personal countdown sign should be pretty easy, and something that others might want to do as well.
My first step was to figure out my expected longevity. There are two ways to do this. One is to take the general average life-span for a guy my age in the US. To get that figure all you need to do is go the standard Life Expectancy Table (PDF), like the ones published by Medicaid. This will tell you the age at which statisticians expect you will die. For me, its 78.68 years.

The other way is to amend that basic figure with the plus and minus of your personal lifestyle, known illnesses and family health history. There are various websites that purport to make that calculation but I don't believe them. I believe they could make this adjustments with sufficient data, but I don't believe these websites have the proper scientific judgement or data to do so. So I'll stick the less exact but more trustworthy average age.
Either way you go, you take your expected life span in years and starting from your birthday figure out how many years plus days you have left. Then you go to the Date Duration Calculator to transform the remaining time into a specific date. For me the estimated last day of my life turned out to be easily remember. I am suppose to die on New Years Day (January 1), 2031. I sure hope I have a really really good time the night before.

To turn that end date into a current "days left" you can use one or more free countdown clocks. There is a Google gadget that sits on your iGoogle homepage, called not surprisingly Countdown Clock. You enter your last day and from thence on it will show you how many days until then.
I also wanted a desktop clock for when I was not online. I am on a Mac and there is a tiny app called Days Left that displays the remaining countdown days in the dock. For Windows there is TimeLeft which I have not used. If you want to roll your own web-based countdown clock, there are some explicit instructions here for programming a customized one.

I've been using this system for several months now and it has been very powerful. Day to day I am aware -- and can rattle off if I am asked - how many days I have left. I decided to post my project today because on my clock it shows a handily rounded off sum. So here is the news: As of today I have 8,500 days left to live. That's not much in my book. I can almost hear them ticking away as we speak. I look at my lifelist of current dreams and I realize that in only 8,500 days I won't get to but a few of them. And what of any new dreams?

Of course I could die next month and not get to any of them. Or I could live to be 99 and have an extra 5,000 days. Man, in that case I will be so happy to have to reset my clock! For now, the countdown clock, even armed with an average date, helps me focus. I don't think having the actual date of my death would change much. The time left is still too short. And too close. And getting closer. And I'm sorry but I need to do something else right now....

Corruption and revolving doors in EU Parlament - ACT NOW To CLEAN UP EU POLITICS

2010-11-02T08:54:00.003+01:00

Senior European politicians are moving straight from their public positions to start corporate lobbying.

I've just signed a petition to demand new rules that will stop these abuses of power.
Please check out the link below and join me in signing:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_lobby_rules/98.php?CLICKTF

Top European Commission staff are taking up lucrative corporate lobbyist jobs and helping big business to control Brussels! The Commission must now respond to an European Parliament demand for a tough new code of conduct -- sign the petition for new rules to stop these abuses of power:

It's outrageous -- over half of top European Union politicians move straight from their posts into lucrative corporate lobbying jobs -- turning the EU into a "lobbyocracy" run by big business, not the people.

The European Parliament is up in arms and has just threatened to withhold EU budget money until a new code of conduct is introduced to block officials rushing to become lobbyists. In a few days parliamentarians will meet to hear the Commission's proposals, but they need support to force a decisive change.

This is a chance to clean up Brussels, but it will take a massive public outcry. The grip of big business on EU decisions subverts every democratic priority, from agriculture to climate to energy. Click to sign the petition, and forward this email to friends:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_lobby_rules/?vl

The "revolving door" between the European Commission and the lobbyists fuels corruption, as officials compete for the fattest pay cheque when they leave office and then put their relationships and influence to work for the highest bidder.

The recently resigned EU Industry Commissioner has already joined the boards of 4 large firms -- and set up his own EU lobbying company!

Such new jobs are supposed to be vetted by the Commission. But the secret ‘ethics committee’ responsible for that is failing to stand up for the public interest. It had never blocked a single appointment until September, when - following outrage in the media - it prevented former financial services commissioner Charlie McCreevy going to work with a British bank.

If we join together now, public and parliamentary pressure can break through Brussels complacency, block the industry commissioner’s appointments and force Commission president Barroso to fulfil his long-promised - but never implemented - promise for a tough new code of conduct to prevent abuse. Sign the petition and circulate widely:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_lobby_rules/?vl

In the world we all want, public servants will serve only the public, not personal or corporate agendas. Our governments are among our most powerful tools to create change, but they must be ours. Let's take back Brussels for the people of Europe.

With hope,

Alex, Benjamin, Ricken, Alice, Luis, Ben and all of the Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION:

EU Commission pressed on tougher rules for ex-Commissioners:
http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/eu-commission-pressed-to-introduce-tougher-rules-on-ex-commissioners/

European Commission revolving door scandal:
http://www.corporateeurope.org/lobbycracy/news/2010/09/27/revolving-door-scandal-alter-eu-call

Ethics committee blocks former Commissioner’s bank appointment:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/1007/breaking36.html

Should former Commissioners be allowed to cash in?
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/102969.php

MEPs hold Commission budget to ransom
http://euobserver.com/18/31101

________________________________
Avaaz.org is a 5.5-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.)

Livre revue- Le quai de Ouistreham F. Aubenas Recherche travail dans une ville française

2010-10-31T10:21:00.001+01:00

Présentation de l'éditeur

" La crise. On ne parlait que de ça, mais sans savoir réellement qu'en dire, ni comment en prendre la mesure. Tout donnait l'impression d'un monde en train de s'écrouler. Et pourtant, autour de nous, les choses semblaient toujours à leur place. J'ai décidé de partir dans une ville française où je n'ai aucune attache, pour chercher anonymement du travail. J'ai loué une chambre meublée. Je ne suis revenue chez moi que deux fois, en coup de vent : j'avais trop à faire là-bas. J'ai conservé mon identité, mon nom, mes papiers, et je me suis inscrite au chômage avec un baccalauréat pour seul bagage. Je suis devenue blonde. Je n'ai plus quitté mes lunettes. Je n'ai touché aucune allocation. Il était convenu que je m'arrêterais le jour où ma recherche aboutirait, c'est-à-dire celui où je décrocherais un CDI. Ce livre raconte ma quête, qui a duré presque six mois, de février à juillet 2009. J'ai gardé ma chambre meublée. J'y suis retournée cet hiver écrire ce livre. ", Florence Aubenas.

Biographie de l'auteur

Née en 1961, Florence Aubenas a fait la plus grande partie de sa carrière de journaliste à Libération, avant de devenir grand reporter au Nouvel Observateur. Depuis juillet 2009, elle est présidente de l'Observatoire international des prisons

( on peut naturellement trouver ce titre a moindre prix sur amazon.fr ) donné ici juste en référence)

Lettre Ouverte a Avaaz Sauvons le droit de choisir les plantes et supplements

2010-10-31T09:43:00.000+01:00

Lettre Ouverte a Avaaz.

Je voudrais savoir si vous avez deja une campagne qui adresse l'horizon d'avril 2011 ou les plantes seront soumises a la même législation que les médicaments, ce contre quoi beaucoup de personnes physiques et morales tentent de lutter d'une façon incroyablement enthousiaste mais totalement désorganisée.

C'est un droit de l'homme fondamental , le choix de sa sante qui est en cause, a une échelle encore plus incisive que la récente campagne contre les OGMs en Europe.

Je pense qu'il est vraiment URGENT de lancer ou de mieux faire connaître cette campagne et de permettre aux personnes en Europe du moins de se réunir pour faire opposition concise et catégorique a cette loi qui pèse déjà sur nos têtes depuis 2004. En tant que naturopathe ( homéopathe, herbaliste et plus) depuis plus de 30 ans, je crains la mise en oeuvre irréversible de cette loi absurde - a moins que nous soyons part de l'agro business ou big bro Pharma.

Je suis prête a être impliquée concrètement et positivement dans le montage de cette campagne ou sa diffusion si vous en avez déjà une - trilingue francais,anglais -allemand.mais je pense qu'il faut , encore une fois faire vite et mobiliser les grass-roots, les citoyens du monde auxquels on veut encore reduire les droits et les choix.

Merci de votre attention, qui je l'espère se traduira par une réponse rapide, et merci de votre engagement de terrain qui est tres nécessaire pour justement donner une voix a des mouvements pressants.

Cordialement

Entre2nuages

Chevron versus the Planet next episode

2010-10-28T09:30:00.000+02:00

We introduced you to the "alternative Yes we Agree " wannabe campaign from Chevron, pretending to white wash their ecological and human abuses in many parts of the world.

Here is the next step from a panel of ordinary citizens who simply won't swallow the corporate machination with closed eyes any longer..

Remember that exposing is a first step- our daily habits and choices, our motivation backed by consistant action in our ways of living-- are the real key to corporate and planetary changes.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2010 Chevron “We Agree” Leaks Revealed
Activists ramp up fight against Chevron “greenwashing” with posters, videos, billboard alterations, etc.
Environmental and human rights activists have revealed the various leaks that permitted them to wreck the recent launch of Chevron's ultra-expensive new "We Agree" ad campaign. The revelations came with the announcement of a new print and video contest that, for a few dollars, continues the fight against Chevron's mega-millions in a no-holds-barred PR smackdown. (One video, submitted by the comedy troupe Funny or Die, is already cracking up online legions, as are a large number of print submissions. An upcoming billboard alteration contest promises to up the ante yet further.)
Chevron's plan for the “We Agree” offensive was first leaked to Amazon Watch over a month ago, when ecologist blogger Lauren Selman received a casting call to appear in one of Chevron's new split-screen television ads. Selman used the information she gathered to help Amazon Watch, the Rainforest Action Network, and the Yes Men pre-empt Chevron's insulting PR campaign. (Read Selman's blog post here.)
Another leak came shortly after, when Chevron's ad agency, McGarryBowen, asked DC street artist César Maxit if he could help wheat-paste the new Chevron posters. Instead, Maxit sent the Chevron files to the Rainforest Action Network and helped build their campaign. (See video here.)
The activists' continuing efforts are ensuring that Chevron's PR strategy backfires severely, as media continues to highlight Chevron's poor environmental and human rights record. That's exactly the point, say the activists: to raise public awareness around Chevron's abuses in Ecuador and elsewhere, and ultimately force Chevron to do something about them.
Coming soon: a billboard alteration kit for making Chevron's real-world “We Agree” ads better, an automagical “We Agree” poster generator, online resources for producing video parodies, and more! The contest will end in late November, and voting on entries will begin next week. Very special prizes will soon be announced.
Contacts:
Ginger Cassady, Rainforest Action Network, ginger@ran.org, (415) 640-7155
Han Shan, Amazon Watch, han@amazonwatch.org, (917) 418-4133
The Yes Men, press@theyesmen.org
###
The Yes Men work to expose corporate crimes, mainly through humor.
RAN's Change Chevron campaign is uniting communities, investors, religious leaders, celebrities, students, policy makers and Chevron employees to transform the oil giant. For more information about the campaign, visit www.ChangeChevron.org.
Since 2002, Amazon Watch's Clean Up Ecuador Campaign has supported the demands of indigenous and farming communities affected by the operations of Texaco (now Chevron) in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Learn more at chevrontoxico.com

Compassion at Work, What are the Benefits?

2010-10-24T14:50:00.003+02:00

Compassion across Cubicles

By Jill Suttie

Five-foot tall panels divide the physician’s billing department into a maze of cubicles at Foote Hospital in Jackson, Michigan. Each cubicle contains one of the 39 employees who make up the billing office staff. Most of the employees are women, many are single mothers, and they spend each day on the phone trying to collect unpaid debts owed to the hospital. The work is repetitive and may seem uninspiring. Yet the hospital staff widely considers this department one of the best places to work at Foote.
“Our department is special,” said Sarah Boik, head of the billing unit. “People care about each other here.”

Tammy Stellanova

Deb LeJeune agrees. LeJeune had been on Boik’s staff for only five months when her husband needed a kidney transplant. She said she was worried and distracted in the days leading up to his operation and couldn’t concentrate at work. She needed to take six weeks off without pay to care for her husband, a financial strain she wasn’t sure she could handle. When her co-workers learned of her situation, they pitched in to make her a basket full of puzzles, books, and snacks she could take to the hospital, took up a collection to help her make her house payments, gave her gas cards to use for the drives back and forth from the hospital, and visited her at home just to check in on her.
“It was amazing!” said LeJeune. “I couldn’t have gotten through without their support. They are like family to me.”
These days, it’s rare to find people who consider their workplace “special” and feel close to their co-workers, let alone call them “family.” Denise Rousseau, a professor of organizational behavior at Carnegie Mellon University, traces that fact to a steady deterioration in employer/employee relationships that began in the 1980s, when changes in technology, globalization, and a volatile stock market pushed major manufacturers to lay off large numbers of employees. Other organizations followed suit, and soon managers were hiring and firing their workers at will. “The downsizing surge in the ’80s left employees feeling betrayed,” said Rousseau. “Employees no longer felt they could trust their employer to provide for them, so they had less attachment and loyalty toward their places of work.” Rousseau’s statements are borne out by statistics from a recent Gallup poll, which found that 59 percent of American workers are disengaged from work—putting in their time, but with no energy or passion for it—while another 14 percent are actively disengaged, acting out their unhappiness at work and undermining co-workers.
But a growing number of researchers, mainly at business schools across the country, are working to determine what’s behind anomalies like the Foote billing department, where ennui and malaise are displaced by excitement and compassion. This movement, called Positive Organizational Scholarship, or POS, breaks with traditional business research. Instead of analyzing organizational failures, POS looks for examples of “positive deviance”—cases in which organizations successfully cultivate inspiration and productivity among workers—and then tries to figure out what makes these groups tick, so that others might emulate them. “We’re a combination of positive psychology, sociology, and anthropology,” said Jane Dutton, a professor of psychology and business at the University of Michigan, and a leader in the POS movement. “POS seeks to cultivate hope and a sense of possibility that people don’t always know is there.”

Positive Organizational Scholarsip esearchers (clockwise from top left) Monica Worline, Jane Dutton, Jacoba Lilius, and Jason Kanov. Ameen Howrani

Over the last six years, Dutton and her colleagues have studied an array of organizational settings, including hospitals, universities, and businesses like Newsweek, Reuters, Macy’s, and Cisco Systems, using a combination of surveys, structured interviews, and observation to learn how organizations respond to employees experiencing personal difficulty. Their studies yielded some stories of compassion, where distressed workers received cards, flowers, financial help, emotional support, or time off from work; in other cases, workers complained of receiving little sympathy or help. “We found that employees who’d experienced compassion at work saw themselves, their co-workers, and the organization in a more positive light,” said Dutton. “Statistically, they demonstrated more positive emotions, such as joy and contentment, and more commitment toward the organization.” Interestingly, she added, these results held regardless of whether employees received compassion directly or merely witnessed it.
Dutton sees compassion as a natural response to people witnessing others in pain or distress—something we are hard-wired to do. The problem with bringing compassion into the workplace, she explains, is that people don’t know what’s acceptable to express in that setting. Many workers assume that they are supposed to check their personal problems at the door when they enter the office. “Ever since organizations began moving toward more bureaucracy and measuring success by reliability and efficiency, the relational aspects of work have been de-emphasized,” said Dutton. But when stress at home inevitably spills into the workplace, Dutton added, it can contribute to lost productivity and higher health care costs, and compassion becomes a vital response. “If compassion heals, as our research suggests, then people will be able to get back to work more quickly, to bounce back from life’s setbacks,” she said. “This has to be of interest to employers.”
Thomas Wright, a researcher in the University of Nevada’s managerial sciences department, agrees that managers would do well to pay more attention to the mental health of their employees. In several studies, Wright has found that psychological well-being accounted for 10 to 25 percent of an employee’s job performance, and was predictive of positive employee evaluations up to five years in the future. “Organizations that are able and willing to foster a psychologically well workforce and work environment are at a distinct competitive advantage,” said Wright. “Managers should take note.”
Apparently, some are. At Cisco Systems, a California company that creates technologies for the Internet, whenever an employee suffered a significant loss, such as a death in the family, CEO John Chambers made it a policy to contact that employee within 48 hours to offer his condolences and help. His example gave others within the organization a green light to act compassionately toward their co-workers, and employees consistently rate the company as one of the best places to work in the country. “When an organization’s capacity for compassion comes from the top, it can result in a kind of compassion contagion that sweeps the whole organization,” said Dutton.

In the Michigan hospital department where Sarah Boik (left) and Deb LeJeune work, staff members hang a star with each co-worker's name on it every time someone does something exceptional. Their office has been studied as an example of a compassionate workplace. Roger Varland

Of course, not all organizations have charismatic leaders to serve as compassionate role models, but that’s not necessarily an obstacle to building a compassionate workplace. According to Monica Worline, a professor of organization and management at Emory University and a POS scholar, overt displays of compassion usually come from co-workers, not management. But, through in-depth case studies of several organizations, she has found that organizations that implicitly encourage positive contact among employees, through regular meetings or by providing spaces for employees to gather together informally, tend to have higher levels of compassion. Frequent interaction gives workers more opportunities to notice when someone needs help and to offer it; when workers share news and ideas, it helps foster empathy between them. “An organization which has high quality connections between people will have much more fertile ground for compassion to happen,” said Worline.
Still, many organizations have neither a compassionate manager nor an environment that fosters compassion among colleagues. One financial analyst, who works for a large national bank in the San Francisco Bay Area and asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, spoke in an interview about his office environment, where employees work side-by-side every day but barely acknowledge each other. Having come from a smaller, more familial software company, he was surprised by the lack of camaraderie at the bank. But he soon found himself adjusting to the new environment, keeping his own natural friendliness in check. Then a co-worker on his floor died suddenly over the holidays. “I expected a supervisor or someone to at least explain why he wasn’t there, but nobody talked about it. It was really weird,” he said. “I didn’t learn he’d died until I needed an office space for a new hire, and they suggested I use his.” Given the culture of his office, the incident wasn’t surprising, he said, but it made him question the heart of the organization.
Worline said that such environments take their toll on people working within them. “In extreme cases, employees leave,” she said. “But even those that stay will often quit doing the discretionary things they used to do for the organization, when they thought it cared.”
It isn’t always easy for a boss to accommodate employees, even when one is committed to demonstrating compassion. “All supervisors have to balance the needs of the corporation—which is all about money, earnings per share, and profitability—with the needs of the worker,” said Renee Knee, a senior vice president for SAP, a leading software company. She cited an example of a senior employee who had to leave the country suddenly because of a death in his family, just before the deadline of a multi-million dollar project for which he was responsible. Though Knee gave him the time off, the ill-timed departure created extra stress in an office already under deadline pressure.
Organizations, especially businesses in competitive industries, always walk a fine line when giving employees time off in emergencies. But Worline suggests that the POS message about compassion sometimes gets misconstrued, as managers only focus on the bigger acts of compassion, such as time off and monetary gifts, which may make a big difference to workers but are not always easy to provide. “Just stopping by and listening to an employee in pain can make all the difference,” insists Worline. When giving talks to groups of managers, she tries to convey the importance of just paying attention to employees and noticing when they need help.
Worline, Dutton, and their POS colleagues recognize that problems can arise in practicing compassion at work. They note that compassionate acts must be tailored to the particular needs of each person. If a person suffers a traumatic event and wishes to remain private about it, he or she may not welcome attention or help from others, well-meaning as it might be. Programs like vacation pools, where employees donate small amounts of vacation time for coworkers in need, can create complicated ethical dilemmas: If an employee doesn’t contribute to the vacation pool, should he be allowed to dip into it himself? “Compassion, if applied differently to different employees, may create a perception of inequity,” said Worline. If applied in this spirit, it may even alienate employees, she argues.
Then there are the researchers who take issue with some of the basic objectives of POS. Ben Hunnicutt, a professor of leisure studies at the University of Iowa, argues that efforts to make work life more rewarding and pleasurable distract from what he considers bigger goals for workers, like higher pay and shorter work weeks. Encouraging people to pursue satisfaction through work means that they’ll spend more time there and have less left for family, health, art, religion—the things, he argues, that really give meaning to people’s lives. “Work can never replace these important aspects of life, and we shouldn’t expect it to,” he said. “Instead of trying to make work better, we should all be working less.”
Dutton agrees that working less may help improve people’s lives, but she thinks American society is a long way from moving in that direction. If anything, people are working more than they used to, she said, and economic realities require people to spend more time at work. And she added that her work on compassion is not just relevant to work settings, but to organizational settings in general. The conditions that foster compassion at work apply to other contexts as well. “Whether we’re talking about work, schools, churches, or hospitals, we all spend time in organizations,” said Dutton. “POS is trying to understand how all organizations can be places of healing, where people feel alive and can flourish.”
There are signs that Dutton’s and her colleagues’ ideas are gaining wider recognition, including the publication of POS scholarly work in journals aimed at business managers, and the inclusion of a chapter on compassion in two recent management textbooks. When a POS article appeared in the Harvard Business Review in January of 2005, over 200 individuals from businesses, schools, and hospitals called in to participate in an online conference with the authors, arranged by the magazine. Dutton says none of this would have happened even a few years ago.
“It’s exciting to see how interested people are in our work, how it energizes them,” she said. “They want to move toward more humane interactions at work, more compassionate responding. This is deeply motivating to me and my colleagues.”

Solar Powered Plane in CH

2010-10-24T14:34:00.000+02:00

Renewable energy reaches new heights

On September 21, 2010 Swiss company Solar Impulse flew its first solar powered plane from Payerne to Geneva. André Borschberg, pilot and co-founder of Solar Impulse, notes the significance of this flight, "the Swiss solar flights represent a major step forward for our team, taking us away from our customary airspace. We have learned to work together with international airports, merging in with the heavy Swiss air traffic."
The pioneering flight lasted about four hours and twenty minutes, and the plane’s speed averaged 50 km/h. The solar plane is powered by four electric motors that produce up to 10 hp and 12,000 solar cells, which charge the batteries enough for flights to be taken at nighttime, as well. The time has finally come - we can not only create cars and businesses that let out zero-emissions, but airplanes as well.
This plane is scheduled to fly internationally by 2011 and trans-Atlantic by 2012. The team - comprised of Bertrand Piccard, André Borschberg and Raymond Clerc, among others - is already in the process of creating a faster and more efficient plane, one they hope to fly around the globe by 2013. The company hopes to inspire the next generation of aviators and engineers. Bertrand Piccard believes that "using the solar plane as a symbol, our goal is to promote the pioneering spirit in young people, making them aware of the importance of renewable energy, energy saving and new technologies."
Image courtesy of Solar Impulse.

posted by KimberlyTwardochleb on 9/28/2010 3:21 pm

Le Sol Violette Monnaie solidaire pour Toulouse

2010-10-21T17:33:00.001+02:00

Économie solidaire : Toulouse va avoir sa propre monnaie

économie solidaire

Jean-Paul Pla donnera une conférence sur les monnaies ethiques suivie d'un débat, aujourd'hui au 11 rue des Chamois à 18h30 en présence du maire Pierre Cohen,./ Photo DDM, Frédéric Charmeux

Dans le cadre de la quinzaine de l'économie solidaire, la ville de Toulouse lance une monnaie alternative et solidaire : le « sol violette ». Mise en circulation prévue début 2011.
C'est un vieux projet de Jean-Paul Pla, conseiller municipal délégué à l'économie sociale et solidaire, qui se réalise : le lancement, sous l'égide de la mairie, d'une monnaie alternative dans la Ville rose, le « sol violette ». Jean-Paul Pla veut ainsi « permettre une évolution du mode de consommation des Toulousains, dans une démarche équitable et éthiquable ». Entretien.
Qu'est ce que le sol violette et pourquoi ce nom ?
Le sol est une monnaie éthique qui véhicule des valeurs de respect de l'environnement et de l'homme. Le sol est à lier à la notion de solidarité et violette est là pour rappeler sa spécificité toulousaine. Toulouse est la capitale de la violette !
Comment ça marche ?
Par le biais d'une carte type Monéo qu'on peut recharger avec des euros puis convertir en équivalent sol. Le crédit coopératif et le crédit municipal sont nos partenaires dans cet échange. Chacun pourra aller changer ses euros dans une des banques partenaires et obtenir des sols valables dans l'ensemble des enseignes du système sol. C'est une monnaie non capitalisable et qui n'aura pas de pièces ni de billets. En achetant en sols dans les entreprises partenaires, le pouvoir d'achat sera plus important. Par exemple, pour une baguette de pain à 0.80€ chez un commerçant du système-sol. Cette baguette aurait un prix de 6 sols soit 0.60€ pour un « soliste » (qui paye en sols). Le but est de pousser à consommer différemment.
Quel est le rôle des entreprises partenaires ?
Leur rôle est de s'inclure dans la démarche solidaire. Ensuite il nous faut trouver des partenaires utiles aux entreprises participantes pour qu'un maximum d'échanges se fasse entre les différents acteurs du système sol, en interne. Pour les taxes, rien ne changera, si le chiffre d'affaire d'une entreprise est de 1 000 € et 500 sols alors elle sera taxée à 1050€. La base d'un euro pour 10 sols restera fixe et imposable.
Quelle est votre volonté ?
Je veux montrer qu'on est capable d'innover et d'amener les gens à valoriser les acteurs solidaires de Toulouse. L'idée est de permettre aux plus précaires d'avoir un pouvoir d'achat plus important. Nous voulons que tout le monde puisse avoir accès à la culture, à une alimentation locale et saine, aux transports en commun. Ceux qui échangent leurs euros en sols obtiendront un prix avantageux dans les commerces du réseau sol et accéderont à des produits qu'ils ne pourraient s'offrir en euros.
Renseignements au 05 61 73 04 86 ou sur www.adepes.org

When Used Oil from Catering Becomes Biofuel rather than Waste

2010-10-20T07:54:00.000+02:00

In general, used oil is recycled only three in every 10 times.

Ecoseed has a promising report today of how to turn university

or large catering areas waste cooking oils into biofuels

Basque university harness biodiesel from throwaway oil

By Katrice R. Jalbuena

Chemists from the Leioa campus of the University of the Basque Country in northern Spain has successfully demonstrated that biodiesel from cafeteria waste oil is sufficient to meet the fuel needs of the campus.
The new initiative will allow the campus to decrease its use of fossil fuels, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint.
“From the perspective of gases emitted due to the greenhouse effect, these – the biodiesel fuels – are much more profitable than the others and are much cleaner,” said Fernando Mijangos, the leader of the research project.
The two-year project is financed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Catedra for the university’s sustainable development and environmental education program.

The conversion of waste oil into biodiesel requires a transesterification reaction, or the process of exchanging an organic group of an ester with an organic group of an alcohol. These reactions are catalyzed through the addition of an acid or base catalyst.
The researchers looked into various techniques to discover the cheapest, most rapid and most appropriate method to enable this reaction. They were able to convert the waste oil into biodiesel in not more than an hour. They further discovered that the product created is sufficient to power lawn mowers, heating and the university’s vehicles.
"Instead of dumping the waste down the sink, we offer a cleaner solution. This is its greatest advantage,” said Mr. Mijangos.
The research project will focus on two more aspects in the coming months – optimization of the product obtained and increasing social awareness. In general, used oil is recycled only three in every 10 times. The public’s willingness to recycle used oil is essential to gather enough waste material to produce significant amounts of biodiesel.
“While students are more aware, they are still slow in changing,” noted Eneritz Anakabe, a lecturer in the university. “It is easier to throw away the oil directly down the sink.”
She adds that implementing similar projects in a larger scale requires the support of both the government and the public

The Yes Men take on Chevron Fools Media & Watchdogs

2010-10-19T15:58:00.000+02:00

You might be surprised to see how many things we can agree on.

Find More Ways to Make a Difference

Oil Companies Should Clean Up Their Messes

For decades, oil companies like ours have worked in disadvantaged areas, influencing policy in order to do there what we can't do at home. It's time this changed. People in Ecuador, Nigeria, the Gulf of Mexico, Richmond, and elsewhere have a right to a clean and healthy environment too.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2010
Massive Chevron Ad Campaign Derailed, Media Slapstick Follows
News outlets, citizens duped by web of deceit - but whose?
A day-long comedy of errors began Monday morning when the Yes Men, supported by Rainforest Action Network and Amazon Watch, pre-empted Chevron's enormous new “We Agree” ad campaign with a satirical version of their own. The activists' version highlights Chevron's environmental and social abuses - the same abuses they say Chevron is attempting to “greenwash.”
“Chevron's super-expensive fake street art is a cynical attempt to gloss over the human rights abuses and environmental degradation that is the legacy of Chevron's operations in Ecuador, Nigeria, Burma and throughout the world,” said Ginger Cassady, a campaigner at Rainforest Action Network. “They must think we're stupid.”
“They say we're 'interrupting the dialogue,'” said Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men, referring to Chevron's terse condemnation. “What dialogue? Chevron's ad campaign is an insulting, confusing monologue - with many tens of millions of dollars behind it.”
The activists' pre-emptive campaign began early Monday with a press release from a spoof Chevron domain, which launched the fake “We Agree” campaign hours before the real Chevron could launch its ads. The fake “We Agree” site featured four “improved” advertisements, complete with downloadable PDF files to be used in on-the-street postering.
Nine hours later, after producing its own “We Agree” press release, the real Chevron decried the hoax in a predictably curt and humorless manner. Mere moments later, the counter-campaign issued a much better denial on Chevron's behalf, laying out Chevron's principal arguments in its Ecuador case. “We have binding agreements with the Ecuadorian Government exempting us from any liabilities whatsoever, granted in exchange for a $40 million cleanup of some wells by Texaco in the 1990s,” the spoof press release crowed, absurdly yet accurately.
Throughout the day, a sort of slow vaudeville unfolded on the web, as a number of outlets, from industry mouthpieces to the AFP and even a watchdog group, produced accidental mash-ups of “real” and fake information.
First, Fast Company fell for the hoax (archived article here), then related their duping with humor. An outlet called “Environmental Leader,” quoted indiscriminately from both real and fake press releases, before quietly removing the fake parts a few hours later (original article archived here).
Shortly after that, Energy Digital, an online source providing “news and information for Energy Executives” (capitalization theirs), quoted extensively (archive here) from the fake release to describe Chevron's campaign, then mentioned that the campaign had “already been spoofed.” They didn't realize they'd just fallen for that very same spoof.
Even the AFP found itself duped (original article archived here), and described with glee the hoax “that appeared to have fooled some news outlets,” before going on to quote “the real firm” at length. (The “real firm” wasn't.)
Nor were industry watchdog groups immune. “Oil Watchdog” dissected the hoax minutely and accurately, before citing Advertising Age as one of the outlets duped. That whole article, however, was a fake.
“If you really want to snooker the media, it's pretty hard for them to resist,” said Mike Bonanno of the Yes Men. “We cobbled together some fake releases with string and thumbtacks and chewing gum, and we fooled the most respectable outlets.”
“Chevron is doing what we did, a million times over, with a ginormous budget - and it never reveals its subterfuge,” said Bichlbaum. “No wonder the media's full of lies.”
“Yesterday's spoof was a comedy of errors, but what's happening in Ecuador is no joke,” said Mitch Anderson, a campaigner at Amazon Watch. “While Chevron spends tens of millions every year to greenwash their image and fool the media, Ecuadorians continue to die from their toxic legacy."
Yesterday's hoax is just the beginning for the activists. “Stay tuned,” said RAN's Cassady. “There's a lot more to come in the days ahead. We're going to keep Chevron scrambling.”
Contacts:
Ginger Cassady, Rainforest Action Network, ginger@ran.org, (415) 640-7155
Han Shan, Amazon Watch, han@amazonwatch.org, (917) 418-4133
Andy Bichlbaum, The Yes Men, press@theyesmen.org
###
The Yes Men work to expose corporate crimes, mainly through humor.
RAN's Change Chevron campaign is uniting communities, investors, religious leaders, celebrities, students, policy makers and Chevron employees to transform the oil giant. For more information about the campaign, visit www.ChangeChevron.org.
Since 2002, Amazon Watch's Clean Up Ecuador Campaign has supported the demands of indigenous and farming communities affected by the operations of Texaco (now Chevron) in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Learn more at chevrontoxico.com

Suite du mouvement AVAAZ contre les lobbies OGM ....

2010-10-18T19:20:00.000+02:00

Il y a quelques semaines, Avaaz avait sollicite la collaboration des citoyens europeens pour enrayer les efforts des puissants lobbies OGM en Europe.
Dans la boite mail aujourd'hui, la confirmation que cette pétition a été la première instance ou le million nécessaire pour faire changer une loi européenne a été atteint et a gagner ; ceci et d'autres nouvelles qui font penser que la puissance du Web n'est pas encore découverte..

Voici donc la copie de cette mail , mais il serait bien mieux d'aller consulter le site pour toutes leur dernières informations.

Chers membres du mouvement Avaaz,

Avaaz explose, le nombre de membres augmente comme jamais auparavant et nous remportons des victoires incroyables aux quatre coins du monde. Du Canada au Brésil, en passant par l'Italie et l'Afrique du Sud, notre mouvement ne se contente pas de s'exprimer, nous gagnons, encore et encore. Cliquez ci-dessous pour en savoir plus et participer à une conversation mondiale en direct -- fêtons ce moment et imaginons ensemble la suite:

Quelque chose d'important est en train de se passer. Non seulement notre mouvement s'accroît de 100 000 personnes supplémentaires chaque semaine, a mené plus de 25 millions d'actions individuelles en ligne, et crée la sensation comme aucun autre réseau auparavant. Non seulement l'envie et l'enthousiasme que l'on voit s'exprimer pour Avaaz atteignent des sommets.

Mais nous remportons aussi des victoires. Encore et encore.

Nous choisissons souvent des batailles impossibles, avec très peu de temps pour l'emporter. Mais c'est une vague d'engagement immédiat et irrésistible d'un nombre massif de citoyens qui, un problème après l'autre, permet de pencher du côté de la victoire plutôt que de l'échec. Des médias comme the Economist, Le Monde ou Al Jazeera soulignent nos "succès spectaculaires" ouvrant la voie à une "révolution politique". Voici quelques exemples tirés de ces toutes dernières semaines:

Canada (420 000 membres d'Avaaz), nous venons de nous attaquer à une alliance entre un empire des médias et le Premier Ministre qui remettait en cause l'indépendance des médias du pays en leur faveur, et nous avons gagné.
Brésil (730 000 membres), nous avons appuyé sur un internet un mouvement de la société civile et fait adopté par le congrés une loi anti-corruption qui exclut un grand nombre de politiciens corrompus des postes d'élus - ce qui a été largement salué comme une révolution politique.
Italie (240 000 membres), nous avons rallié les opposants à la loi du Premier Ministre visant à baîllonner les enquêteurs italiens s'intéressant aux cas de corruption - les commentateurs ont salué cette victoire comme la première mobilisation en ligne de l'histoire italienne ayant permis de modifier l'agenda parlementaire.
Argentine (60 000 membres), nous nous sommes mobilisés pour protéger les glaciers d'une destruction annoncée par les entreprises minières, et nous avons gagné.
Afrique du Sud (70 000 membres), nous avons lancé un appel public massif contre la mise en place de nouveaux pouvoirs de censure de la presse, ce qui a forcé le gouvernement à amender le projet de régulation des médias présenté au Parlement.
Allemagne (480 000 membres), des milliers d'appels téléphoniques de nos membres à la dernière minute ont contribué à empêcher le gouvernement de réduire drastiquement son budget d'aide aux pays en développement.

Découvrez plus d'informations sur ces campagnes en bas de ce message, ou cliquez ci-dessous pour en savoir plus, accéder à des articles de presse, et pour laisser un commentaire sur notre outil de conversation mondiale en direct:

https://secure.avaaz.org/fr/global_victory_report/?vl

Il s'agissait seulement de nos récentes victoires. Ces dernières semaines, Avaaz a aussi répondu en quelques jours aux tragiques inondations au Pakistan en collectant plus de 1,1 million de dollars remis directement à des associations locales pour fournir des biscuits nutritionnels et du lait à 30 000 enfants pendant 2 mois et pour appuyer la fourniture d'eau potable à plus de 3000 familles. En Europe, les membres d'Avaaz sont entrés dans l'histoire en construisant la première Initiative Citoyenne Européenne forte d'un million de signatures (un mécanisme démocratique inclus dans le nouveau Traité européen) visant à instaurer un moratoire sur les OGM, tant que la recherche sur la santé et la sécurité ne sera pas améliorée.

Tout ceci s'est fait ces dernières semaines, et s'est produit à la suite d'autres victoires importantes en 2010, comme le maintien des moratoires sur la chasse commerciale à la baleine et sur le commerce de l'ivoire, l'établissement de la plus grande réserve océanique du monde, et bien plus encore. Tout ceci montre que lorsque les citoyens se rassemblent et participent à des actions judicieuses et stratégiques, la démocratie fonctionne!

Fini le temps où nous nous contentions de voter au moment des élections puis de lire les journaux passivement pour prendre connaissance des résultats portant sur les quelques années suivantes. Nous entrons dans une nouvelle phase de la démocratie nationale et mondiale, dans laquelle les citoyens ont un pouvoir et sont constamment engagés pour influencer l'agenda public et mettre les gouvernements face à leurs responsabilités. C'est une période pleine de promesses face à tous les enjeux qui nous attendent.

C'est aussi une responsabilité. Il n'y a jamais eu de mouvement équivalent au nôtre -- nous sommes presque 6 millions de citoyens venus des quatre coins du monde, capables de nous mobiliser en quelques instants. Si nous continuons à agir ensemble, à faire passer le message et à participer à plus en plus d'actions, tout est possible. De la corruption à l'environnement, à la pauvreté et aux autres enjeux, ce qui arrivera demain dépend de nous tous.

Avec admiration pour l'engagement citoyen de chacun et avec espoir pour l'avenir,

Ricken, Ben, Alice, Luis, Emma, Stephanie, Alex, Milena, Heather, Iain, Graziela, Paula, David, Ben, Pascal, Benjamin, Brianna, Veronique, Giulia, Parvinder, MariaPaz, Saravanan, Kien, Yura, Vladimir, Alma et le reste de notre équipe en pleine essor :)

Faites dérouler pour plus d'informations sur chacune de nos récentes victoires, ainsi que d'autres comptes rendus. Pour accéder à un très bon article sur Avaaz dans le magazine The Economist, cliquez ici:

https://secure.avaaz.org/fr/global_victory_report/?vl

Une victoire en profondeur: Un "média de connivence" stoppé au Canada

Les membres d'Avaaz au Canada ont protégé avec succès la démocratie ce mois-ci en rejetant une tentative de soutien financier à une nouvelle chaîne d'informations partiale et liée directement à l'équipe du Premier Ministre. 83 000 personnes ont signé une pétition contre les faveurs spéciales que le gouvernement aurait accordé à Sun TV - une chaîne de télévision de propagande mise en place par l'ancien conseiller en communication du Premier Ministre Harper, Kory Teneycke. Le projet avait été concocté après un déjeuner secret entre Harper, Teneycke et le tristement célèbre Rupert Murdoch, qui exploite sans scrupules son vaste empire médiatique pour manipuler les dirigeants politiques de plusieurs grands pays. Murdoch a lancé le mouvement de la droite radicale aux Etats-Unis, baptisé Tea Party, après avoir été dédaigné par le Président Barack Obama. Il emploie 5 des principaux candidats républicains aux élections présidentielles des Etats-Unis, et aucun gouvernement britannique n'a gagné les élections sans son soutien au cours des 30 dernières années. Les Canadiens ont montré leur détermination à stopper l'avancée d'un "média de connivence" inspiré de l'empire Murdoch et menaçant la démocratie.

Après la mobilisation d'Avaaz contre SunTV, cet empire médiatique a mis en oeuvre toutes les tactiques des grandes entreprises pour nous attaquer - articles diffamatoires dans une douzaine de leurs titres de presse, menaces de procès si nous maintenions la campagne, et même une implication dans le sabotage frauduleux de notre pétition. Les membres d'Avaaz n'ont pas été effrayés et ont répondu à l'attaque avec une pétition de 83 000 signatures, 21 000 messages personnels à la commission gouvernementale en charge des médias, et plus de 400 000 dollars collectés pour répondre à toute menace de procès, continuer la lutte dans les médias et poursuivre une enquête judiciaire sur le sabotage. Les dons permettent également à Avaaz de recruter les meilleurs avocats et experts canadiens pour nous aider à remettre en question la demande de SunTV auprès du gouvernement.

Le résultat fut une victoire à tous les niveaux! Kory Teneycke a été contraint de démissionner, en avouant avoir "enflammé le débat", et SunTV a abandonné sa tentative d'obtenir les faveurs du gouvernement pour financer son lancement. Murray Dobbin, un célèbre journaliste, a écrit: "c'est une immense victoire pour chaque Canadien qui a pris le temps d'écrire, d'envoyer un email, de téléphoner ou de protester contre ce plan grotesque visant à déplacer la culture politique canadienne vers la droite extrême. Et c'est une victoire pour le mouvement social en ligne Avaaz en particulier, qui a balayé Teneycke et ses tactiques d'intimidation."

Ficha Limpa: victoire contre la corruption au Brésil

Une campagne en ligne massive de la communauté Avaaz au Brésil a abouti à une grande victoire contre la corruption. La loi "fiche propre" était dès le départ un projet ambitieux visant à rendre inéligible tout responsable politique condamné pour des délits comme la corruption ou le blanchiment d'argent. Avec près de 25% des membres du Congrès faisant actuellement l'objet d'enquêtes pour corruption, la plupart des commentateurs estimaient que le texte ne serait jamais adopté. Mais grâce à la plus grande campagne sur internet de l'histoire du Brésil lancée par Avaaz et ayant permis de réunir plus de 2 millions de signatures, de lancer plus de 500000 actions en ligne et des dizaines de milliers d'appels téléphoniques, nous avons gagné! Et les médias ont qualifié Ficha Limpa de "révolution politique".

Grâce aux membres d'Avaaz et à la prise de conscience suscitée par la campagne, la victoire dure encore: alors que des politiciens corrompus tentaient d'abroger la loi, nous avons suivi leurs moindres faits et gestes et déjoué leurs plans.

Bavaglio: empêcher la "loi bâillon" en Italie

C'est une victoire historique du pouvoir citoyen en Italie qu'ont obtenu 340 000 Italiens mobilisés contre la "Loi Bavaglio" ou "loi bâillon" -- qui aurait eu un impact dramatique sur le pouvoir de la justice en Italie face au crime et à la corruption, et qui aurait imposé des peines importantes aux journalistes tentant de mettre les politiciens face à leurs responsabilités.

C'est la première fois dans l'histoire italienne que la mobilisation publique a permis de renverser l'agenda parlementaire. Le Professeur Stefano Rodotà, juriste et éditorialiste à la Repubblica, a déclaré: "C'est un canal qui s'est ouvert entre la politique et les citoyens, une distance qui semblait jusqu'ici infranchissable a été franchie".

Argentine: les glaciers protégés

Depuis des années les compagnies minières ont détruit les glaciers en Argentine, qui fournissent 70% des ressources en eau du pays. Une loi visant à les protéger a été proposée, mais personne ne pensait qu'elle pourrait passer compte tenu du pouvoir immense de ces entreprises. C'était sans compter sur les membres d'Avaaz en Argentine et nos partenaires qui se sont mobilisés jusqu'à inverser la tendance.

La semaine dernière, le Sénat argentin a adopté la loi protégeant les glaciers de l'industrie extractive, suite à une vague de 8000 messages envoyés par les membres d'Avaaz aux Sénateurs clés avant le vote, et après avoir ajouté leurs noms à une pétition soutenant la protection des glaciers, et qui a dépassé les 11000 signatures en quelques jours.

Afrique du Sud: préserver l'indépendance des médias

Plus de 30 000 membres d'Avaaz en Afrique du Sud ont signé une pétition pour la protection de la liberté de la presse face à une large interférence du gouvernement. Une proposition de loi qui aurait donné à certains membres du gouvernement un pouvoir sur le contenu des médias dans tout le pays, a été amendée et les clauses les plus choquantes retirées, en réaction à une vague d'opposition populaire. Le mouvement pour la protection de l'indépendance des médias en Afrique du Sud est en marche et la campagne d'Avaaz joue un rôle central dans ce combat.

Union Européenne: 1 million de citoyens opposés aux OGM

Avaaz a construit une pétition européenne sans précédent forte d'un million de signatures pour obtenir un moratoire sur les organismes génétiquement modifiés, tant que la recherche et l'évaluation ne seront pas améliorées. Cette pétition est la première Initiative Citoyenne Européenne -- qui permet à un million de citoyens européens de déposer officiellement à la Commission Européenne des propositions de loi.

La pétition avait été lancée en réaction à la récente décision de la Commission d'autoriser des cultures OGM pour la première fois depuis 12 ans. La décision est apparue comme une faveur au lobby OGM et un affront à la plupart des citoyens européens, dont 60% estiment qu'une recherche améliorée est requise avant d'autoriser la culture d'organismes qui posent une menace pour notré santé et l'environnement.

Allemagne: garantir un fonds d'aide crucial

Début octobre, les observateurs ont tiré la sonnette d'alarme sur le fait que l'Allemagne prévoyait de réduire des deux tiers sa contribution au Fonds Mondial contre le SIDA, la tuberculose et le paludisme. Mais une campagne d'appels téléphoniques arrivant à point nommé et conduite par les membres d'Avaaz en Allemagne a permis de faire reculer le gouvernement allemand, qui a annoncé au dernier moment son intention de contribuer à la hauteur de 600 millions de dollars sur trois ans, soit le fonds prévu initialement.

Pakistan: un soutien apporté à ceux qui en avaient le plus besoin

Alors qu'une catastrophe humanitaire aux proportions effrayantes s'abattait sur le Pakistan, où un cinquième du pays s'est retrouvé sous les eaux et avec des millions de personnes sans abri attendant désespérément de l'aide, les membres d'Avaaz ont réagi immédiatement et avec générosité.

Nous avons donné 1,1 millions de dollars au moment le plus crucial juste après la catastrophe -- apportant l'aide la plus nécessaire aux associations sur place. En partenariat avec les plus grandes organisations humanitaires (Oxfam, Plan, ActionAid) qui nous ont aidé à identifier les associations locales les plus efficaces, nous avons contribué à l'acheminement de nourriture, médicaments et abris à 20 000 familles.

--Soutenez le réseau Avaaz! Nous sommes entièrement financés par vos dons et nous ne recevons aucune subvention de la part de gouvernements ou d'entreprises. Notre équipe fait en sorte que le plus petit don soit le plus efficace possible. Donnez ici.

La Couverture Sociale en France est-elle en voie de Disparition?

2010-10-17T10:24:00.000+02:00

Il le semble si l'on se réfère a cet article issu de médecins du monde .
Pour ceux qui on lu le Blog précédemment, nous en revenons a la stigmatisation de plus en plus marquée de la pauvreté qui touche de plus en plus de gens dans notre pays.

«Criminalisation de la pauvreté» dans l'accès aux soins.

ACCÈS aux SOINS : Médecins du Monde dénonce une «criminalisation de la pauvreté»

Triple peine pour les populations les plus démunies : exclues, premières victimes de la crise et désormais cibles désignées des politiques sécuritaires. C'est le dernier diagnostic de Médecins du Monde (MdM), sur l’accès aux soins des plus démunis en France, publié le 11 octobre, qui met l’accent sur les conséquences de la crise économique et des politiques de sécurité et d’immigration menées par le gouvernement qui viennent aggraver une situation sanitaire déjà très difficile. Un chiffre ressort : 17 % d’augmentation des patients vus en consultation médicale dans les centres de MdM entre 2007 et 2009.

84 % des personnes reçues par MdM n’ont aucune couverture maladie et les plus pauvres sont donc évidemment toujours ceux qui ont le moins accès aux soins. Plus grave, les personnes reçues ont recours aux soins avec retard et quand ils se retrouvent en situation d’urgence sanitaire : le retard aux soins a doublé entre 2007 et 2009, le nombre des personnes mineures, sans couverture maladie, qui consultent, augmente très rapidement.

Un recours aux soins de dernière limite: 22% de patients venus consulter accusaient selon l’avis des médecins un retard de recours aux soins (vs 17 % en 2008 et 11 % en 2007). Parmi les étrangers, 26% des patients sans titre de séjour sont exposés au retard de recours aux soins. 10% des patients dépourvus de couverture maladie nécessitaient une ouverture immédiate des droits en raison de leur état de santé.

Les mineurs, aujourd’hui premières victimes : Les enfants pris en charge par MdM vivent dans des conditions particulièrement précaires, n’ont pas accès à la vaccination ni même à une simple couverture maladie : En 2009, près de 12 % des patients de MdM sont mineurs, et l’effectif des mineurs a augmenté de 30% par rapport à 2008. 91 % des mineurs sont étrangers, le plus souvent originaires d’Europe (UE et hors UE) et 27% sont Roumains…. Près de 96% des patients mineurs devraient relever en théorie du dispositif de couverture maladie, AME, actuellement « sous surveillance ».

Toujours et encore plus d’obstacles à l’accès aux soins : 81% des personnes qui ont droit à une couverture maladie n’en ont aucune lors de leur première visite, en raison, dans la majorité des cas, d’une absence de domiciliation ou encore de la méconnaissance des droits. Et toujours le refus de soins, rapporté par les équipes de MdM (refus directs, exigence de l’avance de frais, dépassements d’honoraires…).

Des réponses d’urgence sanitaire, parfois mises à mal par les pouvoirs publics : Médecins du Monde dénonce aujourd’hui les expulsions répétées, la restriction des droits, le démantèlement des lieux de vie, qui conduisent les personnes qui craignent d’être arrêtées, à renoncer aux soins: les campagnes de vaccination sont interrompues, le suivi des grossesses est mis en place avec retard, le traitement des maladies chroniques n’est pas assuré. Face à ces situations, que MdM interprète comme nouvelles et récentes, l’organisation a mis en place des réponses habituellement utilisées à l’international en situation d’urgence humanitaire (camp en urgence dans la nuit pour des familles rroms sans-abri, à Calais, distribution de matériel de survie aux migrants, à Dunkerque, accès à l’eau potable et à l’hygiène... Et parfois, ces réponses d’urgence sont mises à mal par les pouvoirs publics, précise MdM.

Une politique de « criminalisation de la pauvreté », dénoncée par l’organisation.

Source : Dossier Médecins du Monde: http://www.medecinsdumonde.org/fr

Les infos interessantes et utiles de la semaine en France

2010-10-17T10:03:00.001+02:00

L'ecoscope.fr

Un site de vieille atypique a essayer gratuitement

Communiqué :

L’ECOSCOPE est un site internet de synthèse des informations économiques et sociales, nationales ou sectorielles, classées et actualisées chaque jour, fonctionnant par abonnement.

Afin d’en permettre la découverte dans les conditions habituelles d’utilisation, L'ECOSCOPE met en place une opération Site ouvert :

du dimanche 17 octobre minuit au dimanche 24 octobre minuit, toutes les informations du site publiées depuis sa création sont accessibles à tous sur l’ensemble du territoire. Le site sera entièrement ouvert, les informations totalement accessibles.

A cette occasion, et jusqu'au 31/10/2010, bénéficiez d'une réduction exeptionnelle de 10 % sur les tarifs de base ! (Consultez la rubrique "Tarifs")

Dans la période qui s'ouvre, avec l'examen de pas moins de 24 projets de loi, les réformes des collectivités locales, une rentrée économique et sociale annoncée comme difficile, une crise économique sous-jacente…, la connaissance de l’actualité économique et sociale, au jour le jour, s'avère indispensable. A cet égard, L'ECOSCOPE représente l'outil idéal de suivi.

Ce site a été créé par un économiste sénior qui a eu l’occasion de mettre en place et de développer des outils d’observation et de veille économique. Il a décidé de consacrer l’expérience acquise dans ce domaine, et ses compétences, à l’élaboration d’un outil de recueil, tri et diffusion d’informations exhaustives de la sphère économique et sociale, destiné aux acteurs professionnels du secteur.

DECOUVREZ ce nouveau site, unique en France ! http://www.lecoscope.fr

Emission de radio sur la médecine intégrative

Jean-PaulPIGET

Bonjour

j'anime avec Béatrice (sophrologue) une émission de radio sur la médecine intégrative.
"Vivons santé" sur radio Chalette une des dernière radio libre de France. Tous les dimanche matin vous pouvez nous écouter vers 8h40 ou nous retrouvez en podcast: http://www.radio-chalette.com/-Vivons-Sante-.html
L'émission dure 15 minutes.

L'antenne est ouverte à chacun (utilisateurs et thérapeutes), vous pouvez donc me contacter si vous souhaitez intervenir sur un sujet, votre pratique, votre expérience personnelle, nous signaler un évènement etc..

Cette émission peut ainsi être un relais de ce hub si riche.

Cordialement
Jean-Paul

Reprendre un entreprise en Scoop ? Quand le cinéma s'intéresse aux scoop

Mercredi sort sur les écrans le film "Entre nos mains", de la réalisatrice Mariana Otero. Il relate l’histoire d’un projet de reprise d’entreprise par les salariés en Scop. L’occasion de revenir sur le développement de cette forme d’entreprise coopérative.

Confrontés à la faillite de leur entreprise de lingerie "Starissima", des salariés, en majorité des femmes, tentent de la reprendre sous forme de Société Coopérative et Participative (Scop). Mais à Starissima, au fur et à mesure que leur projet prend forme, les salariés se heurtent à leur patron et à la réalité du marché et de ses contraintes économiques.

La suite : http://bit.ly/9quxlV

En réalisant Entre nos mains, Mariana Otero lève un coin de voile sur le statut de SCOP (Société Coopérative et Participative). Un statut méconnu, que Philippe Frémeaux, économiste, journaliste et PDG de la coopérative Alternatives économiques maîtrise parfaitement et décrypte avec la réalisatrice.

Mariana Otero : Aujourd’hui, quelle est votre vision des coopératives ?

Philippe Frémeaux : Ce que montre bien le film, c’est le processus par lequel les gens s’impliquent progressivement, et le collectif qui en découle. Les gens se mettent à parler de choses dont ils ne se parlaient pas forcément avant. Ils ont une approche simple qui est d’abord de protéger leur travail, et c’est légitime. C’est bien que ce soit montré comme tel et pas comme une révolution. Le discours est plutôt « Notre boîte risque de disparaître ; essayons de nous prendre en charge collectivement pour tenter de la faire vivre ». Dans la théorie, l’idée que les gens s’associent, travaillent ensemble, voient le résultat de ce qu’ils font, est de nature à redonner du sens au travail. Si la boîte est bien gérée, c’est un statut mobilisateur, et généralement, les salariés aiment bien leur boulot. Maintenant, il y a des tas de conditions à réunir.

Maintenant allons voir le film...

Environmental Planning in Portugal

2010-10-16T14:46:00.001+02:00

Portugal Plans the First "City with a Brain"

What do you get when you design a city from the ground up so that all of its systems—water, energy, waste, and climate control—gather and share information? The first "city with a brain".

On the outskirts of Paredes, in northern Portugal, a start-up called LivingPlanIT, which has its roots in the tech industry, is working on a 150,000-person city that would use information technology in unprecedented new ways.

Every building in the city will have sensors that monitor occupancy, temperature, and energy use. That information, along with streams of data from solar and wind power generators and other city systems, will be fed into a central "nervous system" that can change how buildings are heated or powered based on real-time information.

LivingPlanIT is aiming for an ambitious completion date: 2015. But it has the support of the local government, which will help considerably. The Harvard Business Review also applauds the LivingPlanIT model (the companies supplying the technology for the city will be its first occupants). Our only reservation? The city's name: PlanIT Valley.

A Truly enlightening post from the BBC !

2010-10-12T17:38:00.000+02:00

Nature's sting: The real cost of damaging Planet Earth

By Richard Anderson Business reporter, BBC News

The global cost of replacing insect pollination is around $190bn every year

You don't have to be an environmentalist to care about protecting the Earth's wildlife.

Just ask a Chinese fruit farmer who now has to pay people to pollinate apple trees because there are no longer enough bees to do the job.
And it's not just the number of bees that are dwindling rapidly. As a direct result of human activity, species are becoming extinct at a rate 1,000 times greater than the natural average.
The Earth's natural environment is also suffering.
In the past few decades alone, 20% of the Earth's coral reefs have been destroyed, with a further 20% badly degraded or under serious threat of collapse, while tropical forests equivalent in size to the UK are cut down every two years.
These statistics, and the many more just like them, impact on everyone, for the very simple reason that, in the end, we will all end up footing the bill.
Costing nature For the first time in history, we can now begin to quantify just how expensive degradation of nature really is.

Drivers of biodiversity loss

Land use change - for example cutting down forests that provide essential water regulation, flood protection and carbon storage, to make way for agriculture
Over exploitation - for example over-fishing or intensive farming that leads to soil degradation
Invasive species - for example the introduction of non-indigenous species that crowd out endemic insect populations
Climate change - for example rising temperatures that cause more extreme weather conditions.

A recent, two-year study for the United Nations Environment Programme, entitled The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Teeb), put the damage done to the natural world by human activity in 2008 at between $2tn (£1.3tn) and $4.5tn.

At the lower estimate, that is roughly equivalent to the entire annual economic output of the UK or Italy.
A second study, for the UN's Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), puts the cost considerably higher. Taking what research lead Dr Richard Mattison calls a more "hard-nosed, economic approach", corporate environmental research group Trucost estimates the figure at $6.6tn, or 11% of global economic output.
This, says Trucost, compares with a $5.4tn fall in the value of pension funds in developed countries caused by the global financial crisis in 2007 and 2008.
Of course these figures are just estimates - there is no exact science to measuring humans' impact on the natural world - but they show that the risks to the global economy of large-scale environmental destruction are huge.
Natural services The reason the world is waking up to the real cost of the degradation of the Earth's wildlife and resources - commonly referred to as biodiversity loss - is because, until now, no one has had to pay for it.

“Start Quote

It's pretty terrifying. Nobody in business thinks that at some point this is not going to hurt us”

End Quote Gavin Neath Unilever

Businesses and individuals have largely operated on the basis that the natural resources and services that the planet provides are infinite.

But of course they are not. And only when the value of protecting them, and in some cases replacing them, is calculated, does their vital role in the global economy become clear.
Some are obvious, for example the clean and accessible water that is needed to grow crops to eat, and the fish that provide one-sixth of the protein consumed by the human population.
But others are less so, for example the mangrove swamps and coral reefs that provide natural barriers against storms that devastate coastal regions; the vast array of plant species that provide pharmaceutical companies with endless genetic resources used for live-saving drugs; and the insects that provide essential pollination for growing around 70% of the world's most productive crops.
Bee collapse It is a hugely complex process, but an economic value can be placed on these resources and services.
In the US in 2007, for example, the cost to farmers of a collapse in the number of bees was $15bn, according to the US Department of Agriculture, contributing to a global cost of pollination services of $190bn, according to Teeb.

Deforestation increases the risk of flooding in surrounding areas

As Paven Sukhdev, a career banker and team leader of Teeb, says: "Bees don't send invoices".
Research by consultancy group PricewaterhouseCoopers also suggests the economic losses caused by the introduction of non-indigenous, agricultural pests in Australia, Brazil, India, South Africa, the US and the UK are more than $100bn a year.
In 1998, flash flooding in the Yangtze River in China killed more than 4,000 people, displaced millions more and caused damage estimated at $30bn. The Chinese government established that extensive logging in the region over the previous 50 years had removed the trees that provided essential protection from floods. It promptly banned logging.
Indeed the Centre for International Forestry Research has estimated that, in the 50 years prior to the ban, deforestation cost the Chinese economy around $12bn a year.
Business costs The impact of biodiversity loss is felt hardest by the world's poor. The livelihood and employment of hundreds of millions of people depend upon the world's natural resources, whether it be fish to eat or sell, fertile soil for farming or trees for fuel, construction and flood control, to name just three.

As Mr Sukhdev explains: "Biodiversity is valuable for everyone, but it is an absolute necessity for the poor".
For example, Teeb has calculated that the Earth's natural resources and the services they provide contribute 75% of the total economic output of Indonesia, and almost half of India's output.
But it's not only the poor who suffer.
Businesses will increasingly be hit as they start paying for their part in biodiversity loss.
Not only will they have to pay to protect or replace services that nature has historically provided for free, but they will be forced to pay by regulatory instruments such as pollution taxes, like carbon credits and the landfill tax that already exist, and higher insurance premiums.

Increased flooding is partly due to land conversion by humans

Then there is the cost of paying for the increased number of natural disasters, resulting in part from more extreme weather conditions caused by rising temperatures due to greenhouse gases, and even reputational damage among consumers that are becoming increasingly sensitive to environmental issues.
Trucost and PRI have estimated the cost of environmental damage caused by the world's largest 3,000 companies in 2008 at $2.15tn.
That equates to around one-third of their combined profits.
Again, these figures are only estimates, but the scale of the costs that will have to be paid by companies for their damage to the environment cannot be ignored.
As Gavin Neath, senior vice president of sustainability at consumer goods giant Unilever, says: "It's pretty terrifying. Nobody in business thinks that at some point this is not going to hurt us".
Pension values And higher costs for business mean higher prices for consumers.
Only this summer, massive floods in Pakistan and China forced the global cotton price to 15-year highs, pushing up the costs of clothes, with retailers such as Primark, Next and H&M all warning of higher prices to come.
Drought and wildfires in Russia also sent wheat prices rocketing, sending global food prices sharply higher.
But consumers won't just be hit by rising prices. As Trucost's research shows, earnings and profits of the world's largest companies will come under increasing pressure, undermining share price growth.
And it is precisely these companies that pension funds invest in.
Pension values, therefore, are likely to suffer, reducing retirement incomes for all.
The cost of the current, rapid rate of degradation of the earth's natural resources will, then, be borne by everyone, environmentalist or not.

This is the first in a series of three articles on the economic cost of human activity on the natural world.

The second will look at which sectors and businesses have been hit hardest, and the third will look at what can be done to slow biodiversity loss, and what opportunities it presents.